Too Many Elements?

[DiamondDesign]

I am working on this layout (http://www.godigitalscrapbooking.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=14031) for my grandfather.

It is a brick at the Navy Seal museum in Fort Pierce, FL. My grandmother wanted to hang a picture of the brick, a picture of my grandfather with the brick, and a copy of the poem that announced the brick as his Christmas gift.

I thought these three framed pictures would look awkward or dull on the wall and decided to try making something else.

This is an 8X10 layout. I don't want it to be a "scrapbook" page, but I want it to have some of the life that scrapbooking brings. My biggest concern is the elements I have scattered around (ribbons, eyelets and red stars). Are they too distracting? I was just trying to fill blank space. Should I have left them blank? Should I try to fill it with something else?

Any other constructive criticism is welcome as well.

TIA

[ABitDaffy]

I think it's wonderful! I really, really like the elements that you've added! You might want to take the ribbon off of the extracted brick and erase the parts of the star that cover up the brick in the oval picture (I absolutely love the way you did the stars around the picture, so I wouldn't remove them, just erase the parts at the bottom so you can see the brick) so that the brick in both pictures really stands out. You grandfather is just going to treasure this - what an amazing gift!

[kel3120]

I agree with what Anita said. I didn't even noticed that the brick was in the picture with the stars around it because it was kind of covered up. I think the elements draw the eye in toward the important things like the photo and poem and didn't seem distracting at all to me. I love the star around that photo. Very cool! This will be such a great gift!

[ScrapShana]

I think the LO is wonderful. I agree that the upper right hand photo needs to show the brick better. I think the star elements below the picture and the ribbons are a wee bit distracting. Maybe just 3 of them? Two under the picture and then the big red one at the bottom. Great way to showcase this event for your grandfather! :)