Author: LauraMcCandless

Welcome to the first Gallery Standouts of 2014. From all of us at GSO, Happy New Year! From the looks of the galleries, the talented people of digiland have recommitted themselves to make beautiful art this year. So, let’s get to the picks…

madness by Keely~B
Scrapping teenagers can be tricky, but this layout nails it with fun colors and a freestyle design. I especially love the different patterns and paints used as they add to the high-impact of the layout. This is also a great tongue-in-cheek approach to documenting the moodiness of the age group! Well done!

You Shine by alahnasmommy
This is packed with joy and so many creative details. The palette of the page really energizes it because the red background pops with the other primary colors. The layering is well done and detailed, but doesn’t take away from the darling photos. Super scrap here!

Sunset by the Shore by caapmun
Maybe it’s the below zero temperatures and the snow, but summer at the shore sounds awfully good today! The golden warmth shines forth from this page. I love the gorgeous photo that wisely stands as the strong focal point of the page. Beautiful!

One Year Older by CindyS
I am a long-time fan of Cindy’s pages. I love how she can pack them so full of gorgeous layers and element work while still maintaining cohesive storytelling. Just awesome!

Good Times by LilisMother
This layout has wonderful artistic flair. The stamping and brushwork in the background is a fantastic anchor that moves your eye through the page. I also really like the playfulness of the circular crop and matting of the photo. Such a fun layout!

Good Stuff by Tiff
I love the crisp, graphic design here. The play of the photos against the patterns is masterful, especially with the added pop of the white frames. I love the eclectic design sense here- just fabulous!

 

I have some absolutely wonderful layouts to share with you tonight, so let’s get to it!

My Style by talktoheather
I positively adore this page! It has a wonderful balance between white space and messy details. Speaking of the details, they are perfection! There’s so much attention to every embellishment, both in building a well-composed page  and in adding just the right amount of color. This page  is quirky, fun and just packed with personality!

Be Me by Shayenne
This layout conveys so much emotion through the flow of the page and the mix of arrows. It’s great to see such a clever expression of feelings in the word bits and colors. You can really feel the choice to seek happiness! So powerful!

 

Sweet Memories by kayleigh
The marvelous layering and mix of textures makes this page pure eye candy. I really like the mix of vintage ephemera with a more modern holiday color palette. The contrast elevates the page and makes it even more interesting to peruse. Well done!

 

December 9th by Katie Pertiet
The limited color palette on this layout reinforces the frosty, cold theme of the page. Everything about this layout is cohesive, from the solid composition to the carefully curated elements. There’s a lovely mix of products yet nothing feels like it’s too much. Very beautifully crafted!

 

Paris Cafe by norton94
Wonderfully eclectic and full of details, this page conveys pure Parisian chic! It really feels like a travel journal, complete with ticket stubs and menus, that has been poured onto the page. The blending work and awesome layering punch this layout up even more, especially when combined with the pretty bits of patterned paper and flowers. Gorgeous work!

 

Husband and Coffee by miki
This page brought a huge smile to my face – a whimsical ode to coffee and her husband. The fun circular photo and surrounding word art add to the playful feel. The paint adds just the right touch of a coffee spill effect too. Super fun!!

 

Thanks for stopping by GSO tonight. I hope you enjoyed the inspiration!

 

 

Can you believe that October is winding down? This month has really flown! There never seems to be enough time to get crafty or creative lately, but a trip through the galleries does help! So, let’s check out today’s standouts!

Carving Pumpkins by js_74
I absolutely love the composition and layering on this page. Everything is just spot on! It’s playful and interesting to look at, but it also manages to keep the photos front and center. Great Halloween treat here!

Character Selfies by tanyah666
This is super creative and a brilliant solution to the problem of what to do with all of those Disney character photos! I adore how the design moves your eye along the page with the carefully placed arrow. The title work is also super fun. Wonderful work!

Silly Girls by NatalieKW
The cool paper play and bold title work are very eye-catching. I love the limited color scheme on this page too, as it adds to the graphic pop of the design. Well done!

ToT by LeeAndra
The balanced, centered composition gives a strong focal anchor to this page that really works. The simple embellishments add a perfectly restrained amount of detail too. Very pretty!

Let’s Party by LenaBrandenburg
I love the storytelling that’s happening in these photos! The addition of the great patterned papers kicks it up another notch too! This is just a perfectly fun page!

Oct. 13 by zinzilah
Can you tell where the photo ends and the layout begins? The seamless quality to this page is so very awesome! I adore the masterfully added element work and witchy mood of this page. So cool!

Thanks for visiting! I hope you were inspired!

Happy Monday! Let’s get right down to today’s inspiration…

Fall Colors Magical by helen
This is really, well, magical! The layering and beautiful sense of color evoke autumn so perfectly. I love the subtle dot background with the scattered leaves because it gives such a sense of the cool fall breeze. Simply gorgeous!!

This Home by mrphoto
I adore the paper play on this page. The mix of patterned papers in cut shapes makes it so fun and dynamic, yet it’s balanced with the grey background paper and linear border. Totally darling photos and page!

Even After All This Time by KathrynWilson
I’m a huge Harry Potter fan, so this page was a big “Ohhhhhhh” for me from the start.  (For those who aren’t familiar with the back story, it’s a quote from Snape about his love for Lily Potter, later echoed by Alan Rickman, the actor who played Snape in the movies. Google it for more info…it’s pretty touching.) Needless to say, the quote grabbed me but the incredible white space composition and amazing detailed element work wowed me. Great page!

