The Hub

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Well, the holidays are officially upon us!  At my house the Christmas tree is up, the decorations are hung and I even have some presents wrapped.  And, this year, with a baby on the way, this time of year really has me thinking about the importance of tradition and memory making.  My husband and I have been talking about the things we did as children and the traditions our families had as we try to figure out how we want to observe this time of year when our little girl joins us next year.  In my hunting around the internet for more holiday ideas, I ran into this article, which I thought was great to get you thinking about your traditions and the traditions you might like to start:

Christmas Traditions: Ways to Add Meaning and Continuity to the Holidays

Of course as a scrapbooker, I think it's also important to think about how you want to preserve all those great memories and traditions while still taking the time to enjoy them yourself.  I find that doing a little planning so that I can take some of the photos I want to have goes a long ways - I snap shots of the tree, the dinner table, the presents and all those sorts of still-life things before any of the festivities get under way.  That way I'm a little less glued to my camera as we start to have fun with family and I can relax and enjoy the time a little more. 

Putting together the basics of an album ahead of time is a great idea too!  If you haven't already been following Ali Edward's progress on her December Daily Album, I highly recommend stopping over at her blog to check it out - what a great idea! It's just a great way to make it easier to record all those important little moments during a hectic time. 

Whatever traditions you choose to observe this year, I hope you enjoy some time with family and friends and have a truly blessed holiday season!

P.S.  The really cool piece of ephemera at the top of the post is from Nancie Rowe-Janitz's Digital Ephemera No. 3: Vintage Christmas Images - I just love them!

The Digital Brew - A fun little tool for inspiration

Just a quick little tool for you for The Digital Brew this month - a word generator to give you some inspiration!  Check it out here:

Random Artistic Inspiration

You just click "get a new word" and it pops up a random word for you to get your creative mind running.  You can chose from a variety of types of words including colors, styles, emotions, actions, and more!  And, you can even Google that word to see where it leads you.  Pretty fun toy and good for those no-mojo days! 

The Digital Brew

For this month's Brew, I thought I would share something I've done for a long time, not even realizing it was something people do on purpose LOL!  Photowalking!  I just love to go to work a little early and wander around downtown Tucson, taking pictures of people, places, things - whatever catches my eye! (The photo above is a result of one of those walks) I do it in my neighborhood, at a nearby mall, at the University, at plant nurseries, wherever I think there might be something cool to catch!  You get to know your camera a lot better and you get some really cool shots - things you might not even notice if you weren't walking around with the intention of taking some photos!  So, it's not only great for your photography skills, it's great for your soul too - really helps you slow down and "smell the roses" as it were :)  Recently, I discovered that I'm not alone in this habit - in fact there's lots of sites out there dedicated to it!  Here's some a couple of links to get you started and inspire you:

Thomas Hawk's Principles and Guidelines for the Modern Photowalker - I love this one!

Photowalking on Scobleshow

Photowalking.org

And, if you Google photowalking you'll find a ton more!  Or, try searching Flickr for photos tagged with photowalking - lots of great inspiration!  So, get out your camera and take a walk!

Mojo Monday - September 24th

Welcome to Mojo Monday!  It’s Laurie here, {aka: nEEd2creAte} and I’m happy to assist in getting you're Monday started with a fun and easy challenge.  Split-It-Up and Shake-It-Down is the name of today's Random Challenge; we're splitting the photo and removing the color to a section or two!  With little effort, you'll achieve big results...

My example below is a photo with the focal point or subjects in the center.  You're focal point can be on the side, providing more background.  My photo split is in three uneven sections; your split can be in even thirds.  You're photo will determine how you split it up.  I chose to keep my subjects colored, you could do the opposite!  Give it a try and see what amazing results you come up with!

Here are the rules and tips:

• 1 medium size photo, split into thirds and at least one section needs to be changed to black and white.
• 1 {at least 1} stamp or brush to be used on the photo... this can be a stamped alpha or a doodle etc...
• Your layout must have 85 to 90% ScrapArtist products.
• Upload your finished layout to the Mojo Monday Gallery!

Here's my layout... Click for credits!  Father to Son Rite of Passage

The winner of this challenge will receive a ScrapArtist Gift Certificate!  Have you checked out all the NEW stuff in the Shoppe yet?  It's jammed packed with fresh goodies so get you MOJO on and happy scrappin'!

Mojo Monday - The Winner is...

The winner of the Mojo Monday Challenge - August 6th is...  Chud23!  Here is her Bold and Beautiful Layout!  You can see her credits and leave her some love using the link below.

Elle écoute pousser les FLEURS

Congrats to you Catherine!  You will be a Guest CT member here at ScrapArtist for the month of December. 

I want to thank everyone who played with me for my first challenge, I was excited to see so many bold and beautiful layouts!  Keep your eyes on the Hub for more fun and fabulous challenges...

