What Inspires You?

Do you ever get into a digi-slump? Ya know, you want to make a digital layout, but nothing seems to work?

To help me get through times like this, I’ve started keeping a notebook for inspiration. After all, there are lots of amazing layouts and cards out there, and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Whenever I see a layout (either paper or digital), card, ad in a magazine, etc. that appeals to me, I’ll draw a quick sketch in my notebook - nothing fancy, just a simple line drawing to help me remember the overall design. If I’m out and about, I’ll grab a photo of something inspiring with my phone and print it out and later glue it down into the notebook, too.

So this week, I thought I’d use a paper layout from Cape Cod’s ALSB instructions. Even though paper scrapping and digital scrapping are quite different in many ways, the goal isn’t to re-create the paper layout exactly, but rather to use it as a starting point and then let the inspiration take over.

Here’s the ALSB layout I selected:

ALSB Inspiration

And here’s what I ended up with:

My Digital Result

Sure, there are a few similarities, but a few differences as well. I used the Cape Cod Digital kit, but I could have easily used another kit - but Cape Cod is such a gorgeous kit, don'cha think? Sometimes my finished layout doesn’t resemble the original at all, sometimes they’re very similar - but it doesn’t matter either way. The point is you were in a slump and your worked through it.

Now pick a layout - or a card, or a page from that magazine on the coffee table - and let it inspire you to create something wonderful.

-Ron







Editor's note: link to Cape Cod ALSB instructions added 6/13/13 jmh**