One of my go-to techniques for slump busting is to use a sketch. I've been a sketch fan since Becky Higgins started her Creating Keepsakes column way back when. I own several sketch idea books, but I'll have to be honest - I like them fresh! I have several sites bookmarked and a number of sketchy blogs on my reader that keep me in hot-off-the-press sketches. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Becky Fleck's Page Maps - probably my all-time favorite. New sketches monthly, along with periodic sketches for cards, tags and assorted non-standard page sizes. I also own and highly recommend her book and I've pre-ordered her next book from Amazon. She has a monthly newsletter and a blog as well.
- Pencil Lines sketch challenge blog - new sketches every Sunday and a really diverse group of designers who showcase the weekly sketches.
- Sketchy Thursdays - another weekly sketch challenge blog. I've actually submitted my pages a couple of times and was chosen as a Sketchy Thursday Favorite. Yay me!
- Got Sketch is by the very talented Valerie Salmon. One of my favorite aspects of her site is the archives locator - it uses # of photos, which is most often how I search for the perfect sketch.
- Two Peas in a Bucket offers a great free sketch class by Kelly Purkey. I also took her second session Sketchbook class and I'm definitely hoping she offers another. Great sketches + my favorite kit club Design Team doing the examples? Fabulous!
Many of my favorite manufacturers also have occasional sketches on their blogs, so I watch for those as well. Prima comes to mind and Basic Grey's newsletter always has a sketch.
Becky Fleck Page Maps sketch, Studio Calico Continental kit (and adons)
Started out using a Becky Fleck Page Maps sketch, but it doesn't look anything close to the original. Which is one of the beauties of a sketch! Studio Calico Continental kit (and adons)
Another Becky Fleck Page Maps sketch and using up more of Continental (just checked and it is sold out)
4 comments:
Sketches do help. I use to have a hard time using them believe it or not .. not anymore. I see Pencil Lines whoop whoop ..
Love your take on the sketches ..
Your layouts are fabulous, Michelle. Another GREAT site for sketches is: http://creativescrappers.blogspot.com/ I really like them - simple, well balanced and just enough to get you started.
I'm a new fan of the sketch! What a huge time saver they are. Thanks so much for sharing your links & projects :)
I'm a fan of sketches too! They're really a great way to get your mojo going!
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