The latest episode of the Digiscrap Geek Podcast is all about drop shadows. I really wasn't sure how much I could offer to a conversation about adding shadows to your digital layouts. I am a paper scrapbooker first and foremost, and a hybrid scrapbooker second. I tend to think in dimension and design aesthetics when I create my layouts. Shadows aren't a thing I consider, though I do know that digital scrapbookers often find them important.
When it comes to digital pages, I need someone to point out to me the areas that have drop shadows added to them. I am, in essence, drop shadow blind. On the show, I was asked whether or not I consider the shadows that digital elements have when printing them for my layouts. As I understand it, some come with drop shadows already in place. The short answer is no. However, I began to wonder if hidden shadows had made their way onto my hybrid layouts. I suspect that , given the dimension I add to most of my pages, that very dimension adds it's own shadowing and overwrites any that might be hidden there. I figured I would share a few of my hybrid layouts and a paper one for comparison. Are there any hidden drop shadows that you can see?
I made this hybrid layout for Traci Reed Designs in February. The monster print paper lays flush against the cardstock. Each cluster with a photo and the journal block are all mounted on chipboard sheets to raise them off of the layout. This is most notable in the cluster on the upper left. A natural shadow occurs beneath the photos of my husband with out kitten. The XOXO in the journal block is also raised up using a piece of chipboard. Note the shadow beneath the letters. Raising paper products on chipboard sheets creates subtle shadowing and dimension throughout the page.
I created this hybrid layout for Traci Reed Designs at the beginning of March. Once again, I have used chipboard sheets to raise up some of the elements, photos and the title. In this case, I varied the number of chipboard sheets under each item. Some are mounted on one sheet, others on two or three. I made sure to put adhesive only in the center of each chipboard sheet. This allows me to insert die cut elements into the sandwich created by those layers. In turn, this creates some natural shadowing.
I created this paper layout for Scrapbook Challenges earlier in March. Once again, I have used a layer of chipboard. This time, two sheets of chipboard lie beneath the yellow photo matte. I have inserted fussy cut flowers and dimensional elements into, under and on top of this chipboard and patterned paper sandwich.You can see natural shadowing under the pink flowers on the upper right side as well as under the word "boy" in the title.
To be fair, I am honestly not sure whether or not any of the digital elements I printed already had shadowing within them. As I said, I am drop shadow blind. What I do know is that I like my pages with dimension. Many of my pages come several centimeters off of the canvas. I shoot my project photos at relatively the same time every day. I take advantage of the natural light and choose a time of the day in which some shadowing is evident but does not overpower the page itself. I am curious though...did you find any hidden drop shadows in my hybrid layouts?
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