Welcome back. This is the fifth installment of: “Keep a 5 year Journal.”

I’m back with a quick observation and another list of questions.  I’ve been plugging away at my journal and have a few things to share.

As we approach the half way mark of the first year, I think you should give yourself a pat on the back.  Matter of fact, if you have someone else in your home – I say you give yourself a vacation!  Ask them to do the cards for a few days.  The answers will be fun and you can simply have them sign their name so you know which ones they helped with five years from now.

Share how you’re doing, ask for encouragement and above all else – BRAG!  You’re doing something big and you’re doing great!  I’m all caught up and have my cards prepped through May 31st.  I hope it’s still fun and you’re enjoying the little bit of reflection each day.

Call for Projects from our 5 Year Journal friends

I would love to feature your 5 Year Journal here. Please share links in the comments, and/or  contact me to be featured in next month’s column. I’d love to share all kinds of journals, so if you’re keeping a digital version, send me a screen shot.

For anyone who is new to this idea, I hope you’ll join me on this journey.  You can jump in at any time: start on your birthday, on the day of a special event, or just make today special.

5 Year Journal Prompts for June

365 Questions – June

365 Questions – May can be found here

365 Questions – April can be found here

365 Questions – March can be found here

365 Questions for January & February can be found here

Once you understand layout design principles AND the basic parts of a scrapbook page, scrapbooking gets easier and more fun. 12 lessons cover this territory with hundreds of layouts to illustrate. Click here to get lesson 1 today -- and then new lessons every couple of days -- all at no cost.

While journaling is an important part of many scrapbook pages, there are times when minimal journaling works just fine. Here’s a look at 6 of those instances in which titles, design, lists, and photos do the work typically expected of scrapbook page journaling.

Short journaling works:

1. When a list does the job

There’s nothing like the clarity of a list of things that are important to your subject to cut through the clutter and make a portrait with very few words. Terri Davenport scrapbooked highlights of her son’s life  at 13 doing just this.

Nate 13 by Terri Davenport | Supplies: Template and brush- Ali Edwards, Patterned and solid papers-Andrea Victoria, Font-Chunk Five.

2. When the photos are enough

Love the photos? Just want them on the page to look at? That’s how I felt about these recent photos of my oldest son. The story I have isn’t so interesting that I want it interfering with these shots.

J by Debbie Hodge | Supplies: Findings by Jenn Allyson; Petals by Sara Gleason; Alpha Set 5, Burlap Scraps, ArtPlay Snow Fun by Anna Aspnes; Chasing Fireflies by Paislee Press; Bollywood Dreams by ViVa Artistry

3. When your title does the work

Lisa Dickinson scrapbooked a series of photo of suggling with her daughter and titled the page: “Above All Else, We Have Love.”

Enough said? Yep!

We Have Love by Lisa Dickinson | Supplies: cardstock (Bazzill Basics) + letters (Creative Cafe) + frames (Sassafras Lass) + stamps (Studio Calico) + ink (Stampin' Up) + pen (American Crafts) + misc. button

4. When “who, what, when, and where” do the job

Posed shots at events are the kinds of one-off photos you want to get into your album even if there’s no story to tell. Get the basics: who, what, when and where, and you are good to go.

Every Spring by Debbie Hodge | Supplies: Mixed Up Alpha by Lisa Sisneros; Burlap Scraps No 1 by Anna Aspnes; Vintage Playing Cards, Typeset Alpha by Sahlin Studio; Wesley by Ardent Sparrow; Everyday Matters by T for Me; Stringbats by Kim Jensen; Love You More than Ice Cream by Jen Barrette; Far Away from Here by Juliana Kneipp; Bintage Ledger Journalers by Robyn Meierotto; She's a Doll by Vinnie Pearce

5. When the visual design tells your story

Jana Morton used fall embellishments that repeat and reinforce the leaves in her photo. Additionally, she let the scene from the photo “spill” onto her page so that her son appears to be running into the distance, a reinforcement of the theme her photo caption sets: that life is certainly a race.

Life is Certainly a Race by Jana Morton | Supplies: Katie Pertiet: Watery Autumn Paper Pack, Selvage Edge Photo Frames No. 1, From My Bookshelf Blendables No. 2, Flourishing Leaves No. 1, Autumnal Artistry Kit, Alandia Paix Collection, 2011 Postmarks, Brushed Alphabet No.1. Studio DD: Fall Element Clusters. Pattie Knox: Fasten Its!

