What do you think of current trends in scrapbooking?

[robyn]

What do you think of the current trend (and has been for sometime now) of so called 'white space' layouts? Most site galleries are almost entirely filled with this type of layout now.

I do really like it, and think a lot them are quite beautiful and stunning 'works of art'. BUT, I've been surfing around various sites today and I honestly feel that this has sometimes been taken to the extreme! I am obviously unable to post examples here (as that would be very disrespectful apart from anything else) but I found a couple at another site today that basically consisted of the whole page being the designer's background paper and then right down in one corner was the very TINIEST little photo with a TINY little cluster around it. It had quite a few 'oohs and aaahs' comments.........reminded me of the story of the emperor's new clothes............if you know that one!

I feel that the whole point of scrapbooking (to record the events in one's life in an attractive and pleasing presentation for future generations to keep as a record and admire..........my opinon only of course) is being lost.

I LOVE doing fantasy type stuff..............BUT is it scrapbooking?? You will no doubt see me posting sometime in the future exactly this type of page. But I'll be doing it because I like creating 'stuff'; I won't be doing it as a record for the future, but as an outlet for my struggling artistic abilities. Of course it's swings and roundabouts, and this time next year the term 'white space' will most likely be but a dim memory in the minds of most. :D

I'd love to hear YOUR two cents worth on this. Different points of view are always valid and interesting! :)

EDIT..........by posting topic for discussion I don't mean in any way to be judgemental or disrespectful of anybody's style of layouts. We are all different in what we like and in what we see is beautiful. Consider Vincent Van Gogh. During his life I seem to remember that he hardly sold a painting and was reviled by many. Yet his Irises painting sold for something like $54,000,000 when it last came up for sale and several other paintings by him have sold for even more than that!

[Karen]

I don't mind some "white space" but to me digi-scrapping should be all about the images and not the papers and elements. I don't particularly like the layouts with very small photos, lots of large elements and "acres" of background paper. Of course, there is always the exception that proves the rule and some of these types of layouts are beautiful.

As always - beauty is in the eyes of the beholder . . .


Karen

[Maree]

hehehe white space what is that...
I have an extremley hard time not filling every little nook and cranny with something...:rofl2:
I admire those I see, have attempted to do it, notice I said attempted ( see space must fill it :eek: )
I know when I first started and this is going back to paper scrapping.. I used to buy the magazines and try replicate things..
Then one day it was like hang on a minute, some pages could really cost..
As a marketing tool setting trends is fantastic..
But I am and have always been more of an Individual, so its what I like..
I dont care two hoots what the latest trend is, only that I like what I have created myself..

I firmly believe we all have our own styles, thats what makes us who we are and makes our pages unique..
Thats my 10cents worth :p

[cats4jan]

White space calls to me - it seems lonely - it wants to be filled. :rofl2:

I like many many different kinds of LO's - I admire the work and the look of those whose LO is all about artistry, however, when I make my LO's, it's all about the photo so the scrapbook page is incidental (unless, of course, I'm making a page for fun or a challenge)

As much as I branch out - when I look back at my LO's - the ones I love seem to have pretty much the same look. I tend to put the photo to one side - and I make it larger than most people do. I use few embellishments because I don't feel comfortable with the busy look. I just make the embellishments and titles larger so I can fill the space without using alot of "stuff."

And for those who know me well - you know I love beige. All my favorites, besides being simple - ARE BEIGE. ;)

EDIT - just looked at my DDD gallery and I can't find one example of my usual type of page. :confused: Guess, I'm changing? Or is it what I said earlier - "my LO's are beige unless I'm doing a challenge?"

I'm so confused, so very confused...

[Miss Pepper]

I like white space for an album front or back cover, especially if I use the same kit for the entire album, and the photo can't be any smaller then 3x3 in. Photography is my first love, and I scrap to enjoy my photo's. I have seen some beautiful white space pages that made me think, wow, what awesome cards they would make, but not a memory page with a 1x1in. photo. But trends do come and go, and they are fun to try, and with digi scrapping, why not, no loss.

