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Willscrapforfood
PeaNut
PeaNut 232,717
November 2005
Posts: 106
Layouts: 0
Loc: South Eastern MN
 |  Posted: 2/2/2013 9:39:27 AM
I'm back from a long hiatus of scrapping, but when I get into it I find I am a prolific scrapper! 8 years ago when my first kid was born, I had so many layouts for him that just for his FIRST year I had to make TWO totally full albums.
Now I have two additional kids and trying to figure out how to manage this going forward. I had thought I would do only a family album after doing a first year album for each child. But now I'm wondering about the practicalities of doing only a family album. Eventually they'd have to decide who got the albums, etc.
So how do you divide up your albums? Are you working on albums for each child or just doing a family album? If you are a prolific scrapper, how do you keep your albums from getting out of control?? | |
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myboysnme
one of those "entitled" peas
PeaNut 69,081
February 2003
Posts: 6,735
Layouts: 1
 | Posted: 2/2/2013 9:44:15 AM
I originally did chronological family albums. Around 2006 I decided to do separate albums for the kids, and I prefer this.
I would rather give each kid their own albums than to have my hard work on my family albums all split up. Someday I am going to go back and try to split the chrono albums into separate albums.
Sometimes I do 2 exact layouts, and sometimes I just divide the photos between the kids and sometimes I get a few duplicate photos. For example, Christmas layouts - pics of one kid goes in his album with a duplicate photo of all the kids or whatever. It doesn't take any more time to do it this way.
If I have pics of something that isn't for either child specifically, I divide it between both albums. Like if I go on a trip, I do a layout for each book. They can know their mom did something in their scrapbooks, lol! |
My choice is to not take it personally - people have opinions. Particularly people here.-Peabay 12/29/11
I know this is assuming, but I'm really starting to think you are one of those "entitled" peas - Dalayney 4/2/12
profile pic courtesy of GreenEyedLady Designs at Scrap ARt Studio.
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robkaynel
1 Pea, 2 Pea, Red Pea, Blue Pea
PeaNut 530,045
November 2011
Posts: 864
Layouts: 151
 | Posted: 2/2/2013 9:44:44 AM
I keep an album in progress for each child all the time. When one fills up, I start another. I also keep a family/random album going. Some pics get put in all 3 albums(different layouts) and some only make it into one. This way I have albums that each child can take whenever they are established adults and want their childhood photos. I also did High School albums for each child, in addition to their random pics, family events album.
Welcome back to scrapbooking & good luck figuring out what works for you! | |
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*kaleidoscope*
Leader of the Banned
PeaNut 52,171
October 2002
Posts: 17,509
Layouts: 105
Loc: Froogville
| Posted: 2/2/2013 9:55:14 AM
I have 2 kids and they both have their own albums. If there's just the one kid in the pic - goes in his/her album. If they're both in it and I have 2 copies, they both get a copy. If I only have one copy but there are other pics where they are both in them, I pick and choose who gets which one. There are a few pics where I want them to both have a copy but there was only one print so I need to have a copy made.
Anyway - I try to duplicate the LO's whenever I can. I'm not concerned about making every LO different because they're going to be in different albums and I have way too many pics to worry about making each page unique!
Of course, having 3 kids insead of 2 means you will need more copies when you have more than one kid in them - but then again, I'm working from film prints. We often had doubles but not always - and that's where my trouble comes in! If most of your pics are from a digital camera, it's easier to get the right number of prints for your books!
Some time down the road whatever pics I have left over from the doubles can be used to make albums for hubby and I to keep. And have copies made from favorite pics that I really want if I need to.
People shouldn't have to fight over photos and it's easier in the long run to do it now rather than going back later and making copies and who gets the 'real book', etc. And I think having 'real' layouts is nicer than having a flat copy of the entire page. |
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Scrappinnut01
PeaAddict
PeaNut 101,443
August 2003
Posts: 1,270
Layouts: 0
 | Posted: 2/2/2013 9:56:04 AM
Each of my kids have their own albums and now my granddaughter has her own also. I do a family album for layouts that include more than just the kids. My DH and I have our own album, too. Christmas goes in one album, and our trips usually end up in an album of just that one trip. Each particular album has its own color so it's easy to just slip in the layout to the correct one. Works great for me. I can scrap whatever I want and know where it's going to go. | |
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jrshapiro
PeaAddict
PeaNut 226,382
October 2005
Posts: 1,024
Layouts: 23
Loc: New England
| Posted: 2/2/2013 9:56:07 AM
My girls each have their own albums from when they were little - but now I just do a family album. |
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thepinkkitchen
PinkKitchenStudio
PeaNut 14,286
April 2001
Posts: 15,207
Layouts: 244
Loc: Louisville, Ky
 | Posted: 2/2/2013 9:59:06 AM
I made individual albums for our three children, up until they were around kindergarten age. Then I started just scrapbooking what I wanted and put everything into family albums.
