Lack of Inspiration

[kkgirl]

Just wondering if anyone has spells where they lack inspiration. Have been making cards over the past few days using some square blue gems I bought, thought that they would look really cool, but all the cards I have made with them have been awful, and I just have got everything wrong, the ribbon isn't straight, the stamping is wonky, the gems look naff.
Am I just going through a rough patch, or is this it, has my artistic talent dried up completely (just joking) but I'm getting stressed because I'm not enjoying making them now.

Kkgirl

I always find that when I buy specific items and then try to make cards with them for the sake of using the items, the cards are rubbish. If I store the nice things that I buy and then use them when appropriate to make cards that have been ordered or I need to send they always look really good.
A bit of a waffly explanation but I hope you know what I mean!

Hmm,I sometimes have a lack of inspiration until the next magazine comes out lol.What are you doing with the gems?Perhaps we could come up with some suggestions.Have you tried doing 3 in a row under some paper and 3 up above to the left.If you know what I mean.That seems trendy right now.I'm trying to help really Iam.They sometimes do that kind of thing with brads have you seen it?When I try something and it's getting me all het up and not right I pack everything away and just try again later.Try getting a mag for some ideas.

I think we all go through stages like that kkgirl, I know I certainly do. That why I work best when I have orders, I seem to have more of a purpose as opposed to getting bits and bobs out and work aimlessly. It quite oftens gets almost thrown to one side.

Perhaps you need a bit of a change. Look through some mags, get a sketch pad, and draw up some new designs feeding off all the inspiration you can.
I do this occasionally, and scribble notes of variations I could try.eg. try this in funky foam, felt, decorated with beads or glitter...

If you aren't happy with your "gem" cards, pop the gems in a safe place, where you can find them when you want to try again! And have another go in a few days.

Sometimes I feel so useless and talentless,I feel like selling everything off and having my conservatory back in use for casually sipping wine while gazing out to the garden! But then I know I would get bored, I always need to be doing something, even while watching TV, I need something else to occupy my 1 remaining brain cell.

Chill u=out for a few days, and go back to it all when you are ready, I bet it won't be long!

Hugs! Dingle.

Dingle - that's what I meant - you just managed to say it a lot better!!

I'm sat at work and it is my last day before my hols and I just can't get my brain to function properly...it is already at the airport waiting for the plane!

there was me, sitting here typing away and thinking to myself, "what a load of old twoddle!"
I could waffle on for so long it would force kkgirl back to her cards!

I don't make cards but I do design cross-stitch kits, so inspiration is often an issue for me.

I have created two "happy books" - basically large scrapbooks in which I stick pictures of anything that I like. I try not to think how I would use it in a design, just stick it in. If I'm feeling a bit low I often flick through them and they cheer me up - hence the name "Happy books"! However if I find myself thinking about a particular picture/element of a picture, I often find I am getting the germ of an idea which I can then follow through.

I also buy cross-stitch magazines occasionally, and although I don't find them particularly inspiring (I find the standard of design in magazines often falls way below that of commercial kits), I do sometimes find myself focusing on a particular element of a design that didn't necessarily strike me at the time - cue a long search through the back issues....

Tbh kkgirl, I find that inspiration strikes me if I don't look too hard for it. Many are the designs I have discarded because I have had an idea too firmly fixed in my head, or have sat down and thought "I will design something today".

Beat that for waffle, Dingle

Thanks girls

I'm feeling a bit under the weather anyway, a bit coldy with a sore throat, and a bit down, its been a long week and dh has had to get up really early a couple of times to go off places, so I am tired too.
I am such a saddo that I am using up bits which I bought off ebay last year, in the order I bought them. When I bought these gems I thought they would be really good, but not so sure now.

Layla, not quite sure what you mean especially about under the paper and three above to the left.

I'll load one of the ones I made in the gallery, that has four in a row down each side.

A few weeks ago I came across loads of little pictures I had cut out of old magazines, like you said, they weren't really "card" related, just nice use of colours or textures....I ended up throwing them away, because they had been in there so long and never used. Great idea about the "happy book" perhaps I need to get a bigger sketch pad and incorporate the pics inio it!

Really good waffle Miaou!

I've just loaded into the card gallery in my folder called "Gems"

Thanks Dingle! Interestingly, I did used to keep all the bits in a folder, and it was only when I stuck them into a scrapbook that I started looking at them properly. Before then I hardly looked at them at all. I had fun with the juxtaposition of each of the pictures too, so each scrapbook page becomes a design in itself (but not in the way that "scrapbooking" is designed, more of a collage effect).

See, I'm a good waffler, me I'm also avoiding going back to my stitching because I am reworking a design and I'm BORED of it now!

I don't know that I could use my goodies in a strict order like that kkgirl. Don't you feel under pressure in that I have to make a design using XX.
I have been making cards for about 2 years now, and I struggle with being limited in using only the goodies provided in the challenges, but in a way you are putting yourself through that constantly.

Don't get me wrong, I love doing the challenges, but I wouldn't want to work like that al the time!

Hi KKGirl

Feel exactly the same at the mo, particularly when posties don't bring things they are suposed to . Not only has your lot gone missing in action but a parcel posted to me a month ago is hurtling around somewhere - just not my house (much to the relief of my dh I guess)!!

Perhaps you are trying a bit too hard to do something, particularly if you are feeling under the weather. I haven't made anything for 2 weeks now as I have absolutely no inspiration at all but have decided not to feel guilty about it. Being a complete girly, a good bar of chocolate usually sets me straight .......

Probably no help at all (as usual) but big hugs and inspirational fairy dust coming your way.

Just look at the date of your postings - perhaps it was the day and date talking!

kkgirl, how about trying to play with the materials and just making quirky little toppers which can be tweaked when you put them onto card?
Forget the finished product, enjoy the process for a while. Like you, I haven't made too many cards recently, but the other night I just started playing with the friendly plastic and found that I wanted to use certain materials, e.g gems and beads to complete a design idea, then I stuck them in a drawer - to be completed later. It means that when I do want a quick card, I can look in the drawer and see if ther is anything exciting or inspirational in there.(There isn't always exactly what I want but it can sometimes spurr me on to other ideas)blah, blah sorry!

I often work like that Hi5. I make up a batch of booties, or daisies, or shrink plastic designs.

Put them away and just assembly then when I feel like it. It's not very often I wil make a card from start to finish, unless it's an order needed quickly.

What are you doing with the FP please. I have some but never used it!

Hurray

My inspiration has come back.
I finished using up the blue gems, and am using some wave rippled bright card now. Have made four cards in a row and am really pleased with them

Yippee!!!!

Glad to hear it kkgirl!

Dingle re: FP (Friendly Plastic),
I have just been fiddling really, you can do so much but lots of the stuff I have seen has been 3d stand-alone stuff e.g. ear rings, napkin rings etc.I'm not into that, but I've posted a couple of cards in the new section on the yahoo site which feature friendly plastic with other materials. I'm waiting for more inspiration an time to play!!!

I only havr 2 packs!! They are sitting unopened in one of my craft boxes! I will have a look at the gallery Hi5, thank you.

what's friendly plastic? Does it come up to you and say "Hi! Wow, you look great today"?

WEll mine's not that friendly, hasn't even so much as peeped out of the box to say hello!!

look here for info on FP. Thats friendly plastic, NOT family planning!

I so wish I hadn't looked at that...

sorry!.....and rushes away to her crafty boxes.