New Album direction...

[aussiegirl]

I asked each of my girls, and they would rather I just started printing albums of all the layouts I have done. I would print them in chronological order in the album, but they could eventually have layouts/years split up between multiple albums.

I think with them getting older, they just want the memories any way they can get them!

So I spent a day going through layouts and copying many into 1 folder for each of the girls. They each have over 1000 layouts!!!! That will be about 10 books for each girl if I do Shutterfly's flat rate sale! I think I know what they will be getting for Birthdays, Christmas, Easter for the next few years! And that's not even all of their layouts (I just searched with each of their names and just started copying over what I found). This is going to be a BIG project, but I think they will LOVE it! Now to organize their layouts more by years, and continue to find ones that belong to each of them! They agreed they want me to start with their childhood first, since I tend to scrap most recent currently!

I'm excited, yet a little overwhelmed!

[knittingbec]

I think you will like having them printed this way! When I have 100 pages done, I print a book. I can work on whatever old or new photos I'm inspired to work on and if kids want to take, say, just one book with them onto their next chapter (or if my mom or aunt or best friend wants to look at a scrapbook but not necessarily sit and look through 10 scrapbooks ), they get a comprehensive, long-range look instead of having to choose one particular age range.

[jacinda]

I print mine chronologically where possible, but my girls don't care if there's the odd older layout in with the new if I've scrapped it after the book was printed. I tend to print at the end of year year, and whatever layouts I've scrapped that year go into it. Usually it'll be current stuff, but if I've scrapped a childhood photo or an older memory, I just include that in the album too.

My girls love, love, love having something concrete to hold and read whenever they want, and they're 17 and 20 now. My youngest is always showing guests and friends her scrapbooks.

[tjscraps]

I print individual pages and put them in post-bound albums ... each album is by year, and within there it is willy nilly, not chronological - as I don't scrap in order it would not work for me to put them in bound books.

[aussiegirl]

Thank you for the words of encouragement! It's good to know others do it this way too! I worried it would take forever to finish and print actual year albums, so this gives me peace that albums will start getting printed and enjoyed!

I still plan on printing albums of our trips by themselves, but layouts of the girls from trips can go in their own folders!

Now, we just need some flat rate sales!!!!

[jaye]

I am so bad at printing my pages. I don't scrap chronologically, I have tried and it never gets finished. I do much better if I have a specific 'theme' ie. summer shadowbox, Christmas (only finished two, lol).

I keep saying I am going to print my pages and put them in a book\album for me to look back on.

[mmbstaley]

That's great. I love that your girls have asked specifically for that as something they wanted.

Throwing this into the conversation as something new I'm trying for myself.
I recently pulled all of my printed pages out of the top-loading albums I had because I had run out of pages and couldn't find ones that fit the older albums I had in the closet. That system just wasn't really working for me anymore with all of the pages I had just had printed and needed to find a way to put them in their places according to date - since I like things to be chronological when I look through them even if I don't necessarily scrap that way. (I tend to remember things in my head in reference to other things around the same time frame, so them being chronological is something pretty important to me).

I print 8x8 pages, so I found some nice gift boxes with magnetic closures on Amazon to put them in just in stacks. I've got dividers (colored cardstock that sticks up a bit) between the years now and could add more if there were certain events I wanted to be able to find quicker. It will also be really easy to rearrange and divide things out as I go along now. A really quick and easy way to organize them. The boxes actually fit better on my living room shelf where I've been keeping them too.

I will reuse the albums and all of the pages I have accumulated over the years probably for travel or other larger events like the twins' weddings when I get around to working on those at some point. I know I will miss the feel of an album some, but I've still got many years worth of scrapbook pages I have never printed and I want them in a printed format so family other than me can actually look at them. I can print them a little at a time now and just put them in their appropriate boxes/time frames as I go along, so I'm finding the thought of it a lot less intimidating than before.

[StacyLynn]

I think I am starting to love the idea of scrapbooks being done out of order. I usually just scrap randomly, but have printed the pages and put them in page protectors chronologically... nut those 12x12 albims are heavy so no one takes them out!!!
I think I'm gonna do a few books willy-nilly and see how they like them!

[aussiegirl]

Originally Posted by mmbstaley

That's great. I love that your girls have asked specifically for that as something they wanted.

Throwing this into the conversation as something new I'm trying for myself.
I recently pulled all of my printed pages out of the top-loading albums I had because I had run out of pages and couldn't find ones that fit the older albums I had in the closet. That system just wasn't really working for me anymore with all of the pages I had just had printed and needed to find a way to put them in their places according to date - since I like things to be chronological when I look through them even if I don't necessarily scrap that way. (I tend to remember things in my head in reference to other things around the same time frame, so them being chronological is something pretty important to me).

I print 8x8 pages, so I found some nice gift boxes with magnetic closures on Amazon to put them in just in stacks. I've got dividers (colored cardstock that sticks up a bit) between the years now and could add more if there were certain events I wanted to be able to find quicker. It will also be really easy to rearrange and divide things out as I go along now. A really quick and easy way to organize them. The boxes actually fit better on my living room shelf where I've been keeping them too.

