The Winter Blahs: Ten Tips for Scrapping Your Way Through
An Article for Those Who Want to be
a Little Rough Around the Edges
By Janelle Clark

For many of us, the weeks between New Year's and the coming of Spring are difficult. The holidays are over, the weather is cold, dark, and unpleasant, and often our minds and bodies want to hibernate. Even if you're fortunate enough to live in a warmer climate, you may experience a post-holiday letdown and some Wintertime blues.

When my brain goes into idle, my creative spirit often follows! I have more time to scrapbook, with the holiday busyness past, but it feels overwhelming to try to come up with an idea or a design for a layout. So I've invented a few tricks to break through the ice and warm up those scrapping fingers!

1. Save photos of warmer days to scrap on colder days . One Winter, I purposely set aside some photos of a wonderful trip we took to southern California, and pulled them out in February, when it seemed the sun would never shine again. Looking at the sunny skies in the pictures and re-living the happy memories of our trip really boosted my spirits--and my scrapbooking energy. Creating pages that bring warm summer days to life is its own mini-vacation, and less expensive too. See Example 1.

Example 1

2. Take a walk with your camera and shoot photos that show what Winter looks like where you live. Here in Ohio, we have snow for at least part of the Winter, which makes lovely photos, but even the bare trees, gray sky, and brown grass have a muted beauty all their own. Try shooting black-and-white photos. They capture Winter's starkness even better than color. Plan a page that features Winter in your part of the world. See Example 2 .

Example 2

3. Buy yourself a new scrapbooking toy. Here's the catch, you have to take it home and use it! You don't have to be extravagant if you're feeling the after-Christmas financial pinch: a handful of colored pencils, a few sheets of beautiful Patterned Paper, or a sheet of stickers can be enough to draw out new ideas from that frozen mind.

4. Get out and do something "wintry," and take pictures! Go ice skating or sledding with your kids. Or have a snowball fight in the yard. If you don't have snow, go for a cool-weather hike, or make a bird feeder for those hungry birds. The fresh air and exercise are good for you, and you'll have some new and fun pictures to scrap. Or,

5. Stay inside and do something "wintry," and take pictures! Being cooped up indoors makes everyone crazy in the Wintertime. What can your family do to make life indoors more fun? Try turning off the TV and having a day of games, popcorn and cocoa. Or rent some favorite movies. How about a "snow day" celebration when the kids are home from school because of the bad weather? Capture the special indoor activities your family enjoys (or the havoc they raise) in the Wintertime, and then make a layout! See Example 3.

Example 3

6. Start a project you've been putting off. The slower-paced months of Winter are a good time to lay aside your everyday album and plunge into a bigger project that can keep you engrossed. Wedding and heritage albums always seem to get put off until we can do it just right, why not jump in and enjoy the process right now? Or work on a smaller-scale theme album? Stacy Julian has some wonderful suggestions for albums that are less overwhelming and easy to complete in her book Simple Scrapbooks . Recipe albums,"pictures-I-love" albums, and hometown albums are just a few of the terrific ideas she covers.

7. Scrapbook with others. Sometimes we feel isolated in the late Winter months when the socialization of the holidays is over. Scrapping with others is a great way to boost your energy and enthusiasm. If you've never been to a crop or a class at your local scrapbook store, consider going. Have a friend over for some scrapping time, or introduce the wonderful world of scrapping to a friend or relative who's never done it. Get in some quality time with your kids and let them scrap with you. You might even be able to drag your spouse into the fun.

8. Play a game with yourself. Close your eyes, open a scrapbooking magazine, and put your finger down on a page. Whatever layout you land on, copy something from it for a layout of your own: a color scheme, lettering template, border, or just copy the whole layout! Copying can be so helpful when you feel like your supply of ideas has dried up. Your own unique style will emerge in the process and turn your page into something special.

9. Create an idea book. Every year, our pile of magazines and idea books grows higher. Taking the time to organize the ideas you like can save you some time when you?re ready to scrap and need inspiration. You can cut up your magazines, putting articles, layouts and tips into a 3-ring binder. Or you can sketch ideas that grab your attention onto 3x5 index cards. Label the cards with the source and page number, and then file them in a recipe card box. Don't limit yourself to scrapbooking magazines for ideas, look through your piles of catalogs and magazines for design ideas that you can clip and add to your book. Martha Stewart magazines and Pottery Barn catalogs are just two sources in which I have found wonderful graphic art. Here are two of my idea cards and a sample from my idea book. See Example 4.

Example 4

10. Clean and organize your scrapping area. The beginning of a new year is a time when I feel the urge to get my life in order. If you feel the feel the same, why not spend some time organizing your scrapbooking supplies. Make a pile of things to toss or give away; take note of items you've been meaning to use. I always find things that I had completely forgotten about, and sometimes just the re-discovery of them sparks a new page idea or brings back an old one. You can turn this process into a game as well: take the first forgotten item you uncover and make a page with it. Usually, removing the mess from my desk helps to clear some of the cobwebs from my mind as well, and I am able to start fresh on a new page?and create a whole new mess to clean up.

With each passing Winter it seems like I'm tempted to enjoy it less and complain more! But I've found one antidote to not only help with those Winter blahs but to turn them into a pleasant experience. I feel fortunate to have discovered a wonderful form of self-expression that help me, through the Wintersand through some of the other not-so-fun times of life, too. Now look out that dreary window and see the colors of your rich life. See where scrapbooking takes you this Winter and then scrap it right into Spring.

Janelle Clark writes away in the Scrapbook.com Neighborhood as one of our Featured Artists. Look for more from Janelle in the Articles and Tips section of the Scrapbook.com Neighborhood. Also see more of Janelle's layouts in the Scrapbook.com Page Gallery .