by Ethan Johnson
April 27, 2008
The Layout A Day challenge is long over, but that doesn't mean I've ceased my scrapbook pages output. Here are some selections from February and March 2008. Admittedly, my output has plummeted from the crazy days of making one finished page per day. But it's good to create as the spirit moves me, and to have the confidence to do it more often.
February 2: Before He Was HUGE
I accepted a stray challenge at Tally Scrapper to make a layout using a defined template. This was a great way to not only showcase some old photos of Rocky Doodle, but to use up some of the items in my stash that don't see a lot of action, such as ribbons. I think I made it "masculine" enough. Hard to believe that Rocky was ever that small.
February 2: Nokia 700
This was a directed challenge from one of the Tally faithful. I had to make a 12x12 layout using only black, white, and red. Photos had to be in black + white. I found a way to be myself and commemorate one of my electronic gizmos. Ironically, I don't really use that gizmo very much anymore. I figure I will once I start using the craft room more often. I like the minimalist approach to this layout. The first draft was a complete train wreck.
February 5: Eyes
It took two days to get three decent photos, but persistence paid off and I was able to capture our dogs' expressive faces. It helped that I did this after they got groomed. Once they settled in someplace reasonably photo-friendly, I kept shooting photos until I had three good takes. Then I went ultra-minimalist with the layout, but decided to sew a border. Real men can sew - albeit so-so. (Ar ar.)
February 16: I Don't Know How She Does It
One of the Tally faithful had a stroke, and has been making scrap layouts one-handed pretty much ever since. I was thinking about her amazing output, and wondered what it would be like to make a layout using only one hand. I used blue painter's tape to render my left hand reasonably useless, and tried to adhere to the rule of not using that hand AT ALL during the creation of the layout, including taking the final photos and uploading them to the computer. Her whole arm is mostly limp, not just her hand. It was tough to forget I had a usable hand/arm, and occasionally lifted my arm under my own power rather than picking it up and dropping it on my work to act as an anchor, like she does. What an amazing, inspiring woman. This was the least I could do as an homage to her bravery. As of this writing, this is my most popular layout in my Tally gallery.
March 15: Ow-Wii!
This was another Tally challenge. I was tasked with making a layout about something painful. No problem! I had been playing Wii Tennis for so long that my forearm and shoulder were absolutely throbbing. I posed for some shots with the self-timer, and got a shot of the "take a break" warning that Wii Sports gives you when you play too long. I had to use red, and rubber stamping in there somewhere, so I made red pain bolts and partially stamped a clock face onto the layout. Ding!
I'm pretty much back to my one-a-month schedule, however creative endeavors (for me) tend to have a fits-and-starts quality, and I can live with that. I'm a big believer in living life first, rather than scrapping 24/7. As for playing the Wii 24/7, well, that can't last forever. Damn you, PES 2008! Maybe I should scrap that, if I can just put the controller down long enough. <EM>
(Want more scrapbooking articles? The full list may be found here.)
