Project Lifers - Any tips for a new comer?

[sczos911]

I'm gearing up to do Project Life in 2013. I have my templates that I believe I am going to use, but what do I do about a kit? Did you keep to one kit? Or a variety of kits? Or a color scheme?

What is your plan for 2013? What tips would you give a new comer? Can you like me up to your Project Life layouts, please?

[NeverendingJen]

I'm a hybrid girl, so the tips I can give you that apply are:
- Have a set time every week to work on the previous week. my weeks run sunday-saturday, so every sunday I sit down and compile my layout for the previous week.
-Don't be afraid to add an extra insert for the week- or two or three- if you have more stories to tell than easily fits in your template.
-Repetitive items can be a lot of fun- I used a screenshot from my phone of the weather for the week and loved having that consistency.
-Don't be afraid to use filler cards and spots if you are using traditional style PL templates.
-Have fun. there are no rules to project life, no wrong way to do it.

I'm using the Seafoam core kit for my PL for 2013 and once again using mostly Design A page protectors. This year I'm using quotes and mixing in a few other things as well in my weekly spreads.

[KateD]

I also did my PL for 2012 in a hybrid format using mostly the Design A page protectors. I used the Cherry core kit and I found that I'm really tired of it by now. I love the way it looks in the album, but I'm tired of having the same choice of cards after working with them for the whole year. I'm also using the Seafoam core kit this year and I think I like the design better so I'm hoping I don't tire of it.

I'd say for consistency that if you're using the same basic template, or template set, that you'd be okay switching up kits weekly or monthly. I really like that look, too, and it would keep the boredom factor from setting in.

[NeverendingJen]

Originally Posted by KateD

I also did my PL for 2012 in a hybrid format using mostly the Design A page protectors. I used the Cherry core kit and I found that I'm really tired of it by now. I love the way it looks in the album, but I'm tired of having the same choice of cards after working with them for the whole year. I'm also using the Seafoam core kit this year and I think I like the design better so I'm hoping I don't tire of it.

I'd say for consistency that if you're using the same basic template, or template set, that you'd be okay switching up kits weekly or monthly. I really like that look, too, and it would keep the boredom factor from setting in.

I'm going to add in some stuff from my own stash that coordinates with it to keep from getting bored. I also was getting bored after 6 months of using the cobalt kit.

[sczos911]

I'm afraid I'll tire of a kit soon and then be stuck and not finish. I was actually thinking of picking a color scheme or grabbing kits that all coordinate. I'm going through my stash and grabbing note cards that are neutral to use. Also grabbing date bits that I can coordinate.

Hmmmm about switching it up for a month at a time.

I'm doing this solely digital and then print it in an 8x8 book. Are your books 12x12?

I have to scrounge some galleries. I've been googling Project Life and everyone is hybrid or has the pockets and folders of stuff. I'd like to see a few digital to pin,too.

[KateD]

These are a few of the 2012 PL Creative Team girls who did it digitally:
http://jessicasprague.squarespace.co...y/project-life
http://lindsayteague.blogspot.com/se...Project%20Life
http://sherimaehorton.blogspot.com/s...%20Life%202012

Monica (DailyDwelling) has a lot of digital PL inspiration on her blog:
http://dailydwelling.com/project-life-2012

I'd also try scrapstacks, in the PL category. There's probably a lot of digital inspiration there.

There's also a Project Life community at Big Picture Classes that has a gallery. There's probably some good inspiration there.

ETA: This is Becky's 2013 Creative Team. There are probably some digi gals on this team, too. http://beckyhiggins.com/products/creative-team.php

[NeverendingJen]

Marla also does it digitally-her pages are awesome.

I do the 12x12 paper because I tried to do it digitally in the first half of the eyar and got exactly two pages done before I quit because I couldn't make what I wanted to happen work. The hybrid really makes me happy.

[heathergw]

I just can't do an entire year in the same color scheme... I did something different for every 2 week spread... sometimes I used a collection of coordinating stuff, sometimes I used random stuff, sometimes I used only one kit and sometimes it was just as simple as a journaling card and a bunch of pictures lol

I'm actually thinking of doing hybrid this year

[Kjersti]

I really want to give it a shot this year!!

