Comments on: PRT144 – Getting Into Project Life

By: Noell

Noell — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:04:00 +0000

Thanks for the interest in donating, Jenny? It’s the Paperclipping Membership that supports the show. If you’re interested in donating, maybe you would consider a membership instead, and you’d be getting something back. :)

By: Jenny Cavanaugh-Bond

Jenny Cavanaugh-Bond — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:25:00 +0000

Yep, playing catch up. So impressed with this episode, while PL isn’t for me, this episode has certainly made me see the benefits. My Sister in Law is due to give birth in the next few days (fingers crossed!) and I know she would love this to record baby’s first year. Thanks! P.S – It’s a shame you guys don’t have a ‘donate’ button on the site.

By: Johanna

Johanna — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 21:45:00 +0000

I just listened to this episode and something Izzy said really made me sad. Sad because it’s so true!

He said that not recording memories is like not taking notes in class because you are sure you will remember it later, and you don’t.

I am the mother of 3 young children, 3 yo twin boys and a 2 yo girl. I love scrapbooking and documenting my life but I don’t really have time for it. I have tried blogging and keeping a journal but I just get stressed and forget.

Many things that happens in my children’s life are not recorded and I already feel that I am forgetting a lot of them.

In 2012 I tried PL, only made two weeks but I love those pages!! The little things that happened that week saved for me to show my kids when they get older. I hope I can make more PL-weeks because I know it’s a treasure.

By: Noell

Noell — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 04:33:00 +0000

ROFL! When I first read your comment I couldn’t figure out why you would feel the need to start by telling me you’re a schmo! LOL, that is so FUNNY! Thank you for your membership!! And thank you for all the kind words. Plus for the chuckles as well — the ones you intended and the ones you didn’t intend! :)

By: Kathleen Loughran

Kathleen Loughran — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 02:16:00 +0000

And apparently in my speed typing i typed schmo. I’m a NON-schmo!

By: Kathleen Loughran

Kathleen Loughran — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:15:00 +0000

Hi guys! First I want to mention I am a schmo and secondly a regular commenter however no one is ever in my car to hear it. So in reality this is my first time POSTING a comment.

Okay so I love all your shows. I love the banter. I love the quips Izzy throws in. I love the guests. I love the inspiration I get after I’ve listened.

This show has been no exception. I recently broke my foot keeping me home from work. The extra “time” both in my home and with my children has allowed me to finally dive in to project life. I previously put too many expectations on myself about how some of the designers set aside a block of time to do project life. That would never be realistic for me. I work a schedule of rotating days and have a 1 and 3 year old. So listening to this show’s guests talk about the different way they get in PL and the with the purchase of the Canon Selphy after Izzy’s pick of the week I am realizing that this is doable for me. If I do one spread coving this month or one spread covering a week or even a spread covering one day as long as I am capturing the moments, the everyday, my family wins. I do not have to be consistent in my framework – again my lifestyle makes that too big of a challenge to guarantee I can overcome it. So in short something documented is better than nothing.

I also want to throw out there I appreciate the new platform you are using. It makes it easier on the listening end to not have the guests talk over each other unknowingly with less frequency.
Thanks guys!

By: Annette

Annette — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:05:00 +0000

hey guys! just wanted to share a listener pick–an iPhone app called Collect (search Collect photo app). http://collectphotoapp.com It’s basically a photo a day calendar app but you can add more than one photo a day, more than one album, search by keyword, tell longer stories, etc. I export the card and save it to my camera roll, then on my computer I crop to 3×4 and print. Here’s a link to my blog so you can kind of see the little cards it makes: http://annetteharing.blogspot.com/2013/02/project-life-january-2013.html

And it’s free! They have another app that a blog reader suggested called Memory Jar focusing on photos/stories for our kids. Totally cool stuff! It’s fun to finally be sort of keeping up this year! Do what works, right?!

keep up the great work! love the show!

By: cheriwy

cheriwy — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:23:00 +0000

I’m very intrigued with the image of Izzy doing PL with his old childhood photos. I can guarantee that my childhood photos are older than his and am wondering what to do about the different size photos since the older ones are not 4 x 6. Do you rescan and reprint the photos to 4 x 6 format or mat the smaller ones so they fit in the page protectors? Also, can you give any suggestions to someone new to PL who wants to use the concept on a lifetime of photos on what configuration of page protectors is most useful? thanks!

By: Noell

Noell — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 02:31:00 +0000

I love hearing this! Thank you!

