One sketch, two looks

More Scrapbook Magazine layouts to share with you today.

I'm a big fan of sketches and have talked about it before. I very often grab a Page Maps sketch before I even pick up a piece of paper when I want to move things along more quickly. So the idea of creating a sketch and then designing two quite different pages from it to show how versatile they can be, was a lot of fun.

I went to a design that is similar to a few pages I have made recently. It's great for a stand alone photo or a collection of smaller, wallet-sized photos on a die-cut background which is a combination that I love.

So, first came the sketch (yes, I'm very bad at drawing these things!)

And then came the layouts.

This first one features R's incredible Cosmopolitan. I try these wherever I can when I'm out but his are by far the best I've tasted! They are delicious and so I thought that it deserved a layout of its own. These MME papers were a delight to use and were such a gorgeous combination of colours and shades - loved using them. The cocktail glass rub ons are years old and it was so good to finally use them! I have a whole sheet of similar images that I really must find a use for.

And then I flipped the sketch and used 2x3 photos to highlight some details of our Easter decorations. Something very bright and pink and featuring a banner rather than paper strips.

Sketches are whatever you want them to be and are such an excellent way to start your pages.

Do you use them often? It would be great if you could share your sources - always on the lookout for new places to get inspiration.

Where do you want to go?

As mentioned last week, I sometimes get commissions from The Scrapbook Magazine that make me scratch my head and draw an initial blank. These are always interesting to create as they really get the grey matter working.

Then again, there are times when I almost punch the air with joy when I get an email with a certain subject matter as I know immediately what I'll scrap. One of the recent designer galleries was entitled "Favourite Places" and it found me grinning from ear to ear.

No one who's been reading my blog for any length of time will be surprised to know that my favourite place and somewhere that I ALWAYS want to go is Canada!

The only problem I had here was to choose the design and only one single gorgeous photo. that took some time but I was happy with the end result. Any layout featuring photos from our Canada adventures makes me smile just looking at it.

What subject matters make you smile?

Oh, and not to forget my American friends... 

Happy Independence Day!

ETA: And of course, a belated but heartfelt Happy Canada Day (for the 1st July) to my Candadian friends!

Inspired by... flags

It's always interesting working for The Scrapbook Magazine as we often get given assignments with directions that really get your brain working. Sometimes, I get the email and at first my brain is completely blank! It's great to track how it goes from blank to done and how I love whatever is the outcome.

An assignment last year that I haven't yet shared, was exactly such a brain teaser but it proved to be one of my favourites of recent months.

Two layouts were requested using the colours of flags: Germany (gold, red and black) and India (blue, green orange and white) to be precise. Added to that, I needed to use the topic of "heroes" and to incorporate paper punches.

Wow, quite a list.

Once I'd got my head around the colours and decided which paper lines I was going to use, it actually came together pretty quickly. Actually, I have to be fair here and let you know that a lot of subject ideas for magazine layouts come from Libby. I like to bounce ideas off her and she often sends me in a direction I hadn't been planning and when I told her I needed to do a layout about heroes she assumed that I'd include Jacob. I had been toying with the idea but thought it might be too geeky. She gave me permission be exactly that and this is the outcome.

I used American Crafts Abode which I thought had some really great reds and yellows, and turned the primary colours of the German into some serious Jacob love.  (And yes, I know it's a bit sad at my age!)

When I showed it to my little brother who was with us at the time, he told me it was the saddest, lamest thing he'd ever seen. I knew then it was perfect! Who needs validation from a 17-year-old anyway?

And when I looked at the colours of the Indian flag, I realised they were often considered to be bright, summery colours and the Bella Blv All Inclusive range proved perfect.

These layouts just go to show that there really is something inspiring in everything around us. Neither of these colour schemes are be ones I'd usually be drawn to but they were so easy to put together once I had found a way to interpret the blend of colours and shades.

What colour schemes have you used recently that were unusual for you?

Inspired by fashion

I'm still in the midst of LOAD madness so I thought I would just leave you with a very quick blog post with some layouts I haven't shared yet.