[KateD]

Originally Posted by heathergw

I'm actually thinking of doing hybrid this year

I would love to see this!! Your pages are always so inspiring

[heathergw]

Steph, mine are digital... You can see my album on FB and Pinterest... and I've been adding them to ScrapStacks whenever I have some time I changed templates every 4 weeks and every weekly two page spread is a different kit or color scheme

[heathergw]

Oh, and I plan on printing them 8x8 photobooks

[aly321]

I am going to attempt again. I am really behind on 2012, but determined to finish. For 2012 I did digital with the slip in/ page protector style templates. I think in 2013 I want a bit more variety, so I will use a template and print to slip into 12x12 protectors and be able to add some other sizes to the binder as well.

I am planning on picking a kit or 2 for each week. I don't think I can stick with ONE. I will have things that pull all of the book together, like the same date cards, monthly calendars, and certain things that I will put every week... thinking of faves or weather or some things like that.

[ripal]

Originally Posted by Kjersti

I really want to give it a shot this year!!

I'm looking forward to see your pages!!!

[theyrmysun]

In Dec. 2011 I started a project life monthly using paper and the pocket page protectors. I did 2 months and got frustrated. Mostly due to the the way you have to do one page, the same layout is on the back of that page protector. So if I had all landscape pockets for the front side, I would have to do landcape on the backside too. The frustrating part would be that that backside pictures I had would sometimes be all portrait but the pockets were landscape. Does this make any sense?

So for 2013 I am going back to digital, using any template, or no template. Using any color or kit, project life stuff or not. I'm going to focus more on pictures and journaling, keeping things very simple. Not a lot of embellishments. Also I am not going to stick with just 12X12. I love when I see an album that has mixed it up with a 6X12 or and 8X10, 5X7 page protector, etc.

I'm not going to have any set time frames, like daily, weekly, monthly. It is just going to be chronological. Some layouts may be the last 3 weeks or maybe just 1 day.
I just know for myself I can't have "rules" or deadlines or I will dread doing it. I'm going to keep better journaling by using evernote on my phone, tablet or computer to jot down what has been going on throughout the day, week or whatever. And I am going to start taking more everyday type pictures, not just celebrations etc. So that is my plan. You will find as you go along what works best for you. But I think the whole thing behind project life is just doing it and enjoying what you are doing, all while preserving your memories. Good luck!

[webseitler]

Originally Posted by heathergw

I just can't do an entire year in the same color scheme... I did something different for every 2 week spread... sometimes I used a collection of coordinating stuff, sometimes I used random stuff, sometimes I used only one kit and sometimes it was just as simple as a journaling card and a bunch of pictures lol

I'm actually thinking of doing hybrid this year

Ooo, Heather! That's exciting to hear! I look forward to seeing that...

I've done paper all year and I plan to continue with paper. I am changing to Design F for 2013, though. (Just ordered them today!!!) That's because I love doing a 4x6 title card for the week (and F has one) and 3x4 spots are my favorite to fill. I think it will me more flexible for me than Design A & D has been. Sometimes I have blank 4x6 spots and that's been a challenge. Also, Design F is going to simplify my whole book because of it's uniformity--which I'm guessing is going to save me hours from what I'm doing now. I'm at the 2nd week of September right now and I'm going to finish! I've been working on it all month long and got here from the end of May, so I see the light at the end of the tunnel. But 2012's style is not sustainable for me next year. So, I'm tweaking it!

My best advice from this year:

- Keep up with a journal. I have written down something for every day this year. That alone is a keepsake! But it's also invaluable when you enviably get behind. Posting on FB has been helpful to me, too--for those weeks when I didn't journal, I use FB & Instagram notes to help trigger my memory.
- Envision your Album First. It will help you sustain what you're doing if you know what style you like first! Journal-heavy? Photo-heavy? I was just on Pinterest a few hours ago, looking at inspiration before I placed my order for page protectors, to make sure I was indeed going with what I felt that I wanted. I saw something I loved and it matched Design F, so I feel encouraged that I'll do great next year from that alone!
- Be Flexible. Seeing as you plan to start with digi, keep in mind that if you get 5 weeks into this and start to get the hang of it... and then decide you don't like something, you can easily go back into your .PSD files and change things up! See, about 5 weeks in, I thought "Gee, this is rather decorative, Nicole. Can you keep this up?!" And the answer was NO! And I wouldn't let myself change anything mid-album. So enjoy that freedom of choice that you'll have with digi!
- It Does NOT Have to be Perfect! In fact, it won't be. So have fun and remember that it's about recording life, not having the most awesomest spread for Week 18. LOL!

