WM#334 - be inspired by found nature treasures

I do scrap sometimes - honestly! Just not as often as I used to. But this last 10 days, I made a layout and feel quite the sense of achievement. But one layout in a whole month seems a little lame at the same time so I need to schedule some creative time just for me.

When I think back to my trip to Scotland, I have many happy memories. It was a really wonderful trip full of good food, lovely people, delicious whisky (I'm NOT a whisky drinker!), stunning landscape, comfy and cosy accommodation, and a great selection of photos which I want to use to record this special trip.

But the first one that caught my eye was the staged, flat-lay that I took of my found treasures for this exact prompt and I knew that this would be my first layout about my experience.

Counterfeit Kit Challenge - September kit - Wanderlust - lo#5

I used my Counterfeit Kit Challenge September kit, Wanderlust, and just picked out the bits and pieces I liked to offer a subtle background to my simple photo. This is a pretty standard design that I tend to use - block at the bottom, layers along the top edge and then clusters of embellies. I worry that all my layouts look the same - ha ha.

I picked out a few red items from my kit to just give the layout a little pop of something and the circles are repeated around a visual triangle.

Unfortunately I don't have a clip in silver which would have been a little better but I live with that.

The design gave me space to write a few lines of introductory text to my Scotland story. I'm interested to see how I progress with this.

As always, I love it when you share too and if you've been inspired to create, don't forget that you can add your own creations to our Facebook group here. Please don't be shy! Tag your entry with #WMXXX (changing out the XXX with the challenge number you've completed) so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken. 

Or simply tell us in the comments where to find you... :-)

#238 - be inspired by back to school

I'm inspired right now, and motivated too. A good combination to put some creative time to good use.

WM#238 - be inspired by back to school 

I knew that I had many stories to tell about school and it was just a matter of which one to pick for what happens to be the second school-themed page this month so far. The other will be shared later in the month.

My trusty Counterfeit Kit Challenge September kit, Wanderlust, is proving useful as it happens to have a good mix of greens and blues in there as well as a bunch of interesting embellishments that I've decided match my school journey concept. Travel and stars and little elements which can be extended to fulfil the idea of school and schedules and the passage of time.

CKC September kit Wanderlust, lo#2

As mentioned, I picked out all the greens and blues I could find in this kit which matches the colours of my old school uniform - it's a subtle technique but one that I notice each time I look at a school page. Do you like to use hidden symbolism too? It's a technique I use all the time.

I've mentioned before how few photos I have from my time at school, so I'm being very careful to use just one or two photos per story so that I can stretch out those I have. This was taken recently (2011) when I attended a school open day. But the memories of the cupboard back in the day are very fresh!

I made up this page while I was at my weekly crop, pulling it together without an idea of which photo or even story I wanted to tell. I like this approach as it doesn't feel restricting and allows me to just create in a way which I feel showcases all the products and embellishments I decide to use. When I come home and finish off the page, I often tweak the placement of the smaller pieces or rework the title. In this case, I had a completely different title in fact, lined up underneath the paper block but when I decided on a topic and a single portrait photo, this position didn't work and I decided to change out the whole thing - words and all. I prefer this much more.

And there you have it. Another snippet of my life ready to be filed away. 

Will you be inspired to tell a school themed story this week? I've offered some other ideas for directions to take this prompt in the original post here if you need some more options - check it out!

As always, I love it when you share too and if you've been inspired to create, don't forget that you can add your own creations to our Facebook group here. Please don't be shy! Tag your entry with #WMXX so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken. 

Or simply tell us in the comments where to find you... :-)

#321 - be inspired by Karl Lagerfeld

This is another layout that I was inspired to make due to a Simple Scrapper Story Starter™ prompt on the topic of "Language" and one that I've been meaning to make for some time - for many years in fact.

