calipea
Shy Member
I like Netherland dwarfs. 🐰
Posts: 34 
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Post by calipea on Jan 23, 2024 1:05:32 GMT
I've been doing PL since 2013, switched to 12 x 6" album in 2014. Moving on to this size was doable.
Two pages, weekly spread, plus inserts, if necessary.
No subscriptions, print all my journaling, no hybrid. Use my stash rn, like KP, AE, Echo Park, Lawn Farm. I actually don't have that much but I tend to hold on to 6" x 6" paper pads from YEARS ago. Just in case lol
Print my own photos. Use pockets in all different sizes. Anything I can get my hands on. I like Pokemon card holders - 2.5" x 3.5". Can be cut down to fit. Easy to add self created accent cards (not fillers, lol).
Scrap weekly or anytime I get a chance but keep a spiral notepad ready to jot down daily going ons. I always want to add thoughts in the notes or a diary app on my phone but I always forget. Handwriting quickly in one place, along with grocery reminders etc work for me. I try not to fall behind too much. Best tip I can give any newbies. Start with today and keep going, then add the previous days, weeks. Using "fresh" content is funner and more authentic. I am big on journaling, so that's my strategy. For the most part lol. You do you.
I also use thin cardboard from paper pads and cover them with cardstock to create inserts. Same with nice clothes tags that I cover. Years ago Boden Kids had a cute reindeer on their mail catalog. I used it as my "Hello December" opening. I think I stole that from AE. I still use some fun (decent paper quality) catalog cover cutouts from the likes of O'Neill etc on occasion for summer themed inserts (I am in SoCal).
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Jan 23, 2024 1:25:17 GMT
a cute reindeer on their mail catalog I used this too!!! |
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Jan 27, 2024 0:32:24 GMT
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Post by wallyagain on Jan 27, 2024 16:51:09 GMT
blemon I also keep a similar spreadsheet, but with two columns, one for photo printing (yes, I printed photos from the same week twice) and one for finishing the layout. It is so helpful and so satisfying to fill in those little squares.
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Jan 27, 2024 21:35:00 GMT
but with two columns, one for photo printing (yes, I printed photos from the same week twice) and one for finishing the layout. It is so helpful and so satisfying to fill in those little squares. So smart! I would totally make that mistake. Next year I'll add another column. After Week 2, I was already tired of having to look at the calendar to see what the date range was. So now I have it. What's everyone up to? I finished Week 3 and will take some photos when the weather is nicer. I just worked on it throughout the week and finished up the labels last night while we were watching an animal show on TV. |
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paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,109
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Jan 28, 2024 3:46:16 GMT
but with two columns, one for photo printing (yes, I printed photos from the same week twice) and one for finishing the layout. It is so helpful and so satisfying to fill in those little squares. So smart! I would totally make that mistake. Next year I'll add another column. After Week 2, I was already tired of having to look at the calendar to see what the date range was. So now I have it. What's everyone up to? I finished Week 3 and will take some photos when the weather is nicer. I just worked on it throughout the week and finished up the labels last night while we were watching an animal show on TV. I typically like to work on my PL through the week if I can so I am almost done with week 4. I’m thinking about sharing again on insta but it seems like a lot if work to photograph the layout! lol. I’ve been using SBTM - I did the last two years as well except I was doing a larger size and there was less product so 2 weeks were SBTM and the other weeks were story kit or my stash. I liked that more- all 4 weeks so far are Jan SBTM and honestly I’m a bit tired of it. I think next month I’ll just do 2 weeks with the kit and save the rest of even toss it just get get more variety. I still love the kit- I just don’t want to use it every single week. Can’t say I’m not getting my moneys worth- there’s a lot of product. Lol |
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Jan 28, 2024 4:40:44 GMT
Can’t say I’m not getting my moneys worth- there’s a lot of product. Lol This is good to know. I've been considering subscribing. Based on what you just said, I could go through my stash when the kit arrives and pull out stuff that matches. Then I would have more to choose from but only work from that. I loved the Jan kit but made 3 weeks work without a kit. But also had some time. My time is dwindling so I can't spend all this time looking through my stuff to find stuff that works. My color palette has been very consistent so far for the month but by next week, I'll be ready to move on. The Feb kit from 2023 is in my cart at 13.99 but to sub to the new kit is 15.99. I think tomorrow I will decide about just subbing or not. The Feb. kit will be my deciding factor -- which one I like more. And I have so much Summer stuff I would not need a kit June or July. Otherwise my cart has just over $100 in it so I would get free shipping on the same stuff that's in my SC cart. I am overthinking this, I know. Just money is tight right now. |
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paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,109
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Jan 28, 2024 5:58:07 GMT
