Finger Pointing – December 4th

I was up bright and early this Sunday morning browsing the digital galleries in search of gorgeous layouts thanks to the newest furry member of my family. Christmas and winter kits have hit the scrapbook shelves here recently in huge numbers and that translates into some really pretty and festive pages posted for us online. Let me get right to it:

VS by marnel

VS by marnel

Way to use a white background… you’d think white on white wouldn’t work but it’s oh so perfect! I love the dimension on the wreath and the holiday decorations, the words in the background to echo the red accents, the tiny bits of black for contrast. Really very classic and pretty!

Home for Christmas by Conny

Home for Christmas by Conny

Rustic and beautiful! Lovely clustering, nice mix of diminutive patterns and scale in her element choices. Just enough bling to make it feel a bit Christmasy but not overpowering. Pretty page design, I feel like no matter where you look your eyes are drawn toward the middle of the page.

Elf by fruitysuet

Elf by fruitysuet

Amazing extraction! This one grabs your eye in the gallery and it won’t let go! I love how she used Buddy as such an integral part of her page design, part of the vertical bands going across the page, yet still creating a nice diagonal flow as well. So very bright and festive with the pops of red and yellow!

Enjoy the Wonderful by Twinsmomflor

Enjoy the Wonderful by Twinsmomflor

I like the mix of blended photos and more dimensional ones. The focal photo sets up the theme for the page perfectly so that the use of more elements is unnecessary. I like the double page border and how it keeps the eye contained and on the pretty smiles in the smaller pictures.

Imagination by keepscrappin

Imagination by keepscrappineb

Brrr, as someone from Florida I’m cold looking at it! Beautiful use of a winter color palette for this story. I like the implied dimension from the background paper combined with the thicker elements and stitched alpha titlework. I just love the eclectic mix of added elements and the pale blue with the yellow and gold accents. Stunning!

Christmas by Lella

christmas-by-lella

I love the gradient effect blending the photo into the background paper, almost adds a retro vibe. The use of the vintage elements with current photos provides an interesting juxtaposition between the past and present.  I love the use of the lifted frame and stacked flowers to add dimension to the page. Very pretty!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my picks this morning! Head on into a digital gallery or two yourself today to get into the holiday spirit and spread a little joy of your own!

 

 

 

Finger Pointing – November 13th

It’s an early post here on the GSO blog for me today, usually I’m a night owl pushing the edge of the clock. I’m guessing my early start has something to do with the tiny ball of fluff curled up at my feet taking his second (and third) nap of the day. I’m spending nap time browsing the digi galleries oohing and aahing at all the pretties posted recently. As a lover of the holiday season, it was fun to see the happy colors with the sparkle and shine from some of the early holiday kits and pages mixed in with scrappers’ everyday stories.

Let’s get started:

Times Square by JennNtheBoys

jennntheboys_ayiscraplift

It takes bright colors to pop this nicely against a dark background. The tilts to the word art and framed photos implies the hustle and bustle of Times Square, the boldly colored elements echo the flashing lights and neon in the focal photo. Really pretty page!

Merry by Earlofoxford

earlofoxford_merry62_0

Another page about New York City, this time with a holiday focus. I LOVE the way she did the title with the outlined alpha and the multiple patterned papers inside. The white and red just pop off of the black background and the gold shimmers and elements give it a very regal feel. Beautifully shadowed, as well.

Fighter by Scrapsandsass

scrapsandsass_nov_jrnl_900

You just have to stop and read the story on this one when you see it in the gallery! The bone/skeleton element sets the tone but the repeated circle shapes and bright colors add the positive outlook that the journaling talks about. So much movement created on this page with the animal print, the crown and epoxy starburst. I hope your grandma feels better soon, Kimberlee!

Election Day by ljritchie

election_day_ljritchie

I’ve always believed it’s important to scrap about important stories of the day and this was an important part of last week here in the U.S. I like her use of the tiny bits of media imagery in the shape of 2016 along with her element choices.

