Tuesday tutorial with Christin

Christin here and todays topic is how to recover from a scrapblock. The reasons can be multiple, but what matters most is how to recover from it and be happy about the creative process again…  This month to be honest, my block has been caused by making this tutorial…… I have procrastinated it to the very last to come up with a great idea to share with you - so much that I haven’t really been able to scrap anything else….

In a way I am very lucky, deadlines actually helps my creative process, but I know that isn’t the case for most scrappers. I guess it’s a habit I have developed from a couple of years in the business.  Still I have to come up with an idea on what to do, and how to do it..    

When I want to be inspired to scrap I usually start with Pinterest and see if I can find a starting point, I look through different facebook groups for inspiration.  I can make many backgrounds that can be used later. Magazines are good. The Citrus Twist kits site is actually an excellent starting point. Here you find the Sunday sketches,  our 3 to Inspire posts,  moodboards and lots of other projects on the blog from the design team.  Today I decided to find my inspiration from the gallery ands scraplift.   Scraplifting is copying idea or designs from another page to use in your own project.  

This time I used one of my own layouts to scraplift, which I rarely do.  

Here is my own layout from the gallery with the March main kit. 

Here is my new layout with the May main kit and embellishment kit.

 As you see my layout isn’t an exact copy of the inspiration layout, there are lots of ways to be inspired.  You can use the colors from the layout, the background, how the papers are layered.  You can use the theme of the pictures guide you or the just the design of the page.  Scraplifting is also a great way to try a new technique or style. When I made the first layout I went a little out of my usual comfort zone so I am forcing myself to take a little step further.  Your final page may not have to remotely resemble the original project, what is important is that you have created something and your scrapbook mojo may be returning. If your layout is a close copy, and you used the layout more as a sketch, I recommend you to write a little phrase in you blog the name of the layout and the name of the scrapbooker and a link to the original layout is also appreciated.

More about the creative process on this layout.

What I picked up on from my original layout was the small squares, so I started cutting out pieces in two sizes.





I didn't want to use all four squares, but only three, and first I wanted them like this. I testlayered them.




Then I decided to change it up a little.




In the original layout I used watercolors as a layer behind the squares, this times I only dropped colors coordinating with the square.




And again the final layout.


And then a few closeups



Don’t be afraid to look for inspiration in other projects than what you are thinking of doing. There are lots of cards or PL pieces that can make you find your inspiration too. Good luck.