Time saving ideas

With little time to spare over the Christmas and new year period, but with lots of photos to scrap, do you wonder how can you manage to create pages to celebrate all that you have done? Here are some ideas that might save you some time:

• Choose co-ordinating papers and embellishments. This sounds obvious, but sometimes we need reminding that they are there for a purpose, which is to make scrapbooking faster and less complicated for the time poor.
• Start with a sketch - again obvious, but a great way to begin. Some popular websites, that have something to offer both beginner and more experienced scrapbookers, include Becky Fleck’s Page Maps, Pencil Lines, Stuck Sketches, Sketch Support and Sketchabilities. Additionally, if you have a page that you have already created and really love, use the sketch again. If will look completely different using different colours and papers, and no-one will be any the wiser.
• If you have particular photos in mind, you can find more specific inspiration in the form of challenges, many of which offer colour combinations to assist you in beginning to choose papers and embellishments. Sites that offer particular challenges include: The Color Room, Scrap the boys (yes the name does mean exactly what it says) as well as Kraft It Up (if you love your Kraft card). These websites also have their own design teams which offer examples of the challenges and sketches to give you further inspiration.
• And lastly, if you have a favourite brand or scrapbooker check out their website and find inspiration from them to make an easy start to your pages.

I hope this has offered some inspiration that lets you keep you creating over this busy time of year.

Christmas Cards

Have you started making your Christmas cards? Maybe you have chosen to buy yours this year.

For those of you that are creating your own I thought I would share a couple of my cards and a link to some inspiration.

My Christmas card motto is: they have to be simple. I make around 30 Christmas cards for friends and family each year so I can't be fussing or agonising over the perfect layout or embellishments.

Here are a few of my quick cards from this year.

I use all my left over papers and off cuts, stamps, printed titles and even parts of cards from previous years.
If you need some fresh inspiration try Page Maps they have card sketches and examples.
Good luck to those taking on the challenge!