Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
Hey everyone! I've been in and out of here for a few years. I've gotten way behind on scrapbooking and card making. I was doing good until my grandson was born. I got "hooked" on crocheting/knitting and sort of took a detour. I know have a FB page where I sell finished items and patterns.
Anyway, I'm trying to get caught up on his scrapbook before grandbaby #2 is born in December. Yay! It's sooo hard to go back and choose the photos, especially when my daughter loves photography and took a gazillion of them. lol He's now 2 1/2 and I have his 1st yr completed. Any suggestions on how to choose photos and how many I should do? For his first yr, I did a page for each month but I don't want to do this one that way. I'm trying to choose them more randomly.
I also need to work on our Christmas and vacation albums which is 3 yrs behind. I really need to set a goal for myself if/when I get caught up and I need to figure out how to make time for all of my hobbies. ;)
Hi Lisa,
Setting goals is the easy part. Keeping them is another. I totally can relate. Anyway, you should join one of the Scrapbook page challenges that is listed on this forum to help motivate you. That is what I had to do to get my self in gear.
As far as page planning goes, I usually go through magazines and get ideas for my pages. Even looking online for ideas is the way to go. I love books like Page Maps. They have wonderful ideas for planning your layouts.
Also, you might try something like Project Life to get some of your projects completed. It would make it flow somewhat faster with the numerous pictures.
Thanks for those suggestions! I'm already checking out the challenges. Plus, I got a little side tracked looking at your awesome blog. ;)
I do have a lot of layouts pinned and some sketches saved. My main problem is deciding which photos I want to use. My daughter has taken so many adorable pics of little man, I "want" to scrapbook them all! lol Maybe it would be easier to choose the layouts first and then find a pic that would work well? It's so hard to go back and try to get caught up.
First, congratulations on both grandchildren! It sounds like you're overwhelmed with photos, and you need to make some choices. What I would do is pick 10 or so absolute favorites and start there. You can always put the other pictures in a regular photo album. If and when you decide to use them in a scrapbook, they will be ready. You might also want to consider the divided page protector options available now, such as Project Life or Simple Stories. You can find many options at Scrapbook.com: Scrapbooking Ideas & Supplies and Amazon. Good luck and have fun!
I think what makes this so hard is now with digital photography, it's so much easier to take a ton of photos, but we tend to not print many out. Then when I go to work on his scrapbook, I want to print them all. ;) My daughter did make us a photo book with a bunch of his pics from last year so I need to go through it and see which photos she used. I might also look into a 3 ring binder with the divided page protectors like you mentioned for some of his pics.
I choose photos that tell a story about an emotional connection - either with myself or those in the photo. I look for photos that remind me of a deeper meaning - other than the who, what, when, where, why.
I'm no expert - but I have an idea... if you have lot of pictures on the same subject you want to use (christmas, trip to Zoo...) - why not print them out smaller and make something like a film strip..
and I agree with Lynn about choosing pictures that tell a story or that you have emotional connection to.
Thanks ladies! Love the film strip idea. I'm trying to be more selective on what I scrapbook. I think I'll get a 3 ring album too. That way I can always add in extra pages later IF I ever get caught up. ;)
It really helps just "thinking" out loud here and hearing your ideas too.
Thanks for those suggestions! I'm already checking out the challenges. Plus, I got a little side tracked looking at your awesome blog. ;)
I do have a lot of layouts pinned and some sketches saved. My main problem is deciding which photos I want to use. My daughter has taken so many adorable pics of little man, I "want" to scrapbook them all! lol Maybe it would be easier to choose the layouts first and then find a pic that would work well? It's so hard to go back and try to get caught up.
It is difficult to choose photos when you have so many. I just recently took a trip to California. I took over 1000 pics! Now, never in a million years would I have done that without a digital camera. Anyway, I have had to make myself choose a couple pics of various places we visited to print. That way I limit myself and tell the story of my visit. I am trying to focus more on the journaling of our journey with only a few pics. That way it isn't so overwhelming.
Oh wow, Dell! Have fun with that scrapbook! Do you have your photos picked out and ready to go?
Yes. I started scrapping them this week. It will take a while, but I plan to have a lot of fun with it. I am still deliberating over my San Diego zoo pics. Not sure if I want to make an entire album just for that adventure. We really enjoyed the zoo!
One thing I like about waiting, even years, is that you have all the photos laid out digitally and you can print them to fit the page, like printing a whole bunch at 2" x 2" and then lining them up like a border. If you have 20 photos you love you can squeeze them into a grid. Don't leave out photos you love just because you think you don't have room.
Check out this post from Paperclipping. It's all about choosing your best vacation pics, but I think it would apply to your situation too!
__________________ All inked up... and somewhere to go. My gallery, small but mighty... or maybe just mighty small! Come see my almost new blog... M'ija Stamps!
