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Post by Citygirl on Oct 26, 2022 16:48:00 GMT
I saw this posted on the Simple Scrapper IG and it got lots of great responses. What worked well for the peas this year?
For me:
* Attending weekend retreats kept me current on my active projects.
* Having a to-do list of projects prepared for said retreats.
* Switching my PL to a monthly format
* Writing down stories, quotes, and currentlies for each month in my planner and being able to go back to this during my PL catch up.
* I’ve stated this in other threads but the AE SBTM sub was very useful for me this year. The repeated elements kept things streamlined for me. It also made me realize how minimalistic I am with products, especially embellishments.
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Post by infochick on Oct 26, 2022 17:26:55 GMT
I love this!
* Regular monthly crop time with a friend helped to make sure that I was consistently getting at least some pages done throughout the year.
* Monitoring what came into my stash vs what went out helped me to stay realistic about how much product I should be buying (or rather should NOT be buying).
* Pre planning pages and building "kits" for scrapping away from home helped me to focus on using my existing stash and shopping less.
* Shopping with a friend and splitting some supplies (large embellishment packs and 6x8 paper pads) worked well to get more variety and spend less.
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Post by papersilly on Oct 26, 2022 17:49:30 GMT
-staying motivated to work on stuff
-refreshing the stash with new dies or tools (nothing like retail therapy to stay engaged in the craft. LOL)
-getting an early jump start on holiday projects
-purging some of my stash
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Post by janesays on Oct 26, 2022 18:42:57 GMT
* I stopped saving embellishments/stickers leftover from projects and layouts that I know I won't use
* I stopped saving all the paper scraps leftover from projects that I knew I wouldn't use again
* I updated my arsenal of tools: my laptop, photo printer, die cut machines, cutting mats
* Made swatches of all my inks and threw away all the ink pads that were dried up
* Cut out all the shapes I have of my paper punches and adhered them all on paper so I can easily see what punches I have to use
* Created a social media account that I only follow crafters on and its made a huge impact on getting me inspired to create
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Post by ScrapbookMyLife on Oct 26, 2022 23:02:35 GMT
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pinklady
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,082 
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Post by pinklady on Oct 27, 2022 0:54:01 GMT
My purchasing game is top notch!  |
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paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,120
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Oct 27, 2022 1:53:37 GMT
Organizing my space
Doing only projects I really want to do
Switching to a bigger format for PL for more space
Realizing what things I was buying that weren’t really fitting my style
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Post by cupcakepeddler on Oct 27, 2022 2:32:21 GMT
-Just printing off the photos and getting them into a page protector at the end of the week for project life. I fill in a little post-it note about things I want in the journaling and I don't worry about the cards, embellishments and journaling, they are things that I work on when I have the time.
-I changed from doing a double page monthly project life layout to doing weekly layouts. I was struggling to catch up and remember what photos and stories I wanted towards the end of the month and if I missed a month or two it was a lot of work to catch up.
- I bought a second ikea raskog cart and I have all of my project life cards in it, I just wheel it over to my desk rather than having bits and pieces all over the place.
-I am studying so when I have had a solid study session I take an hour afterwards to just potter in my room and play around with a project to wind down and relax.
-Not buying as much. I do not have much free time so I do not need to be bringing in more product that I know I don't have the time to use.
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Alaska_laci
Junior Member
Posts: 82
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Post by Alaska_laci on Oct 27, 2022 4:20:42 GMT
1. Doing a daily journal so I have a place for all my pics.
2. Using my stash
3. Organizing my stamps
4. Motivation - watching good You Tubers create.
Good question! I’m loving the answers.
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Post by mbanda on Oct 27, 2022 14:36:30 GMT
Loving all the answers so far! For me: -Attending twice a year 5-day retreats - I get so much done! -Watching YouTube videos/following crafty accounts on Instagram for motivation & techniques -Being more active on this board - lots of inspiration & ideas here! -Purging some less loved stamps & donating them to a Senior Center - I get overwhelmed & frustrated when my designated storage space becomes too full -Attending virtual events (SCT Crop & Create and Pinkfresh) - great new products and so much inspiration! -Attending in-person Scrapbook Expo & GASC - seeing stuff "in-person" and being around crafty energy gets me super motivated -Having two besties that are super crafty! We feed off each other's creative spirits  |
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pebblesjnw
New Member
Posts: 4
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Post by pebblesjnw on Oct 27, 2022 17:28:31 GMT
I've made it my goal to get more organized. We moved out of state (again) over the summer, so I'm trying to be more organized in general as our living space changed quite a bit from the house we had previously.
- I've got my own dedicated scrappy/crafty space for the first time in 10 years so that has helped tremendously! I have cabinets and counter tops, plus it has a door, so I don't have to move my stuff every day if I don't finish something.