By: Jenn

Jenn — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 11:45:00 +0000

I just wanted to say thank you, this podcast helped me to find my way back to scrapbooking. For over a year I have been struggling to get back into the craft I love but not sure how to do it because I work full time now, am so much busier and something had changed about the way I thought of scrapbooking. When I listened to this podcast I had a huge aha moment and I realized I was tired of trying to keep up with the latest and greatest and was feeling overwhelmed by the room full of supplies I already own. My solution has been to go through and purge out most of it, a lot of my embellishments have never even been opened. I boxed it all up and in a couple of months I will sell it or give it away. I bought various pocket page protectors and I am going to go back to basics with my supplies, scrapping in a project life style while doing a full page layout when I choose. Thank you project life for giving me the freedom to enjoy scrapbooking again and thank you paperclipping for airing this podcast, keep up the great work.

By: Noell

Noell — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:42:00 +0000

Hi, Anne. Hopefully I can help >> Becky is always very clear and on messages about what Project Life is, and it’s how the internet scrapbooking community focuses on it that makes it confusing. Becky explained so well in this video from CHA: http://www.paperclipping.com/becky-higgins-shows-new-project-life-products-at-cha-2013/
Project Life is her product that provides an easy way to scrapbook: you can slip in your 4×6 photos and the pre-decorated cards, then add your journaling and you’re done. That’s all it is. There are enough cards and spots to do a photo + journaling card every day for a year if you want.
And from what Becky told me at CHA before we shot the video, that is actually what the majority of Project Lifers do. What we see scrapbookers making online is just what the majority in our online scrapbooking community does with it. But that’s not actually what the overall general majority of PL users are doing. So that’s where the message can get confusing or blurry.
When Becky first launched her initial product through CK, it was called “Project 365,” it was intended to be a daily photograph and journaling product. Then when she went on her own she changed it to “Project Life” to remove the idea that it has to be done daily or monthly. There used to be date and day stickers, and she removed those as well. But many of us online scrapbook junkies first learned of it as a daily/weekly project, so with most of the online community, it has stuck that way.

By: Anne

Anne — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:03:00 +0000

I am so confused about what Project Life is after this episode. Ot is not a photo a day, it is not everyday scrapbooking, it is not using the kit Becky sells (since many people do PL without the kit), it is not just slipping photos into pockets (because that is not what the majority of people do). So what IS it? I think most people mean scrapping everyday photos on a fairly regular schedule – daly, weekly, monthly. But I do not think that is what Becky means. She says it can be anything, even Noell going pack and slipping her Phillipines photos into pockets. But if it is anything, when are you doing PL and when not???? Anne

By: Loni

Loni — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:37:00 +0000

I’ve been a Project Life-er since just the beginning of 2013, but the way I talk about it my friends think I’ve been doing it for a long time. “How long have you been doing Project Life, Loni?” “Two weeks. I’m an expert! :oP” (True story, LOL.)
What I loved hearing from the panel was start now, don’t wait for any special date. I waited months for 2013 to start and I’m trying so hard not to be sad about those extra months I missed. I wish I would have started when I was really wanting to several months ago -but let’s not cry over spilled milk.

I knew PL would solve some problems for me and I’m so happy in just these few weeks that I’ve done it, that they have been solved.

1. I am catching those hilarious things my kids say and do. You know we think we’ll remember but of course we do forget.

2. Memorabilia. ugh, a thorn in my side, this part of scrapping – if I don’t use it in that week’s PL I get to toss it, yay!!

3. Rogue photos – those cute photos – or maybe blurry ones – that have a story but they just don’t feel like they need a 12×12 embellished page.

Also, I love that my day-to-day story is getting told. That’s a goal of mine this year, to really work on the story in my LOs and albums, but one more thing:

I am scrapping just as many traditional LOs as I did this time last year. I thought I wouldn’t have time for PL, I didn’t think it was my style but I am loving it. I love it for all those reasons I’ve already given. It isn’t taking up any more time than a traditional 12×24 LO would probably take me. I have 4 kids under 8 and I am expecting my 5th. For those on the fence about PL, If I can do it, you can do it! And you can start today if you want!

By: michelanne26

michelanne26 — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:32:00 +0000

I love the roundtable discussions! I love listening on my daily commute in the crazy crowded London Underground!
Not to sound too mushy but I feel like I have discovered some new friends and I’m sure fellow commuters look at me funny as I grin to myself listening to you!
I have to say the show has been really positive for me- I feel inspired and it’s helped me get my mojo back!
Like many other scrapbookers I am hard on myself when I fall behind and can get overwhelmed by all the tasks I set myself … It’s been really freeing listening to how other people do things and I think I finally let go a bit after last week when Becky Higgins said she was six months behind on her project life and it was ok and she had a plan. Hey, if Becky Higgins is behind and is ok about it, what’s my problem?! Relax! And so I did and I’ve done 4 pages of project life since then!
So thanks for the inspiration and happiness you send thru my iPhone – I’m more grateful than you know!