Thanks so much for all of your thoughts/suggestions. I normally only use 2-3 photos per page but love the idea of using smaller photos in a filmstrip/grid style. I'll definitely be giving that a try.
asuncionshija, that is a great resource! Thanks for sharing.
I've been recently trying to get up the courage (?) to scrapbook & this was a topic near to my heart. So glad it could help others too!
__________________ All inked up... and somewhere to go. My gallery, small but mighty... or maybe just mighty small! Come see my almost new blog... M'ija Stamps!
I personally choose the pictures I'm most inspired by and work with those. I do this because its fun not because I feel an obligation to do a certain amount from each time period. If I did it that way I'd go crazy. You have to set your own goals but I realized early on that I can always go back and add pages in at any time and if this becomes stressful, what's the point?
__________________ RebeccaEdnie Mixed Media Artist, Paper Crafter, Jewelry Designer SCSDirtyDozenAlumni Www.Boxofchocolatescrafts.Com YouNeverKnowWhatI’mGoingtoMake
Rebecca, I don't think I'll have as much of a problem with any other subject other than my grandbaby. lol I just love all of his photos. ;) Really though, I am doing better at choosing the most inspiring/special photos and plan on picking up a 3 ring album so that I can easily add more pages later if I want to. You're right though, it should be fun and not stressful.
Some of the photo programs let you make neat collages with smaller sized photos, and I have even take some photos and turned them into embellishments-by using a punch or adding ink or clear embossing. I had taken too many pictures of a beach scene, and I used them to die cut letters of the name of the beach. It looked really neat.
Some of the photo programs let you make neat collages with smaller sized photos, and I have even take some photos and turned them into embellishments-by using a punch or adding ink or clear embossing. I had taken too many pictures of a beach scene, and I used them to die cut letters of the name of the beach. It looked really neat.
What a great idea of using them as embellishments or die cut letters!
I would pick a few phots and make your pages. Then at the back of the book or on that page have a pocket with the others. pockets can be hidden or part of the design. when I did my vacation album I had small pockets as the page themselves and decorated the outside with either a photo or matching paper
Lisa, a couple years ago there was a Virtual Scrapbook Night challenge weekend that was titled ABC/123 with a bit of a back to school theme, but of course did not have to be about back to school at all. Here is the link to the master thread of the challenge MASTER THREAD: ABC/123 VSBN by Mary_Pat419 at Splitcoaststampers
I had a ton of fun with the album that I was able to complete during this challenge. You can do either double page spreads for each letter, or just single pages, but for each letter you will find pictures that identify with a word that starts with that letter - you could choose elements of his personality, his favourite things and people, etc. it's quite challenging, but it's also a fun way to use your absolute favourite pictures - you may be able to use several photos from various different photo shoots with mom where he is doing or enjoying specific activities for instance. This style of scrapbooking begs you not to follow the instinct to be chronological with your pages, and results in an album that is a lot of fun to look at - and create.
__________________ Terri
Paper Crafty Goals for 2013: 50/135 pages and 185/75 cards.
Lisa, a couple years ago there was a Virtual Scrapbook Night challenge weekend that was titled ABC/123 with a bit of a back to school theme, but of course did not have to be about back to school at all. Here is the link to the master thread of the challenge MASTER THREAD: ABC/123 VSBN by Mary_Pat419 at Splitcoaststampers
I had a ton of fun with the album that I was able to complete during this challenge. You can do either double page spreads for each letter, or just single pages, but for each letter you will find pictures that identify with a word that starts with that letter - you could choose elements of his personality, his favourite things and people, etc. it's quite challenging, but it's also a fun way to use your absolute favourite pictures - you may be able to use several photos from various different photo shoots with mom where he is doing or enjoying specific activities for instance. This style of scrapbooking begs you not to follow the instinct to be chronological with your pages, and results in an album that is a lot of fun to look at - and create.
Oh cool! I'll check that out. I'm definitely OCD and think "chronologically". ;)
This is a toughie!
I love to do the Smash type books and everyday journaling type of thing. That is for like movie tickets, silly things that the kiddos say, etc.
Then I like to scrapbook big events that happened in our year. I start off each year with a new years eve layout. Then I just go from there, maybe we did something fun at the zoo in Feb or had a super great Easter. The new pool opening up this summer and our first visit there will surely go into the 2013 book!
__________________ <3Lizzie Sanchez
RN @ The Stamp Doctor
Spellbinders Action Team Texas
This is a toughie!
I love to do the Smash type books and everyday journaling type of thing. That is for like movie tickets, silly things that the kiddos say, etc.
Then I like to scrapbook big events that happened in our year. I start off each year with a new years eve layout. Then I just go from there, maybe we did something fun at the zoo in Feb or had a super great Easter. The new pool opening up this summer and our first visit there will surely go into the 2013 book!
I just started my first Smash book last week and love it! Now I have something else added to my craft to-do list. lol
How do you choose what you scrapbook?