Autumnal Glory by beszteri
What incredible brushwork and blending! This layout practically glows with the beautiful autumn light, which is a brilliant show of program skills. This is really such a work of art – love it!

A Day at the Patch by Lacey Bittner
Look at the great composition here! The large focal photo with two smaller photos overlayed is complemented by the blocked paper piecing. This is well-crafted and full of interesting details. Super page!

 

I hope you enjoyed today’s inspiration!

Welcome to the Monday edition of Gallery Standouts! If you’ve hopped right into a busy week, here’s your chance to relax and soak up some inspiration.

Autumn by omlialie
The perspective on this page is so fantastic! It jumped right out of the gallery. With the great shadowing depth, you really feel like you’re looking down onto the page. Combine that with the fun color play and awesome element work… well, it’s a Standout!

Happy by rfeewjlj
This page shows a definite eye for mixing patterns. Part of the success on this layout is the limited palette, which enables all of the papers to work together harmoniously. I also love how the greys in the papers pick up the tones of the photo. It feels so cohesive and balanced. Such beautiful work!

 

Playtime by Lindsan
Such elegant simplicity here! I love the subtle brushwork that anchors the composition. The eclectic mix of paper pieces provides visual interest that is a nice counterpoint to the white space. The cool crop on the photo and strong pop in the title work really elevates the design too. Well done!

 

Love this by cinna
The mixed media look is used to great effect on this layout. From the woodgrain background with its fun burnt title to the painted word transfer, there’s so much that’s on trend about this page. I love the feathers, particularly in the bold tones. The colors add such extra zing to this layout. Wonderful page!

 

Our Lil Pumpkin by mymalloryboys
I adore the storytelling that’s happening on this page. Make sure you read the journaling! The creative crop on the photo goes right along with it. The playful mood is perfectly underscored by the fun and whimsical element work. The framed patterned papers, mixed paint and brushwork and collected ephemera all add to the fun look here. Super layout!

Thanks for stopping by the blog today. I hope you feel refreshed and creative!

Farewell, September! I hardly even knew you. Wow, did this month speed by for you too? It was nice to end the month with a leisurely and inspiring walk through the galleries of digiland. Here are the beauties I found to share with you:

Let It Go by sarahbhbThe bold composition and graphic silhouette are so eye-catching, but they also really underscore the emotional temperature of the page. As the journaling beautifully reflects on the struggles of moving. I particularly like the ombre effect on the buildings and the simple, yet evocative title work. Great page!!

 

Lessons for my son by MamaBee
Yet another brilliant photoless page! This is such a meaningful, touching layout. I adore the scattered letters mixed with the doodles. It feels like we’re right inside her creative process as she works on the lessons. So cool!

 

Magical day by amandaresende
As always, Amanda awes with her tremendous use of color and artistic eye. The wonderful color blocking mixed with the black and white photos is simply beautiful. Fabulous layout!!

 

Today Rocked by kayleigh
The subdued palette and pretty details make for such a lovely page. I really like the mix of subtly patterned paper and organic elements. It gives a soft vintage feel to this wonderful layout.

 

Ride by wtunison
This one popped right out of the gallery! The mix of stitched chevrons on the wood background with the horseback riding photo is just so perfect. I absolutely love the metal accents, especially the charms and horseshoe. The details are spot on!

 

Candy Coma
This layout feels like the perfect way to welcome October. I love the perspective in the photo as well as the play with the strong graphic patterns. The colors and layering are so fun too! Super work!

 

Thanks for joining me in closing out our September inspiration!

Welcome to another installment of Gallery Standouts! I hope you enjoy these creative and well-crafted layouts.

sweet cheeks by 3littleKs
Brenda is one of my favorite white space scrappers. Her pages always have such excellent composition and balance. This gorgeous layout is no exception! I particularly love how that eclectic mix of patterned papers pulls your eye towards to the photo and complements it so well.

play-doh fun by Tronesia
This is another scrapper whose pages I could admire endlessly. Tronesia always has such beautiful storytelling happening on her pages. Take a look at how the gorgeous photos and element work lead you through the play-doh experience. Simply wonderful!

Fun at the Fair by JALong
I love the freestyle feeling to this layout. The playful mix of photo treatments, exuberant paint and scribbles as well as fun elements are perfect for the fair theme. Well done!

Summer Morning by flohblock
I like the tight composition and limited color palette on this page, as it really gives an extra focus and pop to the photo itself. The repetition of rectangles and pennants is also very visually unifying. So pretty!

Junior Year by pixleyyy
I have a teenager myself and it’s just not as easy to scrap them as it is younger kids, however, this layout proves it can be done fabulously!  The modern colors and touches of trendy chalkboard make it a very current look. Note how those chalkboard pieces also put the photo inside the visual triangle so effectively. I also love the inclusion of the schedule, as that’s a great detail to preserve. Awesome layout!

August 2013 by Ink and Pixels
I think it’s fair to say that smart phones have changed the face of both photography and scrapbooking. Sometimes, it can be a very good thing to have that camera handy all of the time, but at the end of month, you might be wondering how to incorporate all of those random shots into your memory keeping. This page offers a brilliant solution! With the insta-weather overlays already on them, the photos are a cool chronology of the month. Love this!

I hope you were inspired by tonight’s selections. Be sure to leave some gallery love for these talented scrappers!!