Thursday

Scrapbooking, Part 2 (and an announcement!)

I'm continuing last night's discussion on scrapbooking. I'm showing two old photos I posted on my blog a while ago. This is my set-up for my Creative Memories workshops. This is the way my dining room looks each Tuesday night! The album above is my grandson, Caden's album with his birth announcement and newborn photo.

I really don’t like to call my hobby scrapbooking, because I don’t think of our precious pictures as “scraps!” We call it “cropping!” I also don’t have any interest in doing digital scrapbooking! I know, I guess I’m just old-fashioned, but I just don’t want to sit at a computer working on photos! I spend too much time on the computer as it is and I don’t think my back could take it any longer! I do admire those who do the digital scrapbooking, and I think it is beautiful, but I just prefer the “hands-on” crafting!

I really do quite simple décor on the album pages, I have run the gamut and gone from elaborate decorating on pages, to now simple! I’m now focusing on “telling the story” by journaling my thoughts, prayers, etc. on the page with the photos. It has been proven that people, especially children, aren’t as interested in the decoration as they are in what the words about them say! I want to leave this legacy of love with my family, especially the little grandchildren, who we may not live to see them as adults! Also, these two babies (who turn two next month!) have working parents who don’t do photo albums, so I’ve taken it upon myself to do the albums for them!

Some of you know how busy I am, and I have a hard time finding time to work on the albums. I get behind a lot. I have thousands of photos I hope to put in albums someday!

I have worked out a system to help me “make time” to work on the albums. I used to work chronologically, but sometimes I couldn’t get into the mood to do certain pictures. I have found I enjoy working by subject now, so I pick out some favorite pictures and do a page, front and back of a subject or date. This way the pages can later be inserted in order later when I’m finished. I keep a good supply of refill pages and I work on individual pages instead of inside an album! Then I insert them into a cover-set album (which comes with no pages, you insert your own pages and choice of color.)

Another tip – if you keep a card table (or better yet a craft room!) set up so you can do “a page a day” you will do 365 photo album pages a year!! It doesn’t take long to do one page! You could even work on one page all day long if necessary! If this isn’t possible, do a page a week! In a year you will have 52 pages done!!

My CM friends try to come weekly to my CM workshops because they say they just will not do it at home, but they will do it here! Maybe you could find a friend to work with weekly, a girl's night out! The photo below is the cutting area.

Now for an announcement:

Ta - dah!!! Here it is!!! We ordered it last night from Amazon.com! Finally!! It took some doing, but I finally talked my husband in getting the same one my daughter, Alyson has! That way she can help us, I won't mind asking her questions, etc. about it. I would hate to bug my friends with a lot of questions. It is a Canon PowerShot S3 IS with 12x zoom. I can't wait until it arrives! I hope I can learn to use it! I'm so excited! I'm doing a happy dance!! Katherine

9 comments:

Love Bears All Things said...

Thank you so much for this post. As I said, I had this idea to do mini scrapbooks for my siblings and regular pages for my grands' books about my parents. I"ve bought the mini books, paper, embellishments and copied some of the picutres. For my parents' baby pictures I had to pull them out of a group photo but I did it. Recently, my daughter asked if i wanted to look at her supplies and see if there was anything I could use. I started doing this and she said she thought I could just do her pages for her while I was doing it so she gave me Birthday and vacation, etc.of the grands.
Thanks for the info on the camera. I have a digital but have been wanting one with more zoom power. i'll make a note. Keep posting aobut scrapbooking. I'm an apt pupil.
Mama Bear

Lallee said...

I like the idea of doing scrapbooks in ways that work best for you and your time. What you shared really helps. Maybe someday I will actually get started.

I know you are excited about ordering your camera. Can't wait to see your first pics!

Hugs,
Lallee

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to see your photos. What a great looking camera.

Ceekay-THINKIN of HOME said...

Wow, that camera looks daunting to me! I am sure you will figure it out and post gorgeous pics. I hope you have that setting that picks up one color and everything else is black and white...I love that!

Carrie said...

I am fascinated with your work at preserving precious family photos and meaningful messages. Since this is my family's 50th anniversary in the U.S. I have been working to sort and arrange a large number of accumulated photos. I have lots of albums but need to do more scrapbook projects to incorporate ephemera from special family events and milestones.
The system you use sounds very helpful in getting the job done systematically and attractively.

Kathi~Lavender, Lace and Thyme said...

You will love your new cannon! I am jealous, I have a great camera but a new one is in my heart! :) Scrap booking is so awesome, my sister is a Creative Memories consultant, my stuff stays mostly tucked away....one day :)

Unknown said...

I definitely want to read your post once you get your new camera; I am looking for something more professional, also!
I only started making scrapbooks a few years ago. I've found a great way to tell the stories is to do an album or 2-4 page spread on a theme, depending what it is. For example, my family has a traditional vacation we take every year to a certain beach. Instead of telling the story every year, I did 4 pages about the trip, our favorite sites, restaurants, activities, etc. It's neat to see all the pictures of the kids changing on the same pages. This way I also got everything "scrapped" and was able to focus on current events in our lives.

Nikki via The Scarlett Rose Garden said...

Yeahhh! I can't wait to see your fist pics either. Congrats! I'm jealous!
NIkki

Susan said...

I love to work on my pages as well as you know Katherine..I am having my oldest daughter Sarah (who is published in many scrapbook magazines), my two daughter in laws and my Mom here tonight to crop. I do this once a month. I am so excited...I look forward to this time all month long. I love how you have everything set up. Like you...I love to work on my pages the old fashioned way...but I am going to try digital...and I think I will order the one through you (creative memories)...I just love your blog Katherine...