Category Archives: Memory keeping

Scrapbook Evolution

What has become of traditional scrapbooking? Discussing facets of scrapbook evolution

Remember when I used to scrap traditional 12×12 scrapbook layouts?

As I was organizing and looking through my blog archives one day, I started reminiscing about all the traditional scrapbooking layouts I used to make before Project Life came into the picture and I sorta “gave up” on traditional scrapbooking. Back in 2012, I even had a whole project going where I made one project a week!

But I daresay it’s been a whole three years since I last made a traditional 12×12 scrapbook page. And truth be told, I actually don’t really miss traditional scrapbook layouts very much at all. I love watching scrapbookers and their creative processes for creating bigger 12×12 pages – it’s still inspiring!

I’ve since discovered that the fun of scrapbooking for me is being able to document my memories whilst being creative. Since I felt as if I would never get “caught up” with documenting through traditional layouts, pocket scrapbooking has been the perfect solution for me.

Once in awhile, I miss making bigger pages. But for the most part, I’m thoroughly embracing pocket page scrapbooking and how it is working for my life right now. And when I need a “large-scale” project, mini albums give me the right fix when I feel I need to work on something bigger.

Through the years, scrapbooking has evolved, but it’s taken on so much more than just scrapbooking in the traditional sense – which has been incredible to watch. Some trends have come and gone, and others have become a permanent part of the industry. Recently, the planner worlds and scrapbook worlds have overlapped and I love seeing the expansion of creativity since these two industries collided, and options are no longer limited to a 12×12 sheet of paper.

So while I no longer scrap 12×12 pages for this season, they will always hold a special place in my heart. I will forever appreciate how they started me on memory keeping and playing with paper, gave me a love for creativity and experimenting with techniques, and combined my love for documenting with paper.

Here’s to many more years of documenting and memory keeping, no matter what shape or form.

How has scrapbooking evolved for you?

What you need to know about documenting your year

What you need to know about documenting your year

Have you decided on how you are documenting your year? If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the incredible number of available options, especially when you’re trying to make a decision (I laid out twelve options here).

With SO many documenting options nowadays, what it really comes down to is just making this whole memory keeping thing work for you.

Before I shared my 2016 memory keeping plans on the blog last week, I actually ran through various options in my head before settling on pocket scrapbooking because it’s what works for me now. But really, there are plentiful options to choose from.

So how are you going to decide on your best option? Here are five things to consider (in no particular order):

  1. Cost

    What is your memory keeping budget? Is it something you are able to spend money on this year? How much do you want to spend on memory keeping supplies? The cost of documenting can be as little as a notebook from your stationery store, or as much as a fancy scrapbook album with all the extra frills – you get to choose.

  2. Supplies

    What supplies will you use? How readily available are these supplies in your area? Would you have to spend an exorbitant amount on shipping? Do you have supplies that you want to use up? Or are you starting from scratch?

    You don’t need a ton of supplies to start documenting, so choose a method/system that fits the supplies you have or are willing to get.

  3. Lifestyle

    What roles do you have? Are you a homemaker? A student? A working adult? Consider your lifestyle and schedule, and choose a documenting option that is realistic, but also inspires, excites, and sparks your creativity.

  4. Storage space

    Since I live in an apartment, storage is something I constantly need to consider, whether it’s space for my supplies or for completed albums. If you don’t need to consider space, then maybe the sky’s your limit! Otherwise, you may consider going smaller or documenting sans albums.

  5. End goal.

    As Stephen Covey says, “Begin with the end in mind.” What do you want to achieve with your scrapbooking? How much detail do you want to document? Having clear goals will eliminate certain options and clarify others.

It’s never too late to start documenting your year – I’m remembering to not let those precious memories slip by me!

Leave a question or comment, and let me know what your considerations are when decide on how to document your year.

2016 Memory Keeping Plans

Ideas for memory keeping in 2016

Can you believe we’re already more than halfway through January?

It’s easy to let the days slip by, and before you know it, we’ve circled the sun yet another time and stand at the beginning of another brand-new year.

