The Sentiment “demi phrases” I used are on sale at the JustRiteStampers.com website for $5!  They are some of my very favorites.

This is the first Shabby Chic card I’ve made.  I used a card to “case” from PaperCrafts magazine which uses the same set of demi-phrases (Mar/Apr 2010, Debbie Olson).

Thanks for stopping by!

While there is space for creativity if you desire, you don’t even need that!

This method is great for when you have bulk work to do, or older photos you do not want to scan or risk damaging.

Here’s a slide-show for larger viewing if you have time to let it load.  If not, the same photos are below (click on each to see it larger.)

These particular photo protectors are NOT the protectors that come with the official “Project Life” kit, nor does it take on the “daily” most people use that kit for.  I am using their ideas to accomplish my own goals of doing photo back-log with various divided page projectors.  I did not use most of the journaling cards that came with the kit for this project.  After I get photos I already have printed caught up, I hope to use more of the actual kids for the “daily” journaling.  I will probably still only use it as I feel like taking photos rather than “week by week” as most are using it.  I think it takes something away from my photography to make a “to do” list out of it.  I like to follow my own impulses more.  But, we’ll see.  For this “back log” of photos I’m tackling, I plan to go back and add in some writing/dates/detail to my project as time allows.  For now, the photos are OUT OF SHOEBOXES!  Yay me!

I put in all the photos that could go together in some sort of general order in the sleeves, then am going back to fill in titles or journaling as there is space.   I mounted the 3.5X5″ inch ones on 4X6″ white cardstock and used the extra white space on the mat cardstock for journaling.  In some cases, I wrote with a permanent marker on the plastic sleeve (see the home remodeling pages).  It just seemed to work, though it may rub off…if so, fingernail polish remover takes it off.  I’ll continue to work on journaling and labeling and making it pretty  as I have time and patience.  In some cases, I used my nestability dies, or office sticky labels for dates on top of the protectors.  My rule of thumb for this amount of bulk is “photos first”.  I didn’t have a great camera in those years, and each of the baby faces is special to me.  I just want them in books for this one family album to enjoy.  I can always pull out special ones to traditionally scrapbook for them as I desire later.   I like journaling each photo with a sticker label for this amount of bulk, plus, it seems easier for my guys to follow than a lot of writing.

Ideas for labeling individual photos:

• A banker’s label punch worked great to fold and drape over the folder.  I just added a smidge of dot runner tape to the back of the photo to keep it from sliding when I pushed both into the protector.
• In some cases, I made a paperclip label, especially when the protector allowed something to stick out of the top (some brand protectors slide from the side, making this impossible, while other photo slide from the top, making it possible).
• I plan to add a few page tabs to indicate the passing of the first year as soon as I can find them at a store.

Feel free to comment or add any questions.  If you are doing Purpose Life and are posting your photos with titles were I can find you or are on the gallery at Project Life, chances are, I’ve been visiting you!

Products:

Divided Page ProtectorsAC Divided Page Protectors

8.5X11″ standard Page Protectors

Sharpies

SCAL, Cricut, and SVG cut files

Patterned Paper (Various)

Stickers, Labels

Project Life

I posted a free SVG Label 4X4 insert, and friends wanted a visual for how it was used.  The goal was to find a way to add in journaling for each photo where I could identify people, places, my age, or location quickly when needed without taking up a lot of space.   While the photos were labeled on the back, after inserting them into these Nine Grid We R Memory Keepers Page Protectors, if was difficult to access that information.  I needed to find a quick way to move that info to the front, so I made this 4X4 tabbed file in Sure Cuts a Lot (SCAL).

These page  protectors are  the perfect size for these older square 3.5″ X 3.5″ photos.  (I am trimming the white edges off the vertical photos  as they are a tad bit wider.)  It’s been quick and easy– just a couple hours to slide them in, and no tape.  I don’t mind if they slide around a bit in the spot.  I want them secure and photo safe.

