Thank you so much for stopping by The Creativity Cave! I am so excited to have you here and share with you, "How I Project Life"! While Project Life is relatively new (especially to me, and it is a newer line for Stampin Up), I have to admit, it is like the best thing ever! I know it has been around longer than we have carried it, but I am so in love with the fact that we have it!
First off, let me say I am absolutely NOT a scrapbooker! I mention in my video (below) that I am more than happy to share how to scrapbook with others, help them make (or design pages for them), It is just not my thing! But Project Life has opened my eyes up to what it can be to keep my memories in an album to look back on and share with others, eventually passing down as a family heirloom. And all of this without spending countless hours embellishing, cutting, adhering, and so on. The other thing I love about it is that it is totally economical–you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to put together a wonderful album!
To start, you need to pick an album (12×12 or 6×8) and then you'll want page protectors. After that, I add a set of cards (and accessories and coordinating products, if desired). The only other thing I recommend is a Paper Cutter. THAT's IT!!!! I don't generally need any adhesive (there are a few circumstances), I don't need sheets of printed paper or other accessories/embellishments. I love that!
I like to start by organizing my photos. In the video I am highlighting my trip to London. I printed all my photos and then I arranged them in order of my trip. A HUGE help for this is using my phone. We use our phone more and more for a great deal of our photographing, and the best part is that it will document the location of the photos, as well as arrange them in chronological order. This is so helpful in documenting where we are and when! It also helps you remember what all you did on a particular day.
The other thing I like to do is keep various mementos from my trip. I like to pick up these inexpensive booklets on the major places I visit on a trip such as this. They have lots of details in them (that I tend to forget by the time I am putting the album together after my trip). They also have amazing photos in them. In the case of my trip to London, the Westminster Abbey book was so amazing because they won't let you take photos inside the church. This has amazing professional photos to commemorate your visit. You can also purchase post cards (there is one in my photo above) that I can include in my album–this one is from St Paul's Cathedral. Even if I could have taken photos there, I never would have been able to capture the amazing ceiling art like that!
As you can see this book has lots of photos, and explanations of things I never even discovered while I was there. It is great for learning even more about the places you've been! But my favorite is refreshing my memory, down the road! 🙂
Once I've got my photos, the best advice I have is to start with the first several and look at what you've got. Based on the sizes of the things you want to document, you can choose to which page protector works best (as in the arrangement of vertical vs horizontal openings, and so fourth. I then just start adding photos and keep going like that until I have all my photos added. As I go, I can kind of figure out where I need to add cards for decoration (like when I don't have another photo to finish off the page) or when I want to journal.
I prefer to place photos and go back and journal. Just my way. Do whatever feels comfortable to you. I really like the idea of just getting those photos into the protectors so I have them organized in my album. Going back and adding journaling, embellishments and details is so easy at this point!
Here is my opening page! I have photos mixed with journaling cards and it just works! Don't be afraid to trim your photos down to fit in a particular opening. For instance, on the "Vixen" diet coke photo, it started at 4 x 6, but the focus was obviously the bottle. I trimmed off the excess and I love how it is cropped!
In the video, I had a loose photo (I think–I actually shot the video 4 times before I got the verison I was happy with). Anyway, I had this photo (the one in the bottom-left corner) that I didn't have a spot for. I decided that this photo was really important (it explained a lot of the stuff in the other photos) and I switched it out for what was there and added it to a different page. The fact that I can just easily pull out and replace photos is SO wonderful! It makes it so easy and less intimidating when you can go back and fix!
OBVIOUSLY I had to share my photo of THE TERMINATOR!! How cool a story is that?!?! I can say it was truly an unexpected part of my trip that I will never forget! 🙂 The video has the story!
One thing I want to mention (and I have this in the video, too) is the camera I used for my trip. I mentioned that I have a Canon Rebel–that DSLR camera is Big and Bulky and heavy. I hate carrying it when I travel because it SCREAMS nerdy tourist–come take advantage!! However, my new camera (I did buy it after borrowing it from my Father in law) is AWESOME!! It fits in my coat pocket (I wore a raincoat on my trip) or in my SMALL purse. It is much lighter, way less bulky and does not have a neck strap–all good things! Plus the zoom is OUTSTANDING!! It does have several features of my Rebel that are great for taking special photos, but it is just way more convenient! It is a Cannon Power Shot SX700 HS with Wi-Fi. You can download your photos over wifi, which is great! I bought it as a bundle on Amazon with 2 extra batteries (it takes weird ones) and a 32G memory Card and a few other accessories. What a dream! All that was $300.
I also mentioned a Smaller Album I created using Project Life--here is a link to that post (and there is another video)
Of course I had to leave you with the most ridiculous photo!! I am telling you–travel by yourself sometime and you revert back to an immature teenager! 🙂 I had the best time on my trip and I loved all the fun things I was able to do! I LOVE looking back at this book to see all the adventures I had while I was in London and how much fun it was to be somewhere new! I can't imagine how I ever would have completed this album (or even started it) with traditional scrapbooking. Project Life is just so easy and quick and fun! The focus remains on your photos and memories, as it should! In several weeks we are headed to Europe (probably one final time while Andy's Mom lives there) and I CANNOT wait! The photos are the best and I am certainly hoping to capture at least as many fabulous memories–this time with my family!
I hope you will continue on the hop with my friends from around the world! They have fabulous tips and suggestions to share! You will see lots of fantastic ways to use Project Life! I've just scratched the surface here–I can't wait to see what they have come up with, myself! Thanks again so much for stopping by! If you have loved these projects and can't wait to get some of the things I've used, I would be so grateful if you would purchase them through my online store! Every time you order through The Creativity Cave, my heart soars, and I think of more ways to inspire you through my awesomeness and amazing stamping projects! It means so much to me that you let me into your craft rooms and devices! I love that I can share my passion with you! But don't forget, there are lots of perks for ordering from The Creativity Cave!! I have a fabulous VIP Rewards program that I cannot wait to welcome you into! Lots of great things that go with it. You can read about it here. Don't forget to use April's Hostess Code DJYRXNET. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT–I am so grateful for each of you!! Happy Stamping!
Blog Hop Guest List
Patty Bennett
Allison Okamitsu
Bruno Bertucci
Constanze Wirtz
Dena Plummer Rekow <—– You are here!
Julie Kettlewell
Kimberly Leggett Van Diepen
Krista Frattin
Martha Inchley
Sarah Berry
Product List
Great pages! And I love that Project Life made you put your photos in albums although you don´t like scrapbooking. :o)
Thanks for sharing your tipps!
How Apropos cover David up with Jesus! You are too cute. I’m old can’t you tell (I’m pushing 70). I love love your energy in your video. AND you discussed tips that others don’t talk about or say. Keep up the good work.
hahaha you make me laugh so much! I love your Project Life album! How FUN! which sums you up big time. Love the tips and ideas that you have shared. It really is so much fun and so simple I hope that more give it a try after our hop today. Thanks for your inspiration and taking part Dena such an honour!
Thanks so much, Kylie! You are always so sweet!!
Thanks so much, Kerry! Glad you liked my tip–and my David! 😉
Thanks so much, Constanze!
Fab points! We are off to Europe in May – I am buying post cards for my PL album!!!