Project Life 2014

I'm super excited about my new color laser printer Dynamo helped me pick out. The wireless capability makes it super easy to print from my phone anywhere in the house to the printer! This, in turn, makes it easier for me to print out pictures for my Project Life scrapbook! So, hopefully I'll stay better on track this year at recording our memories!



Not everything makes it to the blog, so some of our moments and feelings aren't captured! So, having a paper "scrapbook" allows me to keep some more personal thoughts and events in a special place. Plus, with almost 20,000 pictures on Flickr it's nice to have some printed in hand!



I'm trying to make it simple and not overcomplicate the technique. I have a craft room where I can work, but sometimes I just want to be able to sit at the coffee table with Dynamo and Charlie and watch tv while I work. I love to have something to work on while I'm watching tv. This method is nice because you can make it as simple or as complex as you'd like. Go with your mood I guess!



By keeping it simple you really only need a few things. Not many embellishments or glue or markers, etc. I keep a little basket with my scissors, tape, markers, and journaling cards inside. I work from the basket. SIMPLE! Sure, all of those millions of embellishments I have are great, but sometimes you can be overwhelmed with too much and not know where to start!



And, most of the time I really don't like my own handwriting! I have always struggled with this! But, they say you should use your own handwriting because when you look back it means so much more.



I wanted to share with you a few of my pages from the end of 2013 and the start of 2014. How are you keeping track of your special moments?

My Project Life

I discovered this new technique of scrapbooking recently! Well, I don't know how new it is, but it is to me. The idea is to have pre-cut, colored and patterned paper in a particular theme as inserts that you simply place into the pockets of the assorted 12 x 12 pages along with your pictures. The layouts vary, but the idea is simple. It's called Project Life.



There are assorted sizes of pockets to each page. You print standard 4 x 6 pictures and just fill in the pockets.



See...easy!



It took me a couple of pages to get the idea! I bought the Olive Edition designed by Heather Bailey, but quickly discovered I could add in my own decorative papers and plain papers along with my embellishments.



You can make this as hard or as simple as you want.



In the beginning I started googling images for "Project Life." I began to doubt my work as always after looking at everyone else's pretty work. It's hard not to compare yourself to others and their styles, but I think I found what works for me.



I found the best thing is to not try to recreate others' works, but to borrow ideas and concepts and make them my own.



The one thing I've always disliked is my own handwriting (I think most people do). But, everything you read says to use your own writing if you can. So, I did...



Sometimes you just have to develop a system that works for you. I don't want to spend lots of time on every page, but I do want things to be documented instead of having thousands of pictures floating in space (aka Flickr).



If you haven't ever heard of Project Life, give it a Google image search and see what I mean!



And, be sure to check out Becky Higgins. She created this cool stuff! I'll be sharing more pages as I complete them. How do you keep track of your memories?

Scrappin' Moments

I needed to catch up on my February pics from the Quilt Show Momma and I attended along with another family moment I wanted to remember with my cousin. Here was the result...

Scrapping the last of Christmas

I'm pretty proud of myself for going ahead and getting my Christmas scrapping finished up already...and, it's not even mid-January yet! Hooray!!! Now, if I can do this good all year long, I'll have a great book for 2011!

Here are the last of the Christmas holiday pages...

Happy Tuesday!

Snack Love

I had taken this pic of Dynamo's snack plate a while back, but didn't know what to do with it. I wanted to remember his choice of snack forever. Crazy, I know...but, I don't ever want to forget the special things he does that I love. Yes, that is a pic of peanut butter and jelly on Ritz crackers. I had never seen this done before and thought it was neat. You learn something new everyday! It also made a pretty pic. Apparently, Mrs. C. eats them this way too. Who would've thought to do that? To be honest...it's a pretty good snack!

I had bought a book a while back with 52 scrap challenges and one was to scrap your favorite food. So, a lightbulb went off and I pulled out the pic and got to work! Most of the items I used are from JBS Mercantile. I used some lace I thrifted and the Stampin' Up! Heart to Heart Punch.

Here's a closeup...

Have you ever scrapped your favorite food?

One Sunday Afternoon

I just loved these three photos of my Dynamo. I wanted to try to preserve them in a special way. I thought they reminded me of a filmstrip/sequential shoot! I wanted them to all be on the same page. So, here was the result...

No, he wasn't posing. I don't think he even knew I took the top and bottom photos. Those are often the best ones...when no one knows you're taking them...

I did add journaling...just a little...to the page. I struggle with my handwriting. I just don't like it very much. Anyone else have that problem?

"Sunday" is from a set of old flashcards. The tree on the background paper was a page from an old children's book. I really do love old stuff!

I used a lego that my co-worker gave me (she snuck it from her son when he wasn't looking) to make the white and yellow dots on the page.

Summer Mini Catalog Polka-Dot Album

Have you seen the new Stampin' Up! Summer Mini catalog? Well, you have to check it out! There are lots of pretty new things including the above green Polka-Dot 6 x 6 mini album! It's perfect for those of us who like to do quick scrapbook pages.


For this 6 x 6 page I used old sheet music and lace found at the local thrift store. I also used a piece of cardboard-like textured packaging filler. I'm sorry that i don't know what it is exactly!. The brown polka-dot paper is from the Bella Rose Designer Series Paper collection. The rabbit is stamped on Very Vanilla cardstock. The stamp set is Alice in Wonderland from TJ Designs. Of course I had to use my sewing machine to jazz it up a bit!

National Scrabooking Month ends May 31st!