Before that happens again, I knew I wanted to capture the memories and moments of 2016 and document them somehow (in addition to the work-in-progress albums from 2014 and 2015). But I also truly wanted to make this year the one where I hold a complete album at the end of 2016.

I loved reading about different plans that fellow bloggers had for documenting 2016  – from notebooks, to photobooks and stories, to sticking to good ol’ Project Life whether in 6×12, 9×12 or 12×12 size.

After contemplating various ideas, I eventually came up with my memory-keeping plan for 2016.

Here we go!

  1. Stick with 12×12 and Design A page protectors.

    Originally, I contemplated downsizing my Project Life album for 2016. But since I am hoping to use up my stash instead of getting new supplies, I decided to stick with the 12×12 size, of which I have plenty of supplies for.

  2. Document weekly with one page a week (for a start).

    I contemplated going monthly, but I truly enjoy the structure that weekly documenting gives me. So I’m sticking with weekly 12×12 spreads and using one side per page instead.  This removes the stress of having to complete two whole 12×12 spreads and reduces bulk (I have limited real estate to store my albums!). Since I started working this year, I anticipate my everyday not being super exciting, so I think one 12×12 spread per week will be good enough. If I need to, I’ll include inserts for times that need it.

  3. Go with the flow.

    This is a big part of my plan since I don’t have anything mind-blowing or innovative in my 2016 plan.

  4. Consistently document and prepare photos for printing.

Most of my memory keeping plan this year is similar to what I did last year, which I shared in much more detail here.

This is just the plan so far, because honestly, I’m not sure if I have enough oomph or excitement to keep up with this project. But since I want to have some sort of structure, coupled with flexibility, in my memory-keeping, I’m sticking with Project Life in the hopes of helping me to actually get it done..

I’m totally open to switching things up along the way this year if I need to, especially if I eventually come up with something better as the year progresses. And with the Project Life app for Android finally being released next month, my memory keeping method may be completely revolutionized this year, you never know.

But for now, I’m ready to document 2016.

How are you approaching memory-keeping in 2016?

P.S. Unsure where to even start documenting your year? Check out my All the Memories series and other memory keeping posts here.

How to create square photos without using Photoshop

Amelia Writes | Create square photos without using Photoshop

We’ve been talking a lot about square photos on the blog lately.

And while we’re at it, I thought that I might as well share how I print my square photos – without using Photoshop.

Previously, I always hesitated to use square photos because one 4×6 or two 3x4s were always so much more convenient and much less of a hassle to create than trying to wrestle with fitting a square size on a 4×6 sheet. But when I had to make my first 4×4 mini album two weeks ago, I decided to conquer the formidable square photos and give this size a shot.

Obviously, Photoshop is a great tool for printing your square photos. And while I’m somewhat familiar with Photoshop, I’m not fully comfortable with it yet so I still tend to gravitate towards something quick and easy when I need to print photos in a hurry.

So recently, I started using Picasa (a free software by Google) to create one 4×4 and two 2×2 photos that I can use in my mini album and it’s been a game-changer for me.

Here’s how I do it:

1. Upload your photos on your computer (not pictured).

2. Open Picasa and select photos to import.

NOTE: My computer automatically syncs new photos onto Picasa when I open the Picasa software. Since Picasa is not my primary photo organization system, I don’t mess around with the settings at all. I do my quick and simple edits in Picasa and export them out for printing or uploading. That’s it.

Amelia Writes | Create square photos without using Photoshop

3. Select the photos that you want to create into a collage.

You can see that all my selected photos are held in the tray in the bottom left corner.

Amelia Writes | Create square photos without using Photoshop

4. Individually crop your selected photos to the square size.

TIP: To crop, double click the photo you want to crop and select the crop tool. Use the drop down bar to select what size you want to crop to.

Amelia Writes | Create square photos without using Photoshop

Amelia Writes | Create square photos without using Photoshop

5. Apply the crop setting.

Amelia Writes | Create square photos without using Photoshop

6. After cropping your photo, select CREATE > PICTURE COLLAGE in the task bar of Picasa.

Amelia Writes | Create square photos without using Photoshop

7. Once your photos open up, select MOSAIC.

Amelia Writes | Create square photos without using Photoshop

TIP: Before creating your collage, you can drag the photos around to choose which photo is the 4×4 size, and which ones are the 2×2 size. When you click on the photo you want to move, the selected photo will be highlighted with an orange box.

