Depending on where you live, summer is at least half over by now. Where did the month of July go??
As I write this, it’s been three weeks since I drove down from Vancouver BC to Vancouver WA for our ScrapHappy Reunion. I completely over packed, but I kind of knew I would as I had an entire car I could fill. Even with all the great tips from our Creative Team that I shared earlier! Tips like creating page kits, or curating your stash to take only the essentials, and to have packing lists. Sheesh! I should really read my own blog post, shouldn’t I?
All kidding aside, and despite WAY over packing, I had a blast and am looking forward to scrapbooking those memories. Which brings me to our next Scrapbooking on the Go topic …
Scrapbooking While You're Away
Travelling to attend a crop where the entire point is to scrapbook, isn’t the type of ‘documenting while you’re away’ that I’m talking about. In my “everything but the kitchen sink” packing, I included photos, papers and ephemera to scrapbook the last two reunions I attended. But I also made sure I had my Selphy printer so I could change my mind while there. We had amazing classes taught by Misty, Lindsy and Alice, and I ended up printing photos for each of those layouts. Two of those layouts were about events going on during reunion even!
But what if your holiday doesn’t focus around scrapbooking? Can you still document it as you go? Once again I turned to the Creative Team for their input, here’s what they had to say:
I don't do this often, but on occasion I have packed supplies to scrap while I am actually on a trip. I have a small portable printer that connects to my phone and that goes with me. I'll take a traveler's notebook. Then the supplies I take are super basic: scissors, pens, glue, washi tape and a few embellishments (enamels & die cut ephemera mostly). This all gets packed in a small bag so it all stays together. My only problem? I don't know what to do with these notebooks when I get home. I don't have enough of them for a shelf. Plus, I want them to be with the full layouts I create as part of the whole story. For now I open them as flat as I can and slide them into a page protector. If you have any ideas, please share so we can learn from each other!
What a great idea! And I love how compact it all is.
At the last three Reunions, we have been given or made some sort of mini album or traveller’s notebook to help us document our experience. While I did add a few things to them during the reunion, I finished them once I was home with all my supplies.
So let’s talk about Traveller’s Notebooks for a minute.
The 411 on Traveller's Notebooks
When I backpacked around Europe, I carried a notebook with me. But back then (WAY back in the 1990’s) it wasn’t common to add more than your thoughts and notes on where you went, what you saw, and maybe who you met along the way. If you were artistic you might sketch a scene that you wanted to remember, but if you wanted to add photos or other “pretty things” your were limited to postcards and ticket stubs. Photos were developed once you returned home so your notes served to help you remember what those photos were of!
It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that Midori (a Japanese stationary company) rocked the scrapbooking world by introducing the Traveller’s Notebook. These ones were bound in leather and inserts were kept in place with elastic bands. It was designed to inspire the average person to cultivate a sense of adventure. Everyday life had become mundane so why not spruce it up with washi tape and pretty leather covers?
A lot has changed since then, and a lot is still the same. What is evident though, is that the Traveller’s Notebook, in all its iterations, are here to stay.
Lindsy had a whole lot to say about Traveller’s Notebooks which I’ve asked her to turn into a feature post. Here is a taste of what could be in that post:
If you're traveling, TNs (Travellers Notebooks) can be your best friend. You can fall into a rabbit hole of sizes and styles available, but there's really no right or wrong. I've tried varying types over the years and honestly, for me, my choices have often come down to aesthetics or my mood!
The goal for me has always been to simply document my adventures ... in a fun & interactive way. Before heading out on my trip I'd grab my latest TN, and pack a small coordinating kit with pens, a ruler, stickers, and sometimes stamps. I went through a date stamp phase (like the ones used to stamp library cards) and would simply use brush markers to "ink" the dates...no ink pads necessary. The key was to pack light, taking only what I'd need. Scrapbooking on the go isn't meant to be as elaborate as your albums at home. That's why I think I love the vibe -- they are something different.My TNs have served as a sort of travelogue for me, allowing me to share about each day's cool happenings. I love looking through them to reminisce about past trips. And, my notebooks have saved me SO many times when I've gone to journal in my full 12x12 scrapbook albums because I tended to write so much down while the trip was happening.
I love how much writing Lindsy has in her notebooks. When used as a diary of your trip, these can be a really great supplement to other, more traditional, albums you make. And given all the fantastic supplies you can buy now, it’s easy to make these as simple or as fancy as you like.
Final Thoughts
No matter how you document your holidays, it’s clear to me that there is room in this hobby for all shape and sizes of albums. Personally, I fall into Misty’s camp of “what do I do with these smaller albums”? I do enjoy the process of making them, and love my Race to Reunion mini from last year, but I took the mini we were given in Calgary in 2019 to work on in Portland and found that too much time had passed. I wasn’t sure how to fill the album anymore. The stories were forgotten and my photos lacking.
I did make some 12×12″ layouts from Calgary though and these make me very happy. So perhaps the lesson for me is, fill the traveller’s notebook in the moment or immediately after the trip. And then stick to 12×12 where you can use more photos to document the trip.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on documenting while you’re away and once you’re back. Do you pack supplies with you when you travel? Have you made Traveller’s Notebooks before like Lindsy? What is your favourite way to get all the stories down so they aren’t forgotten? Please tell us in the comments.
