i dont know what is up with me lately (and by lately i mean the last two years…) but i have the hardest time squeaking out a page. ive definitely lost the mojo and im not sure it will ever come back. it frustrates me and makes me feel horrible. i used to LOVE scrapbooking. everything about it. the friends, the stuff, the pictures, the finished product. somwhere along the way i stopped wanting to do it, and even started wondering why i ever wanted to do it in the first place.
one of the main reasons i decided to quit the design team at twopeasinabucket.com was in the hopes that i could get some of the joy back for this hobby. being a garden girl was SO fun and so awesome and i loved every minute. the team was a huge part of my life for a very long time. the friendships there were priceless. but it got to a point where i never wanted to do anything. and i got sick of forcing myself to do something i didnt want to do and wasnt having any fun with. and i didnt want to take up space in the team like a lame dog in the back of the pack. it was incredibly hard to make the decision to leave. incredibly hard.
so now where am i? things havent changed much actually. i think my creative outlets are being fulfilled in other ways (photography) so my mind isnt “in it” anymore. but im not willing to let it go altogether and give up.
creating these with my kit was RAD! ive worked with kits before, but not one that i put together! i think its a fun idea for all of you to create your own kit at home of your favorite things to take to your next crop or friends house. just put a bunch of stuff in an envelope and make all of your layouts with it. how easy is that? instead of lugging everything around? im going to try it next time myself.
i ended up having a great time and loving the final result. you can go to cocoa daisy to see detail shots and more images!
Love love love the pages! Great creations! I hear ya about not feeling it – hope it comes back to you more often and again – as your pages rock! I hear ya too about the creativity being in other outlets – your photography shows that – it’s absolutely amazing! Hugs!!!
I have really missed seeing your awesome layouts so this was a real treat!
I am sorry you are not feeling the mojo but you really do have a great talent for scrapping. Maybe the passion will come rushing back to you at one point.
Again, love the pages and of course, LOVE your photography :)
tara = rad
I would pretty much LOOOVE to lose my mojo EVERYDAY if this what loosing your mojo looks like, seriously!!!
these are all beautiful.
and it’s amusing how lovely they turn out even when you aren’t feeling “it”.
i always love your pages and projects.
a fresh perspective.
art isn’t fun when you are forced to do it…i get that.
you are inspiring and honest and open and real about life.
thanks.
i wish i could buy that very cool cocoa daisy kit…i am out of my monthly scrapbook $.
-meg
I love your layouts-makes me want to go scrap right now- too bad I am at work. But I am in the same boat- I never “want” to scrapbook anymore- it used to be all I ever wanted to do….oh well…
I *totally* understand how you feel about scrapbooking. I know I’ve been going through a dry spell for the last year or so, but I’m starting to feel the itch again and it excites me.
I ordered your kit from Cocoa Daisy and I can’t wait to get it. I’ve always loved your layouts…they are so easy going and kick back looking. When I get the kit I’m just going to sit down and have fun with it. Can’t wait!
Great layouts! You are so creative. I’ve been in that scrapbooking “rut” lately too. I’m hoping to just sit down tonight with some of my favorite things and crank out at least one page. I tend to do better pages when I don’t have a plan going into it. We’ll see.
these are so great! love everything about them. Yummy. Good. Sweet.
and now I want the restroom people.
I am just coming out of a rut! What got me out was buying a regular old photo album at Target, and putting my pics in it, spaced with pieces of cardstock, patterned paper, etc. It felt so freeing, not having to struggle with the “design” of each page. I put 2-3 pics per page, and the one/two spots left each page I fill with journaling, flowers, whatever. I am having fun with it. I think you loose your mojo, when it stops being fun and becomes “work”. I hope you get your mojo back, because your pages are beautiful, but if not, your photography is art in itself!
in the words from Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse: “wow, that’s about all I can say, wow”.
I just ordered your kit from Cocoa Daisy…*LOVE* what you did with it:)
i could have wrote this…aside from the designing kit part. I am so with you. I don’t know what happened. One day I am full circle in scrapbook land, and then BAM. I quit it all. Quit caring about it, quit visiting the sites, quit doing it…then felt REALLY silly about the amount of CRAP i had to do it with. I let it go for about a year and half….and then last week, I got back in there. For the first time in a LONG time, I created and it wasn’t like pulling teeth. Now…who knows if it will last. I think it is all just an ebb and flow of life. I had a lot of STUFF going on in my life when I quit. Moving, pregnancy and then baby, then remodeling and JUNK. I think i just didn’t have time to even begin to WANT to scrap. Now I have more time. I think you quit about the time of McKenna’s accident (showing my true tara stalker style) and it is a given that you needed time to get life back on track. YOu were forced to give up things in order to help with her recovery and you probably didn’t have much to give after all your NORMAL responsibilities. And then the blogging/photography stuff filled that void. Maybe now you can get back in the game. Make yourself a kit once a week..and by all means, SHARE what you do. I miss you in the garden (when I remember to go there…I am still not back into the internet side of scrapping!)
ok..that was long. SOrry
Wow, it’s fun to see some layouts from you!
So awesome to see some “T” pages :)
I hear you though….I’ve been having exactly the same feelings :(
Tara,
Thanks for reassuring me that I’m not the only one that has felt this way in the last 2 years. Just sent ya an email:)
Dawn
I’m feeling a little of that. For me it might just be seasonal. Once winter hits, I hope I’ll be ready to deal with the summer photos.
