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Visual Triangles: place elements in a triangle shape. It creates movement and balance in a design
Rule of Thirds: Imagine your design space as a 3x3 grid. Place elements for emphasis at the intersections of the grid, divide the background into one-third/two-third sections. Not sure why it works, but it's a rule in photography that seems to work every time!
For making cards, I always tell my beginiing stampers that each card uses a main image, a layer beneath that and a background. The beginners seem to like this because it makes a complete card and it a simple way of learning the basics. I have found that cards using this approach come out looking nice, but were really easy to make.
One third, two thirds rule, if you are going to divide your background have 1/3 in one patter and 2/3 in the other. It often looks nice to cover the seam with ribbon or a contrasting strip of cardstock.
This is a great thread. I knew about the rule of 3rds but don't always think of it when I'm creating. I really could use some design knowledge. I'm clueless.
__________________ Taryn
"Forget regret or life is yours to miss." - Jonathan Larson
Odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye, so if you are going to use something like a basket of flowers you should put in an odd number. If you are going to use a repeated image, go for an odd number!
I forgot to mention that I also try and balance my colors.....
I use half as much of my second color as my main color, and half as much of my third color as my second color, half as much of my fourth color as my third color, ect.
I've heard of the gallon, quart, pint rule to colour use, and try to apply it to my cards and layouts. When you use colours in those proportions, they work together rather than competing, and the result is more pleasing to the eye.
Oh dear - so much for clicking the go advanced button. I guess I need a cup of joe first - LOL!
I just wanted to quickly let you know that I have started writing on my blog - simple dreams. It will be so much easier for me to keep track of what I've covered and keep it all in one place by putting it there. So for anyone who would like to stop on by just click on the green link below and hopefully you might discover something you haven't heard before. It is going to take me quite a while to do all of this and so I can't promise that I will get to it every day, but I will do my best.
A teacher is only as good as the examples they put forth and so I can't just mutter on about things without sharing examples Unfortunately it takes time to write it all and make the examples. Perhaps I just need to put it all in a book - LOL!
I hope you enjoy the insites that my interior design training will bring to your creations. My belief is that we all are artists - we all have creativity within us! If we learn the basics behind what makes good design then we will have the courage to venture forth and create with confidence
As a for design from college. The two I follow the most :
1. The eye of the viewer naturally moves to the top right of the page then to the bottom left.
2. Avoid putting a focal point on the left hand side of the pge that leads off the edge of the page. That causes the viewer to believe she should turn up the left hand side of the card (as opposed to the right).
Oh, and another one:
3. Use a variety of image sizes. For example, a large main image, a medium-print design on a printed paper and a small detail image stamped on the background.
This is a very interesting thread. Keep the thoughts coming!
Amy
As a for design from college. The two I follow the most :
1. The eye of the viewer naturally moves to the top right of the page then to the bottom left.
2. Avoid putting a focal point on the left hand side of the pge that leads off the edge of the page. That causes the viewer to believe she should turn up the left hand side of the card (as opposed to the right).
Oh, and another one:
3. Use a variety of image sizes. For example, a large main image, a medium-print design on a printed paper and a small detail image stamped on the background.
This is a very interesting thread. Keep the thoughts coming!
Amy
Okay, I can't find the edit button, and baby only allowed me five hours of sleep. So, what I meant to write was:
I used to design newspapers. So I try to follow the same principles of page design I learned in college...
I am new to SCS, but love this thread.
I have stamped for 15 years. Am still totally hooked
I try to take a little piece of whatever I cut off my card front design and
put it on the inside of my card and even on the envelope if I have enough left over.
This can be a long slender piece of card stock from a layering,
a piece of my stamped background that I had to cut to size it for the
card front.
I may even put a tiny piece on the back of the card and put my initials and
the date above it.
This ties your whole composition together. It can even be stamping.
If you have a stamp set of let's way flowers. You use the big flowers in your design on the front of the card and then stamp a smaller matching version
on the inside of the card.
This is great!!! Thanks Laura L
•Balance- The "weight" of the design elements should balance. In other words, attempt to put equal amounts of material on the left and right sides of your card, as well as the top and bottom. This doesn't mean making every side of the card match exactly. Example of unbalanced card-a single brad on the bottom is outweighed by three images and a greeting on the top.
I don't claim to be an expert, but it is often good to use color more than once in a design.
Definitely! This is called "Repetition", and it is very important to repeat elements, colors or patterns on a layout - especially in scrapbooking, too!
"Balance" is a good one, too. If you use a dark color on the left side of your card, for example, then the right side should have something to visually balance it, such as a pattern or image.
I have been thinking about this... I don't have the design training that I wish I had... but the thing that I try to do is make sure there is Depth in my projects. I think that's why I love DTP and sponging so much...it adds that depth!
Wow! Thanks to everyone for there wonderful tips. So much to remember, but I really like the help in this thread as my design sense needs some training.
I am new to SCS, but love this thread.
I have stamped for 15 years. Am still totally hooked
I try to take a little piece of whatever I cut off my card front design and
put it on the inside of my card and even on the envelope if I have enough left over.
This can be a long slender piece of card stock from a layering,
a piece of my stamped background that I had to cut to size it for the
card front.
I may even put a tiny piece on the back of the card and put my initials and
the date above it.
This ties your whole composition together. It can even be stamping.
If you have a stamp set of let's way flowers. You use the big flowers in your design on the front of the card and then stamp a smaller matching version
on the inside of the card.
Design Principles
I LOVE to bring my interior design training into my card making. I do believe this may be the perfect topic for my blog this coming week 