9. Select CREATE COLLAGE.

Amelia Writes | Create square photos without using Photoshop

Violá! Your collage is created.

10. To finish, select your collage and export with the settings you prefer.

Since I usually print my collages, I save them in the original size to avoid losing any resolution.

Amelia Writes | Create square photos without using Photoshop

There you have it – how I create square photos without using Photoshop.

I tried to be as comprehensive as possible, but if you have any questions about this process, let me know in the comments! If you have any other ways to create square photos, I would love to hear about them in the comments too.

P.S. If you want more options for photo sizes, Lauren also has a great Picasa tutorial here.

Mini album | tips for experimenting and creating

Stuck on your mini album project? Here are four tips for experimenting and creating | Amelia Writes

Earlier this week, I shared my very first 4×4 mini album.

Since I naturally gravitate to rectangular photos (instead of square ones that the album is meant for), I always thought that 4×4 albums and I were not a good fit, so I tended to shy away from the 4×4 size before. But after my recent experience completing my first-ever mini album in this 4×4 size, I daresay I’ve finally overcome my fear of square albums because I love it and can’t wait to make more.

If you are in the same spot as I am, wanting to try something new but being slightly hesitant about it, I totally understand. So here are my tips for tackling a mini album in an unfamiliar/intimidating size (like 4×4, or any size you are unsure of, really!).

Note: I already gave the album to its recipient, so check out this post if you missed seeing the full album with all the details and want to make sense of what I’m talking about.

  1. Choose similar colors – have “base” colors and accent colors.

For example, for the 4×4 mini album, I chose to have more neutral colors such as black, white, and a cork/woodgrain texture from the journaling cards. My accent colors ended up being gold, mint green, and mustard. I kept my color scheme in mind when picking paper or embellishments for the album – it made the decision process much easier than having ten different options that all looked good. This also helped the album to have a cohesive look throughout.

  1. Use repeated elements and similar embellishments.

My embellishments included stamping, Heidi Swapp’s acetate and paper die shapes, chipboard shapes from Studio Calico and some die shapes from Amy Tangerine.

  1. Break the “rules”.

While the 4×4 We R Memory Keeper albums are meant for primarily square Instagram photos, I actually incorporated many 3×4 photos as well simply by adding 4×4 patterned paper as the background. So go ahead and use rectangular photos if you need to – don’t let the size confine you!

  1. Don’t be afraid of the size.

Sometimes, fear is the biggest thing that keeps us from stepping out of our comfort zones and trying new things. So face that fear and just try whatever unfamiliar or intimidating size you’re thinking about.

What album sizes are most difficult or challenging for you to work with? What are your tips for tackling a new size? Let me know in the comments!

4 x 4 Mini Album | FAREWELL

Create an easy farewell gift using the WRMK 4x4 mini albums | Amelia Writes

 

When I shared a sneak of this mini album on Instagram, I commented that I’ve always loved how cute and tiny these 4×4 We R Memory Keeper albums are, but I never knew what to do with them.

But after making my first mini album in this size this past week, I can finally understand all the hype surrounding these – they are seriously cute and so much fun to work with!

I decided on this size as a farewell gift for a friend, since it would be compact enough for her to bring along. For this album, I used the beautifully designed Project Life Everyday edition 4×4 cards as the base in the pockets.

And since it was a farewell album, I had my friends write notes on 3×4 cards from the Midnight edition and scattered them throughout the entire album.

For embellishments, I used a mixture of acrylic shapes from Heidi Swapp, gold sequins, and chipboard shapes from Studio Calico.

I always wanted to try see-through pockets and I love that I finally got to do that for this mini album. You’ll also notice that I used the Tiny Attacher to adhere the “floating” elements in the see-through pockets. If I had to pick, my favorite parts are the see-through pockets and the vellum text!