Yes, I was really (and I mean really) sad to hear that Kaiser Karl had died but I was also grateful that I'd had the chance to understand him here in Germany in his own language. He had a very specific way of talking - in French, English or German - but hearing him and understanding him in his mother tongue was a bonus of learning the language that I'd not foreseen. And it made me very happy. 

I'd been a fan of Karl since the 80s and learning more about him during my time here has been something that I have really relished. Living in another culture and learning this language that is so difficult has been a challenge over the years but I wanted to record this realisation that had occurred to me several years ago but had not recorded up to now.

I used my Counterfeit Kit Challenge January 2019 kit "Sigh", (lo #6) due to the soft colours that I thought would work really well for everything that reminds me of Chanel. I picked out whites, blacks, greys, soft pinks and blues making sure I had a splash of red too. I used a sketch from the Simple Scrapper premium membership and was happy to try this layered waterfall effect. It was a lot of fun and I love how it turned out. Simple and what I hope is elegant.

A story I've been meaning to tell for such a long time, down on paper at last. That gives me such a sense of achievement.

What's a story you've been wanting to record? Why not check out my list of previous prompts to find one that works for you and get it told. You'll feel so good when it's done. This is something I'm learning from the very inspirational Susan who is focusing on untold stories this year and I love it so much. Looking through my albums, I know that is what I want to do more of. Watch this space.

As always, I love it when you share too and if you've been inspired to create, don't forget that you can add your own creations to our Facebook group here. Please don't be shy! Tag your entry with #WMXX so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken. 

Or simply tell us in the comments where to find you... :-)

#325 - be inspired by a blue-toned necklace

Yes! I made a layout. I know I should do more but somehow the days slip through my fingers and weeks go by before I'm forced into making a layout due to another scrappy assignment. This is exactly such a layout.

The Counterfeit Kit Challenge prompt #2 called for us to use something hidden and I went with some hidden symbolism on this page which features the necklace in question. 

I even used the photo I had actually featured in the WM#325 prompt.

The symbols include using yellow (gold) and blue, which are the colours in Alaska's flag, with ink, thread and the alphabet; the name of the layout itself which is the flower featured in the necklace and is also the state flower for Alaska; a hidden-in-plain-sight vellum cut out (can you tell what it is!?); and also the design from the Alaska flag (can you find it?)

I also had a lot of fun cutting up the necklace - which was already broken beyond repair :-( - and finding ways to include the beads and flowers on the layout itself. The flower at the bottom, next to the title is actually loose and moves around because I attached it just though the loop, and I love that little detail.

The layout also uses my Counterfeit Kit Challenge April kit, Balconia #2

I'm so happy I was encouraged to make this layout by the prompt both here and the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. I was pretty sad that my necklace had broken but now I have a record of it for ever!

As always, I love it when you share too and if you've been inspired to create, don't forget that you can add your own creations to our Facebook group here. Please don't be shy! Tag your entry with #WMXX so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken. 

Or simply tell us in the comments where to find you... :-)

#320 - be inspired by butterflies

Oh my word! I've done a prompt layout!

A free weekend, plus Creative Team (Simple Scrapper) motivation and an additional layer of fun courtesy of Calvinball2019 (hosted by Scrap Happy and to be found on FB here). Add in a bunch of Counterfeit Kit Challenge kits that have been neglected as well as a desire to get some WM prompts completed and here you have a layout :-)

In fact, I finished two layouts this weekend but this one was specifically decorated with butterflies to match this week's WM prompt.

Counterfeit Kit Challenge November 2018 kit, Scorpio lo#4

This layout uses an upcoming sketch matched up with an older Story Starter™ from the Simple Scrapper premium membership where I am on the Creative Team. It tells the story of the silver lining to be found in a difficult situation.

I also used my beloved Counterfeit Kit Challenge November 2018 kit, "Scorpio".

With glorious photos such as these, it was an ideal chance to use a bunch of pretty papers. I love the result and how pretty it's turned out.

I punched a whole pile of butterflies and hearts and then came up with the idea of layering the butterflies up with stitching through the middle. I'm really pleased with how they look with that hint of dimension.

