Pinspired

2014 has already turned into a year of change for me in terms of my scrapbooking.  I am becoming braver and trying new techniques and ideas.  I am also relying more on my own instincts and finding what really speaks to me. 

I think this new attitude first came about with the entire revamping of my PL style/format (will be addressing this in an upcoming post) at the beginning of the year.  Since then I have been absolutely shaking up my usual scrapping routine (for example, I have a 2 pager in progress!  What!?) and it is EXCITING.  Honestly, I have a new vigor for scrapping and it feels great.

This layout is a product of this new outlook.  Previously, I had been so stumped when it came to design prompts that had nothing to do with scrapbooking.  Things such as magazine ads, images of shapes and objects, quotes, ect.  I wanted to use them, to understand them. I even created a board on Pinterest solely for the purpose of collecting these items.  And as many collections do, they stayed there unopened and unused.  Until recently.

After being at a loss as what to do with a particular picture,  I opened my board, browsed through the images, and bravely picked one that I thought might work.

 

Source

 

 

The modern feel to the image is not me.  Does not look like anything I have ever created.  And really, without checking the link, I could not tell you if it was a picture of a wall, a magazine ad.....or maybe another scrapbook page??

BUT after thinking about it with a scrapping perspective, I noticed that the design elements used were ones that I am familiar with.  First, it's a very loose version of a grid.  Second, there is dimension, with some elements popping off the background.  Third, there is a lot of white space.  With these in mind, I made this:

 

 

Fun stuff!  I am so glad I went outside my comfort zone and now that I am thinking about it, anytime that I have ever pushed my limits I have rarely been uphappy with the results.  And this goes for every aspect of my life.  Funny how a little thing called "fear" can excercise so much control over one's actions.....maybe I should be kicking "fear" to the curb?!

Wishing you all a great day!

Michelle

Love This Smile

I don't know about you, but I think about scrapbooking a lot.  I am always scheming and dreaming and planning.   If I am not creating, I am thinking about creating.  #Obsessed.  Me in a nutshell.

The plan for this layout came to me as I was cooking dinner--it was Taco Tuesday. Ha.  I scrap in my kitchen on the island (actually, it is more like a peninsula I guess, considering it connects to the wall on one side) because I need to be where I can watch what is going on and also because I scrap in small pockets of time due to the nature of having a busy and full household.  Well, as I was browning up taco meat I glanced over at my workspace where I had previously abandoned a pile of products and an idea hit me right then.   From that moment on I could not wait to get the family fed, dishes cleaned up, and children occupied.  I have my priorities.  LOL.

Earlier when I had been playing around with the design, I had cut the patterned paper into various sized strips with the intention of cutting them down into squares to make sort of a wonky patchwork.  But I could not wrap my head completely around that idea, it seemed off to me with the bigger 4x4 photo.  So what I looked at while I was making dinner was the photo lying on top of the strips of paper, which was on top of the white cardstock.  Seriously, my layout came up with its own idea.  Ha.  (I know, I am probably the only one who thinks that is funny.)

Wishing you all a great day!
Michelle

OLW

Do. 

Instead of dreaming, scheming, wishing, preparing, waiting, and planning......I am go to do.

And this new little blog is that word in action.

For awhile I had gone weary of blogging.  Blogging no longer felt fun and it no longer really had a purpose, so I took a break.  I knew I wanted to come back to it, but in time and with a new perspective. 

So here you have it.  Paper & Print.  A new design, a new address.  A fresh start. 

My plans for my blog......certainly a focus on my two hobbies, scrapping and reading, but with more authenticity, more.....me.  

I also want to take my posts into more of an informative/purposeful direction as opposed to just sharing.

As of the moment, my new blog is still a work in progress.  There are a few little things I want to add and tweak, but no rush.  I am also still brainstorming as to future posts and possible reoccuring themes. 

Baby steps.  That is what I am taking, but I am doing it.

Michelle