The Theory is...

In my opinion, that layouts should be 95% story by photos, title and/or journaling.  That layouts should complement the story while not overwhelming the focus of photos, title and/or journaling.  That layouts should allow for creative endeavor and experimentation while primarily remaining on the focus of the story. 

Yet, that's not the way the story goes now is it?!  I mean, yes I do basically adhere to the theory that the story comes first and that scrapbooking is about presenting those stories in aesthetically pleasing ways; but it's a craft - a creative outlet - creative therapy.  As such, sometimes we come up with ideas for aesthetically pleasing creative experimentation while driving in our car, sitting in the doctors office, on our path to dreamland.  These are the times that we select photos to fit our creative ideas/layout rather than building a layout around the photo. 

I know that sometimes Shimelle puts together page kits selecting photos last... once she's selected the photos, she then still builds the page around those photos with the preselected supplies.  That's not exactly what I'm talking about, but close.  I'm talking about thinking up a new design element like selecting sections of tape in lieu of patterened paper, the act of painting swirls on patterned paper for background rather than a preprinted design or simply inking the edges of paper with blue instead of the usual brown or black (like on GiGi's "six months" layout in the last post).  I'm talking about implementing those creative inspirations within your normal scrapbooking - still selecting papers/embellishments/ lettering that complements the story of the photos.

But even when just trying to implement those little (or big) personal ideas, often you still have to find just the right photos.  I have a basket that I keep all these printed pictures - some are where I've printed more than one, some are originals that were printed by another source - that sits on my desk.  Even when I print a batch of photos on my own printer or have souvenirs, etc., they all go into this basket as well so that I may pick and choose depending on my mood. 

Really, I guess that's what all this is about - mood scrapping.  What am I in the mood to scrap today?  What do I feel like scrapping with this great idea I want to try out?  What photos go with the papers I want to use today?  Because let's face it, it can be a great story or awesome photos but if it's not what we want to scrap today, it's just not as fun.  I have thousands of photos and stories, but not all lend themselves to what I want to do today... so even if I have an idea that I can't wait to tryout or new supplies I can't wait to use, if I don't feel I have the right pictures to scrap, the layout is not going to feel good.

And so it was that I thought, as I lay trying to go to sleep, that I would like to layer a kraft cardstock on top of a colored cardstock and then use flowers (which I have been ignoring for too long) on a layout.  But then, when I started going through my basket, absolutely nothing seemed to fit my plan.  Actually, while I did have some GiGi photos in the basket, I actually had to go through her files to find anything that seemed to fit the mood.  (I really do love to scrap just about anything; but, honestly, too often when I just want to have random scrapping fun, it's GiGi that comes to the rescue.  While she has always had a great sense of photographing everyday moments, at the grand age of 14 there are stories that go with even the most banal photos.  And so, I can scrap away all my little ideas (or frustrations) with pictures she has taken and let her do the journaling.)  That's the story behind today's layout... the prime example of my idea and mood combined with her story (yes, I did move that to flower slightly so as to not overshadow K's eye!):

Cardstock: Coredinations, The Paper Studio; Patterned Paper/Journaling Spots: My Minds Eye; Flower/Brads: The Paper Studio; Polyresin: Recollections; Wood: Studio Calico; Stickers: American Crafts

 

As you can see, the only new item I have on my layout are the small Studio Calico wooden hearts (which are adorable).  But this shows my mood as well - to use up items I had: flowers, scraps of paper, brads, thickers.  Tomorrow my mood may be to use up those new cork stickers I have gotten or that paper I just grabbed on sale, or it may be to scrap those photos of GiGi and her boyfriend I found on the computer - whatever it is I decide I really want to use will definitely be based on my mood, and the photos and or elements will go along with that mood.  In the end, unless you scrapbook as a job, whether or not we know it, we probably more often than not scrap to whatever mood we're in today.  That, in my opinion, is just as glorious as the creativeness of the craft itself.

Well, that's it for today.  I don't know if I'll post again before my trip to Tampa next week, so everyone be safe, well and scrappy.

And that's all she wrote!

P.S.... So sorry this was published (instead of saved) before I had a chance to proof it and finish it.  I really do want everybody to be well, safe and scrappy.

"So writing a song is much harder than doing a classical piece for me, because in a classical piece, I can just let the mood dictate what's going to happen."  - Glenn Danzig