Hello! April is here and with the change of the calendar, we have also changed our season. For me, this means spring has sprung and that makes me very happy! I find that my motivation really lags as winter progresses and with the change in the season, I enthusiastically welcome the longer days, warming weather, awakening of the earth, and I find I have much more mojo to be present in my life. I want to take more photos and tell more stories about my daily life, even if it is mundane. There is beauty to be found all around, especially in the details of life and the world, and I want to be creative. So I've created some spring related prompts to help you you document your life in photos and words. I hope you are able to be inspired, be present this spring and enjoy this season! … [Read more...]
How to break the rules right!: Using same-sized photos on multi-photo pages
We all know that there aren't exactly hard and fast rules with scrapbook page design, (it is your page, you can create it however you wish because it is ultimately yours and as long as you are happy with it, that is the main thing), but there are some general principles that over the years I've learnt influence how a page reads and comes across to the viewer, so if there's something that feels slightly off about one of your pages, that you can't quite put your finger on, maybe it's got something to do with these principles, and whether you are following them or breaking them.But we also all know breaking rules isn't always a bad thing especially the creative rules! And as someone that has been a frequent visitor to the gallery for well over a decade now, I'm always drawn to pages that I feel break the unspoken rules and try to understand why they work when really, to me, they … [Read more...]
Call it Luck: inspiration for St. Patty’s Day
Grab your green dye and don't forget the shamrocks. Today is St. Patrick's Day and all over the world people are celebrating in their own ways. I don't call myself superstitious but wearing a bit of green today is a sure bet I won't get pinched. Do you celebrate the holiday of luck? Whether it's your thing or not, I'm here with a bit of inspiration to help you document any type of luck you want with some finds from the gallery and the shop.Who needs luck when you've got beautiful products and photos to scrap?!Maybe you want to make sure you're pinch proof? Grab a shamrock for extra luck.Good luck is finding the perfect photo to compliment the template you chose.It might be serendipity or maybe you just deserve a bit of luck in your life.Or maybe you're just lucky all the time and it shows.Did you find the pot of gold at the end … [Read more...]
SOSN Stash Mash – March 2023
Hi there, if you are a regular visitor to the TLP Blog, you might remember the Monday Mash-up Series from last year, where we looked at strategies to step outside the 'one kit only' scrapping box to increase your confidence in mixing and matching and ability to stretch your stash. (And if you didn't see any of them, you are forgiven LOL and the good news is you can still access them). Anyway, with all those lessons up our sleeves, this year I'm introducing the SOSN Stash Mash!Every Wednesday when TLP Designers put a selection of goodies on sale at half price (here's a link to this week's specials category), I'm reminded of some specific treasures I have in my stash and feel inspired to pull them out from the depths of my harddrive again. And I know now that I can find a few kits among that day's selection that will work perfectly together to tell my stories and support and enhance my … [Read more...]
Cute Kitties and Playful Pups: Pet-Themed Layouts
Hello Friends,My dog Lucas died recently, and if you’ve ever lost a beloved pet, you will know what I mean when I say that I am heartbroken.One of the things that comforts me? Going through 13.5 years of photos, from his puppyhood to his elder years. And another thing that comforts me? Realizing that I have quite a few scrapbook layouts featuring my playful pup.These are mostly everyday, ‘life’s little moments’ layouts, often with little more than a date and a couple of lines of journaling to accompany a cute photo. But those dates and those few lines of journaling are now such a treasure: a running commentary on his life as it was lived, and a future gift to his memory/commemoration.In the next few months, I plan to do an album, with some previously-scrapped layouts, along with a few new ones. And I also plan to treat myself to one or two new pet-themed kits, to … [Read more...]
Thoughtful Thursday : So many words
Hello everyone. One of the very best things about scrapbooking to me is the pairing of photos and words. I know that some people struggle to write on their pages. I imagine that I am speaking over someone's shoulder about the photos they're looking at and then write down what I would have said. I find that when the kids look through the old albums, they linger over the stories. Also I use the opportunity to tell things from my perspective. I have perused the Pollywog gallery and want to highlight some word-rich layouts to inspire you. First up is ArmyGrl, She used the same photo twice, once as her background, making it black and white with a beautiful dreamy feeling, and then in colour as a detail shot. Then she layered some vellum to house her journaling. Adding a layer like this helps make the writing more legible. To add another pop of dimension and interest she added … [Read more...]