HTH!

[Tracyfish]

In 2009 I tried to stay with the same kit and got bored about 3 months into it. Then I just found other kits with the same color scheme and still got bored. In 2010 I went with a kit that matched the week's events.
2010
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=37a6311a65

In 2011 - I basically did the same thing.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...1&l=c7de5328ef

In 2012 I did the actually page protectors, but stayed with the one kit a week idea.

Good Luck Steph!!

[heathergw]

Oh Nicole, thanks for the reminder, I was thinking I'd do Design A, but I really love the 3x4 size, except for the journaling and title card

[julifish]

I think the only downside to digital is that when I was doing the paper version I could tuck in little notes we leave each other, my kids' handwriting, receipts, parts of boxes/wrappers from our favorite products, etc. Now you could always scan those things and include them - but I know I wouldn't do that.

I am considering going digital because the printing, cutting, and planning drove me nuts when I was doing the paper version. I didn't buy the Core kit though. I was trying to make digital inserts, printing, cutting putting them in. I struggled every week with what kits to use to match what we did/what we wore. OMG...never realized what an overthinker I can be! I hated running to the store to pick up the pictures, etc. I hope going digital makes it easier and hey- if I only do 1- 12 x 12 a week, it's better than the nothing I have right now!

There is so much more cute stuff this year already - I think it's much easier to keep it interesting with digital.

[NeverendingJen]

I think I love the paper version for the ability to tuck eveyrthing in like you said Juli, and because it gives me an excuse to play with paper. I just ordered custom Flair with my OLW for 2013 to match what I am doing!

[KateD]

I think I'll be happier with the core kit I'm using for 2013. I didn't love the Cherry core kit when I started with it, but I needed to go with something easy and that was the only available kit at the time. And the trade-off was well worth it; it was so easy for my to complete my layout at the end of the week - many weeks it only took me 30-60 minutes to do the whole layout including writing out the journaling cards.

One change I'm going to make for 2013 is that I'm going to print the journaling on the cards instead of writing the journaling. I'm so used to making digi layouts that I find it much easier to type the journaling out on the computer than write it out.

I am going to try going backwards this year and do a 2011 album using digi supplies. I did week 1 and I think it should be relatively easy to keep up with. I'm planning to use the same kit for a month at a time - so I'll use a few different kits over the course of the year.

One thing that I did with my photos to avoid having to run out to pick up prints weekly - and because I just love the quality of my prints from Persnickety - is to print out draft photos on regular paper to stick in the photo sleeves and order the prints online every couple of months. Yes, it's an extra step, but I get the quality photos that I want and I was able to keep up with making weekly layouts.

[marlathrall]

Originally Posted by NeverendingJen

Marla also does it digitally-her pages are awesome.

I do the 12x12 paper because I tried to do it digitally in the first half of the eyar and got exactly two pages done before I quit because I couldn't make what I wanted to happen work. The hybrid really makes me happy.

I love you, Jenn.

I really like Project Life digitally. I kept caught up until Thanksgiving when the holidays got insane. I will hopefully finishes up in early January so I can print my 12x12 album. Intake notes and pictures everyday so it's pretty easy to figure what was going on each day.

I switch kits each week, but am considering some kind of uniform insert for next year. I highly recommend the project!

Plus all the designers need to keep making journaling cards. (I think I've said this three times recently. Lol.)

[NeverendingJen]

Originally Posted by KateD

I think I'll be happier with the core kit I'm using for 2013. I didn't love the Cherry core kit when I started with it, but I needed to go with something easy and that was the only available kit at the time. And the trade-off was well worth it; it was so easy for my to complete my layout at the end of the week - many weeks it only took me 30-60 minutes to do the whole layout including writing out the journaling cards.