Well, they were shared in The Scrapbook Magazine but of course, I wait until they have been published to show them to you here.

I was asked to create two layouts inspired by fashion. What a great prompt and my mind went off in a million directions.

I instantly knew that I wanted to make a layout based on this window I had photographed at Christmas.

You might realise that I am ever so slightly obsessed with Chanel - if only I could indulge in real items other than perfume! But I fell in love with the window display while I was window shopping in Düsseldorf and thought it was so typically Chanel. Understated, classy but modern all at the same time. The combination of colours which are always connected in my mind with Chanel - THAT cream, black and just a hint of red. I knew that I wanted to use this as the basis for the first layout.

It was lovely to create something with these soft creams and natural beiges, with just a flash of bright from the photo and the title. The layout was very calming to make and I put a lot of work into finding just the right elements for my cluster.

The second layout was proving difficult to decide on until Liberty told me it was a total no-brainer and that of course, I should do a layout about our Prêt à Portea in London when we went for mum's birthday. It would be a bright, fun layout and a great contrast to the first one.

Thanks, Libby, for the push to make this one - I love it! It was a great feeling to just let go and chose all those elements relating to the colour and the theme. It took me ages, but I was very happy with the result.

What would you decide on if you were given this prompt?

Secret scrapping

Usually, after LOAD I go into scrapping hibernation for a week or two, unable to work without the challenge of "having" to do a layout.

And there is really something in it. It's quite difficult to actually just get up and make something - for the fun of it.

This time, though, I had to get back into it as I had a couple of magazine commissions (The Scrapbook Magazine) and out came the paper and glue once again.

I suppose, it's also a type of challenge, working to a specific guideline regarding topic or product and maybe that's why it works so well for me.

Anyway, they won't be featured for a month or two so I can't show you the whole thing but here are some sneaks.

It's so thrilling for me to see my work published in the magazine and I love it when Liberty and I are featured in the same issue (sometimes even in the same article!). I really ought to spread my wings a bit and try some other magazines, but for now it's just so great to be part of a British publication - connects me to home in some way.

And here is my reward to myself for finishing LOAD and for getting the commissions done on time.

Yes, I had a little splurge and treated myself to my favourite of all the pre-CHA sneaks - For the Record from Echo Park, as well as a few single sheets from Glitz, a few embellishments (finally got hold of the TH film strip) and some kraft cardstock as I seem to be going through that at quite a rate!

Now to get back to scrapping just for me...

Hello sunshine... we've missed you

Sunshine all day. Blue skies and long shadows.

What a lovely surprise after so many weeks of clouds and grey, damp weather.

I'm not ready for winter to be over (you know me, loving the cold weather!) but I love to see signs of spring around the corner.

Isn't nature amazing?

I just hope that the next cold snap that is bound to come before the end of winter doesn't harm all this wonderful new growth. 

On the creative front, LOAD is underway and I am having such a good time and I am creating wonderful (if I say so myself!) layouts that tell some of the stories that have been calling me and using up photos and stash and memorabilia. It feels good. 

I will be posting LOAD layouts later this week, but in the meantime, how about a few sneak peeks of some magazine layouts that I had lots of fun creating recently?

Happy Monday!

A bit of this and that...

Well, the first week of the new year is almost over already. All the decorations are packed away (except the fairy lights on the balcony which help to brighten up the dark winter evenings and which I just cannot face taking down just yet!) and Christmas feels like an awful long time ago.

And so I think it's time for a creativity catch up.

Before Christmas I had to get three commissions done for The Scrapbook Magazine, which although the time was tight, was a great excuse to just sit down and make time for a bit of scrapping. Obviously, I can't share the layouts with you just yet, but here are a few sneak peeks.

 

Then there was the epic journey that was my December journal. What a disaster! LOL! I mean, I'm happy that I did it and finished it and I think it looks kind of fun, but it's MASSIVE! And completely hopelessly fixed together because the format was completely wrong! But it's ok - I'll know better for next time. My main problem was that I decided on a 6x4 format with one side for a date title, one photo, one side for journalling and a "pretty" page. But over 25 entries and many days had more than one photo and you know me, all about the lumpy bumpy - well it has turned out about 7" thick and that's just not practical! I ended up using some complicated string fastening which looks rather ugly on the back spine but I am hoping that no one notices that!