I pulled the old photos from the old sticky magnetic books.  Loved those old books of Mom’s, but they were degraded, photos were falling out, and it was just time to move on. It only took some “Un-Do”to remove the stubbornly stuck photos quickly.

As an added bonus, when I removed a graduation photo of my mom with the Un-Do, I found another very small photo of her at about age 12 wedged behind it.  I don’t have any other photos of her at that age, so it was a special treat!

Also shown are a couple photos of how I’m using punches to add journaling spots on pages where I don’t need paper inserts throughout the whole page.

For me right now, time, order, and telling the story are more important than being publisher-worthy.  I want to use these prints in a meaningful ways before  I move forward with more photo printing.  It’s freeing me up to “not feel behind”.  I figure these methods are easy to edit if I change my mind and want to do something more complex later.  But, they can be enjoyed NOW.

Now, for the next shoebox of photos crammed under my bed!  LOL

I tried to look at the things about those pages that  make them stand out to me, in case I choose to aim for beautiful (sometimes just getting it done has to be enough!)

1. Compelling Photos that draw the eye in, lots of color, or balanced color on the page
2. Inserts of life “stuff” mixed in (wrappers, receipts), instead of all journaling cards/ and photos instead of cards at times.
3. Only use colors and style pre-formatted cards that coordinate (do not use too many journaling cards on one page–boring/cluttered)
4. Use Overlays/Partial pages to extend the story (also breaks up the linear format some)
5. Do not use redundant photos, unless baby photos…can’t get enough of the baby faces in my albums!
6. Not a lot of pastels (unless baby photos, the pages just seem to look washed out with too much pastel to me).
7. Insert Long Journaling Inserts with typewriten stories/various authors for journaling
8. Make the Photographed subjects shine…do a mix of full body and close up shots
9. Use brightly processed photos…dull pages make, well, dull pages
10. Use typewriter on tabs, cool effect (tabs also help indicate where to grab a short page to turn)
11. Lines/grids around journaling (Ali Edward’s, Designer Digitals + PSE)
12. Instax camera, still not sure how much I like this, but unique.  I’m matting my 3.5X5 pre-printed photos for this same effect.
13. My observation, watching my guys look at an album.  Unless their is journaling ON the photos, they don’t like to dig for the information.  They will just ask me instead.  So…I’m using label stickers on top of the transparencies a lot.  I’ll insert a photo here soon to show this.

I recommend going to the Project Life Gallery (requires free membership) to see how others are approaching this style, and see what stands out to you and what you don’t care for as much visually.  I may just decide that the “style” isn’t as important as the story, or getting it done, which is fine.  But, it’s fun to see other’s work and get ideas.

I have bought both kits, and am not sure how I will use them , but felt the “Amber” edition would work great with my daughter and the “Turquise”, more graphic reminded me more of my sons.  I may mix and match the sets, using them both for family albums.  That is the current plan.  We’ll see how that idea materializes.  Anyway, I could not decide, kept going back and forth, and finally decided the page protectors and journaling inserts were worth the cost of the books and just ordered them both.  I may regret that, but that’s what I did.  I just really wanted to get started and can see this new approach propelling me forward in a much needed way with the family albums.

SO FAR:

Last week, I used divided We R Memory Keepers page protectors to finish my “happy Mom book” of duplicates (pics of that to come).   I have a FULL (overflowing) album totally together in just a few days, ready for finishing touches with my Cricut or journaling or titles!  I’ll work on the finishing details as time allows.   But, for now, the photos clutter is GONE!  Yay!

Earlier this week, I took all my personal 38-year-old preschool pics out of the OLD acidic magnetic pages and put them in the 4X4 divided We R Memory keepers page protectors.  I made a journaling tasb to slide between the ones I wanted to journal about.  It’s simple, but the photos are somewhat organized and safe.  I may go back and work with it some more in years to come to make it beautiful, but as long asall this is taking even with this level of simplicity, I’m just glad for progress and a few notes on the photos for now.

