PROJECT LIFE 2023 (megaaa!) thread

I was thinking the same, that's why I have to primary color photos on the lower right corner and everything else is the muted. I was thinking about using just white or grey background cards for the primary color photos to kind of tie them into the rest of the layout.

I've got Jan-Feb-Mar 2023 & 2020 (catch-up) complete. I'm going to update 2020 months as my 2023 months are completed, that way I don't get too overwhelmed catching up on the whole year at once.

I'm not sure what I'll do about April 2023...My husband has Covid and I have shingles and we've done nothing at all this month.

I have been making pocket pages like crazy lately. I've got just two pocket pages left to finish Feb/Mar in this year's album (along with some 12x12 layouts). I pulled out last year's album and discovered I am not quite as close to finishing it as I had remembered, so while I'm motivated, I'm finishing up some pocket pages there too.

Thank you jediannie, I appreciate your well wishes! 

In late February we flew to Las Vegas for my granddaughter's volleyball tournament, and I came home with Covid (after avoiding it for three years). My husband had a bad cold, but no Covid. After a quick round of Paxlovid, I felt fine in less then a week, but then I caught his cold...which was actually worse than Covid. We were both finally better in late March, just in time for a planned Disney cruise with family. Then my husband came home from the cruise with Covid. I guess from all the stress, I came down with shingles last week (even after getting the vaccine in 2020). So since Feb, we've only had one week when we've both been healthy at the same time. UGH!! Of course now we've both got a terrible case of cabin fever!!   

Just editing photos but no actual scrapping since I worked on the page above. I'm hopeful to get something done this month but since I'm stuck on a jury my free time has dwindled to almost non-existent.

How's everyone doing? I'm finally done with being on a jury (fortunately it was only 1 1/2 weeks so it didn't drag on too long) so I've been trying to get that layout done that's at the top of page 7 and it got me thinking, how long does it take you all to do a 2 page project life layout? I thought I was close to done when I posted it above but then I started changing things a bit and adding more bits & bobs & here we are basically a month later and it's still not done. In my defense I've only really worked on it for a total of an hour.

I bolded my question because I'm too verbose. 

I have done nothing since January! I think that next year I will try to simplify it even more, and really pare back the embellishments. I have been on the lookout for some basic digital templates to use.

Seeing that I have only done two weeks worth so far, I guess I could start simplifying now, and re-do the first two weeks. Hmmmmm, something to consider.

ETA: Yikes, I've actually only completed one week of 2023, not two! I have started Week 2, but haven't got any further than plonking the photos down on the page.

I really have no idea how long it takes me because I don’t do it in one session and even when I’m “working on it” I’m doing other things at the same time -like watching a process video from the story classroom or something else and then I’ll stop and just watch certain parts while other times I might work straight through while watching. Or I’ll supposed to be typing my journaling on my phone to print but I procrastinate because I don’t like doing that part (but love having journaling) and spend time on 2 peas or something else instead. Lol

I pretty much do my pages within the week - so for this week on Monday I printed out two pictures from that day I know I want to use this week already and placed them. But a couple weeks ago I had already chosen the basic papers/cards for this week. I usually pick ahead for 2-3 weeks what I’ll use and then during that week I subtract or add out as needed with the photos and embellishments I’m going to use (so I spent time a few weeks ago picking that stuff out). Then usually Friday (I work 1/2 days Friday) I do a lot more on the page and finish up either Sunday night or sometime mon-tues if the weekend was busy. I also am not trying to be quick - I enjoy the process of looking through my stash for things that go together or what stamp sentiment I want to use so I can really drag it out 😂

I usually set aside a day and scrapbook my entire month in one day. I do monthly project life not weekly. But I tend toward simple. I generally handwrite my journaling too.

I made a tiny bit of progress in my 2020 album, finally finishing a weekend insert layout for July where I had a ton of photos and I got stuck trying to figure out what to do. I also did 2 layouts for the last week in May and first week in June for 2022 along with an insert for a museum visit I did with a friend. I've done a couple of layouts for April 2023 but I skipped all of February and most of March so I need to go back and do those.

I'm struggling a bit this year, switching to all digital for 2023. I really thought it would help me stay more caught up and I like the idea of photo books vs big alums. I go back and forth on if I like it or not. I can't decide if everything should be "flat" in more of a magazine style layout or if I should add embellishments and shadows. There doesn't seem to be as much digital inspiration on places like YouTube so learning to do the shadows has been a little more of challenge. And if I do too much of that, it takes me ages, even more than when I do a paper/hybrid layout. The other thing I've realized is I desperately need to figure out a digital organizational system for my digital supplies so I can find things so if anyone has a good video to watch or paid class, I'd love recommendations.

The album I'm loving working on the most this year is my 6x8 OLW album. If I didn't have a million photos every week, I'd think about that size for my PL too but there's just no way. Maybe when the kids are bigger.

I haven't really worked on my album for the last couple of months, but last night I printed most of my April photos and got them into page protectors. I also put all my May photos onto my computer and was surprised how few photos I have for the month.

Now that I have fresh photos printed I'm looking forward to working on my album again.

How is everyone else going?

I am happy to say that my 2022 photobook arrived in the mail today. I am equal parts excited and nervous to look at it with my family.

For 2023 I have only got January done. I hope I can get closer to caught up before the end of June. After that my daughter is off school for the summer and I'm not sure how much I will be able to do.

I'd suggest buying some shadow styles (if you use Photoshop or PSE) from a digital scrapbooking website like The Lilypad or Sweet Shoppe Designs. Then you can fiddle with premade ones vs. having to create your own. I've been digitally scrapping for 20 years and don't make my own shadows.

As for digital organizing, I just organize by designer (not store). I do have a "To Be Used" folder on my EHD where everything new goes. Once I use it, it's moved into that designer's folder. For finding what's in your stash, I'd recommend Lightroom or ACDSee. You can find tutorials for both at the sites I mentioned above.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other digital questions.

I just received my 2022 prints yesterday and while going through, I found a couple of typos (you check and re-check and re-check but they still happen- ugh!). Luckily I am current with my pages this year. I'm thinking of ordering a book for 2023 instead of prints, but by golly, I just love the prints so much. I know a photo book would be so much thinner and lighter but I add extra pages so may need to have 2 books for one year...oh...decisions...decisions