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I’m finding Project Life to be the easiest thing ever. Unfortunately, I ran out of time to pick up my photos for last week’s spread, so I decided today to share some mid-week photos of my album, plus the process that I’m using that makes it easier than you can imagine!
I tried something new this week.
I’ve mentioned many times that I’m not inspired by lists. They don’t motivate me. I don’t get the typical satisfaction of checking them off. They just don’t help me a whole lot.
But I need to see my tasks in order to remember and prioritize them, just like anybody else.
Monday morning I tried something different. I put each of my work tasks for the week on a post-it note and stuck them to the wall I face when sitting at my desk.
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I’m committing to something.
I’m committing to talk more about what has become one of the most important aspects of memory-keeping for me.
I’m committing to share more about how it fits within my own system of scrapbooking and how it might fit within yours.
One year ago I shared The Most Important Word for You to Learn for the year and How You Really Can Tell All of Your Stories.
If you weren’t around here at that time, I hope you’ll read both of those linked articles. But the gist of it is that you can add your thoughts, journaling, important information to your digital photo files! They become part of the information of the photo and they’ll transfer with your photos, too.
That means that someday when you’re gone and your adult children or grandchildren are shuffling through your most important photos, they’ll have your words, too.
Above is a screen capture of a photo I took in December. To the left in the caption box is my journaling.
The other day I mentioned my curiosity to know whether any of you had started and continued documenting your photos. Here’s what Tammy said:
Just wanted to let you know that I did start adding info into the caption section of my photos (in Picasa). I haven’t kept up with it completely, but love the ones that I did. I also love that when I upload to Facebook, that info automatically becomes the caption there as well. I do still put the info into my Project Life, or traditional pages — what struck me most was when you said that there isn’t any way to know how future family members will view photos, and that the printed photo is not the only copy anymore, so you don’t have to be as worried about what you do with that one print. I figure it is possible that some of the digital files will end up in one place, and the scrapbooks may end up in another, and that is all good. Thanks for the metadata journaling tip! I’m definitely going to do more of that this year. –Tammy Brandt
I’m so happy to hear this!
If you’re curious to know more about the diverse and awesome benefits of adding your words to your photos, plus a simple way to do it, please read these two articles:
This process has transformed my thinking about scrapbooking.
Who wants to join me this year in adding our words to our photo stories?
Please leave a comment with your commitment.
I’ll do random periodic check-in’s with you to keep us remembering and feeling excited, and to help you make it mesh with your scrapbooking!
So who’s in?
Looks like I’m taking the plunge…
I’ll be taking a family photo soon and adding it in. I also think I’ll pull out that top right piece and replace it with something that doesn’t fight for attention.
I’m still formulating in my mind how Project Life will fit into my scrapbooking system between the two main parts that I’m so passionate about:
One thing that’s missing from above is the day-to-day ephemera and thoughts that don’t seem significant enough to bother saving for a scrapbook page. In 2010 I started a scrap journal — like a smash book — where I could write a few thoughts and stick in my stuff. That journal morphed into a place to brainstorm and doodle and generate ideas.
So I’m thinking I’ll start adding the stuff and the small everyday thoughts into Project Life, instead. I’m just not sure how many of my photos I’ll include, and how I’ll determine which ones.
I want to have a defined purpose so I don’t end up duplicating memory-keeping, since I’m so happy with the day-to-day chronology of my digital pictures. And because I have other things I want to spend time on, too. I figure the slant I decide to take for Project Life will manifest in the first couple of weeks.
What I do know is that I’m not adding a photo for each day.
Here are some closeup’s of embellishments I added to my front page.
#5 Banner piece is from Calico Studio’s Die Cut Tags (on clearance!).
These flower brads are years old, and I think these particular Thickers numbers are discontinued too.
I used 2-inch Scalloped Punch to punch out one of the gridded cards from PL, and this heart punch with one of the patterned cards. The wood chip house is made by Studio Calico (also on clearance, and a definite product fave of mine!).
While I was pulling out the embellishments, I found a few others that match the Clementine Project Life kit (minus the green pieces). I’ll be keeping them with my Project Life kit this year.
Studio Calico Chipboard Butterflies
Echo Park letters and banners
Studio Calico Tags
The party pins were from Girls Loft and are no longer available.
So if all goes well, I’ll post my weekly spreads.
Are you doing Project Life this year? What are your plans for it?
I don’t mean to brag, but…
Between the months of April and June, I’ve taken 322 photos so far.
During that time period I selected 98 of those that I wanted to share, print, and/or scrapbook.
I’ve tagged all 98 with keywords. I’ve permanently added my thoughts (journaling) or relevant information into my photos. I’ve edited all that needed a little editing. And I uploaded the 98 photos to Flickr and into my Family Photos April – June 2011 set.
Now my family and friends can see and download any of these photos, along with my journaling from my Flickr account, which serves as a backup in case my regular backup fails.
I spend a small amount of time with my photos every week to do these things. If I die tonight in my sleep, all of the stories that go along with my photos for 2010 and 2011 are already documented and saved for my children — embedded right into the digital photos.
If I don’t die tonight?
I’ll scrapbook the stories I really, really want to scrapbook, and only those stories.
And for the first time since I started this hobby, I feel totally 100% satisfied and at ease with what I have not put to paper.
You can read a detailed description of my system (with screen shots) for organizing, tagging, and documenting the stories of your photos.
I just put my daughter’s dance album and mini-book supplies in this box.
I would brag to you about how organized I am, except I would be exaggerating. I fully admit to what is still on my floor…
I told you I don’t unpack my new scrapbook purchases for months. You probably didn’t believe me, but there it is.
The dance supplies were on the top of that pile for about two weeks.
Why?
My boxes of unfinished (but organized!) projects were all already in use.
I could have bought more boxes. I still have room for a couple more.
But I decided to just finish one of my projects already and keep things moving at a healthier pace.
I pulled out my Week In the Life project from last year. It took me two sittings but I finished it and now I have a new home for these supplies I’m so excited to start using!
More on the dance supplies and the Week In the Life project later!
