Finish What You Start: Inspiration and Tools for Project Completion. Do you wish
you could have a stack of completed albums like this? I started scrapbooking ...
Finish What You Start:
Inspiration and Tools for Project Completion
Do you wish you could have a stack of completed albums like this?
I started scrapbooking with grand plans for many albums - just like you did. Two years later I finally dared to print my first pages, and held my first completed album in my hands, and I was so thrilled. In the following two years, I finished five albums and a stack of other layouts. Seeing my husband excited to show them to our friends and my little girl leafing through the pages inspires me to do more. Today I’m going to share with you the methods that I’ve used to get my albums finished. Some of these are gleaned from my own experience and some I’ve gathered from inspiring scrapbookers including: Noell Hyman, Katie Nelson and Liz Tamanaha, Lain Ehmann and Stephanie Medley-Wrath, Jennifer Wilson and Melissa Stinson.
Begin At first glance, starting an album seems easy. But how you start can make the difference between completing the album or having it sit unfinished in the cupboard. I am creating a book for my daughter, about her 2nd year, focusing on her developing speech and the cute little ways she has of saying things. My main motivation for this album is to document her at this precious stage of life. I found that in 2011 I did a lot of scrapbooking about myself, so felt like I wanted to do something special for Emily. What motivates you? Frame your album with this in mind and keep it front and centre while you complete the album. Planning my album is always secondary to finding my motivation for it. I find this way I only start on albums that are really important to me.
Gather Get a head start by gathering what you have. Start where you are. What do you already have that is ready for the album? Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
Photos Do you have photos you want to showcase? Select the ones you love and copy them into a folder on your desktop where you can’t miss them. Choose as many of your photos as you can at the start of the process, and keep them all together so then you don’t have to hunt for them when you have a few spare moments to scrap. Paper scrappers - print out all of your photos. Are you happy with 4x6? Great! If you want a variety of sizes with minimum fuss - see Noell’s tips for printing photos working with an outside photo developer and choosing sizes. I usually scrapbook digitally, so I put my photos into an album in Picasa to keep them all together.
Words Do you have a story to tell? Collect the words for your story. In my case I flicked through my Memory Logbook and stuck a post it note on relevant pages. Other ways to collect words you’ve already written could include: • • • •
Starring or flagging relevant emails in Gmail or your email program Going through your Evernote, OhLife or Memento notes. Look at the captions in your photo metadata Look through your diary, notebook or the backs of receipts in your handbag
Decide if you want one story per page or if you want to break it up over multiple pages. If you are including lots of stories in one album you could scrap the first page of each story with more detail and embellishment and use divided page protectors for the follow up pages as Melissa Stinson does here.
Things Do you have a stash of memorabilia you want to include? Gather it together and plan your pages around them. If you are a digiscrapper, there are two main options: 1. Decide if you want to scan or photograph the items and add them to a layout digitally (as I did with the shot casing in the layout at right) or 2. Add a couple of pages with coordinating papers and just stick them in the album next to your digital pages after the book is printed. I recommend this option if you have a place to store the items until the album is finished, and if they will fit inside the finished album. It saves the time it takes to scan them.
Supplies Do you want to use certain supplies for your album? Collect them all together, whether they be digital supplies, paper products or whatever. I suggest storing everything in one container so you easily work on your album, if you are all digital, just copy and paste everything in one folder. Most scrappers have plenty of supplies, so when hunting through your stash, give yourself a time limit - use the kitchen timer and quickly look through your inspiration folder, kit previews etc.
Move on Once you have all the bits for one category, go onto another category and pull together those parts of the album. You are on your way! As Mary Poppins (or Aristotle) says: “Well begun is half done!” Here’s my temporary storage for everything to do with Emily’s Words album. For my album I’ve followed the words-first approach, and for photos I used what I had and captured a couple of still frames from some videos I’d taken of her.
Create Get out your box of goodies and play! You’ve now got the bulk of things in one place, words, photos, supplies. If you are feeling inspired to just start - go for it! If you are like me and need a jumping off point, why not try some...
Templates Templates or sketches are a time-saving starting point for scrapbook pages. Three of my albums used either quick pages or templates as their base. But don’t run to the stores looking for an album. Remember that Project365 set you bought last year, the baby album you used for nephew’s first birthday? You can get started now with something you already have! Why not repurpose a page design you created yourself? The album template pack I’ve chosen is an 8x8 Shutterfly-ready template pack from Amy Pearson, called Gigglewords. It was released back in September 2008, and I’m only just using it now! (this product is no longer available).
Don’t like to use templates? Noell Hyman wrote about her technique where she uses the dominance of the photos to determine the layout for her photo heavy mini-book.
Make it easy I have learnt over time that done is better than perfect. I am learning to use Katie Nelson’s great idea about thin slicing which basically means going with your first instinct and not over-thinking every decision. So make it easy on myself - I’ve decided to have minimal embellishments, with some Kitchsy Digitals fabric flowers I’ve been longing to use and some textured white cardstock (from the Digi Game) for the background of each page.
Complete Now we are that that point of having our pages started and all the goodies collected, we just need to complete everything. Sounds easy right?