[GreenEyedLadyDesigns]

It's interesting you bring up this topic, Robyn, because I've spent quite some time thinking about this - since I've had lots of time on my hands for the past several months. :D

I was never a paper scrapper and got into digi scrapping because I wanted to show off my photos in an interesting way. Altho I don't print my LOs, I do share them, using various online tools, with interested friends and family. So the few digi kits I purchased at the beginning were fine for creating what were basically digital photo albums.

As I took more of an interest in designing and spent more time surfing to see what scrappers were doing, I was confused. Scrappers doing beautiful fantasy pages with extracted images blended so well it was hard to tell what was real. Pages filled with story-book like figures like Raggedy Ann - so appealing. LOs containing only photos blended into collages. Others mostly white space, small photos and beautifully layered clusters, so very artistic. Some LOs with tons of journaling and others, like mine, with several photos as the main emphasis of the page and everything else just an accent to the story I was trying to tell/remember.

I also came upon lots of forum and blog discussions, some quite heated (altho always respectful), debating the future of digi scrapping. The industry has attracted all sorts of people and the affordability of the software has led to many levels of creativity. Some, in these discussions, were concerned that the original concept - moving paper scrapping to the digital world - was being forgotten by some of the trends mentioned above. Some discussed why you would, for example, put a tree branch on your digital page when you would never do that on paper. Others discussed about why you would put a fairy and elves on page with a child's picture, when doing so seemed to call more attention to the characters rather than the child.

"Digi scrapping" is (has become?) a very fluid art form. As a new designer, I find all of this very thought-provoking because it means there are many options for designing. As a scrapper, I'm sometimes quite intimidated by the more elaborate LOs and very often awed by the creativity out there.

[athena]

I think a lot of the LO's we see in the galleries are from designer's CT. The CT is there to show off the kit so people will buy...when I CT I do make my layouts to try to best feature the kit. Some of them I keep and some of them I don't.

I have found I tend to create my own kits with items I like to scrap with. Sure I love the flowers, strings and ribbon, but I like the different elements that I would create if I was paper scrapping. You will see a lot circles in my kits and LO's. When I paper scrapped I always used lots of circles too. I actually own about 10 circle punches and die cuts in all sizes.

I am with Vicki on how I am in awe of the creativity. Although I would never create a fantasy LO myself I do love admiring them.

[msbrad]

I always have an opinion. Just ask Marcie :p.

Good topic for discussion, Robyn. Styles of pages get discussed many places. And there have been questions raised as to
'what style scrapper are you?'
My answer is: they are me, and sooner or later, all will be printed.

Athena is spot on, with many of the white space and fantasy LO's being that of CT's to promote a kit. They are often filled with stock photos as well. When I CT'd, I too tried to show off the kit to the best of my ability, and still make it work for me.

I admire wonderful artistry and talents using many styles. I tend to like larger photos, although, I have a couple of white space pages (well, white space for me). I've even scrapped a couple pages w/o photos.

There is also a trend that is returning to more of a paper scrapped look. (the pendulum swings)-

My grandmother had a phrase:
"To each her own the woman said, as she kissed the purple cow"
LOL- I had to share that one. :rofl2:

[Laura]

Interesting thread, Robyn, and I agree with most everything all else have said. I do like the artistic look of the huge white space, but I prefer larger photos, after all, it's all about the photos to me. That's just my thought!:)

[MsKaty]

Thanks for bringing this up here Robyn! I think my thoughts have already been expressed and probably in better words that I could use! I have resisted the 'white space" LOs but I have tried to do a couple of pages, mostly for challenges. I just cannot leave that space alone! I started scrapping to preserve family memories and information and the photos are the thing for me.

