What's your worst scrapping skill?
 

Ok, so I've been doing the scraplift challenge for the bingo and I found Loni's stacked papers so cool. While I was using the pen tool to trace them and recreate her design I just came to realize I am sooo bad at stacking paper. I always love stacked paper on layouts but I can't do it on my own. I can't do it without templates or lifts. :huh:
So, I think stacking paper is my WORST scrapping skill. How about you? What do you feel least capable of doing while scrapping?
Any ideas how we could improve? :)

All of it! I never scrapped a nothing before January. I have issues seeing what I want and then it turning into major pintrest fail. I am so happy I figured out how to use template pngs in my app because I would have given up otherwise.

Design skills: level 00
Shadow: level 0.01
Paper layers: level 00
Etc: level 0.02
Heart and drive to learn: level 9.5

We've all been there! Just keep scrapping. :)
What program are you using?

Extractions...PSE is not great for those...or it's just me. haha!

For me, it's skewing. Somehow I always make things look weird.

Clusters! I just can't do they look nice enough as some of the girls are able to do. lol

Original layout design, I rely on templates completely now for my layouts, I'm not sure I could create a layout without one now.

Titles. I always wait until the end and by then I just don't care as much? I never seem to get the sizing right, and sometimes I pick really lame words, usually something like "_______ Fun!" Fill in that blank! So boring, really.

This is me exactly!!

journaling!

Extraction by far. I like the look but am not invested enough to practice it to get better at it. :)

Titles. I hate thinking of them and placing all the alphas to make them. Ugh. So annoying and tedious!

This is also me.

This is me too! Shadows are also a weak spot but I got a good set of shadow styles now, so problem solved. ;)

Combining fonts/alphas to make word art/titles.

I'm using an app Pixel Lab, android options are blah. No affinity, no gimp, no true ps. I stumbled onto this app ans its the only one that does unlimited layers with shadow options. It is unstable at times but I have learned to deal with it.

JOURNALING hands down!

... and me too!

Though, I'm pretty at peace with it. I don't feel strongly that my pages need journaling. I really dislike the act of journaling, lol :D

Exactly ... I prefer to let my photos tell the story :p

I’m not a great at journaling, but I try to put something, even though I hate writing, because I’m realizing more & more how much I’ve been forgetting over the years.

Anelia, for the scraplift challenge (I made a tiff of my layout if you want it---is that cheating?) I made squares and then skewed them to match her angles of her layout. It took a lot of trial and error, trying to get it just perfect. Even with my scraplifted layout--it doesn't even look like the angles of the papers are there, but I promise they are. Message me if you want the tiff of her distorted stacks!!

For me, I struggle with titles. I'm not "creative" enough to come up with catchy phrases or titles. I wish it came easier to me, but it doesn't. So I heavily rely on words or things in the kit for titlework. Sometimes I can get creative. But 8 out of 10 times, it's a no from me!

Another thing I struggle with is blocking. I'm such a cluster-er (how do you even spell that correctly) that I feel like I'm over-doing something that's supposed to be simple. Which leads me to those flat layouts (you know the ones that use stickers, no flowers or anything that really gives a LOT of dimension). I struggle with those as well. Anything simple is mind boggling for me!

I love journaling, which is funny because I hate writing or keeping a diary. But journaling, as long as it's quiet and I can think, I could journal all day long on my layouts! :wub:

Next time use the polygonal lasso tool and just fill with a solid ... 4 clicks (well 5 if you count the fill, lol) and you've got yourself an exact replica!

say what?! You mean there was an easier way?! :blink::unsure::D

:D:D

I like neat and tidy layouts, clean edges (unless I'm blending a photo). I will use the odd stamp or splatter in the background. But the Art Journaling style is a huge weakness. I've tried it several times and failed misserably.

Creating unique layouts. I rely heavily on templates... Ok... I ONLY use templates... lol
And clusters isn't my cup of tea either. Even though I love how they look on others' pages.

I could say titles, but I think my issue is 30% lack of ability to come up with the right words and 70% laziness. Earlier in my scrapping life I put in the time and came up with good titles, but it's no longer worth it to me. Premade word art or a short typed phrase gets it done just as well and in 10% of the time I used to spend.

Artistic pages are my nemesis. I can't make big, beautiful clusters. I don't like scrapping with busy backgrounds (which also rules out art journaling pages). I keep my photos big even when I can tell a page would look better with small photos and more white space. I've made my peace with it; my scrap style is more memory keeper and less digital artist. I'll just keep admiring other scrappers' artistic pages from afar.

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AMEN!