One change I'm going to make for 2013 is that I'm going to print the journaling on the cards instead of writing the journaling. I'm so used to making digi layouts that I find it much easier to type the journaling out on the computer than write it out.

I am going to try going backwards this year and do a 2011 album using digi supplies. I did week 1 and I think it should be relatively easy to keep up with. I'm planning to use the same kit for a month at a time - so I'll use a few different kits over the course of the year.

One thing that I did with my photos to avoid having to run out to pick up prints weekly - and because I just love the quality of my prints from Persnickety - is to print out draft photos on regular paper to stick in the photo sleeves and order the prints online every couple of months. Yes, it's an extra step, but I get the quality photos that I want and I was able to keep up with making weekly layouts.

I'm doing this with printing photos this year. SO not happy with local sources.

[JulieB146]

I've posted some of my PL pages up in the PL sub-gallery here-or you can take a look through my gallery to find them. I lasted up until Week 20, I think. It was a combination of my motivation getting switched over to a couple of CT teams, bad time management, and frankly, getting overwhelmed with the choices available for digital! Hard to believe I'm saying that, but yup. I got overwhelmed.

I think what I'm going to do this year is a combination of digital and real paper. I have a huge (for me) paper stash left over from a few years ago that I can cut down into card sizes so easily! I would LOVE to use some of that stuff up. And I can use envelopes to put papers (like my daughter's straight A report card) into! I also love the idea of varying sizes of prints within the album; 8.5x11, 6x8, 5x7, square formats...sounds like I might get overwhelmed again!

[KateD]

Originally Posted by JulieB146

I think what I'm going to do this year is a combination of digital and real paper. I have a huge (for me) paper stash left over from a few years ago that I can cut down into card sizes so easily! I would LOVE to use some of that stuff up. And I can use envelopes to put papers (like my daughter's straight A report card) into! I also love the idea of varying sizes of prints within the album; 8.5x11, 6x8, 5x7, square formats...sounds like I might get overwhelmed again!

I got rid of my entire stash of paper scrapping supplies this year, otherwise I might do something similar.

I would recommend picking one size, and even one style of page protector for your main pages, and then varying up the inserts in between the pages based on what you have to put in. That way your album will have a common base, but will also have some variety.

[NeverendingJen]

Originally Posted by KateD

I would recommend picking one size, and even one style of page protector for your main pages, and then varying up the inserts in between the pages based on what you have to put in. That way your album will have a common base, but will also have some variety.

Yes. this. I use Design A inserts for my weekly spreads and everything else as inserts

[mrphotolife]

I did my project life all digital. I don't have anything in any gallery though but I used all different digi supplies throughout. There was no theme but what was relevant to the photos or week. For 2013 I want to use 1 kit for each week that way I get to use alllllll the digital stuff I have. No color scheme, i'll just use a kit that's relevant to the photos or season, etc. I did stick with one background for the whole year, the same one Jessica Sprague used.

I can't do hybrid or paper because I don't want to wait for photos. For memorabilia and things I would take pictures of them or scan them and put it in the layout.

[Traci Reed]

I'm using the apps I posted on my blog today to keep track o mine:

[Traci Reed]

Tracy's Scrap Like a Sugarbabe tutorial is all about Project Life

[mummytothree]

I'm trying my hand at Project life and I guess I'm doing it hybrid!! I'm kind of unconventional though and I'm doing my 8.5 x11!!! This is the album I got and this is my main page protector I'm using (they are 1 6x4 slot, 2 4x6 slots and a 2.75x4.75 slot):



I also picked up some baseball card page protector (nine 2.50x3.75 slots) and I think I'll mainly use those for photos....with five kids I can end up with tons of photos...especially during the summer and I think those will work great for tons of photos.

And since I'm doing a different size none of the premade journaling cards will work so I'm making them out of digi supplies and then have them printed!!! I'm excited to start and I hope that I'm keeping it simple enough that I would putter out half way through the year!!!

[joelsgirl]

Originally Posted by Traci Reed

I'm using the apps I posted on my blog today to keep track o mine:

Traci, have you been doing PL this year? I'd love to see your pages if you have been.

