paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,740
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
|
Post by paget on Dec 19, 2020 20:33:53 GMT
I just looked at the Elles studio stuff - it’s cute and reasonably priced. Is the monthly kit physical paper items? I’m not interested in digital things. It is a physical kit but as an "add on" you usually can get digital cut files and printables for free. I really like that almost all the kits are a similar color scheme so you can use older kits with newer kits and the colors still go together. Thank you!
|
|
|
Post by Linda on Dec 19, 2020 20:48:15 GMT
In 2021 I want to catch up with my DGD's books. She will have a new sibling in the summer so my work will double scrapping 2 kids congratulations! I've read through the thread several times now and I'm still a bit stumped on how to respond...I did learn that making postcards with scraps and leftovers is a good stash buster and makes nursing home residents happy - I've sent probably 400+ since March to the nursing home my sister/BIL admin. I've also learnt (or was reminded) that being stressed or depressed or anxious kills creativity and mojo.
|
|
Elsabelle
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,602
Jun 26, 2014 2:04:55 GMT
|
Post by Elsabelle on Dec 19, 2020 23:24:21 GMT
I’ve learned that buying supplies doesn’t make boredom go away for very long but scrapping does. I’ve bought a lot of stuff this year. Enough that I don’t really have much desire to buy more for now. I’ve also learned that life can change so quickly so I better use those pretty embellishments and cut that pretty paper whenever I feel like it and not wait for “special” pictures. Use it use it use it because things can happen, covid can happen, and then I’d leave behind a pile of paper instead of scrapbooks.
|
|
lydiae
Junior Member
Posts: 70
Nov 26, 2020 16:53:57 GMT
|
Post by lydiae on Dec 20, 2020 6:03:28 GMT
I've learned that creativity, of any kind, is vital to my mental health and well-being. Forcing myself to sit down at my desk every day and do something, anything really, dragged me out of a dark depression and made me feel like myself again. This year has been really tough, although my day to day life did not change all that much, but crafting is getting me through it. I learned that I love making cards because they are useful and if I end up hating them I can send them and never have to look at them again. 😂
(I also learned that when you can't go shopping you have extra money in the bank you can use to splurge on new craft supplies!)
Last but not least, I learned that knitting five new sweaters for my new great niece is fun, but if I don't sew buttons on them soon than she will outgrow them. (She's due next week!)
|
|
|
Post by refugeepea on Dec 20, 2020 10:55:33 GMT
I knew in March I would be crafting very little and decided I would read more instead. I decided it wasn't worth getting mad over something I couldn't change. Iris Cases are good for pages in progress. Taking a couple of minutes to do something on a page is better than nothing. I've learned I like my planner. It's been fun to play around with different stamps.
I've been scrapping for so long there won't be any big changes. I'll try to commit to one project weekly. It's the right amount of time to not get bored and make some progress. I'm going to change my planner. Make it a hybrid bullet journal/planner. An 8.5 x 11 binder that has printables that work for me.
|
|
|
Post by hmp on Dec 21, 2020 4:57:14 GMT
After my usual January retreat I didn’t do any scrapping this year. I just couldn’t seem to focus long enough to work on a layout. However I did make over 200 cards. I learned sometimes a smaller canvas, like a card, can get some creative juices flowing. Creating small still feels good.
|
|
|
Post by oldgardengirl on Dec 21, 2020 15:19:08 GMT
I've done zero scrapbooking this year. My memory planner stops mid-March and is just blank. So I'm the opposite, I guess, of lots of other people. I did spend the some time this weekend getting a memory planner ready for 2021. so there's that. What I learned this year is that I am so so so so grateful and happy that I scrapbooked when my kids were little. I'm even happier that I documented conversations, wrote down the funny things my kids said, made lists of their favorite everythings, and otherwise made it my mom job to make little books about their lives. THAT is what has gotten me through 2020 - going back and looking at all my beautiful memories. My kids are grown now, neither of them live at home anymore (bittersweet, eh?), and it feels like just yesterday when I was that young mom in the weeds of raising little kids while working and trying to preserve it all in scrapbooks. It's funny how much of it I forgot, but also sad that if I hadn't scrapbooked it, I might not remember some of the stuff. There was some good in 2020, so maybe I'll do a little flip book or something about the year, so that when I look back, I'll remember the good of this year too. Anyway, here's to 2021 being better for all of us.
|
|
|
Post by janamke on Dec 21, 2020 18:15:46 GMT
I’m caught up with Project Life 2020. This has never happened before. The key has been printing my photos monthly rather than waiting. I have a Pixma printer, but I hate the process of printing my own. I’ve been ordering from Persnickety and just dealing with shipping cost. It’s worth it to keep up on my album.
