Scrapbooking: Front pages

As some of you know, I have had multiple conversations on what should be at the front of an album (my initial post & thoughts can be read HERE). In my opinion a book (or an album) should have a front, a middle and an end. Most of us talk about what we've included in the middle, a few do entire albums with a set theme, but what I discovered was that when it comes to annual chronological albums not many have completed them to think about a front page.

I did get some brilliant suggestions though....
Julie from  Letting The Days Roll By suggested
"You could have a 3X4 grid with a photo from each month, or try 2010 by numbers (a la Julie Kirk's month by numbers), or 'That was the year that was...' with the highlights. Have you got some random photos you haven't included? Or who says you have to have a page with photos anyway?"


Carmen from Whoopidooings suggested
"What about one of those mosaic programs? You could input all your 2010 photos, print out the mosaic and then cut the 2010 out of the mosaic. Mat and layer it. Voila page done. The one I've used before is - http://www.andreaplanet.com/andreamosaic/ and I used it to make the Goblin King/David Bowie piccie here. OR you could create the mosaic and have the main image as all of you as a family made up of all the piccies from 2010... Dead easy."


I also had suggestions to use...
Short summary of your year: goals,trips,major events... 
Or maybe a picture of you/your family saying what the year has meant to you. 10 best things of 2010Family Photo. A photo from each month of the year on the title page

Taking everything into account I came up with the final pages of my 2010 albums, the ones at the very front.

I LOVE the mosaic program Carmen suggested. Originally I had planned on sticking them down as above & then writing down significant events that happened in 2010, world events in black & then family events in purple, slightly larger so they stand out more. However, when I did mount the photos of the mosaics I stood back & thought "thats it, complete". It just seemed to me that no more was needed, & if I had of done more it may have become too busy & ruined it. I chose a the purpley colour to match the colour of the albums.

I plan on using this technique for all my albums now, but shall probably alter the initial image for each.