Why I scrap the way I do...
Thursday, August 31, 2006 | posted by Tenika
It was the day when my mom and me were in my studio and we were talking about my scrapbooking and she made the comment "look at how many albums you have and he's only TWO!" [He's now four] But what she said really made sense to me. I don't want my layouts to be a burden to my children. I don't want them to lose that specialness of my legacy for them because there's so many damn layouts you know? So since then I decide to put more than one photo on almost every layout I do. I don't feel they are any less to do, I get through more photos and less to store. Win Win.Unfortunately, this is the minority. And because of that, I really find it hard to find ideas when the galleries all have one photo layout. So heck with the sifting. That's what this place is for. Hopefully other scrappers will lend their permission to post their layouts here and we can have a place just for us to share :)
ETA: My mantras since I am deleting my other blog so here's it's new home!
My Scrapbook Mantras: [2peas Meme Challenge #11]
I'm really in sort of a low-key creative place right now. I am being really wise with my time and not bothering with trying to make publishable layouts right now. I've kind of been there done that and I've stepped away for a bit. Here are some of my mantras right now:
1. MAKE LESS LAYOUTS. Husband made the realization that i already have 16 filled to the brim albums and my kids are only 3 1/2 and 1. When my kids are all grown up I don't want the albums to be so many in number that they lose their special value. So lately I've decided to make less layouts- NO one photo layouts unless they are 8x12. Use more photos per layout..only use the best photos..try for no more than 2 layouts of the same event's pictures.
2. To go hand in hand with #1, TAKE LESS PHOTOS. I've decided that since i don't want millions of layouts that i try to take less photos. I've kept picture taking to times that really need to be documented at home instead of me making up times like photo shoots. I would get to tempted by when i took 70 shots of something so now i'm trying to keep it to 20 or so....then picking just the best ones.
3. KEEP LAYOUT TIME TO A MINIMUM. I've decided to be smart with my time. Yeah, i realize that "a certain technique" would make the layout alot cooler but if it's too time consuming i give it a pass. I remember the CK article that talked about how much time you spent on a layout. "5 hours" from Allison Strine made my jaw drop. When family look at my albums each page gets about 5 seconds of viewing time before it is onto the next. 5 hours to 5 seconds? Not the best use of time in my opinion. I try to keep it to an hour. And family don't seem to take special notice if i've spent an hour doing a special technique or not so i've turned lazy and given it up for now unless I REALLY want to do the technique for fun sake.
4. JOURNAL TO YOURSELF. I find that journaling to myself on my pages [instead of directly to my children] helps keep my words from getting sappy. I can also add "me" more into it including humor, etc. when i write the re-cap to myself.
5. MIXING PATTERNED PAPER. I think i'm in the minority here but i feel there really ARE patterned papers that SHOULDN'T be put together. Sometimes i think the idea out there is to put the most clashing colors/prints together but i say just say NO!
6. STAY TRUE TO WHAT YOU LIKE. Not what others in the industry dictate. Someday every single thing that is the "new hot thing" will be uncool so you know what? Funk dat, go with what you like. Almost everyone hates cutesy stickers but i love them and you know what, they go on almost every layout because they make me happy. So there. LOL.
7. IGNORE LAME SAYINGS LIKE STICKER SNEEZE. Um, whatever. Who put rules on art? You put that darn sticker where you want girlfriend!
8. NEW DOESN'T MEAN COOL. Some of my favorite embellishments/papers are years old. The new stuff seems so uninspired. Again, i think i'm in the minority on this. I honestly don't even shop anymore because it's just basically re-hash at a higher price.
9. NO MORE IDEA BOOKS. Till i go through and absorb all the ideas out of the ones that i already have.
10. AND YOU KNOW I HAD TO ADD IT, taken from a ScrapWear Designs by Tenika tee itself- my number 10 mantra. A Creative Mess is preferable to idle neatness.WORD.
My first layout to share:
