I’ve Got a Feeling!

In the brilliant words of Mark Twain, “any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary”. How true! In times of joy, we can’t help but to smile, to want to share with others. When tragedy strikes, whether in our own backyards or in a foreign land, we feel loss, grief and anger. It never ceases to amaze me the range of emotions that humans are capable of experiencing. I consider myself to be an emotional person. I live with passion which leads to happiness, embarrassment, surprise and sadness. As such, scrapping emotions is a regular habit of mine! Some hesitate to engage in this practice because they don’t know how to find the words to communicate. After today, there will be no more excuses and you will be able to scrap your feelings just as naturally as they come to you.

One approach to scrap your emotions is to focus on just one. Find or take a photo that showcases that feeling and just look at it. Think about what causes that emotion to rise up. Is it a person, a situation, or another trigger? Start by simply writing about the WH (who, what, where, when, why) details. What happens is that you give that emotion a context. During the process, you learn about yourself. If the emotion is excitement, then it can be a reminder to put yourself in that situation more often. If the emotion is fear, then you can face it head on by documenting and exploring it.

After you choose just one emotion, try to find the exact word to pinpoint it. For example, I can say that I am mad but does that mean I am embarrassed, enraged, or disappointed? If you need a little inspiration, go to your thesaurus and find synonyms for common emotion words. Surely, you will come across a word that sparks an idea.

Each talented lady below scrapped her emotions by including logistical and/or sensory details in the journaling. The writing resonates with each of us because we have felt these same emotions at some point in our lives. The final layouts are touching, detailed and inspiring.

What if by Kinsey Wilson

Supplies: Paper: Studio Calico, BoBunny Press, KI Memories, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Tag: Creative Café, Stickers: Studio Calico, American Crafts, Making Memories, Tool: punch, sewing needle, Other: twine, mini paper bag, floss.

Design Notes: I cut down a small section of the green paper and hand cut the top and bottom edges. Next I used a small circle punch and made lots of little wood grain dots to fill in the circles of the green paper. Using orange floss, I hand stitched along the lines of the patterned paper for a fun little detail. I used the same orange floss to hand stitch the zig zag along the seams of the kraft cardstock. The journaling is hidden within the little envelope.

Journaling: What if I worry so much that I miss the good stuff? What if I love you so much that I won't be able to let you go when it's time? What if you don't see my love as love- but as nagging and annoying? What if something happens? I'm working on trust, I promise...just know that my heart is in the right place. Love you. Mom

Sweet by Nicole Pomeroy

Supplies: Paper: Cosmo Cricket, Prima Marketing, Alphabet: American Crafts, Stickers: Prima Marketing, Webster’s Pages, Journaling Spot: Scenic Route Paper, Button: Kittyrobot, Felt: Crafty Matters Ceramic, Other: tulle, twine, staples.

Design Notes: Cut a section away from your background paper and insert tulle or mesh in there for a twist on the transparent background.

Journaling: Deciding that now would be a good time to get ready for our new baby. At currently 34 weeks pregnant I really should start thinking about getting a few things together. I love the look of teeny tiny baby clothes hanging on the line; nothing can make me more excited.

Happy by Jennifer Cupp

Supplies: Paper, Rub-Ons: Scenic Route Paper, Tag: BasicGrey, Brad: Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker, Ribbon: American Crafts.

Editor's Notes: Jennifer chose the perfect picture of Cooper for this assignment. It clearly is the focal point of the layout. She cleverly used journaling tags and embellishments to frame it out.

Journaling: Cooper, if I had to choose only one word to describe you, it would be happy. People make you happy, food makes you happy—pretty much everything makes you happy & you have a smile that lights up the room.