What elements give you trouble?
 

Happy Monday, y'all! Hope your week is treating you gently so far.

Did you happen to catch yesterday's SugarBabe Sunday post about the four different ways you can use feathers on a scrapbook layout? If not, you can find it right here:

https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/w...ured-Image.jpg

The idea behind this post was to take a digital scrapbooking element many of us struggle with - feathers - and share lots of examples of ways they can be used.

So my question for you is this: what other digiscrap elements give you trouble?

Let me know, and it could be the topic of a future SugarBabe Sunday!

Washi strips.
There, I said it.
:o
lol
I should peruse the gallery seeing how everyone uses those Washi strips.
:p
(By the way, great article and layouts about feathers!)

I struggle with using doodled/hand-drawn elements and also with knowing how to combine them with more realistic elements. I see darling layouts with these kinds of doodley elements, but get intimidated quickly when trying to use them myself.

Ric Rac!

Ooooh, washi strips! I struggle with them too ... unless I'm using a template that has a spot for it, that's essentially PUT WASHI TAPE HERE. :o Great idea - I will add it to the list!

(And I'm so glad you enjoyed the article!)

Steph, I am right there with you - doodles are hard for me to use, too. I'll definitely add this to the list!

Ric Rac for SURE!

These are good ones. Hope to see more.

I struggle with buttons. The only time I'll use one is if it's holding something in place, like a dangling string. Sometimes I'll use it as a flower center but otherwise I find it looks awkward, no matter where I place it.

Mixed Media Scatters...Flergs put some in her kits, I know others do as well. I love them just struggle with the ones that have shadowed elements and how to incorporate them into the page.

Also, Journal cards on a NON Pocket page. I get them on the pocket pages but would love to use them in a regular page too...

Help on shadowing would be awesome too. You can get all these awesome elements but if your shadows are wonky (ie stuff is flat or floating) it looks bad.

I mostly use buttons to hold stuff too. But like this one I placed in various places over the page.
https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...rt18-kiana.jpg

Kim I use them just like I would use a photo. I either use a photo spot on a template or create one on a page design, similar to these.
https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...lago_kiana.jpg

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...asic_kiana.jpg

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...ay14-kiana.jpg


and with Flergs, I use her splatters mostly as like a paint or similar element. Underneath things with shadowed parts only peeking out, similar to these
https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...yoto-kiana.jpg

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...pets-kiana.jpg

I will use washi tape to ‘hold down’ strips of paper, in behind a ribbon, on a photo/card. Sometimes I will use them as a replacement for a strip of paper.

I already answer in your great blog post but I add it too, I struggle with banners, I just love it so much but never know where to place it in my composition without it looks too crowded.
I also struggle with buttons (I mainly use in floral clusters) like Lidia G!
Thank you for all the inspiration and ideas!:)

Agree on washi tape. I struggle with anything that is supposed to be transparent, and how to (or not to?) shadow them.

And I love the blog posts from Angie, so inspiring!

Buttons....and I guess I have a challenge with this passport using them. :D :D :D

Washi tape - I only seem to use it when I have a template that is already using it. :unsure:

Doodles - LOVE them but have a hard time putting them into my layout. I feel like when I try (unless it's part of the background paper) it looks untethered or something. Like a sticker sneeze.

Yes!! I loved your article!

I struggle with buttons.
And shadowing a certain type of flowers. Like the whole round ones.
And shadowing feathers.

I mostly use banners as accents or to connect places on the page or lead the eyes.
Similar to these pages.
https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...ezane-babe.jpg

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...puty-kiana.jpg

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...ay03-kiana.jpg

I shadow the big round flowers with bigger soft shadows, not too dark. And feathers I tend to treat similar to foliage, so I use the same shadow style as I would on leaves.

My main struggle is with doodles. I never know quite what to do with them unless it's a doodled leaf, in which case I'd just use it as a regular leaf. And as Kimberly mentioned, the mixed media scatters are a challenge for me too, but I always want to use them! I appreciate the tips on those Kiana!

Great topic Angie!

Thank you Kiana! Love those examples. <3

Oh wow Kiana, thank you so much for your beautiful layouts and inspiration and explanation you give! I your second layout, you help me with how to hold the banner with the stud (not sure of the name in english) and the third is a very interesting option too, love how you work with it! Thank you again Kiana, it's really nice to you!:)

Themed elements are hard for me; it's so cute when other people do it, but I can't make it work on my layouts.

I really love hand drawn elements, but I don't know how to use them on my own pages.

The doodles are hard for me, too! I always want to use them, but struggle to make it look "right"

Thanks for your tips on shadowing! I'll try that next time.