Laurie

Mojo Monday – August 6th

Welcome to Mojo Monday!  I’m Laurie {aka:  nEEd2creAte} and so excited to be posting my first ScrapArtist Challenge here at the Hub.  Bold and Beautiful is the name of today’s Random Challenge. 

So often I’ve selected a beautiful, bold, printed paper as a background for a layout only to delete it because I just couldn’t make it work.  I was determined to figure out how to make it work. 

Follow these rules and tips to see what you can creAte!

• 1 BOLD patterned paper
• 1 black and white photo {TIP:  b & w helps to simplify the patterned paper}
• 1 large element {TIP:  small gets lost and if in a contrasting color, it will pop!}
• at least 2 alphas {TIP:  play with the size and color to see what works}
• Optional:  use brush strokes or any similar element {TIP:  use under alphas to make them more visible… I used Nancie’s Chalkart}
• Optional:  2 or 3 other elements for the finishing touch {TIP:  keep it simple, remember the background is busy… }
• Please create your BEAUTIFUL layout using 90% ScrapArtist products and upload them to the Mojo Monday Gallery! 

Here’s my layout… click for credits!  A Groovy Kind of Love

The winner of this challenge will receive a GUEST SPOT on the ScrapArtitst Team for the month of December!  How’s that for a Christmas gift!  Get your BOLD ON and happy scrappin’!

Laurie

Mojo Monday - The Digital Brew

I have a really fun site to share with you guys today!  I was poking around the internet, suffering from a bit of missing mojo and stumbled upon this great site full of "Everyday Art Assignments!" 

EveryDayArt.org

Once the site loads, click on begin, then "Make art today."  On the next screen choose "Artist Assignments" and you'll come to a page with photos of various artists.  Click on any of them and you'll be a given an artistic challenge!  From a challenge to grow and journal about a plant of your choice to a "Six-breath skywatch," you'll find lots of fun and unusual little activities to get you thinking about the inspiration and beauty in the everyday.  And, on each challenge's page there's a link to view the submissions that others have made - I thought some of them would be great as direct inspiration for a scrapbook page, but I found that all of them got me thinking a little more creatively and artistically about the world around me and I suppose that's the point :)  So, if you're feeling a little low on mojo these days (and I think we all have those days LOL!) this is a fun way to find some fun (albeit unusual) inspiration!

 

Inspired by . . . Photography

It might be my long-anticipated camera purchase, but lately I've been really inspired by great photography!  There's so many amazing photographers out there doing some really original things with their photos - it's just a great source of inspiration for me.  So, I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you today for the Digital Brew.  And, if you have a favorite I'd love to hear about them! 

What I enjoy most in a photographer is a unique look - whether it's creative photo effects, cool angles, or just unique subject matter, I love a photographer that brings their own unique style to their shots.  For example Jesh de Rox takes some amazing photos, but his use of color and unique photo effects really make his work stand out!  Likewise, Ann Torrence's work is always full of amazing color!  And, of course the amazing Jessica Claire always seems to capture the essence of people, life, and the world around us.

I've also learned some great techniques, gotten some fun tips, and found inspirational photo and layout ideas from photography sites like Digital Photgraphy School , 3191, and Photo Friday.  In fact, I'm playing along with Photo Friday in the Photography forums and gallery here at Scrapartist if you want to join in!

So, where has all this led in terms of scrapbooking?  To layouts like this one, inspired by Jesh de Rox's photography!  I played around with Curves a little to get the color effect that I wanted on the photo and then used Two Sisters Designs' fantastic Couture Photo Art overlays to get the perfect grungy feel - I love it!

I hope you guys will enjoy checking out some of these great photographers and will find some inspiration for your own work in their techniques!  And, like I said above, if you have photographers you admire, I'd love to check them out, so be sure to link us up in a comment here!

Artist's Books

For me, scrapbooking isn't just about preserving my memories, it's also about expressing myself creatively and developing as an artist.  In the process of learning various techniques and design principles for my pages, a whole new world has opened up to me - the world of the artist.  Honestly, I always thought that you were either an artist or you weren't - that it was something some people are just born with and that somehow I missed that gene.  But, now I've come to understand that like many other things in life, art is not just a talent, but a learned skill.  And for me, part of that learning process has been the use of a couple of what I'll call "Artist's Books." 

Artist's Books include sketchbooks, visual journals and idea books and lots of artists use them as a tool to develop their skills and keep track of their ideas.  I actually keep three different Artists' Books which I think generally correspond to the most common types of these books - a sketchbook/idea book that I carry in my purse (I use a Moleskine and I highly recommend them!), an idea/inspiration journal, and a visual journal that's more like a diary. Each one serves a unique purpose. 

