Eniko's Playhouse

ARTISTIC MEMORY KEEPING by Enikö DeLisle Designs MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA

  

Brimming with many passions and a playful heart, I believe that artistic memory keeping nurtures the soul as it preserves cherished memories

(Click here to Visit Website: ENIKO'S SCRAPBOOKS.com)

Learning to Love White Space

Whatever happened to white paper? I must admit that as soon as I got seriously involved in scrapbooking, I lost interest in white. I remember purchasing my first pack of patterned paper and feeling like I discovered a new world! The patterns of the paper became my inspiration...often becoming the basis for my layouts. Many years and oodles of patterned paper stacks later, I am ready to revisit white.

As I was preparing for a recent post about different scrapbooking styles, Discovering Your Scrapbooking Style and Trying on a New One, I realized that the only one of the seven styles I was missing in my reperatoire was Artsy. In my research, I found that the Artsy scrapbooker often starts with white paper and manipulates it with mixed media techniques. Unique looks are accomplished with the addition of paint, or by misting ink over stencils and masks. Interesting layers of patterned paper, embellishments,stitching, washi tape, chipboard and fabric add artistic flare. Photos are usually limited to a few...or just one, and are often manipulated in some way for added interest.

The piece above, entitled "Always", was my first layout with a distinctly Artsy spin to it. I must say it was fun starting with a white textured cardstock...essentially, watercolor paper. The white 12x12 paper presented itself as a blank canvas...it didn't inspire or drive the process in the way that patterned scrapbooking paper does...it was there to receive more than to give.

As I misted and painted and stamped and added layer upon layer, the page took on an organic process that felt more like painting than scrapbooking. -And I loved it! I loved it so much that I wanted to repeat process and share it with you.

I created a mixed media piece entitled "Motherhood" for the annual Mother's Day Flower Show at Featherstone Center for the Arts, and selected a beautiful and touching vintage image of a mother caressing her baby. I played around with it in Photoshop Elements until I got the color and intensity just the way I wanted, then ripped it and inked it after printing...and out came the white paper. Masking is the process of covering the area where you don't want the ink to spray, thereby leaving an imprint of the shape you used for masking. I love these gorgeous paper ferns by Martha Stewart...the perfect background for a piece like this.
I wanted to give the alpha stickers that I was intending to use for the title a little more dimension, so I inked them with Tom Holtz's blending tool and Tea Dye Distress Ink.
Next, I inked paper ferns and began layering them.
Since it was to be for an art show that celebrates flowers, there had to be an abundance. I also added some interest with some very cool papr tape.
Next came the metal flourishes and some soft bling for the flower centers.
Some of the paper flowers and leaves were inked or otherwise manipulated to give them a more natural or interesting look. And then there it was...the finished piece.

...And somehow it doesn't look white at all!

I hope you let me know what you think about this process (have you rediscovered white?) in the comments section below.

Hugs, Enikö

In Celebration of Motherhood...

Happy Mother's Day!

I will post about the making of this layout soon...It was created in celebration of motherhood for the Mother's Day Flower Show at Featherstone Center for the Arts on Martha's Vineyard.

I just want to wish all the moms and all the nurturers out there a beautiful and loving day!

With Love, Enikö

Happy National Scrapbooking Day 2012!

I created a very special challenge for National Scrapbooking Day at Let's Scrap and if you haven't already joined in the fun, you should! The challenge is to:

Scrap Yourself Scrapping!
This is the layout I created to inspire you. It's about the "Scrappin' Fridays" I host in my studio at my house...it's full of joy, color and inspiration...and lots of paper!

I created my very first scrapbook sketch for the members to use as their prompt, guide and  jump-off point for this challenge,:
Scrapbookers are generally so busy photographing and scrapping their families, pets and special events that they themselves are often left out of photos and scrapbooks. Am I right?

Since scrapbooking is such an important part of our lives and daily activities, it is only fitting to pay homage to our favorite passion on National Scrapbooking Day!

But as any decent challenge, this one comes with some really great rules!

For this challenge, you must use the sketch above to create a layout about yourself scrapbooking! To enter the contest & to qualify for a really fun prize, you must be a member of Let's Scrap (it's fun & it's free!) and upload your finished layout to the Let's Scrap Gallery before midnight (central time) on May 8th. -Here's the link to sign-up!

