On your mark, get set, scrap! If this phrase sounds foreign to you, maybe you haven’t heard of an inspiration relay before. An inspiration relay involves layout creation, not racing, and the idea was first featured in an article in our September/October 2007 issue (page 91). Eight new Simple Gals borrowed this idea and held their own eight person relay.

Here’s how it works: the first team member creates a layout then sends a scan of it to the next person in line. That person takes inspiration from the layout they received and creates a new layout. Then they pass a scan of their layout to the next team member in line. This continues until each team member has created a layout. It’s fun to see how the layouts evolve as each person is uniquely inspired by what they receive.

Love this idea? Start your own inspiration relay by forming a team with a group of friends or people you meet at a crop. The first person can draw their inspiration from a color scheme, an object, a theme, or just let their imagination go! If you would rather join an online inspiration relay, look on blogs and MySpace.com. Here are the results of the Simple Gals Relay:

Linda
Since Linda didn’t get someone’s layout to be inspired by, she focused on the photos and the story behind them, which is the impossibility of taking one good photo of her three boys together! She kept the page simple by just adding epoxy brads.

Materials: brads (Target) + 11 x 8½ page by Linda Barber, Wayne, PA

Melanie
Linda’s photo placement and sleek, clean design inspired Melanie. She created a similar page, but decided to turn her layout into a spread since her photos were larger. Melanie also followed Linda’s lead by skipping on patterned paper, since her photos have so much color already. Instead, she used the rub-on lines and swirls to embellish the page. She liked the clean look so much that she decided to tape her journaling on the back of her page.

Materials: letter stickers, word plates (Making Memories) + chipboard letters (Doodlebug Design) + rub-ons (Bo-Bunny) + 8 ½ x 11 spread by Melanie Louette, Point Claire, QB, Canada

Erin
Melanie’s photo placement, number of photos, and use of rub-ons inspired Erin. However, she decided to do a single page layout instead of a spread like Melanie did, and instead of rub-ons she used strips of patterned paper.

Materials: patterned papers (Scrapworks) + Love, Elsie epoxy accent ( KI Memories) + chipboard letters (American Crafts) + 8 ½ x 11 page by Erin Sweeney, Twinsburg, OH

Lisa
Lisa related to the theme of Erin’s layout – her daughter’s growing independence. So Lisa made a layout which reflects on her daughter’s recent phase of wanting to do everything for herself. She also loved the star Erin incorporated in her title….so her page has that too.

Materials: patterned papers(Scenic Route Paper Co., me & my BIG ideas) + foam letter stickers, pen (American Crafts) + chipboard stars (Li’l Davis Designs) + file tab (Heidi Swapp) + 12 x 12 page by Lisa Dickinson, Erie, CO

Celeste
The block of patterned paper Lisa used to ground her page inspired Celeste. She also used three photos, but eliminated the tilt Lisa used on hers. The title, journaling placement, stars, and tab all came from Lisa’s layout as well.

Materials: patterned papers (KI Memories) + sticker (7gypsies) + punch(McGill)

Amy
The idea for white vertical cardstock panels used in Amy’s layout came from the way Celeste lined up her photos in vertical rows with equal spacing between them. Amy also took inspiration from Celeste’s use of stars, the way she put her title near the bottom of the page, and the theme of the layout. Celeste’s was about her daughter hanging with the boys and Amy’s was about her daughter holding her own in an un-girly way.

Materials: patterned papers (Around The Block) + stickers (EK Success, Making Memories) + stars (Heidi Swapp) + 12 x 12 page by Amy Williams, Camden, ME

Sara
Sara drew inspiration from a couple of the elements in Amy’s page — the title work (using the small Making Memories tab letters and the larger stickers) and her use of stars.

Materials: patterned papers (BasicGrey) + letter stickers (Making Memories) + chipboard, felt and foam letters (American Crafts) + pen (Micron) + 8 ½ x 11 page by Sara Winnick, Issaquah, WA

Athena
For this layout, Sara’s use of stars and stripes inspired Athena, as well as the mini letters and felt for her title. She even outlined her stars like Sara did. Athena also went with a “Halloween” color scheme for her page since she had the Harry Potter photos already printed.

Materials: patterned papers (Autumn Leaves, KI Memories) + chipboard (Making Memories) + stamp (Fontwerks) + felt alpha stickers (American Crafts) + mini letters (EK Success) + stamping ink (KI Memories) + pens (American Crafts, Sakura) + 8 ½ x 11 page by Athena Mejia, Aurora, CO

Tags: Inspiration

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