My to-do list today is three-point-eight miles long today, but I had to pop in here and make sure your daily dose of scrapbooking inspiration was up and running! Welcome to Day Twelve (already???) of 31 Pages in 31 Days. Today's spread is all about pattern-mixing.
I get asked a lot of questions about how I choose which patterns to combine. Normally, you can count on the professionally-designed patterns in the Designer Series Paper packs to all work together, but sometimes we need some principles to help us combine unrelated patterns or use up scraps.
When it comes to mixing patterns, one of the keys to remember is contrast. Polka dots and polka dots doesn't work... but polka dots and stripes works great! same thing with chevrons and polka dots, or floral and stripes--what makes them work is the contrast, not the similarity.
What keeps this page, which has large sections of both polka dots and a fancy fan pattern, plus little borders of tiny chevron, from being overwhelmingly busy, is two things. First, it's monochromatic (one color plus neutrals). The choice of going monochrome helps our brain as it sorts out the competing elements.
Even my embellishments are totally Whisper White, so the eye is drawn to the embellishment as a whole, rather than the individual flower, leaf, or pearl.
Secondly, our patterns are in proportions. The polka dot page is dissected with the middle section of the fancy fan pattern, so there is not a solid sheet of polka dots dancing before your vision and giving you a headache. The lighter color and the narrowness of the border strips, adding only a tiny amount of pattern but delineating a clear dividing line between the two main patterns.
The photographs that will be placed on these pages will further help break up the patterns into visually-manageable chunks. I would definitely reccomend a plain, larger-sized Whisper White mat around all the photos that the Scrapbooking Summer School attendees proceed to put on these pages. We'll have more fun discussing pattern-mixing at class on Thursday!
Ok--back to that 3.8-mile-long to-do list!! Thank you so much for tuning into Song of My Heart Stamper's summer blog series today. Please like and share a post from the series today to spread the word that traditional scrapbooking is NOT dead! and there's lots of inspiration and tips to be found here.
Another favorite! Thanks so much for sharing your ideas!
Posted by: Pam P | 08/12/2014 at 08:34 PM
I always have a problem mixing patterns, but you have cleared things up for me today! TFS
Posted by: Terry Duncan | 08/13/2014 at 12:31 AM
Did you use more then one different flower punch or was this all from one set? Im thinking its more then one. it came out beautiful!
thank you!
Posted by: barb pohl | 08/13/2014 at 11:13 AM
No, it's all one Big Shot die, Barb! it's called Flower Frenzy and it's new this year.
Posted by: Lyssa | 08/13/2014 at 12:07 PM
That is why I love DSP patterned paper - I love that they are professionally coordinated and I know that they will all look good together, and then I just add a few solid pieces that coordinate, too and you are good to go. Love this page.
Posted by: Kendra | 08/13/2014 at 03:48 PM
Hmmmm... This is something I've never thought about doing. May need to now.
Posted by: Cheryl Tumbarello | 08/14/2014 at 10:10 AM