6. When short journaling makes the point loud and clear

Kelly Purkey tells about the emotions she had–good and bad–with just a few short words prompted by the journaler on “Hey, 30.” The photo, the title, and this brief journaling tell us all we need to know to understand the story of this page and this day in Kelly’s life.

Hey 30 | Supplies: Patterned Paper: Basic Grey, October Afternoon Journaling tag: Smash Stickers: Crate Paper, October Afternoon Paperclip: KI Memories Mist: Studio Calico Pen: American Crafts Other: Twine

There are many stories and photos that need and deserve extensive journaling — and then there are instances like those shown here when a sentence or two, a list, a well chosen title, or even design and photos make the page’s point well.

by Debbie Hodge

Titles are one of the basic parts of a scrapbook page, and we’ve shared lots of ideas and how-tos for scrapbook page titlework. Recently, we even talked about the work a title can (and should) do if it’s going to be included on the page. I’ve found myself recently forgoing a title altogether, but the ideas here are causing me to rethink (and perhaps even revisit) those titleless pages.

Read on to see several layouts with big titles that earn the real estate they take up because of how integral they are to telling the page’s story and creating a unified and appealing visual design.

These aren’t just big titles that say “SNOW.” They are titles that pull from popular culture and conversation. They are titles that, even when they are labels, go beyond the obvious.

1. Use your title to tell a story that diverges from the photos

Doris Sander took her title “Every Rose Has Its Thorns” from a song by the glam metal band Poison (and there was singing of it at the Masterful Scrapbook Design webinar in which Doris shared the page.)

It’s a perfect title for a page that’s a rumination and a message for Doris’s son on how relationships can be thorny and that there are benefits to finding a relationship worth working on, despite any thorns. This title let Doris use a photo of children at a wedding to do more than document the occasion. Doris emphasized the title with large alphas (that come with those awesome shadows) and centered placement.

Every Rose Has Its Thorns by Doris Sander | Supplies: stickers, stamp, stencil, patterned paper – Jenni Bowlin, ink – Jenni Bowlin for Ranger, transparency – Hambley, rose – vintage, embroidery floss – DMC, punch – Martha Stewart, masking tape

Krista Sahlin used a title to help tell a story that was different than what the photos showed.

Krista says, “We had a ‘dream’ family vacation to Disney a while back, and never thought we’d be able to go back again for a LONG time. By a small chance of luck we were able to, though, so I used a title that represents the classic Disney moment of “riding Dumbo at Magic Kingdom” and “believing in the Disney magic.”  ”Believe It” reflects that it was pure magic to have an opportunity to be there again.”

Believe It by Krista Sahlin | Supplies: Land of Fantasy by Sahlin Studio and Britt-ish Designs

2. If you use a label make sure it goes beyond the obvious

The title on Audrey Neal‘s  ”School Spirit” appears at first to be a simple label for a page about the college Audrey attended and now works at.

When you read Audrey’s journaling, though, you find out that she’s celebrating her own new-found affection and spirit for the school she once tried to avoid. The entire page is an homage to the school and the idea of school spirit with shield and pennant motifs in school colors. The title is large and rendered in a retro font (Pacifico) with a white outline that makes it pop against the background.

In a recorded conversation with Audrey (which is a part of the free membership level at Masterful Scrapbook Design), she shared with us all she did to make this a page the celebrates this institution, explaining that she brings at-risk high school students to campus as a part of her work, and that she always wants them to see it in the fall and feel a sense of back-to-school exhilaration that will motivate them to go to college–and that she’s coming to terms, herself, with what a fine place she’s in.

School Spirit by Audrey Neal | Supplies: Gennifer Bursett: Up to Date (woodgrain paper, multicolored chevron paper, metal brads), Design House Digital, Robyn Meierotto: Cut It Out Clipping Masks (triangle pennants and stitches), Design House Digital, Audrey Neal: Currently (blue and gold papers, stitched stars, star elements, journaling tag), Design House Digital, Audrey Neal: Pinned (double photo frame), Design House Digital, fonts: Olivetti Type2, Channel

The title on Emily Pitts‘ “The Family Photo Bomber” is a label that’s a combination of charm and punch that perfectly complements a family portrait gone awry. The oversized alphas are as bold as Emily’s son’s face as he “bombs” the family photo.

