One day I was talking to Tara Whitney and she shared with me an idea she and Emily Falconbridge came up with regarding layout storage. Both Emily and Tara scrap various size pages. They don't just do 12x12 like me. I told Tara that there are times when I actually want to try the smaller 8x11 size page but I don't want to go out and buy an 8x11 album just to ease my curiosity. I also don't want to deal with 2 sized albums in my stash. Their album idea totally solved my problem. When I saw the album in person I was sold. I went home after leaving Tara's house and bought all the things I needed at 2peas. Four days later, my products were here and I was working with this new system.

First on the list is an album. The American Crafts Modern Album is awesome. I guess you can alter the front of it if you want, but I like the look of the fabric binder against the kraft/naked cover. The cool thing about these albums is that they're D ring binders. Super easy. No screwing posts and spacers. No strap hinge. Just an easy binder that you pop the protectors into and - viola! - done. I also bought American Crafts 12x12 protectors; Amercan Crafts 8.5x11 protectors (in both landscape and in portrait options) and some American Crafts 6x6 protectors just for fun. I added the 12x12 protectors and saved the others for when I needed them.

As I finish a layout I put the layouts into the album. I don't scrap chronologically nor do I do particular albums for each of my sons. I just want the layouts protected so as I do a layout, I stick it directly into the protector upon finishing. When I finally got around to experimenting with the smaller 8.5x11 size I added the other protectors and put them into the same album - mingling them with the 12x12 layouts. Now there is a small problem using the AC landscape 8.5x11 protectors in this 12x12 AC album. They don't fit into the 3 ring by themselves. The holes are specially punched for a landscape album so you're going to have to manually punch one hole in the existing protector to use it in this album. Its actaully pretty easy and not a big deal. Now, I have various sized layouts intermingled in the same album. I love the look and now I don't have to buy particular albums just to try out various sized layouts.

Then I had an idea idea. Im one of those poeple who is sometimes reluctant to scrap my favorite photos. Sometimes its intimidating for me because I don't know if my layout is going to do the photo justice. With this new system I decided to take advantage of those 8.5x11 page protectors and print out my favorite pictures in 8x10 size and showcase them along side my layouts. I love how it looks. I love having a scrapbook double as a photo album. Its like getting double duty out of a good thing.

After I started putting photos into my album, I thought "why stop there? Im going to add some of the kids' artwork straight into the album too." Instead of the kid's artwork just sitting in file folders, i now have someplace to put them where I can showcase them just as they are. Im one of those moms who saves EVERYTHING my kids do in school. With this new system I can add handmade treasures straight into the protectors of my albums and view them along with my photos and layouts.

This system has been so wonderful for me. I actually really enjoy the layered look of my albums and I love that my photos and the kids artwork is equally stored and cared for. Tara and Emily are GENIUSES!!!! I love that they came up with this idea. Thank you a million Emily and Tara!

Photos:
Image 1: The front of the album - American Crafts Modern 12x12 Album
Image 2: How my album looks when you open it up. Notice that my album has a landscape 8.5x11 layout first but you can see the top of a portrait styled photo in the back and a 12x12 layout beyond that. ***IMPORTANT NOTE***With the American Crafts landscape 8.5x11protectors you must punch a hole manually for the protectors to fit in the 12x12 binder.
Image 3: The 8.5x11 layout is seen and a favorite picture of Finn in a portrait 8.5x11 protector opposite.
Image 4: 8.5x11 layouts.
Image 5: A full page favorite picture of Seamus with a 12x12 layout opposite. Note that I labled the picture with the date and I stuck the label directly onto the page protector - not the picture.
Image 6: I used a landscape 8.5xll protector to showcase a picture that Seamus drew of him and his grandmother while a 12x12 layout is displayed opposite. ***IMPORTANT NOTE***With the American Crafts landscape 8.5x11protectors you must punch a hole manually for the protectors to fit in the 12x12 binder.
Image 7: A favorite photo of the boys and an art project that Finn did in preschool. Note that I labeled the art project with Finn's name and the date and then I stuck the label directly onto the protector - not the artwork. ***IMPORTANT NOTE***With the American Crafts landscape 8.5x11protectors you must punch a hole manually for the protectors to fit in the 12x12 binder.
Image 8: 8.5x11 landscape layout opposite a 12x12 layout. ***IMPORTANT NOTE***With the American Crafts landscape 8.5x11protectors you must punch a hole manually for the protectors to fit in the 12x12 binder.
Image 9 and 10: I accidently erased my sons' first days of school for 2006 off my computer but before I did I printed out these pictures. It was a total fluke that I printed them at all, but because these pictures are the only pictures I have of the first day of school I didn't want to alter or scrapbook them. I matted them both on a piece of cardstock and included them in my album just as they are. To mark the page, I clipped a tag to the pages identifying the year. That last 12x12 page is a piece of art Finn did in kindergarten last week. I was so excited to include the large piece of paper as is.