Love

I mentioned on September 24th how much I LOVE the various shades of blue and yellow in this collection, and that, because of the color palette these papers are totally gender neutral. So, I thought I’d feature the layout I made using a picture of my husband so you can see firsthand how versatile this collection really is!! ;) Make sure you stop by the store today, this collection is going FAST!

Also, today I’m going to share with you my secret for putting together my layouts, cards, etc. I think the two questions I get most about my design team work are: Where do you get your ideas? And where do you start – i.e., there are so many layers and embellishments, how do you even begin? So here are my answers… ;)

First, where do you get your ideas? To gain inspiration I, almost daily, view dozens of blogs – both independent scrapbookers and company design team blogs (ex., Scrapbooks Plus ;) BoBunny, Basic Grey, etc.). By viewing these blogs I not only keep up on the latest trends, new products and techniques, I also get TONS of inspiration!! Easy enough, right?!?! So, if you are feeling uninspired hop on a blog of your favorite store or company and check out the cards, layouts, altered items, etc. being highlighted – you won’t stay uninspired for long!

Second, where do you start? Armed with inspiration I pull out a collection of paper and the coordinating embellishments. That’s it – I NEVER scrapbook with my pictures – I know CRAZY, huh?? But personally, I feel my pictures limit my creativity. Only after the page is complete do I select the pictures I want to put on my layout. In addition to not scrapbooking with my pictures, I also NEVER adhere any element down until I have the entire page laid out the way I want it. I cut all of the paper, lay out all of my embellishments, ribbons, flowers, etc. and continue to rearrange until I’m satisfied. Once I’m happy with the way my page looks I remove everything and begin chalking, sewing, and then adhering it down.

While I’ve described my way of scrapbooking, this is by new means the best way or right way. I always say there is NO right or wrong way to scrapbook. The key is to do what works best for you. So, if you’re feeling uninspired or stuck in a rut try getting inspiration from others and scrapbook using a new method!!

Paper

MME, The Sweetest Thing – bluebell

Embellishments

MME, The Sweetest Thing – layered sticker, chipboard elements, stickers

Webster’s Pages – letters

Wilton – dollies

Prima, Petaloo & Recollections – flowers

Celebrate It – lace

I hope you’re feeling inspired! Thanks for looking.

Erica