SIGN-UP at LET'S SCRAP!

Other scrapbook buddies may appear in photos on your layout, if you wish, but there must be a minimum of 2 images of you scrapping to qualify!

Since this challenge pays homage to scrapbooking, I thought it would be fun to use as many scrapbooking techniques as possible. So…you must use at least 8 out of the 12 scrapbooking elements/ techniques listed (please list the ones you used in the comment section when you post your layout):

Alpha Stickers

Banners, Flags or Pennants

Brads or Eyelets

Buttons

Chipboard

Flourishes or Scrolls

Flowers

Inking

Matting

Metal Clip, Stick Pin, or Staples

Stamping

Twine, Baker’s Twine, or Ribbon

(For my example, I used all 12 -just for fun…see if you can find them all…tee hee!) I also had photos taken of me scrapping this very same layout! LOL!

Complete rules and regulations are posted in the Let's Scrap Forum. Look for the Discussion: {Inter}National Scrapbooking Month, then for INSM12#2 Challenge by me!

Have a Fabulously Happy & Productive National Scrapbooking Day!

Happy Scrapping! ~Enikö

Discovering Your Scrapbooking Style & Trying On a New One...

I've been fascinated by scrapbooking styles since I started scrapbooking seriously, about ten years ago. As scrapbooking evolved from the simple formula of solid-colored papers, color-blocking, cropped photos and cutesy stickers, scrapbookers began branching off into camps. -Different schools of thought, if you will, each gravitating toward different  scrapbooking products as they hit the market. Before long, it was clear that most memory keepers had developed preferences that grew into specific scrapbooking styles.

Artistic by nature, my first scrapbook page was ambitious and complicated, and took forever to complete. It was abundant with memorabilia, photo matting, velum over-lays and even ribbon threading. (I'm exhausted just thinking about it!)After that, I tried on several styles, hoping that I would eventually find my stride and have some clear direction in my artwork. Not knowing your scrapbooking style is a bit like not knowing your decorating style and coming home with a lamp that simply does NOT fit into your living room decor...or like not knowing your fashion style and ending up with a closet full of mismatched clothes that you never end up wearing.

In the same way, when navigating through the scores of products (and you know how many gazillion products are out there tempting us) it is EXTREMELY helpful to know what your scrapbooking style is. -It really helps you to pass up on items that you will never use, and aids in limiting your purchases to what may actually end up on your pages.

While many of us are a combination of styles, I've tried to put together what I've found to be the most common scrapbooking style trends today.