Can’t say I’m not getting my moneys worth- there’s a lot of product. Lol This is good to know. I've been considering subscribing. Based on what you just said, I could go through my stash when the kit arrives and pull out stuff that matches. Then I would have more to choose from but only work from that. I loved the Jan kit but made 3 weeks work without a kit. But also had some time. My time is dwindling so I can't spend all this time looking through my stuff to find stuff that works. My color palette has been very consistent so far for the month but by next week, I'll be ready to move on. The Feb kit from 2023 is in my cart at 13.99 but to sub to the new kit is 15.99. I think tomorrow I will decide about just subbing or not. The Feb. kit will be my deciding factor -- which one I like more. And I have so much Summer stuff I would not need a kit June or July. Otherwise my cart has just over $100 in it so I would get free shipping on the same stuff that's in my SC cart. I am overthinking this, I know. Just money is tight right now. 2023 kits were challenging to use with the 6x8 papers and the other size and of course the bad quality stamp. You will have to pull from your stash to make the Feb kit last through the month. Even at a higher price the 2024 kit is a much better value. But of course only if you like it and if you want to do a sub. I’m going to have to cancel my story kit sub as I’m drowning in product now over here.  I personally like digging through my stash to supplement kits - it’s like my favorite part of the process so this more product kit is a bit of a bummer that way for me since there’s not really a need. Maybe what I should do is split the kits in half and save half for next next and then use my stash to supplement this year + next. Lol. Except I’ll have FOMO and wants next year’s kits, too. |
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Jan 28, 2024 14:54:09 GMT
I personally like digging through my stash to supplement kits I like this too! I subscribed today. I used the 5$ coupon so it made the kit 10.99 + 1$. I just like the Feb. 2024 kit better than the 2023 kit. It really came down to that. I just don't have a large stash of normal stuff. I've got loads of DD and Travel supplies, a Disney bin, and an October bin. I might skip October STBM because I have so much. I will decide when I look at it. I organized a good bit today: put all flowers together (cause I rarely use a floral embellishment so I don't want them getting in my way). I have cameras together, arrows together, all hearts and stars, and circles. I have tags in one spot, then frames in a small bin. I don't use those very often either and I can't see the shapes I have fitting in the pockets for project life. Things have been a bit slow this month because of all the snow days but once the weather gets better, I am going to need this process to be streamlined. This week's page was started off with the rainbow from the scrapbook kit. Someone on Insta used it and it reminded me I had it. So everything worked with that color scheme. Now I just need a starting place for this week. Then next week the Feb stuff will come and I'll be good. I really like the vellum. So far I've been spending too much time on the project for it to be sustainable. I know that will get better once I have the kits and the inspiration from the kits. I'll get faster at choosing pics, faster at embellishing. I'm loving this so far. Really loving it. |
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Post by needtime2scrap on Jan 28, 2024 16:35:42 GMT
So far all I've done is my title page 🤭 I ended up batch printing a bunch of the digital journal cards that I bought when SC had their sale. I'm trying to decide if I just want to go the route of printing digital cards, using stash and stamping my own cards or go the route of subbing to the SBTM kit. Now that they took out the 6x8 pages it's much more appealing. My problem is that I use kits fairly regularly at the beginning of the year then start slacking in the middle. By September I'm overwhelmed with kits that haven't been used.
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Post by boymom5 on Jan 28, 2024 17:54:11 GMT
All I have is week 1 done but I did put together my kit to use for January (Elle’s studio + things from my stash). I’m hoping to get the rest of the month done this weekend.
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Post by AussieMeg on Jan 29, 2024 3:07:31 GMT
blemon I also keep a similar spreadsheet, but with two columns, one for photo printing (yes, I printed photos from the same week twice) and one for finishing the layout. It is so helpful and so satisfying to fill in those little squares. I'm using a spreadsheet too. I have five columns for Date, Photo #, Photo Description, Orientation (portrait or landscape), and Journaling notes. Then when I have put each photo on the page, I highlight it in blue. I am so excited that I already have January 1st to January 24th highlighted as DONE, baby! |
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burnbright
Full Member
Posts: 364
Mar 22, 2019 21:27:33 GMT
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Post by burnbright on Feb 1, 2024 22:11:07 GMT
Okay to start us all off... Will you be doing weekly? Monthly? MonthlyDo you do a hybrid style where you scrapbook but via pockets with full page layouts too? I do digital pages with a grid template. I do scrapbook layouts in a smaller 6x9 bookWhat size will you be working in? 12x12So you subscribe to any kits? NoAny favorite companies? Shannan Matton (Pages), Paislee Press, Syncopation Design, Rachel Etrog and Everyday ExplorersDo you do any hybrid pages where you use digital products? The year book is digital so no. I do want to do hybrid for smaller projects.I am looking forward to starting my 2024 book this week. Usually I wait to start the current year until the previous one is done. Last year that meant starting in May. I don't want to do that this year. January is done so I can begin. I downloaded the photos to my laptop today. |
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burnbright
Full Member
Posts: 364
Mar 22, 2019 21:27:33 GMT
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Post by burnbright on Feb 1, 2024 22:33:30 GMT
What does everyone mean when they answer, scrapbook monthly? Is that one page per month and it’s a summary? For me I make 5-12 pages grid template pages each month. The average month is 7 pages. The first page is highlights and the last page has a summary of the monty. An event with lots of photos will get its own page: a birthday party, apple orchard visit, Christmas morning. Other photos I try to group with like. I put the best swimming photos on the same page regardless of the day they were taken. Or a page of photos of my dog. Of course I end up with lots of random pages too. Sometimes I wish I did weekly to capture more of the little details. Maybe if I finish the WITL (week in the life) from 2021 it will satisfy that. |
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Feb 5, 2024 16:14:05 GMT
I did a thing.
