Little Pieces

I mentioned last time I was working on a layout originally planned as a 12x12. And also that I croppped the photos using my rectangle Nestabilities - here's that layout. I fooled around with it a bit more. Decided to use my corner rounder on the photos as well. I also took out my Quickutz Zoe font - i thought it worked nicely with the Making Memories patterned paper for some reason. Regardless I'm liking the whole 8.5x11 size these days. And who would think you could fit 10 pics on two 8.5x11 pages?

I still have a lot to do with the negatives - mostly because events around here are demanding my attention. And I have to begin the next phase of my Photo Freedom project. I'm still wondering whether or not I really need to purchase the storage binders. My photos are all organized and in boxes. Buying and using the binders just seems almost redundant for me. I think - not sure - I can use the boxes as she uses binders. We'll see. Gotta run!

Negatives and tools

I finished my time line of my printed photos (ones using 110 and 35 mm film). I tracked down some negative sleeves at a local Ritz photo store. Actually 50 pages of negative storage. Each holds 7 strips of 35 mm negatives. (I will definitely be needing hundreds more of these negative sheets before I'm finished.)
Now I'm on a hunt for what to do with the 110 negatives. If anyone has seen storage (preferably sheets that fit into a binder: 3 hole, 8.5 x 11) I'd appreciate the info.
Anyway I began filling up those 50 sheets last night as I watched a little TV. That's going to take a bit of time - but little by little it will get done. I know in Stacy Julian's book "Photo Freedom" she says just throw the negatives in a box - keep them safe and don't worry about organizing them. But I am just not up for doing that. Her reasoning was sound (if some disaster happens she won't mind looking through the negatives) but for me - well I just don't want to do it. I have so many years of photos and will no doubt want to get reprints. I know this because as I've gone through the packs of photos I have found not all the prints are there. They were given away or used on some pages or I just don't know why they aren't there. So having the negatives organized is important to me. But like I said I will be doing the organization in small bites. A little here, a little there.
And a quick note before I run - I was working on a layout this morning. More for my son's baby scrapbook. I was looking at all the photos and realized they all could fit on 2 pages (instead of the original 3 I planned) if I cropped them a bit better. Then I realized I could use my rectangle Nestabilities and get this cropping done in no time. And I did! All cut to the same rectangle size in a matter of minutes. I love it!

I've been busy

Reading .....
Photo Freedom by Stacy Julian and Family History Scrapbooking by Becky Higgins
Now you might be thinking - I thought you gave up on all these books and magazines. And yes I have. I stopped my magazine subscriptions entirely. But these 2 books have been nagging at me since they came out. The Becky Higgins book came out while I was still working at the store and I didn't even look at it I was so disenchanted with all the books at the time. The Photo Freedom book has only been out a few months but it talks about (in detail) Stacy's system that she's mentioned in both her previous books (which I have) and covers in her online class Library of Memories (which I'd love to take but it ain't cheap. I hoped for a "book" version and my prayers were answered LOL).
I picked up the Family History book at AC Moore with a 50% off coupon. It's really pretty great. I know it will help me down the line when I attack the stacks and stacks of old family (my childhood etc) photos I have. But what's on my mind is the pictures I've got from my college days onward - I was telling my friend June howI've been reading the book and began the timeline Stacy talks about in the beginnning. You timeline your photos so you have a reference point (who was what age when this happened for example). I created a little spreadsheet and am just about done with that and I've discovered I have 190 packages of photos in 9 boxes.
Frightening huh?
And that doesnt even count the 5 years of digital photos I've got.
So I needed to get this under control - and I'm thinking this book is going to help me out immensely. If nothing else, I've gotten a renewed enthusiasm and also realize there is more than one way to skin a cat (Frankie & Spencer - you didnt hear me type that!)
I'll be finishing my timeline probably today or tomorrow and then onto the scarey part - taking some of the photos out of chronological order (not all but some). I'll let you know how I do.

Whilst I wait....

and wait and wait... sheesh you'd think they'd tell you when you order that its not in stock. I am a fairly patient person but when I order I like to know in advance I'll be waiting kwim?

So I'm while I'm waiting for my Photo Freedom I decided to finish up some layouts I started a bit ago.

You'll note I took the pics of the layouts before I did any journalling. I trust you can use your imagination on that ok?

Nothing spectacular but I tell you it is very fun to actually USE all this stuff I've bought over the years and even more fun to find out the colors etc all go very nicely together. I guess I am consistent in buying what I like and I like the same colors etc no matter the year!

Another thing I've noticed is that regardless of the poor photography, I love these pictures. They won't win any awards but they're real yaknow? The one of my husband, his Dad and my son - the Joe Boys -I just love this picture. I had t-shirts made for them for Christmas and I knew it was going to be one of those pictures we'd look back on later. My father-in-law was just so proud of his namesake as was my husband. (I think I hear Paul Anka singing "The Times of Your Life" right now... do you hear it too? ;-))

Okay that's enough for tonight. I'll keep you posted as to the arrival of my book!

edited to add - gee the pics I took of the pages really are blurry - sorry about that - the photos really aren't that bad at all.