CLASSIC STYLE- Also referred to as "Clean and Simple" and "Minimalist", the classic scrapbooking style is what we may consider traditional...nothing fancy on the pages, embellishments left to a minimum, but used effectively. Papers are mostly solid colors & monochromatic, although  patterned papers are not ruled out all together. Pictures are the focus, usually matted...sometimes with one large photo, but often with multiple pictures positioned in an orderly fashion (as in a grid) and the feel of these pages is somewhat conservative. While not devoid of trends, these often sophisticated pages are not extremely trendy, either...often using die cuts, stickers, letter stickers, punches, embossing folders and rub-ons, with a minimum of dimensional elements . Journaling can be neatly handwritten, but is usually typed.
SHABBY CHIC STYLE- Today, this style is also referred to as "Romantic" or "Vintage". Colors are usually muted pale pinks, creams, dusty mauve, pale blue -often with a combination of coordinating small patterned prints...lots of florals. You'll find torn pages and lots of distressing to soften the edges, usually chalked or inked to give it a well-worn feeling. Usually feminine in nature, this style uses doilies, lace (often tea-stained), ribbons (often tied into bows), pearls, rhinestones, flourishes and lots of flowers...often clustered with other embellishments. Basically, anything you might find in your grandmother's "junk drawer" or sewing box, would work on a Shabby Chic layout: buttons, keys, metal accents, measuring tape, seam binding, antique fabric...if it looks worn and well-loved, it will work. Journaling is usually handwritten. (Think Melissa Frances)
EPHEMERA STYLE- This style, also called "Eclectic" could almost be considered the masculine version of Shabby Chic. It definitely has a vintage feel, but is usually devoid of laces and bows. The papers lean toward dark browns, grays, maroon and black...often richly patterned with several patterns juxtaposed. Metal embellishments, dimensional elements and hardware are common. If ribbon is used, it's usually dark satin or velvet. You'll find photographs (often black & white or sepia ), journaling cards, maps and memorabilia angled and overlapping in a controlled manner that appears random.This style is all about rich textures and interesting contrasts. (Think Graphic 45)
CUTESY STYLE- Just about any scrapper who has babies, small children or pets ends up using the Cutesy style at one time or another, but there is a whole sector of the scrapping population that has gravitated to this style. The papers are of bright, fun colors, and the pages are embellished with die cuts, chipboard, stamps and stickers of cute cartoon characters and animals. Papercrafters who are fond of Tilda & Edwin images and cute animals in various poses that they color with copic markers and then use in their cards and layouts would fall into this category, as would the masses who pump out similar figures on their die cutting machines. Titles are often common cute sayings. This is the style that makes you go, "Awwwww". (Think Magnolia and Echo Park's Little Boy & Little Girl collections)
WHIMSICAL STYLE-  Different from the Cutesy style, in that it tugs less at the heartstrings and shoots more for a tongue-in-cheek kind of humor. Papers will be in bold, bright colors in unique combinations and playful patterns (polka dots, stripes, chevron & checkerboard). Often photos are worked into a scene created on the layout, but with more whimsy than cuteness. Often, these are the pages that sport the flags and the banners, and the clouds, and the suns, and the stars, and the flowers, and the trees. The products used are usually fanciful and 3-dimensional...journaling often uses whimsical fonts and titles.
GRUNGY STYLE- You won't find any feminine touches or cutesy figures on a Grunge-lover's pages! This is the world of deep, dark-colored, ripped, torn, crumpled and misted papers. Often pages torn from old books & dictionaries...even music sheets & maps are used to add interest and character. Photos are often black & white and are usually slanted and layered with other elements. Texture is what Grunge all about, so papers are often embossed, stamped and nearly always ink-stained and severely distressed. Embellishments are often metal, but not the shiny kind...a dedicated Grunge scrapper will ink & age everything in sight! If Shabby Chic is out of your grandmother's sewing box and Ephemera is out of your grandmother's travel chest in the attic, then Grunge is out of your grandfather's dank basement or garage. It does, however, have a certain old-world, "look-what-I-found-that-I-can-repurpose" kind of charm, and the feel is distinctively creative and somewhat masculine. (Think Tim Holtz)
ARTSY STYLE- This style is a relative newcomer compared to the others. As mixed media caught the attention of the more artistic of the scrapbookers, gesso, watercolor, acrylic paints, UTEE and doodling started to surface on scrapbook pages. Background paper is often manipulated into a unique look with paint, or misted using stencils and masks. Embellishments are often handmade...rosettes, fabric flowers, felt and other one-of-a-kind artwork is common. Colors are usually bold (though sometimes just white), with interesting layers of patterned paper, shapes, washi tape, chipboard and fabric adding artistic flare. While stitching & sewing have become popular accents for most of the scrapbooking styles, it will appear more random and unfinished coming from the hands of an Artsy Scrapbooker. Photos are usually limited to a few...or just one, and are often manipulated in some way, or partially painted on or enhanced with stickers or rub-ons. (Think Julie Fei-Fan Blalzer of Balzer Designs)
There you have it...the seven major styles of scrapbooking. Naturally, there are offshoots and variations. I've seen mention of Sophisticated, Graphic, and most recently, Retro, but these seem to me to be temporary trends more than enduring styles.

So have you identified your scrapbooking style? Are you a hybrid, or a combination of two or three styles? Do you hop between a couple of styles? I would love it if you left me a comment and let me know where you fit in to this scrapbooking menagerie!

(Over at Let's Scrap, I am hosting a month-long challenge in honor of {Inter}National Scrapbooking Month: Try on a Different Scrapbooking Style! -intended to encourage scrappers to leap out of their usual scrapbooking style and try out some new ones...it's really fun to do and it really stretches your creativity to new heights...I promise! I hope you stop by and join in the fun...you may even win a great prize!)

Happy Scrapping! ~Enikö

 

 

Bon Voyage, Susan Branch!

