Scrapbooking Inspiration

Back when I first started this blog I was a serious scrapbooker, and a lot of what I blogged about was the pages I created for various challenge sites, design teams, etc. I also worked a two different scrapbooking stores since I started this blog. Loved that!! And I had a blast serving on the Scrapbooking from the Inside Out design team for the second half of 2010. I made some of my favorite pages those months. Inside Out’s concept is still dear to my heart: scrapbooking about yourself with a kit created around a theme or emotion each month. If you like to scrapbook, you should check them out. This month is all about communication. Cool, right?

So today, while reminiscing about my scrapbooking days cuz its been so long since I created a page, I thought I might put together a couple of my favorite techniques to use on my pages, just as inspiration… for me to pull out some pictures and paper and start creating again, and for you too.  

Here are 3 of my go-to things I like to use on my scrapbook pages and I’ve used 3 layouts from my Inside Out days as demonstration. First up is a page I created from the “Acceptance” kit.

This kit came with this amazing hexagon die cut paper that had a really cool pattern on the other side. But to me it screamed out “turn me over and cut me into flowers!” So I did!  I always tray to do something a little unexpected if I have a neat or different paper. I like to play with mixing patterns too…usually ones that others would be scared to pair together. I like to think that’s something I’m really good at.

The next page was created using the “Purpose” kit. I pulled this one out of the box and just fell in love with the colors. They were very Shaina!

The kit came with these neat corrugated cardboard arrows to really emphasize the theme that month. Purpose = directionality. So I used them to add visual interest while leading the viewers’ eye through the page from the journaling to the pictures to the quote. It’s a photography trick of leading lines that I find myself using quite often in my scrapbooking too.

This next page was also from the “Purpose” kit, but using lots of layers of vintage ephemera and my last favorite technique (which is actually something I used on all 3 of the pages I shared!).

I do this sooo often, and its probably my favorite way to add journaling to my layouts. Sometimes I computer generate and print off my words, but other times I’ll cut the paper strips and add my own handwriting. You know how much I’m a sucker for handwriting!!

Now that I have my office all set up and organized I hope to start scrapbooking regularly again. I’ve missed it a lot. But going through my archives to find layouts to share for the blog post has really inspired and motivated me again. Perhaps I’ll have some new pages to share soon.

Are you a scrapbooker?
Have you used any of these techniques on your pages?
What is one of your go-to techniques?