Oh What Fun by Shivani.sohal

oh-what-fun-shivani_sohal

I love how she added elements on top of her digital page protector, such a fun way to give a pocket page extra dimension. I love the tiny strips of patterned paper, the unexpected crops, the use of multiple photos and how she alternated between color and black & white to support the neutral color palette. Pretty clusters to add extra color and bling to keep the eye moving around the page. LOVE!

2092 Pokes by tjscraps

tjscraps-2092-pokes

The hypodermic was unexpected with the adorable baby photo but I totally got it when I clicked over to read her journaling. Here’s another page using bright colors to pop off of a black background and it’s totally lovely. Nice use of the multiple patterned papers, cute title work and just enough “medical type” elements to support the story but keep the focus on the happy ending.

I hope you’ve found a little bit of inspiration here on the blog today. Hop on over to your favorite digi gallery for a few minutes, soak up some more and leave a comment or three. You’ll make someone’s day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finger Pointing – November 4th

I’m running around the house tonight picking up and getting all set up for a new tiny furry addition to my family tomorrow. Spending some time in the digital galleries was a great way to expend a little of my nervous energy. I seem to have gravitated toward pages using bright colors in tonight’s choices. Let me get right to it:

True Colours by Shivani

true-colours-shivani

There is great energy in this page, swirls from the mask, diagonal movement from the patterned paper flags and ALL those word strips. Finding just the right ones to describe her really is a fun way to show her true colours. I love the stamped title and how it overlaps the photo and gets stitched down.

Opened My Eyes by 2worldswings

1610_openeyes_low_2worldswings

Jana really is a master of blending! I love the vibrant pops of primary colors, the muted watercolory feel of the blended photo, the gradient effect on the title. Just beautiful!

Sweet Moments by ScrappinRae

momentsthatmatter_circlesoflove_scrappinrae

Truly stunning! The multiple circle shapes cradle the little one, the bold colors pop on the neutral background and against the pale photo. The floral clusters echo the bright patterned papers and add such a feminine feel to the page.

Home Sweet Home by JennMcCabe

homesweethome97_jennmccabe

Really nice symmetrical balance to this page. There is enough white space between the eclectic element choices at the top to balance the title work at the bottom. You have to read the story! If you have kids of any age in your house, you’ll be able to relate to this journaling… I know I certainly do. I like the repetition of “this matters because” as a way of unifying the theme, keeping it flowing and bringing it around full circle.

November Annalift by Marijke

gallery_marijke

Yep, this is marvelous! It almost feels like an echo or a glimpse just barely peeking through… gorgeous blending here. It almost feels like a painting in progress.

Boyz by HeyJude

boyz_judie

Who says flowers can’t be masculine? They certainly lend themselves to a masculine layout here. I love how the photo spills out of the frame, the grungy brushwork, the jewel tone fall color palette. Amazing shadowing, too!

I hope you’ve found a little bit of inspiration here tonight. Click on through and leave the ladies some love!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

 

 

Finger Pointing – October 24th

I hope some of you are enjoying a little moderate weather where you live, not so oppressively hot or not too cold just yet. Where I live, the high was only 80 degrees today… which means that for part of the day it was in the 70’s. In Florida, that’s break out the sweaters time, people! So this fine Monday evening, I sit in my sweater and leggings perusing the digital galleries looking for inspiration. You never have to look too hard or too long before you have a list of gorgeous pages that say, “pick me!”

So I’ll get to sharing:

Oliver by golya

oliver-by-golya

Love the horizontal pose in the photo used along with the stripes on the background paper combined with the directionality created using the arrows. The colorful paint and element choices really give it a playful feel. Such a beautiful trio of clusters!

Hello by Scrapapicture

hello-by-scrapapicture

BEAUTIFUL brushwork here! I love how it just pops on the dark brown background. Really like the eclectic mix of elements layered above and beneath, the small scale of the ellies as well as in the paper choices works perfectly to balance the large rectangle. Really nice color repetition here, too.

Enamored by AnikA

enamored-by-anika

Awesome clarity in the photo. The picture itself tells you all you need to know about the story. I love the variation in the stamped and handwritten title, the use of the red & black paint along with that bold romantic pink. And the shadowing on the paper… nice!

