One common question by scrapbookers is "how do you find the time to scrapbook?". The answer to this question is that you don't find the time, you make the time. Your photos aren't going to create layouts themselves -- MAKE the time to scrapbook them.
Realize that your house does not have to be perfectly clean, dinners do not have to be elaborate, and you are allowed to say "no" to favors asked of you.
Quit looking at scrapbooking just as a mere hobby. Scrapbooking is preserving your family heritage and memories -- if you don't complete albums of your family history, the information will be lost for future generations.
If you can keep your supplies out, then do it. Many scrappers find it easier to work on a layout a little bit here and a little bit there. With your supplies out, you can keep coming back to your layout when you have 5 minutes to spare throughout the day.
Take a class. This works especially well if you have found yourself not scrapbooking much lately. I believe that if an instructor does her job well, she will motivate you and get you excited about working on your albums.
Find a scrapbook buddy. Just like in weight-loss, if you have a buddy to keep you accountable along the way, you are more like to succeed. Plan scrapbook dates and where you both plan to work on your albums.
Put scrapbooking into your daily routine. Just like you take a shower everyday or pick up the kids from school, make scrapbooking part of your everyday routine. Figure out what time of day works best for you and make a commitment to yourself to scrapbook at that time no matter what.
Join or start a scrapbook club. Find out if you have a scrapbook group in your area and if you don't, start one. What does a scrapbook group do? I coordinate a group that gets together to scrapbook once a month on the 3rd Friday of the month. We take turns holding our scrapbook get togethers at the homes of our members.
If you are a daily "to-do" list maker, jot down something scrapbook related everyday, the same way you list your chores or other important activities that you don't want to forget.
Take baby steps. Sure, I want you to give you ideas to scrapbook more, but that doesn't mean you have to complete an entire album this weekend! Take it one day at a time. On Monday, you may just pick out the photos for your next layout. On Tuesday, you may pick the paper and other elements. You may only get one layout a week done this way, but believe me, one layout a week is a great accomplishment for many scrappers!
Give yourself mini challenges. I'm not talking about "a page a day" type challenges (although those aren't bad), but how about going to your scrapbook store, purchasing an item and using that item the very same day? Or, how about a challenge to create a one photo layout? Or a challenge to use a product you have had in your scrapbook supplies stash for over a year?
Get competitive. There are loads of scrapbook contests to be found. The best place to look is online at some of your favorite scrapbook sites (or enter "layout contest" in a search engine). Many sites have a monthly contest -- find out what they are looking for and create a winning layout. You can't win if you don't enter and if you do win I will be the first to say "congratulations!".
Join a crop at your local scrapbook store. Nowadays, scrapbook stores are popping up everywhere. Find out if your store has crops and if so, reserve your spot for the next one. Scrapbook store crops usually allow you to use many of their tools such as punches, diecuts, and templates and you get several hours of uninterrupted scrapbook time.
Make it a family affair. If you have children, teach them to scrapbook! Set one time per week that you will work on your scrapbooks. Since I don't scrapbook every single photo I take, I give my extras to my daughter to loves to create her own layouts. If your child loves to join in this special time, they will be sure to remind you when it is time to scrap!
Get recognized! Some scrappers have a hard time scrapbooking because they don't feel that anyone appreciates their work. While their albums will definitely be appreciated in the years to come, sometimes it helps to get a little recognition right now. With the use of your computer, a scanner or digital camera, and internet access, you can upload your layout to a number of free scrapbook galleries. Members of the gallery can then view your work and comment. If you ever feel your work isn't good enough, this is a big moral booster! My favorite gallery to upload to is http://www.pagesoftheheart.net
If you are computer savvy, why not try your hand at digital scrapbooking? Many traditional paper scrappers are finding that producing layouts on their computer, with the help of computer programs such as PaintShop Pro, makes scrapbooking a breeze. I have met scrappers who had a hard time getting layouts done, until they began digital scrapbooking.
Go easy on the accents. As scrappers, we have endless new products and techniques available to us. While using more than one accent on a page is perfectly acceptable, why not make things easier on yourself by limiting yourself to just one accent per page. For example, mat your photos and add a simple tag with a favorite quote. Less accents give you less to think about -- less to think about equals quicker pages.
Have you heard about scrapbook sketches? If you are a fan of Becky Higgins or Creating Keepsakes, you surely have! By using sketches to create your layouts, you can save so much time and energy. The hard work -- such as where to place your photos and your journaling -- is done for you when you follow a sketch. Consider purchasing the book "My Creative Companion" or the newest book by Becky Higgins called "Creative Sketches for Scrapbooking". Also, each month in Creating Keepsake magazine, a sketch is featured. But sketches aren't just offered by the big names in scrapbooking -- nowadays you can find them every where on the web. Sites such as Pages of the Heart (http://www.pagesoftheheart.net) offer a different sketch each month, for free.
Just because you took a full roll (or two, or three) of Christmas, doesn't mean that you have to scrapbook every single photo. Pick out your favorites and scrapbook them. If you learn to stop scrapping all of your photos, you will find that you can create layouts in much less time.
My last tip is the one that has helped me the most. A while back, I used to spend hours and hours on a layout because I wanted my layout to be published in a magazine so I wanted it to be perfect. While I still submit my layouts, I have learned to NOT scrapbook for the magazines, but to scrapbook for myself and for my family. After a layout is finished, I decide if I should submit it or not, but I never set out creating a layout for the magazine. Reversing my thinking has allowed me to complete my layouts in much less time -- and the wonderful part? My layouts are still turning out great!
About the Author:
Brandie is a wife and homeschooling mom to three children,
who also works fulltime scrapbooking. She works at her
local scrapbook store teaching classes and works from home
creating scrapbook page kits. To view and purchase Brandie’s
scrapbook page kits, visit Elemental at:
http://www.pagesoftheheart.com/elemental
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This site was last updated on December 31 1969 17:00:00.