As always, I love it when you share too and if you've been inspired to create, don't forget that you can add your own creations to our Facebook group here. Please don't be shy! Tag your entry with #WMXX so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken. 

Or simply tell us in the comments where to find you... :-)

Challenge #320 - week of 25th February 2019

As you know, I'm part of the Counterfeit Kit Challenge (find us on the blog here or join our online community over on FB here).

Master Forger Julene organised our February inspiration kit and challenges and the kit she selected was actually a full collection - Anthology by Kaisercraft - which featured a whole bunch of butterflies. You can find all the details of the kit I made on my blog here and you can see that I tracked down quite a few in my stash.

It would seem that butterflies never really go out of fashion and this is our inspiration this week.

Be inspired by butterflies.

My first thought for this prompt is to concentrate on butterflies in your stash but you might also like to take your project in the following directions:

• product - I'm sure you've also got a bunch of butterflies on your patterned paper, in die-cut packs, as wooden veneer, or even as single embellishments. Do you have any older stash from the days of Jenni Bowlin who featured butterflies on many of her gorgeous designs. Yes, those items you've been hoarding?!? This week might be the right time to honour them!
• punches - I've got three or four punches for butterflies and they can be easily punched and used in large numbers on pages. 
• stamps - I also have a treasured set of Martha Stewart stamps that feature about half a dozen beautiful designs. I've used them as stamps or even as tone on tone embossed images - in fact this technique was featured on a layout I made with my Counterfeit Kit back in September 2011 when I was asked to be GD. I've included that page below.
• story - maybe you have a butterfly story to include on your page this week. A visit to a butterfly park, the butterfly visited buddleia in your garden or just a love of these little creatures fluttering around in nature.
• metaphor - you might have a little free spirit in your family that you often compare to a butterfly. This might be the time to record a story about them.
• colour or design - you could think about taking the colour scheme from one of your favourites or consider the idea of the symmetry that those pretty wings offer.

So as you can see, there's more than one way to take this stash inspired prompt this week-

Whichever way you decide to go, I really hope you'll share. It would be great to see what you make.  You can connect with us in our Facebook group here. Tag your entry with #WMXX so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken.

Have a great day everyone!

#278 - be inspired by romance

This layout came together by rummaging through my Counterfeit Kit Challenge August kit, Heatwave (l/o #3) and using up everything that spoke to me and matched that gorgeous Pinkfresh Studio background paper.

I started off by identifying that I wanted to use the gorgeous 6x4 "choose joy" card, and then I just piled everything else up along that one third line.

I knew I wanted to make a page about romantic gestures but was not exactly sure of what that would look like until I had finished the base of the page. In the end, I had to tweak some of the items to make a suitable place for the photo and I made sure to leave a little space at the bottom for my words.

Then I went off to find a story and photo. Yes, that's how it works sometimes! Or rather, quite often. It might not work for most of you, but I scrap at a crop quite often and I'm not organised enough to get photos and stories ready before I go. So I just create with a rough idea of where I might want to take the story.

Anyway, this is a page about romance of course, and how it's sometimes not reflected in moonlight and roses but might be found in a message scrawled on the bathroom mirror. So, WM#278- be inspired by romance it turned out to be.

As always, I love it when you share too and if you've been inspired to create, don't forget that you can add your own creations to our Facebook group here. Please don't be shy! Tag your entry with #WMXX so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken. 

Or simply tell us in the comments where to find you... :-)

#259 - be inspired by fussy cutting

Another make that happened a while ago but I just haven't made the time to share here on the WM blog.

And another layout that combines three separate challenges on one page. First up, I used my Counterfeit Kit Challenge kit, (CKC August kit, Heatwave #4), then I used that for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge prompt to create a page with a mixed up title (find out more on the CKC blog here or my Recklinghausen Musings blog here). Finally, it includes lots of fussy cutting to complete the Whimsical Musings prompt WM#259 - fussy cutting.

