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I like my layouts to be fun and stylish with plenty of colour and a story to tell. My scrapbooking style has probably evolved from my enjoyment of scrapbooking; we know how to have a laugh in our family, and that is extended into my layouts. I use a combination of a lot of photos from everyday life with journaling to tell the tales of our family. I feel I am able to add multiple photos and elements on a layout without it appearing cluttered. I hope in many years that my family can look through our albums and laugh as we remember the fun things we did. And while I like to use the latest products, I like to produce classically styled layouts that I hope will remain timeless.

My photos are my strongest inspiration - all other elements just fall into place. I plan very few of my pages - in a formal way, that is. I usually start with the photos, selecting one that I would like to feature and print that photo in a larger size. I then add smaller photos and work on the journalling I would like to include. I lay the photos out on my desk, then play around with different coloured cardstock and patterned papers until I am happy with the overall 'look'.

If you're looking for inspiration, you just need to take a look around you! Graphic Inspiration is all around us. In nature we can be inspired by colour schemes and textures and in the commercial world we have graphic designs in most aspects of our lives. Magazines, advertisements, shop signs, clothing labels, food labels and packaging are just a few places to start looking.

I always try to be true to myself in my scrapbooking. I don't necessarily use all the latest and greatest products or techniques just because they are currently popular, but I well return to elements which I genuinely love using and use them repeatedly and just reinvent new ways to present them. I also like telling a story. Quite often I will achieve this by using a sequence of photos of the one event that I am scrapping.

You don't have to scrap every photo and you don't have to scrap photos in order. Choose the photos and subjects that are important to you - and have fun! I think you enjoy the whole process more when you are doing what you want to do. This is a hobby, we should be having an enjoyable time doing it. And remember, there are no mistakes in scrapbooking. Your pages should be a reflection of you, they are your layouts, and you can make them what you want.