Don’t hoard product. I recently went through a bunch and so much of it isn’t my style anymore. Wish I’d used it when I loved it.
A kit club is essential to me staying on track with PL. Unless something new comes along, I’m sticking with SC.
I absolutely cannot use AE Story kits or SBTM kits. They do not work for me at all. I sold almost everything. No more buying them even when on sale.
There is a great market for unused AE and SC products on FB. Made a nice tidy sum to fund my kit purchases.
|
|
vexedangel
Full Member
Posts: 359
Nov 4, 2018 20:14:04 GMT
|
Post by vexedangel on Dec 21, 2020 18:25:30 GMT
I have learned that I need to have all my goodies in one spot, or at least as close as possible. Also, challenges are super motivating to me, as long as I can be organized enough about participating in them.
|
|
|
Post by joblackford on Dec 22, 2020 2:23:41 GMT
That the size and format of a project can make all the difference in how much I enjoy it. Even a little thing like working in a wider page size than normal can throw me off completely and make crafting a chore. That if I’m delaying starting a project it probably means that I’m using the wrong approach or format, or that I don’t really want to do it at all. That printing photos is a major barrier to getting started, so if I’m working on paper I need to figure out how to make that easy. That chopping up paper into card panels is a relief when I’ve been trying to use that paper for a project that isn’t my style. That making simple cards is a fun and easy thing I can do to satisfy my crafty needs but I need a lot more time and energy to work with stamps and dies and techniques, and I don’t have that time and energy this year. That I might need to go back to a standing desk. (I haven’t exactly “learned” that, but I’ve concluded that sitting in a chair at a desk isn’t really my preference and makes my back hurt.)
|
|
Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,459
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
|
Post by Chinagirl828 on Dec 22, 2020 7:07:42 GMT
(I also learned that when you can't go shopping you have extra money in the bank you can use to splurge on new craft supplies!) I also learnt that this year. I learnt that I enjoy weekly PL best when I do a mix of pocket pages and full size layouts. I also learnt that I still love older companies like BasicGrey and Cosmo Cricket. I've really enjoyed using their products this year, and I especially like the feeling of accomplishment I get any time I use up an older supply.
|
|
|
Post by Citygirl on Dec 22, 2020 15:09:24 GMT
I am a horrible FOMO buyer. I need to carve out dedicated time for crafting and commit to it. I need to write dates on the back of my memorabilia.
|
|
cbscrapper
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,399
Sept 5, 2015 18:24:10 GMT
|
Post by cbscrapper on Dec 24, 2020 5:17:42 GMT
I am a horrible FOMO buyer. I need to carve out dedicated time for crafting and commit to it. I need to write dates on the back of my memorabilia. Yes to this! Especially the last one - I have stacks of memorabilia in various locations/boxes/pouches and dis not date them. Ugh!
|
|
cbscrapper
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,399
Sept 5, 2015 18:24:10 GMT
|
Post by cbscrapper on Dec 24, 2020 5:27:11 GMT
I learned I’m more productive and actually finish layouts when I pick a focus, such as a theme or a time period, then scrap photos from that as a batch. For example, this summer I worked through several years of birthday layouts. I gathered all my birthday supplies, assigned certain collections to certain years, then picked the photos and stories from each year. I did that last winter with some Christmas photos just from one year and one collection and enjoyed it. I’m not really a chronological scrapper, so I either jump around a lot or I make background pages with supplies I like that are ready for photos. The problem is that those stack up with no photos added. It felt great to get LOs DONE including photos, journaling, and date. I still need to put the stack of completed LOs away, but I like having that visual reminder of what I’ve accomplished.
I also learned that I am running out of room for supplies, so I need to use more and buy less. I also need to scrap more and scroll less.
|
|
|
Post by crimsoncat05 on Dec 24, 2020 16:09:14 GMT
I learned that even though I have a room packed full of stuff at home, I am really only a social scrapper. I haven't done anything scrappy at all for months-- okay, I've made a few cards, but that isn't the same as scrapbook layouts with photos.
