Why do you AJ????

Aww, thanks for that Erin! I think I see all these creative full color backgrounds and especially the ones with the ladies/girls/faces ... and I 'm like WOW. I do not know how to get those faces/ladies/girls on my pages. Plus the creativity with the quotes and the humor. My mind just does not work that way ... but when I see all of you do it ... I resonate with it. Like for example: the 3rd one you posted in your OP.

Anyway ... I am just so glad you all are here bc I love to see what all of you will create next ...

and @Sokee Your page is gorgeous! Kudos for jumping in and doing it. You are inspiring!

 

I can create quirky pages but I'm terrible with those humour quotes .. maybe I just don't have a funny bone !! LOL

 

Kiss!

 

@mimisgirl I hope I'm not too late, just dealing with jet-lag now after 2+ week trip to Poland...

I started digital scrapbooking in 2006, strictly doing vintage layouts. I had inherited bunches of old photos, made books for my mom's side of the family, shared layouts with my dad's side of the family, then I started working on my DH's family, but I went with him and his siblings, a bit more current than the 1800's and early 1900's. Then in 2012, my brother-in-law passed away at 50, and I had given him a layout for his 50th birthday just a few months before, of him as a baby. The entire family mourned for Matt, but we couldn't bring him back. I couldn't face doing another layout of my DH's siblings.

Along came art journaling. I dabbled a bit with it, found out that I had a decent eye for color & composition. Rather than creating vintage pages with a purpose of sharing, I began creating pages just for me. I could be free, I could be innovative, I could have fun, because these were mine, and I didn't have to share. I journaled about spraining my foot while sitting in my office at work, I journaled about being sick, I journaled about beautiful days, I journaled about my MIL driving me to tears. And then, I joined the AJC with Tangie and I haven't looked back. These days it is hard for me to compose a layout with photos, when photos used to be my primary focus.

Even if I don't pour out my heart and soul into a particular page (with journaling) I enjoy the process so much, the stress of the day dissolves, minutes turn into hours and I'm still at my PC having a blast. AJ is the best medicine for whatever ails you.

 

I wouldn't say that I create what would traditionally be called AJ but I have my own kind of hybrid style. I've never been comfortable with journaling and have been working on storytelling and getting more information on my page so AJ helps me with that. I can convey emotion through the photo and products, not just the journaling. Plus it fuels my creativity, my artsy side.

 

So, I do this for lots of different reasons, at different times. But lately -- I've been "triggered", which I didn't even know I could be. I've tried to art journal about it, but it doesn't seem to be working. I don't want this to be cute, or funny -- I want it to be scary. Why isn't it? It just isn't helping. Usually it helps.

 

Whoa! Thinking about this ...

 

for me, It is tons of blending and I love some of the first things I did here that I considered AJ.. That was the skinny s!!
@AnneofAlamo had me hooked with that! Here are a few of mine that I loved making

for Therapy after my Dad died:




For Fun and expression:




Feelings of missing friends:


For Memories:


Storytelling:


Expressing my life story:




Making a statement:




to quote:


















Enjoyment:












Reminders:




Art















For others

 

Wow! Wonder how I missed all of this inspiration! Wonderful Work!

I think that I like to play with colors and quotes. AJ is the best means for doing that. If I tried mixing colors and blending or stamping in real life I would end up with a brown mess. Here the colors stay true and I can make them more intense or less intense if I like.

A few of my favorites are: