Retrospect

documenting life, creating art.

Tag Archives: layouts


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Cheers, and What’s for Dinner?

Being off work today, I had a little time to do a couple more sketches from 28 Days of Sketches. I’m really enjoying using sketches; it takes a lot of pressure off me to know how to start and where to begin. I’ve also seen some pretty nice sketches on Pinterest lately, and I think I’ll try some of those I’ve been seeing elsewhere, as well. Here are my takes on sketches 23 and 24 (I’m getting there!):

#23

Wasn’t entirely crazy about this sketch, but that, I’ve discovered, is part of the fun of it: take a not-so-great sketch, and see if I can make it a really great finished layout (okay, so it’s not really great….). It’s a challenge.

#24

Okay, so this sketch was also not-so-great, but I admit that this layout is even worse. Really. I had a lot of difficulty with embellishing both layouts; it seems I’m looking for things I don’t have, and discovering that I really don’t have the time or the inclination to make my own embellishments….I’m trying to save money by not buying anything new for a long while, and use only what I have. I do have a lot of things, just not what I wanted or had in mind today! Picky, picky. I’m just glad I had a chance to accomplish something and document some stories.

I hope to have something better in the near future, and thanks for stopping by!


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Being sketchy….

Life has been very busy for me lately, so I haven’t had the opportunity to do much scrapping lately. I signed up for28 Days of Sketches at Big Picture Classes, and I only had a chance to do maybe a quarter of the sketches. I didn’t stress, though, I can still access the classroom and get the sketches when time permits, and this past weekend gave me the opportunity for that time (finally!). I only completed a few more layouts, but I at least there was progress. Just for fun, here they are.

I do find it helpful to have a sketch to work with when I have a blank piece of paper in front of me and no idea where to begin, and I can tweak the sketch any way I like to suit me. I have never used sketches before, but now I really like the idea of using them. I don’t have a way of showing the original sketches here, but I pretty much stuck to the sketches as they were. And I forgot about one more layout I did a while back that I never showed you:

I don’t much care for the yellow ribbon down the middle, but the color worked for me, and hey, I’m not submitting it to Creating Keepsakes anyway. I’ll be back when I can finish more layouts. Until then, thanks for your patience in waiting for a post!


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Days 13-16 (whew!)

I’m late, I’m late! I had work projects to do, and no internet connection for 2 days, so I am very behind! Without much further ado, here are my layouts for days 13, 14, 15 and 16.

Day 13: The Water Tower

Day 14: A Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

Day 15: Labor Day Yumminess

Day 16: Vote 4 Me!

I ignored the prompts for these last four days, instead I just wanted to scrap what I want to scrap and be happy I did that I scrapped at all! Only ten more days to complete the Mother LOAD, and I’m not happy about it at all. I am rather enjoying myself! I’ll be back tomorrow!

 


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Class update

Whew, it’s been busy in my studio lately! Taking these classes has been quite a challenge, and I probably wouldn’t take so many at one time again, but I have to admit that I have really learned quite a lot, and the pace and challenge has been good for me. I’m learning to scrap faster, prioritize better, and I feel like I’m doing a better job with my finished layouts. Here are the latest finished assignments:

Colour! Or, is it Color? week 5: the color purple

The Mother LOAD week 5: putting together a layout in 30 minutes or less. I did not.

Design Challenge #10: using photo strips in a layout.

Now, this week is also the ‘Week in the Life’ project, which I am participating in, however, I have not had the time to post any more of my daily photos. I have just been too busy keeping up with class assignments. Next week I will be gathering my notes and photos and putting them together in a nice form to show here. As for today, I am tackling Design Challenge number 11, and updating my summer journal. See you next time!


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“Colour! Or is it color?”

This is the name of one of the Big Picture Classes I am currently enrolled in, and today, being my day off is assignment-catch-up day. At this moment, I just finished completing my assignments using color, and this week’s colors are orange and yellow.

2 more book pages.

I had a little too much fun with the baker's twine...

I’m telling you, these on-line classes are so much fun. I am learning and consequently growing so much. I highly recommend Big Picture Classes for anyone who wants to get crafty and learn more scrapbook techniques. It’s also a fun way to spend a scorcher of a summer day (air conditioning is underrated on days like this). I’ll be back later for more class layouts! Until next time!

Good goods….in a slideshow.

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P15

I just figured out how to do a slideshow….after only three months of trying! Woo hoo! Anyway, this post is just for fun. I put together an album of a recent antiquing adventure, just because it makes me feel good, and feeling good is a good thing. Good.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

This gallery contains 22 photos


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The days of our lives…

Being that I had a day off today from work, I was able to get some things accomplished for the final week of Yesterday/Today. As I finished the last page, I took out the album I completed for the first time I took this class in 2009, and compared the two results. I like this year’s better, overall, but my journaling seemed more thoughtful before. Never rush a story. Here are weeks 11 and 12:

 

Week 11, 2 pages
Week 12, front
back

I usually have so much stuff sitting around my desk that I don’t know what to do with. This week was perfect for that. Most of the time I think I should keep something, but I don’t know why or where to put it. I found the place here. These divided page protectors are perfect for saving those photos, ephemera, or little items you can’t bear to get rid of, but you can’t really put into a scrapbook layout. It becomes a snapshot of your life today, right now (I wouldn’t advise saving food wrappers, though).

The other thing I did today involved emails from my brother. We both have accounts with Flickr and Picasa, so whenever he uploads photos to these sites, I receive notice, and I get to enjoy the great shots he takes. I think my brother is a fantastic photographer. I love to download copies to my computer, and create layouts of my nephews. I don’t see them very often, so it’s not only a treat, but a way to stay in touch with what they’re up to. I really didn’t know what I was doing with this layout; I just added things as I went along without a plan, which I do not recommend. It was an experiment, and I am not used to using so much embellishments, so I’m not sure if I like it or not. If anyone out there reading this has an opinion, it is welcome.

 

scanned image

Thanks for tuning in to this episode of “This Is Your Life!” Until next time, America!


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Hybrid layouts

A Conversation with Noelle

I have noticed lately that instead of choosing between doing a layout digitally or traditionally, I have been doing both. In the class I’m taking with Ali Edwards, Yesterday/Today (www.bigpictureclasses.com), I have been creating my layouts in Photoshop Elements first, and then creating the layout again with paper, by hand. I enjoy the process both ways because I can do so much planning on the computer; manipulate it, change it, rearrange it, edit my journaling, etc. It’s easy on the computer, and then when I get it close to the way I like it, I do it again with papers and stickers I have around the studio. Working digitally is great because I can change things around so easily, and if I don’t like something, nothing is ruined while taking it apart. But the feel of the paper, the smell of the glue (yes, it’s weird, and no, I don’t get high), the textures and dimension cannot be replicated suffiently on a computer for my taste. Plus, I enjoy the process both ways. Truthfully, though, I tend to favor the results I get non-digitally, but I love to play with the templates and plan things digitally. It works for me. This layout is another example of that process, that I just undertook a few minutes ago. It’s the Story Guide Template no. 1 from Cathy Zielske,at Designer Digitals which you can get here. I’m having so much fun scrapbooking lately, I hope you do, too. Happy scrapping!

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