Scraplifting Challenge

This week on the ScrapGals podcast, Tracie and I discuss ways to find inspiration for Scrapbooking. One of the techniques we discuss is scrap lifting, so we thought it might be fun to challenge ourselves to scrap lift a page and share the results on our blogs.

Here's a link to this week's show on Podomatic or here's a player if you want to listen here...

Here's the original layout by Kelly Noel that I'd pinned on my Scrapbook Inspiration board on Pinterest.

I really liked that it was a multi-photo layout, and I thought the embellishment placement was dynamic. I really liked the mix of colors too.

I started by choosing a series of pics from a trip to Florence in 2010. Problem was that my pics were all full size 4 x 6, and I really didn't want to go have extras printed somewhere else. I played around with trimming them down or adding in a horizontal pic, but I decided I wanted to stay close to the original design. 

I even used some of the same colors as the original, but they're different tones and intensities of those colors. Aqua, golden yellow, and red felt very Italian to me, and they matched the October Afternoon line I was using very well. The aqua lined paper was from a 6 x 6 paper pad; I have a hard time using my OA paper because it's so pretty, so using the paper pad felt better than using an entire 12x12 sheet. I wrote my journaling by hand bc it's easiest for me & bc I think it makes my layouts seem more intimate. 

Rather than use a series of circles like the inspiration piece, I used a variety of embellishments in different textures and shapes. I even used one embellishment as a title spot - Florence. The top title spot in the original just didn't seem to be working for me. I liked the idea of using a 3 x 4 card and having it perk out from behind the pics, but I played with this a long time yo try and make it work. Of the entire layout, this is the part I still question a little bit. 

Part of me also questioned whether I wanted to mat the center photo or not, but I decided the mat would help give it more visual weight and allow me to pop it up slightly as compared to the other pics. I also think it works because the other pics are landscape shots; the mat and pop dots help the pic of me stand out slightly. (It's all about me, right? Lol)

I trimmed the journaling section with some Studio Calico wood grain paper that I used a border punch on to create a scalloped edge. To create some unity in the layout, I put a piece of that same paper at the top edge of the left hand pic. 

In comparison to the original, I don't have as much white space in my layout, as many photos in my version, and a wider variety of embellishment types. Here they are side by side for reference. I think they look similar but certainly not like exact copies. 

This experience reminded me that I should scrap lift more often. It simplified my process and shortened the amount of time it normally takes me to create a layout. Plus, scrap lifting took away some of the decisions I had to make which allowed me to enjoy the process even more. Note to self: scrap lift more! I hope you take my example as inspiration to go and be crafty yourself. :) 

If you want to see Tracie's take on this layout - visit her blog here.

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