For my post yesterday, I went through all my completed layouts from 2009 and selected a few layouts to share (I shared 26 pages out of the 150+ pages I did last year). It was an interesting learning experience.
- I realized that my style is pretty simple - I usually have a strong framework or structure for placing my photos. They tend to be lined up and orderly. And that works for me because it helps accommodate the millions of photos that I like to include. I used to rely solely on my scrapbook pages for my artistic outlet, and they were much more complicated. Now that I have other artistic outlets (collage, art journals, altered books, ATC's, etc.), my pages are simpler. I think that's okay. I also have very nice paper. I would say that 90% of my paper is from the fantastic kit club, Club Scrap. And I'm not a bad photographer.
- I realized how close our family is to two other families, and I am grateful for their friendship. And I realized how important my brothers and sisters are becoming to me as we get older. My parents would be pleased that we have not drifted apart in the five years since they both passed away.
- I realized that the year is woefully incomplete. I still have dozens of layouts to complete from the summer, fall and winter. I know most people would be happy to be almost "caught up," but I really want to get my 2009 pictures scrapped. So, I placed a huge photo order and have been doing some more scrapping. One of my favorite new layouts is up top.
- I realized that I seemed to have "lost" a layout. I kindof remember scrapping Henry's Middle School graduation, but I can't find the layout. Maybe I didn't, but I can't find the unscrapped pictures either. Any idea where they are? Has this ever happened to you?
- I realized that I want to be better about journaling. On two of the layouts from yesterday, the journaling was left "until later" and never done. So, I need to fix those. Plus, I want to make sure that my journaling includes the bigger picture - how I feel about Henry starting High School and Clara moving on to middle school, the importance of being close to my brothers and sisters, etc. This week's challenge at the Scrap Weekly in 2010 Blog is about doing a "List of 10 Things" layout, and I plan to use that to capture some of these things on the kids' school portraits from Fall, 2009.
- It's really hard to take a decent picture of layouts. Suggestions???
- I only seem to get motivated to scrap in response to challenges. Why is that? Is it a bad thing?
- There's not a single picture of me in any of the layouts I posted! Bad scrapper - gotta remember to hand the camera over occasionally and include myself. LOL! By the way, I am in several layouts from 2009.
- Finally, I realized that there really aren't any simple "day in the life" or "what we're doing now" type layouts. I do like these and usually have a couple. So, I want to do that this year. I welcome suggestions for the best way to accomplish that. I'm not interested in the 365 Photo a Day idea, but more like once a month.
So, I've started making some scrapping time again. The layout up top is one of my favorite. Remember, you can always click on a picture on my blog to enlarge it. It's titled "He Starts," and the journaling reads "Henry has always wanted to play sports in High School - maybe even in college. One benefit of choosing HMB High over private high schools, definitely. He was thrilled to "start" the first game of fall - he was the only freshman so chosen." It's based on a Club Scrap sketch challenge, posted here and also meets the 365 challenge using lined paper for journaling (which I definitely remember reading but can't find anymore -what's up with that?). I also made the layout, based on a UK Scrappers Week 1 Challenge sketch, which you can see on Becky's blog. It's pretty simple, but it was the first layout I've done in a while, and it got me back into the groove. So, thanks Becky for the inspiration!
one of the ways that I capture daily life is that on the 23rd of each month I take a photo of me and record what I had for lunch and dinner, what I did in the evening, the dominant mood of the day and what is on my mind. I also included a new scrapping purchase or tecnique. I did this for 18 months - stopped last year when I started travelling a lot. I love the set of pages as a record of normal life
ReplyDeleteI can associate with so much of what you say! Why is it easier to do a layout when someone has given you a subject/thought/challenge? I go to a scrapbook crop once a month and love the fact that I have to step out of my comfort zone and try new ideas. Your pages are fabulous!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I relate! :-) I will usually only scrap (photos of) myself in response to a challenge, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteHave you looked at Shimelle's Scrap Your Day project? It's a free class on her website, and when she ran it 'live' she did it on the 25th of each month; I'm doing that this year, finishing up with Christmas pics. Even if you don't do it as a class exactly it may give you some ideas :-) Let me know if you can't find it and I'll lok up the link for you x
A lot to think about in this post,Rinda.I usually only put 2 or 3 photos on a layout and have hundreds unscrapped...your pages make me think about putting more on each page.
ReplyDeleteI think challenges/classes just give that bit of incentive to get started....though I rarely do scrap challenges...and aim to try and do more of them.
I know I have a definate cardmaking style...but I don't think I have a scrapping style...don't know if that's good or bad....I tend to get very influenced by all the layouts I see...and I like scrapping with others.....picking up ideas that way.
I avoid being in photos...I know that's a bad thing.....and I'm definately trying to journal more.
I'm going to try to do 12 pictures on the 12th of each month to capture "our daily life". A few years ago a did the Week in a Life project by Ali Edwards and really liked that. I plan on doing that again but not until late this year or next year.
ReplyDeleteWithout kids at home, I'm finding it hard to get the kind of photos I want to scrap. I have hundreds from when the kids were small, but the stories are much harder to tell from a distance. Too bad I found this hobby so late in life! Scrapping more is definitely on my list this year, and I think challenges are the way to go.
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to the lost photos. We have lost two years of vacation photos. I think I have searched every possible place in this house, but they have yet to turn up. I KNOW we took photos both years. I tried to find a current photo of me in the thousand plus photos in iPhoto a week ago, and there were NONE of just me except a couple of me standing in front of national park signs. Not what I was looking for.
I also have many layouts with no journaling to speak of. I wouldn't think of doing that any more. Once I finish the current projects of purging and cleaning my stash and my computer files, I think I'll go through last year's layouts and make an assessment much like you have.
I'm on the never ending quest to find a way to take better photos of scrap pages - the answer is still not coming to me!
ReplyDeleteI need to be in more of my photos and pages - this is a BIG downfall in my scrapbooks, I don't like my photo being taken, but, I just have to get over that :-)
Fascinating post Rinda..I really enjoyed reading your conclusions and looking at your LO's. I think even if you don't get every page done that you wanted for the year you still have a fantastic album.
ReplyDeleteI used to photograph all my pages flat for online galleries but I'm starting to find that a propped up LO works better on my blog so sometimes I take two different shots of each page