Challenge #185 week of 21st September 2015

I was looking through a very old album recently - the giant 12x12 set of pages I created for our Nova Scotia holiday back in 2006. The style is pretty dated and of course, I'd do it totally differently today but I love it all the same - there are beautiful photos, heartfelt journalling and so many memories locked in those pages.

It was interesting to see how I'd included some of the memorabilia of the holiday as design techniques and was reminded of this when I pinned this beautiful card below by Julia Stainton for MFT.

Looks to me like some things haven't gone out of style in all those years so this week, I'd like you to be inspired by shaker-box elements.

Here's that original home-made element! Basic but I was so proud of achieving this! Remember that I made this a long time ago!

While not strictly, shaker-boxes, these could also be interpreted as a shaker-style element. 

And I know that I have a little clear pocket element filled with shaker-bits and pieces on a layout but can I find it? Of course not! If I come across it, I'll add it in!

Anyway, if you are inspired to create this week, please don't forget to link up your project in our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery with the tag WM#185. We'd love to see what you make!

Challenge #184 week of 14th September 2015

I thought it was time to give us a sketch to use as it's been quite some months since we did that.

However, I was really disappointed to see that Creative Scrappers has closed their sketch doors. This was definitely one of my favourite places to go for sketch ideas - as well as Citrus Twist - as I think the designs that Kristine came up with were often very original and the DT was awesome.

So, I've decided to link up their last sketch #286 for us to be inspired by today.

I particularly love the strips of paper and how this can be interpreted in many ways - pp, journalling strips, layers, washi, banners, rows of die cuts etc. The blog post for this reveal has many different takes as well in case you'd like to take a peek at how others have used this design in so many creative ways.

Adding this to my must do list this week.

As always, we love it when you link up your creations over at our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery and don't forget to tag your upload with WM#184. See you there!

Challenge #183 week of 7th September 2015

Sometimes I like to look up if there is anything weird or wonderful being celebrated around the world at the moment that we could use as a prompt and I have to say, I came up with a good one today.

Wednesday 9th September is National Teddy Bear Day! Well, in the US anyway. I'm not sure if it's celebrated anywhere else but hey, it's good enough for me.

So this week, I'd like you to be inspired by teddy bears.

I found some information about this "special" day here and here but I don't think you really need any reason to celebrate those special toys in your collection. I love teddies and have quite a grouping - what's the collective noun for them? A cuddle of teddies perhaps? Some of my bear family, and many are not bears at all to be honest, are really quite old and some of them far younger but loved all the same.

Over the years, I've done one or two layouts and almost feel bound to redo both of these that I tracked down as I have so much more to say and a better layout design to make! But I will try not to and just find another soft companion in my life to say something about. In fact, having found that second layout in an album, and seeing how little I wrote, I may well just leave it out and get more journalling written up right now!

I know you can find a way to scrap a page about a special teddy - whether it's your own, a family heirloom or your kids' favourites. One that is a constant travelling companion perhaps or even sadly, one that got lost (yes, I experienced that trauma as an adult). Go soft and cuddly today and record that special friend.

We would really love to see your creations over at our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery here with the tag WM#183.

Challenge #182 week of 31st August 2015

Where have I been? You might well ask and the truth is, right here at my computer. But busy working. The end is in sight but it got me thinking about our prompt in relation to the activity I was undertaking.

I've got some work translating from German to English. There's quite a lot of skill involved but also a lot of interpretation and creative thinking. So why not use this as a challenge for us? Not the German to English bit! Just the meaning of the word itself.

Be inspired by translate

translate

verb (transitiv or intransitive)

/trænsˈleɪt/  /trænz-/

to ​change words into a different ​language: 
We were ​asked to translate a ​list of ​sentences.She ​works for the UN, translating from ​English into ​French.

to ​change something into a new ​form, ​especially to ​turn a ​plan into something ​real: So how does this ​theory translate into ​practical ​policy?The ​ways of ​working that he had ​learned at ​college did not translate well (= were not ​suitable) to the ​world of ​business

to ​decide that words, ​behaviour, or ​actions ​mean a ​particular thing: 
He ​mumbled something which I translated as ​agreement.

I hope you agree with me that there are many, many ways to take this prompt and really run with it. I'm thinking literal translation, problems encountered in foreign countries, learning languages at school or foreign words you use in your own environment. Then there's more creative translation, the realisation of plans, how you understand something, how you relate to words, what you think when you travel and can't speak the language. So many directions. I can think of a list of a dozen pages at least - if only I could get around to scrapping more than a handful of pages per month :-(

As always, we love it when you share your creations over at our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery and don't forget to tag it WM#182 so we can track you down!

Challenge #181 week of 18th August 2015

This week, I was looking over the last prompts and decided that we need to go back to something a little "old school". It's a long time since we really did a regular product type challenge and so this is that week :-)

It's something that first came out in a big way around 2009/10 and hasn't really gone away. It's something I use on my layouts (and cards) over and over again in a variety of ways and is something that I always like. My Pinterest scrapbooking board is full of them and if I'm not just cutting out shapes to form them along the top or bottom of my layout, or under my photo, then I'm fussy cutting out bits of pretty paper that can be used instead. Have you any idea what I'm talking about?

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

Let me share a just a couple of recent pages I've made with banners (there's quite a few out there!):

Inspired by a layout by Janna Warner

Fussy cutting is one of my favourite ways of adding some banner whimsy

An overloaded banner with loopy twine is a new favourite

A banner doesn't have to be on the main body of the page to add some detail

Another little example of fussy cutting to create a ready-made embellishment

A mix of pre-made mini cards and more loopy twine.