Not sure if it will work. I'll report back.
I laid out all of the Feb SBTM kit on my table so I could see the colors (not the vellum as those get weird because of the translucent aspect).
Then I went through all my paper, my 3X4 and 4X6 cards, then my bin of embellishments. I pulled out all the stuff that matched.
I had several solids, about 8-10 12X12 sheets of paper, only a handful of cards, and not very many embellishments.
So now I have a nice kit to get me through the month.
I loved doing that.
Then I started making some embellishments since I don't have many. I played with my stencils.
I think I'll try something new every month.
Next month -- stamping.
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Feb 5, 2024 16:20:23 GMT
What does everyone mean when they answer, scrapbook monthly? Is that one page per month and it’s a summary? For me I make 5-12 pages grid template pages each month. The average month is 7 pages. The first page is highlights and the last page has a summary of the monty. An event with lots of photos will get its own page: a birthday party, apple orchard visit, Christmas morning. Other photos I try to group with like. I put the best swimming photos on the same page regardless of the day they were taken. Or a page of photos of my dog. Of course I end up with lots of random pages too. Sometimes I wish I did weekly to capture more of the little details. Maybe if I finish the WITL (week in the life) from 2021 it will satisfy that. I was watching Lisa's lesson in the class for Feb and she does this monthly. She goes through all her photos and prints them out and identifies themes. She is doing last year's now. She had a batch that was sports events (one page for each kid). Then she had a page of around the house stuff, then a page protector for a mini trip she took. In the middle she had full-page photos back to back with two photos she really liked and wanted to print big. She did the whole month at once and used very few embellishments and just a few cards. She had some photos left over and she just put them all in one pocket and said she might give some to her mom or to the kids. She spent as much time on that whole month as I do on an entire week. It's intriguing. I'm liking weekly so I'm going to stick with that but if I have a work-busy month where not much else is happening, I might try it. It would be a good way to catch up if you get behind.
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jediannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,088
Jun 30, 2014 3:19:06 GMT
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Post by jediannie on Feb 5, 2024 16:45:22 GMT
I was watching Lisa's lesson in the class for Feb and she does this monthly. She goes through all her photos and prints them out and identifies themes. Is this in the AE classroom for the SBTM? |
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jediannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,088
Jun 30, 2014 3:19:06 GMT
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Post by jediannie on Feb 5, 2024 16:47:10 GMT
I think I'll try something new every month. Next month -- stamping. This is a really great idea to use the stuff you have but haven't tried out yet! I may try and incorporate that in as well. I still haven't found a system that will get me actually scrapbooking regularly (I go in fits & spurts) and I really want to get into some sort of routine. |
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Feb 5, 2024 19:15:37 GMT
Is this in the AE classroom for the SBTM? Yes. I love Lisa and love what she makes. It was good to hear her thought process. This is a really great idea to use the stuff you have but haven't tried out yet! I may try and incorporate that in as well. I still haven't found a system that will get me actually scrapbooking regularly (I go in fits & spurts) and I really want to get into some sort of routine. I'm GenX and find self help stuff really difficult to swallow. With that said, I just listened to a podcast episode about starting small. It's the Lazy Genius podcast (episode 349 Small Changes I'm Glad I Made). Basically she talks about starting small. If doing something new regularly is hard to fit into the routine of your life, do the smallest thing WHENEVER POSSIBLE. That idea really spoke to me. I'm pretty hard on myself and I feel like this gave me a little grace not to do everything, all the things, but instead just focus on making one small change. Her example in a different episode was that she knows that yoga is good for her and she wants to incorporate it into her life but it just wasn't working. So she made the decision to add just one yoga pose into her life every day. So every day she has done that (whatever that one pose is) and sometimes she'll do another. And maybe after a while she'll do more but at least she is doing yoga every day. But also, whenever possible. That's been working for me when it comes to exercise. And what I need is that grace to do it however I can whenever I can and that is ok. I can't do it every day. My goodness, long ramble but for me, just doing a little bit every day has been keeping me excited to keep coming back. |
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jediannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,088
Jun 30, 2014 3:19:06 GMT
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Post by jediannie on Feb 5, 2024 20:11:54 GMT
I'm GenX and find self help stuff really difficult to swallow. GenX here too, and same! The self help books all seem so hokey/cheesy to me, but I know they help a lot of people. I just need to get out of my own head.  just doing a little bit every day has been keeping me excited to keep coming back. It reminds me of that saying, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." This is a good goal for me this week! Eat that elephant one bite at a time!  |
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Post by ecvnj58 on Feb 5, 2024 22:44:55 GMT
I completed week 4 so I’m still on track for the year. Woohoo!!!!
