In May of this year something went off in my head. Or I should say, was lit under my booty. I sat down at my desk and decided I was sick of making layouts just to get them done. I wanted to push myself create work that would be something that I was really proud of. Not intentionally make layouts that people would love, but make something that I was personally proud of for putting time and energy into. Projects that I felt I was giving my best creative engery to. Do you know what I mean?
The result was my June Paper Moon gallery for Studio Calico... and those are still a collection of my favorite layouts that I've made all year. This layout from that gallery is on the new cover of Scrapbook Trends and I love every little piece of it because it just feels like me.
The next month I made the map layout, which is my favorite layout of 2011. What I love even more is that I've seen so many people post their own map layouts using the tutorial. It's so awesome to see those.
I tried to play more with supplies and pulled inspiration from Pinterest to attempt to translate it into scrapbook layouts...
This year I worked hard to put better design into the stamps at Studio Calico and make them something that you'd use again + again, not just for one month. I know exactly how many of those kits get sold each month, and know it is part of my job to deliver something that all those people will want and can justify spending that money on. It's my responsibility to keep them getting better + better. The same goes for the wholesale lines. We have a big CHA release coming up in January that I poured hours into. I'm so proud of these lines. They're not like anything I've designed before and I think that's what I'm the most proud of. I hope that you will adore them as much as I do.
I love what I get to do for a job. I love that I got to travel around the country teaching and that when I do get married someday the majority of the friends sitting on my side will be scrapbookers and that it has given me opportunities I'd never imagined. At the end of each year when I reflect back I always feel the exact same way. I tried to push myself and try my best and want to be better because it gives me so much back. This was the year I wanted to attempt to give back what was owed.
I'll leave it to Steve Jobs to eloquently sum up my rambling blog post:
