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pheestand
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 6,487
September 2000
Posts: 5,052
Layouts: 16
Loc: Livonia, MI USA
 |  Posted: 12/10/2012 11:52:21 AM
Hundreds of years ago it seems, when my twins were babies and toddlers, I was so good at scrapbooking. Then, I grew tired, and new time challenges were born when they started rolling through elementary school with soccer, baseball, dance, figure skating, swimming, running here, running there,... so I faded out of scrapbooking, and even taking photos in general. I started in the scrapbooker supply collector phase, thinking if I bought three more sheets of paper, or a punch, or some embellishment that I would be sparked to once again get my stuff together and pick up where I left off, which was 2005.
Now, twins are freshman in high school and I'm so far behind and overwhelmed. Graduation is coming, and I would really love to be caught up and have these fantastic albums to set out at their party.
So many things have changed, yet when I walk by my craft area, I see that same ole sizzix, quickkuts, xyron, wall of stamps, punches and all sorts of embellishments staring at me. I have some things organized and want to get back going.
Can someone kick me in the pants and tell me that I can do this? Even if I could do one silly page A DAY- (how much time would that really take?); I'd have 365 pages done in a year. I'm certain I don't have 365 pages worth of photos to do!
Any suggestions for me from someone who is a good coach and can make me feel worthy?!
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HoneyBee13
PeaAddict
PeaNut 563,248
August 2012
Posts: 1,158
Layouts: 0
Loc: Florida
| Posted: 12/10/2012 12:00:32 PM
Every scrapbooker has there times when they are into and times when they are not. You can set yourself some goals. Scrapbooking one page can take some people 1/2 an hour and others half a day. For me its between a hour to two (with putting everything back). I think that you can do it. I watch Glitter Girl and Shimelle Laine, alot. MercyTiara is really good. If you want to start somewhere I would recommend a class called Cover to Cover with Shimelle, she gives a guide to Albums, now this is her take, but it will give you some ideas on how to tell a story with pictures. Good Luck! | |
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northcarmen
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 37,419
May 2002
Posts: 2,014
Layouts: 65
Loc: La Ronge, Saskatchewan, Canada
 | Posted: 12/10/2012 12:01:45 PM
Check out Project Life. Simplicity is your friend.... 
Carmen. |
| "Hold to the now, the here, through which all future plunges to the past." - James Joyce | |
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HoneyBee13
PeaAddict
PeaNut 563,248
August 2012
Posts: 1,158
Layouts: 0
Loc: Florida
| Posted: 12/10/2012 12:01:56 PM
Sorry you can find Glitter Girl here on 2Peas and Shimelle and MercyTiara on youtube. | |
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MelissaRS
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 49,137
September 2002
Posts: 2,493
Layouts: 193
 | Posted: 12/10/2012 12:17:52 PM
Don't stress or fret! I come and go with my scrapping. I'm just coming back from a couple of years off, really.
Just jump in and scrap what activity or pictures inspire you! That's what I do. You can do it!
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WillowJane
Running the Marathon, Not the Sprint
PeaNut 110,589
October 2003
Posts: 6,593
Layouts: 8
Loc: Texas
 | Posted: 12/10/2012 12:32:22 PM
Start with today. Just put one page together about what has happened today. You don't even need a photo. Just jump in and do something...anything. That spark will grow the flame again. |
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pheestand
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 6,487
September 2000
Posts: 5,052
Layouts: 16
Loc: Livonia, MI USA
| Posted: 12/10/2012 12:36:06 PM
Thanks, gals! I feel like there's hope for me yet!
My daughter's a competition dancer and I was able to sort all of her photos from the past 7 years over the weekend. I surprised myself knowing where they all were, to start with. I purchased two paper racks from a LSS going out of business a few years ago so each of the 72 shelves are now holding one dance class set of photos, (she averages 8 or 9 performance classes per year). I want to spend 2 hours tomorrow selecting papers to go with the individual photos, and getting them ready to be completed pages.
Got to start with a plan, and that's my plan for now. Gotta keep telling myself, I can do this!
A couple more questions for you all...
So, are the strap bound albums still "in style"? Can I still get page protectors for that kind of album or do I need to move on to something else? (Hundreds of years ago I started with the Creative Memories stuff... fell in love with the 12 x 12 strap hinge style albums, not so much with their overall scrapbooking "style"
Are refills still available for the Xyron 850, or is that a defunct tool now?
Going to search out Glitter Girl, Shimelle Laine, MercyTiara and Project Life! | |
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KBPea
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 395,153
October 2008
Posts: 9,916
Layouts: 135
Loc: Here
 | Posted: 12/10/2012 4:32:34 PM
Just wanted to say good luck! I think your plan sounds like a good one. I'm not sure of the answers to the questions in your last post, sorry! |
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HoneyBee13
PeaAddict
PeaNut 563,248
August 2012
Posts: 1,158
Layouts: 0
Loc: Florida
| Posted: 12/10/2012 5:57:21 PM
I think you can still find strap hinge albums at M, J, Or HL. I found the xyron refills on J's website.
Happy scrapping! | |
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bestcee
PeaAddict
PeaNut 101,686
August 2003
Posts: 1,123
Layouts: 12
Loc: Massachusetts
| Posted: 12/11/2012 7:00:49 AM
Yep, refills are still available at most box stores, and online.
You may want to take a moment to browse and see if there's an adhesive tool that would work better for you though. |
Courtney
Yes, I can spell. No, my Kindle can't.
