ScrapStreet.com Magazine

August 2008

Take a second look at our front cover.

Peek at all we have to offer in this issue.

On Our Cover

Backyard Fun

CHA Trip

Young at Art

Got Color? Use it!

Sketch Artists

Scrap Stuff

Going Places

Card Corner

The Showroom

Discovery Drive

Design Square

Cluttered Blvd

Chic Street

Street Maps

Pet Park

Unique Boutique

Open Road

Digital Kit

Pixel Place

Digital Discovery

Creation Station

Digi Dashboard

Crossroads Cafe

Aunt Digi Presents . . .

Digital Detour

Highlights

Chat Lane

Traveling Class

Calls and Contests

Calendar

Boards

Gallery

Streets

Store

Kit Club

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Past Issues

Sketch Artists

Stacey Michaud

Head over to Google, type in "scrapbooking sketches", and you will be bombarded with over 790,000 different sites to explore. That sums up how important sketches are to the scrapbooking community. A sketch is a drawing of a layout design that includes photographs, a title, and journaling placement. It can be hand-drawn in pencil or digitally engineered. Because of the extreme popularity of sketches, the kit club game this month was to use one as a source of inspiration! We found that some of us employ sketches periodically, while others simply can’t live without them. Some of us make our own, while others have favorite sketch artists or sketch blogs. What we all have in common is the fact that we end up with a final product that is uniquely ours.

When deciding if you want to try using sketches, consider the benefits. Sketches give you the ability to visualize your page before you start, helping you to determine the number and/or size of the photographs. Whether creating your own sketch or relying on someone else’s version, you can follow it confidently, knowing that everything has its place. Since you are not making things up as you go, you may find that there is less waste of supplies. Unnecessary cutting and trimming may be eliminated. By having a sketch as your guide, you may scrap quicker and end up completing more pages. Finally, using sketches is a great option for beginning scrapbookers. Knowing where all of the basic elements are going removes the sometimes complicated design process and allows you to focus on the color scheme, embellishments and stories behind the photos. Members of our kit club created the following layouts by staying true to the sketches, with personal touches added.

Journaling: 06/05/08 McKenna - you are such a joy in my life & there's not much more I enjoy than sharing a smile with you.

Just Her & I by Lindsey Krauss. Supplies: Paper, Rub-ons: October Afternoon, Letters: Heidi Swapp, Pen: Sharpie, Sketch: So Sketchy by Allison Cope for Mix-n-Match Sketches #15.

Design note: This sketch actually spans two sketch blogs as Allison drew up a sketch for my sketch blog as a guest designer. I've happened to love Allison's sketches for a long time, ever since she used to design for a forum that has since closed down. Since that forum has turned into a fabulous challenge blog (http://creativecraftsandstickers.com), Allison still sketches for them and for herself on her own sketch blog. For lack of better words, Allison's sketches all come in nice neat frames complete with the So Sketchy logo; I love Allison's sketches just because they have so much "stuff" on them, reminding me there is more to scrapbooking than just photos and paper! As for my own Mix-n-Match sketch blog, my intent is to inspire every scrapper to create in their own right. I encourage anyone who looks to sketches to use and slightly abuse my sketches to turn them completely into their own style. Every Mix-n-Match sketch comes with two pages: one for a single photo page and the other for a matching multi-photo page. Happy Scrapping and Mix-n-Matching!

Journaling: "Every year, for the past 4 or 5 years, I have always done "New Year's Resolutions" on my birthday. A list of goals I would like to achieve in the next year. So depressing to reread and see how much I had NOT accomplished. No more. This year ends the disappointment. This year is a new beginning. Great starts with 28."

Great at 28 by Brianne Nevill. Supplies: Paper: Imagination Project, Cardstock: Bazzill, Stickers: SEI, Bling: Me and My Big Ideas, Pen: Zig, Font: Ali's Handwriting.

Design Note: Every layout I do, I actually sketch out before hand. I have an artist sketch book on me at all times. I HAVE to sketch before, or I am lost when I get to my table. I even pick out which areas will be pattern or not. I LOVE using sketches from others to start my projects. I do not think I have ever followed someone else's sketch exactly, I always add my personal flair.

Journaling: What is an Army brat? Any child that grew up with a parent in the Army, one who moves a lot and has had a military ID since the age of 10. Who has lived on or near a military base. Army brats are normally very out going, since they have to make new friends. One who goes with the flow for all the times moving across country and having to learn a new language. One who waves goodbye to their father as he gets on an airplane and won't see him for a year. One who stands with their hand on their heart each time the National Athem plays. One who is proud to say that they are a PROUD ARMY BRAT!!

Proud Army Brat by Christa Parker. Supplies: Paper: Basic Grey, Cardstock: Bazzill, Ribbon: Dots & Stripes, Brads: American Crafts, Buttons: foof-a-la, Chipboard letters: Maya Road, Rub-ons: Making Memories.

Design note: I picked one of Julie Bonner's sketches from her 52 Sketches ... 52 weeks blog. http://juliebonner.typepad.com/52_sketches_52_weeks/2008/03/sketch-challe-3.html What caught my eye on this sketch were the circles down the right side. They brought the focal point right to the picture. After looking through my pictures and came across these ones of my daughter wearing her dad’s BDU hat, I knew it was going to all fall into place. I picked the Figgy Pudding line of Basic Grey because it matched perfect with the colors of Jenn's shirt and the BDU hat. My journaling is on the middle tag.

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