Tales of a Craft Class Junkie: Guided Study Critique

It's almost over with. I don't want it to be as I have enjoyed the whole experience so much. I have been taking the Masterful Scrapbook Design Seminars since they began and through them, I had learned a lot about design. I didn't always know how well I was practicing what I had learned. It's one thing to read about a thing and try to do it. It's another to have someone come in to tell you how well you are implementing a concept. I had a grasp on various concepts. After experiencing the Guided Study Critique  I can understand and see the concepts in action. Concepts are more concrete. I don't think I will ever look at an ad or a scrapbook layout the same way again....and that's not a bad thing.

Today I thought I would share one of the layouts I created during my critique experience. It is just one of several that I enjoyed creating. When I say that the layout was critiqued, I know some people sort of flinch. It's as though they imagine a nerve racking experience in which their layout is dissected and analyzed. This is so far from what the actual experience was like. No one tells you your work is horrible or anything like that. It's more like sitting in a coffee shop with a group of ladies who love to scrapbook. You talk about a design concept and how to apply it to your work. You look at everyone's layouts,  sharing what you like about it and what you might personally change if you were creating it. You are not there to judge. You are there to share. It fosters a wonderful relationship with many of the people inside the group itself.

A Good Game Brings You to the Edge of Your Seat by Christy Strickler Supplies| Cardstock: Colorbok; Patterned Paper: Paper Pizzazz; Ink: Ranger; Stencil: Crafter's Workshop; Chipboard: Crate Paper; Wood stars: Studio calico; Other: Homemade stamp



I submitted this layout for critique because  I was unsure of it. At times I like it.Other times, not so much. I had challenged myself to use some photo real paper. It was given to me as a gift long ago and I always struggled to use it.I am not a huge fan of photo real papers. After making the layout, I wasn't sure if the paper itself was throwing me off or if something in the design was. Listening to the critique has shown me a few things I can do to improve upon it. I now know that some of the design elements worked while others needed tweaking. So it wasn't necessarily the paper itself that threw off my perception. I need to tweak this a bit still, however, now I know that good design can make ugly paper look a little better.

What did I learn? I learned about how others see my style. I had sort of defined it myself, but it was nice to hear how others perceived me. I learned what I do well and what I might choose to work on to develop myself further. I relearned design concepts and made them a more concrete reality. The whole experience has me exercising my design muscles. I really hope to continue onward as I feel it will really help me take my memory keeping to a whole new level.

There will be another series of Guided Study Critiques coming to Get It Scrapped soon. Maybe I will see you in a workshop. I know I hope to participate in the next round. I learned a lot but as always, learning more is a wonderful thing.