- I've been trying to make a spreadsheet of all the pictures I have, the date they were taken, whether I have printed them yet, and whether they have been scrapped yet. I don't scrap in chronological order, so this is a huge help with seeing what I've done/not done.
- When I only have a few minutes but want to do something crafty, I've worked in batches printing pictures, matching pictures with sketches/ideas, making kits, etc. By breaking it up into smaller tasks, I've gotten more accomplished overall and I can utilize small chunks of time doing something productive.
- I've been making page kits in batches of 10 at a time. This has sped up my page making a ton because when I have time to sit down, the pages are already planned out so I have everything I need in the bag and can just have fun creating.
- After I make my page from the kits I've assembled, if I have enough scraps, I go ahead and make a base page so when I start the process over, I already have some pages ready for pictures and embellishing. Plus it gets the scraps onto a page and keeps them from being added to my scraps pile.
These processes may not always work for me, but at this stage of life where I have 3 kids who demand most of my time and energy, I love that I've been able to accomplish what I have!
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Post by myboysnme on Oct 27, 2022 19:40:58 GMT
Success? Well not much. One thing I have done well is get my photos edited, and printed. I have also had a little bit of success lately putting photos into page protectors chronologically.
Beyond that, I cannot remember a time in the almost 3 decades in this hobby that I have had such a disorganized mess of supplies on my hands. My dining room looks like a scrapbook store exploded, and that is only because I carried in the stuff after a convention or retreat and left it sitting there.
But you said what has worked, so to put a positive spin on it I will say all my supplies have made it through my front door.
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lynn0117
Full Member
Posts: 247
Jul 2, 2018 15:47:03 GMT
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Post by lynn0117 on Oct 27, 2022 20:09:56 GMT
I am behind on a lot of my older photos, I need to print and get them in an album. What has worked for me is to zoom in and focus on smaller sections instead of looking at a huge section of time, because I get overwhelmed. I've been working on my christmas past album so it is just christmas, and I have enjoyed it so much!
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Post by lanena on Oct 27, 2022 22:34:18 GMT
What a great question. I just became a member of Simple Scrapper a couple of days ago, so I'll end up answering in both places. Here is what has helped me this year:
1. Getting better with PhotoShop Elements. I've watched the AE Hybrid classes for the second time this year, and I'm amazed that I can understand a lot more than I did the first time around. I've been using a lot more of the techniques, and I'm proud that I can now create my own layered templates so I can customize my work.
2. Taking Heidi Swapp’s Stamp Therapy class. I used to just accumulate stamps, but now I am slowly starting to layer a variety of stamps on tags and journaling cards. I hope to follow up next year.
3. Doing Week in the Life for the first time. I've always looked at other people's albums but never made the attempt. I'm glad to have this snippet of my life tucked away in a 6X8 album.
4. Not buying 12X12 scrapbook paper. I still scrap 12X12 from time to time, but I find myself using white or kraft as the background, and I have plenty of those papers to work with. I'm trying not to get overwhelmed by my supplies, which is tricky since I've been scrapbooking since 1997.
5. Ending subs that I'm not using. I had high hopes for Ali's Story Kits last year, but for some reason I didn't use many of the kits. I've been purchasing a la carte, mainly by getting digitals of kits I'll really use. I may get the Stories by the Month kit next year since it's reasonably priced and doesn't have an overwhelming amount of supplies. Don't know if I'll get the physical or digital versions. After three years, I think I'm ending my Cocoa Daisy subscription. The papers and embellishments are beautiful, but I find myself storing many of them. And yes, as much as I love Heidi's stamps, I'm probably going to end my subscription to Stamp Society so I can find the time to employ the techniques I've learned from the Stamp Therapy class.
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,596
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Oct 28, 2022 13:40:28 GMT
Ordering photos more frequently instead of waiting and ordering a year at a time.
Thinking about how many photos I'm going to use on a page before ordering so I don't end up with a pile of unused photos at the end of a layout.
Just those two things have helped a ton.
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pantsonfire
Drama Llama
Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
Posts: 6,301
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Post by pantsonfire on Oct 28, 2022 13:53:16 GMT
1. To do list of pocket layouts to make so I don't have to go through and figure out what I want to work on. I just look at the list and pick one.
2. Purging my supplies - mainly paper and embellishments.
3. Placing extra items in my ds' 3 tiered rolling cart we used for homeschooling. Morenspace on my desk.
4. Creating a list of items I would like to buy.
5. Joining in challenges here.
6. The Halloween swap! And now prepping for the Christmas swap.
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Post by gizzy on Oct 28, 2022 17:03:08 GMT
ScrapbookMyLife, I just commented on another thread about having to place projects onto the floor to get off my scrap desk to start other projects so thanks for linking these. These will be perfect. Things that have worked well for me: Going to monthly crops Making myself work on something for at least 20 minutes a day Staying current with ordering photos
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oaksong
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,167
Location: LA Suburbia
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 6:24:29 GMT
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Post by oaksong on Oct 29, 2022 22:34:01 GMT
I moved 2 years ago, and only unpacked the things I used most. This last year, I went through every single box, bag, container of supplies and photos. I purged, organized, and created storage solutions for every single item. Hurray, I can work again!