This week, I have a shoe-box full of photos to decide how to archive of my children’s toddler photos (photos soon to come).  I hope to knock that out in some form, even if it’s just the beginnings of organization, grouping them in divided page protectors.  I have done some of these photos  in their own books, but need to go through and figure out what I’ve scrapped and what I still need to scrap.  Most of those are film photos, so I need to do some major organization/deciding making.   AFTER I get that done, I’ll consider some Project Life.

That’s the way I’m rolling.  Get organized, reward myself!  Go me!

I cut SVG files, but they are hard to find in sets and not available in stores.  I found a couple companies online and one is having a sale today:  Lettering Delights  (see sidebar for link).

Here are two of my favorite sets for spring they have on sale (were $5, now $2) called  “Spring is Bliss” and “Peeps”.   I don’t really enjoy intricate paper piecing for cuts as in “Peeps”, but I think it would look totally adorable as a print N cut.  LOVE these colors!

I also use a lot of their $1 fonts and their free fonts–their prices are really cheap compared to some font sites which charge hundreds of dollars for one font.  Hope this helps!

I have pulled out the designated “first” and “last” cards to place.  Not sure if I’ll leave them how I’ve got them, but at least I won’t use them elsewhere until I know.   All the little boxes the cards came in or cute, I really needed them more visually accessible, so I used the first first page protectors of my books to carefully stick the cards and stickers.  After I get familiar with the content, I may be able to pile them.

I LOVE the colors of the Turquoise kit.

I also like the Amber kit once it’s together when I’ve seen it used online,  but all together, the various shades of green/turquise are throwing me off.  I found the title and end pages tricky.  Perhaps once the colors are spread throughout the album, it will help spread out the hues where they don’t conflict as much as they do back to back.

I can’t wait to start on this project, though I’m not positively absolute as to my intentions.

Options:

• do older photos I do NOT want to put tape on
• do the amber for my daughter and the turqouise for my sons
• mix and match them to catch up family photos for the last few years
• wait until I’m inspired

In any case, I’m way thankful to Becky Higgins for this novel approach, hybrid method, and genius packaging.  She rocks.  This is one of those ideas I thought of five years ago– wish I’d had her business sense to pull together.  Why don’t I think like a business person?  I have no idea how Becky pulls it all together, but she does it well.

As a bonus,  this was in my package:

Is it…

• a secret message from Becky Higgins to let me know my order is free, if only I discover this “golden ticket” within the shipment?
• Becky Higgins had her hands full and was writing down a phone number when she dropped it into one of the many boxes going out.  My giving her the number back will be life saving?
• a stock boy was keeping count of the number of these babies he’d boxed up?

Lol.

The Hub is taking me to Mexican, so all for now!

Click HERE for files.

You have permission to use these for personal use or in crafting projects you sell.  You may not share, transfer, sell, or duplicate as your own work.

If you do not have software for cutting with a Cricut, better buy now as there is a lawsuit against the company which could potentially render the software unavailable for the Cricut cutting machine.  Click “Sure Cuts A Lot” button on sidebar for more info.

Here’s the link if you can use the files.

Enjoy!

PS:

If you don’t have SCAL (Sure Cuts a Lot) and want it, better grab it while it’s available. There is currently a lawsuit going on that may make it obsolete

for the Cricut.  We’ll know within the next few weeks.  What we do know if that the “Make the Cut” a similar second party software already got hit with it about 10 days ago, and support for the cricut is no longer offeredon their website.)   Best money I’ve ever spent on a crafting supply if you enjoy cutting.  Love cutting the fonts I like and use, mats for cards, embies, jpgs for the kid’s class posters.

I found this album at a yard sale last spring. $10 for the whole kit!

To view photo details, click the photo of interest.

