Adventures in my sketchbook

Scrapbooking has taken a back seat recently as I rediscover my sketchbook. I am so inspired by blogs like this one, this one, and this one, that once again I have decided to stop just reading and create some art of my own. These phases come and go and I am never sure how long they will last for, so I am trying to make the most of it. There is something immensely enjoyable about sketching and colouring, looking at lines and shapes and tones. Sometimes I just doodle, and draw patterns that I will fill with colour later. It calms and soothes me, and nourishes my creative soul. I don't know where this adventure will lead but it is most enjoyable indeed.

That was (inter)National Scrapbooking Day

Last Saturday, May 4th, was not only Star Wars Day but (inter)National Scrapbooking Day. A holiday celebrating my favourite hobby? I can get on board with that. The websites and forums that I follow host all kinds of challenges and online chats - generally the only problem is keeping up! There were positively hundreds of challenges out there, including a total of 34 from my two favourite sites. The chances of me completing 34 layouts was always going to be slim, even with an extra week to complete them all. However, I did manage to make three layouts - and more important than just completing them, they are three layouts I love.

My take on Two Peas in a Bucket's Challenge #2, to follow a sketch. 

 Inspired by Shimelle's challenge to scrapbook with 6x4 photos.

Two Peas in a Bucket's final challenge, to be inspired by a page we had bookmarked from the gallery - my inspiration was this lovely page from Crystal.

Hope you've all had a good weekend...I am just about to place a big fat order of photos for printing, so there will be more scrapbook pages to come!

Moments in May

Enjoying: the sight of animals and their young.

Appreciating: every blossom and flower.

Savouring: the vivid blue sky and green spring grass.

Relishing: the challenge of our first long walk in the sunshine this year - and the ice cream at the end of it.

Learning: about honeybees and becoming enchanted by them. (This camellia is in the garden where we keep our hives...it was much too busy to be taking photos while we worked on them today. Don't worry, there will be bee-related posts later).

Feeling: the sand between my toes.

Looking: forward to many more moments like this.

Not so different after all

Don't get carried away, now. Just because my last page was properly 'graphic' doesn't mean I am going to abandon layering altogether. Sometimes it's just what comes naturally.

There is something about this page. The edges of the paper are inked. It's been a habit of mine to use some brown ink to softly colour the edges of every paper...well, forever. I've always done it. It works here with the greens and browns and muted earth tones. Lately, though, I have been working with some brighter colours and cleaner patterns, and inked edges haven't felt right. It still feels like my pages are naked but maybe I will get used to it in time.

Another one for the album of our weekends away...and as it says, in Sherwood Forest, one must always look the part!

Something different for a Monday

It sounds a bit pretentious to say I am working on developing my style. This is only scrapbooking, after all. I've mentioned a few times that I am trying to push what I do design-wise, rather than just go with the same-old-same-old. I think it's a success, because I really like the pages I have completed so far. But gosh it's hard to try and do something consciously different.

This page began as something very different indeed. A twee patterned background and a regular 2-up photo layout. After I'd stuck down the third piece of paper, I realised I hated it and tore the whole thing apart. That doesn't happen very often, I tend to be more of the mindset that if I stick enough things on the page eventually it will look ok. That wasn't working this time, though. So - I tore the photos off, discarded the paper, took a sheet of white cardstock and started again. 

This page uses those little index photos that you get when you print with Photobox (other online printers do similar, I think.) I thought they'd be a great way to do an introductory page for our weekend in Nottingham for Chris' birthday. I haven't decided yet  if these pages will have a separate album of their own, but even if I keep them in my regular 2013 album it will be good to have something that divides them from the other layouts. The diagonal design came from something in the back of my mind inspired by this layout and I went from there. I love, love, love that rainbow chevron washi tape (from Glitz Design) and have to stop myself from sticking it on everything. And heat embossing white on coloured card is a new-to-me technique that I am finding quite addictive. So different from my other pages and I love it.

Have a little faith

 It felt like Spring was never going to arrive. I should have had more faith, really.

Nature is doing its thing. Slowly, but it's coming.

 Every little flower, every little bird...it's all beautiful and makes me quite emotional, actually.

There is still lots of grey and brown. Lots of bare branches. But in between there are green leaves, tiny flowers, and splashes of colour.

 The wind brought with it some beautiful blue skies and clouds that left wispy, frothy trails.

I am SO going to sketch that shed. I took more than 90 photos on this walk and any one of them would make a lovely picture.

I'm thinking maybe a large-scale canvas/ I've been in this house for two years and there still isn't anything on the walls, so these photos might be the prompt I need to change that.

Don't get me wrong, it's still cold. There was a fresh, biting wind that made my eyes water and my nose run. I was very glad to get back into the warmth of the car and eat our picnic.

But Spring is a promise. A promise of sunny days and warmth that reaches your bones. A promise of new growth, renewal and opportunity. 

Life is good.

Pink, pink, pink

I think the lack of Spring-like weather has impacted on my scrapbooking...I am using more flowers and bright colours than normal. Wishful thinking. Although the last few days haven't been too bad, so there is hope. Aren't those little girls adorable? They're from a mixed pack of embellishments I bought ages ago, and I nearly got rid of them because I don't do pages about children, but I remembered them as I was doing this page and they fit perfectly.

I am trying to use more stamping, as well, and small text elements are much easier for me to incorporate in my designs. And Primas....who uses them any more? Talk about mixing my trends! But these pages are for me, and in 20 years' time all I will worry about is that I recorded this story.

The pastel colours and floral pattern also help detract attention from the fact that this is a Christmas photo, being used to tell a story that isn't Christmassy at all. I do like Mindy's jumper, though.