National Scrapbook day came and went

and i haven't scrapped in over a month - so there.
Life has just been so busy.
However I've been working on a project for the FIL's 80th birthday. We're having a little entertainment at the party - photos with music of his life and family. It will be wonderful. Last update from those putting it together is there will be over 150 pics submitted from all six siblings. Anyway I had to search through about 24 years of photos to get our entries. No small feat I tell you - but it will be worth it. He will love it. DH and I are going to follow up with a framed collage of photos and an album from the party.
As I looked through the boxes and boxes of photos it became abundantly clear I have gotten next to nothing done in the way of scrapbooking. Seriously, in all the years I've scrapped (10 years) I have so little to show for it. This is a recurring revelation. That is how this blog was born really. Getting so hung up in the scrapbooking world I'm not getting much accomplished.
I have to make some progress. I probably have to stop scrappin every picture (gasp!). So i broke down and ordered Stacy Julian's "Photo Freedom" book. It's the book wherein she tells her system that she teaches in her Library of Memories class. I'm hoping the book will arrive sooner than later this week. I'll do a review and then I'm going to get to work. I'm not sure if I'll follow all of her system - that remains to be seen. But I'm thinking there has to be a better way. My own little system here was definitely helping me make some headway but I've gotta get more done. Stay tuned!

Size Matters

okay

you've noticed I do mostly 12x12 pages.

what you haven't seen is that I've done lots of 8-1/2x11 pages (not to mention lots of minibooks of all shapes and sizes)

When I was working on my kids school albums

(which I have just been updating for the past few years with each new year - and they are almost complete as these kids are almost done with school - a fact that totally blows my mind but i digress....)

I had a lot of items that didn't really require 2 full pages or even one full 12x12 page. I used Creative Memories albums for their school albums. CM made (perhaps still makes) these page protectors for things like awards and such - and they were really just like 8-1/2 by 11 page protectors. I used those for all their awards and such. They threaded right into the album like the other pages. Then I realized I could just make smaller pages in the albums - why not? So those albums are a mix of 8-1/2 x 11 and 12x12 pages. I guess I was a little ahead of my time huh? Cos now I see this same idea being used by a lot of other scrappers - I guess it just makes sense huh?

So, the other day I was getting ready to go to my new scrapbook club. I was looking at the photos that were up next in my son's baby album (notice how I have the school albums worked on but I'm still just at the beginning of the baby albums? ha!) A few pics here - a few pics there. None that needed a big ole 12 x 12 page and certainly didn't need a 2 page spread. So out with the 8-1/2x 11 cardstock. I made these 2 layouts and have another on my drawing table. I forgot how fast and easy these smaller layouts can be - and really a lot less stressful to boot. Fast and easy is good. No stress is good. It definitely gave me a sense of accomplishment - and for me - faced with decades (yes... decades) of scrapbooking to do - well that is definitely a bonus! Makes me want to do more!

walker happy

I have to say the most fun part of working on pages of photos that are so old is you get to look at baby pictures of your children - total trip down memory lane. Lots of reflection as you stare into that sweet little face from so many years ago. The bad part is, of course, that some of the memories are slightly fuzzy. Like I can't remember exactly when I took these pictures. But really, in the long run, it doesn't make any difference. What does make a difference is that I have these photos now in a scrapbook, right? Right.

I used some of that Making Memories Boy paper and some cardstock. Used a punch by

StampinUp! that creates scallops - for the long borders on each side. The title block was scalloped using my Nestabilities. Hey - when you buy these pricey tools you gotta use 'em every chance you get! or make some opportunities right? I used Purple Onion alpha stamps and StampinUp! ink; also a StampinUp! marker to write in the rest of the titling. And looky at all those pictures I managed to fit onto 2 pages. 10 - countem - ten pictures. I wasn't going to edit a single photo. He was just too darn cute in all of them!

Cutest

Well it's been a while. Happy New Year and all that!

I actually started this "Cutest" page before I went into my exile. And finally i had a chance to get back to it. Used some Purple Onion stamps and cardstock and that's it.

My big problem is that I cannot get over using every decent photo I have. So I'm always arranging and rearranging photos so they'll fit on a 2 page spread.

I've often thought I should take that Library of Memories class that Stacey Julian offers through Big Picture Scrapbooking. Since she came up with that class - what maybe 2 years ago - she also talks about her system in her book "Simple Scrapbooking" - I've thought about taking it but wish she'd just come out with a book detailing the system. Well - I read last week she is coming out with just that book! Yippee for me. It's called "Photo Freedom" and its due out February 1st. I'm not sure if it will finally convince me to not to scrapbook every photo but I'm willing to listen! I've loved Stacey Julian's other books so I'm going to give it a whirl. Even though I've stopped buying scrapbooking magazines and books - I'm not missing this one!