Font Resize
Some people are naturally creative. They don't need craft books, recipes or HGTV. They find artistry and inspiration all around them and, more importantly, within them.
Then there are people like me, who take someone else's designs and try to make them our own. Sometimes we copy them outright. Don't worry -- it's legal.
The layouts in Creating Keepsakes' Easier-than-Ever series of idea books even come with an estimated "total time to scraplift." The books are filled with original designs by artists who, I'm betting, have a scrapbooker or two whose work, dedication and spirit they admire.
My craft muse is my sister, Laura Bakkala. She never got into scrapbooking, but she encouraged me to try it, ordering a kit from QVC for my birthday shortly after I moved to Salt Lake City in 1996.
There wasn't much to it, really -- cardstock, squiggly scissors, a notebook of acid-free paper, and some stickers -- more than enough to spark her imagination but hardly sufficient to pique mine. It wasn't until a year later, when a Tribune colleague took me to a scrapbook store, that I caught the bug.
Laura has never designed a scrapbook page or given me tips for mine, but through her own creative endeavors, she inspired me to pursue something that makes me happy, to take risks, to share my passion with others, and, above all else, to be proud of my handiwork.
If you look at your projects, even those you consider to be most
On May 27, I lost my sister, my friend, and my constant source of creative encouragement. So now I must draw inspiration from her many gifts -- Christmas ornaments made with beads and baubles, bar glasses etched with "BYU Sucks," soy candles with made-up scents only Laura could imagine, and her DIY personality.
She inherited some of her ingenuity (and stubbornness) from our Dad, a musician, machinist, woodworker and inventor. The hand-crafted sign above his tool cabinet said "To Create is to Live." Likewise, Laura was most content when she was engaged in one of her passions, and there were many throughout her 48 years.
She learned to sew, knit, crochet and cook at a young age. She became a master gardener, flower arranger and candle maker. She flirted with glass etching, gallery glass and wreath making. She never met a power tool she couldn't operate. And she had a terrific singing voice, even after decades of smoking.
About the only thing she couldn't teach herself to do is whistle.
And like my Dad, Laura was a perfectionist. Her coloring books were flawless, her Spirograph designs perfect. And her pumpkin cheesecake brownies and Jubilee Jumble cookies were always sublime.
Despite her meticulousness, I rarely heard her critique someone else's creation -- another quality I greatly admire. Perhaps it was because she understood what it was like to be judged, even ridiculed -- as an overweight child, a teenager who ran off with a married man, a divorcee who had trouble holding a job, a woman who doted on her dogs like children, and someone who spoke her mind often and loudly.
My sister was far from perfect, and she knew it, even bragged about it, saying she wasn't about to change who she was for anyone. That attitude may strain friendships and family relationships, but it also frees you up to be yourself, try new things, and not be afraid to fail.
In Laura's memory and in honor of all those people who motivate us with their creativity, generosity, love of animals and fighting spirit, I'm proposing a contest of sorts.
Send us a scrapbook page that pays tribute to someone who provides creative inspiration in your life, whether it's a spouse, parent, child, friend or beloved pet. E-mail submissions to features@sltrib.com by July 12. Be sure to include your name, e-mail address and phone number for verification -- and a few words about your subject.
There won't be any judging or prizes awarded. We will, however, feature a few submissions in the August Scrapbook Insider and as many as possible in an online gallery.
I think Laura would like that. And if not, well too bad. She would especially like that. Love ya, sis.
E-mail Linda Fantin at scrapbooking@sltrib.com.
