Repetition is a basic design principle in the visual art world. It is defined as simply using an element more than once on a your scrapbook page. Repetition brings a calming sense of unity to a scrapbook page. It can be used to pull together the two sides of a double page scrapbook layout, and also to add that final touch to a single page layout. Repetition alone can become boring; however, repetition with variation creates movement on a scrapbook page. There are several ways to use repetition in scrapbooking:
Repetition of Color
Ludens
Repeating color on your scrapbook page is an important place to begin understanding the concept of repetition on your layouts. You always want to use a color more than one place on your page. If you use navy blue for your photos mats, perhaps you will use it again for the journaling box and for the title box. Also, be sure to repeat colors across a two-page spread. In the layout titled “Catch a Wave” notice how each of the three main colors (red, green, and yellow) are repeated throughout the page. The yellow appears as the center of a flower in the patterned paper, it is used for the stitching color, and also color-blocked below the matted focal point photo.
Repetition of Pattern
Ludens
Repeating the use of patterned paper on a scrapbook page is another important design element where repetition comes into play. The patterned paper used on the first page of a two-page spread should also be used on page two. You can use little touches of the patterned paper on each page; it doesn’t have to be the entire background. These small bits of pattern will create unity across the pages. On this engagement scrapbook page, I helped Stephanie use her two different patterned papers across both pages of the layout. See if you can pick out all of the places on the pages that the two blue print papers are used. Then, notice how this repetition creates unity across the double-page scrapbook page layout.
Repetition of Embellishments
Ludens
Repeating embellishments is the perfect way to finish off a scrapbook page. Add a row of buttons, or epoxy stickers, or punches to your page. Small embellishments pack more punch when they are repeated. On the scrapbook page shown here, buttons are combined with small pieces of ribbon to create a simple scrapbook page embellishment. I then repeated this design several times on the pages. For tips on how many embellishments you should repeat on a page see the Design Basics article about the Rule of Odds.
Repetition of Shape
Ludens
You can repeat shapes in a variety of ways on your scrapbook pages. Photos can be cropped into shapes (although I recommend using this with care and not using more than one or two shapes of potos on your layout). You can mimic a shape that is found in your patterned paper and repeat that throughout the scrapbook page. You can create repetition with shape through the embellishments that you use, i.e big round brads used several times on a layout. And finally, you can repeat shapes on your scrapbook pages by using the simple free patterns found here on About.com scrapbooking to create your own shapes for your scrapbook page layout. A great example of this can be found in the free printable butterfly pattern gallery.