I think I’m hooked and I can’t wait to make more mini albums in this size again.

What about you guys? Let me know in the comments: Do you like scrapbooking in this size? What are your favorite ways to use these 4×4 mini albums?

So here’s a flip through of the whole album – enjoy!

Project Life | Organizing memorabilia

AmeliaWrites-PL-organizememorabilia

I talk about memorabilia a lot on this blog because it such an integral part of my memory keeping.

If you remember, I shared 10 types of memorabilia that you can include in Project Life back in May. And earlier this year, I also chatted about including memorabilia in my Project Life album in my post for the Life Documented Manila blog.

Ameliawrites-organizememorabilia1

Today, I decided to bring it altogether with a detailed look at how I organize all my memorabilia until I’m ready to scrapbook or include them in my albums.

My system is neither novel nor complicated. But it’s simple and easy enough to help me keep track of all the memorabilia I tend to hoard collect, even when I’m weeks behind on Project Life.

Ameliawrites-organizememorabilia8

Here’s how I do it:

  1. Set up your Project Life.

I’ve got my pockets for the entire year laid out and labeled. The biggest thing about this system is setting up my Project Life album for the entire year. (You can see how I set mine up in this post.)

Ameliawrites-organizememorabilia5

  1. Slip memorabilia into your Project Life pockets.

    When you collect any memorabilia, slip them into the Project Life pockets for the corresponding week so you don’t lose those precious collections of paper! I like to slot in my memorabilia in the corresponding week of Project Life right after I get home so I don’t get confused as to where it should go.

  2. For bigger trips where I collect a thicker stack of memorabilia, I stick everything I’ve collected into a manila folder, label it with the trip name and dates, and hold it together with a rubber band. Because my album is stored lying down, paper that doesn’t fit into the album just lies between the page protectors

Ameliawrites-organizememorabilia3

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You could totally adapt this system to work for your Project Life album if you do yours on a monthly or event-basis. Either way, this system ensures that all the memorabilia are easily accessible when I’m ready to document.

Now it’s your turn – how do you organize and keep track of all the memorabilia you collect for your albums and projects?

Project Life 2014 | week 18

Use one kit for one spread to save time in your Project Life documenting | Amelia Writes

Week of: April 28 to May 4, 2014

What happened this week: Made some homecooked meals, went running, and spent Labor Day at USS (our favorite!).

Left side

Use one kit for one spread to save time in your Project Life documenting | Amelia Writes

Project Life 2014 week 18 | Amelia Writes

Use a plain tag to help your sentiment pop!

Tip: Use a plain tag as a background to help your sentiment pop!

Vellum + wood veneer embellishment

I love Nutella and couldn’t help snapping a photo upon spotting an entire shelf of Nutella at the grocery store.*insert heart eyes emoji*

Right side

Use one kit for one spread to save time in your Project Life documenting | Amelia Writes

Simple embellishments for Project Life

Techniques used: Aside from stamping, stickers, and the occasional wood veneer embellishment, I kept things super simple this week. Easy and done is my motto these days.

Thoughts: I used cards from one kit (Amy Tangerine’s Plus One mini kit, in this case) to help my spread come together very quickly. I love how using one kit can take out all the guess work of having to match and color-coordinate cards. I also love the blue-green hues in this spread!

Who’s still working on spreads from 2014?

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Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. I’m embarking on this year-long project to document all my memories in 2014. You can see my other Project Life posts here.

All the Memories | how I started memory keeping

Ameliawrites-allthememories-howistarted

Since we’ve been talking about memories and memory-keeping over the past couple of months, I thought I would share my story of how I started scrapbooking and memory keeping. It isn’t a grand or dramatic story, but it’s what I remember about this part of my creative journey.

When my siblings and I were growing up, my dad was the memory keeper in our family. He was the one who consistently took our photos, printed them and organized them neatly in photo albums. This was back when everyone still used film cameras and printed pictures. He put the “scrap” in scrapbooking by literally using paper scraps to make our amazing baby albums that each of us immensely treasure today (there are three of us and we each have at least one!). Because of him, we are now able to pull out those family albums and laugh, reminisce and remember all those memories from back in the day.

