Inspired by coffee

To be honest, I get scrapbook inspiration from scrapbooking and few other places. I just can't look at something--a pillow, let's say--and think, Heck, that would make a great page design. Not to look down on anyone who does; I truly admire that ability. I, however, lack that gene.

Amazingly, I was inspired by a coffee cup when I went to Caribou Coffee the other day. So inspired I kept the cup, marked the cup, and used what I marked as journaling on a page.
Here's a link to the Caribou home page; you can see, on the first flash, what is on the cup: lots of life maxims. Some I'd heard before, but others were new to me. I collected the ones I liked as my journaling.

To make the page, I combined Stacy Julian's color challenge and an assignment at my hybrid class at Big Picture Scrapbooking (add 2 or more layers to a photo; I added a frame and some grunge textures). I sorted through my small scraps basket for colors I liked, then put it together into a design I like and use often: strips of patterned paper with a larger block. This started 12 x 12, then I trimmed it to 8 1/2 x 11 because it seemed better that way. I also inked the letters, then smudged it to match the distressed feel to the papers. Actually, no--I smudged the pen accidentally on a couple letters, then smudged the rest on purpose. Should've used a slick writer on foam, I guess.

I wasn't sure about using the textures on a picture of my face. Truthfully, do you want people to look at your face and think texture? Not I. Still, I like how it warmed my face (and hid my rosacea), even though my eyes aren't as blue as they normally are.