I cut out the hexagon pattern from the My Mind's Eye paper, the clipboard elements from the Pink Paislee paper and also the "weekend" word from a Crate Paper sheet.

I love fussy cutting bits and pieces from my stash and finding new ways of using it so this combination makes me happy.

As always, I love it when you share too and if you've been inspired to create, don't forget that you can add your own creations to our Facebook group here. Please don't be shy! Tag your entry with #WMXX so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken. 

Or simply tell us in the comments where to find you... :-)

#137 - be inspired by favourite flavours & #259 - be inspired by fussy cutting

I made this layout some weeks ago but just haven't got around to sharing which is crazy but unfortunately true. I'm trying to catch up with a whole load of shares! I think I have ten or so so watch this space for more. And don't forget that there are more than 300 prompts for your inspiration so why not have a look through our "back catalogue" to see if something jumps out at you!

You can find the full list here on the blog on the "Whimsical Musings past prompts" page and I've just uploaded the list in three files over on our FB group. Go to the Whimsical Musings group here and then check out the pinned "announcements" - each prompt links through to the original post on the blog.

This layout was made during the Scrap Happy mini-LOAD818 and used my Counterfeit Kit Challenge kit from August, Heatwave (l/o #2) AND fulfils TWO WM prompts WM#137 - be inspired by favourite flavours and WM#259 - be inspired by fussy cutting. Phew. That's a whole lot of challenges right there in one page!

I couldn't believe that I hadn't actually made a fussy cutting layout specifically with Whimsical Musings in mind (even though I do fussy cutting all the time) and let's face it, strawberries are probably on the list of favourite flavours for the majority of people.

I kept it really simple by cutting out the large florals from a Crate Paper sheet and then just layered them up to frame the beautiful photos of my summer loving nieces! I included a small piece of red paper as a nod to the strawberries and kept the remaining embellies to a scatter of enamel dots and a few additional die cut leaves.

As always, I love it when you share too and if you've been inspired to create, don't forget that you can add your own creations to our Facebook group here. Please don't be shy! Tag your entry with #WMXX so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken. 

Or simply tell us in the comments where to find you... :-)

#288 - be inspired by weddings

Even thought I've been late again this week in putting up my prompt, I did actually create a couple of pages which matched a couple of Whimsical Musings prompts.

This time around, I'd like to share the layout I made using WM#288 - be inspired by weddings.

Of course, I wrote the prompt after the royal wedding and so it seemed only right to actually make my own layout about the wedding in question.

I sat in front of the tv all day soaking up all the details of the event and remembered to snap a few shots of my own decorations and afternoon tea delicacies which accompanied our viewing experience!

I used my Counterfeit Kit Challenge May kit, Funky and just picked out all the bits that made me happy. I added in two part sheets of Simple Stories wedding collection, Always and Forever, for the background as I didn't have anything suitable. I like the contrast of all the pink and aqua and colourful elements on top of the simple background papers.

I just layered up lots of bits and pieces that seemed to say celebration or fun to make this a very lighthearted design.

I couldn't just pick one or two photos so I printed them all out in a small size to fit in as many as I could.

Don't forget that I love it when you share too and if you're inspired to create this week, don't forget that you can add your own creations to our Facebook group here. Please don't be shy! Tag your entry with #WMXX so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken. 

Or simply tell us in the comments where to find you... :-)

#276 - be inspired by the new releases at Creativation 2018

It's May which means it's LOAD time - insert happy dance here.

So far, I'm rather behind my target of 15 layouts for the month - I've made a total of 6 so far! But inadvertently, I did make a layout that fulfils one of the previous prompts here on Whimsical Musings WM#276 - be inspired by the new releases at Creativation 2018.

Look! There's a llama! In my book, that's totally Creativation 2018 and I am thrilled to have found a way to use it on a layout. I mean, I've never even met a llama in my life so I really struggled with thinking how I was going to put it on a layout. But this fun, sun-filled layout seemed the perfect spot for the happy feeling it purveys.