Where will you be adding your banners this week?

Don't forget to link up your creations over at the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery with the tag WM#181.

Challenge #180 week of 10th August 2015

Wow, prompt #180. That's an awful lot of ideas, inspiration and sharing. Don't forget that you can always go back and find all our previous prompts to inspire you by clicking on the "Whimsical Musings Past Prompts" tab at the top of the page. It's always great to see those older ideas given a fresh airing.

And I'm already starting to think about how to celebrate our 200th. That definitely calls for a celebration - and as luck would have it, it'll be right before Christmas. Let's see how that pans out.

But for now, let's concentrate on today's challenge.

I had picked up this leaflet from Starbucks a long time ago. It's in English so I didn't find it here - I'm wondering if I actually brought this back from my New York 2014 trip. Anyway, I discovered it in the side pocket of a handbag I don't use very often and remembered that I had picked it up to use here on Whimsical Musings.

But I didn't want to use it just as a well-designed leaflet for the inspiration. Rather I was more interested in the infographic.

Isn't it fun? I love all those pretties lined up and repeated and reflecting the topic perfectly.

So, this week, I'd like you to be inspired by infographics.

Just a quick search on Pinterest brings up thousands and thousands of ideas (try this search here) and I know that I've seen several scrapbooking takes on this idea - one from Lisa Dickinson springs to mind.

On Lisa Dickinson's blog here

Whether you take a literal take on the Starbucks infographic in some way or create a looser interpretation, be sure to link up over at the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery with the tag WM#180.

Challenge #179 week of 3rd August 2015

It's been busy round here. But there is a lull in the storm this week so I've managed to get my proverbial in gear to get a prompt up for all of you - and hopefully for myself too.

I recently came across this wonderful moodpboard/colour scheme. It's been a long time since we had a colour prompt...

Pinterest moodboard found here

And so this week, I'd like you to be inspired by colour - navy, pink, mint and a hit of gold.

Do you love this colour scheme as much as I do? I have all these colours in my New York kit that I put together shortly after my second trip this year - so that might be the way I take this prompt.

Then there'e the french phrase, the individual colours, the straws, the watercolour splotches, the gorgeous typewriter (need to get myself one!), the geometric designs on the straws as well as the cushions. You might be inspired by the collection of designs on the cushions, or the comfy look to that sofa. Any single way this mood board can be interpreted is fine by me!

We love it when you share so why not link up in our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery here, with the tag WM#179.

Challenge #178 - week of Monday 20th July 2015

This morning, our sweet Whimsical Musings friend and inspiration, Pam, sent me some wonderful photos taken over the weekend at her family reunion. They made me smile because they were full of happy smiles and lots of fun and it reminded me that I tend to spend time with my people individually rather than in a whole group!

And that got me thinking that my UK family is now spread out all over the place - with me and my brother living outside the UK at the moment and other siblings no longer living in my home town. My mum definitely misses us all! I consider my reunions when all five siblings and partners and the children in the next generation come together in one place with my mum - obviously, for many of you it will be a wider mix of people including aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins etc. Living abroad, the likelihood of my German and British family coming together is now only for our "round" birthdays and I don't want the next one of those to happen too quickly, I can assure you!

This photo was the last time we were all together, celebrating a special birthday for my sister. I tried scrapping this photo once before and then took the layout apart as it didn't work for me - maybe this is the week to try it again.

Not the best photo in the world but wonderful happy memories for me!

So, this week I'd like you to be inspired by family reunions.

You don't need me to tell you that there are many different ways to take this prompt!

As always, we love it when you share your creations over at the Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery and don't forget to tag it WM#178.

You can find past prompts in the page tab at the top of the page incase you want to get inspired by one of the other 177 prompts you can find there!

Challenge #177 - week of Monday 13th July 2015

You may or may not know that I travelled back to the UK over the weekend to meet up with a scrappy friend, Kathy in London! We had a tiring couple of days but it was full of fun, laughter, chatting, sight-seeing and generally ooo'ing and ah'ing over the wonders that London has to offer. It was lovely to meet her and connect in real life.

I've come back with a few possible inspiration ideas but the first one that came to mind was this image:

Today, I'd like you to be inspired by the Tube!

Of course, as always, there's many ways to take this challenge. You could take the logo as a design feature or the colours. You could go in the direction of logos or symbols. You could take the name "Westminster" and whatever connotations that has for you. How about your own experience of the original "Tube" or another underground system somewhere in the world? You could just be inspired by "going underground"! See? There's a lot of scope in this one.

We love it when you share and it's been quiet over there so all the more reason! So why not come on over to our Whimsical Musings Flickr gallery and upload your creation with the tag WM#177? See you there!

Challenge #176 week of 6th July 2015

Since my husband retired at the end of May, we have been working on this little cabin in the woods.

We are calling it "R+R" for Rest & Retreat.

No plumbing, no electricity - a place to unplug (quite literally!)

All of the searching for the land, the decisions made about the cabin itself, 

took him through the final year of work before retiring.

It made it a little easier to get up each morning & face the commute.

He had to decide if he would get the same pleasure out of building it himself vs. buying one.

Was the satisfaction in the creating it or using it or both?

It took some soul-searching to answer some of these questions.

What dreams have you made come true?

Is there something you have only dreamt about but not acted on as yet?

Do you have a dream that you enjoy but have no real intention to make it happen?

Is your dream a "work in progress" like ours?

Be inspired by a dream that you expect to or have perhaps already realized. 

Post your project on the WM Flickr board tagged WM#176