A Layout for My Son (Using Pencil Lines Sketch 240)

Do you ever see a sketch and know immediately what you want to do with it - which picture you want to use, the embellishments, the look? That's how I felt when I saw Pencil Lines Sketch #240. It's a fairly simple sketch design, but sometimes less is more. As soon as I saw it, I knew this sketch allowed the freedom to add stamps, rub-ons - whatever I could imagine - to make the layout personal to me. Now, of course, I could add those things to ANY sketch-based layout, but in this case, I was able to visualize the use of those elements a little easier because there were no other "distractions" for lack of a better word - make sense?

It's so easy for me to get caught up in making cute, girly layouts, especially with three daughters and an adorable niece who provide me with a never-ending supply of pictures! So, when I do get pictures of my teenage camera-shy son, I feel a little out of my creative element. At 16, he's too old for robots and dinosaurs. And I've just about used gears to death. So, my challenge to myself was to use the things I love - flowers and ribbon and charms - and create a layout that still had a masculine feel.

Although I used a delicate white lace, you can see that it is surrounded by dark flowers and charms that have an industrial look to them. The metal accents and black misting leave no doubt that this is a masculine layout - one that my son would not be embarrassed to have me display where his friends might see it!

So, what do you think? And what things do you do that may not be considered the "norm" when creating masculine layouts for the boys, young and old, in your life? Feel free to send me a link to your blog or gallery showing me your favorite masculine layouts. I would love to see what YOU have done!