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Feb 6, 2024 2:27:06 GMT
Photoshop: Are you sure you want to open 42 photos?
Me: Judgy much?
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Post by lg on Feb 6, 2024 7:25:06 GMT
Photoshop: Are you sure you want to open 42 photos? Me: Judgy much? 🤣 |
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Post by kimba on Feb 6, 2024 10:34:05 GMT
I'm GenX and find self help stuff really difficult to swallow. GenX here too, and same! The self help books all seem so hokey/cheesy to me, but I know they help a lot of people. I just need to get out of my own head. |
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Feb 6, 2024 14:21:13 GMT
Speaking of self help, that same podcast person has quarterly episodes called "10 things saving my life right now."
I thought that would be a cool way to look at a slow week for Project Life.
So far this week my list would be:
the rice pudding from Aldi's
vanilla comoro decaf tea from Harney & Sons
50+ F degree days
Daisy Jones and The Six
project life
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Feb 14, 2024 16:22:57 GMT
I'm getting into a groove with this. Here's what I've been doing (just a few minutes each day, in the evening while watching TV or after dinner): Sunday -- make sure all photos I may want to use from the week are in the album on the phone. Make family text any photos I want. Monday -- send the photos to my laptop and start to plan the page. I've been making little drawings of the page protector and penciling in my plans Tuesday -- print photos Wednesday -- cut photos and put in the sleeves Thursday -- start planning text (if it's not going to be on the photo in photoshop before printing - that would be a Tuesday thing) print onto the sticker paper or write onto cards Friday -- embellish and be done with it. That leaves the weekend to catch up. It also leaves enough time if I have a busy day or I'm exhausted to just chill. How is everyone doing with their albums? Here is week 5: http://instagram.com/p/C3OBd5ROKUf One thing I am doing is having the same date stamp for the month and the same font/color for the week (week 1, week 2, etc.). |
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Post by janamke on Feb 14, 2024 16:29:17 GMT
Printing at home is key to successful Project Life. I knew this but I didn't practice it. Mostly because I'm super fussy about where/how photos are printed. I just splurged on an Epson ET-8500, whoa baby, life changing. It prints beautifully for my very fussy expectations. I cranked out an entire month of PL (January) in one weekend afternoon. Lovely.
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jediannie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,088
Jun 30, 2014 3:19:06 GMT
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Post by jediannie on Feb 14, 2024 17:25:23 GMT
blemon - That's a great schedule. I really need to figure out a better plan. Right now I edit photos daily and delete the ones I know I won't use and once a month I print them. If I start printing weekly I'm sure that would help. I think I might try more frequent printing starting next week and see how it goes.
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blemon
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,570
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Post by blemon on Feb 14, 2024 17:44:30 GMT
Printing at home is key to successful Project Life. I need a new printer for sure. We have a Canon and it's great. I'm not really picky about printing and this is just leaps and bounds above what we were using before. It's just such an ink gobbler. I want to get one where you refill with ink, not tanks. Hopefully next year. I'm sure I'm spending more on ink in 6 months than a new printer. I'm sure that would help. I think I might try more frequent printing starting next week and see how it goes. I think it would be hard for me to do this once a month. For me I think it would make the project seem so much more monumental and then I would procrastinate and never finish it. But that's what Lisa V is doing and she seems to be managing ok. Everyone is different I guess. |
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paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,109
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on Feb 17, 2024 19:22:51 GMT
I know this is the PL thread but I don’t want to resurrect an old WITL thread. I just finished my 2023 WITL. Yay!! He was a bit of a monster- very chunky. I’m really happy with how it turned out and done before 2024 WITL will start. I really liked the layout I used with ending each day with an outside the page protector general topic- it made the whole album come together and gave me a chance to tell more stories that weren’t specific to a day but common in that time period of life. Those pages are also more “crafty” - more like dd.
I think that the DD album is more fun to create and look at but honestly, I like the WITL albums more as a whole. The detail to everyday right now stuff is why I scrap. I guess that’s why it makes sense that I also do PL.
Now I guess it’s time to get back to my 23 Dd (I couldn’t work on it much in December).
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