I feel good about the childrens albums that I did complete.
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Sophikins
PeaAddict
PeaNut 62,725
January 2003
Posts: 1,506
Layouts: 27
Loc: Pacific NW
| Posted: 2/2/2013 10:05:51 AM
I have 3 dd who are very active and in tons of activities/sports, many of which included trips to interesting places. I do 12 x 12 pages in a family album. I scrap randomly, but the albums are chronologic by year (with multiple albums for the year). Some pages may be mostly about one dd, for example a birthday, but we are all in the photos.
I decided I would rather get all the photos scrapped in a family album that we all can enjoy. I will tell you that dd#1 would be much less interested in looking at an album devoted to dd#2, even if the photos include her among the family members. My dd's are now 19, 21 and 23 and they all like looking at (and showing their friends) the family albums. I feel that it also is a way that everyone's photos get seen more often.
I do not do any pages of just one (particularly tiny) photo. Most of my pages have at least 3 photos, usually more, on a page. The only exception are some 8 x 10 portraits from prom or sports photos. I also scrap mainly events, trips etc. rather that having "just because" photos of one dd looking cute (I started scrapping after they were babies so I don't have tons of those kinds of photos anyway.)
I did make a high school album for one dd, and plan to for the others in the future. I also have an album for each of their school portraits (well, only one actually started so far, but others planned). |
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amom23
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 108,542
September 2003
Posts: 6,359
Layouts: 0
Loc: ND
| Posted: 2/2/2013 10:15:49 AM
My kids have baby albums then school albums. In their school albums I include all things school, sports, clubs, friends, friend Bday parties, etc. Everything else ends up in our family albums. |
_________________________________________________
"When was the last time you did something for the 1st time?" | |
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TexasJen
BucketHead
PeaNut 193,131
February 2005
Posts: 1,023
Layouts: 22
Loc: Colorado, but a Texan at heart
 | Posted: 2/2/2013 10:35:27 AM
Yup.
I make yearly family albums along with a celebrations album (holidays, bdays).
I've gotten pretty behind with DS's album, but I'm moving to a mix of divided page protectors/PL style along with regular LOs to get caught up.
I actually did a baby book for DS a couple of years ago, which was my intro back into scrapping (I took over a year off between severe morning sickness, DS's prematurity, and having a newborm). It ended up being 2 full albums! And it doesn't flow as well to me - my style changed a bunch while making it, and some pages have general journaling, while some have journaling addressed to DS. Also, it's just crazy big!
So I've decided that I'll keep that for me, and I'm doing a PL-style baby album for DS. I picked the best photos and I'll do more directed journaling for him (plus a bit of family heritage stuff). I started last night, and I love it!
I've got a WRMK 3ring binder for him, and I'm hoping to keep his albums to maybe 5 total. I feel like that's a manageable amount that he could actually store on a shelf one day (if he wants), but still enough to provide a good overview of his childhood. He's not even in preschool yet, but I'm thinking I will be able to get some artwork and schoolwork in there, too.
Sorry for the novel! Hope there is something in there that is helpful to someone!  |
-Jen
happily married to Jon, mom to Jack
cat mom to Emma, Ernie and Charlie
Texas Aggie grad - whoop!
