Sketch it out ***Updated***

Every month I get numerous magazines delivered to the house, browse websites & blogs, and get together with friends to scrap. Each of these is a great way to get ideas to create layouts and projects - whether it is a color scheme, design, theme or technique. Over the years I have used several ways to organize the things that inspire me - from tearing out pages to leaving tabs throught a magazine and finally landing on creating a sketch book full of ideas.

Here I draw out my interpretations and make notes about what I might want to use it for (I also work the other way, starting from my pictures and creating a design). This book travels with me almost everywhere so even when I don't have all of my supplies at my fingertips I can still be creative. Then later I can quickly translate my ideas when the materials are in front of me.

These days I can't imagine life without my graph paper (one of the few connections to my engineering background) notebook. By itself it can tell quite the story - projects of the past present and future all side by side.

In the spirit of scraplifting (which has to be the sincerest form of scrapbooking flattery), here is a Donna Downey inspired holiday layout.

Update... My layout was featured on Donna Downey's blog today! Check it out!