On the positive side, I used up loads of stash that has been sitting around for ages (that feels good!) and also managed to incorporate a few bits of memorabilia from the month. I didn't worry much about colours and combinations, I just used whatever came in my hand so there is plenty of pink and red and green and blue which may not normally be put together - but hey, Christmas needs a bit of kitsch, doesn't it?!?

But it captures a slice of life which is what it's all about!

These were two hand-made tags that Liberty had put on our presents and I thoughts they were so gorgeous, I just had to use them as decoration.

 

This was one of the tags that Ginger had included in my Christmas card for the Nic H class Christmas card swap - when I opened up the envelope, it was stuffed full of gorgeous little hand-made tags - just such a lovely sweet surprise!

And proof that the Christmas crackers really did have paper hats that were worn! This was Christmas eve and yes, cocktails featured pretty heavily on the menu!

Apart from that, there's not much to report. I managed to sit down this week and make a layout for the magazine, only to find that it wasn't needed after all. But it's full of lovely spring colours and so, it brightens up my day and I am hoping it might have given me the kick start I need for creating this new year.

I didn't get around to doing any kind of 2010 round up so I think I will try to do this next week now that the dust of the holidays has settled. Watch this space!

A quiet week

This always happens after LOAD.

After manically scrapping every day for a whole month, I suddenly stop. And that usually means a total STOP. No scrapping of any sort for weeks and weeks and weeks!

So this week, I woke up on Monday morning and thought, "Oh, no layout today." And went on to enjoy our day. The same happened on Tuesday and most of Wednesday.

And then I decided to pick up the paper trimmer again and see if I could be creative!

I had a commission for The Scrapbook Magazine to do and spent some time pulling it together. I think it's so pretty, full of a lot of gorgeous product. Of course, I can't share the whole thing with you, but how about a little sneak peek?

Surprisingly for me, this appears to have given my another small kick-start and I've done another two layouts  trying to use up some of the numerous kits I have lying around. My new kit arrived this week and I still have 8 unfinished ones that ought to be used up before I start the new one. Now I know that won't happen but I grabbed one and have done two cute Chance kids layouts. The light is too bad to photograph them but will upload them next week sometime.

The only other exciting thing to happen round here was Halloween last Sunday night. I've written before about how this is something new and unknown here in Germany and we like to celebrate it, but to the "delight" of my Germany family - well, at least I like to believe that it's to their delight :-) !

I won't upload all the photos I took but I have to share a few.

I am especially proud of my very special carved pumpkin. I'm not known for anything fancy and usually just do the standard lopsided face so I decided to step up to the mark and find out on the internet how the fantastic carved pumpkins you see on the internet from USA are done. I downloaded a template and read up on what I should be doing. I didn't have the right tools but I think I managed quite well! I used my paper piercer (scrapbooking to the rescue!) to highlight the shape to cut out and then I scraped off the skin to give the two tone effect. 

Ta laaaa:

We made sure that our communal staircase was Halloweened up and apparently, the orange light shone out into the night and could be seen from far and wide! (I think all our neighbours think we are ever so slightly mad!)

The mantlepiece looked just as lovely as I had hoped and the atmosphere was wonderful with all the candles and the eerie pumpkins peeking through the window.

And me? I spent a bit of time on my costume and made myself into Frankenstein's Monster's Bride using lots and lots of black tulle which was a lot of fun although a bit of a fire hazard! I got the idea of the makeup on the Martha Stewart website and it was done using the theatrical white makeup we have and a doily. I thought the effect was really interesting!

 

Unproductivity...

Is there even such a word?

Anyway, it sums me up.

Totally. Utterly. Unproductive.

Worrying... a bit.