Search for “photo bomber” online and you’ll find plenty of photos in which an individual “bombs” an otherwise traditional portrait with an unexpected look, pose, or action. Emily celebrated the current terminology and her son’s sense of humor with this page. Just in case you’re new to the term and don’t immediately see what’s going on, she’s turned the “t” in Photo into an arrow.

Family Photo Bomber by Emily Pitts | Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics, Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee, Crate Paper, Mist: Maya Road, Chipboard Alphabets: Maya Road, Sticker Alphabets: Jillibean Soup, Embossing Powder: American Crafts, Ink: Tsukeniko, Tag: Maya Road Twine: Maya Road, Measuring Tape: Maya Road, Ribbon: Maya Road, Staples: Tim Holtz Transparencies: Maya Road

3. Use repetitions and styling to strengthen title meaning

On this self-reflective page, Anna Aspnes takes on the topic of her need to always know “why,” appropriately titling it “Why” and using repetitions of the word to reinforce the topic. She even made her own typeface for the title word by overlapping letters from three fonts: Chopin Script, Paddy Wagon WF and Times New Roman.

Anna rasterized the text and erased bits from some letters. For example, the”w” is a combination of the “w” from both Chopin Script and Paddy Wagon WF. She filled the heart-shaped loops resulting from this combination with color gradients and used one to frame her own eye from a blended portrait in the background.

Why? by Anna Aspnes | Supplies: Artsy Layered Template No. 2

4. Have fun

I was long gone from home when my youngest brother was in high school and won this trophy. When I recently found this photo, my mom said she thought the trophy was for badminton. Really? It seemed odd to me. I said I thought I remembered that he won a tree-felling competition. When we saw my brother later that night, he laughed. “Yep,” he said, “It was either badminton or tree felling. I know I won trophies for both.”

It’s just a silly bit of conversation, but it covers memory territory for all of us and it let’s me scrapbook an old photo for which I was lacking a story in a memorable way.

Layout by Debbie Hodge | Supplies: This Is My Story by Little Butterfly Wings; Daydreamer by Mari Kogelenberg; Storyteller Alpha by Amanda Heimann; Vintage Frames 26, Vintage Charm Chipboard Stickers, New Growth 5, Out of a Box ALpha, Academic Sanded ALpha by Katie Pertiet; Tidbits alpha by One Little Bird; Blackout font

5. Send a message

Of ‘I Dreamt For You This Life,’ Betsy Sammarco says, “The title is the focal point of this layout. I deliberately used tiny photos in order to get the sentiment of the layout across. There were so many parts and pieces to my boys’ lives, I didn’t want to focus on one photo. I rendered the photos in black-and-white and small to help keep initial focus off the photos and on the title.”

It’s a beautiful page that immediately triggers the viewer’s understanding of what a mother’s hopes and love aspire to.

I Dreamt for You This Life by Betsy Sammarco | Supplies: Patterned paper, die cuts, and letter stickers: Collage Press, Acrylic embellishment: Maya Road, Rubons: Pink Paislee, heart sequin, misc ribbon

So where do you come down on including titles, especially big ones? Try one of these ideas on your next scrapbook page.

Using digital word art as a title for your scrapbook pages can be quick, fun, and, best of all, super easy!

Ideas for turning your favorite word art into the perfect title for your next scrapbook page follow.

Note: If you’re in need of word art to put the following ideas into practice check out our Quotations and Wordart Series for free word art to use in your paper and digital scrapbook pages.

1. Clip a photo to your word art title.

Maybe all your word art needs to be transformed into the perfect title is a “face-lift.”

On “Everything Has Beauty But Not Everyone Sees It” Anna Aspnes used a powerful word art message in a way that doubles as both title and a clever photo mask.  This design choice allowed her to display  an over-sized title and a beautifully blended photo without the worry of overcrowding and distraction.  This technique also complements the idea behind her layout perfectly.

See by Anna Aspnes | Supplies: QuoteBlendz No. 1, ArtPlay Palette Why Not?, WoodShop Hearts No. 1, Stitched by Anna White No. 9, Artist Edge Overlays No. 6, MagicSprinklez No. 3

2. Modify your word art title to customize its message.

Digital word art offers the opportunity to play with the words  in your titles. Switch things up a little bit and you’ve got great visual interest

On “Nookworm,” I used word art that read “bookworm” and altered it by covering the “b” with a star sticker that I topped with an “N” to make a playful title tailored to this page about my excitement over a brand new Nook!