Motivate Staying inspired to work on your album is the most challenging part. Having the first few pages of the album come together in a short time can give you some motivation. I find that a deadline also spurs me into action. Even if it’s just setting a timer for 15 minutes and trying to finish one page by concentrating on it fully for that period of time. Cutting out the distractions can help. Turn off the phone, shut the door and close your email and twitter and just scrap! Enjoy it! Remember it’s fun. If the idea of a deadline isn’t your thing, remember how you enjoy the feeling of scrapbooking and how it does make you happier. Think back to what motivated you to start this album, and how much you’ll love looking through it when it’s done. Knowing Emily loves looking at her little collection of scrapbooks helps me.
Why not ask for help ? In my case, my husband takes our daughter to swimming lessons on Saturday so I have about an hour of peace and quiet for scrapbooking.
Rescue Have you made a couple of attempts at this album and have a hodge podge of un-coordinated pages? Why not try Liz Tamanaha’s deliciously simple solution: put a full size image on the facing page.I used this technique in Emily’s first year album.
Repurpose Even Lain Ehmann, the queen of simple and speedy scrapbooking, bit off more than she could chew with last year’s December Daily album. But in July Lain decided to breathe some life into the project by finishing the pages she’d started and repurposing the rest of her album.
Print For a digital scrapbooker like me there’s one final hurdle. Printing. There’s lots of photobook printers, or you can print pages individually through a variety of photo printing services. Once you’ve chosen a printer you still have decide on a size, cover type and more. Decisions, decisions! If you want some unbiased reviews The Daily Digi provides several great posts here. I on the other hand have a very scientific method for choosing photobook printers. I just go with whoever gives me the best deal at the time. Often that’s Shutterfly (but is has to be a GREAT deal as the postage to Australia is $13.99), and I’ve also been happy with the results I’ve got from MyPicTales and Snapfish Australia. I printed my first album at 8x8 due to the lower cost, and I liked it so I kept going with it. My 12x12 albums also seem a little more intimidating to pull out when your friends come over for coffee. I told you it was scientific!
Proof Before you print, it’s great to get someone else to proof your album. I find that uploading layouts 4on your blog, Flickr or Facebook make it easy to send through some links to your family and friends.
Having someone else look at it is great way to find spelling errors, etc. Why not send your Mum an email and ask her to look through it. I’m sure she’d love a sneak peek!
Actions I recommend using Wendyzine’s actions to get your photobook printed perfectly. I’ve used her actions for photobooks printed by Shutterfly and MyPicTales and I’ve been thrilled with the results. Wendy explains more at the Daily Digi. You can also check the printer’s specifications on their website. Working them out may make your head spin, which is why I love Wendy’s actions!
Enjoy When you’ve come to the end of the project and your album is in your hands, take some time to enjoy it. It is a great accomplishment, and you now have tactile proof of your scrapbooking. Well done!
You can see my completed album here.
The following pages include several worksheets that will help you branstorm you next project, collate your ideas, supplies and resources, and how you’ll finish what you start. I’ve also included a couple of pages of resources that I’ve used when creating an album. Plus I’ve got a free Album Creation workshop just for you. So read on.
Begin
What inspires me?
Why do I want to do this?
What do I want to communicate? Story
Art
Pictures
Gather Photos
Words Dairy/Calendar/Journal/Paper Notes
Blog/Oh Life/Email/Twitter/Facebook/Online
Memorabilia
Supplies
Create Page Ideas
Complete Motivate Gather
Assemble
Embellish
Proof
Print
If all else fails... Rescue
Repurpose
Resources Gather Photos Can’t find photos? Scrap without photos – for inspiration check out these posts from the Daily Digi and Anna Aspnes: • • •
Play it Again with No Photos Turn a Template into a Layout without Photos 5 Ways to Scrapbook Without Photos
Words Scrapbook Journalling with Gmail
Create Templates I have a full template album set available at Digital Scrapbooking HQ
If you sign up to my mailing list you’ll receive a free digital template as your welcome gift
Print Printing Photobooks? I have used and recommend the following printers Shutterfly (use my link for 50 free prints)
Snapfish US / Snapfish Australia (free prints!)
Looking at other Printers? For Photobook reviews see The Daily Digi’s Photobook Review For layout prints see The Daily Digi’s Layout Printing Review
Proof Wendy’s Actions are a time saver for photobooks
Free Album Creation Workshop True Scrap participants will receive complimentary access to my Album Creation online workshop. Just enter your email address here. Digital scrapbooking is my passion, the way I preserve my memories. If you are interested in learning more I have a Digital Scrapbooking Primer course or you can attend a free workshop.
About Melissa Shanhun At Digital Scrapbooking HQ, I’m creating a unique system where you can get your Photoshop questions answered and you can use your computer to do what you want it to! I’m Melissa and I’ve been using my computer to create beautiful things for about 15 years now. I spent 10 years working in graphic design using a variety of software systems including Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. I’ve also taught presentation systems and graphic design at Edith Cowan University for the past 5 years. I’ve been focusing my skills on digital scrapbooking since October 2007. My work has been featured at Log your Memory, The Daily Digi, Scrapbookgraphics, and the Daily Scrapper. I’m currently on the team at Ella Publishing, Wendyzine Scraps and Log your Memory.
