This post is dedicated to my very dear friend, Wendy, who emailed me exactly two months ago with a very simple request.
“I think before I start scrapping I better get myself some inspiration from a magazine or cruise on the internet for some interesting ideas. Any info would be helpful for this novice scrapper.”
PLEASE NOTE: I am not and never have been an overly artistic person. I am more of an admirer of people with artistic talents. If anything, I guess I have the ability to recognize the effort and work it takes to create something beautiful. So developing a love for paper, embellishments and adhesive was not something I sought out. I much prefer to place all the blame credit on my mother for introducing me to all of my current vises.
I will never forget that it all began with a specific visit to Georgia where my mom brought me upstairs to one of her guest rooms, opened a closet door and showed me her latest hobby. Inside were plastic drawers filled with rubber stamps, inks, papers and a thingermabob called Sizzix. We took out a folding table and proceeded to make that year’s Christmas cards. I was so proud when I put those cards in the mail…I had made them…with my very own two hands. But even after experiencing the thrill of “creating” something, I would never have guessed that it would turn into such a rewarding and fullfilling addiction hobby.
It was probably a year after those very first cards were made, that I found out I was pregnant with Ayden. Memories of the many photo albums my mom had to document my childhood came to mind. How could I not do the same thing for my own baby? I knew that I had to preserve everything…every smile, his first tooth, his first step, his first taste of real food. It all could have easily been accomplished by simply taking pictures and putting them in photo albums but by this time my mom was in a total frenzy to buy all the latest scrapbooking products that would come out on the market and she was sucking me in with her. My visits to Georgia were filled with late night crops with just me and mom in the newly finished “hobby room”. I felt like a child in a candy store!
Once Jason and I decided to move to Georgia, I knew I was going to be in big trouble. I started taking classes with my mom so we could learn all of the latest trends, techniques and products available. I started subscribing to a few scrapbook magazines and then I began wandering the internet, knowing that there had to be others out there like me who truly felt pain when they sliced into a particularly beautiful sheet of patterned paper. Once my online adventures began, I realized that scrapping wasn’t just about cutting some paper and slapping down some stickers. It was an art form and I had barely even begun to understand it’s complexities.
During the past four years I like to think that I have found my place in the great big world of scrapping. There are certain manufacutures that I prefer over others, product lines that I will never tire of, techniques that I will use over and over again, designers that I will continue to admire and follow and sources of inspiration that I will always fall back on.
Manufacturers
There are so many manufacturers out there now. It’s almost hard to choose which products are my absolute favorite but when I really think about it there are definitely a few that I keep going back to over and over and over again. Another thing that I LOVE is being part of a kit club. We don’t have a lot of LSSs (local scrapbook stores) around anymore and driving up to Archivers is only an every other month thing. So I rely on kit clubs to send me the latest and greatest. I’ve listed a few of my favs.
Favorites:
Making Memories
American Crafts
Basic Grey
My Minds Eye
Sassafras Lass
Teresa Collins
Bo Bunny
Scarlet Lime
Label Tulip
Studio Calico
Inspiration
It’s everywhere! It’s in scrapbook magazines, scrapping websites, blogs, advertisements, TV commercials, the radio…everywhere! Every day I see/hear at least one thing that gives me an “ah ha moment”. I have more inspiration than I know what to do with and I’m constantly on the look for more. Another great source of inspiration is a manufacturer’s website. They normally have some sort of design team in place with a gallery to showcase their work. Most manufacturers also have blogs where they show off their latest products, techniques and tips.
Favorites:
Blogs:
Making Memories
Bo Bunny
Maya Road
Prima
Sassafras
Magazines/Books:
Creating Keepsakes
Memory Makers
Scrapbooks Etc
Scrapbook Trends
Designers
I’m a blog stalker. I lurk around on my favorite designer’s blogs and drool over their creativity. It’s amazing how lost you can get in the blogging world.
Favorites:
Ali
Kelli
Martha
Keisha
Valerie
Elizabeth
Teresa
One last recommendation that truly covers all areas…
Two Peas
With this website, you can cruise through designer’s galleries, member’s galleries, shop, take online classes and learn about new techniques/products. This is the website that first inspired me and I’m sure it’ll do the same for you. Do yourself a favor and create a free online membership with Two Peas. As you find layouts or projects that appeal to your eye, you can bookmark them for later reference.
Hope this all helps!
Our Crazy Life 