I also used my Counterfeit Kit Challenge May kit, Funky for this layout which is proving to be super fun to cut up and create with.

Don't forget that if you're inspired to create this week, that you can add your creations to our Facebook group here - we love it when you share so please don't be shy! Tag your entry with #WMXX so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken. 

Or simply tell us in the comments where to find you... :-)

#274 - be inspired by "when one door closes, another one opens"

I was really impressed that fellow Counterfeit Kit Challenge Master Forger Kelly got stuck right in with this prompt and produced a layout by midweek! And a gorgeous one at that.

So, I felt that I really just had to get on with my own take on the prompt and then decided to be, in turn, inspired by Kelly herself and make my own page about the turn from 2017 to 2018. It was the first idea I had when I'd originally thought up the prompt but thought I might go in a different direction. But Kelly's layout was so great that I decided to just follow her lead!

I used my Counterfeit Kit Challenge November kit, Celebrate for this and just finished off all the scraps of paper left in there to form the background for the photos. This may not be one of my all time favourite layouts but I'm happy that I captured our NYE "celebrations". I then broke the rest of the kit up back into my stash and while I was at it, broke up the other kit I had sitting there. 6 layouts from each kit seemed a good result and a new kit is needed for February so it's good to have a fresh start.

With all the dozens of prompts that I've yet to tackle, I think there's quite some scrapping in my future. How about you?

Don't forget that you can add your own creations to our Facebook group here - we love it when you share so please don't be shy! Tag your entry with #WMXX so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken. 

Or simply tell us in the comments where to find you... :-)

Challenge #266 - week of 17th July 2017

Did you see?!!?

I not only posted an older prompt layout last week (WM#261 - inspired by loss) but I also managed to get the most recent prompt page done too! (WM#265 - inspired by bees). I'm feeling pretty good about that.

One of the main reasons that I managed it last week is that our wonderful Whimsical Musings friend, Pam, challenged me to play along with the Shimelle 25 days of scrapbooking words which runs from 7th through to the end of July. The timing is pretty good for me and so far, I'm on track with a layout for each of the word based challenges. If you're not already playing along, why not join in. It's really low pressure and I'm loving it. And it's always better to play along with friends, isn't it?

I'll be sharing a few more of my layouts soon as many of them have been made with my trusty Counterfeit Kit Challenge kits. Great to see them getting used up. Double win.

I was tidying up my desk yesterday when my eye fell on a wonderfully pretty pocket page that I received out of the blue from my sweet fellow CKC Master Forger and long time internet friend, Clair (find her glorious makes over on her blog here).

I don't think I managed to share it yet and so I took it into some better light to take a few photos. One of the "things" with pocket letters is that you should include some mini goodies for the recipient and sure enough, tucked in and behind the pockets are a handful of typical Clair items!

Sprinkles and sparkles...

a hand-beaded element...

some tiny banners...

a cute clip...

and some stamped and fussy-cut labels and tickets.

I emptied them out and realised that this would be perfect for today's prompt.

I'd like you to be inspired by labels.

Of course, the obvious route to go this week is to get happy with labels on your project.  I have a sheet of paper from the Memorandum collection which I am using purely for cutting out the pre-printed labels - love how they are turning out. There are a myriad of label supplies and printables that you could use on your pages - use them for journalling, use them for the title, use them for the date, use them just for decoration! Or maybe you have a labelling story that you'd like to capture? Cute home-made labels for jars of jam or how you reorganised your space and had fun labelling everything. Perhaps you have a story about being labelled as something or other and how true/untrue that is.

As ever, I think there's different ways to take this prompt and I'm excited to see what you make.

If you'd like you can share your layout with us over at the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery with the tag WM#266 or you can post it in our Whimsical Musings Facebook group again with the tag WM#266.
SaveSave