I will reuse the albums and all of the pages I have accumulated over the years probably for travel or other larger events like the twins' weddings when I get around to working on those at some point. I know I will miss the feel of an album some, but I've still got many years worth of scrapbook pages I have never printed and I want them in a printed format so family other than me can actually look at them. I can print them a little at a time now and just put them in their appropriate boxes/time frames as I go along, so I'm finding the thought of it a lot less intimidating than before.

That sounds like a great idea! I'm glad you have found something that works for you! Are you placing the layouts in individual page protectors also, so that they don't get bent, etc while shuffling through them to add more? Good luck! Having a set direction gives new "excitement" to scrapping!

[aussiegirl]

Originally Posted by StacyLynn

I think I am starting to love the idea of scrapbooks being done out of order. I usually just scrap randomly, but have printed the pages and put them in page protectors chronologically... nut those 12x12 albims are heavy so no one takes them out!!!
I think I'm gonna do a few books willy-nilly and see how they like them!

Yes, those 12x12 albums are so cumbersome to lug out and look through! That was how I started paper scrapping, but now when I actually do print it's 8x8 size!

We will figure this out together!!! We will have to update this post when we print albums or something, just to keep each other accountable with how it's going!

[HavaDrPepper]

Originally Posted by aussiegirl

Yes, those 12x12 albums are so cumbersome to lug out and look through! That was how I started paper scrapping, but now when I actually do print it's 8x8 size!

We will figure this out together!!! We will have to update this post when we print albums or something, just to keep each other accountable with how it's going!

I still print 12x12 for me mainly so I can read the journaling when I look at the albums! However, when I print Shutterfly books, I print in the 10x10 size. They are usually gifts for others and not knowing if they would have a shelf that could hold 12x12, I know that the 10x10 will fit on a regular bookshelf. I did print a 10x10 for me of all my layouts documenting the pandemic instead of printing the 12x12 layouts.

8x8 is just too small for me if there is any journaling on the pages.

[nesser1981]

I think you have to find a system that works for you. I've always been primarily a chronological scrapper, but I only print chronologically, so even if I scrap out of order, I just wait until I have a certain time period ready to print.

I just finished getting my youngest son's personal album all caught up to 2024.

I've shared this before, but for each kid I started doing 1 page month (give or take, as they get older it may be 2 or 3 months in one pages), of my favorite photos or just photos if there aren't many in Pocket Page templates, no journaling, nothing like that, minimally scrapped, then if they want the full story, they can come home and look at the family albums. LOL!

Once I'm gone, hopefully they will all gather together to look at them.

I've also started uploading all my pages to Facebook in private albums I only share with immediate family, especially my mom, I see her every few years, so this is a good way for them to view them, and for the kids, not everyone is seeing personal things they don't want to share.

[kristalund]

Originally Posted by jaye

I am so bad at printing my pages. I don't scrap chronologically, I have tried and it never gets finished. I do much better if I have a specific 'theme' ie. summer shadowbox, Christmas (only finished two, lol).

I keep saying I am going to print my pages and put them in a book\album for me to look back on.

same girl!!

[aussiegirl]

Originally Posted by jaye

I am so bad at printing my pages. I don't scrap chronologically, I have tried and it never gets finished. I do much better if I have a specific 'theme' ie. summer shadowbox, Christmas (only finished two, lol).

I keep saying I am going to print my pages and put them in a book\album for me to look back on.

I say do it! Start like me, get some pages together, and just print at least one album! That can be your goal for this year!!!

[aussiegirl]

Originally Posted by HavaDrPepper

I still print 12x12 for me mainly so I can read the journaling when I look at the albums! However, when I print Shutterfly books, I print in the 10x10 size. They are usually gifts for others and not knowing if they would have a shelf that could hold 12x12, I know that the 10x10 will fit on a regular bookshelf. I did print a 10x10 for me of all my layouts documenting the pandemic instead of printing the 12x12 layouts.

8x8 is just too small for me if there is any journaling on the pages.

I agree there are times 8x8 is too small, but price wise, it is what works for me! I keep all my layouts (even ones I do print) so if they need to look at a page to read it better, I can always just pull up that layout and zoom in.

[aussiegirl]

Originally Posted by nesser1981

I think you have to find a system that works for you. I've always been primarily a chronological scrapper, but I only print chronologically, so even if I scrap out of order, I just wait until I have a certain time period ready to print.

I just finished getting my youngest son's personal album all caught up to 2024.

I've shared this before, but for each kid I started doing 1 page month (give or take, as they get older it may be 2 or 3 months in one pages), of my favorite photos or just photos if there aren't many in Pocket Page templates, no journaling, nothing like that, minimally scrapped, then if they want the full story, they can come home and look at the family albums. LOL!

Once I'm gone, hopefully they will all gather together to look at them.

I've also started uploading all my pages to Facebook in private albums I only share with immediate family, especially my mom, I see her every few years, so this is a good way for them to view them, and for the kids, not everyone is seeing personal things they don't want to share.