Nookworm by Amy Kingsford | Supplies: Page Turner Kit by One Little Bird Designs and My Playlist Challenge No. 123110 Template by Biograffiti

3. Leave your word art title unchanged and use its message to help you find your story.

Sometimes the message behind a particular piece of word art is all we need to be reminded of an untold story from our memories.

The word art “Remember He Knows If You’ve Been Bad or Good” that I used in my page by the same name, acted as a great reminder of how we had  held the idea of Santa over my son’s head long before the Christmas Season was upon us.  That this was the essence of my story, made it a great choice for my title. Since it coordinated so well with my page there was really no need to alter the word art itself.

"Remember He Knows..." by Amy Kingsford | Supplies: Holiday Sketch #2 by Amy Kingsford, Making a List by One Little Bird Designs, Loop Da Loops and Tartan Textures No. 1 by Anna Aspnes

4. Accent your word art title with embellishments that draw the eye and impart meaning.

Embellishing your word art title is yet another way that you can customize it to create visual impact and convey meaning.

Pattie Knox customized this word art by adding her own personal touches. She digitally “clipped” a fun patterned paper to  give it a fresh look and then went a step further by embellishing her word art title with felt hearts.  This extra step not only draws the eye, but also strengthens the meaning of the page.

“100 Things Title” by Pattie Knox | Supplies: All materials from Designer Digitals - Ali Edwards: Love Something Brushes & Stamps Pattie Knox: Annie’s Antics Kit (heart pattern paper),Getting There Kit (white paper), Have a Heart Felt Vol. 2, Epoxy Extravaganza- In a Word Vols. 1 & 2, Text Bytes Shaped Text Paths No. 33

5. Do the unexpected with word art titles.

The Story by Krista Sahlin | Supplies: tell the story word art by Sahlin Studio - word art, journal box Today Journal Cards by Valorie Wibbens - arrow, card Enjoy the Moment by Sahlin Studio - ribbon Around the World by Britt-ish Designs and Sahlin Studio - camera

For more ways to use digital tools like word art to make dynamic titles for your digital and hybrid pages–check out the February 2012 webinar recording of Digital U at Creative Passion Classes.

Welcome back. This is the third installment of: “Keep a 5 year Journal.”

I’m back with a quick observation and another list of questions.  I’ve been plugging away at my journal and have a few things to share.

Slow and steady wins the race

When life gets in the way, it’s hard to make time for your projects.  When I get behind on a project, I feel like I need to rush through and get “caught up.”

Slow and steady does win the race. It’s as true for you and your art projects as it was true for the Tortoise in Aesop’s fable.   If you’re feeling that your 5 year journal is becoming more chore than project, take a day or two off.  No one will know. It’s ok, and in a day or two jump back in feeling refreshed!

My favorite card this month

I loved that this journaler lent itself to the card, and I love that the focus is happiness.  I loved participating in the Happiness Project and believe that focusing on the positive is a good way to end each day.

This is also the last card I’ve made. Yes, it’s half way into April. Yes, I had family visiting, and, yes, I’m satisfied with what I’ve accomplished–just as you should be.

Call for Projects from our 5 Year Journal friends

I would love to feature your 5 Year Journal here. Please share links in the comments, and/or  contact me to be featured in next month’s column. I’d love to share all kinds of journals, so if you’re keeping a digital version, send me a screen shot.

For anyone who is new to this idea, I hope you’ll join me on this journey.  You can jump in at any time: start on your birthday, on the day of a special event, or just make today special.

5 Year Journal Prompts for May

365 Questions – May

365 Questions – April can be found here

365 Questions – March can be found here

365 Questions for January & February can be found here

Once you understand layout design principles AND the basic parts of a scrapbook page, scrapbooking gets easier and more fun. 12 lessons cover this territory with hundreds of layouts to illustrate. Click here to get lesson 1 today -- and then new lessons every couple of days -- all at no cost.

Embellishment clusters can be showy or simple. The beauty of a cluster is that you can combine several elements, including images, to reinforce page
subject and contribute to design. Think of an embellishment cluster as a small arrangement that works both on its own and as a part of the larger whole of your page.

Not sure how to put an embellishment cluster together. Try one of these approaches on your next page — and then another and another until you’re a pro at clustering.

1. Cluster in threes

A cluster of 3 or 5 very similar elements makes a great page accent. In design, odd numbers of objects are more interesting to the eye than even numbers of objects. An odd number of objects can be arranged both symmetrically and asymmetrically. (Check out Tap the Power of 3.)

