Lain's story inspired me today. The last couple of days I have realized that some of my family doesn't quite get what goes into scrapbooking a layout. They look at my work with a raised eyebrow and say, "Oh. Wow. That's nice." Lain reminded me of why I scrapbook...
How would you describe your scrapbooking style?
First, you need to know that I'm a speed scrapper! My mantra is, "If I can't get it done in the length of one "Barney" video, it's not getting done!" Most of my pages take between 30-45 minutes.
I am fairly linear and simple, but I try to add a little something unexpected. I love mixing up the linear design with polka dots and scallops, and adding a little bit of whimsy. Think Becky Higgins on laughing gas!
We Need a Little Christmas: 8.5 x 11 digital
materials patterned paper, reindeer (Holliewood Christmas Pop) + journaling block (Ali Edwards Hello Life) + word art (Cherie Mask) + stitching (Ashalee Wall) + circle rub-on and tag (Crystal Wilkerson Office Supplies) + date tab (Katie Pertiet)
What inspires you to be creative?
It's just something inside me! I've always loved color, words, and text, but never considered myself "artistic." Scrapbooking was a terrific discovery in that it allowed me to combine my love of color, words, and storytelling, all together – and it doesn't matter that I can't draw a straight line!
Patterned paper, word art, heart border (Weeds & Wildflowers Design) + patterned paper (Lynn Grieveson, Percentage Wise) + CKAli's Hand font + digital page by Lain Ehmann (http://www.getscraphappy.com/)
Who are your favorite scrapbook designers and why?
I used to be so obsessed with the "famous" designers, wanting to create in the same way they did. But after 12 years of scrapbooking, I think I've finally found my "voice." I still admire other scrapbookers (Sara Winnick, Margaret Scarbrough, Beth Proudfoot, Jody Wenke, Cheryl Overton, Celeste Smith, Emilie Ahern, and Paula Gilarde are some faves), but I don't beat myself up for not scrapbooking like them! (Note: Many of those scrapbookers can be found at http://www.writeclickscrapbook.com/).
What are your favorite color combinations to design with right now?
I love orange! I also am addicted to neutral backgrounds with brights… aqua, orange, lime green… yum!
What is your creative process?
I start in one of two places – I either feel the urge to create something, so then I'll leaf through magazines or online galleries for something to grab me, and then I'll create a layout based VERY loosely on something I find that sparks my interest. Or I have a story I have to tell, so I find the photo(s) to fit and go from there.
A True Story
(This is a great example of having a story I just HAD to get down. This, to me, is what scrapbooking is all about!)Ami Collofello, Katie Pertiet, and Weeds & Wildflowers.
What is your story that you are trying to tell?
I mainly scrapbook about my kids – the little moments are my favorite, like when I asked my five-year-old to help her sister clean up the kids' snow clothes and she responded, "Mom, I've got my own problems!" Twenty years from now, we'll all know they had birthdays and that we celebrated Christmas and all the holidays, but we won't necessarily remember those little moments.
I encourage others to document what matters to them. If they want to be a "birthday" scrapbooker, that's totally fine. If they want to throw out all their supplies and just do photo books, great! Find a way that works for you. The important thing is to DO SOMETHING with your memories and your photos. Don't let them languish on your hard drive (or in your brain). Get them out so others can enjoy them!
How can you inspire others to "Create well"?
I'm big on permission! Give yourself permission to have fun with this hobby:
1. Permission to scrap the way you want to (every day or once a year).
2. Permission to find your own style or just scraplift whatever you like, whenever you like.
3. Permission to use the products you love RIGHT NOW instead of waiting for a special occasion (which will never come!).
4. Permission to create "less than perfect" pages.
5. Permission to take a break if you need to!
First and foremost, scrapbooking should be fun. That means letting go of obligations, "shoulds" and "must haves." Instead, just do it the way you like.
Of course, there will be times when you want to learn a new skill or technique, or experiment, or try to become a "better" scrapbooker. But to me, that just means scrapbooking more. Find your groove! Check out what other people do and how they do it. Figure out what grabs you about a layout you see in a magazine or online. Do you like the color combo? The photograph? The journaling? The title? Analyze what you like and why, and then try to bring that into your own scrapbooking!
I strongly encourage everyone to take part in my "Layout a Day" challenge in Feb. 2010. We commit to scrapbooking a page a day for the month, and we share our results in a private gallery. You'll get daily emails, support from a team of like-minded crazy scrappers, and meet some of the nicest scrapbookers anywhere! Email me at lainehmann@comcast.net or watch my blog for more details.
Follow Lain on her blog, Five Things, on Facebook, on Twitter, Flickr, and at the Write. Click. Scrapbook collective. Besides scrapbooking, she adores knitting and reading and her family (three kids, one husband). Lain also just moved from California to Boston and says, "...so expect to see me online a lot this winter."
Create Well: DO SOMETHING with your memories and your photos. Don't let them languish on your hard drive (or in your brain). Get them out so others can enjoy them!
