30 minutes or your money back

I know it looks like I mostly just throw stuff together, but I am not a super fast scrapper. I often have a hard time knowing when to stop (it's usually seconds after it's too late when I think, 'oh, that ruined it...') But in honor of the ScrapHappy blog challenge, I took the 30 minute dare. And I literally had to just stop at 30 minutes, or I could have easily spent another full hour (or more) on this. Many times I don't add anything else - I just try stuff out - until that little voice in my head says "OK, now it's done" - even if I haven't changed anything. But sometimes a layout will sit on my desk (or screen) for days until I hear that magical voice. So this is a product of the ScrapHappy challenge, a recent inspiration from Sande Kreiger who used a black background that I loved, and the good ole' clock, chiming at 30 minutes to stop right NOW.

Photos of this dolly by her momma, my pal, Steph.

Just playin'

Bought a couple things from the uber-talented Sande Kreiger, combined them with all sorts of always awesome scrapgirls stuff, threw in a dash of designerdigitals, and last, but not least, this sheepish photo of my silly boy, et voila! One layout that I'm sure, if Gator could speak, he would have dictated himself.

Off to volleyball this afternoon. Their last chance to qualify for Nationals. I believe they need 1st place in order to win the bid. Cross your fingers!

Enjoy your weekend! xo, t

"Ugly" inspiration #2

Here's another fairly ugly shot of hubby's bathroom, LOL, this time the top of his medicine cabinet where an assortment of stuff seems to wind up, never to be moved again. Used it as inspiration for this layout about the daughter of my dear friend, Stephanie. Likin' this experiment, think I might continue, seeing how far I can take it.

"Ugly" inspiration #1

OK, as a test of my "you can get inspiration from anything" post, I've decided to take my own advice. I took a picture of the grossest thing I could find in my house: Yes, my husband's bathroom (well, a portion of it). I used it as inspiration for a layout, as a lark, and I really like how it came out. So I think I'm going to start taking pictures of unlikely inspirational sources to see just how possible it is to use such things.

Commentary

LOL, Well I didn't know what to title this post, so I went with "Commentary." It is a copy/paste of one of my own message board replies on the CK MB. I just thought it really makes clear my own personal opinion on the topic and thought, since it's my blog, I can certainly post it here as well:

I think what is hurting this industry most is that there has to be a "paper" camp and a "digi" camp. How about a "scrap" camp that oohs and aahs over the emotional impact and memory a page evokes or its beautiful photo(s) or great technique or striking colors, etc...Why say "there's nothing here for me to look at because they're all digi" or "this doesn't help me out because they only used one photo".

Art/Design is art/design INDEPENDANT of the tools used to create it.
I don't normally frequent 2Peas, but I do know they have a really cool section called "Round Robin" where one artist uses a previous artist's LO as inspiration - through 5 artists total. The artists take inspiration from the one before and the result is usually that paper and digi, single and multi photos all end up being represented by the end.

To be so closed-minded as to say you can't be inspired by a certain art because of the tools used to create it is really short-changing yourself. It would be akin to me saying "there is nothing for me to look at in the Bazzill design books because they only used solid cardstock and I use patterned paper." Seems silly, right? Or, "I can't get anything out of the Making Memory books because I like to use KI Memories products." Tools are TOOLS, they don't dictate the outcome, only the process necessary to use them.

If you have ever been inspired by a beautiful painting or a vibrant sunset, then you have already been influenced by a medium outside your "normal" one. Take it one step further and truly open your eyes to all possibilities regardless of the method used to achieve the outcome.

t