I do appreciate the fantasy look and have tried to do a couple of those but the photo is still the big thing for me. I used to crop photos quite a bit but when I got into genealogy, the background of old photos also tell a story and sometimes some great information is there in the background.

I enjoy taking scenery and travel photos and I feel that you just cannot place them in the corner of a page with so much room that could be used more wisely. I have come to really appreciate the elements the desigers make and so I do try to use several elements on my pages too... just not overdo!

All this to say I love looking at all the different styles today. I love the artistic look that I see on many sites.

[sandy]

Good thread Robyn! Ok, for my 3 cents worth... inflation!

I love to look at the layouts in the gallery and I do sit and really look at the layouts. It's like studying art. I admire so many styles out there and want to try them all! I have recently decided though to get it done. Scrap all those photos that I have been putting off!

That said... I want to scrap a fantasy book for my new grandchild coming. I didn't have digital when Aryanna was little so I don't have many photos. But the new baby has a mom that paper scraps so that kid will be blind from that flash! I also want to do a fantasy canvas for the baby's room. So I'm really studying those layouts too!

I admire the white space layouts but do like when the photos are a bit larger so that you can actually see the photo. But I think it is all the more interesting when the background paper is interesting. I don't do many white space though. It's just not a trend that I like necessarily but some of them are well done.

I LOVE to look at well done pages and pick out what they did and try my hand at some of the techniques. I'm not the greatest scrapper and am really trying to improve all around by trying new techniques and such. I used to be lousy at clustering but have got so much better through practice. It also makes you a better designer trying new techniques and keeping up with the trends.

So the answer to this discussion for me is, I'm going to do them all! And I'm seriously going to get some meaningful scrapbooking done using lots of techniques!

[Janice]

I'm with the purple cow :rofl2:

I have to say that I do like nice big pictures most of the time, but it is fun to do those white space LOs sometimes too, its taken me a long time to scrap with more than one picture per LO! I like to do lots of blending and just love masks.

[Grace]

I love looking at creative and artistic layouts. My opinion is that the white space layout with clustered elements and the fantasy layout look best with infants and young children. I don't have photos of young children or pets that I can use in layouts for a gallery online. My online layouts are created for challenges or tutorials. For my personal photo album I like large photos and journaling and a few embellishments on a simple and clean page.

I love the elaborate clusters and also love the beautifully blended background page.

[Muriel]

I love looking at all the beautiful layouts! The white space pages can be absolutly works of art. I scrap almost all boys...or old people... so they don't work too well for me. Another angle is that I make mine to print most of the time. I have an album going for each grand child. When I do a page for them I want them to be able to look at the page in later years and have the full story of what was happening at the time. or what story is the page telling. Also as I have said before...I am cheap... so I like to think I am getting my money's worth when there are several pictures on a page. :rofl2:
I believe we all come at scrapping from different angles and I love to see the creativity of everyone. Just becasue I don't do something doesn't mean that I can't really appreciate what another has created. I know we all probably feel that way.

[robyn]

Thanks everyone for your interesting opinions and observations.

[msbrad]

Oh, Sandy, I will have to send you a couple pages I did.. that sorta....do the "W S" thingy... They are not posted (unless, I messed up) however there is reason behind them, and they work for transition.

[NancyP]

Lets look at it this way. Do I like white spaces? Not necessarily although I have made them. Do I admire other white space layout? ABSOLUTELY. Some are very eye catching and interesting. Do I like Salvador Dali's work? Nope!! Weird!! But do I admire it? ABSOLUTELY! The man was a genius!!!! My point? What a BORING world if all layouts (and art) were the same!!
I LOVE fantasy layouts! I LOVE layouts with "things" in them--doors, windows, chairs, etc etc and wish I would see more kits with this stuff in them. I love to make scenes out of my layouts. I love to fill my layouts up. I was the same way when I paper scrapped. I would fill every inch of that space! But that's ME, and I am not you, but I respect and admire what you do. So what does it matter what way the trend goes? When the white space goes by the wayside and a new trend emerges, I will be just as excited and admire it just as much. Because remember "Art (and scrapbooking) is in the eye of the beholder" and "Variety is the spice of life"!! :o)
(Humbly crawling down off my soap box.)