By: Ruth Bonser

Ruth Bonser — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:15:00 +0000

I still have a big pile of mags from years ago in a box in the garage. I never look at them but seem to be having trouble throwing them away. Ridiculous really, if Im not looking at them, what am I keeping them for?

I use Google Reader and subscribe to a wide variety of blogs, and this has 100% replaced magazines for me (and I think many others – there is SO much out there now). I liked having something physical to look through on the couch too, but the ipad is a somewhat similar kind of thing, and now I have tailored content that is everything I am interested in.

I have mentioned this before in a previous episode comment, but I find that looking at a variety of designers challenges me to think about my layouts and what I might do differently, to think outside the box. Adding a few mixed media crafters, a few clean and simple, some hybrid and some who love layering, keeps my mind more open to ideas for what I might do with supplies. I believe that it helps me to keep learning and growing and evolving my own style, which keeps me happy and interested.

By: Ruth Bonser

Ruth Bonser — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:15:00 +0000

What I meant was that when I do a regular layout, the fullfillment, joy and satisfaction I get from it is almost complete by simply creating it. With the project life pages, I feel a lot of their value to me is in the sharing part of scrapbooking them. I guess to me they have a slightly different purpose and a different way of giving value back. If I finish a regular layout and never show anyone, I will still feel that it has been of great value to me, because the creative journey of making it was so worthwhile. I wouldnt think that with project life, it is reasonably enjoyable to create them, but it is the sharing part that gives me the most joy, Am I being a bit clearer?

By: gee zee

gee zee — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:26:00 +0000

Yay Izzy, congrats on coming over to the dark side. I have a 4×6 printer as well and it has been invaluable for my last 3yrs of Project Life. Having the camera handy, Printing immediately goes hand in hand with having my album laying out Prominently for the success of my project. Also having it out invites visitors to flip through it and some even contribute to mine. I am so glad to hear the Project Life love. I also send my pics from my phone by bluetooth to my printer and I use Android.

By: Iska

Iska — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 02:09:00 +0000

I love paper too. I have to admit to still getting a few mags. I pull out pageideas I like and put them in sheet protectors in a binder. Then I pull it out when I get stuck and it is like my own idea/sketch book. Helps to get me started. Then the leftover magazine goes in the kid’s supply bucket for them to cut up or whatever. Hope that helps.

By: Natalie (QSOgirl)

Natalie (QSOgirl) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:23:00 +0000

Just wanted to leave my two cents “promoting” a photo-a-day approach to Project Life, since it made the project so much easier for me…

I did a Project-366-style album for 2012 as a baby book for my daughter. For my personality, it was so much less stressful as a new mom to take a photo each day (who are we kidding, I took tons of photos each day! haha, who can resist a baby?… so okay, *choose* a photo each day…) and write a little something on a card to go along with the photo (or not, sometimes it was just a little something about what she was up to that day). Sometimes it took me a few days to get to the cards, but it was so easy
to know that all I had to do was one thing for each day. The
week-at-a-glance approach actually was way more intimidating/stressful
to me (even though the examples I’ve seen online are fabulous), because I didn’t have an easy way to sit down and take an hour (or more) all at once to try to summarize the week. I could, however, steal minutes here and there to move a photo into a “to-print” folder and/or write on a card. At the end of the year, I have an album full of everyday moments and photos to make the best baby book I could have imagined. It’s not as embellished as maybe I would like it to be, but like Noell said in the show, I can (and am) going back to add some little things here and there.

By: Noell

Noell — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:48:00 +0000

Katie — that is a wonderful idea. It seems like a very manageable and non-overwhelming way to record stories of a loved one who has passed away. I’m sorry to hear about your father. Thank you for sharing your idea with us.
As for sending us mail — We prefer that Roundtable mail be left as a comment like this. It’s much easier for me to choose, round it up, and keep track of it this way. In addition, we never know which mail I’ll choose to read, so this way, everyone can still benefit from seeing everyone’s thoughts, whether I read it or not.
That said, if you ever need to send me something private, the email is noell@paperclipping.com. :)
Welcome to Paperclipping and the Roundtable!