We’ve nearly reached the end of February and that means we have just a couple more installments of our Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge. Today we’ll play around with a little technique that I think you’ll want to repeat once you get the hang of it…


Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge #13


They say there’s no sense re-inventing the wheel when someone before you has already created a great solution to your problem. The same holds true for today’s journaling technique … once you figure out a great way to start a sentence or phrase, you simply need to repeat yourself as many times as necessary to get your story told. The same concept could apply to a design element or the way you use photos, embellishments or other images.

For instance, check out the following layout I created last spring…


"Why I Scrapbook" by Kristin Rutten @ Log Your Memory




You’ll notice every line begins with the same phrase … “I scrapbook because…” This provides an easy jumping off point for the journaling that helps make this more than just a list, but far easier to compose and read than a full paragraph. The repeated words, particularly when they are set apart through the use of color, font, size, elements or other techniques, also help lead your eye through the page and pull it all together with a unifying theme.

Instead of starting every sentence with the same word or phrase, you could try repeating a single word throughout your story. Or perhaps you’d like to end every sentence with the same thought or phrase. You could even take a more abstract approach and simply use a repeating type of sentence, such as a string of questions, or a repeating design element, such as a particular color or embellishment.

Need some ideas for sentence starters? Try…
  • It makes me {crazy, happy, furious, etc…} when …
  • I wish …
  • If only I could …
  • Love is …
  • How many times have I …
  • I’ll never forget …
  • I {love, hate, hope, etc…}
  • What happened to …
Here’s one more example to help get your creative juices flowing…

"Me Right Now" by jesshunt @ Designer Digitals




The Rules:
  1. Pick a topic and create a new scrapbook page that shares your story through repetition.
  2. Post that page in this album in our Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge Gallery. The deadline for all Sweet Talk Challenge Layouts is midnight (MTN) on Wednesday, March 31st, 2010.
  3. Visit this thread in our Community Forum and link us up to your layout.
  4. Once your link is verified, the above Sweet Talk award will appear in your profile and in your signature.
  5. Keep an eye on this page to track our Log Your Memory Sweet Talkers!
  6. Watch for our final Sweet Talk Journaling Challenge topic … make sure you don’t miss a post by subscribing to our Blog!
Looking for a quick & easy way to find the links to all of the different Sweet Talk Journaling Challenges? It’s right here!

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