The new design team has been busy getting their bearings as they introduce themselves and their love of scrapbooking. Be sure to read them all. Head back to the main blog and scroll to find Alex’s post titled “What I love about it!” Now give them all a hand!
With this new team comes some new features to our blog and our Circle community. I’m here with the first new feature, the Question of the Month. I asked our community what their biggest scrapbooking roadblocks are. The team is here to offer some suggestions to these scrappy challenges. Keep in mind, everyone is different so no one solution will work for all, but perhaps you’ll find a tip or trick that can work for your crafty life.
This is a long one! Bookmark it as a resource to come back to. If you can’t finish reading in one sitting, or if you find yourself in one of these situations, you will have this resource at your fingertips. So let’s see what those challenges are…
Topics Covered
Keeping Track of Stories
Is there a way to keep track of stories we have already told? A couple of people expressed that they have made the same layout/story more than once–I know I have! The sister problem to this one is how to keep track of stories we want to tell.
I have a system that I use to keep track of future stories and finished stories. I go through my photos on a regular basis, and make a list of the stories I want to tell. I then print the photos for those stories. I file those photos into a regular three-ring binder–called my Story Binder. In a page protector I put the photos plus a 3×5 card with notes for anything I want to be sure to include: the date (always!), journaling, layout idea/sketch, products etc. When I create a layout with the photos, I go back to my list and check it off. This method has worked for me for years.
–Misty
Now, even with the best of systems, sometimes we still duplicate layouts. Here is a great idea for what to do in that case…
I’ve duplicated layouts too, because I’ve printed photos twice and not realized it. I frame the duplicates and hang them in my craft room because I can’t bear to toss them.
– Laurie
Photo Organization Systems
We all have a ton of photos these days when it is so easy to snap 50 pictures of an event. Where do we store all these photos and how do we keep them organized? Member April said she was using a program she liked, but over time it has become more complex and expensive. I’d add that so many software systems just may not be around in the future. Plus it takes time and energy to move photos from one program to the next as companies change or discontinue their software.
Team member Alex shares two ways to approach this problem.
My mom still spends hours organizing photos into files on the computer.
–Alex
This method does not depend on any third party software, which is a benefit. Plus, you are in full control of how you keep track of your photos. The con is that it can take more time. However, if you simply batch them by date, that vastly reduces time spent.
I have a bit of a similar mindset.
I don’t like to use apps (monthly fees + unpredictability!) or untested companies to store my photos. I do however use a Mac computer and with that system comes Apple’s Photos program. This is installed directly on my computer so there are no regular fees for cloud systems. As long as I am a Mac user I will continue to be a Photos user. The tagging feature and folder creation options keep all my photos organized how I want. I do export photos to folders on my desktop grouped by stories I want to scrap. When I am ready to print photos, I go to these folders and start working.
–Misty
I’m not sure if there is a photo program as core to a PC system as Photos is to the Mac platform. It may be worth looking around to see if there is photo organization software that you can “own forever”, instead of the modern models of “renting” the app for a month at a time.
Speaking of owning something forever, there is a company called Forever. This company stores your photos, well, forever. You only pay a one time fee for a block of storage and you are good to go forever. If you need more storage you can buy more. Plus Forever has options to organize your photos in ways that make sense to you. One of our ScrapHappy members is a Forever Ambassador. If this systems sounds like it could work for you, contact Karen.
Lindsy takes a different approach. She just sticks to her camera roll to keep her photos stored. Here is how she approaches it.
Although I understand my methods won’t work for everyone, the best thing that ever happened to me in my scrapbooking is I started printing my photos at home on my Selphy. Now, I just scrapbook what I feel like WHEN I feel like it. I usually am excited over something that has recently happened so I look through my photos (mostly just from my camera roll on my phone, but sometimes on my point-and-shoot camera ) and then upload/edit if necessary only the pics I want to use in that moment. Then I also print only what I need right then and there, in the sizes I want. It makes me feel more productive and it’s less overwhelming compared to dealing with programs.
– Lindsy
Putting Away Layouts
This was a struggle that several people mentioned, but not many solutions were offered up. In fact I am very guilty of not putting layouts away. Also, we were all commiserating on needing to buy more albums to do this job and how boring buying albums is. They are expensive and way less fun than the latest shiny scrapbook goody!
With few shared ideas on overcoming this, I had to think on my own hurdles to come up with some ideas. So here is just a list of thoughts.
- When buying albums do one of two things: Add an album onto a crafty order to bring your total up to a free shipping/gift level. Yay! Or go the other way… If you need to buy albums, throw in a special goody you’ve had your eye on for a while. That way you’ll have something fun when the box arrives.
