1. Find stories I might never have told
2. Practice a creative habit, even when I have other big projects looming. I recently blogged about how Creative Practice helps me find the fun again.
3.Practice new techniques so that I can get a handle on them.
4. Explore my process. Having to work quickly on a layout each day to fit it in really gets you in touch with how you work and why you do certain things. I am always up for streamlining both my process and my space so that I can work more efficiently.
5. Use up scraps from past kits and items from my older supplies
Load also helps me use less then perfect photos in new ways. Sure, I use less than perfect photos all of the time. Sometimes though, there are photos whose quality brings the term " less than perfect" to a whole new sublevel. I like to use these photos for quick scraps during load. Sketches also help me out a ton.I can see the sketch, make quick adjustments and create a layout in under an hour.Most days, I only have about half an hour or an hour at the most to create a layout for LOAD. I am after all a mom, a homeschool parent, and a wife first and foremost.
Yesterday,being Saturday, left me with a little bit of extra time. I was able to allot drying time so that I can use paint. Ink, paint and mist are, in my opinion, a budget friendly supply. You can stretch them a long way and customize a color for you palette. You have the ability to create backgrounds and layers to fit you subject. After applying each stage to my layout, I was able to work on the larger project for my class while waiting for drying time to complete.
I had these photos of my cat, Boo, with his whiskers forward while my son petting him. The quality isn't perfect, but the moment is worthy of being documented. I used a bit of corrugated cardboard and scraps from the JBS Mercantile September kits. By adding bright neon colors, I was able to add a warm tone to the layout while compensating for the dull colors in the photos. I modified a sketch from Skissedilla to accommodate the photos. The original sketch has 2 pictures. I added a third in place of the title and moved the title up and to the right.
As I write this, it's already 3:00 in the afternoon. I spent the morning with my family and have less time to create today. I will likely grab a sketch and allot an hour to the LOAD challenge before going back to work on my big project. Some will say it's crazy to make a layout in under an hour. It can be done. It takes practice and knowing your process. Learning more about that process will help you streamline the way you work. You don't necessarily have to be a slow scrapper unless you want to be.
Supplies
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