The other amazing thing is how much I'm truly in awe of my creativity and the beauty of this layout! I've been looking at it since I finished it yesterday (minus the journalling - printed that off today), and can't believe I created it. I feel like I should be looking at a magazine and being envious. Normally I put my finished pages in my scrapbook right after they're finished - but I seem to be leaving this one out, and on my scrapbooking table - just so I can sneak another peak at it!
I haven't done one of these in awhile, so I might be a little rusty, so here goes nothing:
On your next layout: find something that inspires you from the world around you (from a magazine, the web, store display, an outfit). Grab onto that inspiration and run with it.
I was checking out Heidi Swapp's blog on Saturday, and watched the last webisode. Heidi, Rhonna Farrer and Margie Romney-Aslett were all together and I was drawn to the bright fushia and aqua that Heidi was wearing, and noticed the broach/ribbon that Rhonna was wearing was the same aqua colour. During the episode they explained how to make pop bottle flowers, and had spray paint to make them colourful. It was like someone was trying to get me to notice the combination; the paint colours were the same fushia and aqua, and had a celery/apple green thrown into the mix. I felt the spark of inspiration hit me, and knew I wanted to use those colours on my next layout (luckily enough I'd printed some pictures earlier in the day).
I started going through my paper stash and pulling out aqua and fushia papers. Then I found tried some background colours, and found that I liked the way brown looked. I saw this flocked brown patterned paper and thought it was so beautiful and rich looking. I cut the aqua paper into a square that would house my photos, and started layering the papers. At first I had a different floral paper, one with a lot more pink, but thought it was too distracting; when I found this more muted paper in my scrap stash (one that I used on my bridesmaids cards), it was perfect.
I pulled everything out from my stash that matched my colour combination. I thought of a pack of crotched flowers that I was sure I had only one left, and wanted to use it up. I wouldn't say I hord onto products, but sometimes it's hard to find the right place for just a "one of" item. Also like the brads I used; most of them were the last of their kind from my stash. It always makes me feel good knowing I used something up!
Originally I had the placement of the title in the upper right corner of the page, but really didn't like it there. When I moved it to the bottom left, barely pressing on the alpha stickers, in case I wanted to move it again, I was very quickly pressing the letters down with all my might - making sure they weren't going to be anywhere else. It really made the corner complete; adding another layer.
I was also really inspired by a Kelly Perkey layout that I saw on the Studio Calico website. Having the chipboard coming off the page, chopping it up, and having it accent the journalling made me want to do the same. Most of the time I feel that my journalling is just sitting on top of the layout, instead of actually being an integrated component; I felt this fixed that problem. I printed my journalling on a transparency (I do this almost always when I print out my journalling), enabling me to use a scrap peice of paper, adhiring the transparency with glue - using the bracket to hide the glue, and just cut around the journalling "block," removing the excess transparency.
Journalling says: There's nothing like being a bride. Before the walk down the aisle and the "I do's," is a time when it's just you and your girlfriends getting ready for the most perfect day of your life. Then you have a quite moment before the hustle and bustle to just be in your skin; your bridal skin: a more polished version of you. Then it all fast-forwards and becomes a beautiful blur.
When I can use a product other than for it's intended purpose, I feel like I accomplished something. This tag stamp came from a vacation set; I've actually used a few of those stamps on various projects, and none of them so far has been about travelling! Stamping the "Cinderella carriage," I didn't even think back to my journalling; it adds to the fairytale feeling the day had. It wasn't until this morning when I went to look at my layout (to gather the items I'd need to bring with me to figure out my journalling), that I realized how it fit with what I'd written on the layout.
It might be hard to see, but there's another transparency under the bottom section of the layout. It's one that I had bought awhile back (for the "Tickled Spring" kit) and never found a use for. When I was looking through my baskets of products and saw it, I knew it would be the perfect addition: pink glitter blobs, a white fleur de les-type design and an elegant feel. I sliced it where it intersected under a photo so it appears to be the entire length of the layout. And I tried to make the pink glitter bits pop through wherever possible.
I always try to photograph my pages in a different location each time - this time was in the bathtub (and I really like how it turned out - might continue this). Without fail Lowie followed me into the bathroom, and decided he wanted into the photo. All weekend long he was never far from me; he is normally like this, but with Justin being gone, I think it made him want to make sure to keep me company.
What has inspired you recently? Use that and create - and leave a comment with a link to your layout interpreting what you saw!