[robyn]

Nancy,
There is no need to humbly crawl down from your soap box! That's what this thread is all about............different opinions and different points of view. I think we are all pretty much in agreement that variety IS the spice of life!

[cats4jan]

Another look at this issue?

Sometimes, we need to create layouts from small photos because the photo itself is small and cannot be enlarged without making it pixelly.

Necessity, the mother of invention - is that what's responsible for the white space layouts trend??

You decide. ;)

[Digidonna]

Variety is the spice of life. I love to see all the different styles in digi scrapping. I think there is a time and place for all of them. I like to try different layout styles. I love templates because they give me ideas that I probably would not have thought of. I love to see a wonderful photo with wonderful journaling however it is presented.

[SimplyKellyDesigns]

Hi everyone! This is my second post at DDD (first post was my intro). I have been paper scrapping for 7 years but only been doing digital since January. The fantasy layouts are not my style (but then again I never thought I would go digital). Pictures are the focus of my layouts so I find white space layouts that showcase the pictures are pleasing.I think one reason that white space layouts are popular is because they are simpler and take less time to create. The first thing I do when creating a layout is select the photos I want to use and that dictates the design.

[Greenfingers]

The thread starter contains some interesting points. My take on it is that I scrap in two different ways, depending on the reason for scrapping.
First: Scrapping to create an attractive "memory" page which enhances the photo(s). I would expect the photo would be of a reasonable size and journalling would be added to fix the details in a moment in time. These pages would be ones I actually print out for the family.
Second: Sometimes I see a challenge on a scrapping site and I am prompted to enter because it involves an interesting technique or style or uses a colour outside my favourite palette. OK I have to admit also, that it could be that a juicy posting bonus carrot has been dangled in front of me. Here, photo size is not so important as I'm just learning, having fun and maybe even being creative. I rarely print out such pages, but keep them in their digital form.

[Andrea]

I sure did miss this... Love all the comments and members thoughts on the way you scrap. As most of you know Michael and I do not have children, we have a mini schnauzer Sadie aka Baby Girl. Any children that I scrap are "borrowed" co workers. I scrap just for pleasure... my first love like Lella's is photography. I do very little printing unless I make something for others... so with that in mind, I have a difficult time with "white space"... please don't get me wrong, some of the LO's I have seen are beautiful and very well done. I get very confused when I see a page that has large clusters and busy background and then a small photo of a baby or child. My eyes just don't know where to go to first....The pages here in the galleries are gorgeous and very tastefully done... Just my opionion....

[KathyJ]

This topic of "white space layouts" is very interesting. At times, I feel the term though may be misleading as used in the scrapping world and perhaps those layouts with a tiny photo and a few elements clustered around it should be called a "minimalist layout". :)

White space is a necessary element of good graphic design and I have yet to see a layout in the gallery here that does not utilize "white space" in it. I came across this article .... Whitespace: The Underutilized Design Element (http://webdesignledger.com/tips/whitespace-the-underutilized-design-element) which is a good explanation of the term.

As far as what I like .... it varies. I am a firm believer in "variety is the spice of life".

[Ellen]

I think it depends a lot of why you are digiscrapping .
my main reason is firstly for fun . I like to do challenges, try out new techniques and regard trends as a learning curve.
I love white spaces, ( like I like an unclutterd mind) I love fantasy layouts .
When I scrap for say a family album for future generations I will be using a different approach, will do more journaling , concentrate more on the photo

I still call it scrapbooking even if you don't use photos or don't journal about events, for me it's a creative expression.

[Traci]

This is a wonderful discussion! For what it is worth, here is my tuppence....(with a bow to Karen...the other one :D).