[Ginger_79]

I've not been doing it for very long yet. I started in October, but love it so far. My tips are:
Jot down little notes about the weeks. I have post-its on my desk with just three or four reminders what I could include.
Pick the templates that you really, really like!
Don't try to make a new masterpiece every single time. There are a ton of GREAT pre-done fillers and note cards. Use them. As didi-scrappers we tend to suffer from the idea, that because we CAN do a lot stuff ourself we MUST do it ourselves all the time.
I found it very handy to switch between a double and a single page per week when necessary. Depending on the photos/cards and the amount of motivation I had.
Don't set up too many rules. I go with whatever suits me that week and I'm not too concerned about getting everything documented. And if I watch a new series and have no place one week and no photos the next one? Then it goes into that second week.

My examples are on my blog: http://bitofginger.wordpress.com/

ETA: As for the kits/products. I did buy the Seafoam digital kit, but I'm using things from all over the place. I own a collection of cards, but also majke thing from my normal digi stash. And an extra tip: 5x7 mini album templates can be resized to fit a 3x4 card spot relatively well and 6x4 templates work great with the big slots obviously.

[Ginger_79]

And I forgot: Shadow styles are such a time-saver!!! I have one for the bright cards/photos, one for dark ones on which you wouldn't see the lighter style very well and one or two for thicker objects. That's it. I adapt a few times, when I add something, but I'm using those styles 95% of the time. Makes the shadowing super quick.

[nun69]

Originally Posted by aly321

I am going to attempt again. I am really behind on 2012, but determined to finish. For 2012 I did digital with the slip in/ page protector style templates.

this is exactly what I am doing (cause I am only half way through 2012 and still working on it)....

I used a different kit every week (I did 2 page LO's)

this year I am going to make all of my pictures B&W (I think) and just going to put them on white or black pages and only like 2-3 elements....I want to keep it very very simple this year so I can keep up

[mummytothree]

Originally Posted by nun69

this is exactly what I am doing (cause I am only half way through 2012 and still working on it)....

I used a different kit every week (I did 2 page LO's)

this year I am going to make all of my pictures B&W (I think) and just going to put them on white or black pages and only like 2-3 elements....I want to keep it very very simple this year so I can keep up

This is what had me resisting PL (and others like it) for so long!!! I'm such a piler!!! I want every single element in a kit on my page and i knew there was no way for me to do that with an "everyday" project!! When I was keeping up with my Month In Review pages it was taking me HOURS (4 or 5) to get a two page spread done and I was coming to loathe doing those pages and of course I'm now 9 months behind!!

So when I decided to stop my MIR and attempt PL I knew I couldn't do it digital...I had to do it and just do it with photos and journaling cards!!!

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by mummytothree

When I was keeping up with my Month In Review pages it was taking me HOURS (4 or 5) to get a two page spread done and I was coming to loathe doing those pages and of course I'm now 9 months behind!!

So when I decided to stop my MIR and attempt PL I knew I couldn't do it digital...I had to do it and just do it with photos and journaling cards!!!

This is what I'm thinking, too. I love digi, but I can't do it quickly or simply. I don't want every PL page to take 2 nights like my usual digi pages or I'll never get past January.

I'm going to try PL, but my thinking is that I want to use it to record photos and memories that aren't "worth" their own scrapbook page but that I still want to record. My To Scrap folders from the last few years are so overwhelmingly big; maybe this year I'll be able to scrap a lot of those photos as PL pages and only put the photos and stories that mean the most to me in my To Scrap folder. So I'm sticking to paper and a Becky Higgins core kit in the hopes that with so few choices, I'll really be able to do my pages in under an hour and save most of my scrapping time for my non-PL digital pages. Thanks for the tips, everyone!

[DawnMarch]

One thing that I did with my photos to avoid having to run out to pick up prints weekly - and because I just love the quality of my prints from Persnickety - is to print out draft photos on regular paper to stick in the photo sleeves and order the prints online every couple of months. Yes, it's an extra step, but I get the quality photos that I want and I was able to keep up with making weekly layouts.

I think this is a great idea. It takes me forever to lay out the pages and figure out what I want to print and I think this would help a lot!

[DawnMarch]

Tracy's Scrap Like a Sugarbabe tutorial is all about Project Life

I love this approach too! A great way to use digital elements and still be able to use lots of paper items too.