Creative Forum Discussion, Week of February 4-10!

[stefdesign]

Welcome to this week's creative scrapping discussion! This is a place where we can talk about the process of scrapbooking, and share ideas, layouts, suggestions and support. Please note that this is a commercial-free zone. Please do not link or share stores, kits, or websites to promote the purchase of any product. Links to tutorials or helps are welcome, but if they require a subscription or purchase, then they are a no-no.

Feel free to link to a layout, or insert an image. Remember that links take people elsewhere, and sometimes it's hard to get them back, so inserting your images is preferred.

Let's be kind and supportive, but if help is requested, let's share generously. Opinions valued!

[stefdesign]

On last week's fun forum discussion, in addition to our topic (balance) we also participated in a fun challenge... everyone who wanted to (except me) created a layout using NO kits. I did my first kit layout! How fun!

So, this week we're starting a regular forum challenge. There are lots of scrapping challenges in digi land, but I thought this would be a fun way to do it, because it is combined with the forum discussion. That way you can participate in the forum topic, maybe get or give some fun new ideas, create a challenge layout, post your already-created layouts that pertain to the theme of the challenge topic- whatever you want to do! Since we have a full week for each discussion, you will have until next Friday morning (PST) to post your challenge layout.

The topic/ challenge this week is to create a layout when you have no photos of the memory, story, event, etc. There are lots of ways to do it, so I thought it would be fun to discuss how to creatively scrap a 'blank' subject. Feel free to post layouts that you have already created, that you feel handle that subject. As we talk about different options & share ideas, hopefully, you will be inspired to create a new layout this week, where you use different approach to scrapping.

Let's talk!

[4PeasInMyPod]

Okay stef, I made this one last night after reading your post on the challenge. I did use a small photo, but it was not from that day, probably nowhere near it. Anyway, even if I did have a camera with me that day, there is no way I would spoil that beautiful spontaneous moment!

You see, my younger son, Dakota, now 14, was dx with autism at 3. This was the very first time that he had interacted like this with me - with anyone really. Words cannot express the joy I felt.

[lovetodecorate]

Wow, what a great page to celebrate the moment and memory!! I love how you used the "real" dandelions with the stamped one and how you just used three simple sentences for the title that speak volumns. Awesome work, love it.

[chris]

Oh wow, now I have a lump in my throat over your wonderful layout 4peas! I like the story and the look!

[chris]

With lot's of memories and no pics, this seems like a great time to think about these kinds of layouts - I'm open to learn how from you guys!

I have a few layouts without the photo of that time, but I'm not sure if they fit the challenge since I still used photos (stock) or scans - I can post the pages if they do.

Getting letters from home around Christmas always makes me a bit homesick for the shopping in the city, the lights and those beautifully decorated windows - especially in Regent Street. I found a stock photo on Freefoto that showed Regent Street in all it's glory, and so wrote about one of my shopping visits there in the 1950's.

Another was using music album covers to show joy at finally hearing Christmas music after a number of years without it.

I'm not sure I can illustrate a memory without some visual props, unless it's just the written word, in a book, scroll or something. I'm really interested with what everyone does.

[eryn]

OMG 4peas..trying to see the keyboard through the tears right now! That is so perfect and beautiful!

This weeks challenge is hardly a challenge for me! I would say that maybe half of my pages over the past year were photoless. It has got to the point where I find it difficult to scrap with the photos! It means having to open my photo program and search for the perfect photo to use and it's just all too hard. It's easier for me to open a kit I have to use, think of a memory that fits and just scrap with no photo.

Some of the ways I do this are by using elements in place of a photo such as in Big Pools,
or journalling as a the focus and then prettying it up with some elements,
or art journalling
or even just a title to get an idea across rather than specific journalling

[stefdesign]

Eryn... you are definitely the queen of photoless layouts! I love each one. So unique, colorful, and fun.

Lee (4Peas), your layout is so touching! I love the story behind it, and the photo is a treasure. Your design (love that vase-shaped journaling block) is just amazing!

Remember, the topic is how to scrap stories, memories, etc that you don't have a photo for... it doesn't have to be a photo-free layout! So, stock photos, composites, photos taken later (like Lee's) are perfectly fine! I think the whole point of this discussion is to look at LOTS of ideas of how to do it... photo-less layouts are one way, feel free to share your ideas & designs!

[stefdesign]

This layout was done because I had a funny story about 'meeting' my husband when we were children, but we didn't discover the fact until after we were married. Of course, I didn't have a photo about it, and I decided adding photos of each of us taken around the appropriate time-period just wouldn't tell the story. So I composed this layout, using a photo my husband took of my feet, at almost eye level, standing on the edge of our bathtub. I created the entire background, pool deck, and pool from a variety of photos that I PS'ed together. Then I wrote out the story, and decided to have a little more fun by making the type go in waves.

[CardinalsKate]

Lee, amazing LO. What a beautiful memory.

Eryn, those LOs are so great! The fish one is hilarious and the last one with the journal is so cool! Very intriguing (that's the word that came to mind when I saw it LOL)

Stef, I loved that LO the first time I saw it. So funny and such an amazing coincidence! Makes you really think about that whole "small world" thing, huh?