Freiburg Intro by dwsewbiz

freiburg-intro-by-dwsewbiz

This is going to make a gorgeous vacation album! The combination of multiple photos blended into the background combined with the framed detail pictures allows her to use SO MANY on the page but it doesn’t feel cluttered. Using the blended parts as home to the journaling is a really smart use of white space.

SD Jaunt by MargelZ

sd_jaunt_margelz

Any page with an elephant requires a second look. I really like that she embraced the horizontal flow of the page and went with it in her choice of papers. I like the mix of fonts in the word art selections as well as in the journaling and titlework. And she really rocked the dramatic shadows!

Little Model by robinsismai

little-model-by-robinsismai

I’m going to have to find this child’s Instagram account. What a little cutie! Lovely feminine font choice for the expansive story (I always have to stop and read longer stories. If it’s important enough to tell a long story on a page, it’s bound to be an awesome story!) which works so well with the tucked and layered flowers. How fun would it be to have adorable photos like this to scrapbook all the time, right? Just beautiful!

I hope you’ve found some inspiration tonight! Click on through to one or two of these images and leave the scrapper a little love, won’t you!

 

 

Finger Pointing – October 9th

It’s the calm after the storm here in Central Florida. I know others in areas more north are still dealing with the aftereffects of Hurricane Matthew. I hope that you and yours are safe and the return to normalcy is quick. I spent a few hours making my rounds through some of the digital galleries to find a few layouts that you might love.

Let me show you:

Need for Speed by icindi

Need for Speed by icindi

An important rite of passage to document. I like the mixed font/alpha title, the shadowing and the circle background echoes the steering wheel of a new driver. It’s a lovely color palette for a masculine page. And who says you can’t use flowers on boy pages? Masterfully done.

Shuvani Dancers by Amanda.c

Shuvani Dancers by AmandaC

Beautiful page design flowing from the top of the page to the bottom with the paint, journaling and falling leaves leading the way. The paint adds such a feminine touch to go with that gorgeous photo but it also brings home the idea of a cultural art event. I also really like the idea of the diagonal flow of the journaling from the left to the right.

Free by AnikA

Free by AnikA

She’s created a very ethereal feeling here with the brushwork allowing the photo to peek through, the soft blur of the photo background. The mix of tiny flowers with their perfect little shadows, the clock to imply looking forward and the photo looking back all create such a beautiful page here.

Fear the Handsome by SeattleSheri

Fear the Handsome by SeattleSheri

You gotta love an off-theme page but some are harder to achieve than others! Sheri is a master of clustering, all the little bits tucked here and there, layered on top of each other, it’s just perfection!

Love You by y_baros

loveyou_ybaros

I love the mix of patterns and scale, the bright and happy color palette. Pastels are a refreshing change from the fall colors that we’re seeing in the galleries these days. I like the contrast of horizontal and vertical in the page design and paper choices and in the two title work pieces. Great use of visual triangles (you don’t see them until you go looking)!

Just A Little by maiagarri

justalittle-maiagarri

This digi page looks SO much like a paper one! I like the specific touches used to add to its realism with the warped tag shadows and the paint erasing. It has such a clean and minimal look with the neutral papers and elements letting the photos shine through. Lovely!

I hope you’ve found my picks inspiring today! Click on over and show the scrappers a little love, won’t you!

Finger Pointing – September 27th

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s a big week for our digital scrapbooking community… DSD (Digital Scrapbook Day) is Saturday which means that all of your favorite designers will be releasing products just destined to make their way into your online shopping carts and then translated using your photos and stories onto gorgeous scrapbook pages next week. Well, it’s either that or we just love to shop and chat and play games with our digi friends 😉

Back to Tuesday, let’s see what I found in the galleries tonight:

My Little Corner by helenedubois

my_little_corner-helenedubois

This makes you feel like you could just step right out onto that patio and enjoy the view, doesn’t it? I love the subtle blending, how the photo spills out of the stitched frame, the echoes of orange in the overlays. There is only one word on the page but it sums it up just perfectly. Lovely!

July First River Trip by jencrook

july-first-river-trip-jencrook

Great mix of detail and big picture photos. I’m particularly partial to the feet photos, we do those in my family, too. I like how she echoed the sunburst paper with the directionality in the main photo. I also like the titlework and how it brings the eye across the page. Really cute layout!

