Making Memories

What makes you HAPPY?

The new Noteworthy line definitely makes me happy!

 

Traveling and photography also make me happy... So, I decided to create a page centered around the word "happy."

I recently took a trip to Chicago to attend a photography workshop put on by the fabulous Audrey Woulard. It was a blast and I had so much fun just shooting pictures out on the streets of the city. My new friend and fabulous photographer, Shannon, took this photo of me and I thought it went perfectly with my theme.

My challenge to you is to find a photo of you (or have someone take one) and create a page about something that makes you happy. I know that we all have about a million different things that make us happy so it shouldn't be hard to get started. Then, pick some supplies that also make you happy and just have fun! I hope you enjoy creating your page as much as I did!

Maggie

The Best Prizes Come in Little Packages

Babies, babies everywhere! Must be something in the water. This month, we're welcoming the newest tiny member to the Making Memories family. Jodi Holbrook, our Channel Marketing Manager, is the proud momma of a brand new, beautiful baby boy named Carson.

Help us get Jodi and her boy off to a great start by sending her your single favorite parenting tip. Post your tip on our blog and on Friday April 11, we'll select two respondents at random to receive a huge bundle of their own to love: the complete Animal Crackers Program.

 

How Do You Get Inspiration?

We asked some of our page designers how they get inspiration and this is what we found out.

Christy Tomlinson said, "I love to look through home decor  books to find inspiration. Patterns inspire me more than anything when scrapbooking, so looking through home decor magazines, books, even online at the latest prints and color schemes, often gets me out of a rut and gets my creative juices flowing. Fashion is also a great place to find inspirations for color."

 

Laura Vegas said, "What is one thing that I do to find inspiration when I am not feeling very creative? I turn to organizing my scrapbook supplies! I'm a very big organizer and like have everything in its place. But sometimes it can be fun to find new places for everything. To go through and find the products you don't find inspiring any longer, and pass those along to someone else that can use them. I love to just re-think the way I'm storing my products and see if there's a way to re-arrange things so that the things I find more inspiring are in the best spots to catch my eye. When my studio is newly clean and newly organized, I find that I really want to be in there creating. And it never fails that in the process, I will come across a few products that I completely forgot I had but absolutely have to use right away! Next thing you know, the layouts just start coming together."

Wendy Anderson said, "I think the best way to get inspiration is actually to walk away.  Do something else.  Let creativity come to you in it's own time.  However, this isn't always possible - so when I NEED inspiration, and I need it NOW, I turn to my shelf of magazines.  Not only scrapbooking magazines, but lifestyle magazines, fashion magazines, and even catalogs.  Something is sure to spark an idea - whether it's a color combination, a layout, or an idea for a title or journaling - something will get me started. Another tip I like to use is to start with a card or small accent.  Once I start creating - even if it's with no real purpose or end in mind, ideas start flowing and I'm eventually able to create something I'm really happy with."

Now it's your turn. How do you get inspired?

Jeannie Goes to Australia

Jeannie is one of Making Memories’ teachers. She just got back from Brisbane, Australia attending an event for Joy at Bumble Bee.

I was so excited to be in Australia and see the scrapbooking market booming over there. The people in my classes were fabulous. I loved being with them. On of my favorite memories with Joy and the girls was during their morning and afternoon tea times.  Talk about a fabulous tradition.  They defiantly have fine tuned this tradition. 

I took my sister as my traveling companion so we also spent some time around Brisbane. We took the train down to the gold coast to enjoy a warm 80 degree afternoon. Who wouldn't enjoy that? The beaches and surfers were amazing. We also took a River Cruise to the Lone Pine Sanctuary which was a highlight. We fed Koalas and Kangaroos. A girl from Utah doesn't get that opportunity everyday.

Thank you Joy and the Bumble Bee team. I had a fabulous time!

 

Guest Designer Ali Russell

Today's design challenge comes to us from Australia. Everyone say hi to Ali Russell. Her challenge incorporates something old with something new.

I totally LOVE the new Making Memories' paper lines and matching embellishments. I'm always excited to see what they will come up with next. For today's challenge I want you to use the new papers and embellishments that you are excited about along with your favorite "older" products. Instead of just staying within one product line, mix and match them together.

Both of these pages are a combination of Boho Chic, Noteworthy, and 5th Avenue.

What I love about Making Memories' products is that you can mix and match some of the ranges to create beautiful scrapbook pages and projects. I particularly love the trims that go with each range. Try using some trims and add some hand stitching, it will finish off your page beautifully.

Ali Russell

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Baby Meghan

Being a South African, we lived in Big 5 country all my life. So this new range of baby papers by Making Memories just struck a cord with me. I love the little wild animals and all the beautiful little embellishments! I used pictures of  a friend's baby (little Meghan) and her sister, Ella. They are just the most adorable little girls ever and I loved doing this page!  Note that I "grouped" the embellishments in two spots aimed at bringing the attention back to the pictures... but still leaving the rest of the page "empty". I would love to see your pages with "grouped" embellishment spots... show me! It's a fun way of actually using all those embellishments!

Wilna

Inspiration Everywhere

You know when you are walking in a store and you see a design that literally stops you in your tracks? No? Well, that is how inspiration happens to me. It is either big, big…no light bulb going on for me, it is more like a floodlight! I love, love wonderful design and typography and when I see it, I will typically buy the product. My children still complain of the awful tasting tortilla chips that I used to buy years ago because I loved the design of the package and the sensitive use of typography. The product didn't last but I do believe that I used the package color combination in a couple of design projects.

I also let endorphins bring inspiration to me. I run. I have run for about 20 years and some of my best ideas have come out of nowhere in the middle of my long runs. I am not talking about a two-three mile jog, I am talking about after five or six…I get the best ideas. One time I actually saw a complete design for a poster that I had to do appear before my eyes and it was one of the most successful projects that I have every done.

I do know that whether it is called inspiration or endorphins or just being around design and studying about it for as long as I have, I can rely on my subconscious to let me know deep down inside when something is new and fresh and wonderful and it is a physical sensation that I never tire of.

Gail