My lovely friend, Susan Branch, is heading to England next week on the QEII. YES! You heard me correctly...on THE Queen Elizabeth II ! How exciting is that? I've never been on a real cruise (I don't suppose the ferry that carries us back and forth from Martha's Vineyard island to the mainland counts...tee...hee), but if I were to go on a cruise, I would want it to be on the QE II.

If you're not familiar with Susan Branch's work, you should be. She is an extremely talented author, designer and blogger extra-ordinaire! She became well-known for her handwritten and beautifully illustrated cookbooks. Her first one, Heart of the Home, is still one of my all-time favorites! So charming and beautiful, and chuck-full of wonderful recipes, stories and ideas. She has created a magical life for herself, with her darling Joe and her two adorable kitties, here on Martha's Vineyard. (FYI to my scrapbooking buddies...I just discovered that she has put out a wonderful collection of rubber stamps -available through her on-line store).

Anyway, you should hop over & read about how she's getting ready for her voyage to England. I swiped a few photos off of her blog to share with you...too cute to not shine on. So this is her daily inspiration for her trip...she keeps this lovely dress that she wore on her first "Captain's Dinner" on her last QE II cruise, hanging on her closet door-
If what they say is true, that inspiration boards and other visualizations of your intentions and desires help make turn your dreams into reality, then this is a great strategy. Nice going, Sue!

So did you love that hat? So very English and so incredibly stylish! Well, guess what? It even looks better on Sue than it does on that hat box! It's the hat she wore to the Royal Ascot  races a la Eliza Doolittle! Here she is with her handsome Joe:
Gosh, so elegant! Sue always looks great, but she's normally a very casual, comfy, practical dresser, so I got such a kick out of seeing her in all this fabulousness. And I got an even bigger kick out of reading this quote on her blog, which explains why it's great to be well-dressed:
(Illustrations copywrited by Susan Branch)

Isn't that the funniest thing you ever read? She cracks me up! So in one of her recent blog posts, Sue wrote about the art of letter writing and how she saves all her favorite correspondences, and it reminded me that I had made her a lovely thank you card that I never mailed. You may remember that I made this card during the Let's Scrap Leap Around the World Blog Hop in February. Sue is very fond of pretty little vintage tea cups and loves having her girlfriends for tea, so I knew she would love it. So whew! -I finally sent it out, thanking her for all her various kindnesses.
I love the fussy-cut roses (she also loves her roses & collects vintage varieties...the ones with heady scents) and the gossamer ribbon...and the little pin reminds me of her great English hat...surely she must have a hat pin to hold it on with.

So last week, the weekly challenge at Let's Scrap was a cute little card sketch by Debby de Wilde, intended to inspire the members into creative card-making.

"Well, it would be fun to make Sue a Bon Voyage card," I thought. I knew I had some really fun vintage cruise ship themed ephemera, so I went to work with ocean-liner images, Tim Holtz tissue tape, tickets, ribbon and pretty paper that felt like ocean and sky to me.
I loved my take on the sketch and I loved the way it came out, but it just didn't feel like Sue...it lacked the soft, yet practical, femininity that she exudes with every breath. Hmmmm...back to the drawing board, as they say.

I found this truly wonderful Tim Holtz paper that reminded me of a post on Susan Branch Blog. Sue wrote about an antique book that Joe gave her for her birthday, Cranford, by Elizabeth Gaskell. The Old-English images on the scrapbooking paper reminded me of the illustrations in the book, so it was a perfect find! Out came a gorgeous tea-stained ribbon of three-dimensional mini-roses, a sweet little die-cut bird, a little post card, some twine, and a cute ticket that said, "Places to See"...perfect!
A little gathering of tulle, and the addition of a pretty red die-cut rose...yes, indeed... this was Sue!

So Joe will get the more masculine "Away We Go" card, and Sue will receive this sweet little perfect-for-Sue Bon Voyage card...with all my love, my blessings, my wishes for an amazing visit to England...and my dreams of someday joining her at Royal Ascot with my own really great hat!

In love and friendship, Enikö

(I do love your comments, so...they make me happy!)