I tend to scrap to the audience. Family pages include photos and journaling because that is what is intersting to them. Forget the artsy-fartsy stuff :rofl2:. But if I'm doing something for a challenge for for myself or for a fellow designer, then I am far more likely to do something involving a particular technique...the use of lots of negative space being one. But no matter the technique, my emphasis remains on two things....the photo and the story. I have made pages without any photos at all because I had a story and no photo. And those are the most challenging to me....and maybe the most fun. Maybe I should amend this to say that the most important thing to me is the story...be it through photos or journaling. The papers and elements are a part of that story, I think....and support it. So that leaves room for fantasy or reality....or just about anything else.

[coppercurls]

Just found this thread. most interesting. I'll do a lot of different types of scrapping. But I have 'saved' LOs from different sites over the years that caught my attention for some reason or other. I used to copy a lot of 'white space' LOs for my stash, but after awhile they all started to look the same. I've noticed now, what I 'save' are interesting things I want to try.
As far as fantasy goes, most are way out there. I've done some subtle fantasy, just enough to make it cute. I do like white space and I've spent HOURS on some LOs and others a few minutes. I like the funky artsy stuff too, but seem to have a hard time doing it.

[pssequimages]

Since Euclid (and geometry), and early artists, the "golden ratio" has addressed the use of white space in a composition. Here is a link to a pretty academic article (http://www.jimloy.com/geometry/golden.htm) about it, and here (http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/EMT668/EMAT6680.2000/Obara/Emat6690/Golden%20Ratio/golden.html).
But for us if we recognize that the lower left (or lower right) areas of the composition are the most powerful, and plan the focus of a layout to direct the eye there. One thing that I am seeing that is trendy now is center weighted scrapping, and it can be very pretty with effective use of white space around the edges. You need to be sure that with ANY of these your IMAGE is the focus--and the final "eyestop" when someone views your work. I'm see sometimes that these templates, or pages call more attention to the elements of the page than the primary reason for creating it--the photograph! (UNLESS, of course, you are doing the artwork, and want the artwork to be the focus)

Here's one golden ratio (white space example) -on my blog (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RdEjIW5OZ40/TGldki1YLgI/AAAAAAAACVE/bg4pAn22CCY/s1600/Illovetolaugh.jpg) This technically isn't white space, because it is framed and bordered, and it isn't white, but it IS "negative" space, and negative space is dramatic. And Here's one (http://www.sbelements.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=41897&ppuser=2202)with negative space defining a photo across the middle of a page. White space, technically is white and void of any texturing or detail.

[Traci]

Priss....most thought provoking. Thank you so much for posting this...and for the links to the articles. And your illustrations from your blog are (of course) perfection!

[pssequimages]

And another thought to piggyback on the statement I made (above) that your photo is the focus of your layout --unless the artwork is! Just a note that if you are on a designer CT, your focus should NOT be on the photo, but rather how versatile and perfectly you can match it to the theme and feeling of the designer's kit you are promoting for her as one of her helpers. I had left that important point out--and thought it was important enough to post a new comment, rather than editing the other one.

[Catherine]

This is a great discussion. Current trends in scrapbooking are wonderful and so varied. We're all different and what appeals to one doesn't appeal to others, and this is great - if it wasn't like this we just wouldn't get the huge variety of styles that we are seeing today.

I love 'white space' when it's used well. For me the first point of consideration is the photograph and then the page, the elements and the journaling tell the rest of the story. I don't like when the style overwhelms the photograph. And although I love the white space style, I felt a bit let down when I opened a new scrapbook kit sometime last year (not from here I must add!) to find that one of the pages was, well, white. No texture, no creases, no spots, nothing. I really thought it was a mistake and queried it, but was told that the page was indeed correct, just a 12 x 12 document filled with white.