Don’t give it up completely, because your style is very refreshing. You make it look so easy to make these really balanced and casual looking layouts. Love them! Thanks.
you already know how i feel about these! super fun. i was thinking, we could go get hypnotized….you for scrapbooking and me for eating. we could each have a code word for each other and call each other when we needed the “mojo” for scrapbooking and an appetite for “normal people” foods. LOL what you think?
you have a very fresh twist with the scrappin’…great stuff..tfs!
p.s. i don’t think i told you before, but i LOVE that pic of kenna! i love that smile! :)
You so ROCK! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone back to look through layouts I’ve bookmarked of yours, both online and in the mags when I need some fabulous inspiration.
Awesome…I think your mojo is officially back! :)
so glad to see you scrappy again!
LOVE LOvE LOVE them tara!
and it’s so great to finally see you scrapbooking AGAIN!!!!!!
adorable!
tara
I look forward to your pages in Simple, so glad you are in there now. I love your style, one of my favorites!! ilove the idea of making my own kit. thanxs woman.
The pull apart card would be perfect for wedding invitations. Do you not have that one for sale?
you’ve still got it! :)
That card is fantastic!
I so understand what you mean about loosing the feeling. Scrappin was my life and now its been ages since I completed a page… I love the pages and projects you created with your kit… awesome!
so love all of these..
i really hope it helped you to get them done..
well, i’d say the mojo is back, baby! love those layouts! i’ve gotten away from actually scrapbooking lately and i’m starting to miss it. as always, love your style and find it so inspiring!
kits are the new pink! ;)
Looks like you’ve got your groove back, girlie! Awesome pages. I totally hear ya about going through a dry spell. I’ve been there for about a year. Keep hoping it will all come back to me. Maybe I should get a kit….
Love all the products in the kit, can’t wait till mine arrives! :) And I LOVE what you did with the stuff!! I hope you can keep some of that mojo around and crank out a few more, such inspiration!! it’s all so fresh and funky! LOVE IT!!
you’ve still got it
love them all, tara! :)
No, no, NO, my girl, you have NOT lost “it”………some of us need the “extra stuff” to enhance our photos……your photos speak volumes and volumes. There is so much of YOU in them, your heart, your soul. They say things all the journaling in the world never could. The smiles, the sparkling eyes they are all the embelleshments you need! Love your work!
Incredible!
i read your blog everyday :) but dont comment much….
i truly thing you WILL get your mojo back when youre creting for YOU again.. and not someone else :)
enjoy tara…. you deserve it
you are still my favorite.
love you to pieces STILL.
this stuff makes me oh so glad.
xo,
aw
i can TOTALLY relate to what you are saying about losing the mojo and wondering if it will ever come back. seriously, it was like you took the thoughts out of my head…except other crafty things are taking up my time, like sewing, knitting, some photo taking (but just as a hobby). i love your pages! you have always, always been one of my top five favorite scrapbookers. your style is simple, real and honest, and a little funky. great kit! i hope my mojo and love i once had for scrapbooking comes back, but in the mean time, i’ve enjoyed looking at your great pages! :)
I’ve always loved your style, and these are no different! Gorgeous pages!!!! I could never tell that your mojo’s gone right now with these pages. Take a break and don’t feel bad about it, and you’ll want to scrap again one day. *S*
love these miss t. love. :)
You already have a ton of comments here, but I just felt I had to tell you…..I SO know what you are talking about. I haven’t “felt” it in a while. I too think that photography has become my outlet. I feel guilty when I look at all the product and think about the amount of money spent on it! Then I decided it’s o.k. because someday I will get back to scrapping and all that stuff will be there. Glad to see some pages from you. They ROCK!
Um…so…for your “mojo” being gone…these simply do rock…seriously!
And anyway, photography is scrapbooking of a sort and that simply rocks too!!!!
So…maybe you are like the music business…your format has just changed!!! (you know…like CD’s to digital music from i-tunes!)
Its still art, it still tells a story and it simply rocks…yea…a format change…how cool is that?
OMG.. that is too cute…Hey if this is losin’ your mojo then maybe I’ll try losin’ mine. Niiice…
I love all of these creations especially the “Dude’s In Love”(obviously) and “Ours”
And the book of you and Jeff is smashing! Kind of made me want to create something of the sort for Shane and I…Maybe some day when I am not pushing myself to write about some band ;-) hehe We all go through it darling just got to let the creative ideas flow when they flow. Just like you did here.
Tara, Im in your same exact position! I use to be a Huge scrapper and haven’t gotten it out in two years! I was to – but I don’t. I even thought for the first time ever, “I dont know if I will ever scrap again?” I think I will now. Thanks. mb
Well, you may THINK you lost a mojo at certaom points, but I can tell you from these layouts you HAVE NOT. I love your photography, no doubt. But frankly, when I get the (rare) chance to see a LO you’ve done, well, I’m inspired beyond the envelope. Love your work. Love you. Keep us inspired.
Amazing Kit! I’ve been doing that for about the last year, putting together my own kits for crops, and even for at home use. Then I just lug a tote with my favorite tools along with it. I seem to be so much more productive that way! I’ve even started selling my “Custom Kits” to friends who don’t want to agonize over what they’re going to use together, and on my etsy shop.
I think your photography is amazing, and still such a creative outlet.