Growing up in New Jersey, I’ve endured my fair share of gray, dreary winters. Short of moving to an area that gets more sunshine year-round (which is what I did!), we can beat the winter blues by stretching our stamping selves and finding inspiration in different ways.
My favorite method of inspiration has always been music. Throw on your favorite CD, or one that evokes a particular mood, and start creating. Apple’s iTunes, which is available for both mac and pc, is great for creating playlists for every mood . . . I just created a list of the songs that make me happy. For the projects in this article, I chose a few of those songs and let the feel of the song, or the lyrics, inspire my work.
The first song I worked with was Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville,” of course. These great new stickers from Leisure Arts made the layout a snap!
The next card is a little on the quirky side, inspired by John Michael Montgomery’s “Life’s a Dance,” which always reminds me not to take things too seriously and to remember that life is one big learning experience.
The song “32 Flavors” by Ani DiFranco is an empowering set of lyrics about strength and our unique and layered personalities. I created the next card with that song in mind, but I was further inspired by the name of this line of scrapbooking products from Memories Complete: “Pure Juice.” The colors and the textures of these products made me want to lick the paper! I paired the products with a famous phrase coined by my favorite author/artist, SARK: “Live Juicy.”
Stretch your art journaling and altered book pages with the same methods. This altered book spread was created as a tribute to my fiancé while I listened to Barry Manilow.
Challenge yourself to think outside your normal palettes, especially if those colors are often associated with winter; such as grays, blues, and subdued colors. Think of sunshine and laughter! Yellows, oranges, pinks—or any color that lifts your spirits is good for what ails you when the days are long and dark. Check your local retail store for products used in this article and for other ideas to inspire and spark your creativity.
