PL Advice

J

Jengerbread88

New member
Okay, so I was really gung ho about doing PL this year. In January, that is. I made it a whole...


....uh....

two weeks. :o

Now, it's July, and I see all of these AH-MAZING PL layouts that y'all are still cranking out. And I've completed a few albums this year, which NEVER happens. And I'm thinking maybe I want to get my feet wet with PL.

Do you guys think that starting PL mid-year is okay? Is it something any of you have tried? Should I just wait until January? Should I try to go back through my photos from January until now and do pages for all of the time I've missed if I DO start this year? And if I AM doing PL, this year, in January, whenever, what are the absolute must-haves that you guys have? Like, is there any specific product that you cannot live without when doing PL? Any advice?

I feel like I quit in Jan. because I gave myself too many rules (I brought a PL kit, and was determined to use that kit for the year for a cohesive album, but then it didn't work with my photos or it didn't have enough elements and I had already used that journaling card once so I couldn't use it again and.... blah blah blah). I'm determined to do less rules, more scrapping this time... but I don't know when or where to start.
 
go for it! last year I went to paper for July 1 on. I fell in love and was able to finish it. I've now done over a year in paper and I love it.
 
I don't do PL but I'm big on not having to follow the rules of scrapping. You should do whatever works for YOU.
 
Ooookay, let me make sure I hit all your points. :)
Do you guys think that starting PL mid-year is okay? Is it something any of you have tried?
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I think it's a perfectly acceptable thing to do! I haven't done it before, since this is my first year to make it past two weeks :p but I am quite behind right now.
Should I just wait until January?
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I think if you just wait until next year you'll probably end up feeling more overwhelmed, esp. if you're doing this year and that year at the same time.
Should I try to go back through my photos from January until now and do pages for all of the time I've missed if I DO start this year?
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I would. But don't overwhelm yourself. Just do one week a week if you need to. I try to do one a week - but obviously that doesn't always happen - but some weeks I can get 3-4 weeks done.
And if I AM doing PL, this year, in January, whenever, what are the absolute must-haves that you guys have? Like, is there any specific product that you cannot live without when doing PL? Any advice?
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Start with some of the many great templates we have for it. I rely heavily on Traci's 365Unscripted Pockets and Julie's LifeTIME 1 and LifeTIME 2 templates, but there are quite a few in the store.

Also, I don't use one set kit. No way on earth I could get through it that way. Nuh-uh. Nope. lol :D I use the page style to keep the look cohesive. What I do is I use one kit and one font for each page for a week.
You can look through all of mine here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/76223043@N08/sets/72157633188529456/
 
I don't do it by weeks.. I don't look at life in weeks so what I did was took one page size format - style A.. made a template. Inserted the photos I wanted documented from 2012 and am going in bit by bit to fill in the rest with filler cards/stories i remember/ papers etc.. when I'm happy with how it is I'll print off 6x4 and fit them in the pockets :)
 
http://screencast.com/t/hNgSzB8nzu

here is a screenshot of how i have it setup on my computer.. i have a folder and all my pages in order. i found inserting my photos first into the spaces helped so much more because then I just add in things when i'm inspired/want to sorta thing.

Using only one style (TY NICOLE!!) is also helpful because I don't have to worry about orientation and worrying about what style page i'm on etc.
 
Trish, you're a rockstar. Seriously. I love your pages-- and I feel like it's so much less pressure to not use the same kit for the year. I was worried about whether or not my album would look cohesive if I didn't, and you've proven to me that it'll look perfect whether I'm using one for the year or different ones each week. Thank you thank you thank you!

Kristin, I like the idea of not necessarily splitting it into weeks.

You ladies have given me a lot to think about, and I still have time to start this week before Zach's birthday on Friday. (And maybe from there I'll work backwards when I have spare time and cover the highlights of the year as I work forwards and cover what's happening now, too).

I'll check out those products.
 
Oh, Kristin! I love that. I think I've been doing it backwards. :P I was putting in my week titles and journaling cards, and by the time I got all the "fluff" in, I was upset that I didn't have enough photo spaces. DUH. Obvious solution is to do my photos first and then add the other stuff. :/

I'm a doofus. Lol. This seems so obvious now.
 
there is no right or wrong way to do it just finding the system that works best for YOU :)

It took me so long to figure out what I was doing.. first started traditional.. then went all digital then when I finally saw nicole's and how she stuck to one template it all fell into place for me :)
 
If you are inspired to do PL now, you should do PL now. If you ever feel inspired to PL January - July 2013, you are more than welcome to, but I would recommend starting with now and moving forward. You will never regret having half a year scrapped, but you may very well regret not scrapping any of 2013 PL-style because you're waiting for January, kwim?

