Just wanna talk about Project Life for a moment.....

Thanks for the tips about doing smaller pics. I guess I end up with the same result by using some PSE templates I have because I can crop and adjust the orientation if necessary. Lots of good ideas. Keep them coming

I failed twice at 12x12 PL. This year, I scaled back to a 6x8 album and that was the key for me. I keep it to one side of a page protector per week, or I might use a 2 page spread for an event if nothing else was happening-I know, not a lot! I record what's important to me. I don't need 500 photos of one occasion. That's what photo albums are for. I am not behind, have never been behind, and don't plant to be behind, lol. If I can't fill 3-4 pockets a week, there's a problem somewhere.

I was aghast to find that some people fill multiple 12x12 BINDERS each year! For ONE year!!!! Somewhere, I met someone online who admitted she was halfway through a SECOND binder by April! I am still reeling over that revelation, lol. My entire year is going into this one little 6x8 binder, and I'm good with that. I also stopped pouring over other people's PL layouts. Sure, I'll still pin something to look at later, or refer to, but I work on MY stuff. That's my priority.

I use two or three digital templates for multi-photo 3x4 or 4x6 photo pockets and do that in PSE. Embellishments are kept to a minimum and FLAT. Like I said, my entire year is going into this one binder. I use stamps or will cut something with my silhouette to add, but other than that, not really too much product. Punches or dies are great too for PL embellishing. I think embellishing hangs people up-so does choosing all the coordinated colors, cards, etc. I just do not have time for that. Some of it's enjoyable to spend time on, but if it keeps me from making a decision, or takes too much time, it's not good. Oh, I also journal right on my photos in most cases-that means I am not filling out multitudes of journaling cards for every little thing. I got one PL kit from Michael's and at the rate I'm going, it'll last me 8 years, lol.

Anyway, this is just my advice for anyone who wants to do PL but is turned off by it: do what works for YOU. If you want to use 1/2 of one side of a page protector for a week, then do it. This is your scrapbook. Don't let the industry or anyone else tell you how it should be done. You can use one side of a pocket page for a whole month if you want! Skip a month-don't worry about "catching up". Just pick it up and start again. You may find another, smaller format more helpful in this, like I did. I cannot tell you how great it's been for me to leave that 12x12 behind! Regardless, it should be fun. If it's not fun, don't feel any guilt about moving on.

I also start with printing a whole series of photos all at once (I'm 'current' up to Week 16 of this year). I occasionally print photos in both portrait and landscape if I'm struggling with the backside. It does take a considerable amount of pre-planning! When I pick up my pics, I add them into the pockets right away, and then when I go cropping with friends, I'll bring my album to work on adding in the pl cards, journaling and embellishments.

Just a couple of extra comments to a great discussion..

I have been doing project life since 2011. I find that I and my family prefer to look through those albums over my traditional layout albums. So I am a big fan.

However, it can be time consuming.

To save time I have found that printing my photos at home once a week is a big help. It's a lot less photos to deal with and make decisions about. I use multiple sizes and types of page protectors (I really like the variety, I use 12x12, 8x11,6x6,5x7, all the pl sizes, and even flip pockets). I try to keep in mind what style I used the previous week when I take photos the next week. However if I don't I just stick in the Page protector that fits that weeks photos and put cute cards etc, in those pockets on the back. I also have four kids so a lot of times when I have something like that. I go take pictures of their favorite things in the orientation I need and fill them I with that. Or things like, what the weather was, what was the cost of gas, etc. I never stick those things at the end. I spread them out randomly I the album. Same thing I do when I have a week I didn't take any photos. I find one family member (including pets) and take a bunch of photos of them after the fact and write in what their favorite things are right now, what they are like,etc. makes the book have some variety and fixes alit of the things about the page protectors that drove me crazy the 1st year. I still do traditional scrapbook layouts and I just stick them in based on the week of the photo. If I don't have a back page, I just stick in a piece of patterned paper and move on. Look great and I get to use some of the full sheets I just hate to cut into.

I have found that just letting go of the notion that it has to be a certain way helped a ton on the amount of time it takes me to complete a PL page. I am always in flux with my process and changing it. This year is ditched the weekly and decided to just take photos when I wanted and stick them in as I felt like it. I have found that means I take a lot less photos( I had an entire month without one photo) and I am not as happy with it as a whole. So am going back to the weekly format next year.

I set my time limit to 2 hours for scrapbooking once a week and I do not do any editing on my photos, I prefer the way it was taken. I just adjust sizes based on the photo. If I am not sure what size I go to 4x6 and just trim it. It usually takes me 10 mins for photos and I do that the night before, so they print while I am sleeping. Then I arrange photos in the page protector(s) and add the cards, dates. I do cut page protectors to fit sizes as someone else above mentioned which is great fir getting a few extra photos in with.

I suggest trying some different things to tweak the process and there is a chance it's just not for you.

I agree about the process being time consuming, but there are some great tips here about how to streamline. I've also been trying to let go of the notion that everything has to be perfect and super embellished. Don't always succeed!

I don't find it as easy as marketed either, but I do like it. I have found that with some initial planning, I can do the actual pages more quickly. Here is my process (definitely more complicated than BH would recommend)

I bought a graph paper notebook and a variety of page protectors from PL and We R Memory Keepers.
I sit in front of a movie or tv show and go through my pictures on the computer.
After seeing what pics I want to use, I sketch it out on the graph notebook and then upload the pics to the developer (using Photosheet to get the smaller sizes).
When the pics are in hand, I go through and put all of them in the chosen page protectors and put it in the album.
When I get time to scrap, I start filling in with cards, paper, embellishments, ephemera, etc.
Last, I journal and do titles.

It seems complicated but it actually makes it go quickly for me. I pulled together a trip from Niagara Falls in just a few sittings and I love how it turned out. I do mix in traditional pages with the divided protectors.

ETA I don't do actual Project Life.  I just do my regular chronological albums and travel albums in a PL style.  

I've been tossing around the idea of going digi with PL, and have been collecting free pocket page-ish templates in preparation.  HOWEVER, that was before finding those sweet 6 x 8 albums and inserts on clearance at M's.  Now I'm going with that smaller format for 2015 and hope that works for me and simplifies it a bit.  I found the 12 x 12 to be too overwhelming!