Is there a product you can’t resist? Something you buy whether it’s on sale or not. Something that makes you smile whenever you cross its path. Something that’s demanded its own container in your scrapbooking space.
For me, it’s the little man and woman icons—“potty people,” as we call them here at the office—that are popping up on all kinds of scrapbooking products. Thanks to creative editor Wendy Smedley, I’ve built up quite a collection (check it out below). But, sadly, I haven’t yet put that collection to good use on a page or a project.
Has that ever happened to you? You love something so much that you dread the idea of using it up. Well, today I resolve to change my ways. This weekend, I promise to make something adorable with my potty people, something I’ll love even more than the accents themselves. And I expect all of you to hold me accountable.
I also challenge you to accept my resolution as your own. Pick a product from your stash—one you’ve fallen in love with and one you’ve been afraid to use—and use it to create something you’ll love even more.
Okay, here it is: my first attempt to use "potty people" on a page. What do you think? I have to confess that this page is a new favorite. It’s not perfect, but it says just what I wanted it to say, it uses all of my favorite colors, and it proves that I can step out of my designing comfort zone.
To get started, I borrowed inspiration for this page from the cover of our March/April 2007 issue, an adorable layout by Tina Cockburn. Don’t see the resemblance? Here’s what inspired me: (1) the block of patterned paper around the photo, (2) the scalloped border, (3) the grouping of buttons, and (4) the staples around the metal frame. Isn’t it wonderful how a few bits of inspiration can produce a totally different page?
Since I had already resolved to step out of my comfort zone on this page, I took the challenge to heart and tried a few other things I've never tried before:
1. I put away my ruler. I'm usually a measure-every-last-little-thing kind of girl. But on this layout, I deliberately put my need for perfection aside. I positioned my patterned paper background off-center on my cardstock, and I didn’t line up the tops of my journaling block and my photo. I just kind of eyeballed everything and tried not to fuss too much. Totally liberating!
2. I used accents. Sounds silly, I know, but sometimes I have a hard time using little embellishments. I have a ton of them, but I don’t always know what to do with them. On this layout, I deliberately dug into my stash and pulled out a few little pieces to complement my theme.
3. I kept my journaling short. Because I want all of my pages to preserve meaningful memories, I spend a lot of time worrying about what I will say. Sometimes worrying about the words paralyzes me. This time I focused on one little phrase that Will and I used when we started dating: “you stole my oxygen,” uttered after every yawn. This seemed like the perfect phrase to celebrate our five years of marriage.
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