Catch up on my scrapbooking

I haven’t made progress on my big scrapbook project, but I started something new. I am heading out on a two week car vacation tomorrow and, as is my tradition, I have a small (7” x 7”) spiral notebook to bring with me to record the highlights of the trip.

I always use a spiral notebook because I can glue stuff into it without breaking the binding. I bring glue and scissors with me and stick in postcards, business cards, pictures from brochures, etc. as I go along. And I can rip out the pages I don’t use, so it is a little scrapbook/journal devoted only to the trip.

I do this whenever we take a long vacation. This one I particularly like because I took the time to decorate the front cover.

There are som many things I want to get done by the end of this year that I am putting my scrapbooking on hold until at least January. I will check back then.

I finished Volume 2 of what I call my “Single Days” scrapbooks—they cover the years 1996 through 1998. This volume actually ends in April 1999, when I started dating my now-husband.
What a sense of accomplishment! To finally have finished this one is a big deal for me, since it took me a long time. My sister and I lived together during these years, so I am going to scan the pages and burn a cd for her, since she is not a scrapbooker. I learned from some scrapbooking website that you can scan big 12×12 pages in parts and use the scanner’s “stitch” feature to make one image. Cool!

I long ago gave up on the idea of being absulutely up to date on my scrapbooking. My goal is to be no more than 2 – 3 years behind at any given time (right now I am only up to 1999, so I have a ways to go). Keep that in mind when I share an idea that keeps me feeling in control of my scraprbook project:

I got myself two oversized accordian files from an office supply store—the kind that are about the size of a briefcase, have 12 separate pocket files inside, and have a flap and clasp to close them. When I gather stuff that I want to put in the scapbook (I don’t put all my photos in, just “scraps” like ticket stubs, party invitations, etc., with a few extra photos—I stick most of my photos in regular albums), I stick it in the pockets in chronological order. Sort of a FIFO system.

I am very loose about it—the pockets don’t go strictly by month or anything. When one pocket gets full, I start another one. Sometimes a big vacation or event will get its own pocket. I don’t label the pockets. Hanging files in a filing cabinet would also work.

Then when I have time to work on my scrapbook, I reach in the first pocket and know where to start. And I don’t feel like I have little stashes of stuff scattered around needing to be put in a scrapbook immediately.

Good luck!

I have made huge progress in the past month or so. (I finished one of my other goals, which was to go through all my old magazines, so now I have time for other goals, liek this one—it has really made a difference.) I organized all the “scraps” that need to go into the books; I went through all my supplies and sent some extra stuff that I know I would never use to a little kid I know so she can have fun with it; and I made a half a dozen pages. I am now caught up through 1998, which may not seem like progress, but it is a huge step forward for me!

I just visited my favorite scapbook store (Art House in Portland) and was equally inspired and overwhelmed. I am going to dedicate 2 hours on Friday to getting my scrapbooking area cleaned up and organized so I can get back to making pages.