- I can’t do much about the cost of albums. For me I’ve always bought albums that balance a very fine line between cost and quality. I’ve been using the same plain cardboard & fabric albums for years. I always wanted my budget to go toward the fun stuff. I can always upgrade albums later if they fall apart, LOL.
- Once you have the albums, it’s time to get to work. Grab 10 layouts and put them away. Have more time? Grab 10 more. The “just put away 10” has been a tactic I used with my kids for many years. Now I have to use it with myself. Mine will first be sort 10 layouts into their person/theme. Once all is sorted, then I can move to put away 10. Break the larger job up into manageable tasks and eventually it’ll get done.
- Enjoy the journey. I remember reading a thread in our Circle community awhile back. The poster commented that she liked putting layouts away. It was a time for her to stroll down memory lane. That is why we make the layouts to begin with, right? So enjoy it! Along this same line…
- Let it be part of your process! As I look through layouts, sometimes I am sparked with new ideas. I’ll need to start writing down those ideas for future stories. How about you?
If you have anything to add to this collection of ideas, drop us a comment down below! We’d love to hear your thoughts.
There used to be the great scrapbook divide: to scrap chronologically or not. That often led to storing away layouts in this same manner. However, there are so many in-between options that we can find what work for us.
My first albums are all chronological, but my later ones are not. It used to really bug me. And I’ve started creating a few “themed” albums which has helped me feel better. Like, right now I have a crafty album (with layouts from crops or crafty events) and a beer album (for when I document about beer flights, brewery visits, etc). I also scrapbook about books a lot so am thinking about starting an album for those layouts. Then as long as I date the layouts I don’t feel as bad if they are out of order because at least they are together.
– Lindsy
Lindsy and I are on a similar trajectory. I find my stage of life at a shifting point right now, and thus my way of approaching storytelling is in flux.
I keep track of stories I want to scrap chronologically. However, I scrap them when I feel like it. I always (*cough, cough* when I remember) date my layouts (as part of the design or on the back). That way when I go to put them away, I know where they go in my chronological storage system. That is how I have kept track of my kids albums for so many years. I wanted them stored chronologically so their stories had a logical flow.
Now I find after a lifetime of raising kids, I am creating more reflective layouts that span various years of time. Not only that, but I am telling many of my older stories as well. I’m dating these layouts with the date I journal them so I can store them chronologically if I want. But I’m now thinking I want to sort them into theme albums. I’m considering a Childhood album for those stories, a Parenting album for reflection stories on that part of life, a Joy album on things I love (like crafting event layouts) and maybe a couple of other categories. As I tackle this project I’ll pull 10 pages at a time and put them into the new theme piles. If I have time I can pull another 10 and so on. Eventually it’ll get done.
From physical to digital, our scrapping worlds often encompass a lot of supplies. I know there are certainly minimalist scrappers out there–I applaud you!–but that does not fit most of us. Often the supplies are one of the reasons we love to scrapbook. But what is a scrapper to do when the supplies are out of control?
Alison shared a purge process when she had to shut down her scrappy business and ended up with piles of supplies returning home.
I can relate to that. When my store closed I had to bring everything back home that I’d moved to the store (thought I’d be able to create more in that environment but it turns out I created less. It just became a catch all place for stash!) and I also had all the paper crafting leftovers that didn’t sell. I was forced to do a major purge! For the first time in YEARS I went through every single piece of paper, die cut, sticker sheet, enamel dot etc. I “Marie Kondo’d” the crap out of it all!! But it helped big time. I feel more motivated. I feel lighter somehow even though I’ve actually got more or about the same amount of stuff in my space. And I feel like I know what’s there.
– Alison
Keep in mind, the great purge isn’t done overnight! Here is my opinion on this topic.
I tried many organizational systems touted by various crafters or companies. Even spending way too much money on a system of products I hated. Through trial and error I figured out what worked for me. I urge you to ask yourself these questions:
– How do you like to store things? Do you like everything out and visible or a clean look with stuff tucked away behind doors? There is always a balance of style and practicality.
– How to categorize things? Do you look for colors first? Or do you look for patterns first? Are you wanting a wood veneer piece or a heart piece? This can help you categorize in ways that make sense to you. Categories can always cross lines–like a wood veneer heart–so don’t over think it. Just put it where you feel you are most likely to find it.
– Thinking of containers… Are you a big bin rummager? Do you like compartmentalized containers? Bins are easier to throw stuff in when you are done, plus they have an element of exploration when you are looking for items. However, it can be harder to know what you have buried in there. Compartments keeps things easy to find, but more challenging to put away. When you open one compartment to put something away it is no big deal. Replicate this dozens of times for leftover items and it can get annoying. For you, how will you balance pros and cons of systems?I found that I like to flip through stuff. This means that I use pocket pouches (the kind for storing stamps) combined with small photo bins to store embellishments. These are arranged snuggly upright in a storage tray/bin. I can pull the bin out, flip through the pockets and pull what I want. This also makes it fairly easy to put things away again if I don’t end up using them.
