A few favorite sources of inspiration (for the scrapbookers out there)

Thought I'd share a few of my favorite sources of inspiration for those of you who are just getting started with scrapbooking or digital scrapbooking (or those of you who have been doing it forever!).

Favorite scrapbooking blogs

These are blogs I check regularly. They have amazing ideas. I can't tell you how many of Cathy's ideas I have marked as "must do" in my list of things to scrap! :o)

• Cathy Zielske. I LOVE her simple scrapbook style, her witty writing style and that she combines digital and paper scrapbooking (called "hybrid" scrapbooking). She also has some great tutorials if you watch her blog regularly. Her two books, the Clean and Simple duo, are two of my all-time favorites. She has links on her blog about those. Get 'em if you can! Also, be sure to check out her digital designs at Designer Digitals.
• Ali Edwards. I love her style, and she offers some great tutorials, too. She does everything from traditional scrapbook pages to designing digital products (for Designer Digitals) to putting together mini books that combine junk mail, photos and memories. Very creative person. On a side note, I have actually met her. I took a class from her several years ago. She's just awesome. Down to earth. Hip. Laid-back. Fun. Has an admirable "no-sweat" approach to scrapbooking. I think you'll love her stuff.
• Becky Higgins. Becky used to do a series of sketches in Creating Keepsakes that I absolutely LOVED. She had a couple of books of sketches, too, which are fantastic. Her regular scrapbooking style is one of my favorite ever. Unfortunately, she's gotten away from this a bit lately and isn't doing traditional scrapbooking anymore (at least that she shares). Instead, she's taken a new approach. I share this blog because, if the thought of "traditional" scrapbooking scares you or you don't think you have time to scrapbook, you might be interested in her Project Life approach.
       I'd first say, though, that, at least in theory, you have time to do whatever you MAKE time to do. I really shouldn't have time to scrapbook, but I make time because I love it. If you have a hobby at all - gardening, cooking, reading, knitting, sewing, photography, hiking, playing sports, working out, whatever - you have made time to enjoy it. You could have time to scrapbook, if you decide you love it and want to make time. Just jump in and do it! There are no rules for being or staying "caught up" - I only know one person who can claim she is completely "caught up" with her kids' books. Everyone else I know just does what they want when they want to. It's perfectly OK if the rest of your photos and memories never make it into books or even into prints from the photo lab. It doesn't have to be a stressful hobby.
       (That said, I completely understand that traditional scrapbooking can feel overwhelming at first, so maybe Project Life is something that would be easier for you to do and enjoy. You don't have to make it as complicated as a photo a day. You can mold it into whatever you'd like.)
       This long-winded explanation is my way of saying that I share this blog to give you another option for scrapbooking. Any way you save your memories is a good way. Find what works best for you.
• Creating Keepsakes. I love this magazine, and they have some generally interesting topics on their blog, too. They have an inspiration jump-starter each week that gets the creative gears going on a Monday morning.

More scrapbooking blogs

These are some other good blogs, although I admit I don't follow them as regularly. (That's only because I have too many scrapbooking, photography, friends', etc. blog subscriptions to possibly keep up! You might find some great inspiration on these.) If you're looking for even more blogs, just leave a comment or send me an e-mail. I have subscribed to many more blogs I could share with you, too!

• Rebecca Cooper
• Lisa Bearson
• Shabby Princess
• Shutterfly Digi Scrap
• Elizabeth Kartchner
• Stacy Julian
• Jennifer McGuire (she's more of a cardmaker, but you can find some ideas that translate to scrapbooking, too)
• Jessica Sprague
• Ella Publishing Co.

If you need a way to keep track of all of the blogs you stumble upon, I'd highly recommend Google Reader. I have it set as my home page, so every time I start Firefox, the newest posts to my favorite blogs are immediately ready to read. Check it out.

Hope you find something interesting! If you have other favorite blogs you follow, or if you stumble upon any others, please share in the comments section or send me an e-mail. I'd love to find more fun blogs to read!

Comments

[Lauren]

Hey! You forgot my favorite - yours! ;-) Thanks for continuing to post these things. I can't say I love scrapbooking, but it's something I keep meaning to do!