The clustered elements should incorporate repetitions with variety. So, for instance, three different but circular items would work. On “Same,” Celeste Smith combined a large felt flower, a small chipoard flower, and a circular date spot in a cluster at bottom right of her photo.

You could also use three button (or gems or hearts) but vary their size and/or shape and/or color.

Same by Celeste Smith | Supplies: Digital Supplies: Cool Beans Mixed Buttons, Minestrone Paper Pack, Harvest Felt Flower,Red Polkas Canvas Flowers,Calendar Journaling Sprouts on White - Digital Sprout Pack #1 - all from Jillibean Soup; Font: Another Typewriter

2. Cluster in layers

The layered cluster is a small and beautiful arrangement well designed on its own and well-integrated into the rest of the layout by virtue of the repetitions it incorporates. When you make these kinds of clusters, work to mix stand-out pieces with meaning neutral embellishments like photo-turns, ribbon, buttons, brads, and tags. Strive, also, to include a combination of textures and shapes within a cluster.

There are two layered embellishment clusters on “J.” At top right a label rotated 90 degrees provides the base upon which the cluster is built. A sticker monogram, label plate, distressed brad, and gear are layered upon a label rotated 90 degrees. They support the setting shown in the photos and represent my son. The yellow brads provide the eye-catching pops of color that make this one of three “yellow” spots in a visual triangle.

A smaller tag provides the base at bottom left. While the binoculars, branch, flower, and tie don’t actually fit on the tag, still, the tag provides the first grounding layer to the cluster.

"J" by Debbie Hodge | Supplies: Lemonade Stand by Robyn Meierotto; Flair Box 3 by Paula Kesselring; Lost World, Storytime, Gearhead by ViVa Artistry; Baker's Twine Asst, Vintage Charm Chipboard Stickers, Farm Fresh, Flossy Stitches by Katie Pertiet; Artplay Chevron Crazy Life by Anna Aspnes; Brad Bonanza by Pattie Knox; Uncharted by Krystal Hartley; Beffle Medium, Typendoski fonts.

3. Cluster in stacks

Another way to create clusters is to combine small bits – oftuen meaning neutral embellishments like buttons, flowers, brads, gems, and chipboard shapes–and stack them up. Top it all off with an interesting fastener and you’ve got “stacked” treasures with lots of appeal.

Lisa Dickinson’s “This girl” has 6 stacked clusters: multicolored circles topped with matching butterflies, flowers, and tilted journaling strips. See the repetitions here and the variety. Notice what classic embellishment spots these stacks create.

This Girl by Lisa Dickinson | supplies: Bazzill cardstock in kraft & white + Jenni Bowlin paints (Cough Syrup, Chewing Gum, Lemon Drops, Seed Packet, Soap Powder, Chicken Feed) + Jenni Bowlin inks (Cough Syrup, Chewing Gum, Lemon Drops, Seed Packet, Soap Powder, Chicken Feed) + butterfly stamp (Studio Calico) + buttons + stick pins + border punch + JBS letter stickers

4. Cluster in series

Small embellishments can get lost on a full-sized page. One way to let them shine is to place them in a series. Whether you line them up tidily or a bit askew, put
them on a straight line or place them along the outline of a shape, arranging small embellishments in a series is a great way to organize them, create flow, and add
repetitions to your page.

I’ve lined up four elements to fill a “compartment” on “Fall Riding.” Circle elements and a leaf are united by their proximity and organization in a series.

Fall Riding by Debbie Hodge | Supplies: Krafty Cuts Leaves No 1, Krafty Canvas No 1, Fall Fun Element Pack, Banner Saftey Tags No 1, Scallop Strip Masks, Lifted Leaves No 1 by Katie Pertiet; Folded Ribbon Bits by Pattie Knox; Autumn Moon Ephemera by Sahlin Studio; Journey Back Elements by Vinnie Pearce; Wild Weekend, To The Woods, Glitter Thread Stitches by Lynn Grieveson; Westover by One Little Bird; Fall and Halloween Handdrawn words by Ali Edwards

5. Cluster in sprinklings

Add a random-looking cluster or trail of embellishments to soften up a linear page, fill a spot, support your page subject and mood, or just have fun. While a sprinkling should appear random, a little tweaking and attention to the balance of the elements within the sprinkling never hurts. Incorporate repetitions with variety in the elements you sprinkle.

Betsy Sammarco punched small flowers from patterned paper and sprinkled them in a downward diagonal path that leads the eye to the focal point photo. She’s stacked little gems on top of the flowers.

