Creating A Layout

Not sure how to begin scrapbooking? I am going to show you how to create a layout from scratch.
Most of the time I select my photos then make my layout to fit my photos. I have my photos organized chronologically and grouped by events. For example birthday (November event) then Christmas (December event) So I have my photos for the layout I am going to make and the colors are pretty bland.Grays and browns and whites for most of it. So I want to liven it up since this is a layout for my son's 1st year scrapbook. There is a little bit of red (the shirt is actually orange but in this picture it turned out red) on one of the photos. So I start looking through my stash of paper until I find something I like. I found the perfect one from Creative Memories Jewel Designer Print paper. Sorry it was discontinued about a year ago.
I put a few pictures on the paper to make sure it will work and I am set. I want more to my layout though than the pattern paper and pictures. I know the paper is beautiful as it is but I don't have that many pictures to fill it and I still need some journaling space.

Right side of layout notice how the paper has blue on it.

This is the pen I used to add my lines. Its basically a Calligraphy pen.

left page

On page 180/ 181 of the current Creative Memories catalog (2011 Fall/Winter) they have an idea I have been wanting to try. I know I have some decorative cardstock so I go looking for that (I wish I were more organized) and hope that I have a color that will go with the paper. I get lucky the one that I have opened is the bright decorative cardstock and I still have the orange. So I cut it in half and in half again. I play with my layout a bit until I find where it will go. Then I get out my pens and get to work. On the idea book they have the decorative cardstock with lines and dots. I choose the dashed lines and again sorry they don't sell the pen anymore. I have an old bold-tip CM pen. I have had this pen for about 10 years and it still works great. Way to go with quality Creative Memories. You can just use your normal pen and do a bunch of lines or buy a calligraphy pen. The edge works great for the lines.