Challenge #343 - week of 27th January 2020

Over the last few years, I've been inspired by the Pantone Colour of the Year for one of our prompts and this week is no different.

Be inspired by the Pantone Colour of the Year 2020, Classic Blue

Ranger Inks take on Classic Blue!

A colour prompt is easy to interpret of course if you just look for products in this shade or maybe a photo featuring this colour but you could also think about:

• a favourite item of clothing in blue
• how this colour can be found in fashion this season and if this is something for you
• you could talk about your own Colour of the Year if Classic Blue isn't something for you
• you might have something around your home in this shade such as porcelain or  a painting
• how about classic blue ocean, lakes or rivers not to mention skies?
• maybe you feel a little blue and want to record this

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 #WMXXX (with the number of the prompt instead of the XXX) so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken.

Have a great day everyone!

Challenge #342 - week of 20th January 2020

This post was started before Christmas and then edited and continued two weeks ago, so let's try to get it finished now shall we?

All my Christmas decorations were put away several weeks ago now but I did keep out a few winter items that I think look good and give me a little hygge feel at this dull, grey time of year. I have some stars, some reindeer and a couple of cute little wrapped tea-lights.

They were a hand-made gift from my mum some time ago and I love how cosy and cute they are. The colours don't go with our tree or living room decorations so I always keep them right here in my craft room and love the soft glow they provide. So when my eye fell on them, I thought it would be a fun prompt - one that fits into this time of year with all the cold weather around.

And this is where my inspiration comes from today.

I'd like you to be inspired by knitted items.

Let's think about a few different ways to take this prompt.

• do you have a favourite knitted garment that you just love to wear?
• do you get excited when it's cold enough to justify getting those winter woolies out of the back of the wardrobe?
• perhaps you or someone close to you knit and that could be your main focus today
• how about a knitted gift (I can see two right here in my room!)
• how about a funny story about learning to knit or even teaching someone to knit
• there are a lot of knitted designs in our scrapbooking products - papers, stickers, embellishments that you could use - both drawn or photorealistic
• how about using a real piece of knitting in some way on your page?
• I can imagine being inspired by the word itself "knit" which of course means to join together which could be the drive for your story

Whichever way you decide to take my prompt, 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 #WMXXX (with the number of the prompt instead of the XXX) so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken.

Have a great day everyone!

Challenge #334 - week of 14th October 2019

I'm back from a wonderful few days in the beautiful Speyside area of Scotland and full of happy memories of a fantastic trip.

More of that another time maybe as I think I might have one or two more inspiration prompts for us all from that short break.

However, while I was there I made sure to pick up a few mementos along the way. Yes, of course the typical scrapbooking classics such as receipts, business cards, leaflets and maps but also some small items from nature.

I have a few jars here in my room filled with collected treasures from my time in Nova Scotia and the Philippines (I'm pretty bad at remembering to pick up these items from other trips!) and planned to do the same for Scotland.

I managed to remember a few times and have the following small section of nature bits and pieces for a similar jar found in a few different places - Sandend Beach, the shore of Loch Ness at Urquhart Castle, a walk to the waterfall at the Aberlour distillery, the path to Slains Castle (thought to have provided inspiration for Bram Stoker when he was writing Dracular). It doesn't really matter to me which items I collected from each location - they represent the whole trip and when they are all dried out, I'll pick up a new jar from Ikea and pop them in. Maybe I should label them too.

Anyway, all of this brings me to today's prompt. I'd like you to be inspired by found nature treasures.

 

• maybe it's time to break out your favourite autumn scrapbook supplies to record a seasonal nature walk, your autumn decorations or some "treasure" that's been found for you by a little one!
• record a seasonal walk or trip
• highlight your favourite signs in nature that the seasons are changing
• talk about your favourite decorations at the turn of the season
• perhaps you set up a nature display for your children or have memories of doing this yourself that you'd like to capture
• you could make a flat lay photo like I have of your nature treasures and then sue that shot for your page
• be inspired by the textures, colours or shapes of nature items

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 #WMXXX (with the number of the prompt instead of the XXX) so we know exactly which inspiration you've taken.

Have a great day everyone!

Challenge #322 - week of 11th March 2019

Hello hello!