Co-ordinating Scrapbook Papers with the Colors on Your Photos

If you read my last post, you know all about my sister Ildi's beautiful autumn wedding in the woods of New Hampshire. It was a glorious day, blessed with perfect early October weather, and foliage kissed with the colors of the season. The wedding began with a procession...first the guests, then a little while later, the musicians...creating the sounds of woodland elves. Led by Ildi's son, Brooks (so handsome in his suit and fedora), keeping time on an over-sized drum, the flutist and the fiddler followed. Ildi's beautiful brunette daughter, Julia, was flanked by Erick's stunning blond daughters, Trina and Britta. It was evident at once that the guests were in for a treat...this was no ordinary wedding. Strolling hand-in-hand...coming up the path, were the beaming bride and groom.

I wanted to capture the magic of that procession in my scrapbook layout. The colors of the forest, the golden glow of the late afternoon sun shining through the foliage, the mystical way the guests heard the music...faint at first, building mystery and anticipation as it grew louder and louder...until the musicians finally appeared. I wanted to harness that feeling that we all felt when the lovely bridesmaids entered our vision, their sequin-speckled gossamer shawls all a glimmer. -And how it took our breath away when we spied the happy couple...with Ildi's golden curls shimmering in the sunlight, along with the gold thread that ran through the velveteen cape she wore...a gorgeous bouquet in one hand, and the other clinging onto her handsome betrothed.

How does one begin to tell such a story on a scrapbook page? I gravitated toward a Martha Stewart cardstock, resplendent with colorful sparkling butterflies that seemed to portray the kind of "magic" that I wanted to recreate...too busy, but I really wanted to make it work, if only as an accent. There was also a great color that seemed to go with the jacket I was wearing in the photo.
I find that the best way to sort scrapbooking papers for a layout is to simply lay the photos over them. While I loved the butterfly papers, they lacked the impact I was going for. There was a lot of blue in the photos, so I tried some beautiful flocked papers in two different blues.
Pretty, but too soft...perhaps a little washed-out. My next strategy was to focus on the foliage in the photos. Perhaps I could recreate the feeling of the forest with the right papers.
I loved the brightness of the creamy yellow paper with the flora & the fauna because it picked up the flickering sunlight in the photographs. I also liked the more subdued green-tinged papers that had a beautiful feel, but were a tad too "quiet". Then, there they were...the perfect papers that represented the autumnal glory of the forest, without overwhelming the photos, or underwhelming the beauty of the occasion.
(Please click on the layout to view it in its full splendor!)

The colors of these background papers were perfect for the atmosphere I was going for! They picked up the various colors in the photos, the matting, the journaling blocks and the flower embellishments. I used the sketch (by Cheri O'Neil) that we were assigned for the week at Let's Scrap... I edited my photos down to the ones that pertained best to the theme of the Procession, and added some really great journaling to describe the moment. I added just enough bling to represent the sparkle of the day and some butterflies to mimic the magic. I'm so pleased that it all fell together so beautifully...just like the Procession.

Thanks for visiting, and do leave a little comment, so I know you've been by...

Happy Scrapping! -Enikö

Graphic 45 Papers...a Thrilling Challenge to Work With

I've been hoarding Graphic 45's Once Upon a Springtime paper collection for some time now. I knew that once I got around to scrapbooking my sister Ildi's fairytale wedding, those adorable fairy images would come in handy...and indeed they did.

Ildi was already in her early 50's when she met her prince and decided to wed, in 2006, so you can imagine that I was quite taken aback when she announced that she was going to have a "Fairy Wedding." But I suppose if the guy you love makes you feel like a fairy princess...what's age got to do with it? Here's Ildi with her beloved Erick on their special day:
I've never seen a more gloriously joyful, excuberant, beaming bride! Ildi and Erick had been both married before, but this time it was different. They found in each other some little piece that was missing in themselves. At the risk of being cliche...they complete each other...and in fact, this really was a fairytale come true for both of them.

As my wedding gift to the couple, I offered to make the wedding cake. I sculpted the cake topper in their likeness (as close as I could get in miniature) of the bride and groom, depicting them as fairies.

Funny, now I see butterfly wings wherever I go...scrapbook stores and craft stores seem to be filled with them. But at the time, here in early October of 2006, it was virtually impossible to find the props I needed to bring my vision to fruition. At last I found some wings!