What I didn’t go through was memorabilia. Apparently, I’ve kept every single item my kids ever put crayon, pen, or paint to. It’s all roughly organized along with unfinished projects, my own memorabilia, and old family photos, scrapbooks from my mother-in law. That’s next years project.
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Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,688
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Oct 30, 2022 1:50:34 GMT
Unfortunately for my space my purchasing game has been top notch this year, especially in the last month or so. I tend to shop very little through the first 3/4 of the year and then buy all the things at the end of the year so it's not unexpected.
Things that have helped me this year:
* printing my PL photos a month at a time, putting them into page protectors, and adding the month/season/theme specific cards or embellishments right away. It's been really helpful for getting me to actually use those pieces first.
* participating in challenges like sketchtember, or the 50 layouts before spending challenge. I focus more on creating when I have very targeted goals.
* keeping decent notes throughout the month has made it much easier to make sure my PL album has everyday stories that go beyond what I have photos for.
* tracking what stamp sets and ink colours I've used so far this year. It's really highlighted what is underused in my stash and at the end of the year I'll assess what needs to be purged.
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Post by joblackford on Oct 30, 2022 3:42:19 GMT
Great question - buying Carta Bella and similar paper pads that have really usable cut aparts for cards and - cutting them up and making quick decisions to make lots of cards without too much thinking - using up as much as I can of the scraps and then tossing the tiny leftovers - not buying much because I don't have time to use it and having unused supplies stresses me out. |
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miascraps
Full Member
Posts: 379
Jun 26, 2014 15:37:58 GMT
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Post by miascraps on Oct 30, 2022 7:00:19 GMT
Reminding myself that I don’t need to do it all! Focusing on what means the most to me. Now if I could just get those photos printed like so many of you do.
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Post by mikklynn on Oct 30, 2022 12:02:18 GMT
Moving really helped me. I have a dedicated space instead of a table in the LR with many of my supplies in the basement. It made me realize just how much stuff I have.
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msliz
Drama Llama
The Procrastinator
Posts: 6,419
Jun 26, 2014 21:32:34 GMT
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Post by msliz on Nov 1, 2022 5:00:07 GMT
Almost 2 years ago, I kind of reached an impasse with my scrapbooking, and I couldn't begin to tackle my kids' early childhood albums because the photos were so disorganized. I found some small projects to do last winter, but I wasn't doing anything to deal with the real problem.
Well, beginning this past spring, I started bringing ALL the photos from ALL the various sources with me to my local once-a-month day crop, and hogging two full sized tables for use in sorting everything out (3 big tote bags full of photos!) I'm still not finished, but I've made tremendous progress. There's no way I could have managed a project like this at home, with the interruptions, the distractions, and of course the lack of usable space.
The girls there laugh at me every month now when they see me walk in with my bags full of photos ("aren't you done yet?") but what can I do? I can only work on sorting them when I'm there. And of course I laugh along because it really is pretty comical for it to be taking so long, but mostly it just feels really satisfying to finally be getting it done.
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Post by mikklynn on Nov 1, 2022 11:39:08 GMT
msliz That is a genius idea. One of the women at my annual retreat brought bags and bags of paperwork to go through. She spent the entire weekend sorting and shredding.
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Post by infochick on Nov 1, 2022 15:47:27 GMT
Having two three tiered, rectangle carts, that I can roll over to my work space. Cart: 33.5H x 33W x 12D. The carts come with two baskets, but I purchased extra shelves to replace them. I bought the four tier version of this same cart. I have yet to assemble it, but I like your idea of replacing the baskets with shelves. I bought some of the Scrapook.com storage boxes and I think ultimately the shelves will work better for me than the baskets, which I can always repurpose for something else. |
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Alaska_laci
Junior Member
Posts: 82
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Post by Alaska_laci on Nov 2, 2022 18:01:02 GMT
msliz That sounds wonderful. Makes me think I should search for other women near me or put kits together to get my friends into paper crafting just so I can hold crops. We just built a shop house and would have plenty of room in our heated shop for a crop. I'm a bit jealous of you gals down in the states surrounded by other crafters that can go to crops. I went to one in Utah once before kids, flew down for the weekend. It was so much fun!
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Post by positivelyreek on Nov 2, 2022 18:21:08 GMT
Printing photos ahead of time has been really helpful for me. If they are ready to go, I can just go into my loft and focus on scrapbooking. Something else that has helped is asking my family to respect my " me time ". When I am in my loft doing my think, if it is not urgent, just let me be lol.
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Post by mom on Nov 2, 2022 18:50:38 GMT
I totally revamped the way I store my supplies and it has made me much more productive. It's changed the hobby for me, really.
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