Elsabelle
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,677 
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Post by Elsabelle on Oct 4, 2018 16:29:44 GMT
I used to make quicker decisions when I scrapped regularly. These days I can go months without scrapping and then when I do it feels like I'm starting all over again in some ways. My options and possibilities are slower to come to mind. I'm not a kit maker but I'm assuming having kits on hand makes layouts come together faster. I made a one page kit a while back and when I used it I completed the layout in record time and I love it.
What is your thought process when scrapping? Do you use a sketch to scrap faster? Do you start out with a plan in mind? Do you make DIY kits? Do you subscribe to a kit club? Do you wing it? Are you indecisive or a quick decision making scrapper? If you're a slow scrapper does it bother you?
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Post by Linda on Oct 4, 2018 16:41:17 GMT
I'm a hare once I get started but sometimes a tortoise as far as getting off my posterior and getting started, lol (today is a good example...as I sit here on the computer)
I use sketches probably 75% of the time for layouts, probably 25% of the time for cards. I don't always follow it exactly (in fact as a 8.5x11 scrapper, I'm usually modifying a 12x12 sketch to work).
I start with photos 99% of the time...I tend to match colours/themes to the photos so kits aren't really my thing. I do buy collection kits but use them as stash not on their own typically.
I pick photos, then papers (cardstock and/or PP), then embellishments ...and I tend to be light on the embellishments. I prefer to computer journal over handwrite -esp. if it'll be more than a couple of words.
If I find I'm being really indecisive, it usually means I'm either not happy with the papers/embellishments I chose (and need to try again) or I'm just not in the right place to be scrapping and I need to take a break.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,331
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Post by scrapnnana on Oct 4, 2018 16:46:33 GMT
I am slow, but it does not bother me. I am happier with layouts and cards that I took time to think about and to create.
Sketches are actually hard for me to use. Kits are useful, because they have papers that coordinate, but that does me little good if the kit colors do not go well with my photos.
I am okay with being a tortoise.
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joyfulnana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,991
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Post by joyfulnana on Oct 4, 2018 17:02:45 GMT
I'm a tortoise. And I DO use sketches and kits but I'm still slow lol. I like to get the bones of the layout done, then let it sit while I let things percolate as far as embellishments go. After not having scrapped for nearly 5 years, I am slower to decide or remember different techniques I want to use, so the monthly challenges have helped a lot with that. Reminding me to use older stash, tools and techniques I had forgotten about.
I'm not a quick decision scrapper by any means lol. I typically get one 2 page layout done a week. And I'm happy with that. If I'm not happy with the page I just can't put in an album.
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Post by anniefb on Oct 4, 2018 17:14:40 GMT
I’m pretty slow but that’s ok - I don’t have a huge number of pics to scrapbook or cards to make and I guess for me it’s become a lot more about the process than the end product. It makes a nice change from work with constant deadlines and high stress.
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Post by myboysnme on Oct 4, 2018 17:24:38 GMT
I consider myself a hare. My process is simple. I pull supplies I would potentially use for some photos. Then when I sit down I look at the supplies and photos, select what will work, and scrap. Sometimes there are some missing supplies I may have to look for something to substitute. I try to use up what I have unless it is an ongoing theme where I would use things potentially for other pictures at some point.
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Kerri W
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,790
Location: Kentucky
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Post by Kerri W on Oct 4, 2018 17:43:43 GMT
Scrapbooking I'm a hare. Papercrafting/stamping/card making I'm more of a tortoise.
I don't scrapbook often so I tend to make up kits with a sketch and knock out lots of pages in a few days time. If I go to my scrapbook room to relax, about once a week, I generally work on cards or other paper crafting projects. I don't scrapbook nearly as often, but when I do, I make a lot of layouts at once.