Those were the initial stages of any exposure I had to the idea or concept of scrapbooking and memory keeping.

The first time I remember making a real scrapbook album (ie. 12×12 spreads) was when our family first came back from a trip to Australia in 2005. We had purchased some patterned papers from the Australian K-mart while we were on vacation and collectively worked on the album together as a family to document our trip after we returned. This was before I even knew about acid- or lignin-free products. All we wanted to do was to get our photos and memories recorded.

Then in 2007, my dad brought me to our local scrapbooking store and together, we learned about scrapbooking basics. After our conversation with the owners, my dad very promptly (and generously) bought me my first set of scrapbooking supplies of acid- and lignin-free glue and paper that day.

And I haven’t looked back since.

Thus, my journey in scrapbooking and creating 12×12 layouts “officially” began. For a season, I also loved making mini books and have a basket-full of them now.

In 2012, I started hearing more about Project Life and contemplated jumping on the bandwagon, before I eventually decided to take the plunge. While I finally made the leap, I never quite made it through my first year. Discouraged, I didn’t continue in 2013. But I decided to intentionally document with Project life in 2014 and I loved it. (Confession: I’m still working on finishing my 2014 album, and still need to start for 2015 – but I’m getting there!)

Sure, there have been times where scrapbooking has taken a backseat when life has taken over and the inspiration has run a bit low. But this creative/scrapbooking/memory-keeping part of me runs deep and strong and I reckon it won’t be going away any time soon.

Through the years, my family has supported my paper addiction, enduring all those seemingly unending hours in the scrapbook store as I perused and ooh-ed and ahh-ed over all the paper goodies.

As much as I love how mind-blowing this digital age can be, there is nothing is quite the same as actually holding printed photos in your hands and flipping through a handmade album full of memories.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to start memory keeping and be a memory keeper because I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Are you a scrapbooker/memory keeper? How did you get started? I’d love to hear your story so let me know in the comments!

Missed the other posts in this series? You can catch up on them here:

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All the Memories is a blog series talking about all things memory keeping – from memory keeping ideas to answering your questions. This is the year to get those memories documented!

All the Memories | what I’ve learned from memory keeping

5 things I've learned from memory keeping and Project Life

Interestingly, intentionally documenting through Project Life has given me a new perspective on life and how I see the every day.

And I daresay these are some lessons that don’t just apply to Project Life or memory keeping, but really just to life in general.

5 things I’ve learned from memory keeping and Project Life:

1. Cherish every moment.

Time passes quickly. And Project Life helps me realize that even more, especially when I document in the weekly format and have to regularly work on new spreads. But at least I’m able to document the moments and can look back and see all that I’ve accomplished over time. Now the question of ‘Where did time go?’ is finally answered and no longer a mystery.

2. Document the little, seemingly unimportant things.

I’m still working on this one. But I’m trying to document even all the ‘routine boring’ days because I need to remember that my life will probably look very different in five years, two years, or even one year from now. When the time comes, it will be interesting to see the similarities and differences between then and now.

3. Be present.

Instead of spending time being glued to a gadget, or having my mind occupied with other things when I’m supposed to be making memories, I’ve discovered the importance of being fully present in every moment. There’s a time and place to be connected, but sometimes it’s perfectly acceptable to disconnect and actually soak in and absorb all the moments of life. They may not end up being (well) captured by the camera, but I can always include journaling if necessary and the memories get documented.

4. Embrace imperfection.

My photos won’t be perfect. My spreads won’t be perfect. But life isn’t perfect. So I’m capturing all its imperfections in my albums.

5. Your loved ones appreciate what you do.

I love seeing how their faces light up when they look through the albums and reminisce all the captured memories. And the truth is, even if they don’t, you will – 10 years down the road when the daily routine is just a fuzzy memory, I know I will appreciate all the documentation I did today.

What has memory keeping taught you? I’d love to hear it in the comments!

Missed the other posts in this series? You can catch up on them here:

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All the Memories is a blog series talking about all things memory keeping – from memory keeping ideas to answering your questions. This is the year to get those memories documented!