New Thoughts on Scrapbooking With Close To My Heart

I've been thinking....always scary I know.  :o)  Recently, one of the hottest styles in scrapbooking has been "Project Life" by Becky Higgins or the Project 365 or the Smash/Creative Chaos Albums.  The premise is to get "your story told" quickly and effortlessly using your pictures and the aid of journaling prompts.  It is a great idea as so many times I've heard people tell me that they just don't have time scrapbook.

No matter how great the idea is, I always felt that it compromised the creative process.  I agree that we need to get our pictures and our stories preserved.  I, like so many of you, have literally thousands of pictures sitting on discs, in files and in boxes.  But, this new style always reminded me of nothing more that photo albums I did many many years ago.

So, this is what started me to think.  What can we do that facilitates our getting our pictures onto paper while not giving up our art???  I came up with "Scrap Express."  With "Scrap Express" you use all the tools available for the quick methods of scrapbooking and combine them with all of those wonderful embellishments, toys, papers, stamps, stickers and punches.  This is what I mean...

 

 

What I have used are the CTMH Memory Protector Photo Storage Pages (Z1234 and 4113.)  These are both vertical and horizontal 4 x 6 inch photo pockets.  I selected my theme, photos and coordinating paper (Clementine used here.)  Thinking about the page in 6 quadrants, I placed my photos and cut coordinating 4 x 6 paper to place into the remaining pockets.  I used one of the papered pockets to title the page, one to  "tell my store" or journal and another to decorate.  I left a couple empty to add interest and not overload the eye.  Thinking about a 12 x 12 page in small segments dramatically cut done on the time it took to make the page.  The smaller 4 x 6 inch segments still give the freedom to be creative without taking a great deal of time.  I liken it to making a card.  I stamped, I used the CTMH Color Ready Accents (Z1844), I embellished...all in a fraction of the time that a normal 2 page layout would take to complete.

 

So what do you think?  A easier quicker way to complete a 2 page layout without giving up your artwork!  I have another layout I am working on, but alas, I have to head off to work.  Check back as I show you more "Scrap Express" projects.  I might even put together some "Project Parts" kits.  For Now, Happy Crafting!