When You Don't "Feel Like It"

Feel like scrapbooking, that is! Sometimes I'm just not "in the mood," even when I have the time. Which is definitely a travesty! But if I'm not feelin' the creative mojo, it's no use. Nothing good's going to happen in Photoshop. BUT - that doesn't necessarily mean I can't do anything creative or scrapping-related. Here's a list of ideas for the next time you find yourself mojo-less.

• Gather up your cameras and smartphones and download pictures to your computer.
• Organize photos.
• Organize scrapbook supplies.
• Clear out your downloads folder - unzip everything and put it away. I started keeping a "To Use" folder within my download folder, for those kits I don't want to forget to use before putting them away. Often it seems that kits disappear into my computer and I forget all about them, but I also don't like a cluttered downloads folder.
• Pick out a template, kits, embellies, etc. for a planned layout. Create a new folder for this layout and copy materials you might want to use. Alternatively, create a text document and list what you want to use. 
• Select photos for a layout (or several).
• Write some journaling.
• If you're having a hard time coming up with a story you feel like scrapping, scroll through your Facebook page to remember funny/memorable moments from the last days or weeks. 
• Throw some stuff on a page and move it around.
• Read a book.
• Listen to some music. I like Spotify and Pandora.
• Eat chocolate. 
• Break out the paper-crafting supplies; cut, paste, ink and distress til your hands are messy and your mojo is rockin' again.

Another great way to get inspired is to read magazines, paper or digi. I write a couple articles a month for the DigiShopTalk Insider, and this month I wrote up a quick tip for adding cool lighting effects to your layout. Check it out here: Add Drama With Light to see how I turned this layout:

into this:

What are your favorite ways to track down and reclaim your missing mojo? How do you use those bits of time when you don't "feel" like actually scrapping, but want to "get something done" anyway?

Top Five on Friday - Photoshop Shortcuts

For today's top five list I thought I'd share five of my favorite, most-used Photoshop shortcuts. Although I've used Photoshop CS3 for close to four years, I constantly learn new things. It's a powerful piece of software, and while I've thought about upgrading, CS3 does everything I need and so much more! I feel like I've only recently started to get comfortable in it! So here's my top five shortcuts, in no particular order:

1. CTRL-J (Duplicate layer). Very handy when clustering, repeating an element, building a title, and so forth. Much easier than dragging the same element onto the page multiple times!
2. CTRL-ALT-G (Clip selected layer to layer below). This is particularly useful for templates, to clip photos or papers to the appropriate shape. 
3. CTRL+/- (Zoom in/out) and CTRL-0 (Return to normal zoom). I use this shortcut all the time, to quickly zoom in and see how something looks at 100%, or zoom out to get "the big picture" (since unfortunately I don't have a lovely giant monitor!).
4. SHIFT-CTRL-N (Create new layer). Helpful especially when working with brushes. If you don't create a new layer, the brush will just stamp down on whatever layer is currently highlighted (like your paper, or element, or photo), which means you can't adjust it. Create a new layer for your brush, then you can resize, recolor, and fiddle with it to your heart's content!
5. CTRL-Z (Undo last action). Not much to say about this one - although it should probably be first in the list!! I'm pretty sure this is every scrapper's most used shortcut :). 

And because the blogging experts have decreed that no post is complete without a photo, I'll share my latest layout(s) with you - I suppose it's even an example of my top five, since I certainly used all those shortcuts! I rarely create double-pagers, but that was part of the challenge over at Oscrap's Designer Spotlight this week: to scrap a two-page layout where one or both pages used a patterned background paper. Often my best pages come from challenges, because they force me to step outside my little comfortable box. This is also my Log Your Memory Weekly Challenge #4 layout - this week's challenge was to scrap about a project. I took a more metaphorical approach, but I needed the scrap therapy of my topic!

Left side - Journaling reads: 1. Feed him every 3 hours, both sides. 2. Supplement with 1 oz formula at each feeding. 3. Suction his poor nose, even though he hates it. 4. Persist with the inhaler for breathing treatments. 5. Start solids and sippy. 6. Make sure he gets lots of tummy time and room to practice rolling over. 7. Take fenugreek and pump to increase my supply. 8. Love, play, pray, cuddle, kiss, sing, talk.

Right side - Journaling reads: Some days I feel like a terrible mother. Some days I don't know what to do for you, how to help. I hear you coughing and choking, snorting as you struggle to breathe smoothly, and my heart breaks. Is there anything I could've done differently? I know this is a pointless line of reasoning no matter what. It won't help you get better. Instead I need to focus on doing everything in my power now to help you heal, grow, develop, and blossom. I can snuggle you and soothe you, and give you what only a mother can: a mother's love. But most importantly, I can pray for you and trust that God holds your tiny body in His strong arms, and He can heal you. Yes, He'll probably use doctors, and it's my responsibility to get you to the right ones. But I know that in the end, your life and health is in God's hands. And baby, there's no safer, healthier place to be. I love you so much, Avyn! 6 months old, January 27, 2011

I'll be back a little later today with a huge special announcement from one of my favorite digiscrap stores - yep, big enough for me to post TWICE in one day!! Curious yet? Heehee...

Saturday Inspiration

As I'm figuring out how this blog will work, and what I'll post when, I know I want to have weekly inspiration posts - one post for showing off some of my recent layouts (and maybe others I find around digiland?) and one post for showcasing some of my favorite, drool-worthy new products from various designers. And probably this will happen on Saturday and Sunday. Sound good to you?
Okay, here we go with the first official layout inspiration post! Today it's just my own work, and I included a little bit about each layout or a technique that I used. Hope you can find some inspiration!

"Jordyn Angel" 

This one is for my niece's baby album. I love being able to scrap girly pages once in a while! Isn't Jordyn the cutest? I used Angel Hartline Design's Paper Wings collection, and enjoyed practicing my photo blending (the blend mode is Overlay at 100%). I love that Angel includes glitter styles in her collections - I love glitter, and the styles are so easy to use. I applied them with one click to my title - instant pizzazz! 

"December Day 25"

My plans for a daily December album didn't quite turn out as, well, planned. I hadn't planned on a last-minute 9-day trip to Michiana, or on moving the week of Christmas. Oh well, that's life! I made sure to scrap a page for Christmas day, though, and choose a template that had lots of picture spots and journaling space. I used Mscrap's Holly Jolly Christmas collab, Allison Pennington's Smitten, and Biograffiti's Itty Bitty Dates No. 1. Also, I edited all the photos with My Four Hen's Peace or Hope actions. I rarely use non-edited photos any more, and I almost always use actions - so easy!

"Random Moments 2010"

I like the simplicity of this template - it's an old Log Your Memory (LYM) freebie. This was my page for the LYM 2011 Weekly Challenge #1 - to make a list. Making "top" lists of anything totally stresses me out, though, so I decided to compile a completely random list. I went through my photo folders and grabbed a picture from each month, the first one that caught my eye. Turned them all black & white, added a few cute papers and embellies from Ange and Deca Designs' Revolution kit, and there's my list page! Oh, yes, and the month wordart brush on each photo is from Cinzia Loosemore's Dates and Days (not sure if they are available to buy anymore). One thing to remember when using brushes, create a new layer (Shift-Ctrl-N in PS) before stamping with your brush so you have the freedom to move, resize, recolor, etc.

I'll be back tomorrow sharing some of my favorite new products on the market, and hopefully posting my first Project 365 weekly layout!