Page Theme Issues

I'm still studying differences between good, great, and wow-za pages.  And learned a couple of things today.

When putting together a page I pull out all the possible paper combinations, dies, stickers, stamps, etc I expect to use, or possibly use.  Without exception, one element will capture my fancy and, wrong as it is, I'll walk on hot coals to incorporate it.

I'll use the project currently under construction to demonstrate this point.

The page features a trip to the ocean.  The colour scheme runs to pastels.  I also wanted to blend shabby chic with just a bit of whimsey.  (Probably my first mistake)  The element I fell head over heels in love with was a couple of starfish cut from a die, and stamped with a truly adorable face.

Blurry, but a fair representation for this purpose

Cute as buttons.  So far, no problem with page assembly.  The starfish works well with the photo matting demonstrated in the photo.  There are two photos featured that go on the page, one each for the right and left side.  I set waves consisting of four layers of papers to create a bottom border for the page. (I cut and chalked a few fishes to appear to be jumping in and out of the waves.  Darling!)  The title will go in the upper right hand corner, and I plan to use three separate journaling boxes between the space of the two photos.  So far, all works together very nicely...

But this is where this "hooked on an element" becomes a problem.  I need "something" that binds the two pictures, and creates another layer of depth for the journaling boxes; perhaps a large strip of paper, 12x4 inches.  When I laid the thick mid-line border across the page, I got "blah."  I then began playing with one of the Tim Holtz masks picked up the other day.  Love at first sight.  That was the answer!!  Except it wasn't.  The chalked image creates a very formal setting.  Not at all within the theme, nothing whimsical about it; however, I really, really want to use it.

A much smaller image than the mask I would use, but it's easy to see the formality.

So that's a huge chunk of my problem... choosing two non-complimentary elements to a page.  I usually justify using both and calling it "mixed," but it's not.  It just proves my lack of experience.  Maybe someone with much more experience could pull it off, but I can't with goodly results.

Since I'm more than three-quarters finished with the page, it will have to be the flourish to go.  This will be a first.  It's a start in the right direction, however.

For now on I plan the page theme and keep cute away from formal.  It can't hurt!