Just my humble opinion. And no, I wasn't being mean. | |
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vseritt
PeaNut
PeaNut 544,598
February 2012
Posts: 71
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 12/11/2012 10:25:03 AM
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vseritt
PeaNut
PeaNut 544,598
February 2012
Posts: 71
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 12/11/2012 10:26:27 AM
CM still has strap hinge albums as well as the page protectors. I have 52 completed albums and they are all that type. I love that I cam emboss these spines with the dates. | |
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Wendy Sue
PeaAddict
PeaNut 6,512
September 2000
Posts: 1,916
Layouts: 432
Loc: Utah
| Posted: 12/11/2012 10:33:07 AM
You CAN do this! Once you get started, I bet the ideas will just start pouring out onto your pages! Good luck!! |
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HooliE
Praying for Peace for Joey
PeaNut 116,069
November 2003
Posts: 5,116
Layouts: 87
| Posted: 12/11/2012 12:25:20 PM
I can't offer any help as far as products go, haven't really bought much in the last five years, and what little I have bought sits in a pile unused (even when bought with the best intentions). Just wanted to offer moral support here, as I am going through a similar situation, real life got in the way of scrapbooking  (which is really, the way it should be).
Just know that you can do this! Don't stress, don't push or force yourself, even the most beautiful pages with the latest and greatest products and most stunning photos won't mean nearly as much as the the not so pretty ones made with heart. KWIM? I guess what I am trying to say is it isn't always the end product, but rather, more often it is the thought that counts. Of all the pages I have made, the ones my kids like the best are the ones made early on, the ones with the not so great but totally candid, not posed or phony photo's, with the pre-made, cutesy, and inexpensive embellishments. Those pages were not even considered "good" from a design perspective then, much less by todays standards. To be honest, they are my favorites too, and mean more to me than the ones I made to enter a contest, design team calls, get published, use the latest and greatest product, posted here to get pea-praise, made because i liked the creative process, or made to because i wanted to scrapbook every event that ever happened. And yes, I am ashamed to admit that at one time or another time I did all those things  .
It's okay if you don't "scrapbook" every single event that ever happened the memories live inside us, not on a scrapbook page, and the good ones will be there even if they are never scrapped, but gosh it sure is fun scrapping them! But if you do nothing else, journal, journal journal! Journal every single detail you can remember, include the minutia, everything from what you were thinking, to what you thought they were thinking (even if it turns out, what you were thinking they were thinking was wrong, LOL, that was a mouthful!) if you knew what kind of underpants they were wearing that day, journal it! Not saying you have to put that kind of stuff on the page for everyone else to see or read, as i am sure that others really don't care, and your kids probably would be embarrassed that you included the fact that they were wearing their Captain America underpants that day, (something's just are not for public knowledge  ) maybe tuck it in a note stuck behind the page (I used to do that a lot) because you just never know when a detail like that will trigger another great memory in someone else's mind! And if there are no photos of an event that is something you want to document scrap it anyway, a piece of card stock full of journaling and a few embellie's in the corner (lol, I am a scrapbooker, gotta love the embellie's) is no less meaningful than a two page spread with 25 photos on it.
Okay, getting my overly wordy and philosophical butt off here now, really just wanted to say that from one mom who's oldest just graduated from college and whose baby will will be leaving for college in the fall (can you say "empty nest syndrome" LOL!) to another, I feel your pain. Just enjoy making the pages, reliving the memories, and dreaming of the great futures that lie ahead for them.
And for what it's worth, I know you came here looking for a "kick in the butt" to get you motivated, and I hope my post helps you, it has actually helped me, so thanks for posting it.
Hoolie |
| I am HooliE T. Scrapper and I approved this post | |
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robkaynel
1 Pea, 2 Pea, Red Pea, Blue Pea
PeaNut 530,045
November 2011
Posts: 865
Layouts: 151
| Posted: 12/11/2012 12:58:55 PM
Don't pressure yourself into thinking you have to have it all done. Work on it as you can and enjoy the process. At each of my kid's graduations in the last 3 years, I wasn't caught up but put out the books that I did have. Everyone enjoyed looking at them & didn't really know to question whether they were all caught up or not. Keep in mind that alot of people do not scrapbook, so people are impressed with the pics, stories and effort you put into it even when you don't think it's your best work or that it isn't complete. It sounds like you have made great progress in just one weekend! Keep at it & you will get alot done! | |
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scoobers
Why, YES!, I am a princess.
PeaNut 417,049
March 2009
Posts: 12,860
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 12/11/2012 2:27:52 PM
There are NO rules is scrapbooking.
There's no right or wrong.
There's no deadline.
There's simply what works for you.
IMO, it's a journey, not a destination. It's the process of making the pages and reliving the memories from those events.
I would make myself a list of things that you think you really must have in an album. It might be just milestone birthdays, milestone events (drivers license, etc.) things like that.
Then take that manageable list, pick out pictures and scrap a page or two. You might find that's all it takes to get you on a roll!
I hope I never get caught up because if I do, it might mean that I've stopped making memories. I never want to do that. |
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ihavetoomuchstuff
PeaNut
PeaNut 537,586
January 2012
Posts: 364
Layouts: 0
Loc: Southern CT
| Posted: 12/11/2012 2:40:05 PM
It totally seems overwhelming at times. I tell myself its for enjoyment so try not to stress over it!
I just started scrapbooking about 5 years ago, and my oldest is 30 so I am a bajillion years behind. I did a "life" book for my son a few Christmas' ago and he loved it! I did a few birth pages, toddler pages, elementary school pages, high school pages, sports, etc. chronicling his life...
Perhaps that might be helpful to you....
Good luck! | |
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