There are a variety of ways in which we go about determining our page composition. Sometimes, we begin by using a photo or set of photos. Other times, the composition is determined by the supplies we have. In this case, I had a 6×6 paper pad I wanted to use. The size of the paper was the beginning point for my composition.
Stingray Feeding by Christy Strickler |Supplies Patterned Paper: KaiserCraft;Letters: Paper Trunk; Die Cuts: Kaisercraft, Silhouette; Jewels: Freckled Fawn, Hero Arts; Buttons: Bella Blvd.,Webster’s Pages
The patterned paper I chose features a bit of coral. The position of the coral on the paper was a factor in determining where I wanted to place the photograph. Since I didn’t want to cover up the coral, the photo was placed to the right side of the 6×6 paper and allowed to hang over. Pushing the 6×6 paper with photo to the left edge of the layout allowed me extra room on the right side for a shelf with a small cluster of embellishments. You could say the photo, embellishments and 6×6 paper are snuggled together. It’s a little heavily crowded all by itself. So I added the upper shelf with a spot for the journaling to help the page feel more balanced.
Part of the layout design was guided by the supplies I had on hand. Part of it was guided by a design concept I had seen before. Inadvertently, I have used the concept of snuggling and separating in this layout composition. There are basic foundations one can use when creating a layout. Knowing those can help guide you to the right decisions for using products and photos on your page.