A little late but still here. A lot of activity over in the #Calvinball2019 community - hosted by Scrap Happy this year after the closure of Get It Scrapped - means that several of you have completed one or two WM layouts - insert happy dance here! Go all of you!

I'm up to about 20 points which consists of a grand total of three layouts and that means I'm rather behind the others :-) WM friend Leslie for example is up to 247 at time of writing! Ha ha. But it's all good stuff and if you haven't checked it out yet, it's never too late to join in the fun! You can find out more info over at the Scrap Happy FB group here. Just jump right in - it's chaotic anyway so there's no way to not do it right!

But in the meantime, I'm back with some hope to get more scrapping done this week and a new prompt for this week.

I'd like you to be inspired by tassels.

Has this trend ever really gone away? I wonder. They seem to pop up from time to time and I love them. I mean, I really love them! If I get hold of a pack from a scrapbook manufacturer, I tend to use them up right away but I've also been noticing that they are appearing in other types of shop too.

Look at these luscious versions attached to the most gorgeous pouches in a local shop? I really need at least one if not all of these bags. Saving pennies!

Or maybe I should just treat myself to a single, luscious tassel to hang somewhere?

And I couldn't resist picking up these in a local home decor shop. I am totally using these for scrapping!

How about this colourful chipboard element on a page I made last year?

And last summer I picked up a pack of Crate Paper tassels that got put to use on pages immediately.

So, these are some ways you could use tassels on your pages:

• product - think paper, chipboard, die cut or real twine or thread tassels such as these I've showcased above. I know that the Simple Scrapper line Mama Llama (was that the name of the collection?) has a full patterned paper with banners covered with tassels - so much fun.
• make your own - you could definitely make your own and I've done that in the past too. I was surprised just how simple they were to make even if they were a bit fiddly. You can find my FOF post on my blog with mine here
• travel stories - I think that tassels are an integral decoration that you might find on your travels. Do you have a photo from a journey where you can see tassels or something you brought home with you that you could base a page around.
• clothes - many clothes have tassels on them so maybe you have a story about an item of clothing or a photo that features someone wearing something with tassels. How about combining clothes and travel with something like a belly dancer or traditional clothing from somewhere you've been. These are my favourite types of pages!
• home decor - think Paris, luxurious hotels, soft furnishings, ski chalets or bedouin tents! They probably all feature a tassel or two!

I think that gives you some ideas of how you could take it literally as an embellishment on your page or a direction to take a story. Where will you go this week?

Wherever you 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!

#275 - be inspired by Hygge

It's February and that means one thing... LOAD (layout a day). I'm not as good as I used to be but I try to use LOAD months to really get my motivation and inspiration moving on the scrapbooking front.

This month is no exception and as I write this, I have 13 layouts completed and hope to be able to complete the full 28 layouts in 28 days even if I haven't managed one every day! But a side benefit of this is always the chance to catch up on some of my own challenges.

So here is my "be inspired by Hygge" layout. 

I used my Counterfeit Kit Challenge February kit, Amour which was full of the perfect soft, pastel tones and small designs which helped to convey the feeling of calm I wanted to have. At this point I was already thinking that the kit was more than "killed" and had stated that I was finished with it. But stacking up pretty strips of paper to give my photo a base - and adding in a few scraps of Crate Paper patterns too, showed me that the kit had more to offer.

I used the photo I'd taken for the original challenge blog post here at Whimsical Musings (WM#275 here) to form a base for my thoughts and title. I want this to be more than just something I talk about. I need to feel some more "hygge" in my life. I hope this layout can inspire me to continue working on it.

Lovely, scrummy layers!

This was a great layout to think about and make. The journalling is meaningful and that combination is always my favourite type of scrapbooking. 

Now let's see if I can manage any other of my missing prompts...

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... :-)

Challenge #275 - week of 15th January 2018

Have you noticed that the days are getting ever so slightly longer here in the northern hemisphere? Every day we get a few minutes extra daylight. I bet most of you love that! Personally I love the short days and the long nights. It makes me feel like I have much more time in the evenings to potter around and even scrapbook because they start so early! I truly love this time of year (well, not January per se but you know what I mean!)

Which got me thinking about our next prompt.

This week, I'd like you to be inspired by hygge.

You have no doubt heard of this Danish way of life that has found its way into the hearts of millions as a way of getting more comfort and contentment out of life. The Danish are the happiest people in the world according to survey after survey and many consider that hygge is the secret to their success.

