Summer School – It’s Your Turn to Learn: Focal Point

Written by My Favorite Things on June 16, 2015. Posted in Educational Series

Hello again, dear students! We hope you enjoyed yesterday’s lesson on composition and how to use the Rule of Thirds to your advantage when designing. If you missed yesterday’s post, be sure to check it out HERE. Kimberly Crawford’s tutorial makes so much sense!

Today our composition lesson will help you understand the concept of creating a fantastic Focal Point. The Focal Point on any given project is the main area where an embellishment or image stamp is placed. Typically it works best if there is only one focal point.

Lesson #2 – Composition: Focal Point

I’d like to introduce you to today’s instructor, My Favorite Things Design Team member Keisha Campbell. Let’s settle in for a lesson in creating a fantastic Focal Point!

Start with a pretty background to be the stage for your focal point. Bold or subtle, the background grounds everything and showcases the focal point to perfection.

Keisha used a bullseye design to draw the eye to the center of the card using circle Die-namics. By adding foam tape to the circles, she puts even more attention on the focal point.

Using one of the inner circles created when die cutting the bullseye, Keisha stamps a pretty pattern. The lacy design pairs well with the bold background, but the delicacy of it makes you want to look closer.

Next Keisha adds a bright yellow butterfly to the bullseye. The color alone draws the eye to it. Notice her placement to the right of the circle still allowing the lace design to show. Just lovely!

Finally, add in the sentiment to tie it altogether. Notice how the banner extends across the whole Persimmon circle. The layered circles with the orange ring and bright butterfly with the sentiment across it all draw the eye to the center.

And what a lovely card Keisha has created drawing the eye to her dramatic and very pretty Focal Point!

To aid in your learning , we have created a My Favorite Things Summer School Study Guide. Download it HERE, and then print it. It will be a handy tool that you can refer to as you design!

This week you’re the student, and instead of grades, we’ve got two prizes per day and two ways to win. Using today’s lesson, we’d love for you to create a project that exemplifies what you learned and upload it to the link below. Master the lesson and win a $50 voucher from My Favorite Things and be featured on the blog on June 30. Just by participating, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a $20 voucher, so everyone has a chance!

All entries must be submitted by noon EDT on June 26th. Winners will be announced here on the blog on Tuesday, June 30.

Here’s your homework for your chance to win:

1. Create a project following the lesson you learned today.
2. Be sure to link your project below for your chance to win!

Before you go, be sure to stop by the blogs of these members of our Creative Team for more lessons in how to achieve the perfect Focal Point in your projects.

Now make sure to do your homework! Class dismissed.