Author Archives: Heather

Aug21

For the Color Challenged

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For the Color Challenged

Do you have trouble choosing colors for your scrapbook pages? It doesn’t have to be hard. There are some tried and true methods for picking colors for your layouts.

You can start by choosing your colors based on the colors in your photos. Another option is to choose your colors based on a theme (ie. orange and black for Halloween, red and green for Christmas.) You could use a monochromatic theme, with different shades and tones of a single color. You can even dig out a color wheel, and use a color scheme based on the relationships diagrammed on it. (Just follow the arrows. They won’t steer you wrong!)

Another fun way to choose colors for a page? Visit a site like Design Seeds, where they create color palettes based on gorgeous photos.

In fact, you know what would be fun? How about a little challenge? Can you make a page based on the colors from a Design Seeds color palette? I think I’ll use this one:

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That’s a bit outside of my usual comfort zone, so should be a challenge. This is going to be fun! Why don’t you pick a color palette from Design Seeds, and make a page, and share it either with a link here in the comments, or in my Flickr group. I’ll share what I make a bit later this week. Any suggestions on topic?

If you are wanting more direction and instruction in color, check out this FREE (yes I said free!) class on color hosted by Lain Ehmann, and taught by color expert Lori Sawaya.

Color Aug free Sawaya

 

I’ll be there, chatting away, and expanding my scrappy knowledge base. Check it out with me! Lain’s classes are usually lots of fun and very useful.

Don’t forget to check back to see what I make with the Design Seeds color palette, and to share what you make!

Aug15

Fishing for Inspiration

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Fishing for Inspiration

One of the coolest things about Pinterest is that it is so very, very random. If you wander through the main pin board, that shows you what everyone else is pinning, you’ll find so much variety.

There are gorgeous photos of beautiful places and faces. There are close ups of crafts and art and architecture. Clothing and makeup and the latest meme making the internet rounds. It’s all there.

And you can use Pinterest in so many different ways. An easy way to re-find projects you want to attempt. A mood board to base a room remodel or an outfit around. A source for amazing and funny words to remember and share. Its uses are practically endless.

Can you tell I really, truly love Pinterest?

Anyhoo…

How about a couple more pin-spired pieces for you?

quilt from we shall sew\

Love this quilt from We Shall Sew. The colors. The structure. And hexagons! Hello you gorgeous thing!

With such a lovely and graphic piece, it was easy to see how to turn it into a page. And then, a friend of mine brought her Creative Memories hexagon punch to a crop and let me play with it. And another friend dared me to use all the washi tape I had brought with me to the crop on one page. Challenge accepted! My favorite part? How easily the patterns on the washi tape lined up! The seams were almost invisible!

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This week the challenge was to turn this mosaic by Natalie Warne into something scrappy.

mosaic by Natalie Warne

Don’t you just love the colors, and all those little pieces? Looks like a stash busting piece to me. The thing is, I’m not good at using lots of little bits and bobs on a page. I don’t think that way regularly, so using something like this to kickstart the creative process is so helpful.

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Is it sad that I used up a lot of little bits and pieces, and didn’t make a dent in my stash? Sigh. Must use more — so I can make room for new stuff! 😉

Have you made anything inspired by what you’ve found on PInterest? Share it! I’d love to see it!

Aug12

Pin-spired!

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Pin-spired!

Pinterest is a great source for inspiration. If you’ve already discovered it, you know what I mean.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Pinterest, it’s an online, visual pinboard that you can sort into categories, and use to catalog and curate online images and their sources. You can find me there as Heather Dubarry on Pinterest.

One of the things I love to gather on Pinterest are non-scrapbook related images that could possibly be used as starting points for scrapbook pages. I find a lot of the images to be scraptastic: fantastic scrapbooking inspiration sources.

Let me show you what I mean:

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This is a gorgeous print of an oil painting done by Siiso that I found on Pinterest ages and ages ago. I loved the textures and the colors and the huge amounts of white space, so I pinned it. A few months later I made this page based on it.

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As you can see, I tried to mimic the structure and color and textures. I love how this turned out because, while it is clearly inspired by Siiso’s painting, it’s still very clearly my own creation.

Another photo I found in my early days of wandering the wilds of Pinterest was this gorgeous wedding dress photographed by Gia Canali. The color combination and texture was simply gorgeous, and it immediately made me think of some diecut lace paper I had sitting in my stash.

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Some green cardstock to back the lace paper, a few pieces of shimmery pink cardstock to mimic the shoes, and voila!, a page clearly inspired by the clothes, but entirely my own.

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Think you can manage some out of the box inspiration to creation? I’ve got lots of ideas on my scraptastic Pinterest board. Browse through it. Find something that makes you smile, and then make something based on it. I’ll do the same, and show you what I came up with later this week. Can’t wait to see what you create!

 

Aug7

Washi Classes

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Washi Classes

As I may have mentioned before, I love bringing in new ideas and techniques into my scrapbook toolbox. It keeps the hobby fresh and interesting, and motivates me to scrap and use up my stash.

One of the best ways I’ve found to discover new techniques is to attend one of Lain Ehmann’s free monthly scrapinars. Each month Lain hosts a live, online scrapbooking class that focuses on a specific topic. The classes are free when they are live, but are made available for replay at a small fee about a week later.

A couple of my favorites are all about washi tape, and are taught by the marvelous Monica Bradford of Scrap Inspired. (In case you were wondering, all affiliate links!) The first class Washi Wahoo! was a great place to start exploring creative ways to use washi. The second class Washi Wahoo Too! goes even further, and explores ways to make your own washi!

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If you have wondered what the big deal is about washi tape and don’t know why anyone would buy it, or if you’ve bought it because you loved how it looked but are completely flummoxed about how to use it, these classes are for you. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed by these classes. Plus Monica is super fun!

Just a quick warning. After watching these, you are going to want to buy lots and lots of washi! You can find lots of washi at Two Peas in a Bucket. Love their selection.

If you have used washi tape before, do you have a favorite? Do share!

Aug5

Gimme That Washi!

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Gimme That Washi!

I love Washi tape. Have you ever seen it or used it? It’s pretty fun.

Washi tape is a low tack, slightly translucent, patterned tape. It’s originally from Japan. It comes in a wide variety of colors, patterns and widths. A lot of scrapbookers have fallen in love with the stuff, but have no idea how to use it.

If you just think about Washi tape as a shape (a long thin line) ideas for how to use it will start occurring to you right off the bat.

Use it instead of ribbon or a thin piece of paper to add a line to your page:IMG_4432

Cut the ends at angles to make arrows and banners:

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Make a frame around the outside of your picture:

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Cover shapes with washi:

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That should get you started on thinking about ways to use washi tape. Later this week, I’ll link you up to a couple classes that you absolutely should buy, because they are jam packed with ideas to get washi tape out of your stash and onto your page.