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Post by auroraborealis on Oct 4, 2018 19:48:49 GMT
I am slow, but it does not bother me. I am happier with layouts and cards that I took time to think about and to create. Sketches are actually hard for me to use. Kits are useful, because they have papers that coordinate, but that does me little good if the kit colors do not go well with my photos. I am okay with being a tortoise. I've always been a tortoise, and have never gotten into using sketches. Every once in a while I kind of force myself to scraplift something I'm inspired by to push me out of my comfort zone.
But I am 100% photo driven--so I pick what I want those to be, and then buy (unless I have something in my stash) the supplies I want (and need, sometimes stash gets me a long way) for those photos. So that process can take a long time as I don't place orders too often, or find much locally I want to use. I want all those pieces before I start creating, so that can take months. I have many ideas in the works pretty much all the time.
And then I am slow to create too--but if I hurry I tend to not be as happy with the end result.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Oct 4, 2018 21:06:23 GMT
I used to be quite a hare! Now I'm a tortoise, most times.
Stress definitely plays a roll in how productive I am. And I've been stressed for almost a decade now.
I'm still waiting for my mojo to come back. Waiting for my joy and spark to return that I used to have. I'm only creative when I'm happy.
I've tried to use sketches, but I find by the time I find one I like, I've used all my creative energy.
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Post by 950nancy on Oct 4, 2018 22:24:05 GMT
I'm a bear. I get a ton of stuff done in a few seasons and then hibernate for a few months.
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Post by grammadee on Oct 4, 2018 22:55:26 GMT
I find that i’m Pretty fast once I get started. Not super fast like some of you gals, but can whip out a couple of facing pages in an hour or two in a morning, 25-30 pages in a two day crop.
But that is when I am in the zone, scrapping photos I love with supplies that suit them, it seems like ideas flow seamlessly, and I will go to bed wondering what will I do next, and wake up knowing exactly what to do. I can grab paper, cut or tear it, glue it down and grab the next piece. Most of the time I am happy with my results.
When I have taken a break from scrapping the transition back is much slower. It seems like I am trying too hard: every decision feels stressful, and nothing looks right. I look for sketches, but then stress about the measurements or the placements of the pieces. I’m not sure what brings back the scrappy joy. Sometimes I use challenges to reverse my process. If I was starting with the photos, I might start with the background, or specific supplies instead.
In the end, it’s not how quickly you finish, but that you got something accomplished and enjoyed the journey.
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Oct 4, 2018 23:29:31 GMT
I still scrap like molasses even with a sketch. I use sketches most of the time with 12x12, however. I'm a rule follower (so I find it hard to deviate from a sketch) and struggle with decision making. Sketches give me a starting point because I shut down mentally (too many options is the same as no options at all...so much goes through my head at once that it all overlaps and becomes indistinguishable) but I take my time choosing collections (did I forget to mention that when I make 12x12 I need my papers to coordinate with my photos?) and often start looking through papers only to decide I want to use another collection altogether. I'm a very linear thinker and don't consider myself to be innately creative (I know people who've scrapbooked the same amount of time that I have and within the first year they were making really good design teams and I still felt like a beginner...it's been over 7 years and I STILL feel like a beginner) but the creative process is enjoyable for me. While I'd like to feel caught up at some point in my life, I'm like the guy with the sand dollar on the beach. So long as I'm recording things, I'm okay with falling further behind because our lives are still being recorded, even if there are gaps that may take a really long time to get to, lol. In a way, Project Life is freeing for me because I have layouts started for me in both the pocket size being smaller and PL cards giving me a solid foundation that isn't so overwhelming. I am still slow with the process, though. The few times I've tried to challenge myself to make quicker decisions, I ended up hating many elements of the project. I made one 12x12 in about 45 minutes with a mixed media background and no sketch last year and I loved it but I wasn't aiming for fast, it just worked out that way. That page was a record for me. When I finish a PL spread quickly I don't know what to do with myself because I feel like I must have forgotten to do something. Slow is an integral part of my process, I guess. It's one of the only slow down and smell the roses aspects to my life and I'd be hesitant to give that up even if I woke up one day and became a prolific scrapbooker. I think a big part of why I enjoy organizing so much is that it's much more of a puzzle than a free for all. That part actually does come quite naturally for me. I'm not sure if that answers your question or not, lol.  |
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Post by freeatlast on Oct 4, 2018 23:42:36 GMT
Just a card maker here. I would consider myself a tortoise. I second guess my decisions, thinking I have more perfect sentiment/image/patterned paper in a different font/set/collection and must go in search of it.