Before I discovered scrapbooking I did quite a lot of 'fantasy style' collage with my grandchildren's pictures. I remember when I placed my little grandson and Santa in a fantasy winter setting, he looked at it thoughtfully and said "I don't remember being there grandma..." :) I love the fantasy styles that we're seeing in scrapbooking today and I should to make the time to do some layouts like them!!

And I have to admit that I'm in complete awe of what CT members can produce with a kit! It's not the kit preview that sells a kit to me, it's the layouts that have been produced with it. And I think that a huge amount of credit has to go to the industry's Creative Teams for creating the variety of styles in scrapbooking that we're now seeing.

I think what we're experiencing in the scrapbooking industry is an exciting new expression of art that everyone can participate in. I've heard so many people in the past sadly say that they wished they were artistic. These same people are now creating scrapbook pages or making absolutely beautiful cards.

Long live the art of scrapbooking!

[jandy]

Another look at this issue?

Sometimes, we need to create layouts from small photos because the photo itself is small and cannot be enlarged without making it pixelly.

Necessity, the mother of invention - is that what's responsible for the white space layouts trend??

You decide. ;)


I've come in late on this discussion - been missing in action lately - and I so agree with your comment Jan. More and more my family use their mobile phones to take photos and then hand them on to me to put in the family album. They just don't stand up to being enlarged so space happens!

I have a cheapskate reason for often leaving backgrounds white as well - I do print off all my album pages (3 copies usually, mine and one each for the kids) and white means no ink on those parts of the pages! :)

[Karen]

I'm with you Jan. When I print pages, I don't print the background paper because it is just an ink sponge!!

Karen

[Tailz61]

I'm in late too Jan but I'm with you and Karen re printing and ink...I don't print my pages at all simply due to the ink aspect and then where am I going to put them too...I did print a few out for my mum awhile back I did an album of her old wedding pics for her birthday but that was the exception to the rule. I love to use fantasy pics in my LO but I don't tend to do the full fantasy kinda layout but I love them. I love too see variety in the pages created. I find fantasy and other images great for challenges and I like big pics so that I can see them but I can understand the reason for little ones maybe due to mobile phone pics....I like clusters...they look gorgeous if done well and they look nice on a plain background...funny though one person finds or creates something different and then everyone copies and you see page after page that looks the same and it all gets a little boring when looking at galleries :)....after all variety is the spice of life :)

[jandy]

.<<< I don't print my pages at all simply due to the ink aspect and then where am I going to put them too......>>>

I solved the 'where to put' problem by making my pages A4 (our default letter page size in Oz), printing on photo quality paper and then storing them in good quality 4 ring files in best quality plastic sleeves. The pages hang straight thanks to the 4 rings. These become our family albums - sort of a visual diary for the family. Its an affordable option and easy to add pages where ever in the order.

The white background helps unite the pages too although I really should be more disciplined with fonts! :D

When I do artistic pages (12x12) they rarely get printed and if they do it is at 8x8 so I can print at home and then put into albums.

[cats4jan]

The white background helps unite the pages too although I really should be more disciplined with fonts! :D

Please don't get disciplined. There are so many wonderful fonts available. I don't think a scrapbook looks "messy" or anything - when you use many different fonts throughout it.

[Traci]

I solved the 'where to put' problem by making my pages A4 (our default letter page size in Oz), printing on photo quality paper and then storing them in good quality 4 ring files in best quality plastic sleeves. The pages hang straight thanks to the 4 rings. These become our family albums - sort of a visual diary for the family. Its an affordable option and easy to add pages where ever in the order.

The white background helps unite the pages too although I really should be more disciplined with fonts! :D

When I do artistic pages (12x12) they rarely get printed and if they do it is at 8x8 so I can print at home and then put into albums.

Please don't get disciplined. There are so many wonderful fonts available. I don't think a scrapbook looks "messy" or anything - when you use many different fonts throughout it.