It's not like I haven't been in here (my room) but when I am here, I just waste time in the blogosphere (not on my own mind you...), waste time shuffling papers, waste time staring at the screen. Waste. Time. Full. Stop.

I have two classes over at the newly renamed Big Picture Classes and I love them both. But I have done nothing.

A week or so ago, I fished out a lot of really old stuff and challenged myself to use it. I still like it all. No need to ditch it all. Use it up.

Most of it is still piled there on the table.

But I did dig into some rather bold Glitz stuff and came up with a very uninspired layout featuring Chance Diva Extraordinaire - Isabella.

But I can't promise not to redo the photos and make a nicer layout. Can't quite put my finger on what is wrong with it, but something is shouting, "Nooooooooooo."

But I have agreed to join in in a bit of cyber scrapping with Deb and Libby taking part in "Create Free" from Crafty Templates which looks like it could be a lot of fun.

I have signed up again for LOAD during October - 31 layouts in 31 days.

I know I can do.

I just need to find my mojo. This week...

Anyone know where I can find it?

From waaaay back when!

It's funny how one's taste and style changes, isn't it? How even in scrapbooking, there are fashions, fads and trends. How we try things on for size and then find that it doesn't suit us at all. How long it takes to find a style that fits.

If anyone had asked me a couple of years ago if I had settled into a style of scrapbooking I liked, I would have said, "Sure".  After all, I'd started at the beginning of 2006 and by the beginning of 2008, I felt like I'd been doing it forever. I was working for Libby on the Bellaboo design team, I was taking classes, I liked what I was doing.

And then Libby got me involved in The Scrapbook Magazine (UK) and I got my first commission! I was thrilled to pieces and got stuck in to everything they asked me to do. These were surely my "best ever" creations...

Off the layouts or projects go and you wait ages to see them in the mag - such a boost to see one's own creation there in print. And then you forget about them. The layouts are with the magazine and generally they wait until they have a box full until they send them back.

Fast forward to this summer when a box of said "best ever" creations came back to me. Ranging from summer 2008 to winter 2009. Yes, it was lovely to see them again and to read the journalling and look at the photos. But the designs? Not so "best ever" any more.

It's weird how I spent so much time and effort creating these commissions, and then when I look at them now, I see all sorts of design faults - trapped white space, non-common margins, too busy designs - every design sin in the book.

But I also look at them and see how not settled into my style I was. And I think that now, it's really getting there. When I showed Lib my latest mag creation she told me it was "... so absolutely you... " which I liked the sound of. Thanks Lib! And at the same time, they too are a snapshot of life - the way I saw things at the time I made them.

I am listing them here in the order I like them (least like first) and then there is one I just can't bring myself to put on (yes, THAT one Lib - the one with THAT cardstock!)

Definitely my least favourite - don't know what I was thinking with this - gorgeous papers, gorgeous photos, heartfelt journalling but the whole thing just misses! Created back in summer 2008

Summer 2009, created using some of my favourite papers of all time, and one of the best Bellaboo kits that Libby put together - still love it. (BTW I got a second kit at the time and fished it out the other day to get to use it - it's still gorgeous) But the design is somehow not quite right. But it's getting more towards what I would say is "me"!

I really like this one (summer 2008) but looking at it now I would do it completely differently! But it's one of my favourite wedding photos and I love the papers and the buttons and of course the journalling. But the flower? Mmmmm... not at all convinced!

Overall, not too bad (summer 2009) but that trapped white space?  A total no go!

Yes, one of my favourites. (late 2008) I love the clusters (I was just beginning to get to grips with those) and I like the sentiment. But today, it would look different! What is it that is "wrong"?

 Created most recently (May 2009), using great products and much more "me" than the others - multi-photo, multi-PP, journalling, small cluster and some stitching. Think some of the positioning could be better.

But when I look at them all together, it's so interesting to see the development in my style and to see how different they would be if I was making them today. I am seriously thinking of ditching the one I couldn't feature as it was so bad and also the one with the roses, but then again, maybe I should keep them, just because...

How has your style changed over the years? Do you cringe when you look back a few years?