I agree for those mixed media scatters. It's hard to use because the shadowing doesn't work on all the pieces.

On mixed media I don't put any shadow. Usually the paint is the bottom layer and so doesn't look good with shadows on it. lol

Themed elements:
I usually tuck into clusters. But on this page below I used them on the squares instead of the alpha that was there.

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...river_babe.jpg

most of the time I tuck though
https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...lergs_babe.jpg

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...6-kcb_babe.jpg

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...cindy_babe.jpg

Doodled elements.

If it's leaves or flowers then I just use it like I would any other
https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...ura_kiana2.jpg

themed doodles I just use like elements, tuck, etc
https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...t_09-kiana.jpg

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...ndy_01babe.jpg

you ladies are so welcome, I'm glad I could give a little inspiration

I feel this way too, and you know what every once in a while I just throw those doodle elements in there with my clusters and try not to judge. And guess what? The next day when I am not all judgy I LOVE MY PAGE! LOL!!!!!

BEST PAGE IS!!!!!!

That is a good tip - I tend to be all judgy with my work too - maybe I should add the doodles and then walk away for a day before I make the decision to be done with my layouts ... Thanks!

I do this on pages that I am struggling with, walk away and check again in the morning.

Angie, today's blog post is AMAZING! I love the different ways the Sugarbabes used doodles!

Another great topic would be title work. Technically, it's not an element, but it's something I know a lot of us struggle with.

I agree...today's post was awesome. Loved all the examples!

Oh, Kellie, I'm so glad you liked it! I learned SO much through the process of writing it that I'm excited to get my hands on a doodle-heavy kit and start experimenting a bit.

I'll add it to the list right now - title work is my absolute favorite topic!

Amazing job, Angie!

I agree with the other ladies regarding the post, I also really liked what you did and there are so many inspirations and great ideas that I want to try my turn! Lol!
I also second a post on the title work! I often don't know what to do and hesitate with the great title already included in the kit or doing one with the alphas and how to do it great eventually playing with word arts too...
Anyway I can't wait to see your next post!:)

Oh yes, title work would be a great topic! I often struggle with that. On a separate note, I've been glancing through the tutorials on the site and noticed that it's been a while since anything new was added. It would be nice if those great blog tips, like using feathers and doodles, title work, etc. be added to the tutorials page perhaps under Sugarbabe Tips for easy reference? Just a thought :)

How fortuitous you should ask, Lidia! Kiana and I actually just got access to the Tutorials section of the website and can now add new ones - so if you'll bear with us as we get through the most wonderful insanity of the upcoming Black Friday releases (omigosh, you guys have NO idea how AMAZING these products are and HOW MANY OF THEM are coming your way!) we'll start getting in there and working on it. I'll be sure to add these new posts to the tutorials so they're easy to find.

Keep those suggestions and requests a'coming, my friends!

I enjoyed reading this post and checking out examples! I struggle most with large elements that are meant to look realistic but that you would not actually put on a scrapbook page.

Thanks Angie!! When you get some new tutorials posted would you mind sharing in the forum or maybe doing a blog post?
I've actually pushed myself to use doodles on my last few pages and the sky didn't fall!!! lol. And a feather may have been tucked into a cluster so these posts are really helping!
I can't remember if I posted this somewhere else, but I have some kits with glitter sheets in them and would love to find a subtle way on my boy pages to make use of them!

How about alphas? I love them in the package... and then I have to add each letter... heaven help me if I misspell a word.... any good tips for using all those gorgeous alphas?

Which program do you use? In photoshop there's the align and distribute tools, which I tend to use with my alphas. I place the letters basically how I want them and then click on those two things, and they're all nice and straight and evenly spaced. When I want them bunched up a bit more then I'll usually have them overlapping a bit and I may tilt some letters a bit to get a hand-placed look.

That's what I do too. I also combine mine into a smart object so the shadow is uniform.

I'll admit, it's so much easier to type out text than to place alphas! I also much prefer having individual letters over sheets.

I put them down, use the align feature in PS and then tilt one to the left, I skip the next and tilt to the right the following, skip the next one and repeat.

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...-Dalis-LO2.jpg

The other thing I do is that I put one letter up, one down, one in the middle, and play with that. Like this:

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...-Dalis-LO1.jpg
and this
https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...-Dalis-700.jpg

Ladies - (cough) I might have some time to work on recording my process during this break so I've created a poll about what you might want to see as one of our first tutorials.

https://www.sweetshoppecommunity.com...ad.php?t=95081

I struggle with a number of things….flowers and foliage being high on the list! I second whoever said buttons to the point I’d say any fastener that isn’t a staple or stitching.