Welcome to all our Write. Click. Scrapbook. friends as well as to our visitors from Ella Publishing. I imagine there are a lot of you that are regular readers to both blogs, right? Guess what? Same thing here, I am a huge fan of both blogs {duh!}. I'm Monika Wright and I am a Design Team member for Write. Click. Scrapbook. as well as Ella Publishing. I know, I know-how lucky is that? I pinch myself quite often wondering how I got so darn lucky.
For those of you participating in the Spring Training 2011 event at Ella Publishing, you already know that from today through May 7th, one of four expert coaches will be have an exclusive video featuring coached training exercises {watch for 10 minutes, "exercise" for 10 minutes}.
Two of those four expert coaches just happen to be Angie Lucas and Wendy Smedley, members of the Write. Click. Scrapbook. team and the scrapbooking superstars behind Ella Publishing. It's just getting better and better, isn't it! Before I introduce today's Spring Training exercise topic, I invite you to pop on over to Ella's blog join your Coach today, Wendy Smedley as she opens up the Craftnasium! Go now, I'll wait!
Welcome back! So today's topic is inspiration. Let's get started!!
INSPIRATION: Embrace Your Signature Style
MONIKA
Summing up my signature style is difficult, as I feel that it's only been in the last six months that I've realized what elements I like working with and have stuck with them. I know for certain, that my "go-to" way to tell our story is by way of mini album, where I include details, stories and experiences in my own handwriting using interesting and unusual journaling spots. I am so much more comfortable telling my story in a small format and I treat each page as a mini work of heart. I like layers, but I like them simple. {How's that for an oxymoron?}
My current crushes include kraft, vintage book pages and sewing and I used those elements to document our 2011 Date Night adventures.
ANGIE
Here's how Ella Publishing Co. Founder, President and CEO Angie Lucas describes her signature style:
Usually multi-photo; fairly linear; colorful; story-based; includes prominent, handwritten journaling; organized; often relies on coordinated product lines.
CELESTE
Celeste Smith describes her signature style in this way:
I would define my style as consistently clean, classic and modern. I tend to use geometric shapes, angular lines, and bold colors. My pages are not overly embellished and always include journaling. I love mixing patterns and colors. As you can see, this page is uncluttered with very few embellishments and uses geometric shapes. The layout feels clean because I left plenty of white space for the eye to rest. I used plenty of patterns and colors here.
KAREN
Karen Grunberg describes her signature style like this:
I don't know that there's a word that you can use to describe my style. If I had to use one word, I would pick "meaningful." I know that "clean" is probably what most others would pick but, for me, the most important part of the layout is the story and a lot of the design choices I make are related to that priority. For example, I tend to favor long titles because it's a great way to summarize the main point of my journaling and I figure that even if you only read my title, you'd still know why I made this page. I also favor multiple, series photos. This, too, is my way of enhancing the story by demonstrating it using sequential photos to give you the feeling of motion. You can almost see the story playing out on my page. And, most obviously, I hand-journal on every page.
Of course, there are other recurring design decisions I make on my pages just because I like them. For example, given the chance, I exclusively use 12x12 white cardstock backgrounds because I love how it makes everything else on my page pop out more. I prefer bright and happy colors. I often put elements on the edges of my layout because I want to draw your eyes back to my focal points. I tend to use a lot of punches and strongly favor butterflies and hearts. And I always use stitching on my layouts partially because it's the best adhesive and partly because I love the texture and imperfection it adds.
Here's a page that's a perfect example of all of the above. It's a white 12x12 background, with 4 sequential photos, a long title, bright colors, hand journaling, butterflies, hearts, embellished edges, and stitching.
AMY
Amy Sorenson has this to say about her signature style:
In one hyphenated phrase, my style can be summed up like this: word-based. For me, the best part of scrapbooking is writing journaling, so my layouts reflect that. All of them have a title and journaling and the majority have some sort of word embellishment as well. I use products (a mix of old with new) and colors as added layers to the story I am trying to tell. My journaling is usually printed so I can fit more words on the layout, and I like to play with the formatting as well.
ELIZABETH
And from Elizabeth Dillow, Write. Click. Scrapbook. co-founder and Ella Publishing eBook author:
+ I love using photographs that capture personality somehow. I love scrapbooking one photo, I love scrapbooking multiple photos--as long as they tell a story somehow, I'm happy.
+ I love art and illustration, and love incorporating little touches of art on my pages.
+ I also love straight lines very much. 98% of my pages are based on straight lines.
+ I love, love patterned paper but never use very much at a time. I can make a single sheet of 12 x 12 paper last for years. I used two of my favorite diminishing pieces on this page--the orange polka-dot (not sure where it came from) and my beloved K&Co Danny O paper, which is my all-time favorite line. It's very arty. And incorporates lots of straight lines. : )
+ My all time favorite rub-ons are the ones I used for the date (they're from Autumn Leaves). I have four sheets of them that I've stretched out for years, and I don't know what I'll do when they're gone, I love them so.
+ When I was teaching a class in Colorado Springs last year, one of the women who attended observed that my pages often contain a "love kiss" to my subject in the form of a little note. I had never thought about it that way, but looking over my pages--she was absolutely right. I almost always direct my journaling to the person I'm scrapbooking about; while I can be very wordy on some pages, I do love that inclusion of a little reflection about my subject. It seems just enough to me--the thing I want most from my pages is to convey how much I love my family and friends--now and in the future.
So you can see that there are as many signature styles out there as there are scrapbookers. Take a moment and see if you can define your own style. Then work to feel confident in how you present your story and scrap a layout today!
WORKOUT REWARD
What would a good workout be without a reward? You have worked hard to define your style and then you went the extra mile by creating a layout incorporating those signature elements. Good for you!! Wipe the sweat from your brow, take a deep breath or two, and head on over to the Ella store and drop this eBook in your cart.
Use the code HAPPYSPRING for $1.00 off the EllaPublishing eBook 20 Simple Secrets of Happy Scrapbookers co-authored by Stacy Julian and Lain Ehmann. Code expires May 15, 2011.
Thank you for joining me for our first day of cross(blog)-training! Have Fun and Scrap On!