I put these pages together in just one focused week using the “Project Life” format.  My scrapbooking life was changed when I found divided page protectors last week.  These are ideal for photos you don’t want to tape.  We R Memory Keepers is the thickest, though I ordered a few from American Crafts as well. RitzCamera was the cheapest place I’ve found them.  With a $100 order, you get free shipping.  My scrapgroup went together to get some things we all wanted there to enjoy the free shipping.

I used supplies I already had for this book, and plan to morph this “style” to get some past years scrapbooks together quickly without feeling so overwhelmed with the traditional “full page layout” approach.  I am also ordering both of the Becky Higgins sets, feeling this style really works for me at this stage in the game.  Keeping up with three kids albums, family vacation albums, and cards for family members isn’t easy, so I wanted ways to simplify my process in ways I could still enjoy things.

I had one heck of a mess in my guest room, but it was only for one week!

All of the digital pages were already done and printed, but no HOME.  Now, they do!  Most of the photos were extras from my kids books I’d thrown in a pile to save.  I love being able to mix page sizes!  That totally freed me up.  Special thanks to Ali Edwards for that idea.  It really breaks up “grid” books to keep them from seeing “too” linear.  Yet, I still love the graphic/linear style best throughout an album.

My “Project Life” kits are coming Friday, they say.  I think they may hold PAST photos from some early marriage 4X6 film prints we have that I just wasn’t comfortable taping.

I can’t wait to clear some more piles this week!  GET ‘R DONE!

1. Great company
2. Great designs
3. Great samples
4. Allowed phtography for ideas
5. Very cool make and take, free, with instruction from Angie, who does some of their “how to” videos on their blog site.  She gave great tips and was mentally into what she was doing.

I bought a bird egg in the nest set, and a couple scripture sets.  They are GORGEOUS.  I will get to creating cards soon.  But, this week, a break from cards to work on photos. After the convention we hit Cheesecake Factory, something my daughter was really looking forward to.  I was really thankful to these ladies for agreeing to go there with us again. Cindy, Britany, Cathy, Theresa, Trish, Me, and Carmen This is my salmon dish at Cheesecake Factory.  It was to die for.  What’s your favorite dish? Unfortunately, I was too full for dessert.  I need a new plan. Afterward, we headed to our second annual destination:  Archiver’s at the mall.  There, I was on the hunt for some divided page protectors.  I bought several and am already ordering more of these.  (The first at Archiver’s were $6/10.  At RitzCamera.com, with free shipping, they are $4–free shipping with $1oo order. With our group placing an order together, that wasn’t too difficult to reach.) I made serious strides on my personal  ”mom” book this week.  I had the entire album just about finished.  All the pages are not 100%, but I have photos in page protectors to finish them up during crops.  I think I can easily grab this book with some coordinating pictures. I am excited about  moving FAST.  I used mainly photos I’ve kept stuck here and there, seconds, wrong sized prints, tickets, flyers, happy cards…and now I’m going to work fast to get myself a “happy book” put together.   It will not necessarily be sorted by person or date, but will be focused on whatever I have ready to stick in it in a way that is meaningful to me.  I am not putting the book in order necessarily by event, though some pages are.  I want to use various size page protectors to give the book some size variety.  I am buying up page protectors left and right to have enough vertical and horizontal slots for photos.  Thank you, Lord, for some vertical page protectors on the market …FINALLY! I researched Becky Higgin’s “Project Life” format extensively this week and am excited about it for various reasons.

1. It does move quick!
2. It will hold all my mementos, ticket stubs, and notes without destructive tape.
3. There is minimal paper, tape, gluing

I truly love it.  Will likely order Have ordered  an official two official kits.  I’m enjoying ideas from the Project Life, Becky Higgins online gallery, Ali Edward’s blog, and a blog I found today called “Simply Autumn” with a style very similar to Ali’s.   At Archiver’s, I also bought my first echo park kit:  ”For the Record“.  Love the colors and style!  I am incorporating many of these elements into my Project Life pages.