Layout Shares >> Lost In My Mind - Scraptastic March 2014

Hi everybody!  I have a bunch of layouts to share with you today!  I kind of have a backlog of photos that need photographed, and it's becoming overwhelming.  So I just took a photo of the layout itself and I'm skipping the detail shots.  I just need to get these off of my desk and into my album and move on.

Today I will be sharing the rest of the layouts I did with the March 2014 Scraptastic "Lost In My Mind" kit.  This kit was heavy on Amy Tangerine's Plus One collection - which is just an amazing collection.  I had so much fun with this kit.

Layout >> This Happened

This layout was inspired by bravery.  Be brave and use a large photo and a whole package of an embellishment, in this case, the Jillibean Soup Wood Sprinkles.  It honestly takes all of my willpower not to buy every set of wood sprinkles Jillibean Soup makes.  I love these so much.

The other brave thing I did was pull out my DSLR and learn to photograph my layouts.  I'm still learning, but I think these turned out really well.

This layout was also inspired by a sketch:

I love Creative Scrappers.  This place is amazing.  HUNDREDS of sketches to choose from, with at least 20 examples of finished layouts for each.  This site is invaluable to any scrapper.

Here is what I came up with:

I love how this turned out.  At first I felt like I was wasting these by putting all 12 on the layout.  But when I look at it now, I can't get over the impact it made.  Sometimes it pays to be brave.

Layout >> Love

So this is my 3rd "post scrappper's block" layout and at this point, I've discovered what works for me.  Scrap lifting.  I scrap lifted myself and it turned out really well.  I also scrap lifted 3 other layouts that I won't be sharing because they are 100% scrap lifted.  Almost exactly.  It's kind of embarrassing.  I do love them, though.  The people who look at my scrapbook don't need to know that I stole them, right?

I do want to stop scrap lifting for now.  It's served its purpose.  So what's the next thing in line on my "get creative again" journey?  Sketches.  Oh I love sketches!!  If I could get away with it, I would always create from a sketch.  I do tend to stick rather close to the sketch when I'm creating.  Even so, I'm actually a lot more pleased with the layout as a whole than I am with something I just came up with on my own.  I tend to do the same thing over and over again if left to my own devices.

I am also really bad at remembering to use my cut files.  So this time, I chose the cut file first and built a layout around it!  I have always loved this cut file from Two Peas in a Bucket.  It's really cute and I've loved everything people have done with it.  

Here is the sketch I chose to work from by Shimelle Laine:

And here is what I came up with:

I have fallen head over heels in love with vellum.

And these adorable stars.

Layout >> Hello 32

Grid layouts are always a good technique to fall back on when you're feeling rusty.  So is printing out super old cut files and forcing yourself to use them!

And, for the record, I am slightly obsessed with teal and mint right now...

A little mist and a few pop dots can really make something pop!  Literally :)

This watercolor paper from the Plus One collection by Amy Tangerine is probably my favorite paper in a long time.  When I first saw it, I kinda didn't like it.  Boy was I wrong!!

I couldn't find a big enough flower with yellow watercolor on it on the paper itself, so I pulled out my watercolors and took care of it myself!  

Layout >> Cherry Blossoms

I have been stuck in a scrappers block for months.  It has gotten better.  It's not a full blown creative block anymore.  I am struggling a little bit more to find inspiration, though.  Ugh, and don't even get me started on the state of Project Life right now...

This piece was actually kind of inspired by a previous layout of mine:  

I just flipped it around.  Mainly I really liked drawing a big icon for a background.

I chose one of my favorite photos ever taken.  A shot of the cherry blossoms in Washington DC with the Washington Monument in the background.  I do love this photo...

I feel like this was a good start after months of creative struggle.