Layout by Betsy Sammarco | Supplies: Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee and scrap, Chipboard Frame: Maya Road, Bling: Doodlebug Design, vintage label: flea market

6. Custer in pockets

Audrey Neal is a linear scrapbooker, preferring graphic patterns, color-blocked backgrounds, and gridded photo templates. Audrey says, “I try hard, though, to incorporate non-linear elements into my designs to help balance all those straight lines. You might think that embellishment clusters would be too “messy” for my orderly ways, but it’s actually pretty easy to create a simple pocket cluster like the one on ‘Go Somewhere.’”

The base of  Audrey’s pocket cluster is a library pocket with a world map on the front, held together by striped pieces of tape. Inside the pocket are flat, paper elements as wells more dimensional elements with organic shapes like the flower and grass stems. These elements rise out of the pocket and spill over onto other blocked in the gridded composition.

Go Somewhere by Audrey Neal | Supplies: Agnes Biro and Erica Coombs: En Route collaboration, Design House Digital, fonts: Pea Sara Print

Once you understand layout design principles AND the basic parts of a scrapbook page, scrapbooking gets easier and more fun. 12 lessons cover this territory with hundreds of layouts to illustrate. Click here to get lesson 1 today -- and then new lessons every couple of days -- all at no cost.

Step-by-step

1. Select two photos: one a close-up and one a smaller context shot.

2. Enlarge close-up to 5″ x 7″.

3. Print 6 copies of the smaller photo at 1.5 “x 2″ each. If you’re printing your own photos, print the strip of them together.

4. Trim and mount 6.5″ x 12″ piece of subtly patterned paper about 1″ from the right edge of your canvas. This is the mat for the large photo.

5. Mount the strip of small photos along the left edge of this patterned paper mat.

6. Mount larger photo abutting the strip of smaller photos.

7. Place vintage label (or titlework)  and photo frame at bottom left corner of large photo. Embellish right behind this cluster with doily or other large embellishment. Stamping or brushwork is a possibility.

8. Embellish with a sprinkling of small embellishments (Betsy used punched blossoms). Place them in a downward diagonal flow from top left to bottom right. (See an example of downward diagonal flow with misting on 5 Liftable Ideas from 1 Scrapbook Page by Emily Pitts.)

Layout by Betsy Sammarco | Supplies: Patterned Paper: Pink Paislee and scrap, Chipboard Frame: Maya Road, Bling: Doodlebug Design, vintage label: flea market

Once you understand layout design principles AND the basic parts of a scrapbook page, scrapbooking gets easier and more fun. 12 lessons cover this territory with hundreds of layouts to illustrate. Click here to get lesson 1 today -- and then new lessons every couple of days -- all at no cost.

Contrast in titles

Your title can not only contrast with the other elements on the scrapbook page — it can also have contrast between the parts that make it up.

You can add contrasts in color, typeface, size, dimension, styling and more. Take a look at five pages with high contrast titles.

1. Juxtapose freestyle script with traditional serif

On “Just Be,” Lisa Dickinson used a casual, handwriting-style for the word “just” and paired it with a solid, bold serif font for the word “be.”

Lisa says, “I love the juxtaposition of a loopy, freestyle script with a traditional serif font–or a sleek, san serif font mixed with an rustic, eroded typewriter font While the mix of font styles adds insterest and makes the title visually appealing, it also is used to represent the variety of emotions on this page. The script font reflects the free and happy feeling portrayed in the photos, while the more classic serif font conveys the more serious advice featured in the tag banner.”

Just Be by Lisa Dickinson | Supplies: Just Be by Lisa Dickinson | Supplies: cardstock (Bazzill Basics) + patterned paper (Webster's Pages - pink; Lily Bee Design - grey) + stamp, ink, label (Jenni Bowlin Studio) + tags, mist (Maya Road) + journal strips (Pink Paislee) + acrylic butterflies (John Allen) + fonts (Halo Handletter, Didot) + die cut machine (Silhouette by Quickutz) + pen (American Crafts)

2. Match typeface “personality” to word meaning

As I made “Fun AND Crafty” showing two sides of my mom, I used two typefaces that I feel convey each of those sides. The thick and loopy Pacifico is great for “fun” while an etched, multi-colored typeface goes with the idea of “crafty.” To draw even more attention to the titlework AND the differences I’m conveying, I used large glossy epoxy alphas for the word “and.”

