After this morning's workshop, me, The Colonial and Shopkeeper Gal were admiring and critiquing our brand new unused, indeed, unopened Scor-Pal. I swear that girl times the deliveries for when I'm at my most vulnerable. When I'm actually working and therefore feel like I have a right to treat myself! Whilst seven of us had been busy making the Bird cards as promised on the workshop schedule, Shopkeeper Gal was making a commissioned card that featured pink, a really sweet image of a bear with a huge bouquet and some erm, more pink. It was stamped, cut out from a circle die, mounted onto a pink panel and was being threatened with floral embellishment. It was still just a panel though. When asked, she cheerfully admitted that she hadn't yet thought about the actual card that it would finally be mounted to. The Colonial was quite surprised and said that she starts with the card in mind. I do not. I had to think about it though. I work completely the other way around - I start with the image, then the colour, then the paper and mounts; then the card and finally the embellishments, if any. For cards. In scrap booking, I work almost back to front - I usually start with a photo, but very often it's a piece of paper that makes me itch to make a layout...some patterns are just begging to be used! And if I've picked the pattern, I usually follow that with embellishments and details before I've even got the 'sketch' in my head. Weird huh?I've noticed over a couple of WOYWW days that quite a few people do draw together their ingredients before they so much as fold a card; this is admirable to me; I'm completely incapable of deciding in advance what I'll need. Which certainly explains why I have to use a removal van to go to a crop. So, is it me? Am I , after all these years, approaching it wrong? What do you do - and would changing it up a bit make things easier or harder..what do you do - where do you start?
The photos are not relevant - a LO using BG and a lovely 3d title that was part of a gift from a friend. Paige was foolish enough to say I don't post enough of my LOs, so here's the other one! And whoa, is my lounge carpet really that colour? I hope not!
I start with whatever sparks my creativity at the moment. Sometimes it is a photo or paper, sometimes it is a LO I see in a magazine or even a new purchase. With cards I have to have an idea what it is for (birthday, girl or boy, thank you...) before I start.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, I would make a list of the LOs I needed to scrap for the year prior & made myself go in order. It kept me focused, but I didn't have the "artistic" process that I love so much.
Hugs,
Your a lady after my own heart, I always start with the image, then the paper lastly, the embellies! Like Debra, I tend to go with whatever catches my eye first. I am getting back into scrapping again after a six month absence for it and now everything I see, I want to scrap, lol! Havent managed a page yet, watch my space, it may happen! take care hugs Heidi xx
ReplyDeleteWell can't comment on how I approach LOs as I dont really do scrapbooking but have done a couple of little ones and so try to pick paper that goes at least a little with a particular photo. But as for cardmaking I make it up as I go along, sometimes start with an image sometimes with the paper but find that either way it doesn't always work. :-/ I do think it would help to start with all the bits so perhaps, choosing the paper then the embellies to go with that would simplify things.
ReplyDeleteLove the LOs lovely and bright :)
Anne xx
Hi Julia,
ReplyDeleteFirstly i want to say thank you for putting in a good word for us with Carmen. As you can guess I love a challenge so would love to make her the doll she is wanting.
As you will also know i am not really a paper crafter but when I make cards i do tend to make what I put on the front then find the mounts and cards to suit.
A x
Well Julia, you did ask! If I'm card-making I have to have the finished card in my head before I start, but the final product might end up differently to the original idea ;)
ReplyDeleteAs for scrapbooking, I start with the photo(s) I want to scrap and the journaling in my head, then choose papers, embellishments etc afterwards..... which can make it a VERY long process! But isn't that the fun of crafting?
I never know where to start or where to finish :P It sometimes takes Craig to say... ENOUGH! At the mo I've been dithering over a Copy + Paste challenge for a couple of days - spot a piccie on the net tonight and am charging ahead full steam. Don't think I ever really have a plan.
ReplyDeleteIt's so lovely seeing more of your scrapbook pages.
Julia - I work mostly like this too!! Nearly always the image and the colours, then match the papers!! Great scrap pages!! Missed WOYWW this week - dammit!! Juliex
ReplyDeleteJulia - I don't scrap - but all my cards are accidents and happen there and then... I do think of the recipient if it is for someone in particular, think of their favourite colour, hobby or something they love... i think i need to follow more sketches... I must say though that I don't always glue down until i'm happy with where everything is - the embellishments are always an afterthought with me too!
