Wednesday, November 9, 2011

How I Survived a Scrapbooking Marathon

In September I attended a scrapbooking marathon, organized by Big Picture Classes with Lain Ehmann as an instructor. The marathon lasted 26 days and you were supposed to make 26 layouts, one each day.

I was busy with a craft fair for the first two weeks so I started 14 days later than the others, determined to make all 26 layouts. My advice: don't do like I did if you ever attend this kind of challenge, start in time - no start ahead if you can! I had to make 2 to 3 layouts each day. Sounds impossible for someone who has a day job and who usually makes one layout in 4 to 6 hours!

But I did it! I accomplished 26 layouts in 12 days! How did I do it?

1) Scrapped in digi. I scrapped 23 digital layouts and only 3 on paper. Digital scrapbooking is so much faster!

2) Found photos easily. My photos are pretty organized. I star them using Stacy Julian's method: I give 3 stars for those that I want to scrap, and 2 start for those I might scrap. I also use a limited number of keywords to tag them and have created plenty of smart albums (albums with predefined rules) in iPhoto.

3) Made some smaller sized layouts. 5 of the layouts were in 8 by 8 size. I usually scrap in 12 by 12 inches but I discovered a new concept with 8 by 8 size. I use only one photo on the page. The subject of the page is "Today". The photo is taken on the same day that I scrap it. I write about miscellaneous stuff connected with that day. This concept suits so well with my life! I might take an odd photo with iPhone, then just go to my computer and scrap the page. I have made plenty of these after the marathon and it is one of the greatest discovery for me provided by the challenge.

Here are a couple of the layouts I am particularly proud of.

I am a terrible cook but as everyone in scrapbooking is crazy over cupcakes and there are so many designs to got with cupcake photos, I baked some! And the cherries on top are from the cherry tree in our garden! The digital elements are from Mary Pop's kit I heart Sweets.

The guidance for the last day was to let go and do something wild and break the rules of scrapbooking. I decided to use my own elements only, few photos, a poem written by myself many years ago and some doodling. It all came so easy, knowing then that I am passing the finish line!

7 comments:

  1. This is nice. I really like the last one! Uniquely you!
    Congratulations on finishing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. How wonderful that you grew so much through the MotherLOAD! That is what it's all about. Congratulations on determining that you would finish by the end by doubling & tripling up, and now you have a new go-to process that keeps you scrapping all the daily goodness *applause*

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks all! LCSmith, I had heard that taking part of this kind of challenge would change one's scrapbooking but could not believe it until experienced it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great post! Thanks for the great ideas.
    Your pages are wonderful, you did a very nice job. Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  5. what website do you use for the digital scrap booking. I have iPhoto but not sure I can do scrap booking with it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. ifluctuate, you must have meant what computer program ... I use Photoshop CS5. If you are a beginner in photo processing I recommend lighter version: Photoshop Elements. Unfortunately you cannot digiscrap with iPhoto.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.