Digital Buzz Quest

I don’t think I’ve ever consciously encountered this problem – probably because I have sooooooooooooooo many photos to scrap with, there’s always something I can work with. I find so much depends on my mood and what I ‘feel’ like doing at any given time. I’ve sometimes looked at a photo and thought: that’s just not inspiring me right now, and then, a few days / weeks / months later I’ve looked at it again and thought: great, this is perfect for scrapping!

So I suppose my suggestion if you are finding it difficult to scrap a particular photo or subject, then don’t stress over it – just put it to one side for another time.

Perhaps the nearest I have come to a ‘block’ was some pix of my father, who sadly died suddenly a few years back. There was a time when I wasn’t emotionally ready to scrap with one or two of these, because of the memories they evoked and the rawness of my feelings. But I simply accepted that the time wasn’t right. I knew that time would come, and sure enough, it did, a year or so later.

Sometimes, I think it’s right not to hurry too much!

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My mom has wanted me to make scrap layouts of my Grandma. I did make one layout of her, but that one was more of a quickie. I have not had it in me yet to get a photo album out and scan pictures in. Gram passed 4 years ago, and to me it is still hard to look at pictures without crying my eyes out.
I really don't know how to get past the brick wall that is keeping me from taking the photos out and scanning them.

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My daughter became very ill, required multiple surgeries, and had to be taken out of school for the last two months of the year when she was in 9th grade. I took many photos of her good and bad days, but I wasn't able to scrap them for almost a year. I didn't know what I wanted to say so I just started writing.

The theme of the pages was "I wasn't prepared..." It talked about how we rode the roller coaster of good days and bad days, emergency surgeries, and severe complications from mono. Each page talked about how the illness progressed and the resulting complications. The final page talked about her road to recovery and all the love and support we received during that time... that was how the mini album concluded. "I wasn't prepared" for all the love and support we would receive. I uploaded the pages here... please have a look when you get a chance.

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the photos I find hard to scrap involve my grandson. He was diagnosed with leukaemia aged 2yrs and spent over 3yrs on the treatment. I have photos of him during this period and would love to record his courage throughout but I still find it too emotional to do. I would like to add that with the skills of the doctors and the prayers of hundreds of people he is now doing very well

I'm so glad your daughter is ok Deborah and perhaps if I look at your pages it will encourage me to do some

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I scanned some old family photos, some of which I have scrapped. I have tried to scrap some photos of my sister, who died just a few months short of her 4th birthday (when I was a year and a half). I don't remember her, but she was still there in my growing up, as my mother spoke often of her and never stopped mourning her. I just can't seem to find the sort of layout that seems right.

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Hmmm, this is a tough question. I haven't had this come up yet. I try to work on a layout shortly after I take photos to remember why it was worthwhile taking. On my more organized days, I jot a quick note to myself in Evernote to remember layout ideas. To those of you who have struggled with feelings of loss or hurt - my love and heart goes out to you. So glad for those of you who have loved ones who recovered - may they have many healthy, happy years.

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I'm trying to think of some I have been putting off...I think I have put off Christmas from the last 2 years b/c it's just so overwhelming. A few years ago while I was still paper scrapping, I did 4 years of Christmas in a weekend and I was so tired of green and red, ha! But b/c we have 4 Christmas's each year, I just get tired of doing them. Funny enough, I always have trouble w/Thanksgiving too b/c there are so few photos taken but I want it to be remembered. I tend to just skip over it for a few years until I'm in the mood.
Digital scrapping does help me get those "ugh..what do I do w/these" pictures done faster b/c I can search through my templates, then make the pictures fit and it seems to move faster from there, finally choosing paper, etc... Templates help me get over the humps ALOT!!!!!

