Feeling Overwhelmed

[scrpprgirl]

I have been fiddling around with digital for a while now. I get the basics on how to do things in PSE but I'm really struggling with getting anything done. I have some kits that I have purchased and I have quite a few blog trains that I've downloaded but when it comes to finding something when I want to scrap I get so overwhelmed. I feel like I spend more time looking through my stash than actually creating anything. The fact that I haven't scrapped in years before adventuring into digital isn't helping me either. I feel like I've lost my mojo. What are some of the processes that you all follow? Any help would be appreciated I've been getting so frustrated.

[LJSDesigns]

I used to get caught up in my stash too and one way I learned to avoid that trap is to be a kit scrapper. I would pick a kit I had, find photos to match and scrap with that kit only. Not only did it keep me from getting lost in my stash, it made me step out of my comfort zone and try new elements and papers that may not have been my first choice. Most kits, especially those here at SSD, have more than enough in them to create a great page.

Another thing that helped me scrap more and be less frustrated when I first started was keeping my layouts relatively simple. I found a good minimalist scrapper I liked and lifted some of her layouts.

Finally, templates are a scrappers best friend. They make it easy to get a well composed layout done quickly.

Hope that helps.

[SeattleSheri]

I agree with Lorie. If you stick to just one kit, it's far more manageable. Every once in a while I'll pull something from a separate pack or kit (ex. stitches, brushes, etc), but generally speaking I stick to one kit. I admire people that pull from lots of places, but I don't have the desire to do it much myself.

[adi&co.]

Definitely browse the gallery and see if there's a layout you like and "lift" it! None of us will care! I've made some great pages by lifting a few of the amazing ladies in the gallery!

I also agree about the one kit per page! I rarely deviate from that, unless I have something very specific I'm going for.

Often if I'm stuck, I'll browse pinterest scrapbooking maps too and just see if something sparks my creativity. Good luck!

[Neverland Scraps]

When I first started this journey, I found that using one product always helped me stay focused, rather than searching for complimenting elements/papers. Even now, I really enjoy scrapping with one kit because I don't like getting overwhelmed and with my ever-growing stash, it's easy to get overwhelmed.

So how I do know what photos to scrap? I'm a backwards scrapper, I scrap my kit first and find photos, but I also have an idea of what photos I'm going to scrap. Take for example, Always There {bundle} by Blagovesta Gosheva & WendyP Designs I knew I was going to scrap a photo of my best friend and myself. I just didn't know if I could find the photo. I decided on one photo, so I looked for a one photo template and scrapped the layout without the photo in place. Once scrapped, it took me a good ten minutes to find a photo of my best friend and I together, but I found one!!

When I'm stuck with my mojo to scrap, I find myself in the gallery. Right now I'm determined to learn from Krista and scrap pocket pages with more ease. I struggle with this scrapping style and I'm learning through looking/commenting on layouts like hers.

I'm sorry you are feeling overwhelmed. Start small and work your way in to more challenging things. It'll come to you and when you look back, you'll be amazed at how much you've grown and learned throughout your journey! I believe in you and know you can do it and create beautiful layouts! <3

[Saar]

I agree with all the things the other ladies have said. Stick with one kit. When I first started I could spend hours and hours searching for the one kit that matched my photos 100%. I pulled from different kits. It took me hours to create a layout. So I don't do that anymore.

I can't wait to see your pages.
Feel free to ask questions when you get stuck. I'm sure there will be someone here who can help you out.

[kc33558]

Oh my gosh, you are so not alone!! I have TONS of stash. I love stash. More stash then I will ever scrap probably. And I go thru these phase of yeah, I got three days off and I am going to scrap like crazy and do! And then its like a month and it's on hold again until my next Yeah moment comes along. I used to think I was sad because I was not scrapping every day. You don't have to scrap everyday. Maybe it is just one day a week, maybe one weekend a month. Schedule it. That is where I was getting overwhelmed.

My other advise is utilize challenges to help you. I use the bingo card. Again, I don't let myself get caught up in did I finish a card this month or can I at least get to one line. Sometimes the bingo challenge requirements do not fit all my needs and the card is just not hot for a month. There is so many other challenges going on somewhere that it helps keep me going when I am ready to sit down.

I also have to ask if your photo system is organized. That helps me stay on track because I can slip from one topic to another easily when I get bored and want a change. (Yellowstone took me year and 1/2 to finish) but I got a hundred other pages done because I got bored thru it.)

My last help is use a kit 3 times before you let it close in PSE. This helps me feel good about using stash when I purchase it. I try to get at least 3 layouts done before I close a kit. Sometimes I can use a kit all week when it is really good. Sometimes the right kit causes the Yeah moment to last longer than a weekend!!

Good luck my friend! I think we all go thru this.

[jaye]

I too am a one kit scrapper. The collections or bundles that a lot of the SSD designers offer are a real help with having those extra bits without looking elsewhere for painty bits, scatters etc.

