Anyone willing to help please?

[mommyofphoenix07]

I get the programs and technniques fine...but I feel like I'm missing something when I scrap? Something just...doesn't fit in for me? If you see my pitiful gallery you'll understand. I feel like my stuff misses a target somehow.

Anyone up to give pointers on how to make my work...scrappier I guess?

I want badly to get scraps, but...it just seems off for me. It's either too plain or ends up too collage-y.

Is there some scrap secret I'm missing?

[ColleenSwerb]

The only secret is do whatever makes you happy!

[Misty Cato]

There is nothing wrong with your gallery. It looks great. Take a look at your pages and ask yourself if you've captured moment, documented a memory or shared your experiences. If the answer is yes - it is a successful page. Don't ever let techniques and trends get in the way of that. You should see some of my first pages - totally amateur and cheesy by today's standards, but they were my first attempts as a new mom to capture my love for my baby. There is something sweet in the attempt and I refuse to redo them. You pages are a treasure because of who you are and the love you have for you family.

Now if you need inspiration or your creativity bug wants a challenge - that's fine too. I can tell from your gallery you are experimenting with different styles. That's probably a good place to start. Browse the gallery, scraplift the styles you like, try some of the challenges. If there is particular technique you want to learn you could search out a tutorial (of let me know, maybe I can find one or write one). Most of all enjoy the journey.

[kscwgirl]

Originally Posted by Misty Cato

There is nothing wrong with your gallery. It looks great. Take a look at your pages and ask yourself if you've captured moment, documented a memory or shared your experiences. If the answer is yes - it is a successful page. Don't ever let techniques and trends get in the way of that. You should see some of my first pages - totally amateur and cheesy by today's standards, but they were my first attempts as a new mom to capture my love for my baby. There is something sweet in the attempt and I refuse to redo them. You pages are a treasure because of who you are and the love you have for you family.

Now if you need inspiration or your creativity bug wants a challenge - that's fine too. I can tell from your gallery you are experimenting with different styles. That's probably a good place to start. Browse the gallery, scraplift the styles you like, try some of the challenges. If there is particular technique you want to learn you could search out a tutorial (of let me know, maybe I can find one or write one). Most of all enjoy the journey.

Word. Misty rocks my world.

[Paula]

I would second what Col says. I do what I like and what I think looks good.

What matters is that you're getting your family memories scrapped.

[lizzyfizzy]

oh my gosh. your silly first of all.

i'd say (since being only 3 months into this myslef) to just dive into the challenges and lift people to get ideas going.

everyone has different opinions of what they like and dislike. there is no wrong in art.

keep going and you'll find your niche. i hope i do soon, too.

[lizzyfizzy]

misty your comment was brillant...so true!!!

[LeeAndra]

I looked at your gallery, and nothing jumps to mind as 'missing' from your pages.

I've had that feeling before, though, in my own work, and something I've tried is really examining and looking over other scrappers' designs that really speak to me. I try to figure out what it is that makes me think that this is a good page. The design? The colors? The journaling? The photos?

Whatever 'it' is that you find yourself drawn to, begin to work that into your own pages. If it's journaling, tell more stories. If it's photography, begin to study how to take better photos. If it's design or color, do a couple scraplifts of those designers whose work you love.

[scrapperjade]

I agree with others that I don't see anything missing from your layouts!

Advice from me as a person who has struggled with the same feeling:
1) Don't compare to others - you will have YOUR own style and others will have theirs.
2) You will get there. Eventually. Honestly, I've been digi scrapping for 4 years this summer and I JUST got into loving my pages. After 4 years!!
3) Experiment with different styles. Go minimalistic, go collage-y, go somewhere in between... pretty soon you will realize which one is more pleasing to you.
4) Scraplift someone's work you love. Or do the Cookie challenges, where you use a template. I found my niche by using templates. I just couldn't get my pages to look good, so I started using Bree's templates. Now I go crazy & LOVE my pages I make!

[Amber1279]

one other thing may be to experiment with templates ... there are lots of different kinds for different scrapping styles. Using templates really helped me #1 scrap faster
#2 develope a better "design" sense
#3 find "my" style

[mommyofphoenix07]

You know, I think the reason I've never felt comfortable scraplifting (not saying AT ALL that I have a problem with it myself) is that I used to be a MySpace "tagger" before I started designing signatures, had one of those sites (I'd say in 06?) and a BIG thing for them was "Ohhh you STOLE my idea!" So I've always been so afraid that someone would be secretly offended or go all drama on me! It's like MySpace conditioned me. I can honestly say, since joining this board I've completely strayed from MySpace altogether and have even developed almost a hatred for it. It's all sooooo petty. But...yea...I have been terrified to scraplift even though there are some LOs I fall in love with because I feel like...OMG I SO get what that means! (There's one on Flerg's blog with her new Evilicious kit...and it says something to the effect of him being sweet but he surely can ROAR...that's my son to a T!) I love everything about it. I love that it's green, and the meaning she proposed on it, and just all of it, but I feel like, can't touch it! I'll get my hand slapped!

