Inspiration can be a funny commodity. A color, a picture, an advertisement, a scent, or a sound can evolve into a work of art on a scrapbook page. This week’s template by Pattie is filled with inspiring elements: the circular design, the intriguing spaces for paper or pictures, the white space. It’s a great canvas just waiting to inspire your next page.

Speed Byte No. 003

Kayleigh’s (Kayleigh) darling Makenna is the focal point of this great page with Kayleigh’s signature stitching and impeccable choice of elements.

Credits: Speed Byte No. 003, Botanica Paper Pack and Ribbons, Cut Ups: Baby Collection, Hush-a-Bye Element Pack, Tailed Journalers, Classic Cardstock: Muse, Roughed Up Alphabet: Krafty, Flossy Stitches: White, Natures Best Flowers, Stitched by Anna White No. 2, Stitched by Anna Circles No. 2

I knew what photos I wanted to use with Pattie’s template, but I didn’t have any concrete ideas beyond that. Once I started working with it, however, the circular elements inspired my title and journaling.

Credits: Speed Byte No. 003, Have a Heart Felts No. 2, Simply Stripes Paper Pack No. 1, Spot Dots No. 13 Paper Pack, Chipboard Alphabet: White, MultiStitched by Anna Black/White No. 1, MultiStitched by Anna Circles Black/White No. 1, SandScratched Overlays No. 1 12x12, Miscellaneous Brads: Red, Miscellaneous Brads: Blue

This versatile template is one of the Thrifty Thursday specials; you can pick it up for 30% off. I hope you’ll join in this challenge and post your page in the Template Challenge Gallery so that we can see how you were inspired.

Make sure to checkout our Thrifty Thursday specials today.  There are 292 items marked down 30%!

I’ve got a great piece of inspiration for you this week!
Searching for gifts for my really hard to buy for Hubby, I came across this CD cover. How could I resist this for an iTunes challenge?!

And heres how some of the creative team ran with it…

Sam worked her usual magic and made this pretty, pretty page -

Anke made a perfect seasonal page, with clever 3D font and row of photos -

Debi made a striking sports page that just leaps at you…

And heres mine. Nothing like I was going to do, but I like the outcome, so I guess thats all that matters right?

It makes me chuckle; I think we should put it on the wall. Just need a house with more walls…so many pictures I want to frame and put up, as you can imagine!

Really looking forward to seeing what you create from this inspiration. Make sure you post it in the iTunes very own gallery, so we can spot it easily and leave it some love!

Next challenge in two weeks time. There are some Christmassy itunes inspirations coming very soon! Cant wait!

It’s time for another Simply Inspired Contest and your chance to win $10 worth of free goodies from the Designer Digitals store!!! Hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for some cool new design inspiration! This week we’re using this fun poster to jumpstart your creativity: 

This baby has been sitting patiently in my inspiration folder just waiting for me to call it’s name. Well, today is the day! Bold typography. Great use of white space. A color combination that is purely delicious. What more could a girl ask for? Start your next layout by pulling inspiration from one (or all three) of these great design starters. OR feel free to be inspired by those adorable little graphics or simply create a page about all the things YOU like. Take whatever speaks to you and run with it!

When your layout is complete, upload it to the Simply Inspired gallery on or before November 30, 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!

“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.”  ~Jean Baptiste Massieu

Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner in the United States!  What do you think about most of all on Thanksgiving?  Friends, family, memories, some wonderful food and gratitude?  When we gather around our big tables laden with the fruits of the harvest, our hearts are filled with the gratitude of today, tomorrow & of days gone by.  But, we don’t need to be sitting around a Thanksgiving table to feel greatful toward someone or something do we?  Gratitude is so much a part of our lives ... so much so that we each sometimes need to take a little time to say thank you to those to whom we are grateful.  I love this quotation from Cynthia Ozick ... “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.”

Today our inspiration layouts begin with this page from Katrina {katrinak}.  When thinking of “gratitude”, Katrina immediately thought of Joe ... a person in her life that meant so much to her.  A person who unknowingly helped to shape her life.  Katrina had no photographs to use for this layout. I think that the soaring birds are perfect, don’t you?  “Photos taken yesterday . story a bit older!”

Katrina’s Supplies:  Layered Template No. 37, Classic Cardstock: Muse Paper Pack, Collageables No. 02, StraightLine Stitched White No. 01 & Worn Photo Edges No. 04: Golden Years.

A Happy Childhood is one thing that came to Debbie’s {DebbieHodge} mind. I love the photograph of Debbie & her brother, Mark playing with their wagon.

Debbie’s Supplies:  A Million Miles Kit, Worn Edges Mixed No. 02, Woven Ribbons No. 01, Tied Fasteners No. 03, Flossy Stitches: Blue, Mega Tag Pack, CircleIT Basix No. 01 BrushSet, Stitched by Anna Baby Blue No. 01 & Brad Bonanza No. 03: Digital Fasteners.

Patricia {iUma} does a wonderful job with each and every heritage page that she creates.  Patricia tells us that she loves being able to stitch her stories together with her past. She said, “My Mom’s writing her mother’s life story has made it a lot easier. A letter to my Grandfather seemed the best way to express how happy I am to be his granddaughter.”

Patricia’s Supplies:  Vintage Journal No.4, Tabbed Brushes and Stamps No. 03, Transfer Photo Frames Brushes and Stamps, Vintage Photo Frames: Large No. 02, Carded Stacked Frames, y Family Genealogy Definitions Brushes and Stamps No. 02, UpcycledART Paperie #5 & Sprawling Paint.

Next we visit Fiona {Applechick} in Scotland and see her lovely tribute to her father, with the simple title of Thanks Dad.

Fiona’s Supplies: Basic Notebook Edge Masks, Simply Stripes No 1 paper pack, Collageables No. 01 , Letters Home Elements and Brushes, Letters Home Paper Pack, From My Bookshelf No. 01 Kit,Grungy Ledger Grids Brushes and Stamps, Overhanging Leaves, Worn Photo Edges No. 04: Golden Years, DifferentStrokes No. 02 BrushSet & Stitched by Anna Cream No. 03

I hope that you will enjoy creating your own layout to remind you of the gratitude that you feel for a special someone or something.  When you do, post it in the Heritage Gallery so we can all enjoy your efforts.