I also tend to organize my stash by store then designer so if I do want something extra I tend to look at another kit by the same designer as it will be in the same folder.

When mojo is present I can scrap 3-4 pages, when it isn't I often give up or just play around in PS and try something new. Browsing the gallery is also a great spot for ideas and templates a great jumping off point, remember you can change the template around.

[Sheana]

I'm not a kit scrapper. I usually pick one or two kits to start with but pull in stuff from other kits. I understand how it can be overwhelming for others, but I find that limiting myself to one kit stifles my mojo. If I ever finish the page, it isn't one that I LOVE.

I don't usually start with a photo in mind. I pick at least my base kit(s) and start my page before I go looking for photos.

When I feel stuck, I go through the gallery and look for inspiration. I struggle with full page lifts - because I am constantly comparing my page to the one I'm lifting. I may find 5 pages I love - one that I like the papers, one I like the overall layout/placement, one I like the colors, etc. and use that to inspire me.

[nesser1981]

I'm a kit scrapper. Everyone had some great suggestions. I'd add, maybe find an organizing software that you like or a method to cut down on your searching time.

I personally feel like having all of my stuff tagged and organized makes it much easier to focus. I can look at my "to scrap" tags and then check out my "not used kits" or designer, whatever and it helps me get started.

I did this post a couple years ago on how I organize, it might give you an idea of where to start if that's something you think would help you.

https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/i...be-sunday-712/

[LeeAndra]

The only other suggestion I have that the other ladies haven't posted is creating a Favorites folder on your hard drive.

I have one that has all my most favorite bits -- gesso, stitching, white papers, neutral alphas, etc.

I am primarily a kit scrapper but sometimes the kit is missing a little something to finish it off. Having a Favorites folder means I can go right in there, pull something out, and finish the page without having to poke around my EHD.

[tanyiadeskins]

Im another kit scrapper. I can not handle mixing and matching and I almost exclusively use templates because I can see the layout of things, see that I like the placement and then make it my own with a kit, shadows, placement, adding and removing layers, etc. It is a jumping off point for me. It also is faster. I also get overwhelmed with figuring out which photos to scrap so now I almost only scrap for the bingo challenges lol It has helped me a lot actually.

[Kim Mauch]

I do better with less to choose from. So, for 2018 I have a folder of all the kits I've purchase this year (about 10 ish), and a handful of templates. I am scrapping exclusively from this folder for now. I have used the same kits several times and will continue to do so. I get a really good feeling when I use the same kit and templates a few times. Its nice to know I can use the same materials to make entirely different finished products.

It actually helps my creativity to not work with a giant selection of kits and templates at one time.

I also second what all the others said about being a kit scrapper. That helps me quite a bit. Digging around my hard drive is too overwhelming.

I was a shopper much more than a scrapbooker for many years. I collected like crazy but didn't scrap much. Tons of the kits I have purchased have long since been deleted from my hard drive. But the layouts I have made over the years are still there, and still very special to me. I try to focus on that.

[craftytam]

Wow!! So much amazing advice!!
It's so easy to get stuck in a kit "collecting" mode and not really use the stuff you buy. Okay, maybe that's just me
A things I do that help me:

1) I used to NOT be a kit scrapper and just pull pieces, but found that I was taking FOREVER to find everything I wanted. Now I am almost exclusively use one kit.

2) Have my photos organized and all in one place. It's so much easier when I know what needs to be scrapped.

3) Use templates! For me, this helps me get my photos on LOs. Is it the most creative outlet? Not always. But, my kids will be happier having their life in scrapbooks. If you need that creative time, take a break from templates and build your own LOs.

4) ...last one! I finally created folders of "themes" with preview copies in the folder. That way when I'm creating a Christmas (or birthday, etc) LO, I can look at the previews in my Christmas folder and find a kit easily.

I hope this helps! Believe me, you're not alone in getting overwhelmed. But, I think being organized and having a plan helps so much!
Good luck!!

[GraceLee]

If you’re just starting out, I would really suggest starting your organization now. You’re going to spend so longer doing it a few more months down the road. One way you can do this is to create a folder and put all the kits’ previews in it. That way you can quickly see what you have at a glance. There are programs out there that will allow you to tag your kits, but to start out you can just use a really good folder structure.

[adi&co.]

Did we overwhelm you with suggestions?? haha! We're glad you're here and can't wait to see your pages

[Hpgirl]

It might be worth starting out with a smaller project in mind, like Family Vacations 2017 or Summer 2016 or any other limited time frame. Looking at a limited photo set will restrict the number of kits that will work with your photos, so that may help with the stash overwhelm. It's also really satisfying to get a little project done.
This is something that would bother me, so if it doesn't apply to you, disregard: I'm really glad that all of my "learning" pages are all in the same photobook (a particular vacation). It took me at least a year to develop my own style and get the hang of Photoshop (shadows are still something I don't care to put much time into). My particular brand of perfectionism would be annoyed if I had too many scrapping styles bound together, so taking on a smaller project to get the hang of things was a good way for me to get started and figure out what I liked and didn't like.