This is me, too. Coming up with a design ruins the fun of scrapping for me, but using a template is like completing a puzzle: I feel so happy when it all comes together in the end!

I am also bad at titles (WHY DO PAGES EVEN NEED A TITLE?? WHO THOUGHT OF THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?!).

I'd like to improve my shadowing ability without having to pay a zillion dollars for a better program.

And all I know about clusters I learned from Cindy, so you'd think I'd be better at doing my own but I'm not.

If it means anything.. I don't think pages need titles :) lol

I agree. All a page really needs is what you want on it. That is the beauty of scrapping, it's all about what you like. :)

I think trying to be creative with my pages doesn't come naturally to me. I'm a very traditional scrapbooker even though I've never paper-scraped. I pushed myself when I got onto Rachel's (Captivated Vision's) CT and made some of my favorite pages while on her team. I admire people who can create amazing pages by putting random pieces onto the layout. I'm looking at you Ru. I'm going to scrap like you when I grow up.

Titles is a big issue for me! I love to use premade word art, it saves me a lot of work! (I dislike opening all the letters of an alpha needed for a title). I'm working on my shadows and clusters. I feel I'm getting better, but there's always room for improvement!

I struggle with paint/splatters/doodle stuff. I don't quite know where they are supposed to go on the page. I usually just kinda stick them behind everything with a little bit peaking out! Yet sometimes that defeats the whole design of the paint/splatter too! Is there a using paint/splatters for dummies tutorial somewhere?

I know, right?! She's amazing! Here she is saying she struggles with clusters, yet I've seen what she clusters in her kits! :glare: She's amazing!! I love seeing when designers scrap!!

Just throw it all on there and it'll look good---except, I learned not to do that on blocked/pocket pages. It doesn't work too nicely with that style.

Wendy, thanks a lot for your willingness to help me out. :wub: I did the paper with the pen tool (4 clicks really). I don't struggle with Photoshop tools or ho-tos. It's just that I'm not good at stacking paper and shaping it on my own (without templates or lifts).
I can see most of the struggles are titles/journaling. I feel you, girls. Same here. I mean, I CAN journal all day long but somehow I want to keep it informative and short enough. However, when I do that, I have the feeling I'm missing something. Titles are the worst - thank God most kits have pretty word arts. :)

Lol!!! Yes!! I actually said this out loud a few days ago. Mine are always cheesy or I cant put them in the right spot.

Titles too. I have no patience to use the Alphas and when I do, it also ends in a very short word. I love when titles are made for me! I am a lazy mess. And shadows. Its very auto for me!

^^^^

yep this....I'm also really useless at the more full pages (I love looking at them and pinning them though)

ooh just remembered my other scrappy challenge......clustering (again love them but cant do them)

I feel like my biggest issue lately is just starting a page. Sometimes just choosing what to scrap, picking out the photos, and finding a template is my biggest challenge. Once I get that done, I'm usually ok and can roll with it. That's my biggest frustration these days!

Yes! My clusters are just not as pretty to look at as some of the ladies in here

I totally agree!! I often don't use a title because I can't think of anything creative. I love when a kit has title word art!

And you know what I JUST figured out today.....you can use that polygonal lasso tool to make a work path for your journaling! :blink:

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/...9Yh1r08e3p.jpg

Before your comment, I would have done it the hard way. But today, I figured out how to do it in just a few clicks. I never knew that about that tool. It's a "new to me" tool! So thank you again!!

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/88/d6...1bd5c03402.jpg

hmm HOW?? I can't figure it out.

Same here. Also journaling.

I don't use the polygon lasso tool but instead the pen tool.
Just trace your desired shape with it and "close" the path. Then select your text tool and hover over the shape you just made and the T symbol will appear with a circle around it. I use it when my clusters are too big. It works with any shape.


I just made a small vid in case lol https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhxeq8_gDF2/


I got the question right e_e right?

That's great you whipped up a video!

I have an old school tutorial from 2011.
https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/t...ext-on-a-path/

The only difference with using the pen tool vs. the lasso tool when making a text path is the lasso tool requires you to convert the selection to a path before you add text. For simple-shaped text paths, I like using the shape tool because you can change the mode to directly make a path vs. a filled shape. There are so many ways to do the same thing in PS!

When I was starting to work on my clusters and get them to look better (it's still a work in progress), I would sometimes create them in a new canvas. I would create a little cluster adding things here and there. I would add shadows and flatten it. Than I would move it onto my layout and place it where I wanted my cluster, and resize it to make it look better. It was easier to work on a cluster off from my page, so I could play with it more. It's something you could try! Than you can also save it with the kit for future uses!

extractions. but I also have zero desire to get better at them as they just aren't my style.