Fun AND Crafty by Debbie Hodge | Supplies: Precocious, Ephemera Stacks by Krista Sahlin; Rimmed Framers, Doodle Do Frames No 2, Journaling Strips by Katie Pertiet; PuddleRounds Alpha by Amy Martin; Zoey by Amy Wolff; ATC Yellow, Splatter Graffiti Gypsy Spirit by Tangie Baxter; Child Play by Paula Kesselring

3. Pop AND soothe with dimensional contrast

The message of Kayleigh Wiles‘ page “Keep Calm” is exactly what the title says, and her titlework choices draw the eye and convey this message. There’s contrast in dimension, texture, size and tone between the thick and glossy epoxies and the flat font rendered in a shade of blue that’s just a bit darker blue than the canvas upon which it sits.

Keep Calm by Kayleigh Wiles | Supplies: Lucious Kit by Maplebrook Studios; Vintage Photo Frames No. 25, Basic Polka Dot Ribbons No. 01 and Tabbed Dates by Katie Pertiet; Hint at it No. 08 Brushes by Lynn Grieveson; Easy Curled Edges No. 01, LoopDaLoop Artstrokes No. 04 BrushSet, ArtPlay Palatte Special One & Seafoam by Anna Aspnes; Painted Christmas Words Brushes and Stamps by Ali Edwards

4. Deliver bigger punches with large-size contrasts

Emily Pitts used a whole “lotta” BIG in her titlework on “Happy Girls are the Prettiest.”

It not only grabs the eye, it shouts “happy” as a result of the colors and casual typefaces. Emily says, “I wanted a nice big alphabet so I hand-cut my own and paired them with tiny clips for “are the.”

Emily says, “You don’t have to be afraid of hand cutting letters; they don’t have to be perfect! I then backed each letter in a darker (or lighter) piece of cardstock so they’d have a bit of a border. This allowed them to stand out against the photo.”

Happy Girls by Emily Pitts | Supplies: Patterned Paper: Simple Stories, Chipboard: Maya Road, Embossing Powder: American Crafts, Ink: Tsukeniko, Mist: Maya Road, Ribbon: Maya Road, Pearls: KaiserCraft, Twine: Maya Road, Thread: Coats and Clark

5. Mix up fonts within one word

Anna Aspnes not only contrasted the words in her title here, she contrasted the letters within the word “good.”

Anna says, “Using multiple fonts in coordinating colors is one of my most favored titlework techniques. The key to successful implementation of this technique is to select complementary fonts that create balance. For example, pair your fonts so that an artsy scripted or handwritten font is balanced by a more simple serif font for example.”

“Two serif fonts can lack interest but two script fonts can overwhelm the eye. Combining one with the other often creates the perfect balance. I also like to mix fonts and sizes within a single word to create a focal point. The wordart is completed by selecting colors from my layout using the color picker. On this layout I also used Photoshop Transform tools  (Perspective and Warp) to manipulate the word “memories” to make it look as though it were printed on the envelope in the underlying image.

7 Good Birthday Memories by Anna Aspnes | Supplies: MultiFoto DoublePage Template No. 13, ArtPlay Palette WHPH, Straightline Stitched White No. 1

Once you understand layout design principles AND the basic parts of a scrapbook page, scrapbooking gets easier and more fun. 12 lessons cover this territory with hundreds of layouts to illustrate. Click here to get lesson 1 today -- and then new lessons every couple of days -- all at no cost.

• It’s about getting creative with fonts and alphabets.
• It’s about selecting typefaces that support your story and mix well with everything else on the page.
• It’s about the personality a typeface can have and using it to set mood.
• It’s as much about using type to get stunning looks on grungy and freestyle pages as it is about using type on clean and graphic pages.
• It’s about the synergy of shape, line, and meaning when type is “set” to work with every element on the page.

This month’s issue of Masterful Scrapbook Design focuses on Typography. Yes, you will get a review and reference for type alignment, leading, tracking, kerning, and typeface selection.

And then you’ll get real value: ideas, how-tos, and sources for designing masterfully with type.

The teachers for this topic are Tiffany Tillman, Lisa Dickinson, Emily Pitts, Paula Gilarde, and Anna Aspnes, and they are generous with their favorite tricks and sources, showing you how to:

• make a border of type using Word or Photoshop
• combine fonts to make your own original typeface
• get “letter-press” looks with Photoshop techniques,
• use type like patterned paper,
• and much more.