The cake was a simple little 3-tier... I don't remember now what flavor or what icing, but it was abundantly adorned with painstakingly made meringue mushrooms and marzipan acorns and autumn leaves (thank you, Laura Beckman -once my protogee & today the executive pastry chef at The Black Dog- for your help). The wedding cake needed to be as magical as the wedding...

Here I am putting the final touches on the "Fairy Cake":
And here is a close-up of the finished woodland fairy cake masterpiece:
So I finally got around to creating some scrapbooking layouts of this fun-filled wedding. As a member of the Design team at Let's Scrap, one of my duties is to create layouts inpired by specific scrapbook sketches posted on the site. For this particular challenge, this was our "blueprint' if you will": 

Interpreting scrapbooking sketches can be tricky business. At first glance, one might think that this design would be best applied to a children's layout, because of the "cutesy" graphics, but it is important to look past the obvious. The graphics need to be translated into mere elements...they can become an embellishment, a journaling block, or a photograph, for example. I decided to not flip or alter the design of the sketch this time...I thought it would serve my layout well as is, but how to use the fairy paper from Graphic 45? -That became my greatest challenge in scrapbooking the story of the "Fairy Cake".

Graphic 45 papers are very colorful and covered with patterns and images. One of my fellow scrappers commented, "I have G45 papers, and I take them out and look at them, and think how beautiful they are, and then I put them back, not quite knowing what to do with them." I knew just what she meant. Combining busy patterns is not only tricky, but can be outright frightening. "What if it ends up looking like a cluttered mess?"

Since I am a follower of Nathalie's Studio and Balter Designs & have taken their "Second Floor Challenge" -meant to inspire artists to push their boundaries (this week's challenge was to "use something from your supplies that you haven't used before") -so I decided to set aside my fears of "cluttering up" my layout and I started pairing the Once Upon a Springtime papers with wild abandon. Using the assigned sketch as a framework, and photos of the wedding cake at Ildi's wedding as the theme, this is what I created:
The experience was thrilling. At first, the fear of messing-up was palpable, but as I took risk after risk, grouping patterns that I would not normally put together, I began to feel that joy of creation that we, as artists, strive for. The beauty of the color combinations began to dominate over the fear of mixing patterns. I decided to use a cut-out of the cake itself as the embellishment in the lower left-hand corner (where the cutesy graphic of the boy is in the sketch):
I added two fairy tags in place of the cloud (and attached some sparkly metallic fiber for extra magic):
And I placed a pair of G45 "postcards" where the image of the sun is suggested and used one as my journaling block. (The image of the little fairy with the frog is an inside joke...Ildi has a small collection of frogs with crowns on their heads...sort of a reminder of how many frogs one must sometimes kiss before finding her prince at last):
Truthfully, I was still a little scared as I uploaded the layout to the Let's Scrap Gallery, wondering if my colleagues would find it "too busy". But as soon as it was posted, the accolades started pouring in...everyone loved it! ...And even more importantly, I loved it, too...as much for the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, as for the joy of the finished product.

Go ahead...step out of that comfort zone...you might just love it out there!

Hugs, Enikö

Do Journal on Those Scrapbook Pages!!!

How many of you fabulous memory-keepers and scrapbooking enthusiasts journal on your scrapbook pages? Just as I thought...you don't like your own hand-writing...you don't know what to write...you don't know where to begin, so you just skip that part. Well, I'm here to convince you to mend your foolish ways!

The scrapbook layout above illustrates how journaling can be incorporated attractively into your layout. The red journaling block on the left, fits into the design in the same way another photo would, and it acts as a color accent, in addition to giving the viewer important information about when and where these photos were taken. The title simply states: Sweet: The Sweet Days of Summer, and leads into the journaling below the large photo on the right. It talks about the sweet days of summer becoming shorter and shorter, giving way to Autumn chill, and how my precious 2-year-old grandson, Rigel, was so mesmerized by my sister Ildi's colorful Zinnias that were taller than he. -It identifies the subject of the photographs, and also tells the story of why I found this moment so special that I wanted to capture it and preserve it forever.

In addition to the wonderful way the journaling contributes to the story telling, it also enhances the design of the layout. Stamping the first letter of each line helps bring the eye to it and also distracts from the possibly less-than-perfect hand-writing. (By the way, it definitely helps to lightly draw-in pencil lines to keep the writing straight...or hold a ruler in place to guide you as you write.) Extremely self-concious scrapbookers should type their journaling, as opposed to not including it at all!