Mollie’s First Meet by KayTeaPea

mollies-1st-meet-kayteapea

This page design works so perfectly with the subject matter. The extended rectangles make it feel big and tall like their outstretched arms. Great side to side flow as well as diagonal with the repeated dark blue and gold colors. It also feels really balanced with plenty of open space along with the visual weight of the story.

Warrior by Chloe

warrior-chloe_2

Sometimes a page where the journaling is not in your native language becomes even more intriguing, you guess and wonder trying to infer the story from the imagery they’ve created with the elements and photos. I love how the journaling and photo become softer when layered together and how that contrasts with the layout’s focus on strength. And the shadowing on those butterflies is divine!

Live Life In Full Bloom by immaculeah

infullbloom_immaculeah

Holy clustering, Batman! Yes, a thousand times, yes! I love how the page design feels like branches and blooms on a flowering tree. Beautiful color choices, a nice mixture of pastel with some deeper shades. I wanna grow up and cluster like this!

Sunshine by Tracermajig

sunshine-tracermajig

I love that she scrapped a silly phone photo! How many of those do we take a day? But will we remember THIS day, THIS silly story?… not unless we do something to make ourselves remember. Her days won’t always be filled with mayhem and mischief, I’m glad she’s enjoying every minute of it. Pretty page design with the sub-titles making it feel very symmetrical. I love all the little layers both underneath and on top of the photo. This sunshine yellow really makes the page pop!

I hope you’ve been inspired tonight! With Digital Scrapbooking Day headed our way this weekend, the online galleries are sure to be filled to the brim with amazing pages so check back here for more picks!

Finger Pointing – September 18th

A fine end to a beautiful weekend, browsing the digital galleries looking for pages that I love! You don’t really have to look very far, it seems that all of the galleries are filled to the brim with fall colors, crisp photos and smiling faces.

November 2015 Recap by Iowan

carol-november-2015-recap-copy

It just screams out fall doesn’t it? I love the whimsical title placement, the pops of orange with the neutrals, the way the clusters intertwine. And the shadowing on those butterflies is divine!

Almost 41 by beszteri

bestzeri_3758876932914660954_n

It’s a gorgeous reminder that age is only a number. We need to stop thinking that each passing year merely makes us older and realize that it makes us wiser, more interesting and infinitely more unique. I love the blending, the dark colors framing the edges and how they are combined with the horizontal bands of color and word art.

Crisp Autumn Days by Biancka

biancka-flergs-aseptembertoremember_1

So much to love about this page – the wood background echoing the texture from the tree in the photo, the golden tones of the bokeh, the paint splatters under those amazing floral clusters, the comparison of the photos, that sweet smile! Truly a gorgeous page!

Time for Fall Memories by Sara Espy

sara_time-for-fall-memories-wm_2

This is a gorgeous mix of pattern and scale with the papers and those clusters make me swoon! I like the page design, how it flows from upper left through the photos, the story and the two-part title. The shimmer of gold combined with the deep brown of the background and the jewel tones of the papers and elements is a slightly different take on the traditional fall color palette and it’s lovely.

Pumpkin Pie by gonewiththewind

cheryl_449_82492

I love seeing traditions documented in our scrapbook albums! In my family, like Cheryl’s, making pumpkin pies is a ritual performed several times over each fall. You can never make just one and trying to get that crust perfectly browned is an art. This is a wonderful story to have recorded for future generations who will, I’m sure, also have fond memories of baking with family at the holidays. I love the sequence of photos to tell the story, the tilted and stacked frames, the tucked bits and the “dripping pie filling”. It’s fun to Watch Cheryl Scrap it, too!

Because when… by Shivani

shivani_because-when-copy-for-web

I love the cut-outs and how she tucked the framed photo back behind. I like the stamped shapes used in combination with the multiple shapes in the cut-outs. Really like the mix of the black and white photo with that bright pink and yellow she used, a crisp and cool color palette. It’s almost like a shadowbox… I love the way the page turned out.

I hope I’ve found a page or two that inspire you tonight. Click through to the scrapper’s galleries and share the love!