Sunday, July 12, 2009

Thoughts and questions

Many pose questions on their blogs or have profound thoughts … I rarely ask questions and I cannot remember having a profound thought … well not committed to a post! My mood is one of contemplation but on a topic that has probably come up many times before but here goes ……

As I look through galleries, forums and challenge blogs, I have been musing on why people scrap. Is it done for the sake of posterity or is it an expression of the art within us? Is the photo the most important element of the LO or does the photo just enhance the overall effect? As styles change and grow and techniques evolve and become more complex, I feel art is playing a larger part in our LO’s. Should we strive to follow trends and increase the complexity of our work or should we be true to our own style … no matter what that is or how simple it is?

When I come across an amazing LO, that blows my mind, it makes me dissatisfied with my own work, I want to scrap their way but it doesn’t work for me and my mojo totally disappears until I come to terms with my own style and realize that this is me. Am I the only pathetic person out there that thinks like that? … yes … I hear you shout lol

For me the photographs are of prime importance and I hope they are seen at the same time as the page, or maybe even just before but when I look at some of the amazing LO’s that are out there … that blow my mind with their complexity and their creators expertise … I have to remind myself that there is a photo there on the page.

Scrapping should also be fun and that is an emotion, personal and different for everyone. The fun for me is buying stash and then again when the page is completed … the part in-between can drive me mad and cause me to be stressed but I am addicted to doing it. I could never scrap to a dead line, so I have the greatest respect for those who do. Neither do I enjoy challenges, as I tend to dislike the finished article but have fun on the journey!!!! … I really do not know why challenges reverse my emotions.

Lastly... Do you keep all your LO’s because…

1) You like the work of art and it is a demonstration of your ability…. Or ….

2) The memory it captures, has to be saved for you and others to look back on… OR

3) It is a beautiful way to preserve and document the photo for posterity, and future generations will never have to ask, … “Who is that?”

Or…. You don’t keep your LO’s because it was the fun of creating and displaying … and maybe winning something or being published … that excited you.

I keep mine for reason 3 with a large helping of 2 and a touch of 1. I scrap for fun even though the journey of creating is not always smooth. It also satisfies any artistic urges I may have …. HOW ABOUT YOU?

Excuse all the ramblings but I really would love to hear your thoughts on why you scrap and why you keep all your LO’s.

On Wednesday I was sure I had the papers I wanted to use for my next two LO’s … well after a lot more shuffling of papers, I changed my mind and decided to create 2 SLO’s that would sit together, linked by a paper and the theme… the marriage of my grand parents in1913.

Again I have created simple LO’s but have used one main embellishment that I have created.

The ‘Wedding Party’ has a banner that was a stamped, white die cut from My Minds Eye. I chalked it and inserted grey silk roses where the stamped flowers lay and then rubbed on the title.

TIP … set your chalks with hairspray before trying to use a rub-on, as the rub-on will not adhere and also removes the chalk leaving a white letter …as I found out!!!. Could be used as an interesting effect though sometime.

The ‘Honeymoon’ uses a chalked journaling sheet under the photo but my embellishment is the tag that’s lying on it. I used old stamps from the USA and the Victorian flat decoupage technique of ‘randomly placing and sticking’, for applying the stamps to a die cut tag, and then trimmed it when dry.


As this is such a long post I put the story of their meeting and the finished LO’s on my FH blog …just click the icon,( top right of page) to see them.


I look forward to reading any comments, about anything, you have time to leave as its a bit like having a chat with a friend.

Take Care xx

9 comments:

Claire said...

I scrap because it proves I was here, I get more joy out of my photos & memories & I need a creative outlet or I'd explode.
xx

Carmen said...

I think - the same as you really. a combination of 1,2 and 3. I also feel inadequate when I see other peoples work. Craig keeps me sane by telling me how much he loves 'my' style and that actually the stuff that makes me feel that way isn't actually to his taste but he loves to flick through MY albums. Whether he says that to keep me happy or whether he really means it I don't know but he always grounds me again, making me realise that it's for us, our little family that I do it and and not for other people - it just happens to also be incredibly addictive and enjoyable too:)

Besides my eldests best friend was looking at my album the other day and said I was wicked and cool and is now going to start scrapbooking too. High praise indeed from a tween - can't ask for more than that eh? *g* (I didn't let on just HOW chuffed her comment made me!)

Carmen said...

Whoops - waffle alert! Sorry about that :D

Carmen said...

They're just so fiddly! I'm all fingers and thumbs at the best of times but peel offs send me into a quivering rage. :P

Julia Dunnit said...

Yeah me too - all or some of the above. I've kinda got over the 'leaving a legacy thing', since no-one I love actually looks at tmy scrapbooks! But I do it because I love it, and I love to so soemthing with the photos that I'd be taking anyway. I'm not lucky enough to have Heritage photos, but I guess that if I did, my opinion may be slightly different. As for style and challenges - hmmm. I ping wildly from copying everything in sight because I don't seem to have my own style; I think we're all troubled by our inner critic though - you leave me breathless Angie when you admit that you're not happy with a finished LO - I think you always always do justice to the photos, and that is for me, really, the whole point.
Oh and Carmen - way to go to match this waffle!!

Unknown said...

I always mean to scrap but so far haven't as yet! I plan to do it to keep special memories.

Ginny said...

hmmm 2 and 3 I think..tho I haven't done a LO in FOREVER!!!

good on you for getting Dustins images they're fab, digi are soooo much easier to deal with...did you get Thursday's release or his fab new offer to buy ALL his images!!!

great idea about the colouring book...he has some FAB colouring pages on his other site http://www.mooseberrygraphics.com/Kids.html (I have also used these on cards as well as printing A4 for Tori to colour)

Judith said...

Oh my I am soooooo like you. I too love to shop it has to be one of the best bits of scrapping( I love craft stores). I do love creating the page and being with other scrappers but I love having finished pages to keep for me and my family so that in the future everyone will know Who it is where and when it was taken and maybe a little of why. (other than I love taking pictures of my boys). I also hope that the boys will look back and Know that I did and do love them soooooo very much. x

Ginny said...

glad you got the whole set...I'll have to see if you've got any Im missing...lol