In my Scrapbooking 101 series on Enikö's Playhouse, back in 2010, I wrote about the importance of journaling in scrapbooks:

I didn’t always journal, but when I heard that a friend tossed away her deceased mother’s old photo albums because she didn’t know who the people in the photos were, I went back and identified all the subjects of my photos and I began journaling my recollections of past events to include on my pages.

When journaling, think of the 5 “W”’s: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. It is important to jot down names, dates and locations, but don’t forget to personalize your scrapbooks by including your personal thoughts and feelings about a particular event or gathering. If you are shy about sharing your personal thoughts, you may include them in envelopes or pockets on your page to be read only upon invitation. Many scrappers prefer to use poems, captions or lyrics instead of their own words, but it is nice to use a mix. Also, no matter how you feel about your handwriting, know that it is a distinct part of you and your character and be sure to write at least some of your journaling in your own hand. You may write directly on the background paper, or work a journaling block into your layout using a tag or a piece of cardstock, or anything that will hold text.

I recently posted a challenge on Let's Scrap, using the layout above (inspired by a Let's Scrap sketch) as an example of good storytelling. -I thought I'd share bits of it with you here (-and do think about joining in on the challenge):

I've noticed that many of you here on Let's Scrap are quite accomplished storytellers, and others of you are shy about journaling on your scrapbook layouts. This challenge is designed to remind you that scrapbooking is first and foremost a form of storytelling. From the photos we choose, to the title we select, to the words we write on our journaling blocks, each element plays an equally important role in the telling of the story.

For this challenge, I want you to focus on storytelling. Choose your photos for your layout wisely, and as you make decisions about what to place on your pages, keep in mind the 5 W's...Who, What, Where, When, and Why...of the story. Each element that you add to your layout should contribute to the telling of the story. So here are the rules:

1.) WHO -Somewhere in your journaling, identify who the people in your photos are. (Future generations will want to know.)

2.) WHAT -Choose a Title that answers the "what" of your story ("What is this Layout about?") -in a minimum of words.  -It doesn't have to be literal, it can be whimsical, or even the title of a song, but it should give the viewer a snapshot of what you intend the focus of your layout to be, or at least pique the viewer’s interest.

3.) WHERE & WHEN -Record where and when the event, moment, outing or memory occurred.

4.) WHY -Most importantly, in your journaling, answer the question "why?"...this is crucial to story- telling. Your journaling should reveal why you selected this particular story to tell. Why is this story important to you? -It gives the viewer an insight into who you are and what you care about.

As you see in my example, I chose a catchy title that piques curiosity, I identified the people on the photos, I recorded the date and the location, and  I wrote about the interesting fact that in my native Hungary, the Sunday before Easter, Palm Sunday, is known as "Flower Sunday". Most importantly, I described why this day was so special to me...that it was one of the last outings of its kind that my dad and I enjoyed together, due to my father's increasingly debilitating Parkinson's Disease.

I've heard scrappers complain about "writer's block" and needing prompts to get ideas for their journaling. It's fine to use catch-phrases to get you started, such as: "I will never forget..." - "The last time I saw her..." - "On one sunny afternoon..." but I find that if you just think of it as story-telling, the words flow quite easily, most of the time. If you do get stuck, lyrics from songs, or lines from poems or movies often do the trick. I remember a layout I did for a client about their summer home on Martha's Vineyard and I used "Our House is Very, Very Fine House..." (by David Crosby) as the title, and I believe I used another couple of words from that great song somewhere in my journaling on the layout as a tie-in. -Perfectly legitimate, as long as you give proper credit to the author.

So that about covers it...I hope I've managed to convince you of the importance of including the written word in your memory-keeping and that perhaps I have inspired you to jot a few things down on your pages.

I hope you leave me a little "blog love" to let me know you've stopped by, and don't hesitate to ask me for help if you feel "stuck", or have questions, but do journal on those scrapbook pages!