The biggest thing when I moved to this system is that I organized over time. I would pull out one lump of supplies and spend 15 minutes sorting that chunk into my new system. Luckily the pouches are inexpensive so if I needed to add a new one to “grow as I go” it was very easy to do. Also, I was able to purge items in these small sessions without feeling overwhelmed.
–Misty
My thoughts hold true for digi supplies also. However finding where to store those supplies is it’s own challenge. I have more to say on organizing digi supplies, but first let’s hear from Alex on this topic.
I recently discovered the perfect app for that, at least for me it is. I’m loving it from day one and am starting to organize my online inspiration sources with it as well.
https://eagle.cool/
I found it thanks to bestcee at the lilypad and am so so glad I did! She even made some videos to have an easy start with it🥰
https://the-lilypad.com/forum/threads/how-do-you-organize-your-supplies.92913/#post-1598313I was really struggling for years to find a programm that works for organizing the digital supplies but most programs are for photos and don’t work very well for design assets. And this program is created for that and is doing a great job at that.
– Alex
Alex makes a point that most organization systems are for photos. That is indeed what I use for my digi supplies. It works for me. As with any ideas though, your mileage may vary! That is why it is great to have a diverse team answering these questions here.
I just organize my digi supplies in my Mac Photos program [see Photo Organization above]. I rely heavily on tagging items with the names that make sense for the way I look for elements; I have categories for things like journaling tags, stripes, wood-looking items, etc etc. Then the Photo app lets me create smart folders that use these tag names to automatically sort them for me into “bins” that I can scroll through. The nice thing about digi supplies is that you can put the exact same item into multiple bins at the same time. I’m more likely to find it that way!
–Misty
Have you ever had a fantastic piece of pattern paper and not been able to bring yourself to use it? Maybe the idea of cutting it apart gives you the shivers. Or you don’t have “just the right” story for that paper?
Sometimes that paper just seems too amazing to cut into. 😂
Once I take the leap I’m always satisfied, but it’s hard. Learning to gut my paper also helped because if it’s a pattern I love I can extend its usage.–Lindsy
I agree with gutting papers. Not only does this extend it’s usage, but your budget as well! But what if you are saving it for just the right moment. Here is my thought on that.
I sometimes have saved really pretty pattern papers for way too long. I’ve done a couple of things to overcome the saving it syndrome. I have put pretty papers on display in my room. Just the paper. Once I’m feeling like I’ve looked at it plenty, then I can feel ready to use it up. But here is the next thought… “using it up” doesn’t mean it is gone like so many other things we use up. It means it is in our albums and we can go look at it whenever we want!
–Misty
And one final thought…
You don’t know what the future holds. You may never have the right story for that paper. Better to use it now than for it to go stale sitting in your stash.
–Misty
Our own team shared some of their own struggles. We all have them! Let’s hear these challenges.
Problem:
Another roadblock I sometimes have is when I have too many photos from an event. On the flip side sometimes I have too few photos (or the photos didn’t turn out (blurry, lighting is bad, eyes are closed, etc) and then I feel like abandoning the project.
–Lindsy
Ideas:
- With too many photos, eliminate any that are very similar. Five pics of a birthday cake? Keep one.
- Lots of pics of individual people? Add in photo sleeves to display those extra photos. They don’t have to be on layouts themselves.
- Bad photos?
- Ask others from the event if they have any good ones to share.
- Was it a public event that you could grab some photos off a website?
- Or could you learn some no-photo layout techniques? Try the ScrapHappy podcast. Episode 61 has some ideas here.
Problem:
For me the biggest roadblock is choosing and… printing photos. [How do I] decide because I usually take a ton of them.
And I just hate photo printing. A few years ago I bought a Canon Selphy… But lately I’m not so happy with the quality.–Alex
Alex went on to offer up one workaround for her own challenges.
One thing that helps with both is making digi pages when I have a lot of photos. I don’t have to print them individually and I find it way easier to bring
–Alex
If going digital isn’t for you, there are options for photo printing. You can, like Alex, try printing at home. This is what I do. The quality vs. convenience tradeoff always falls on the convenience end for me. Though at one point I had a printer with quality that I hated so much that I ended up buying a new printer. If you don’t want to go through that, there are many photo printing services online that people love. This could be an entire topic in and of itself!
Whew! We made it to the final topic. I know this was a jam packed post. But remember, you can bookmark it to refer back to. Future questions of the month will be more pointed to get to specific topics. I hope you will come back next month for more thoughts and ideas on scrapbooking realms! Until then, happy scrappin’.