My sketchbook/idea book is a great place to jot down ideas or information like website addresses and it's also the place that I sketch out layouts or work on my drawing skills when I have some spare time.  Practice definitely makes perfect when it comes to artwork and I find that having a little sketchbook with me at all times dramatically increases the opportunities I have to try out my layout ideas on paper or to try a few doodles.  Plus, sketching things out can really help you flesh out an idea and see how it will work out!   For example, I love these sketches by Elsie Flannigan!

My inspiration book is more like a very unstructured collage - I tear out magazine clippings, fabric swatches, paint chips, or anything else that I find visually inspiring and paste it in.  Then when I'm short on ideas or inspiration I flip through it and I never fail to find something that sparks a fresh thought.  Our very talented designers Emily Powers and Amber Clegg keep these kind of books too!

Finally, my visual journal serves as a diary of sorts - it's a no-pressure collage kind of format - sometimes there's lots of writing, other times it's all pictures, but I always just go with the flow of what I'm feeling that day - no judgments about how good or bad it is at all!  It's not meant for anyone else to see, so it's easy for me to let go, try new things and just get creative!

Lots of other artists use books like this too - if you google "visual journal" or "artist sketchbook"  you'll come up with lots of great how-tos and sharing groups for this type of thing.  Here's a few of my favorites:

Art Journal You Tube Group

The Sketchbook Habit - 5 artists tell why sketching is key to improving your art

Keeping a Sketchbook

Visual Journaling - Student artists share their visual journals

Sketchbooks by Kristin A. Freeman

There's also a lot of great books on this topic, especially on visual journaling.  My favorites by far are by Lynne Parella!  But, I also really enjoyed Visual Chronicles.  And, Scrapartist has lots of great resources too!  Robyn and Christine's Altered Challenge is always a great source of inspiration for visual journaling!  Our Lisa Cohen's blog is also a great resource - right now she's attending Art & Soul and is sharing lots of great photos and ideas from there - I also love this mini-album she created last fall - I think it would be great for an inspiration journal!  You can pick up the Vintage Map Cards she used for it in the Shoppe.  Plus, we'll be bringing you more on this subject - including ideas and techniques - in coming weeks. 

Whatever format you choose to use for your Artist's Book - sketchbook, inspiration book or visual journal - I'd encourage you to free your creative side by starting one up!  And, if you want to share your work, we'd love to see how you use your Book in the gallery!  You can post to the Outside the Box gallery and link us up in the forum here.  Happy creating!

Lemonade Anyone?

                                                                     

It’s my turn to take a shot at Mojo Monday! I thought it would be fun to have a journaling prompt that would hopefully inspire you to start a page of your own. I always seem to struggle with the journaling piece and tend to do it as my very last step when completing a page. Am I alone on that comment? (By the way, I already have a pretty good idea what your answer is!)

So let’s take the approach a little different today. Lets have dessert before the main course (positive thinking always helps).  How about journaling first and then searching for a photo in your stash or snapping a quick photo that matches your thoughts?

Recently, I caught myself complaining about a poor nights sleep after sharing my bed with my youngest for part of the night.  To make matters worse, or so I thought at the time, my oldest came tromping in early in the morning.  You know that magical moment really early in the morning when your bed is the most comfy place in the whole wide world, it nice and warm, soft and cuddly and then BAM there’s a foot in your face.

As I grumbled and got into the shower I had an “A Ha” moment; one that changed my outlook on that day and one that I still look back to quite frequently.  After my shower I quickly jotted down my thoughts in my ‘idea journal’.  Later that evening I sat down and typed them out, designed my page and the next morning, (you know during that magical moment when your kids are snuggled up to you) I crawled out of bed and snapped a photo to match my memory. 

The journaling reads:

This is what I wake up to in the morning. A five year old that squirreled his way in the middle at approximately 2:00 a.m. and a nine year old that snuggled into her daddy’s spot after she heard the door close as he leaves for work. I have a habit of complaining about Trenton’s foot in my face or the fact that he can demand to have his feet rubbed in the middle of the night. But this morning it hit me as I glanced over at my sweet babies, this too will end. There will come a time that they won’t have a need to be physically close to me, a time that they will be too big and a time that they will have to share their own beds as well. At that exact moment my personal complaints about my comfort melted into sorrow. For now I will scoot over, give them some room and be thankful that they are there. A compromise I will blissfully agree to.

So I guess I'm giving you two journaling challenges wrapped up in one.

1.Try journaling first, designing and photography later.

2. What about making lemonade out of lemons? Turn a negative into a positive (gasp!) what a great way to start a Monday!

               

Credits:

Lemonade stuff: Photo was found on the internet. Ribbons and negative frame are from the Digital Starter kit by Michelle and Lori at ScrapArtist.

Compromise Page: Papers by Nancie Rowe Janitz from her Quiet Love set at ScrapArtist (It’s such a timeless and beautiful set!). Digital tear by Steph Krush of Digital Paper Tearing. Drop Shadow actions by Traci Murphy. Fonts: pea alisha, al uncle charles.