Have you heard of the Scrap Gals podcast? If you haven’t stop right now and go listen. Seriously! I’ll wait… The Scrap Gals are Tracie Claiborne and Tiffany Lowder and They. Are. Amazing. I’ve been listening to their podcast non-stop since first discovering them and I’ve become an active member of their Facebook group. They are hilarious, inspiring, and listening to an episode is like hanging out with your favorite scrappers at a crop (minus packing and lugging around your supplies).

Last month, Tracie and another incredible scrapper, Jen Schow, released an online class called Ready, Sketch, Go. I can’t begin to tell you how awesome this class is. There are 15 lessons with different sketches. Each lesson has a process video done by both Jen and Tracie. But, you guys, it’s about so much more than just the sketches. These are two talented and natural born teachers. They talk about everything  from choosing the best papers for layering to how to make embellishment clusters. I’ve learned a ton and I’m only on lesson #5!

This is one of my recent layouts from the class. The podcast has really made me think about the important stories that I haven’t yet told in my scrapbooking. I was primarily a chronological scrapper and most of my layouts were event-based. There certainly isn’t anything wrong with that, but I was leaving so much on the table when it came to relationships and traditions.

I loved the look of the diagonal, but it was a little bit of a challenge to actually cut the paper. I don’t have a trimmer big enough so I took my chances, drew a pencil line, and cut it freehand. It’s not perfect, but it’ll do. The title cluster was made using the branding strips I cut from the bottom of the papers and a few stickers. I used my EK Success Powder Tool to “erase” the sticky from the today stickers so I could give it a little dimension with Stamping’ Up Dimensionals.

All the papers and embellishments are from Simple Stories Life in Color collection and I am in love with the bright colors and versatile ephemera! There’s everything from cameras to flowers and phrases to cover occasions of all kinds. I’m a huge fan of tags these days, so I was thrilled to see there were several in this kit and quickly put them to use.

How cute is this little typewriter? There are a couple of them in this collection but this large one was just the right size for the picture. I added the heart sticker and then attached it with a few Dimensionals.

Not only is the class well worth it, but there’s a Facebook group for class participants that is so talented and supportive. Seeing everyone’s take on the sketches has been a class of it’s own. It’s amazing how versatile a single sketch can be. Now that I’m back to crafting regularly, I wonder how I ever went so long without it! If your in a creative slump, I highly recommend Ready, Sketch, Go. For more information check it out here.