Scrappers: Please share your system

[Bearsmama]

I am a scrapper-dabbler. Just started since DS was born. I have 1/2 of one done for him, but I haven't added any other pages since his 1st b-day-Jan'03!

I am a big picture taker, and I immediately put his pics in regular albums, but how do YOU choose how to organize your photos? How do you store them? How often do you scrap?

I'd like to get into the habit of doing 2 pages a month. Is that a dream? I like my photos in their regular albums, but I really want to capture some of the more special times in my scrapbooks-especially those times when there are mementos-like leaves, or tickets, etc.

I'd love to hear how y'all do it! TIA

[mommyof2kids]

ok ,here goes...........

my dh and I have a deal, on his days off I get that time for my scrapbooks, I have 2 going right now, I have 2 roll carts with papers and supplies and my books and mags, I went out and book the Idiots guide to scrapbooking, very good info in it, my pics are in the plastic shoe box thingies, I got those at Wal Mart, I also am lucky enough to make my dining room, my scrapbook area, I have a smaller rool cart for stickers, my sizzix letters, and all my other stuff... There are some nights I get 5 pages done, But if I try to do it when DH isnt home, I am lucky if I get one done..

goodluck

[Bearsmama]

mommyof2kids-thanks for sharing your system. I like the idea of having time when DH can totally take over with DS. Are your plastic shoe box thingies just like the regular cardboard type they sell at Target and such? I am also overrun with pics that I keep in a big rubbermaid storage thing. Where I get my pics develped, they give them to you in a heavy paper/almost cardboard pack and I find it just takes up space.

jaffapearl-thanks as well! I like your idea of getting everything ready in advance. I am really a very beginning scrapper, and I haven't ventured outside of the ready-made kit type things that have the cut out pic frames, etc. I have one and just ordered another. For a newbie, they are great, b/c I can sort of practice and yet have all the stuff ready for me. Allows me some creativity, but limits my choices so it's not overwhelming yet. Who is Becky higgins? Where can I see her stuff? I'll do a search.

It's inspiring to know that you are both moms, too and that it CAN be done!!
Oh-P.S. Has anyone ever ordered any scrapbook stuff on QVC? I've ordered two things now and found that the value is really good (much cheaper for me than buying everything separately).

[levar]

Good Ideas Ladies! I am going to try some of them too! Thanks!

I took a Creative Memories class on Power Layouts a while back and that helped me. And I have an old magazine from Memory Makers Spcial Issue "Fast & Easy Scrapbooking" Fall 2002 [Try library or back issues?] that has three great simple articles.

I took all of our loose photos and put them in photo boxes with dividers. I organzied them as close to "by month, by year" as I could. I just left them in those things they come in from the store with the negatives etc. I took it all a wee bit at a time over a year or so and managed to get 1994 through 2001 done. [2002 was when I started so it has it's own box, as does 2003. I put them in and label when I get them.]

Then at the same time I bought a 3 ring binder with top-loading protectors and a "theme kit" and started sticking photos I liked on pages!! Random order really. Just did ones I felt like doing that day. I have since taken the Power Layout class and so I did my dog's Baby Book, my son's First Year, and two vacations. I am currently working on a Christmas' album.

The thing I took home from the Power Layout that was most helpful for me was the thought of working on what ever I felt like and just leave the rest in the box. This stopped me from getting "blocked" on a page/album.

As for when I work? Well. Random again sorry to say. For a while I was "taking the night off" once a week and after Taylor was in bed I'd scrapbook in front of the TV for an hour or two. Then I got busy and didnt do anything. Now it's back to a night a month anyway.

And where I work? I tried setting up in the dining room but it drove me to distaction having stuff out when I wasnt working on it, clutter, etc. So I splurged a year ago and bought a Generations brand scrapbook "suit case" thing. And I have a plastic bucket. I keep "in progress" stuff in the suitcase and leftover stuff in the bucket. When I want to scrapbook I roll the suitcase into the family room and scrapbook on TV trays. Setup and cleanup take 5 or 10 minutes that way.

PS. I am BIG into "shopping lists" [per Mag mentioned above] and try really really hard not to buy something "just cause". I do tend to "layout" into 12x12 boxes my albums weeks and months in advance though [Power Layout style] and use 5x7 lined stickies on each box to "shopping list" what I want for the album so that I can shop during sales. And when I do buy something "really cool" I try and put it in the photo box with the photos if it is small enough.

[Bearsmama]

Jaffapearl-thanks! I went to the website and checked out Becky Higgins. Next time I'm at Michael's I will p/u the mag. Just was at my neighbors house and she is a scrappin' inspiration to me! She loves to scrap, and does a lot of it with her best friend. The cool thing about her stuff, especially for a newbie to see, is that it's not all high-end, effects-type stuff (not that there's anything wrong with that-I love that stuff, too). But she seldom uses computer programs or anything for her text and just writes on the page. This was great for me to see b/c I realized I didn't have to be a master at this-just doing it is fun!

levar-thanks for your reply. I loved reading about your system and you are inspriing me to get organized. Even if it's just with the pictures alone. I have to go and invest (altho I'm sure they're not much at Target) in those shoebox things for my pics. I'll look on line for that past issue of the mag of quick tips.

You ladies are great!

