Inspiration Elevator #10: Connect

You may recall from last month's challenge that the purpose of this challenge group was to take our scrapbooking to the next level, to stretch our creative process and to grow as artists by embracing challenges that make us think, work and grow.  You can view all of the challenges on my blog here.  


This month, our challenger was the super talented Lisa Speiegel. Lisa lives in California with her family and this month she asks us to think about our growth in 2013. This is what she wrote:

"Create a layout about your One Little Word. You know, the word that we scrappers choose in January upon which to reflect for the year. This word should have special meaning to you and be selected for it's potential to help you reach and grow...the only hard part..you must use a photo of yourself and add journalling to the layout explaining the significance of the word..."

AS you may recall from an earlier post here at Do What You Love, I have chosen the word CONNECT. This word has so many meanings for me and for our challenge this month I chose to reflect upon how that words affects my family. I am so busy with work, and life. It seems sometimes that the emails, phone, texts and running around forces me away from something I ahve always felt important: connection with my family. Quality time spent being "present".

In 2009 I had wonderful photos taken by a very talented photographer by the name of Angela Smith of Waterloo, Ontario. I have scrapbooked almost every photo she took, in fact I make done some of them more than once in an attempt to find the right feel for each one. This photo is my absolute favourite of all she took. It really shows how my family is connected in that moment.

I didn't use one piece of patterned paper on this layout! I was surprised that I had the urge to use a bit more "art" on my design. I began this process with my Aquarelle Gel crayons.

They have such vivid colours and you know how I love a rainbow! After adding the rainbow heart by hand and blending it with my wet fingertip, I sprayed it with a fixative, so it wouldn't run with marker or the water colour paints. I flicked water colours in matching shades all over the layout and doodled a black line around the heart to give it POP.

I added the two chipboard love birds (coloured with the gel crayons and sprayed with fixative) and the wood veneer heart.

The little cloud was a die cut from my bin-of-no-return which I coloured with gel crayons too. My journalling was short ans simple: a reminder how this simple word can mean something so very important. I used the black Dymo labeller for impact and texture.

I hope you will join the rest of our Inspiration Elevator team to see what word best reflects their plans for change and growth in 2013.

Lisa Spiegel

Joanne Burton

Christa Uttley

Laura Whitaker

Audrey Yeager

Lisa Moen

Laurel Seabrook

Ann Jobes

Cathy Harper
 Sue Sykes

Until next time, keep doing what you love,