Hopefully you enjoyed the collective's inspirational manly layouts from yesterday. Today we're going to tackle the design of those pages we create for the men and boys in our lives. I find it easy to splash a page with flowers, frills and butterflies for my girls and I on a page, but that isn't an easy decision when tackling the pages about my husband, friends and nephews on a page! However, never fear, there are many, many other options the collective is going to show you today to incorporate in your manly designs!
STARS
Because I'm married to the military, my first go to design element on my pages are stars. Stars and stripes have been in my daily life for over 16 years now so it's no wonder I tend to gravitate to them! In this layout I used not only small star elements, but also created a central/large star element in the design for added punch.
Celeste used arrows in this layout as well as simply an accent piece in her digital layout. The stapled gold star is just the right touch to finish off this layout.
ARROWS
Arrows are a trend that have been around for a while, but seem to be making a big debut again recently. I love them as an accent, as a focal point and as they were originally intended - to point to something.
I used a Silhouette chevron/arrow cut for this layout about my husband taking over as a commander. I wanted the arrows to be pointing down to the photos, but added a pop of color behind each strip.
Aliza used arrow strips in her layout to point to the photo as well. I love the leading lines above and below the photo to draw your eye in to what's important-the boys in the photos.
Jennie took it a step further and incorporated not only an arrow embellishment, but arrow paper as well layered with other papers, photos and embellishments. I also love the small layer of embellishments in the right corner that also incorporates a subtle arrow.
I love how Katie included not only arrow embellishments and papers on her layout, but also threw in a handful of hearts to go with those as well! It's hard to get hearts on a boy page and I love how she incorporated both on this page.
SHAPES
There are all kinds of shapes, big and small, that can be used on boy and male layouts. Whether it's a large central element like we've already discussed or repeating patterns, it's a fun way to add color, dimension and punch to a layout.
Amy uses large stitched circles, paired with smaller circles (the sequins) to embellish her layout. It pairs so well with the layered papers and the photos in her layout.
Christine paired lots of different sizes and colors of circles on her layout. I love the way the photos are in the center and the circles draw your eye to them.
Celeste went a different route with shapes and incorporated lots and lots of hexagons in her layout. I love the repeating pattern and different colors she used throughout her layout. She used the hexagons for not only an embellishment, but to house her title and journaling as well!
Finally, we're bringing it back full circle (slight pun intended!) from the stars we began with and looking at how Valerie incorporated stripes in her layout. Like the other layouts using repeating shapes, she is repeating her stripes up and down her layout. What draws you in is the way she uses various colors and patterns behind her already established pattern. It complements so well.
This new line from My Mind's Eye CHA 2013 would be extremely helpful in getting those designs started for your next layout.
What are some of your go to design tips and tricks for the layouts about men and boys in your life?
