How to use seemingly disparate elements on your layouts (part 2)

I love using bits of found and random stuff on my projects and try to make them "work" somehow. I shared my tips on how to use seemingly disparate elements on your layouts back in August. Here is Part 2.

My little helper

1. Use a dark grounding colour to help guide the eye across the layout.

On this layout, I repeated the black paper strips as markers to guide the eye across the photos right down to the titlework and journaling.

Three boys, one girl and a fire hydrant

2. Create a "frame" with your elements.

Here I used the chipboard pieces - the hexagon ones and the birdies - to "frame" my photos.

Mixing the new with the old

3. Go with the visual triangle.

On this layout, I played with the visual triangle in a couple of ways  - a. I placed the photos within a triangle; b. The fussy-cut big blooms form a triangle to "frame" the photos; c. There are triangles in the misted background design. 

At last

4. Play up a shape by repeating it on your layout.

Repeating a shape on your layout helps to tie everything together somehow. Here I used the circle shape - in the photos, the buttons, the circles on the misted background, the circles on the polka-dotted washi tape. 

Why we need an umbrella indoors: the McCafe story

5. Make it look like an advertisement.

Incorporate a product shot (the food) and a user shot (my mum), throw in a testimonial ("It's so sunny in here!"), a summary of the main selling features (#1 - 3), a caption to draw the viewer in (The McCafe story) and finish with some happy elements (bird and flowers) and colours.

The story about the red bean cake

6. Use one colour to guide the eye.

It may not be obvious here since my layout is so colourful but I used the hot pink throughout the layout as a visual marker for the eye (the chipboard flowers, the ribbon center and sides, the scroll chipboard, the ticket tab).

A layout by Yvonne Yam for Maya Road/Ruby Rock-It swap

7. Go with the pinboard format.

You know how it is with your inspirational board at home - you just put stuff you like on it. Apply it to a layout and you have a bunch of random stuff that somehow works together! *LOL*

There you have it. Another 7 ways to use seemingly disparate elements on your layouts. Do you use any of them?