4+ hours of video interviews are posted and ready for immediate viewing or listening on your computer, tablet, or e-reader. Members of Masterful Scrapbook Design already have access to these materials. You can get immediate access for $16 through March 31st at http://MasterfulScrapbookDesign.com/type

As soon as you join, you get access to the MSD Starter Library with 300+ pages of illustrated design how-tos and ideas you can view on tablets, nooks, kindles, and ipads, as well as the current month’s materials, including a 40+ page seminar, 5 focus lessons, and 4+ hours of video/audio interviews with the guest teachers.

Join Masterful Scrapbook Design today.

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You may always have a refund of your monthly payment, no questions asked. Even if you’re just confused or worried, an email will get a quick response from Debbie. You may cancel your subscription at any time.

Find out why so many love their MSD subscription.

“I have been a member since almost the start and you really do an amazing job . . . You love what you do, and it is apparent in the quality products you provide to us. Thank you!” -Nicole Lamarche

“Dear Debbie, I absolutely love your site. I have purchased your Building Pages Class, read everything free I could find here, and now I’m participating in Masterful Scrapook Design. I love your style and explanations of why. You guys are doing a bang up job of customer service and this is a really great business model. Thanks.” –Mary Nelson

“Debbie, Thank you so much for all your efforts to make this a great learning and creative experience. What I have always valued so much in your classes and website is your sincerity in wanting to help us learn what will make us better scrappers and enjoy doing it.” -Marcia Deignan

“I have continued my membership with Debbie Hodge’s Masterful Scrapbook Design. At some point I referred to this as a class, but I’m wrong. Debbie calls it a seminar. I’m calling it the best online publication you can purchase.” -Gayl Staffler

“I am impressed by the quality and quantity of material that is available each month. It is quite a bargain, really! You have really done amazing work with your website and class offerings.” - Laura Harvatine

This is such a great conversation, I love how we all share a love for memory keeping but can come at it from so many different perspectives and find so many ways to grow! Thank you all!!! -Louise J

This is absolutely amazing stuff! Thanks a million for all the effort and hard work! Antoinette N

I am a new subscriber and LOVE all you have here. Thank you for all you put into making such a fabulous product. I am so excited for what’s to come in the future here! -Amy S.

click here to get the Typography issue for $16 through March 31st

Welcome back. This is the third installment of: “Keep a 5 year Journal.”

I’m back with a quick observation and another list of questions.  I’ve been plugging away at my journal and have a few things to share:

It’s OK to fall behind

I had family in town, my life got chaotic and I battled with some depression this month.

I didn’t want to do art – of any kind.  Some days I chugged through and wrote answers on a slip of paper just to write something, and – hey – this is my life right now why not document the ‘bad.’  Other days I didn’t write anything.  I’ve got excuses – I forgot there was baseball practice, I forgot the other kid had piano, too.  I got sick and had company visit.

It’s all OK.  This is YOUR project.  The questions are made to be different and help you when you fall behind.  The last book you read on Monday most likely will be the last book you read on Wednesday (OK, maybe not my bookworm friends but for some of us it doesn’t change within a day or two.. nor does your favorite color or movie, etc. ).  So do what you can, when you can, and when you fall behind, make a plan to catch up, and that’s that!

My favorite card this month

My approach to the journal is to make 365 “question” cards with the question and some art on the front and the 5 years of answers on the back. So here’s my favorite card I’ve made this time around.  I really enjoy doing zentangles and doodling.  Even more so, I liked the idea of leaving some spaces open to fill in the upcoming years.  Then I can even start coloring them – the art doesn’t have to stop!

Call for Projects from our 5-Year Journal friends

I would really love to feature your five year journal here, please share links to it in the comments to be featured in next month’s column!

For the newbies – I hope you join me on this journey.  You can jump in at any time: start on your birthday, a special event or just make today special.

If you decide to keep a five year journal, or are already keeping one and would like to be featured in an upcoming month, please contact me.  I’d love to share what everyone is doing.  I’d love to share all kinds of journals, so if you’re keeping it digitally I’d love a screen shot of your journal for next month.

The questions for April

365 Questions – April

365 Questions – March can be found here

365 Questions for January & February can be found here

Once you understand layout design principles AND the basic parts of a scrapbook page, scrapbooking gets easier and more fun. 12 lessons cover this territory with hundreds of layouts to illustrate. Click here to get lesson 1 today -- and then new lessons every couple of days -- all at no cost.