As some of you might know, I have found 1000s of photos and hundreds of blank layouts as we unpack and settle into our home. I’m trying to pair the photos with the layouts in an effort to get them into albums that everyone can enjoy.
These photos (all 3 of them) are from my husband’s high school senior trip. He really likes the layout.
Happy Crafting!
It’s been a long time since I’ve done any real amount of scrapbooking. I did 2 double-page layouts in the spring from photos that were in my edit photo folder. (I wanted to print some photos of the new house in the “before” state.)
When we were going through items in totes, boxes, and closets in preparation for a cross country move, we found LOTS of photos, memorabilia, and old albums with photos on adhesive pages. I knew I had a large 18-gallon tote of finished albums and more Artbins of pages in various levels of completion.
You can also see the boxes of memorabilia that were uncovered. As we were able to gather all the albums, pages, photos and memorabilia into one area, it was shocking the size of the stacks.
This summer as we lived in a construction zone and had lots of time on our hands, but few projects we could do. That meant I could do lots of research, aka watch YouTube videos and try to develop a system that would work for me.
I found a CM consultant on youTube (craftsomejoy.com) that has a whole photo organizational system. I also found references to Stacy Julian’s Library of Memories system. I like the non chronological Library of Memories format, but Lauren’s method of organization seemed to work with how I scrap. So I started with making some photo folders (40) and dug out some boxes of photos.
Some of the photos I had tagged with dates & information, most were just random photos. I started with some of the easy ones, photos from Christmas, our youngest’s baby shower, high school events. These all got their own photo folder and then placed behind a category or theme divider. I kept a list of the themes I was using and before I got too far into the photo sorting, I adjusted some of them. Vacations became “trips” as I could then include some day outings. Some of the Trips became themes to themselves as we had so many photos of different times we visited some places.
After the first batch of photo sorting, I had already used all 40 photo folders and had stacks of more photos ready to go in one. So, made another batch of 40 folders and began to sort again.
I also found several CDs & negatives that will be digitized in the future. For now they are gathered into one box and will be kept safe.
This is the results of my first efforts. As I was sorting photos I made a to-do list of information I need to look up for different photo folders or known photos that I want to print to add to events. I am currently keeping this list with the box of photo folders.
I also made a list of “themes” that already have folders and I keep this in front of me as I sort. It has helped to look over the list of themes when I needed to decide where some of the photos belonged.
This is just the start of this journey. I plan to sort the finished pages I have into similar themes and create albums based on these designations.
Happy Crafting!
We will not have trick-or-treating or any of our traditional Halloween evening activities. Instead, I will plan a fun ghoulish supper followed by an evening of board games.
Leading up to the 31st, we should be able to partake of some of the normal fall activities. Pumpkin carving, picking out candy for the candy bowl and, if we are lucky and the home improvement projects are finished, putting up a few decorations around the house.
I used the Cricut to fussy cut the images from the Got Candy (CC8204) stamp set, the title and created the pumpkin for some shaped journaling strips. The background in the green and white is also from the Cricut image set Artbooking along with the photo mats.
In anticipation of our Halloween celebration in 2020, I created this “A COVID Halloween” layout using some of the Got Candy collection. I took my inspiration from this sketch.
I’m looking forward to starting another layout and I only wish I had my photos, but soon enough I will be dreaming of more time at my craft table and less time unpacking boxing and trying to find homes for all of our things.
Happy Crafting!
Through the end of October, or while supplies last, CTMH is offering a collection of Halloween papers & embellishments called Got Candy.
It’s easy to see this paper for some Halloween cards or layouts, but it easily lends itself to other jolly occasions. I have some photos when friends visited and we went to California Adventure that I think will look great on this paper!
I love the stamp set that goes with this kit. It makes me happy and reminds me of happy days.
Happy Crafting!