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Interesting topic to discuss. I'm sure that all of us have SO many pictures to scrap. I can't really say that there is any one type of picture or subject that I've had trouble scrapping. There have been times when I'll want to scrap a photo, but I just can't seem to make it work. I just put it away and save it for another time. I've had relatives and friends ask me to make layouts with certain pictures and that seems to block me. If I spontaneously make layouts of some of their photos, I do okay, but if it's something they ask for, I freeze. lol And there's the matter of making a book of my daughter's wedding.... she's been married since 2002 and I still haven't done that. I think that's just because it would take so much time and I have so many other photos to scrap. It would be a fantastic Christmas gift for her, though, so maybe I should get my butt in gear.

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I tend to have a problem with scrapping something about my children or grandchildren that is going into the gallery. I don't like to put children especially, on the internet if they can be identified. I look for something where you can't really see their faces and I don't like to put their names in. Since I still have the layout with layers, I can always change it for our own use.

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I haven't actually not ever been able to come up with a layout. In paper scrapping I sometime manage to do most of a layout then when I get stuck, pop it away in a bag and come back to it at a later date.
I haven't really been doing digi scrapping that long and thus far have not gotten stuck. But I expect sometime that I will and I think I will apply the same rule to that. Pop it on one side and come back to it.
Paper-wise I have just finished off two layouts that have been sitting in my to do box almost finished for at least a year.

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With me, I always get hung up on layouts someone asks me to do. I procrastinate because I always feel it won't be good enough. I seem to be able to whip out great layouts of my family members, but when it is someone else's and I want to please them, then I hit the brick wall. I have an album here that I have been working on for over TWO YEARS now for a friend. They are photos of her cruise!! (Oh I'm so ashamed!!) I can't tell you how many times I have redone one of the layouts! Now another friend has just asked me to do her 50th wedding anniversary. I have knots in my stomach!!!!!
And I honestly don't have an answer as to how to get past the brick wall.

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For me, every layout is a challenge as I am so focused on following the lessons and doing the techniques and trying to retain what I have learned. So when I eventually choose a photo, I try to apply it for the lesson that I am doing that week. I just completed a lesson for Reflections and 3D text, and even though it was not the usual way to reflect text at the top of the page, I had to do it that way regardless of how it looked, and truthfully, I loved the way it came out.

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I think I get hung up if someone else wants me to scrap a photo. I always feel like it won't be good enough. So, I usually won't do them just because someone else asked me to do it. I'm too self conscious and I suppose I lack self esteem... hate to admit it, but it's true. But.... having said that.... If I just scrap a photo for a friend without having been asked to, they always seem thrilled with it. Of course then I'm asking myself if they are just being polite. Wish I'd get over that!!!!!!

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I haven't had that problem yet as mainly I've been scrapping my grandkids' pictures into albums for their families. My problem is choosing which photos to leave out of the page/album. I tend to try to use most of the photos I take or they send me, so most of my pages are multi-photo layouts. I've seen some great single photo LO's and wish I could just do that on some of the pages. I've done that mostly for lessons but not necessarily for myself.

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I don't think I've ever had a 'block' on any photos, but I find I don't like to do old photos! I seem to take new pics, scrap some of them, and then move on. I sometimes go back to a set and do 1 or 2 pics, but generally have to keep moving on!

Also, my scanner's all packed away in storage atm, so I can't scan in any old old pics to use. My dad has loads which I'd like to do one day. That I may find harder, as I haven't done much heritage stuff!

I am SO inspired by the photos, it's that that is my real driving force I believe. But if I do ever just dry up with ideas on placement of elements, I'll go with a template to get me all creative again, LOL!! Or a sketch! Once I start with one of those, I usually can't help myself adding in bits here and there, which then gets me back to 'normal'!!!
Bernie x

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I would have to say it is with heritage pictures. I want them to reflect a by-gone era and sometimes I think my pages look to modern. If I can't seem to get it right then I just file it away and come back to it in a couple of weeks and most of the time that helps. If not it goes back into the file and waits.

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***credited up to this point***

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I have a problem if it is for someone else. I have an retirement one to do and still have not done it from may

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i havent really had this problem because i am such a scraplifter. i take tons of pics and then wait for someone elses scrapbook page to strike my fancy and then i scrap it.

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**credited up to this point**

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