[ColleenSwerb]

Originally Posted by mommyofphoenix07

You know, I think the reason I've never felt comfortable scraplifting (not saying AT ALL that I have a problem with it myself) is that I used to be a MySpace "tagger" before I started designing signatures, had one of those sites (I'd say in 06?) and a BIG thing for them was "Ohhh you STOLE my idea!" So I've always been so afraid that someone would be secretly offended or go all drama on me! It's like MySpace conditioned me. I can honestly say, since joining this board I've completely strayed from MySpace altogether and have even developed almost a hatred for it. It's all sooooo petty. But...yea...I have been terrified to scraplift even though there are some LOs I fall in love with because I feel like...OMG I SO get what that means! (There's one on Flerg's blog with her new Evilicious kit...and it says something to the effect of him being sweet but he surely can ROAR...that's my son to a T!) I love everything about it. I love that it's green, and the meaning she proposed on it, and just all of it, but I feel like, can't touch it! I'll get my hand slapped!

Oh get yourself out of that mindset girl! Scraplifting is sometimes all my fried brain can handle!

Take a piece of the LO of 2 pieces of it, and change it and make it your own. You like the title? USE IT! Just give credit to that LO in your credits and it's all good!

PS~I still love myspace, but it's SOOOOOOOOOOO petty sometimes, LOL!

[rochelle789]

I know what you're saying because I felt that way in the beginning too. Just keep going. Your style will evolve and you'll find one that suits you. I've been doing this awhile now and I still don't feel like I have it. I use templates whenever they're posted for challenges or on blogs. They really help. And yes, do some lifts. It's totally okay! The people you lift will be flattered.

Have fun!

[stayawake]

a really good exercise when trying to define your own style is to go through the gallery here (or at a few different sites to get a broad range of styles) and just put everything you ADORE into your favourites list. Do that for a week or so. At the end of this time, go through your favourites list and keep only maybe your top 20. Then decide from looking at those - what is it that you like about them so much? do they have anything in common? a common style? designers? use of elements? clustering? simplicity? Then try scraplifting a handful of those (and the people who made them will be HONOURED you scraplifted them - give credit of course).

My gallery isn't much to speak of either... but I always find I like the result better when I had something I wanted to communicate with the layout in mind and was successful at communicating that (a feeling, emotion, a story, etc.) and I'm slowing learning some design principles that make me happier with the finished product.

some of these things I'm learning (and others might disagree here....)
1) triangles are visually appealing - three major focal points in your layout are better than two or four. These can be a photo and two flashy elements, etc.
2) don't be afraid of white space - it's powerful, and don't be afraid to have elements, photos, journalling pieces, etc. 'touch'. Overlaping them and clustering them together is often visually appealing.
3) make what you do look like it was done on 'purpose'. So if using 'white space - large blank areas on your layout' make them BIG, otherwise it looks like something is missing.
4) contrast is important - two different alphas together should be very different, use lots of contrats of colours, textures (like sticker elements with felt ones, buttons and fabric, paper and flowers).

I like your gallery a lot - you've tried some really bold things! You'll be happier with your results after some practice!

[mommyofphoenix07]

Thhhhat is an awesome idea! Thanksa bunch! I loved all the advice, but the idea to use favorites and list making. Maybe because I like listing and narrowing lists to essentials.

Originally Posted by stayawake

a really good exercise when trying to define your own style is to go through the gallery here (or at a few different sites to get a broad range of styles) and just put everything you ADORE into your favourites list. Do that for a week or so. At the end of this time, go through your favourites list and keep only maybe your top 20. Then decide from looking at those - what is it that you like about them so much? do they have anything in common? a common style? designers? use of elements? clustering? simplicity? Then try scraplifting a handful of those (and the people who made them will be HONOURED you scraplifted them - give credit of course).

My gallery isn't much to speak of either... but I always find I like the result better when I had something I wanted to communicate with the layout in mind and was successful at communicating that (a feeling, emotion, a story, etc.) and I'm slowing learning some design principles that make me happier with the finished product.

some of these things I'm learning (and others might disagree here....)
1) triangles are visually appealing - three major focal points in your layout are better than two or four. These can be a photo and two flashy elements, etc.
2) don't be afraid of white space - it's powerful, and don't be afraid to have elements, photos, journalling pieces, etc. 'touch'. Overlaping them and clustering them together is often visually appealing.
3) make what you do look like it was done on 'purpose'. So if using 'white space - large blank areas on your layout' make them BIG, otherwise it looks like something is missing.
4) contrast is important - two different alphas together should be very different, use lots of contrats of colours, textures (like sticker elements with felt ones, buttons and fabric, paper and flowers).