I do find that when I am creative on a regular basis (i.e. at least a couple times a week), the whole process flows much better. If it's been weeks since I've been in my craft room, the first couple of projects are a real struggle.
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Post by Linda on Oct 5, 2018 0:07:38 GMT
. I'm a very linear thinker and don't consider myself to be innately creative (I know people who've scrapbooked the same amount of time that I have and within the first year they were making really good design teams and I still felt like a beginner...it's been over 7 years and I STILL feel like a beginner) but the creative process is enjoyable for me. I think a big part of why I enjoy organizing so much is that it's much more of a puzzle than a free for all. That part actually does come quite naturally for me. these two statements fit me very well also. Isn't it great that there is room in the hobby for folks like us as well as the innately creative and artistic?! |
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Post by scrapaddict702 on Oct 5, 2018 1:38:47 GMT
. I'm a very linear thinker and don't consider myself to be innately creative (I know people who've scrapbooked the same amount of time that I have and within the first year they were making really good design teams and I still felt like a beginner...it's been over 7 years and I STILL feel like a beginner) but the creative process is enjoyable for me. I think a big part of why I enjoy organizing so much is that it's much more of a puzzle than a free for all. That part actually does come quite naturally for me. these two statements fit me very well also. Isn't it great that there is room in the hobby for folks like us as well as the innately creative and artistic?! I love that there is room for everyone. I find that I need to get out of my own way sometimes because fear of failure keeps me from doing a lot of things that look like fun. I really want to try my hand at art journaling because I like the idea of playing without worrying about a specific result in mind, but I am always nervous that I'll like a layer and then screw it up with the next one, lol. I made a canvas last year and like it so much that I don't dare another one because 'what if that one doesn't turn out as good?' |
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Post by Linda on Oct 5, 2018 1:52:49 GMT
I find that I need to get out of my own way sometimes because fear of failure keeps me from doing a lot of things that look like fun. are we twins? |
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Post by stinkerbelle on Oct 5, 2018 4:32:03 GMT
i am very much a tortoise  i hate it because i used to be very much a hare. i spend way too much time dithering now and sometimes i tell myself to just stop it and get the show on the road  |
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camcas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,112
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Post by camcas on Oct 5, 2018 5:19:10 GMT
I'm a bear. I get a ton of stuff done in a few seasons and then hibernate for a few months. Exactly this! |
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Post by gmcwife1 on Oct 5, 2018 6:29:46 GMT
Tortoise and I’m ok with it I scrap for relaxation so it works  |
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Post by QueSeraSera on Oct 5, 2018 6:42:04 GMT
Hibernating bear. Life happened and I've taken a break that is lasting much longer than I'd like.
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Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,650
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
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Post by Chinagirl828 on Oct 5, 2018 10:10:27 GMT
I'm definitely a tortoise. I sometimes pull together homemade kits, particularly for embellishments which are somewhat overflowing at the moment. I'll go through my stash and pull out things that speak to me or that I could see working together on a page and put them into one of those iris case organiser tray thingies by colour. Then whenever I start embellishing a page I'll dig through that to look for things to use. It's helped me use up some random stuff or things that I thought I might struggle with because I tend to have a much more "this will do" approach whenever I do this.
Otherwise I'm a "look at everything in my stash before I make a decision" type of person, especially with patterned paper. Even if I find a paper I like in the first few sheets I flip through I like to do a quick flip through the rest of my papers just in case there's something better.