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anmolhai
AncestralPea
PeaNut 40,642
June 2002
Posts: 4,376
Layouts: 71
Loc: Canada
| Posted: 2/2/2013 10:38:37 AM
I make one family album. I don't know if both of them would like to have the albums. I don't think my ds is interested in them but that could change. |
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EllenPea
Pea with a Pen
PeaNut 70,644
February 2003
Posts: 19,331
Layouts: 783
Loc: Southern California
| Posted: 2/2/2013 11:16:34 AM
I just made family albums in the past, but when the GKs were born, I started making separate albums for them. Usually I am not a prolific enough scrapper for this to be out of control, especially since they live far and I'm trying to not go crazy on their books so Mommy & Daddy don't have a ton of books to store. But right now I'm trying to scrap visiting them for six days, and that means layouts for us and layouts for one or both kids, so it is a bit crazy! |
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craftymomto3
PeaAddict
PeaNut 547,251
March 2012
Posts: 1,105
Layouts: 24
Loc: MS
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Debster28
PeaNut
PeaNut 547,978
March 2012
Posts: 62
Layouts: 0
Loc: SF Bay Area
| Posted: 2/2/2013 11:34:53 AM
Each of my children will have their own baby album up to pre school. Then they each will get an album ( albums) from kindergarten to high school. Class picture, individual, field trips, class parties, baseball, soccer etc. Then individual albums chronological for Christmas, to put out on the holidays. Individual albums for our vacations so you can look back on a particular trip. Everything else will be chronological in family albums. The kids can divide up albums when I go for the big nigh nigh!  | |
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Paperclips29
Photo HapPEA!
PeaNut 110,614
October 2003
Posts: 8,520
Layouts: 246
Loc: Århus, Denmark
| Posted: 2/2/2013 11:35:40 AM
Each of my kids (and myself) have a separate album. These albums have any monthly baby layouts and their developmental milestones of their first year. They also contain personality layouts. From there, I then add in any nursery/kindergarten/school related items to these.
Each person has an album, however, I'm about to go onto a second album for me as I slowly work through my early years. I figure by the time my kids leave home they will have two or three albums to take with them that cover the milestones of their life, school, friends, etc.
Anything that didn't fall into the about categories goes into our Life album. These include layouts about a single person that are not personality based, family/sibling relationships, funny things they say, Christmas, birthdays, etc. I also include select non-school related artwork from my kids. These are my albums until I'm not longer around to argue about it. I really am scrapbooking for me. This is my story.
When I'm deciding which album to put it in, I ask myself to whom is this memory more important to? Some funny thing my kids said when she was two is likely more important to me. A layout about her best friend or photos of school related stuff is likely more important to her.
At the moment I am a prolific scrapper. This comes and goes. I have several hobbies, so I cycle between them. I don't want to scrapbook everything. I do scrapbook the important things, whether they be events or small snippets of our lives, and I do employ the use of divided page protectors to capture those smaller things. I rarely scrapbook without a story first, and I often use multiple photos and as few pages as possible. I don't want to be burdened with dozens of scrapbooks. When I start a page I ask myself if this is something I want to remember, or am I scrapbooking just for the sake of scrapbooking? If the latter is the answer, I find something else to work on.
This works for me. The great thing about this hobby is that it can be tailored to suit each individual. |
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passion4scrappin
PeaNut
PeaNut 147,333
May 2004
Posts: 632
Layouts: 48
| Posted: 2/2/2013 11:55:54 AM
In the past I have always made just a family album now that I have kids I am going to continue to make a family album and with activities that just involve the one child will be in their own album so it may consist of several years worth. They can split the family albums when they are older. | |
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Pridemom
Pride of the Peas
PeaNut 25,575
December 2001
Posts: 19,078
Layouts: 45
Loc: Stuck in the Middle With You
 | Posted: 2/2/2013 11:57:20 AM
Once they are past two, everything goes in the family albums. I have four kids and it doesn't bother me to have it all mixed up. I don't work chronologically, I scrap whatever event jumps out at me at the time. When I'm dead and gone they can split albums up. |
Proud Wife and Mom to four big goons!
I cannot be old enough to have three teens and a tween.
God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially formed you to
go through it, not without pain but without stain.
-- C. S. Lewis
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LottaFire
PeaNut
PeaNut 555,986
May 2012
Posts: 471
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 2/2/2013 12:04:32 PM
Each of my boys have a baby album for everything up to one year. They also each have an album with all their professional pictures taken up until they started school. They also each have a school album with class pictures, team pictures, etc. Everything else goes in "my" family album that they can fight over when I'm dead. I only have boys, which makes it easier. | |
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alone_inacrowdedroom
What are you looking at?
