Input Requested

Taking a break from my week of two page scrapbook spreads to make shadow boxes for my father who passed away unexpectedly last week. Because I have never been one to add a lot of embellishments, I need advice on how to make these boxes "pop".  The first layout is completely Mosaic Momemts on a water color paper.  I did use the rule of thirds by starting with the largest image as an anchor.  I've added some strips of washi tape and three self-adhesive stickers.

The image has glare from the flash.  Please let me know what to add.
Thanks

Week 5: Stripping

Scrapbook Soup airs on PBS and has several seasons available on DVD as well as a few instructional videos on youtube. One show explains how to finish a page in about 30 minutes using a technique called photo strips.

The idea is to view a 12 x 12 layout with a large 4 x6 grid - either vertical or horizontal. By starting at the edge of your page, place photos until the page is covered.  Marking the grid isn't required.  Scrap paper or washi tape may be used to fill in any open spaces.  Or they can be used for titles, text, or embellishments.

 I used a photo strip in the lower half and Mosaic Moments to complete the upper half.

Here are some close ups of the embellishments used in this layout.
An epoxy sticker,
a Creative Memories (CM) sticker strip,
and CM letters on a stamped image of piano keys fill the last two inches
of middle photo which was a 4 x4.

Embossed stamp image cut from blue paper used as an embellishment.

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This page uses the horizontal photo strips for the entire page and one section is left for a journal.

I punched out the restaurant's logo from their napkin holder, inked the edges and matted it.  Using pop dots, I placed it over the spoon and the green washi tape.  The utensils in the layout were stamped on scrap paper, cut out then inked along the edges before being added as embellishments.




I noticed this Kiwi Lane Design layout uses a vertical photo strip with a different approach.  Looks like it could be a fast layout to recreate with the right mix of patterned paper.

More about this layout can be found at Geocaching

Week 4: Triangle of Clusters

The visual triangle technique (placing three similar items on a single layout to create a triangle) is used on this two page spread by using clusters featuring a stamped flower.  

I have a container filled with embossing powders. By stamping six flowers then heat embossing them with gold powder, I used a minimal amount of this supply.  The flowers were stamped on scrap white card stock then fussy cut and colored with markers.

Embossed flower placed on cut out from patterned paper.

Covered a punched circle with copper tape to add more bling. Flower placed beneath disk.

The clusters have a few punch outs of a navy floral outline and "beads" cut from the patterned paper.  The paper is a winter/holiday paper called "Kris Kringle" made by SEI.  The colors perfectly capture the colors in the January sky. The letters were cut using the Cricut (Plaintin and Artiste cartridges)

Navy floral punch out with embossed flower and cut out.

This spread relies on the rule of thirds, the Mosaic Moments for adding in accent pieces, and the Kiwi Lane design templates for the adding the pattern pattern to a 12x12 white card stock.