Hello, Hello! Ashli Oliver here to bring you the next installment in our "No More Floating Flair" mini-series. Last time we took a look at how to Use an Existing Pattern or Design Element to Ground That Flair. If you missed the introduction to this fun little series, be sure to take a peek at my last post for all the details.
Right, ok.. Now that we are all on the same page...
Let's dive right into it, shall we?
Today we are going to take a look at:
Incorporating Flair Into Handmade Embellishment Clusters
Now, we could talk for a bit about topping off a lovely flower, or adding flair to the center of a punched shape to finish it off, but - I am pretty confident that we have all tried that a time or two. Plus, Ashley showed a little flower card recently that is a beautiful example of how this can work so well with flair. You will want to check it out for sure!
Today, we are going to focus more on the cluster part of this handmade embellishment fun.
Here I have my background paper, along with some lovely paint splotches, and my chosen photos. Since this layout is all about a Kite Festival that we attended, I have a couple of fabulous flair pieces from the Lovely Words 9 Set:
I also have the conundrum of 2 landscape photos in the mix with 1 portrait photo. That does indeed leave an odd gap. But, that odd gap is perfect for a fun cluster of embellishments. First up, a piece of pink paper fills in the gap and helps set the color scheme for the page. To balance out the horizontal shape of that paper, we have a kraft banner tag. Not only does it help direct the eye down toward the photos, but it also ties in the kraft from the background. Then, a Pinwheel nestles in to fill the gap.
I find that pinwheels can sometimes overwhelm an embellishment cluster, especially when you are wanting a smaller element such as flair to be in the mix. So, why does it work here? The center of the pinwheel is a smaller circular shape than the flair itself. This helps reinforce the circle element (remember, from our last lesson?) but it is not so big as to overpower. But, as great as all of that is...we still have some floating flair! Even though it is "grounded" on that pink paper, it is feeling disconnected from the other elements and the photos.
There we go! I'd say it fits just perfect in that little banner. But, it's getting a little lost in there. And, I don't think that we are doing it justice at this point:
What would be a good way to help it stand out, give it more of a sense of purpose, and not cover up that cute red detail? Another paint splotch!
Ah yes.. that is much better. With the title nestled in above, this creates a nice little cluster. And notice how with the combined placement of the title, the pinwheel, and the flair enhanced banner, we have a visual trio? A trio is always a surefire way to create cohesive balance and a good thing to keep in mind when working with clusters.
Another thing worth mentioning is color choice. For this particular layout, I have chosen flair that happens to be more muted in color. I wanted to bring in some pops of pink and red so I made sure to add that in the form of scraps. Not only does this provide good contrast, but it also helps insure that the flair won't stick out like a sore thumb as the eye will be drawn to the color in the page first. This allows the flair to be a beautiful accent and to not unnecessarily dominate.
For conversation's sake, let's say I didn't want to have these bright pops of color. What if I wanted a more monochromatic page, echoing the colors of my flair more closely? Would that work? Certainly! In that instance, I would create the balance of contrast in tonality and shade. Perhaps making sure to include a few strong black and white elements in the background layers of my cluster. Or, maybe even a dark sticker or punched shape under the flair.
Now you may be thinking... "But what if I want my flair to dominate?"
And you have a great point! Flair is so beautiful, it certainly is worthy of being an accent all it's own. However, when it comes to clustering, I have had more success when I keep the above mentioned design principles in mind. There certainly is a time and place to put that flair center stage. In fact, we will be looking at that in our next installment. But for now...
Let's move on! We need another cluster to balance out the page. Onto the bottom left we go...
A simple tag creates the base layer and serves as some good "grounding." It also helps to balance out the tag element in our other cluster. Then, a little chipboard banner layers nicely over the tag and photo, reinforcing the color scheme.
Now for that flair. Placed to the right of the banner and along the edge of the photo would certainly do, but I do detect some floating action. It is too far right of the layered elements and too close to the opposing photo. These two things make it look like more of an afterthought than an intentional embellishment:
Oh, now that is better! A simple punched scalloped circle gives our flair a sense of belonging and the new placement above the banner helps it to float less. But, I still think we can improve upon this...
Now we are talkin'! Slightly off-set from the scalloped circle and layered over a kraft tag. Not only does this get our flair in a more central area of the embellishment, it also gives it a seat to rest on with it's placement above the chipboard banner:
A few more scraps nestled in, along with some hearts help this cluster abide by the rule of 3 and gives our flair some friends to sit with.
And here we are with our finished page! Notice the flair is on opposite sides from one another on our layout? This keeps the photos central and helps draw the eye about the page. With lovely bits of scraps and such for our flair to sit with and nestle upon... we are free of floating flair!
YAY!
Now for a quick review:
- Flair badges add the perfect finishing touch to any handmade embellishment and/or cluster.
- When clustering items, give your flair a friend or two. The friends will sit together and will not be prone to floating.
- When working in a cluster, take care to notice the rule of "3." Incorporate little bits and elements to achieve that effect and you will create instant balance and harmony.
- Pay attention to your use of color when using flair in your clusters. If your more dominant colors are within the layers of your scraps, your flair will not overpower the grouping.
I hope you are now inspired to go play with some flair and create some handmade embellishments and clusters to incorporate into your next layout!
We would love to see your creations. Feel free to leave a link to your project in the comments below. And, if you are sharing on social media, use #NoMoreFloatingFlair when posting.
Thanks for joining me. I can't wait to see you next month when we will discuss the intriguing design principle of "tension" and how that can be applied when working with flair.