Someone shared recently that they were making faster decisions and completing pages quicker because the daily sketches had them working on pages more frequently and I definitely found that to be true for me as well. The other thing I discovered through near daily creating was how much more consistently I love my finished pages (instead of the three great ones and then one I immediately start thinking about possible re-do's on).
I enjoy the process as much as anything so I don't mind the pace I work at.
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Post by pennyscraps on Oct 5, 2018 14:40:17 GMT
What is your thought process when scrapping? Do you use a sketch to scrap faster? Do you start out with a plan in mind? Do you make DIY kits? Do you subscribe to a kit club? Do you wing it? Are you indecisive or a quick decision making scrapper? If you're a slow scrapper does it bother you? I am a tortoise, I think, but I also think I have always been a tortoise. I make two pagers 90% of the time, so I believe they are slower to make, at least to me. I have three approaches really: 1) grab a kit - I sub to the Scrapbook Generation (SG) Generation Page Kit club - this is the material for two layouts and it's a classic feel and it follows the calendar, giving some seasonality to the kits. This is a great time saver for me, and a GO TO in my trick bag. 2) grab some new paper and a sketch - this is when I am feeling leisurely and am either story driven (as in "I want to scrap this photo" or "I want to use this collection") and it is one of my favorite ways to scrap, but a very slow process for me. I do use the SG sketches and that is a good kick start. 3) work on a large project using an entire collection on multiple layouts - I do this on events like a trip, a wedding, a family reunion and I enjoy getting several LO's out of one big product pull/DIY kitting. Sometimes my speed DOES bother me, but what bothers me more is ending up with a LO I don't love. If I stay true to my process, I do end up loving my work. |
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Post by LisaDV on Oct 5, 2018 16:37:37 GMT
I used to be a tortoise all the way. Then I became quicker at embellishing which is my favorite part. But the picking of the papers - oy! It was like cleaning all the bathroom grout with a toothbrush with only one bristle slow. I would hem and haw over each pick. Then I slowly found what worked for me.
I found kit club kits were really speeding my process along if I had photos that went with the kit. So now I have many different kit club kits, some collection kits, and some themed kits I put together. Once I edit my photos and try to also get journaling down during this time and get them printed, I will put each story into one of the premade kits to work on when I feel like it. If I don't think any kit works, then I create a kit for the story. I find this has really sped my traditional layouts along. Last crop I attended I pulled sketches for each story as well. This was a huge time saver. I may start using sketches more. But with the photos printed, journaling complete, and papers picked, I find I can generally go quite fast, usually about 1 hour or less.
Now I should say that that hour sometimes happen in one day, sometimes over 7 days. Depends on the week. But that's a whole different thread.
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Post by streetscrapper on Oct 5, 2018 19:12:45 GMT
Definitely a tortoise when it comes to scrapbooking. Always have been, always will be. It doesn't bother me in the least. I love the process of digging through my stash to find the perfect paper or embellishment, and if I don't have it, I'll make it. I generally do use a sketch, or a combination of a couple of sketches, to get the ball rolling, but often when the layout is completed, it looks nothing like what I started with. Like so many others have already said, the entire process is relaxing to me and I think it's a big part of why I love scrapbooking in general. I go into my craft room and before I know it, hours have gone by and I love every minute of it.
When it comes to cards, I'm still a tortoise. You'd think I'd be quicker because they are smaller projects with less embellishments, but cards can involve a lot of different techniques, things I've seen but never tried. And now that the trend is to have them be "inter-active", I just can't seem to quicken the pace! And when I do manage to do one up quickly, it's rarely one that I love. So I just accept that I am incredibly slow and that's ok. It works for me!
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Post by mikklynn on Oct 6, 2018 12:53:17 GMT
I'd be a hare if it weren't for the constant interruptions! That is why I love my 3 day retreat.
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