PeaNut 477,798
August 2010
Posts: 1,386
Layouts: 47
 | Posted: 2/2/2013 12:33:07 PM
I don't have kids, but what if you did a family album and then a quick year-in-review mini album for each kid? It wouldn't take up a ton of time or supplies, and you'd have your bases covered.
Another option would be to make one family album and then have your layouts scanned and put into photo books for each kid, but that would be really expensive. |
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senoritascrapper
1 Pea, 2 Pea, Red Pea, Blue Pea
PeaNut 504,615
April 2011
Posts: 868
Layouts: 249
| Posted: 2/2/2013 1:01:58 PM
I have only done a family album. This year I hope to make their baby albums--I didn't scrap when they were babies. I bought a school album for my oldest when he entered kindergarden and plan to do the same for the little one when its time. It's more of a journal than a scrapbook type album. | |
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ashazamm
BucketHead
PeaNut 217,769
August 2005
Posts: 571
Layouts: 18
Loc: NY
| Posted: 2/2/2013 1:25:54 PM
I used to scrap the family albums but changed after I had my first baby. I wanted to capture his every event and the family albums faded out. I currently make albums for each of my (two) kids. In addition to that, I scrap DD every December.
I scan each page and save the images to disc so if they one day want to have those images opposed to the actual albums, they are welcome to either.
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Willscrapforfood
PeaNut
PeaNut 232,717
November 2005
Posts: 106
Layouts: 0
Loc: South Eastern MN
| Posted: 2/2/2013 3:14:33 PM
I can't believe those of you who can keep up with individual albums, family albums, Christmas, Travel, etc., etc.,  Do you ever sleep???
When you say "album" is that just a term for ongoing pages in a series, or is it really one book?
I just don't want my kids to be stressed out by the volume of albums that they'll be responsible for when they leave the house or when I die, kwim?
I don't have kids, but what if you did a family album and then a quick year-in-review mini album for each kid? It wouldn't take up a ton of time or supplies, and you'd have your bases covered.
This is a thought, but then you have the bulk problem. 18 mini albums!
If they all want to take their albums with them, then I can see the plus side of having a family album as I'll want those memories too.
Such a dilemma. What to do, what to do?? | |
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mrse
PeaNut
PeaNut 578,606
January 2013
Posts: 36
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 2/2/2013 3:23:49 PM
We have a boy and a girl. They each have their own albums. We also have family albums. My daughter has five at this point; she is twenty. My son has four and fifth is currently being worked on. After I get theirs caught up, I will finish the latest family album. I think from that point on I will do a project life style album for the family album. As the kids get older, we find fewer pictures are being taken. | |
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*Angela
Go Tarheels!
PeaNut 90,289
June 2003
Posts: 9,578
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 2/2/2013 3:39:43 PM
Although we have an only child, I struggle with the dilemma of organizing albums (everything in a chronological by year? separate school, sports, vacations, holidays, other?). However, I don't have personal experience with juggling multiple children - I'm far behind with just one!
A friend, however, has three daughters. Each child has her own chronological albums that include school, extracurricular activities, vacations, holidays, etc. For family events, Mom creates three of the same layout, but tailors each page's photos/journaling/memorabilia to the specific child. Using this approach, she only has to come up with one simple design that's easy to duplicate (often utilizing a sketch) & uses exactly the same supplies for each girl.
For example, a photo of all three girls at Valentine's day would feature a red cardstock base sprinkled with pink glittered hearts, & a strip of tulle under the photo. Each page has journaling below the tulle that documents the Valentines the girl gave, the parties she attended, & her favorite Valentine received - which is then tucked behind the photo. In this scenario, the pages are individualized due to the journaling & memorabilia, but equal for each girl which is important to the mom.
If you have both boys & girls, you could still create the same page design for family subjects. Use gender-neutral color palettes; the same feminine supplies for your girls & masculine for your boys; or different for each child - depending on your time & preference.
HTH & happy scrapping! | |
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jessicab
BucketHead
PeaNut 38,593
May 2002
Posts: 703
Layouts: 63
Loc: Arlington, Texas
| Posted: 2/2/2013 3:46:43 PM
I do both. Things involving DH or I or the whole family go in the family album, and things pertaining primarily to DD go in her album.
So far none of the years have filled more than one book (although I have very few fully finished years). Her birthdays, her games, stuff from school events all go in her book. Christmas, a family trip to the State Fair, Mother's Day etc. all go in family book. Now there will probably be a page or two at Christmas in her book, but it'll be her with Santa or a pic of just her under the tree or opening a fav. gift. KWIM.