Jandy...I do the same...either regular "page" size (A4 or 8 1/2x11) or 8x8 in a ringed album. When I do a special album, I'll do 12x12...but that is rare, since I have to send out for printing on these and they quickly get very pricy. I think I really only print out perhaps 1/4 of what I create. The joy is in the creation...and they can be shared digitally....and printed at the other end! choice2

Janice....spoken like a true font junky! And a woman after my own heart! I have an ongoing love affair with fonts...and there certainly other ways to unify an album...colors and elements and repeating themes....fonts were meant to play with! :D

[7hump3r]

In late... Whoops.. My bad teehee...

My thought on white space, I didn't like it to begin with, Not because I thought it was plain, but because I used to have a lot of trouble doing it... I felt like I was going against my grain... Then, Mum challenged me, and Viola! I made a fairly White space-ish layout no-pro-blamo... And I loved it!

I really think it depends on the kind of layout you want to portray, do you wan the picture to tell the story? Or do you want words and elements to help tell the story?

I've always thought of it like this.

-What do I want to portray with the layout?

-Do I want the photo to tell the story? Or do I want words and other pictures to help tell the story?

and so on and so forth.. Eventually the layout comes to be, and I'll let you in on a secret.. ANY of my layouts that I don't like myself NEVER get posted, they just stay on my hard drive until I can say comfortably that I like them, The exception to that rule is Challenge layouts, because I am working outside my normal comfort zone most of the time, So therefore it would hardly be fair if everyone else is stepping outside their comfort zones and posting, and I don't.

For me it's not about making it pleasing to everyone else's eye's (exception here would be CT's of course, as their main job is to advertise the layout), The layout has to please my eye's.. there's no real right or wrong way to do things, when it comes to scrapbooking we are all taking something personal and sharing it.. Other's may not like it, other's will love it and lift from it, but all that really has to matter is that you love it, because that layout is yours.

I love seeing other peoples works, whether it be photo's, layouts, drawing, art's and crafts of all sorts, Hey! I even love seeing people make computers look impressive, and car's look fancy, Houses that look like a fairytale and clothes that belong on a runway or some fancy designer name store!

People sharing their "works" is a amazing thing, I never want to abuse that, EVER. I'll offer a person critique if they ask for it, A outsider's Point of View if needed and a helping hand where I can. Art is a huge thing in my life, and it's forever changing, evolving and expanding, I like growing with it, I'll still have my "style" with me, but I also plan on developing it so that it truly is my own.

These days there are so many ways to do things, and I applaud those who step outside their comfort zone each time and accept those challenges, I offer my hand to those who are scared, or unsure. Trends will come and go, and come and go again.. They get recycled, re used and re created, We've just gotta decide whether we want to stick to what we know or branch out, little by little until we've warmed up to doing outside our comfort zone.


*dashes back to corner* Okie dokie.. I've finished my drabbling!

[sandy]

Wonderful analogy Nikki!smilie-love029

[7hump3r]

Thank you Sandy :) smilie-love029

[Traci]

For me it's not about making it pleasing to everyone else's eye's (exception here would be CT's of course, as their main job is to advertise the layout), The layout has to please my eye's.. there's no real right or wrong way to do things, when it comes to scrapbooking we are all taking something personal and sharing it.. Other's may not like it, other's will love it and lift from it, but all that really has to matter is that you love it, because that layout is yours.

*dashes back to corner* Okie dokie.. I've finished my drabbling!

Nikki...this is the part of your comment that cuts to the heart of all artistic endeavors! It has to please the eye and make the heart happy. THAT, my dear, is what my art is all about! And YOU get it....you most assuredly GET it!smilie-love029

[7hump3r]

Nikki...this is the part of your comment that cuts to the heart of all artistic endeavors! It has to please the eye and make the heart happy. THAT, my dear, is what my art is all about! And YOU get it....you most assuredly GET it!smilie-love029

smilie-love029 Nawww thank you hun! Means a LOT :)