Hugs, Enikö

The Versatility of Scrapbooking Sketches

This is my first blog post since being appointed Design Team Member at Let's Scrap, the wonderful international scrapbooking club that encourages member participation by posting weekly sketches and other challenges to spark creativity. So exciting! I thought it would be fun to illustrate the versatility of these sketches, just in case you had the false impression that it somehow cramped creativity. The sketch above, by the talented designer, Cheri O'Neil, was the one that we needed to use for our Design Team application submissions. So this is how I interpreted the design: As you can see, I used the sketch quite literally here, but the selection of papers and other elements made it completely mine. Also, I chose to tweak certain elements, such as using the sun image on the left instead of the suggested photo corner. I also opted to run the circular images across the entire strip, instead of stopping short of the edges, as the sketch suggested.

Being the over-achiever that I am, I submitted a second sketch...this time flipping the design around, and creating a soft, elegant tone, as opposed to the bright and lively mood of the layout above: If you pop over to take a peak on the main page of Let's Scrap, and scroll down, you can see the other submissions by the newly appointed Design Team. You'll notice that some of them used the sketch merely as an inspiration, others used only one side of the sketch to create a single-page scrapbook layout, instead of the double-page design that you see here.

Well that's all for now! I'm off to tend to my Design Team duties...I've been elected to post the first Design Team Challenge of the new team! -I'll be posting that soon!

Thanks for visiting and I wish those of you who celebrate it, a blessed Easter!

Hugs, Enikö

Taking it to the Second Floor...an Addendum to the Upcycling Challenge

I wanted to say a few words about the importance of challenging ourselves as artists...to push ourselves in directions that are sometimes uncomfortable -or even unsuccessful. I've been following two amazing artists for a while now, Natalie Kalbach and Julie Fein-Fan Balzer...both extremely creative and inspiring women. They have teamed together to pose  The Second Floor Challenge. The idea is to encourage artists to step out of their comfort zone in their artwork. March 12th's inspiration was to use gold acrylic paint in your next layout. Both women took their own challenge, and both turned out work that they were not entirely 100% happy with. Gold paint can be tricky to work with, and as Natalie tried something new, the results were not quite as predictable as she was used to. Julie had a similar result, and she did the "silk purse out of a sow's ear" -thing and turned her "failed" piece into something else.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is more important to push ourselves in new directions, even if we at times fail, than it is to stick with what is safe and "tried & true", but utterly predictable, and therefore less creative. In my last post, I wrote about upcycling scrapbook packaging material and other items that we might normally toss out, but that can sometimes be given a second life as a part of our artwork (pushing myself further & further from my comfort zone) and you're probably wondering why I am including the same scrapbook pages here.

Well, unlike Natalie and Julie, at first I was perfectly happy with the results of my  layout created mostly of scrapbooking packaging materials and other "throw-a-ways" (and using a touch of gold paint), but the more I looked at the pages, the more I liked them better independently, rather than as a double-page layout. Especially the page below...I feel that it stands alone so beautifully and so completely as a piece of art.

Somehow, the composition of each of these pages work better for me when they are not opposite each other (SEE BELOW).

You may, or may not agree, but for me, it was an interesting and revealing realization. Generally, the composition of my double-page layouts is designed in such a way that the two pages work perfectly together. Perhaps I was so focused on other elements that I was briefly side-tracked...who knows?

In reality, the pages will probably remain together...partnered for life in the protective sleeves of a scrapbook, since side-by-side they do tell a more complete story...which is the point, after all. -But it was fun to step back and take a second look and experience first-hand the consequences of risk-taking. Honestly, though, I wouldn't have it any other way.

So I encourage all of you to take up the challenge and take your scrapbooking, cardmaking, art journaling...whatever your art...a little further, and take a chance on trying something new once in a while. It's good for the soul and who knows, you might discover something new about yourself as you "Take it to the Second Floor."

Happy Creating! -Enikö 

Speaking of challenges...I decided to "Take it to the Roof" when I responded to the Let's Scrap Design Team call. I love this group of creative women and I desperately wanted to have a spot on the Design Team. I found out early this morning that I made it! My "reign" begins on April Fool's Day...which just added to the joy of the whole thing.-More about all that in my next post...I just couldn't wait to share the news!

Your ideas, reactions and comments are deeply appreciated! -And if you decide to take on the "Take it to the Roof" challenge...or create something with upcycled products, I hope you will include a link, or post it on my