I changed my mind twice about how I was going to do project life this year, one of which I shared with you here about simplifying as I got started on the new year. It was an ok plan, but only ok. I was not as thrilled with it as I was last year. Now I guess that was to be expected, new things are shiny, new ways of working can be invigorating and when you repeat something it can feel stale.
I was using WRMK Albums in Aqua for project life and in Vanilla for my 12x12's. (I can wholeheartedly recommend The Craftz Boutique for speed and service. They totally don't know I am posting this, I am in no way affiliated with them, I just love their service)
So I did a very dramatic thing that had me battling all my ocd tendencies and I put. it. in. the. 12 x 12 layout album. which. is. a. different. colour. Well, I quite liked it.
2. Shimelle posted this Glitter Girl video about using fabric and I was so drawn to the fact she made a double spread using one side in a divided page protector. So I thought about it a lot more.
So, I thought I would put all sizes of scrapping that is current and chronological (pretty much all the scrapping I like to do) and put it together in one project life album. That got me thinking about how to do it and I spent a lovely evening putting it together in a fashion that I could work with.
The last thing that happened was watching my friend Laura on our scrapbooking retreat a few weeks ago and her super-scrapper style. She is more planned and organised than me, that made me sit up.
What? "I am not the most planned and organised scrapper", my competitive side thought, I can do that, why didn't I think of that? And...
What? I can plan my future scrapping the same way I plan any other project, well duh. I mean, duh, duh, du-duh.
I mean I think about my future scrapping, I buy Ali's outer clothes in mainly navy-blue so he is easy to scrap with. Of course, remember the red body-warmer disaster of autumn/spring 2010? No? Well I was just a beginner ;)
But, I could also plan out pages in the album as I do any individual pockets of divided page protectors for a weekly spread.
I went back to Shimelle again, I took her Cover to Cover class a while ago to overcome my fear of putting layouts in albums (what? How could I be that same person? I adore putting them away now nice and safely) and I found it really helpful, but at the point that I took the class it just didn't click (obviously getting work in an album was a stretch at that point!). I didn't get any further with my own ideas and just plodded on with project life in one album and everything else in another.
So now it will be pre-2012 in one set of albums in as near chronological order as I can get. I was a scatter-scrapper then. Then 2012 in 4 albums, 2 x project life and 2 x 12x12s (which I might go back and amalgamate, but probably not, it is what it is). Then 2013 all together going forward. Phew, did you get all that?
So, what next? I have a blog post with a video that I am preparing to show you looking through the album for the first quarter of the year. I am also preparing a post with some detail as to how I record our life and then how I transfer that to the album. There is so much inspiration out there as to how to do this project and I love looking at their projects and take some of their ideas and make them my own. I thought I would share how I have taken it for anyone thinking of doing it and not quite sure how to start.
I would love to hear any questions you have about this and also any suggestions for me to include about the whole process. Please leave them in the comments or if it is easier please email me at jenniedothart@medotcom :)
Can't wait :)
You've given me quite a lot to think about - I like the idea of planning ahead and put PL and LOs in one album but what do you do with pages you scrap where the photos were taken 3,5 10 years ago?
ReplyDeleteThey are in different albums, higgledy-piggledy at the moment, but the plan is to put them chronologically, eventually!
DeleteBlimey Jen!! Loved the bit about the albums being aqua and vanilla. Quelle Surprise. I love the idea of this project.
ReplyDeleteYes, no surprise there :)
DeleteLovely blog post...and yes fod for thought!!!....not done any PL pages for ages...need to get my arse backin to gear!!! Thanks Jen x x x
ReplyDeleteYes, go for it Sarah, yours is lovely x
DeleteThank you for sharing your PL 'how I started' - a very interesting read for me. I am ready to start...got my papers/cards all neatly stored in a lovely plastic tray! I just can't work out how do I know what size photos to print. I don't have photos for every day like some people have. Sometimes I'm lucky to have just one or two photos for a particular week. This is my dilemma! I guess lots of filler cards would do? And I'm lousy at keeping a diary so jouranling may be a bit of a problem for me. These are the things that are putting me off actually starting!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading more about your PL & seeing your video.
Thank you, you super-star-type-person xxx
I tackle photos next Chris and all the ways I have tried! Thanks for the lovely comment :)
DeleteMy Project Life Album, protector pages and papers from Simple Stories are still in a big bag under my desk from Jan 2012 :(
ReplyDeleteseeing all this was made me regret not tarting BUT this year was to finish unfinished projects so tackling finishing Karen's 52 in 10 at the moment!!!
Well it will be all ready waiting if you need a project next year :)
DeleteStupid iPad/ blogger combo has frozen on me three times now. :( Will comment on thread!
ReplyDeleteI got your comment Laura :) Thanks. Please do chip in in the comments (when you can!) if there is anything you want to add, I would be grateful. x
Deleteits great to see your project life, I have started doing it the first time this year and its a learning curve. I am not doing a weekly page, just photos and journalling as needed. I had a catch up today and did all of March...I cant quite get into the 'do it now' approach.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree that is a good way to just add stuff as you have it. I felt great pressure last year (from myself!) to have a two page spread for each week. I have gone away from that this year and just adding stuff, if I have a quieter week then, I am not 'filling' as much and if I have a big week then it spills over. Glad to hear you are enjoying it.
DeleteFir the first time, Jen, I am wondering whether to give PL a go. A fab fab post.
ReplyDeleteSue x
Thanks Sue :) Well, I do think it is a good way to record the smaller things that perhaps don't make it onto a full layout, or extra journaling. x
DeleteGreat post & lovely to see your Pl pages, I've only done a couple of weeks so far but am enjoying it. I like collecting up little bits & bobs (I've never had a purpose for them before) from the week & photographing things, haircuts, shadows, books, cups of tea!, all sorts. The kids seem to have got used to me always in their faces (&the cats!) I'll get organised & blog about my Pl pages one day!
ReplyDeleteIt is brilliant for snapshots isn't it! I also love including the bits and bobs that we don't quite want to throw away but then turn into clutter. I will be really happy to see your pages and let me know if I can help at all :) xxx
DeleteI love your PL pages Jen. I started doing mine as 'proper' LOs to try to get the points but I soon fell behind and it has sort of put me off. Now I am thinking I might start again but do it 'real' PL style. You are always an inspiration xxx
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks Karen. Well I hope you do get going again, I loved your pages last year. It might be that you could manage the journaling cards at work in your breaks? I started doing that to get a bit extra done! Mind you it wasn't at night!!! x
DeleteI've resisted doing PL but I think I would put mine in with all my other 12x12s and A4s etc. I think it would help me to feel more up to date and not either-or but going it all.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is how I feel about it. x
DeleteI did get all that! I'm in the everything-all-together camp, so am looking forward to seeing your posts on how you manage your process. Getting organised is always A Good Thing in my book and am also giving it all serious thought myself. Lovely, thought-provoking post ...
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post, Jennie. I have not started Project Life but it is certainly something that would appeal. Maybe it is something I will consider when I have caught up with other projects in progress. I'll come back to this post for tips if I do!
ReplyDeleteAnother pleasure of blogging is meeting up when opportunities arise so it was great to see you last week.
That was interesting Jennie - well done for making the 2013 album "right" for you and overcoming the need to use the "right" colour album - I wonder if you'll go back and combine the previous albums????
ReplyDelete