Hi, Erin here! Have you ever seen a kit that you just loved, but thought to yourself, “I have absolutely nothing to scrap with that”?  Maybe it was a kit you got for free, or one you wanted to buy, but feel like you just can’t use it. It happens to me ALL the time.  Especially this time of year.

I live in Thailand, which is pretty close to the equator, and although it is technically “winter” right now, I am wearing shorts and a tank top.  Oh it is definitely cooler than it is the rest of the year, and I appreciate the break from the intense heat, but it never snows here, ever!  And really it only frosts once or twice a year but only high up in the mountains – never in my city – so winter is really a relative term.

Right now there are so many GORGEOUS snow and winter kits for sale, but I have no snow pictures to scrap.  Oh, I had a few from years ago, that one time we were in the USA and it snowed about ½ an inch.  But I can only make so many pages from those pictures.

BUT . . . I really want to play with all these pretty kits. So today I am going to inspire you with some ideas on using those gorgeous kits – any kits you love really – when you don’t have pictures that match them.  I will be using Winter Magic which just released this weekend for all of these layouts.

1. Go off theme.

Now I am sure most of you have realized this, but every kit comes with at least some basic papers and elements so you can always take a kit and use it for an off theme layout.  For me, I like to rummage through the folders and find an element or two that really peaks my interest -what is it I LOVE about this kit – and showcase it on my Off-theme layout.  In this case the card that Quotes Olaf from Frozen was a biggie.  That is a quote we say around here often – mostly because we always feel like we are melting, especially when one of our sweaty kids wants a good cuddle – ack!  So naturally I paired the card with a picture of my kids – who are worth melting for!  Then I finished the page off with some of my Favorites from the kit.

2. Go Photoless

This is one I tend to forget about, but going photoless is always a great option.  In this case (using a winter kit with no winter pages) you could journal about winter past, or what you miss about winter, or what you don’t miss about winter.  I decided to document a song that has some fun memories tied to it for hubby and I, and there was conveniently a Journal Card in the kit that was just perfect for that!

3. Borrow Some Pictures

Now some people might think that sounds a bit weird, but hear me out. I have two sisters back in the US and both have happy families and are very active.  They both also take a lot of gorgeous pictures but neither one is at all interested in scrapbooking.  (I have tried to get them into it, but it is just not their thing).  Well, when my first nephew was born I started making pages for him and gave them to my sister.  SHE LOVED THEM!  She actually cried when she saw them.  I had hoped that doing that would encourage her to do scrapbooking with me, but no.  However, I have continued to make pages for both of my sisters off and on through the years. This last year I have really incorporated them more into my memory keeping process.  In fact I have even stretched out to include several of my cousins in my page making. I don’t try to document their lives as in depth as I do my own family, but when I see gorgeous pictures or they pass a big milestone I go for it. It can also serve as a great way to get some creative therapy.  When I work on a page of someone else’s family I find that I am not as personally connected so it actually ends up being more relaxing and therapeutic for me.  So I encourage you, if you have never tried it, give borrowing pictures a go sometime.  Think about who around you takes pictures, friends, family members, co-workers – but remember to ask if you can use their pictures, especially if they are not family.  You might be surprised at how enthusiastic people can be when you gift them their own memories. Here is a page I made for my sister documenting their family vacation last year.

4. Do some Art Journaling

Ah, you knew that one was coming didn’t you!

I find that when I really love a kit but have nothing to scrap, the best thing for me to do is play.  Creative Play is just as important for adult brains as it is for children’s brains, but we as adults tend to allow ourselves less time to play.  When you find that you are drawn to a kit but have nothing to scrap, let your heart take over.  See what it is that you are drawn to and pull it onto a canvas and just let it go from there.  There is no right or wrong in art journaling and even if you hate what you end up making you can always journal about why you hate it.  You might be surprised at how therapeutic even that can be. Here is my Art journal piece with this kit, simple, but still fun to make.

So there you go.  Four ideas to get you started and inspired when you just don’t know where to go.  Happy Scrapping!