Yep!! LOL! I'm happily shouting it from the rooftops!
I got all of our Christmas 2011 photos scrapped!
As promised the other day, I wanted to share some of my "process" with you.
To start, I must explain that I'm not an event scrapper, and Christmas is an "event" to me. I avoid scrapbooking events because I "overthink" the pages. At least, that's what I suspect!
I've come to the conclusion, though, that sometimes you have to keep things simple, not complicate them, and just get them done. This was a case in point. Those photos needed to be scrapped! They'd been patiently waiting. Our family loves photos, and we deserved to have them saved in a way that would enable us to enjoy them!
Would you like to know how I did this? I took some photos of my "steps" as I worked, and will use them I'd explain how I planned, and then got this ALL done.
Main premises for this Christmas Album:
12x12"
Simple, clean
Crisp graphic embellies
Linear design
Minimal layering
USe of white space
Keep it consistent by using:
One colour CTMH ink
One computer journaling font
One title style (Sizzix "Sizzlits"- Nouveau)
One colour CTMH cardstock for BOTH background and journaling
One CTMH paper collection
Steps:
Gather the photos for the event you want to scrap.
Decide on size of album based on your preferences and the number of page LOs you want to compile in order to document memories of your event. I chose to go with a 12x12" size.
Choose a paper kit or group of papers that you know will set off your photos. I chose the beautiful "Sparkle and Shine" Paper Collection from CTMH.
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| "Sparkle and Shine" from CTMH |
There were 6 pieces of double-sided paper in this pack. Additionally, there was plenty of coordinating cardstock including Ruby and Juniper in the collection.. Seen above are the three patterned papers I used exclusively on my pages.
Choose one solid cardstock colour. Be sure you have enough sheets in your stash as this will be the background for each page. I chose White Daisy CS from CTMH for my page bases.There was White Daisy in the paper pack, but I added more from my stash as I needed 13 sheets. Thankfully as a CTMH consultant, I had lots on hand!! LOL. I rarely use white as a background colour, so this was a fun idea.
Choose one ink colour to use throughout your album. I chose Archival Black from CTMH: a nice rich black goes well with Christmas colours and the white background I had planned. Black ink was my choice.
Next, gather some old photo envelopes to use in the sorting process. You know, the ones that photos come in when you pick them up at the photo lab. :) I always have a few laying around on my desk. These were really old ones, so I was happy to give them a new life for this project. You can use any recycled envelopes you have on hand and you will need ONE envelope for each page you plan to create for your project.
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Photo lab store envelopes were repurposed
for sorting |
Sort your photos into layouts or "pages." The number of pages will depend on what you have planned and how many photos you use on each page.
Decide which photos you will use on each page.
Crop the photos to feature the people and things you want to showcase. I tend to crop my photos in similar or same sizes, this way I can group them in ways that appeal to my linear-thinking brain.
Sketch a design you can refer to later when you create that page. Use the size and number of pics available, already cropped, to guide your sketch.
TIP!! Be sure the paper you sketch on is small enough to fit into your photo envelope. In the past I have sketches on post-its, but this time I had a perfectly-sized notepad handy! Use the approximate shape and size of the pics you have already cropped.
TIP!! Be sure you leave space in the design for journaling. (In my personal sketches, I use a "J" to mark the journaling area.)
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| Rough layout sketch by A. MacDonald |
Place your photos and the rough sketch in the photo envelope.
Label the envelope and sketch with same number, just in case they happen to get separated. Use pencil so you can erase and use the envelopes again if you wish, once this project is all finished.
I do my sketches "roughly" because I do not know which are "keepers" yet. LOL! If it turns out to be a keeper, I will draw it out properly later for future use! :) I know his is different from the way some folks create, but it's the way I chose to proceed in order to design make the pages I wanted to complete. Works for me!
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Envelope containing photos for one layout.
Accompanying sketch will go inside envelope.
(Notice that envelope and sketch are both numbered the same. ) |
TIP!!
It may be of help to write a suggested title for the page on the envelope containing the photos and sketch.
Place each envelope of pics and its' accompanying sketch in a 12x12" ziplock bag. Place a piece of White Daisy CS in each bag.
TIP!!
Make a bag like this for each page you intend to create.
Write the journaling to go with the photos in the envelope. I do this with my computer. I used Arial unicode MSw for my journaling. I love that font!
TIP!!
Bring your photos over to the spot where you journal so you can refer to them as you write.
Print and place journaling in the bag, ready to roll. (You can handwrite journaling if you wish, just be sure to place in bag.)
TIP!!! Choose one journaling font and one cardstock colour for journaling at the beginning of the project. For example, I decided to use Arial Unicode MS and to repeat the background White Daisy CS for my journaling. This created consistency within the project and kept it simple.
