Scrapbooking Styles

[tnkbuzan]

Okay...I have a question for you guys. I'm sure this has been discussed before, but maybe here's a new little twist to it

I'm wondering how you would describe your scrapping style, AND, are you true to it?

I'm really struggling with this. The problem is you guys are just all so darn talented. Every time I see something new that catches my eye, I want to give it a try. The newest and latest...I'm willing to give it a go. And with the large digital community and huge variety of talent, I could try new things every single day. Plus, I LOVE playing with Photoshop and trying new things!!!

That being said, I know my true style is really very plain and simple. It's the way I decorate my house, the clothes I buy and the way I scrapped before digital. However, I rarely find myself scrapping like that anymore. Hum.....

What do you guys think?

[ptknox]

Interesting question Kim...and one I've been giving a lot of thought to myself lately! I SO admire the "funky-fresh" style that so many of my fellow CT members here exhibit...and for a while I really tried my darnedest to imitate you all. But, I've come to the conclusion that I'm a collage person....and my style is that of the digital "paper scrapper." Does description make any sense? LOL!

Lately I've decided to just sit at the computer and let myself flow without worrying about what anyone ELSE will think of what I'm creating. I guess my point is...I'm happiest when I'm creating for me and mine....KWIM?

As to YOU...your photographs are so fabulous that you could just slap one on a black background and post it....and we'd all rave! I say if "clean and simple" is you....then stick to it!

[susancurtis]

I love many different styles.

I don't take good photos so I feel that my strength is distracting people away from them with a bunch of elements? That's a slight exaggeration, but most of all, I do enjoy coming up with a certain idea/journaling/title for a photo, and thinking of what elements, colors, etc. will complement that idea. My biggest challenge is composition--how to arrange everything. I love those rare times when I see the finished LO in my mind's eye. I don't consider myself to have a style--I'm just theme or idea driven, so I try to do what I think might look best for a theme. I would love to hit a home run every time, but I think that's possibly the downside of not having a strong personal style?

Since I'm idea-driven, I was a little bummed that you came up with the gears LO idea first for your son's field trip! But any time I can accidentally be on the same wavelength as you is definitely a great achievement since I love your work!

[Tali]

This is such a great thread! I would describe my style as "organized chaos". I know I pile on the "stuff" but I put a lot of time and thought into it. My style hasn't changed a bit since I was a paper scrapper although I would like to learn different techniques. Sometimes I worry that my style is too trendy and will look out dated from month to month...not to mention years. I really love all the simple, classic, timeless LOs I see in the gallery but as hard as I try...my hands just won't let me do it! I try not to think about it and just fully enjoy the process of each LO that I create. I just do what comes naturally.

Came back to add...I totally stink at coming up with titles! I try not to even include them. I wish I was stronger in that area.

[dzinah]

Tali, your comments are so ironic! I would describe my style as more graphic and simple (with a twist thrown in here and there), and yet I drool over what I would consider the more "freestyle" looking layouts in the gallery, such as this showstopper of yours:

http://www.designerdigitals.com/digi...puser=169&sl=t

I can definitely appreciate that there is definitely an art to a great freestyle layout (and more to it than just throwing things together)!

I guess that's what makes a creative team so unique, though -- so many different styles that come together and make one great melting pot of talent!

Dinah

[tiffhix]

My style has really been evolving in the last few weeks. For a while I was doing what seemed like every challenge out there. Then when I would sit down to scrap I would feel unoriginal and uninspired, like I needed something to guide me. We went on vacation and remodeled and I didn't scrap for a full week. When I sat down to the computer my imagination went wild. I haven't done a challenge since. So, I guess I'd call my style ... everything! I do some minimal, clean lines, shabby, grungy, eclectic and freestyle. It all depends on the kit, the photos and my mood.

[katie pertiet]

good question!

I don't know what you'd call my style. French Country?? LOL!!
My graphic design background shows through and my conservative nature too--I know that! So I suppose it's a simple graphic style!

[susancurtis]

I forgot to mention that during the summer, my style will probably be "scraplift"!
With my son home, it's a little harder to scrap!

Note to self: Remember Photoshop chat tonight!

[PaulaSG]

This is a fascinating thread! I would describe my style simple and graphic but I do like to try new things when I see them. Of course if you look at my gallery right now you will probably say that my style is "white background"! Hmm...

[Shanah-rhymes with Donna]

You crack me up Susan!!! And I have news for you...scraplift as your style is not so easy either!!!!

FC...french country..that IS you Katie!!!
OC...organized chaos....that IS you Natalie!!!

Too funny and a great question. I look at my BOS and it reflects how disorganized and jumpy my brain in. Half very clean and graphic and half very.....well....very NOT!!!

[Michelle Pearson]

My style is in between.. Goes with my moods, I think when I am in a fun upbeat mood and full of energy you can see it in my layouts, but the funny thing is when I am depressed you will see my heart into my lo's, and a very graphic style. I have only done a few like this. On a normal day I am pretty plain and basic. Those are my 3 style's. I find it hard to go any other way.

Great thread...

[beehive50]

Great thread, Kim... love hearing all your answers, then checking out your galleries to "confirm"! Yup, everyone is right on! As for me, I always answer that question with "clean, simple, graphic"... I'm just not that comfortable putting alot of "stuff" on my layouts. Funny enough, tho, I LOVE looking at layouts with lots of "stuff" on them... love all the eye candy! And, I always WISH I could scrap like that! (Tali's LO Dinah linked us to is one incredible "stuff" layout... man, I so wish I could do that!)

Oddly enough, as I get more into digi scrapping (all of a couple weeks! LOL), I'm finding myself sometimes adding more "stuff" than I would if I was using paper. Am I just LAZY? You know... I can't take the time to open a drawer or three to find something but it's soooooo easy when it's right there on my computer drive?