LOL! I love that they will have to come look at the family albums to read the full story! I just saw a video where the kids came back (as all grown adults) for a sleepover in their parents home. I sent it to all my girls so they will get the idea and do that when they are all out of the house!

I still plan to do albums for trips, etc. But this will help get some of those more random layouts actually printed and able to be seen by the girls!

[mmbstaley]

Originally Posted by aussiegirl

That sounds like a great idea! I'm glad you have found something that works for you! Are you placing the layouts in individual page protectors also, so that they don't get bent, etc while shuffling through them to add more? Good luck! Having a set direction gives new "excitement" to scrapping!

No, I'm not worried about that. Part of the reason for pulling them out of the albums was so I didn't have to worry about finding the page refills/protectors. I will put my money into catching up on the years of printing I need to do still. If the pages are ever looked at enough that they need to be printed again I will call it a win

[mmbstaley]

Originally Posted by aussiegirl

I agree there are times 8x8 is too small, but price wise, it is what works for me! I keep all my layouts (even ones I do print) so if they need to look at a page to read it better, I can always just pull up that layout and zoom in.

I scrap at 12x12 size and print at 8x8. I too have found that all of the 12x12 paper albums from my early paper years are really cumbersome to hold and are so heavy! 8x8 is a little small, but it has worked for me price wise and I like the size much better for shelf space needed and holding. I've got 12x12 versions saved too so if I want to print something at a bigger size later I can do it easily.

[HavaDrPepper]

Originally Posted by aussiegirl

I agree there are times 8x8 is too small, but price wise, it is what works for me! I keep all my layouts (even ones I do print) so if they need to look at a page to read it better, I can always just pull up that layout and zoom in.

And, what if you are not around to pull up the layout to zoom in? Will someone know how to do that? Some people also have issues with reading on screens.

I've always looked at my printing as what is the best way for everyone to enjoy my work because not everyone has perfect vision especially as they age. I want my hard work to be appreciated by everyone who looks at it.

I also understand the price issues as I had the same thing when I first started out. Sales were my best friend and still are! I never buy prints or books at full price.

That's why I've settled on 10x10 Shutterfly books that I give as gifts. Not too small and not too big!

[StacyLynn]

Originally Posted by HavaDrPepper

I still print 12x12 for me mainly so I can read the journaling when I look at the albums! However, when I print Shutterfly books, I print in the 10x10 size. They are usually gifts for others and not knowing if they would have a shelf that could hold 12x12, I know that the 10x10 will fit on a regular bookshelf. I did print a 10x10 for me of all my layouts documenting the pandemic instead of printing the 12x12 layouts.

8x8 is just too small for me if there is any journaling on the pages.

I also like the Shutterfly's 10x10 books, but lately I have been doing mostly Photobook America's 11x11 books ( just did one for my daughters engagement shoot and one for my sister of my niece) They feel big like the 12x12 but just a smidge smaller to fit on more shelves.

[HavaDrPepper]

Originally Posted by StacyLynn

I also like the Shutterfly's 10x10 books, but lately I have been doing mostly Photobook America's 11x11 books ( just did one for my daughters engagement shoot and one for my sister of my niece) They feel big like the 12x12 but just a smidge smaller to fit on more shelves.

That would be a great size as well. I've never heard of Photobook America.

[Memaw2Wm]

I scrap my layouts at 12x12, then print them at 12x12 for me (still using up old 12x12-ish CM albums w/Pioneer top-loaders) and 8x8 for my grandson. I scrap out of order, so the pages are a bit willy nilly, but no one has complained.

[DaniW]

This is amazing! I'm so far behind in doing yearly scrapbooks and desperately want to get back to them. My kids are probably the same - they'd just like to see something even if it's a bit disorganized and not perfect. That is very hard for me though!!!! I get hung up on wanting to scrap chronologically but do occasionally do a current page if I feel inspired. Thanks for the inspiration!

[aussiegirl]

Originally Posted by DaniW

This is amazing! I'm so far behind in doing yearly scrapbooks and desperately want to get back to them. My kids are probably the same - they'd just like to see something even if it's a bit disorganized and not perfect. That is very hard for me though!!!! I get hung up on wanting to scrap chronologically but do occasionally do a current page if I feel inspired. Thanks for the inspiration!

Aww! Yay! I hope you are able to get some albums printed! Right now is a Flat Rate Sale at Shutterfly (but wouldn't you know I'm not ready!) Hopefully some of us can print some albums and get a start on our layouts actually being in an album and visible (to someone outside of our computer friends)

[DaniW]

Originally Posted by aussiegirl

Aww! Yay! I hope you are able to get some albums printed! Right now is a Flat Rate Sale at Shutterfly (but wouldn't you know I'm not ready!) Hopefully some of us can print some albums and get a start on our layouts actually being in an album and visible (to someone outside of our computer friends)

Not quite ready to print a book but I'm nearly done my 2024 calendar!!! The calendar is usually the only way my kids get to see current photos in action - my last full scrapbook was for 2009!