Save your journaling on your computer. I created a folder for this purpose, to keep things from the same project together.
TIP!!
Here is how I created a folder to keep my journaling in:
After I typed my journaling for each page into MS Word, I titled each file and saved it to a folder called "Christmas 2011 Journaling."
Each file of journaling within it was numbered and titled.
This is the way I do all journaling intended for a specific project.
With regard to this particular project, let's say I had just journaled for page/sketch #10. I would call the file "10 Christmas 2011 Journaling."
Journaling for page 1 was called "1 Christmas 2011 Journaling" and for page 7, it was called "7 Christmas 2011 Journaling." Easy-Peasy!
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My "Christmas 2011 Journaling" folder
showing all the files within it. |
The numbering of my journaling files corresponds to the numbers on the envelopes and sketches.
Once I had printed the journaling I needed for a specific page and placed it in the Ziplock bag, I wrote DONE in the title of the file.
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| File title was changed AFTER I'd printed out the journaling. |
The next part is more about my own process, so for the rest of the tutorial. I will talk about this as MY project and not in steps.
I took my 12x12 bags of journaling, CS, photos and sketches over to my scrap desk. I placed them aside for a moment and went hunting thru my stash for some Christmas-y embellishments.
I found chipboard, 3-D stickers, trees, some angels and bling. I set it close to my scrap area to have it handy, either to USE or as inspiration for my pages.
I laid out the sheet of White Daisy CS. I had a gander at my sketch, what papers were available and how much space I would need for the photos placed as they were in the sketch.
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| Gathering what I need to adhere |
I put the photos on the plain white piece of CS to look at the space available. I cut out a title, wiggled things around, slid things back and forth, then decided on what patterned paper I wanted to use. After that, I just cut it to size, arranged everything, and adhered it all.
I wanted a linear style with lots of white space so I kept that in mind. For example, I decided to mat one photo in this set, as I placed it.
Here's what this particular page looked like when complete. I repeated this process for all the pages.
It was fun, simple and satisfying to get these done!
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| Page 9 of our 2011 Christmas Album, all completed! |
Would you like to see the set of layouts I created for my album?
Here you go! I will be working on a title page soon!
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| "Christmas Tree Joy" |
Journaling:
Our beautiful tree came from Stork’s Landing in Kingston, NS.
It had been grown locally at Lake
Paul and was fresh as
could be! Noah gave it the “sniff of approval”- and once Daddy had placed it in
the stand, he proceeded to decorate it with shatterproof ornaments! He was so
happy. Then, he went to sleep. We took the ornaments off and Daddy put the
lights on the tree. Noah woke the next
day to a tree with shining lights on it, all ready for him to start decorating
for real! (Noah was not upset as we always do it this way so that he doesn’t
have to wait for lights to go on and gets to decorate it with the ornaments.
Tree-day is so exciting for him!)
December 2011
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| "Tree" |
Journaling:
Here is our beautiful tree on Christmas Morning- December 25, 2011
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| "Anticipation" |
Journaling:
Here are our 3 oldest kids peeking around the corner as they arrived upstairs
on Christmas Morning! Great anticipation!!
Although, to be honest…I think Daddy and I were even more excited than
they were! (Shhhh!! Don’t tell!)
December 25, 2011
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| "Big Day" |
Journaling:
December 25th was always a very special family day!
Here are a few different views of the kids while we were having fun
relaxing, eating delicious treats like chocolates and “scranwiches” and just being
silly. J
Christmas Day, 2011
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| "Helper" |
Journaling:
Bryan was opening a gift
from Noah, who was super-interested- carefully watching, then HELPING his big
brother unwrap the gift!
The fun expressions on Noah’s face as he helped
his big brother were soooooo photo-worthy!
**
December 2011
**Translation: darned cute!
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| "A New Friend" |
Journaling:
Daniel was very
excited on Christmas morning because he was given a video camera!
Iris was
enjoying a snuggle on his lap…
Daniel really
loved being her buddy while she was staying with us!
Such a great
day!
Dec 25, 2011
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| "Happy Guy" |
Journaling:
Daniel enjoyed his time with Iris, and looking at his new gifts!
The various books he was given were things he’d asked for, but the
Vivitar camera was a total surprise! It was so comical to see the look on his
face when he opened it!** He was super-excited because he LOVES to make movies!
December 25, 2011
**See other photo
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| "Enjoy, Smile, Relax" |
Journaling:
(For this one, I created an "equation.")
Kids’ anticipation of Dec 25th
Pretty tree
Yummy treats
+ Critters
---------------------------------------------
Things that make Christmas fun!!
~
I was so excited to recycle these thin magnets that regularly come in the mail...(elections, carpet cleaners, financial institutions, cosmetic companies, etc...) and use them to show off a few of the kids' pictures!
