On deciding what goes in which scrapbook
Last week one of the questions that came up was how do you decide what goes in the Project Life album and what makes it to a 12×12? and I thought about this all weekend. I kept thinking perhaps I could come up with an amazing answer that would have real sparkle and clarity and insight.
I don’t have that answer. Shame.
Basically, I am totally going with the moment and just not worrying about it. So far every photo that has appeared on a 12×12 page about Wonder Boy is also somewhere sitting in a pocket in his Project Life baby book. But the journaling isn’t duplicated, and at the moment I feel the two types of album have a different feel. The baby book is for him, basically. Not that he will appreciate it in the immediate future, but that some day he will be able to look at that first year. He looks so much like his father that I have found much joy in comparing pictures of the two of them at the same ages. With a book like this, perhaps he will do the same one day. Or maybe he will not be the nostalgic type and it will continue to live on my shelf forever. I’m okay with that too. But that album is written and compiled with him in mind.
The 12×12 pages, however, are all for me. They go in the standard chronological albums I’ve always kept, and will be mixed right in with whatever any of us are doing. I write more on these pages about what has been going through my mind and how life has changed and what running factors have stayed the same, like how this page documents the love of handmade.
But I will also say I am just grabbing prints that inspire me at any given moment. I have no shortage of photos to scrap right now, that is for sure! And I’m inspired by colours and textures and moments that I see in the photos. If something grabs my attention as I flip through the prints, I just run with it. No master plan. Much like the way I have always scrapbooked in a seemingly random order of topics and chronology.
This weekend I have had knitting on the mind (I have knit for many years but I am dreadful at actually finishing things) and seeing this photo in the stack made me excited to get started. The colour scheme comes from the quilt in the background of the photo (a lovely gift handmade by SJ) and made with papers from BasicGrey Second City and My Mind’s Eye Jubilee, then quite a few die-cuts, including Cosmo Cricket tags, ephemera from Maggie Holmes and Amy Tangerine collections, Jenni Bowlin rhinestones, Ormolu stamps, Prima enamel hearts, and sparkly Sassafras letter stickers. (I did tell you the old is new again in my world!) All to document a tiny cashmere sweater made without knowledge that his first summer would be one of unbelievably beautiful weather and basically three days total of any slight dip in the temperature. But I love it so much, it will live on the wall on a cute little hanger to remind me how small he was in those early days.
(For those who knit, the pattern is here and very well written with lots of options.)
Hoping I can knit a row or two on my current project at some point today. What creative things are you hoping to make this week?
Read more about:
16 March 2015
Next post: Scrapbooking our Disney trip (& a 24 hour offer on online classes)
Previous post: That Project Life Baby Book... an update
16 March 2015, 12:07
Love this layout, any change of turning it into one of your handy sketches?
thanks
Kate
16 March 2015, 12:32
great layout – love all those lines in there, and the colours are really refreshing!
16 March 2015, 13:28
I am hoping to get started on an album of the vacation my hubs and I took last summer to Florida. I feel overwhelmed, so there is some organization in order, but that’s part of the creative process, right? :)
Love this page you created, Shimelle. The colors all work so well together, and what a great picture!
16 March 2015, 13:45
Lovely layout. I like the color scheme.
16 March 2015, 15:18
Sweet little sweater! And I love the theme and nice soft colors of your layout. I am hoping to create some more layouts this weekend after this lovely inspiration from you.
16 March 2015, 16:30
I have my first Grandson who was born May 6 last year. I’ve taken a similar approach. “His” book is written to him, I’m doing a pocket page and 12×12 for each spread in his book. The pages are less ornate. My pages are mixed in with my regular chronological album and the journaling is for me. I anticipate sharing his album with him from time to time, but I’ll keep it safe and sound for a long time!
16 March 2015, 16:37
Cute layout – adorable boy!!! Love the sweater, too. Thanks for the link to the pattern. I’ve been knitting a sweater for my sister for over 10 years now. Thinking I should move on.
16 March 2015, 20:49
It is such a joy to see your wonderful work! How precious is your little guy. It is so nice to have you back, but am so happy you took time to make these lovely memories.
16 March 2015, 21:08
I’ve been learning sewing so I’m sure there’ll be some of that this week and then I’m going out to a crop on Friday so have to figure out what cards or layout I’m going to work on there. Loving all the content and pictures of sweet Wonder Boy!
16 March 2015, 23:13
i just love these colors. nice work :)
17 March 2015, 08:47
I do love this layout, lots of lovely whitespace and Wonder boy is just too cute for buttons isn’t he? I loved the lil tale of his jumper and I can imagine you knitting away but I also thought ah yes he is handmade with love so 2 for 2
Jo xxxx
17 March 2015, 10:05
Love how you matched the quilt colours! Lovely layout.
I’m hoping to work on a watercolour this weekend. I’ve been scrap booking and stopped painting.
17 March 2015, 10:10
Wonderful LO! The background is genius and the tags are wonderful blocks. So very well put together!
17 March 2015, 13:19
I’m a kindergarten level knitter. I have about 8 more inches to go on my first baby blanket. Super simple knit rows blanket. It will be the first thing I have made that was bigger than a kitchen wash cloth. I have four weeks to finish. I can do it! Loving seeing your posts again.
18 March 2015, 04:19
That quilt is gorgeous. And a beautiful LO too
18 March 2015, 08:52
Love your layout, the colors, the layering, the x stitches, … and your focal point… so sweet!
20 March 2015, 11:49
Beautiful layout, beautiful quilt, and beautiful boy! Love the colors. Maria
21 March 2015, 10:07
I love the use of purple in ur LO! Completely impressed that you knitted something your child could wear! He looks precious in it!
23 March 2015, 02:41
Adorable!! LOVE the layers and the use of the tags!