A quick search online will bring up thousands of hits but this blog (Hygge House) caught my eye with a beautiful aesthetic, gorgeous photography and a reminder that hygge is a feeling not a thing!

Photo from Hygge House - http://hyggehouse.com/hygge

Maybe you're interested in bringing the concept of hygge into your own life and a page about that would be perfect. You could create a page talking about all your favourite winter traditions that help to keep you warm and cosy. You could be inspired by the typical colours and materials that seem to appear in any photo tagged #hygge - neutral and natural tones, chunky wool, wood, copper and bronze, candlelight, warm drinks, cosy socks and an open fire. You could go back in time and talk about the dark winter days of your childhood or a time when you were snowed in and had to make your own entertainment in the light of a room full of candles. You could write about your winter dreams and hopes. Or how you are counting the minutes until it's all over and the long days of summer are finally here!

You can add your photos 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 #263 - week of 26th June 2017

Midsummer's Day has come and gone here in the northern hemisphere and hard as it might seem, the days are already getting shorter! But we've already had a prompt for that (WM#174) so maybe you'd like to head back to that one if you are inspired by the long, heady evenings at this time of year.

But it meant that I needed to come up with something different for our prompt this week.

I headed over to my Pinterest board and noticed several trends in my own pins that got my brain working and this one won out.

This week, I'd like you to be inspired by bar carts.

Pinterest source here

Pinterest source here

These are just two stunning carts have caught my eye and I'm simply determined that I'm going to get one of my own for our home. I want to introduce a weekend cocktail hour round here and bring back a little glamour with something as inspiring and pretty as these. I just need to track down a bar cart first to get me going.

How can you interpret this prompt this week? Go the straight cocktail route or maybe some routine you would like to introduce in your own home. Take either of these photos as a sketch or inspiration in itself, or a single element they highlight. Both of these photos have beautiful colour schemes and provide stunning elements such as roses, gold pineapples, pink champagne or cut-glass crystal glasses. You could even make a layout about how you use Pinterest to inspire you. There's a lot of paths you could take this week. 

Whichever way you see the inspiration this week, I'd love you to tell us where it took you. If you'd like you can share your layout with us over at the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery with the tag WM#263 or you can post it in our Whimsical Musings Facebook group again with the tag WM#263.

Challenge #190 week of 2nd November 2015

It was Halloween weekend and while it's not that heavily celebrated here in Germany, there is plenty of evidence of it around and we were even invited to dress up and go along to a mini-party.

But although Halloween isn't a German "thing", it is a must to decorate your home as the seasons change and this time of year is all about the pumpkins - mini, large, white, orange, bright yellow or knobbly and green! Of course, I like to add a bit of glitter or metallics into the mix and enjoy bringing  both traditions together with some Halloween influences.

Some years, I carve pumpkins (can't for the life of me find the photo of my crowning carving glory but maybe I can track that down for my layout!) and generally, as the layout below shows, it's all about the details.

You know that I don't just want to give you All Hallow's Eve as inspiration, but rather the more specific pumpkin or Kurbis as we say round here.

So this week, be inspired by pumpkins.

Of course, that could encourage you to scrap a page about the 31st itself ...

Or you might like to be inspired by these gorgeous decorated pumpkins I found on Pinterest - use them as a design on your page, even make you own and then feature them on a page or maybe go in the direction of colours and form.

Pinterest find here

Pinterest find here

Pinterest find here

I hope you had a wonderfully spooky Halloween and I'd love to see your shares over at our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery here with the tag WM#190.

Challenge #110 week of 18th November 2013

I'm not doing very well at the actual creation of layouts right now - even my own prompts!

But I hope you can forgive me. I will get better... soon. That's the plan anyway.

Welcome to another Monday and another challenge.

We've been going a little deeper the last few weeks so why don't we change things up a bit and be inspired by something gorgeous!

Every month I put a mini-round up of internet inspiration together for the Counterfeit Kit Challenge. This month, I decided we needed a little sparkle. But I'm saving sparkle for a particularly dark and dreary Monday so not this week :-)

Instead, I'm going to suggest you be inspired by this stunning, glimmery image I found:

I don't know what I love more. The whimsy, the colours, the design, the fact that it's a wreath! I love every tiny square centimeter of it! I'm not sure it would go down too well on my own front door, perhaps a little girlie for that, but I love it and find it all so inspirational.

