It’s time for another Simply Inspired Contest!!! This week we’re turning to magazine ads for our inspiration. Have you ever flipped through a magazine and been suddenly stopped in your tracks at a cool image or layout design? What is it about advertisements that make us stop and want to read more? Design professionals have just a few seconds to grab the readers’ attention and spark our interest to promote their product. The result? Some amazing and down-right creative images! What a great concept to bring into the world of scrapbooking!

Your challenge this week is to create a layout based on this magazine advertisement:

It’s a clean and simple design with an attention-grabbing clear concept. Try pulling inspiration from the strong vertical columns, the uncluttered design, or the concept of comparing and contrasting. We want to see the creative ways this ad inspires your next layout! Don’t forget to upload it to the Simply Inspired gallery on or before June 1, 2009 to be in the running for a $10 gift certificate to the Designer Digitals store!!!

I can’t wait to see how you are simply inspired!

It’s time for another Simply Inspired Contest!!! Come along as we delve a little deeper into the world of creative design inspiration! Then submit your own creation for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the Designer Digitals store!

Our last contest utilized a fashionable website for our design inspiration and this week we’re turning to the realm of movie posters. Next time you go to the theater, take a second look at the rows of creativity waiting to inspire your next layout. What do you notice? What designs are you most drawn to? Take a look with a fresh set of eyes and you’ll find they are full of inspiration!

Your mission this week is to create a layout based on this movie poster:

I love the fun idea and cool look of the multiple torn edges! Don’t you? Or feel free to pull inspiration from the full page photo, a dramatic title, or the concept of removing layers to reveal a discovery. We want to see the creative ways this poster inspires your next layout! Don’t forget to upload it to the Simply Inspired gallery on or before May 18, 2009 to be in the running for a $10 gift certificate to the Designer Digitals store!!! Yay!

And be on the lookout in the Forum for our latest contest winner! It could be you!

Welcome to the Simply Inspired Challenge!!! Every two weeks we’ll be delving into the world of creative design inspiration! Advertisements, web design, fashion, movie posters, product packaging, home decor, book covers, billboards… they all contain a well-spring of design inspiration! Our goal is to capture that professional creativity and use it to spark our scrapbook layouts.

Every two weeks, I will post a random inspiration piece and challenge you to create a layout or project based on the selection. Feel free to pull inspiration from the design structure, a single element, a type treatment or even just the color combination. Once you complete your layout, upload it to the Simply Inspired Challenge gallery on or before May 4, 2009. Fun enough in itself, right? But there’s more! We’ll be selecting one lucky winner to receive a $10 gift certificate to the Designer Digitals store!!! Yay! So be sure to come play along for your chance to win! Here we go…

This week we’re pulling inspiration from a cool website I stumbled upon. I instantly recognized the similarities between the design and several popular trends in digital scrapbooking.

Chris-Benz.com

Hope this piece helps encourage your next layout! I can’t wait to see how you’re simply inspired!