I never think of January as the first of the year, anyways; I always think of the year starting in August when the school year does. :p

This has been my first year of PL, and I am caught up to last week (which I am planning on scrapping separately since we went on a mini-vacation). What I did to make the process as easy as possible for me, the Queen of Unfinished Albums, was to commit to using the same template every week, but to allow myself to use whichever kit(s) I want within that template. I also only do one page per week (rather than a double page), so I still feel like I have the room to scrap 'regular' pages at the same time as my PL page. I can always come up with 4 pictures and 3 little stories (I do a calendar card in one of the 3x4 pockets on every week) for the week, and my PL page takes the same amount of time as a regular page does, so I don't feel overwhelmed or stressed to get it done at the same time I'm continuing to do CT work.

I have really enjoyed it, even more than I thought I would, and know that I will continue to do PL next year even as I may try and experiment with hybrid, double spreads, etc. now that I'm comfortable with the process.
 
I'd say, jump in! Even it turned out to be Our July 2013... something is scrapped! ;) And if you were to look at my gallery, you can see I'm still working on 2011 project life... haha :D I get into a groove where I get mojo to work on and I'm in that groove now (mostly I want to free up GB of space on my hard drive - everything is backed up, but I still have Oct-Dec 2011 photos on my desktop)...

For 2013... I'm trying to say caught up, but I'm stalled in March... I think I'm just going to go through and do the photos and journaling and when I get a kit that fits, I'll go back and finish it. I always start the page with the photos, so I know where to place the journaling...

Have fun - I think it's a great way to capture life!
 
Thank y'all so much for giving me inspiration and courage to do it. I'm definitely going to go for it.

You guys are right-- if I just do a few weeks, or a month, it's more that I have scrapped and less that I'm wanting to get into an album "someday eventually." I'm just ready to get some actual photos done-- my son will be 2 on Friday, and I have my pregnancy album, and then 3 printed photos of him that are hanging on the walls, but other than that, I have ZERO pictures of him. I'm already kicking myself that last year, I lost a lot of photos in a hard drive crash (not all of them-- some were backed up, but not all were), and I feel terrible.... like the equivalent of if I had just lit the photos on fire or something.

I want him to have those memories. So I really appreciate the inspiration and the tips to get me going. I'm ready to make this happen.
 
I'm with everyone else- just get started now! If you have time and motivation to work backwards, do that too.

I switch kits each week! I can't imaging sticking to one thing all year!
 
I started mine in December last year. There is no better time to start than NOW. :) I don't stick with one kit either. Lately, I hardly use any elements anyway. Less is more for me. I start with one template (mostly Julie's lately), but based on number of photos and photo orientation, I modify the template all the time!!! I also don't scrap by weeks. When the page is filled with photos and enough space for journaling, it's time to move to the next one.
 
KristinCB said:
http://screencast.com/t/hNgSzB8nzu

here is a screenshot of how i have it setup on my computer.. i have a folder and all my pages in order. i found inserting my photos first into the spaces helped so much more because then I just add in things when i'm inspired/want to sorta thing.
Click to expand...

I do pretty much this same exact thing!!! I use a certain set of templates and basically hose are the only ones I use...I also add my journaling with the same exact font all through the year :)

and another one who "doesn't follow the rules"
 
Nicole, I'm not going to lie, I read that entire thing cover-to-cover. Amazing. Thank you for the great link-- I'm so glad you shared it here!
 
I'm new to scrapbooking altogether. I just started about a month ago. Then I decided I wanted to try pl so I started that 2 weeks ago. You have to start somewhere, right :)
 
oh yay!!! thanks for posting that Nicole... I still haven't finished reading it

I never think of my Project Life as "caught up"... I do what inspires me at the moment and consider my albums "works in progress"... I've found it to be the best way to not get burnt out and the only way I actually finish it... I literally just finished 2012 a couple weeks ago... and as for 2013, I have most weeks done expect for I think 2 weeks... I have the photos printed and put in the pockets and written in my journal and I'll go back to them and finish it up when I feel motivated or inspired to :wub:

and there are "NO RULES" that say you have to do it weekly... just get those memories recorded and be sure you're still making memories too ;)
 
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