Yes, it’s true!  Our technical difficulties are over, and Sketches by Suzy has finally returned, with our own domain name, a new look, and what else?  New sketches!

To celebrate our return, there are 10 new sketches that have just been posted, and one of them has never been seen before!  Even more are completed and just waiting their turn to inspire you. There will be four more today, and then you can expect to see a new sketch every Thursday!

During the downtime, I have had some time to think about how to make this website better for all of you, and about new features I want to add.

One of those is already in place… you will notice that some of the posts include product links for the example layouts. Those links lead to sites you can see and/or buy the products used.  I do not endorse those sites, they are just where I most easily found the product.

Sketches by Suzy has a page on Facebook.  If you like this site, please consider becoming a fan.  There you will hear about upcoming changes to the website, and soon you will be able to see the new blog posts right in your Live Feed.

Last, but definitely not least, I want to tell you about this picture here.  That’s me on the right, but on the left is my mother.  She is a fan of Sketches by Suzy, but she is my personal biggest fan, too.  It is mainly from her that I get my sense of design (she has an art education degree and is a former art teacher).  She is the one who looks at my scrapbooks first for the photos, then the overall layout, and then the design details.  She is also the one who encouraged me to start scrapbooking, way back in 1998. It is very possible that without that encouragement, my sketches would not exist.  Thanks, Mother, and I love you!

As I prepare to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Sketches by Suzy blog, I have some fun things in mind for all of my visitors.

1. “Where to Buy” links to the posts, or a “Where to Buy” section (haven’t decided which,) when possible.  I’ve had many emails about where to get some of the products used on my layouts, and I thought this would make it easier on everyone.
2. A Reader’s Gallery, organized by Sketch #, where you can show off your take on my sketches.
   
3. All of the sketches in a printable or book format, so you can take them with you to your scraproom or crops!

There’s more… lots more.  And because this blog is for you, not me, I’d love to hear what you want from this blog!  Submit your suggestions through the comment section of this post.

I have been a big fan of sketches ever since Becky Higgins came out with her first sketch in CK years and years ago. Since then, I’ve used sketches on many layouts, though they never look exactly like what the sketch started as. Often it is just as jumping point for inspiring me in a different direction.

My scrapping style changed, and I found myself not using sketches, because BH was fairly plain, and that’s not my style anymore (though it isn’t a bad style, at all… just not mine).  Plus, I’d done so many of them that I was ready for something else.

Then I found this book: and I was re-inspired to start using sketches again.  My layouts never look just like the sketches, and sometimes you can’t tell I started with the sketch at all!  But I find sketches so inspiring, and am enjoying using them again.

It has been suggested to me that I create my own sketches, from various layouts I’ve done, and share them with others… maybe even try to publish them in a book.  I don’t know about that, but we’ll start with this blog.  So welcome!

I would really love to have feedback on the sketches I share with you.  So use that comment button!   Thanks!