ReplyDeletePaula x x x
p.s. LOVE the frog paper.
I don't have a set way on how I approch a card or scrapbook page or a mini book. Every time is different.
ReplyDeleteI guess that is why it takes me so long to get them done LOL
For scrapbooks, I start with the photo, then I do gather all the bits I thin I'll need together. Eg: all the purple papers that work then find alphas to go with them and then I usually come up with a sketch in my head over a couple of days. I did this a while ago with a Christmas photo, but I hadn't got around to actualy sticking it down. I opened my new issue of Scrapbook Magazine last week to find the exact same piece of die-cut paper with the exact same layout. And now I'll look as if I was scraplifting!
ReplyDeleteMy cards are all made from LO lftovers so they just evolve from what is left on my desk.Nw I've written this comment, I think i'll post the result of my backwards scraplift on my blog!
Oooh, this got me thinking about the way I work. With scrapping I always start with the photo and choose everything to fit it, but with cards I'm all over the place! I like entering challenges as they give me a kickstart on ideas so it could be a colour combo or a theme that's my starting point, but I do try to choose my papers before I colour an image instead of trying to match them up afterwards. Mind you, I still spent absolutely ages rummaging through my stash to find the closest matches of card, ribbon, flowers, etc... sometimes I think I'm way too fussy!
ReplyDeleteNicki, xx
Me too - my card-making is really organic and just "happens", but I'm more organised with scrapping. Then I begin with the photos, and try colours out from that, then look for cardstock, and finally embellishments, after which I re-arrange the elements a lot until I finally decide to stick them down ....
ReplyDeleteHi Julia,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the lovely comments you have been posting on my blog, it means a lot to me :-)
I love reading your blog and your take on life often cheers me up if my day/week is not going as planned!
I don't think I actually have a method. Random luck after eternal rummaging maybe....if that qualifies!
Jane
x
Isn't it great how everyone works in slightly different ways. I've heard of lots of people starting with an image in their head. I don't think I've ever done that and think if I did I'd be sorely disappointed at the end of the process! As for scrapping photo's and their placement first and I never stick until I'm happy with the colour combo's. Love your LO.
ReplyDeleteJulia What an interesting discussion. I don't really scrapbook but cards, boxes and bags-it all depends. Often I just get a bee in my bonnet about a technique, a piece of paper, a colour, or something on the ole t'internet takes my fancy and away I go.As for specials I often have those in mind for a long time and have various ideas swilling around in my head.Sometimes it's a rejection process and I simplify simplify and simplify until what to me seems way too simple suddenly feels right. I love to let beautiful card just sing out without too much on it because shop bought cards are often printed on cream or white fairly tacky card. A bit like sewing and knitting when you spend much more on quality ingredients than a manufacturer.BUT I change from week to week.At the moment I'm a bit fed up with images layered onto papers and am into hand made embellishments but that's what I like about papercrafting-it's not static.Next week the backing papers could be out again. Love BettyXXX PS THink you have gathered from my desk I prefer a mess to craft in-sometimes all that random juxtaposition of stuff creates a wonderful serendipitous moment-Yippee!
ReplyDeleteOne of the first cards with a stamped image of a little girl in a cute dress I ever made took me AGES to finish - I had coloured in the cutest little outfit and then used HOURS to look through all of my papers to find a nice match for the card front. My DH happened to walk by and see me in a pile of patterned papers and asked ever to puzzled - why don't you pick the paper first and then colour the stamp to match. Well - wasn't that a clever way to go about it - and as much as I HATE to admit it - that's what I do now. And I finish everything - but don't glue it down till the last minute as that would ruin all the fun of loosing a stray letter (to find it stuck under your slippers or hiding down your clevage (DONT ASK) and dropping a pearl here and there.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to update your blog for days, and I am finally able to see the new posts and leave a comment. I am having a heck of a time with blogger.
ReplyDeleteBack to this question. I don't scrapbook. I don't print pictures of "family" which is my cat. I do make altered book spreads, and I start with COLOR. No matter what I do, it's all about the color with me. Everything else comes secondary.
Ummmmm..... how did i miss this???? I must be working to many hours ;)
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is a right and a wrong way to approach a card or a layout? i work both ways sometimes starting with the paper, sometimes a photo. I have on occasion gathered a colour scheme of items and just tried to fit it all together. Loving the frog paper!!! my little jack jack would love it!!! what make pleeeeeease???? and it's good to see a layout on your blog :)