November 12, 2007
Scrapbooking in Circles
Have you ever considered making round Scrapbooking layouts?
I made a circular scrapbook layout for National Scrapbook Day last May and I really liked the look. Suddenly your 12 x 12 canvas takes on a new dimension. And it’s amazing how different your elements look when they have round, rather than straight, edges to surround them.
This scrapbook layout I made of the sun setting on the Canale delle Fondamente Nuove illustrates what I mean. Normally I would scrap a sunset layout on a 12 x 12 background, or maybe A4 with a landscape aspect. I would be aiming to maximise the feel of the wide horizon. But by making a circular scrapbook layout, I’ve created a feeling of intimacy. A sense that this particular sunset is just there for you. That may sound a bit fanciful but I hope you can see what I’m trying to say.
Reflecting the circular theme in the elements of the layout reinforces this. Of course, you can include straight edge elements and photos too. But I just love the feeling of continuity you get from circles on circles. And the gentle flow of curvy lines.
And Thao Cosgrove’s Art Journal Collection (one of my favourite kits, because you can do so much with it) is full of soft and curvy elements to create the look I wanted.
Making scrapbook layouts in the round is very easy.
For digital scrapbookers you just cut a large circle in the background paper of your choice using your selection tool and build your layout from there. I used the same technique on my photo but I gave it a feather of 20 pixels to create the soft edge that fades into the background. I looked for circular elements to reinforce the theme and curved my title around the outside using the warped text function in the tools pallette.
And traditional scrapbookers can get into the circular theme with the aid of a dinner plate to cut out the background and soft and curvy elements to reinforce the overall ’roundness’ of the layout.
I really like this look and I can see myself doing more layouts in this way. What do you think? Have you tried making circular layouts yet? And if not, do you think you might give it a try? Let us know in the comments below, and if you have a circular layout up on your blog, give us a link so we can all go and admire it.
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Other Related posts:
National Scrapbook Day
Published…for the very first time
How to Digital Scrapbook
Stumble it!
10 Responses to “Scrapbooking in Circles”
What a great idea! I don’t know why I never thought about this!
By Pat on Nov 12, 2007
They are beautiful layouts and different from the traditional-square ones.
I guess this is the kind of layout that might fit themed albums like when you use big tags for bragbooks and other unusual shapes for albums. 
They might be nice when for instance there are musical references in the album or something like that. Trying that the shape of the album fits the themed of it so there’s a carried look through all it. 
Nice suggestion for layouts, and it’s one of outside the box.
Thanks so much for the post and best wishes. :O)
By Olga on Nov 12, 2007
It must be the week for it.
Over at photojojo they have a tool for cutting out your photo’s into circles
http://photojojo.com/ and search for
cut-your-photos-into-circles
It’s a cute little toy and the Phtotjojo site is pretty cool as well.
By Thatch on Nov 13, 2007
This is a great idea Karen! The other day I was at a restaurant with my girls and I asked the server for some extra coasters - they were round and my idea is to create digital round layouts - print them out - adhere to both sides of the coaster and put one hole punch in and then attach them together with a jump ring to make a mini-album of sorts - you can also do the same thing with cds and other round items….fun fun fun!
By Kayla aka Legacy Lady on Nov 13, 2007
Glad you all liked the idea. I’m looking forward to seeing some circular scrapbooking creations around the place. It gives creating a scrapbook layout and interesting little kick and forces you to think a little differently.
Photojojo sounds interesting Thatch. I’ll hop over and check it out.
By karooch on Nov 13, 2007
Very interesting idea.
By Tink on Nov 14, 2007
Fantstic idea!! I think I’ll give it a go. An other great thinking outside the box idea!
By Census on Feb 18, 2008
You’lll ove it June. And don’t stop at circles… check out my post on scrapbooking in other shapes, like hearts.
By karooch on Feb 18, 2008