[mommyof2kids]

Bearsmama,
the easiest way I can describe my photo boxes, they are plastic with a lid with a handle that has 2 clips that clamp down on each side, and they are stackable, right now I have 5 of them with pics. you can find them in Wal Mart where ever the rubbermaid stuff is

[Bearsmama]

mommyof2kids-Thanks! I think I know what you're talking about. I just didn't see the potential for picture storage until you opened my eyes!

[Golden]

I highly recommend you meander over to a website.

two peas.

These folks are the most passionate, knowledgeable and helpful scrappers I know.

They have a fabulous gallery where people post scanned pages they have created. An endless fountain of ideas and inspiration.

They also have an online store with an unbelievable selection and excellent prices.

I spent most of my time over there before I found MDC. Yeah, it's been about a year since I scrapped.

Have fun!
Golden

[MallowMom]

Two Peas is the best! I visit the site almost every day because the Peanut Gallery has such wonderful layouts.

Also, I get Simple Scrapbooks magazine (put out by Creating Keepsakes), which is really helpful. Lots of layouts that are not too busy or hard to do. Plus they have informative articles.

Becky Higgins just came out with a new scrapping book about sketches that is great. I would think it would be especially helpful for beginners.

Enjoy your scrapping!

[kerc]

i haven't scrapped since my dd was born. ok i got stuck on the "birth story" part (it was typed up and it just didn't make it onto paper yet.

i am going to get back into it next week. I promised myself i would have an album done to show at xmas. Right now I have boxes of pictures to organize. I usually keep the negatives in 3 ring binders in little negative sleeves I buy at the photo store. I don't keep many extra pics because I just don't have space.

I have a fairly simple style. Lots of my pages end up being a little bit of accent, a whole lot of pictures. I try to make them more creative, but i find myself just trying to copy someone else's creativity.

twopeas was my first online home! They are wonderful people!! I registered as a user there in ... umm... june 2000, i think. kristina (the owner) is super helpful. She used to puruse the boards more often, but i think got overwhelmed! They have been great about shipping stuff to me (no bent edges, etc). and their stuff is great. I love the shopping cart idea -- yoou can put it in your cart and come back after you've thought about it.

[Bearsmama]

Okay, ladies, I SHOULD NOT have gone to Two Peas! Just one more thing I will be doing when I SHOULD be doing something else! I like checking out everyone's pages-from the 'high-end' to the basic. Perfect for me.

Golden-thanks for your suggestions. Hard to get the time to scrap once the kids arrive, huh? I know I only have one, but I am so tired at the end of the day that I just want to veg when DS is asleep. BUT, I have again found my inspiration from you all!!

Mallowmom-I've seem Simple Scrapbooks before and really liked it. I have to really get to know this Becky Higgins legend!

Kerc-It's so hard to stay on top of anything when you have kids. But, I think it's more important now than ever. Just hard to kick yourself in the butt to do it.

Has anyone ever purchased scrappin stuff on ebay? My neighbor says she's gotten great things-new and gently used (pens, stamps, etc).

[mommyof2kids]

I get my eyelets off ebay, I have gotten some great deals, one thing I will warn you about is some huge lots of papers, The Slab, its normally 180 sheets, you can buy it at Michaels for 19.99, onsale right now for 12.88, it goes high on ebay, I would watch out for papers, I normally stick on it when Joanns or Michaels has it onsale like 5 sheets for $1, or depending what size album you make, I do the 12x12, But I found Wal Mart has cheap prices for
8 1/2 x 11...

I could go on and on........

[Bearsmama]

momof2kids-just a curiousity questionhat kind of albums do you like? Just the standard black/blue basic kind? I've used only the 12 x 12 size so far and like them. Also, do you just buy the 12 x 12 cardstock in bulk? Is that what it's called?

Sorry for the dumb questions!

[Bearsmama]

Okay, I have NO idea how I inadvertantly pressed the WELCOME guy. Duh!! Sorry for that!

[mommyof2kids]

I use a 12x12, but I make my albums covered, right now I am trying to do the albums for 5 yrs, so the covers right now are baby prints, next year Cathryn will be 6 and I will start a new album and buy different fabric to cover that..

I started with 81/2 x 11,and was able to buy everything at
Wal Mart, I was running out of room, so I went to a bigger album, I am making one for my cousin's son and using the 81/2x 11

[kerc]

i bought several of the brazzil cardstock sampler packs that two peas sells (sold?) two years ago. I love having all that paper around...makes it easy to get pages done. Also worth the $$ IMO because the paper is nice quality.

One thing I do do that has helped me save $$ and clean up -- I took five file folders and labeled them blue, green, brown, white, red. I taped the sides shut (so they are more like an envelope). In these i put scraps. So if I use 3/4 of a piece of paper, the rest goes in there.

[Bearsmama]

Thank you! I am getting a lot of good ideas. I have to say I am feeling low on the scrappin'self esteem chart right now. I just hastily put together some pages for my DS's first b-day party. I've been meaning to do this since January. They pages don't look that great-I wasn't that into doing it tonight. I think I want to venture out of the ready-made area. I think I mentioned above somewhere that so far I only have one album and it's like one of those that comes with stickers, frames, papers, etc. It was good for the first few pages, but now I think I am ready to start picking and choosing for myself.

I just need help from the experts!