[rach3975]

Welcome to SSD! I agree with what other people have said about using just one kit as the basis of your page. But it sounds like maybe you're getting hung up earlier than that, deciding what to scrap and what kit to use?

Every time I take photos off my camera and phone, I choose my favorites and copy them to my To Be Scrapped folder. Given that you're just starting to get organized now, you might instead pick a few major events or memories from the past year and copy those photos in.

When I'm ready to start a page I choose photo(s) from that folder first, then a template that works for them. Then I pick a kit. I find that a lot less overwhelming that looking at all my pretty kits and trying to decide where to start.

Choose something that makes you happy--is it a trip you took? A great Halloween photo? A baby's first birthday? A sunset? And then scrap with blinders on--try to focus only on what you need to use to get that one page scrapped with no distractions. If there's something you need that isn't in the kit you're using, try using your computer's search function. Rather than looking through 15 kits for a frame, I type in "frame" and see what shows up in my digital kit folder.

Good luck!

[Leablahblah]

Maybe categorize your stash. This is how I keep things organized. I put all my scrapbooking kits in themed folder: Christmas, Life, Love, Kids, Motherhood...
And I usually only scrap with one kit at a time.

[Sherri Tierney]

I've found that sometimes I just have to dive right in. Do 'eenie meenie miny mo' and blindly select either a set of pictures or a kit to work with and go from there. The more thought I put into it the more I struggle with getting started. Once I get started my mind races with ideas of layouts I want to do and how I want to use various kits

I am primarily a kit scrapper as well. I am more motivated to scrap when I take some of the pressure off of myself and trying to piece together separate things feels like work to me.

Like Lea, I put my kits in themed folders and that helps as well. I also label my templates with a number before the file name denoting how many photo slots that template has. This way if I am stuck but know I have 5 pictures I want to use, I can pull up my templates with 5 slots and see if one catches my eye.

[scrpprgirl]

Oh my goodness thank you all so much for your helpful advice!! I am soaking up every bit of it! I did see a couple people say they use their kit more than once. I'm glad you shared that with me because I wasn't really sure if anybody really did that. You do get so much in the kits though that you don't have to use the same papers and elements on each one. I am an over thinker and make things harder than they should be. More thought equals more frustration. So I'm going to check out the gallery and perhaps a template and see what happens. I'm also going to check out the Bingo because maybe I just need someone to tell me what to do LoL, kind of like a template. Thank you Thank you everybody!

[nesser1981]

I always use every kit twice, because my pages that face in a book have to match, LOL!

Originally Posted by scrpprgirl

Oh my goodness thank you all so much for your helpful advice!! I am soaking up every bit of it! I did see a couple people say they use their kit more than once. I'm glad you shared that with me because I wasn't really sure if anybody really did that. You do get so much in the kits though that you don't have to use the same papers and elements on each one. I am an over thinker and make things harder than they should be. More thought equals more frustration. So I'm going to check out the gallery and perhaps a template and see what happens. I'm also going to check out the Bingo because maybe I just need someone to tell me what to do LoL, kind of like a template. Thank you Thank you everybody!

[LJSDesigns]

Originally Posted by scrpprgirl

I am an over thinker and make things harder than they should be. More thought equals more frustration.

This is me to a T. I can find myself being trapped in a never ending cycle of thought and not get a thing done. I questioned the placement of everything on my page, changing it over and over again but templates helped with that a lot.

I also love the advice from LeeAndra about having a favorites folder to grab things from. Especially paint and stitching, which I love.

[icindi]

I recently created a previews folder for my kits, which allows me to look through all the kits I have quickly. Otherwise I forget all that I have! Then I choose one and go!

[scrpprgirl]

Originally Posted by Hpgirl

It might be worth starting out with a smaller project in mind, like Family Vacations 2017 or Summer 2016 or any other limited time frame. Looking at a limited photo set will restrict the number of kits that will work with your photos, so that may help with the stash overwhelm. It's also really satisfying to get a little project done.

I think this idea has helped me! I just became an aunt and my new nephew has given me the jolt of creative inspiration I needed right now. I can't believe it but I've made 2 pages in 2 days! I have been struggling but these pages I just did felt easy to do. I hope it keeps up because it feels good to scrap again. Thank you!

[adi&co.]

Originally Posted by scrpprgirl

I think this idea has helped me! I just became an aunt and my new nephew has given me the jolt of creative inspiration I needed right now. I can't believe it but I've made 2 pages in 2 days! I have been struggling but these pages I just did felt easy to do. I hope it keeps up because it feels good to scrap again. Thank you!

yay! That's exciting

[oscaralley]

I also use one kit when I do my hybrid projects. It keeps me from getting overwhelmed.