I like your gallery a lot - you've tried some really bold things! You'll be happier with your results after some practice!

[tlcaudle]

Your gallery looks great!! I have had that feeling myself at times. Sometimes, I feel I am not creative enough to have that WOW factor, but since I have been doing some lifting and finding inspiration in the challenges, I definitely feel my LO's are getting up there, I am just having fun and capturing memories and that is what is most important,

[wvasweetness]

Originally Posted by mommyofphoenix07

But...yea...I have been terrified to scraplift even though there are some LOs I fall in love with because I feel like...OMG I SO get what that means! (There's one on Flerg's blog with her new Evilicious kit...and it says something to the effect of him being sweet but he surely can ROAR...that's my son to a T!) I love everything about it. I love that it's green, and the meaning she proposed on it, and just all of it, but I feel like, can't touch it! I'll get my hand slapped!

I think that, if anything, (as long as you give credit, of course) - most anyone would be THRILLED for you to lift one of their pages!

Getting inspiration from other people, and lifting LOs - or pieces of LOs (like the current Neapolitan Challenge) - is a great way to get a feel for the whole thing.

I felt the same way that you do about something being "missing" when I first started scrapping. I also obsessed over my LOs - and every little detail! - and was missing the whole point of it - to scrap my memories, and to have FUN doing it!

[MelissaL88]

I think we've all been there. I could show you some of my earliest LO's - they make me cringe LOL! BUT, my family loves them and that is what matter the most to me. Even now, I sometimes have a LO that just doesn't match the vision I had in my mind. If it bothers me enough, eventually I go back and rescrap the photos.

What do I do? I read a lot of paper scrapping magazines - I'm addicted It's a disease! Since I was {sort of} a paper scrapper in the beginning, that is where my heart lies. I tear pages out and mark them up with cool ideas or techniques that I want to try. I also did/do a lot of lifting. Sometimes, I have just completely copied someone's LO, but then not posted it online. My family could care less if it's an "original" idea or a scrap-lifted one....they are just happy to see the photos and stories on paper. If you lift make sure you give credit to the original LO.

Another option is to get some templates - that takes the design part out of the equation and just leaves the color/pattern selection in your hands. Bree has great templates based on the Treat of the Month or there are other designers who create templates.

Last fall I read Ali Edwards' Life Artist book and it really changed my outlook on scrapping. I am ALL OVER the journaling now. And, IMHO, I love my layouts so much more now that I've started including lots & lots of journaling on my pages.

Anyway, all this rambling is just to tell you that you just need to stick with it! Scrap as much as humanly possible. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Scour the galleries/magazines/books for inspiration. And when it hits, there will be no stopping you!

[MelissaL88]

OK...it seems that while I was writing my dissertation, several others posted the same thoughts as me LOl!

[meems]

It's like with anything, the more you do, the more you learn, the better you get.

Have you printed out any of your pages? I would suggest doing that to get a feel of how they look in real life and that can give you a different perspective and feel for what you think works for you. Plus it's awesome to see your work off the screen.

[MelissaL88]

What Mimi said! That was a real eye-opener for me. It gave me a much better sense of proportion after printing at 12x12

[breakingbrie]

I still feel incredibly intimidated by some of the gorgeous work these ladies do! I'm fairly new, and I've still been trying to find my groove. One of the things that is helping me along are the challenges. The Cookie Decorating - https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/c...splay.php?f=16 and the Paper 2 Digi https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/c...splay.php?f=42 are my faves. They always have awesome templates in the cookie decorating, and that helps me get my lo just where I want it to be(lol, I'm always worried I'm adding too little and it looks plain, or that I add too much and go overboard). That's an awesome place to start! Also, I love the paper 2 digi, they always pick beautiful galleries, and there you have a shot to lift some gorgeous layouts you might not have come across otherwise!

[newfiemountiewife]

I feel this way occasionally, when I am out of mojo, get rejected from a team I tried for, or when a LO I really love, no one else loves.

But to be honest, I have made better pages, when I try to put my emotion into it, rather than just cranking it out, if that makes sense? I want the page to capture how I feel, or how the subject of the LO felt at the time. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but I like the pages I've done that are more that way, than any of the others I've made.

You have to do what makes you happy, like Col said, and also like Misty said, experiment with different styles to find yourself. That's what I've done, and since I've found that no matter what I try, I can't "do" extractions or grungy stuff well, thus NOT trying to use that stuff, I've been more at peace with my scrapping for what it is.