[PaulaSG]

It's easier to experiment with digi. I'm so afraid of messing things up with inking and stuff like that - with digi, no problem. If I don't like it - hit UNDO! I use minimal embellishments but with digi I definitely have experimented heaping on the goodies!

[hyperstarre]

funky, colorful and fun.
my paper style has pretty much translated into digi, but my digi style is a litte bit more simple, i think.

[Leora]

very fun thread...I guess I wouldn't really know where to fit me in..like many of you it depends on my mood..I def. have tried the freestyle look and have failed miserably..it never looks cool like Tali's!

I tend to lean more toward to clean, graphic style but I like to throw in some whimsey or creative flair to it. I'm drawn to white space, too..I used to love using tons of patterned ppr) mostly in my "paper" layouts but in digi I struggle to use it..I do when it acts more of an accent than anything else. One thing I have heard friends say about my work is that my paper LOs are very different from my digi LOs.

OH...and I have a hard time with multi-pic LOs but it's something I want to get better at.

[ksharonk]

It's always easier, I think, for me to identify other people's style, rather than my own ... *sigh*. I totally love the wonderful creations the 'freestyle' girls create, but try as hard as I do, it something that I find impossible to do. I am a white space fan, minimalist, I guess, graphic, love colour, balance, a good photo (nearly never do multi-photo pages) and love to journal. But I do confess to drooling over the wild, extravagent and very appealing 'eye-candy' layouts others bring into being. I guess it's a good thing we are all different ... we help to balance out the wonderful digi-world we live in. Sharon

[kathie02]

I don't think I can define my style..mainly because I haven't found it yet!!! I seem to go from one thing to another...more like the flavor of the week for me.

I think because I haven't been a scrapper all that long...I just want to try everything..I love the freestyle look, but when I try it...I can't get it to look like Tali's layouts---mine look more like something the garbage disposal rejected..lol.

I guess the longer I do this, the more I will evolve (at least I hope so)...I can say this...I am having a blast just playing with all kinds of things, and they have all been inspired by all the great layouts that I see here at DD!!

[deenaw]

What a fun thread! I guess I consider my style 'clean and simple' and I really love graphic layouts. I would love to be a graphic designer, but I'm too lazy to go back to college! lol I have an extremely linear brain and I love straight lines and evenly spaced margins. Designing with text is ultimately one of my favorite parts of creating a layout...strange, I know! Some of my favorite layouts are just a photo, text and "cardstock". (I have a very hard time with multiple photos too!) With all the clutter and buzyness in life, it's really refreshing to me to create art that's relaxing to the eyes. Now, with that said, am I true to my "style"? Not as often as I would like to be. I try to load tons of gorgeous goodies on my layout, sit and stare at it for a while, only to end up taking them all off! {Sigh} "Simple" is a sickness, I tell ya! A SICKNESS! But I do find that the layouts I love the most are the ones I create while "sticking to my style".

[scallywag]

My style is to throw it all on and jiggle it around until something comes out looking OK!

[sam ellis]

Style --mmmm.

I probably classify as a straight - graphic- scrapper. I am not fond of skew anything. I love to look at those lo's but I just cant bring myself to do it . I dont miind more than one photo but do tend to use one big and a few small.

I love the graphic lo's people do and I certainly love CZ style and Ali edwards. I have got over my paper habit of HAVING to do double page spreads ! I love the BUSY lo's people do but rarely do them myself.

I think Journalling - and a good photos is vital . Sometines a saying IS the journalling - and a few words tell the whole story but I do enjoy TELLING the story as that's what I think scrapping is about --else you may as well have all the photos in a box. Cos what is a whole lot of photos "stuck" on a piece of papae --with flowers/beads/ribbon/ wire ? why do we tend to think that doing this makes it MUCH better than the box? we arent telling the stories are we?

I have asked another interesting question in a previuso thread . what "unfamous" person do you admire - who is in your favorites. I started that thread before I saw this one and they tie in nicely !

[grandma lynnie]

I'd love to be really good at the fun and funky style I see in the gallery-just a few elements creatively placed-doodles-maybe a little grunge. But, unfortunately I keep ending up with kind of linear and plain, looking an awful lot like paper scrapped. I keep pushing myself to try new things but this is what I keep coming back to. When I finish a layout I have to look it over carefully and figure out what I can do or add to make it a little more interesting. I think I'm just a work in progress ...or rather my style is!

[AlohaMamma]

Wow...that is fantastic thread and I can see why this is such a warm open-minded community and I was going to ask this very same question but I couldn't bring this up myself =-( I recalled one thing that one person said something that opened my eyes and she said, " You are an artist and that is your problem, lol". I knew that she said it in a nice way and I realized that I have so many styles that I find it hard to stay true to which style I am. The problem is that I am an artist and I tend to do something that goes with my daily moods. If I am happy, I would do simple and clean but if I am little buzzed, I do freestyle. If I am sad, I would do blending. If I am mad, I make beezee graphics. It all depends on what mood I am in and I know that it is weird but true. All of you have unique talents and please stick to what you have... all of you have wonderful layouts and many of yours inspired me...Everytime, I see a new or old layout, I always save for inspiration. Stay true to your style as being yourself. ***Wave my hands in the air***

[candylouu]

Such a fabulous thread!! When it comes to style, I really am clueless! I think I am sorta tossed salad...a few ingredients thrown on!?! LOL
I try to step out of my box occasionally and add a little spice but rarely do I succeed on that.
For sure though, I am happy with what I create (usually, we all have those "ick" days!). I *think* that I will be happy with what I am creating later. Of course, things may look outdated and such but everything will.
How's that for answering but not really answering! LOL