Monday 5 October 2009

From the archive...and yesterday

Do you ever make up scrapbook pages without a picture? I know that in essence, this page has a 'picture' in that the focus is the pound note, so it wasn't difficult to build a LO around it really; although as you can clearly see, it's not exactly a complicated page! I ask you, how many shades of green?! But what do you do when there's a story to be told or a thing to be recorded but there's no photo? Or how about this - you need to include a page about yourself somewhere (and you DO) - but you don't want to use a photo, or at least, not have one on show. Do you do it, or keep putting it off? Do you photograph something to 'hang' your story on? Or would you have a crack at a picture-less LO? I've tried a couple, and a 12" square piece of paper has never felt so big. Long before I joined UKS, or a crop and saw ideas for creating list type LOs or using an associated picture, I had a go at an 'all about me' page. (If we haven't met and you think I don't come across on this blog as that sort of character, let me assure you - I am that woman - I want it, always, to be all about me). The biggest result of this page was that I learned fast about the value of white space. Like all but the most gifted scrapbookers, my early pages were dedicated to filling space and the non-picture challenge LO ended up with a load of things thrown at it. Not to mention techniques. It's only five years old but already that packaging tape idea isn't holding up too well....technically. The page barely holds up at all really, but how my scrapping has changed isn't really the point - it was bound to. See how I ran out of steam and the centre of the page is empty and blank?! Of course, Ali Edwards or some other gifted celebrity scrapper would probably at this point say that with the five years of technique, knowledge and confidence gained, I should re-visit this page and see what I would do differently. But I can't. And the reasons themselves would make a good LO. I've learned that: I don't re-visit pages, I've got too much forward scrapping to do; I'm not the same person, so the 'honesty' of the page wouldn't be the same (dahling, I sound all arty!); I'm much braver now and would probably use a picture anyway; I can't be bothered. (How arty is that!) Come on then, share with me - would you do a picture-less LO at all and if you would, what's the approach? Have you already done so? Will you share a picture? Will you let the rest of us (me) copy it flagrantly?

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

yay for pictureless pages! i would do one, but it would have to be text heavy to fill all that space :)

Carmen said...

I was going to say yes, me, me I've done it... but thinking about it - the two pages I'm thinking of do actually have pictures on them, all be it small ones.

I know what you mean about the white space - I'm not good with it at all. I may upload them and see what you think :)

Carmen said...

Here we go. 2 prime examples that I am rubbish at no photos or leaving white space well alone! :D

Angie said...

This post has started me to really think ...I have never done a pictureless LO but would I ????? I can see where you are coming from with both your examples but if I am honest I dont think I would ever ....but then .... if it was a title page ... maybe a family tree for a heritage album or a map for a holiday one ...etc etc ...I would.

I have to say that I agree with every thing you say from 'Ive learnt that: .......'

Annie said...

I'm having a chuckle to myself because I have all the bits ready to make a scrap book and thats as far as it's got. No spare time, no inspiration, no energy....yes I've used all the excuses. A x

Ann said...

Never been there, never done that!
Not sure I ever would really - I just think the picture tells the story for me. Boring I know.

Unknown said...

I have never even attempted a picture LO far less a pictureless one, so this is one question I could not answer, although if it was about ME I would miss out the picture, and this is not hard, as in our family I am the one usually holding the camera, as an excuse not to be in the picture, there have been times already that I have regretted doing this, as I have no pictures of my Dad and I on our own, and this cannot be done now, oh! I am going on.....Julia I have left something for you on my blog and hope you will accept it. Hugs Avril xxxx

airing cupboard crafts said...

I haven't done a pictureless LO either.

I totally agree with not re visiting pages I like to see the journey (thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!!) I especially agree with you about not changing your all about me LO as that is who you were 5 years ago. xx

ScrappyDandyDoo said...

Hmmmm I haven't done a Pictureless LO before either, sounds like a future challenge.
Good topic :D
Julie xx

Twiglet said...

Thanks for my birthday wishes on Wipso's blog. First time I have visited you I think - I will be back for a good look round - love your cards!

CoventryAnn said...

I definitely don't do white space, but i have done a page without photos, it does have lots of other stuff on it, and (as is my wont) a load of journalling) but no photos!
http://coventryann.blogspot.com/2009/05/vintage-no-photo-page.html

Paige said...

Great topic as ever! I have answered you on my blog :) http://ladybird-ladybird-paige.blogspot.com/2009/10/anwsering-julia.html

Anne said...

Hmmmm. I have. I know I have. But I can't think what it was at the moment - I'll go and have a rummage around the albums in a bit and see what I can find - I haven't looked through my albums in ages (that's a whole other post - my albums tend to just sit there, with no-one looking at them!).

I'm definately with you though on the not revisiting thing. It just holds no interest for me- too much forward stuff to do, and it would feel a bit like cheating. Plus - I like to see how I have changed. If I start changing them now, in five years time I will want to change the stuff I am currently doing. And then, where will it end? I'll be stuck in a cycle of scrapping and re-scrapping the same ten photos. No-no, it's leave well alone, definately!

voodoo vixen said...

Oh yes indeedy... pictureless pages are fun if you enjoy writing... and there are times when the muse hits and then it happens... I have even done a pictureless mini book!! And so Ali Edwards and CK didn't include it in their book on mini books... their loss! LOL

Chris said...

This is an interesting question and my first thought was 'is a picture-less layout really a layout or is a true scrapbook page that we made when we were kids? Actually that's what I call a real scrapbook...assortments of things collected in memory of a day or an event and displayed on the page with a little bit of text and I don't think an associated photo is needed. As to how to arrange those things, hmmm, I don't make many pages although I have a million photographs waiting so I'm no help on that really but I think if I was doing one I'd go for a plain background, the objects grouped closely together off centre and loads of that 'white space' around them. I agree with you that life is too short to re-visit pages :) and as for the packing tape, it looks just fine to me and I happen to know that you're an expect at it :D. Chris xx