Like someone else said, as she gets older I find I take less pictures and I'd imagine that I may be able to fit 2 years per book as she gets older. | |
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tinkgumby
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 281,136
October 2006
Posts: 2,262
Layouts: 6
Loc: DFW, TX
 | Posted: 2/2/2013 5:05:42 PM
"Each of my boys have a baby album for everything up to one year. They also each have an album with all their professional pictures taken up until they started school. They also each have a school album with class pictures, team pictures, etc. Everything else goes in "my" family album that they can fight over when I'm dead. I only have boys, which makes it easier."
This, except I did birth to two years, and they actually have a section in the family album that will go into their own album when it's full enough.  |
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Scrapn Nana
PEAring through my camera lens
PeaNut 272,954
August 2006
Posts: 6,974
Layouts: 19
| Posted: 2/2/2013 6:37:42 PM
With five kids, there is no way I can do individual albums for each of my kids. I do only family albums, and they can scan or photograph the pages so that everyone can get copies. They can divide up the rest, since I use post bound, and put pages in the protectors back to back. Figuring out how to divide it? they get pages that are about them, but they can draw lots or something for the family ones. Their problem, not mine. |
My Scrapn' Blog
Photographers are violent people. First they frame you, then they shoot you, then they hang you on the wall; but if you're real good, they will scrapbook you! | |
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bluna
PeaAddict
PeaNut 211,961
June 2005
Posts: 1,408
Layouts: 116
Loc: Santa Cruz, CA
| Posted: 2/2/2013 6:54:31 PM
I recently decided to do *both*: individual albums for each DD and family albums as a sort of catch-all for non daughter-specific stuff. I also have event/trip specific albums.
But to be perfectly honest, I don't know if this will stand the test of time. I've given up thinking there's an "answer". I'll do this for now and when it doesn't work any more, I'll try something else. ANYTHING is better than the piles and boxes full of LOs not in any album/book!! |
Let each woman exercise the art she knows.
~ Aristophanes (sort of)
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aJerseyGirl
[insert clever title here]
PeaNut 246,022
January 2006
Posts: 6,404
Layouts: 97
Loc: New Jersey
| Posted: 2/2/2013 8:08:49 PM
I've done baby albums for each of my 2 daughters but after that everything goes in one album, roughly one per year. I once tried to do separate albums but I didn't like separating pictures from an event into different albums. It felt disjointed to me. I don't really want to duplicate layouts. I think it would start to feel like a chore for me after a while.
When I'm gone, they can either split up the layouts or maybe have them scanned and have copies printed. I'm not going to worry about it now. | |
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melanell
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 26,836
January 2002
Posts: 14,462
Layouts: 86
| Posted: 2/2/2013 8:23:58 PM
I made a pregnancy album each time (2 pg spread per month).
Then I made one 1st year album per child (again, just a 2 page spread per month).
Beyond that everything goes into one family album unless I decide to devote a small album to a particular event or trip. |
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JenBoom
PeaAddict
PeaNut 212,849
July 2005
Posts: 1,716
Layouts: 122
Loc: I *heart* NY
| Posted: 2/2/2013 11:16:28 PM
Right now, I am only doing family albums and will do a first year album for each of my boys later this year that will serves as their baby book (PL baby kits).
Once we have a larger home with a dedicated scrap area, I plan to do individual albums for each child for milestones, significant events and accomplishments.
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Shih Tzu Mommy
Million dollar camera, 10 dollar lock!
PeaNut 224,352
September 2005
Posts: 23,525
Layouts: 0
Loc: Right here
| Posted: 2/3/2013 4:48:55 AM
I do both. Each of the boys have an album that focuses on 'them' and then I maintain a family album which is a blend of everyone. In our family album, last year I did two layouts of two pages each for our younger son's birthday party. In his album I put another two layouts of two pages each and in his brother's album I did a single page layout of the party. |
Dog people are a special breed! | |
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zgagi
BucketHead
PeaNut 405,065
December 2008
Posts: 808
Layouts: 177
Loc: the Old Continent
 | Posted: 2/3/2013 6:30:40 AM
I have seperat first year albums for both of my kids. And sharing a chronological family album. | |
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