I like scrapping with other people, at a scrapbook store, or a hotel retreat. It's just not as fun to do it in my room all by myself, and I don't *like* to do it under those conditions. So scrapping is on hold right now. I've switched temporarily to cross-stitching (which I can do sitting on the couch in front of the television, lol).
|
|
|
Post by angel97701 on Dec 28, 2020 1:18:53 GMT
This is a great thing to think about. I’ve learned a lot about a variety of things related to this hobby - some good and some disappointing. I believe my biggest takeaway in 2020 is I have too much. I love a lot of it, but I need to get rid of what I don’t. This applies to scrapbooking and life in general. I cleaned my desk off yesterday. I do that regularly but shifted things around more than usual. Suddenly, I have white space on my desk! It’s like I can breathe again in there. While I have the supplies for my next big organizational task, I think cleaning out my closet might be the best thing to do. I need to turn it into storage for my supplies. Think of it as my own little scrapbook store. I can get what I want and then shut the door so I can preserve that white space that I love. I have more to share but want to gather my thoughts and type it out on my computer. 12 yo daughter is currently taking advantage of mom’s YouTube set up to work on a project for school. Just an FYI, I am hosting the Organization Challenge this year, and will walk through different products, tools, etc and giving ideas for how to organize. I'm no expert, but I too have a small scrapbook store in my room. I do use the closet in the room as storage and when we moved into the house 10 years ago we put the shelves in early.
What I have learned in 2020: I enjoy scrapbooking when I have the emotional energy. I was very productive at the beginning of the pandemic 45 layouts in March and 27 in April. I was also learning how to use my Scan N Cut in an online class.
Then the mojo went away because our situation with our sons. I put my energy into gardening, which takes less emotional energy and it is very gratifying to grow your own food! Bible Journaling was also very important during this time, gave me solace and allowed me to have a creative outlet.
November saw my mojo return, and I realized how dusty my room is! (We live on 6 acres in the desert, next to a gravel road that is used by 40+ home owners to access their property) That finding new things during the Black Friday sales was fun, but I don't need everything! Thankful that DH's income still allows me to enjoy my hobby and purchase if I have a "want" or need like adhesive. Blessed that my Mom appreciates when I pick out my own birthday present, then she pays for it . . . pretty much the same with DH. But we are at that age you know?
I was thankful to be a part of a few hangouts this year. It was encouraging. But I had to go in with a plan of what to work on, just like going to a crop away from home. ie have that page kit ready to go from my stash of supplies.
That it was OK to send out cards for Christmas I didn't make myself (received well over 50 Christmas cards from various charities this year, so used those first!), then used up the ones I hadn't sent in the last few years, and then did 3 sets of Sheetload of Cards to finish out the Christmas list. Cards being sent this year was a priority. I've not sent in 3 years, and it really was time to share the good, bad, and ugly. DH gave me the space and time away from supervising DS to be able to complete this task!
|
|
|
Post by AussieMeg on Dec 28, 2020 7:12:33 GMT
In 2021 I want to catch up with my DGD's books. She will have a new sibling in the summer so my work will double scrapping 2 kids. That's so exciting myboysnme!
|
|
|
Post by scrappyem on Dec 29, 2020 2:35:37 GMT
That if I’m delaying starting a project it probably means that I’m using the wrong approach or format, or that I don’t really want to do it at all. So much yes to this! I've been thinking about this a lot as 2020 winds down. If I didn't finish it, or didn't even really start it, did I *really* want to do it in the first place or is it resistance I need to work through? This is especially true for me when it comes to classes. I have several I've purchased and never taken. I'm trying to take a hard look at what I still want to do, what I should go ahead and let go of, and if I am just better when I do an in-person class. I'm not great at "self directed" classes when I'm just doing them for myself so maybe I need to stop taking those unless I have an accountability buddy. I definitely have more ideas than time and if anything, the pandemic has made me realize I can only do a couple of projects realistically. My other big take away is having a routine is my bff to staying on track.
|
|
|
Post by coloradocropper on Dec 29, 2020 20:36:14 GMT
I see myself in everyone's answers. I had a monumental organization effort this year that has enabled me to find and use stuff in a fraction of the time. I'm grateful for what I have and YouTube to teach me some cool techniques. I'm grateful for my IRL scrappy friends who keep me motivated and inspired.
|
|
|
Post by refugeepea on Dec 30, 2020 2:26:13 GMT
I have learned that I need to have all my goodies in one spot, or at least as close as possible. It took me far too long to accept this. My living room also looks like a craft room, but it works for me.
|
|
vexedangel
Full Member
Posts: 359
Nov 4, 2018 20:14:04 GMT
|
Post by vexedangel on Dec 30, 2020 4:14:47 GMT
I have learned that I need to have all my goodies in one spot, or at least as close as possible. It took me far too long to accept this. My living room also looks like a craft room, but it works for me. Yes! I just hope DH can deal!
|
|