I hope you do too.

If this gives you the nudge to create this week, I hope you will share over at Flickr (here) with the tag WM#110. I'd love to see you over there. :-)

Challenge # 51 - Week of August 6th, 2012

Hello! Welcome back to our little blog {who is almost celebrating it's one year anniversary}


the prompt for this week was born Sunday morning as I was in the car playing co-pilot, DJ and toll funds administrator. I looked down at my lap and noticed this message on the inside of my phone cover pictured below. Then I simultaneously noticed my nails, wallet and pants - and chuckled to myself. I kid you not, this photo was not staged in any way. I was wearing bright yellow pants, "Who the Shrek Are You" nail polish and had my purple wallet and pink Kate Spade phone cover out. Coincidence? Totally. Surprising? Not at all.


 


So you may have guessed it, your prompt this week is to be inspired by the phrase "Live Colorfully". In compiling my monthly collage of photos on my personal blog {here} I came to the realization that I lead quite a colorful life. The colors and patterns I use on my pages surround my everyday life. Polka dots, stripes and whimsical flower prints in all my happy colors cover everything I own. Clearly this prompt will not be hard for me. 


But if you are intimidated by color and your personal style or house decor is more muted beiges and classic whites, then I challenge you to consider these additional ways in which you can indeed live colorfully. Both prints below, as well as the slogan, belong to Kate Spade and her line. 

Live Colorfully

... and this one

Live Colorfully

I love all the ideas in the second print. So you don't have to limit yourself to just dressing or decorating with bright colors. The concept of "colorfully" is much bigger than that and I truly live to embody it. Let's take a little time this week to examine how we or those around us put this into practice.


I cannot wait to see what you all come up with this week while we celebrate our more colorful sides. And in the spirit of celebration, wear something colorful this week and share with us! Remember to tag this as WM#51 and check this space next Sunday for our interpretation.


xo,
Pamage

#36 inspired by the Earth

Yes, it's really me and it's really only Wednesday evening. I wanted to schedule this to post on Sunday but Blogger seems to be playing up at the moment and the scheduler isn't working. So, being ahead of the game as much as I am, I've decided just to post right now.

I challenged you to think about the Earth, linking in with the idea of Earth Day last Sunday.

I had participated in an Earth Day blog hop that Danielle over at EcoScrapbook had organised and if you've spent any time reading her blog you will know that she is teaching us all to be more friendly to the Earth at the same time as enjoying our scrapping hobby. I've learnt such a lot from her and have been wanting to join in on some of her challenges for some time and this week suddenly seemed to be the time.

Her current challenge is to craft with toilet rolls and I thought that it would be interesting to create something other than a layout. I gathered some rolls together and then found this wonderful wreath featured on Pinterest {here}. Now I knew I didn't have enough rolls for something so grand and decided to go small just to try out the concept - to be honest I'm really not so good at paper crafting outside the 12x12 page so this was a double challenge for me. I added in two kitchen roll middles as well as a smaller roll from some giftwrap and built up my wreath. I edged it in glitter, added some book paper flowers (inspired by Nic H in her True Scrap class last weekend) and some recycled ribbon and that's pretty much it.

I'm not sure that the amount of hot glue I used was very environmentally friendly, but all in all, the only product on here that's actually new is the glitter and the pearls in the middle of the flowers. I even used a few scraps of paper from my leftover box for under the peals. The book papers come from an old book I picked up on Monday via a charity book swap box in the street - I'll be dropping off a few books in return next time I pass.

So what do do you think of my green project? I'm quite pleased with myself for following through on this today.

Now this isn't the best thing I've ever made, but it's hanging in my room giving me something new to look at and a new way of looking at toilet rolls and it's sparkly!

I saw some AMAZING items on Pinterest and you never know, I might try something else out sometime or I might even revisit the wreath again. I will be linking this up to Danielle's blog to prove that I DO join in other challenges from time to time *wink* and I really suggest you find yourself some inspiration and try something new every now and again - this was fun.

Pam will be back with you at the end of the week with her share and a new prompt will be up on Monday.

Have a good rest of the week everyone.