Thoughts about a time stamp...?

[Marif]

Hi there,

I've started working on an album to document a really important, sentimental trip. I'm trying to be more strategic about how I scrap the various pages to have a sense of unity at the end (same font to journal, an element featured on all of them, etc.).

One thing I've always done and always do is adding the date to my scraps. But when it's a contained album of a specific week, sometimes it feels repetitive and a bit useless. I still want to do it but to make it more meaningful and make more sense, I was thinking of adding the rough or exact time of day of what I'm scrapping.
So for example, the scrap of my Dude on the Mine Train would read Dec. 16th 2026, Magic Kingdom, 2:37pm

How does that sound to everyone? Brilliant? Weird? Good info but won't look nice?
Lay it on me, any and all criticism and thoughts on how to do it, what else I could do, or why I shouldn't
TIA

 

[Romajo]

That's quite specific... but if it's important to you, there's nothing wrong to do it like that. That's the good thing about scrapping, everything is right if it matters to you!

I have to admit, I'm bad at dating my layouts, but when I'm working on a specific trip/vacation I normally add the date to the first layout of that day.

 

[AmieN1]

I think it'd be fun in those specific events that could be a day in the life captured kinda thing!

 

[aussiegirl]

That is a unique way to do it! If it works for you, go for it! If the date thing seems repetitive, you could always find a stamp of Day1, Day 2, etc with a fill in the date aspect. The day 1 stamp could go on the very first page of that day. Then after that you would just write the date and Magic Kingdom (or something like that).

I feel I would mess them up too much if I scrapped with time stamps. If you do it, make sure you save them with that time, so that when you print an album you can arrange them that much easier. Maybe mix up how you do the date elements on the pages if it feels repetitive. Maybe the date by itself, maybe work the date into your journaling, maybe a stamp on a photo or on your page? Maybe use alpha numbers to tell the date? Just ideas.

 

[EvelynD2]

I think that is pretty cool! I don't date a lot of my pages. Especially if they have my grandchildren in them. I don't use names, names of towns or dates. I try to keep the private information out of my pages. I will occasionally date other pages, though.

 

[jacinda]

There's a whole section in the store of date elements: https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/Date-Elements/

You could add the date on the first page of the day, then just add a time stamp on the corner of each photo throughout the day. If the whole page is about one event/time, you could use something like this:

https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/images/P/digilicious_goodmornsun_clockprev700.jpg

 

[nesser1981]

I'm a chronological scrapper, always have been, but I can't say I've ever used a time stamp. I think if that makes sense for the way you scrap, then go for it. At this point in my scrapping journey, I'm just making sure I've got photos from the same day on the same page. That would maybe be a little too specific for me.

But if you like it, DO IT! What makes you happy is absolutely the way to go.

 

[bestcee]

I like it. But, I'm also the girl who adds time stamps to Week in the Life, thoroughly enjoys the random times dadchats adds to his YT posts, and I think sometimes time of day can really add to the story. I did time stamps on a snow day layout. My Panama Crossing has/will have some time stamps because it's part of the story to me.

 

[Brendazzle]

I like the idea of including the time if it is meaningful.

Remember when cameras printed the date and time onto photos? Something like that might be cool to do digitally.

 

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

I am all about adding more journaling and identifying information on layouts, but I don't think I would add the time(s) of the photos unless it was important to the story I'm telling. For a specific album like a party, travel activities, or photo shots, I agree with the others above that suggested dating the first layout or cover page, and then adding the times on the following pages. I know in my cache of layouts there is a layout or two I completed for a challenge and you had to take photos at a certain time every day. In that case, of course I added the date on the layout and then the times on the actual photos.

If you are not a photo book printer, and you print single pages, I would stay that including the date and time on each layout IS important. I am the curator of a lot of family heritage photos, and believe me, people take photos out and don't put them back where they belong. Having the date and time on printed single pages would be advantageous not just for you, but for your descendants.

I used to use all kinds of fonts on my layouts, but since I'm not a chronological scrapper, I chose to start using the same font for text and the same font for my date/time stamp. I use Traveling Typewriter for text and for date/time, I use Stamp.

 

[angiekey]

This is such a clever idea! Since your complete album covers a compressed timeframe, it would be very cute to add in timestamps.

However, the other ladies bring up good points, so if you wanted to break down the days without having to get that granular, you could include basic Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Night parameters instead.

Instead of
Dec. 16th 2026, Magic Kingdom, 2:37pm
you could use
Dec 16 2026 - early afternoon - Magic Kingdom

For the classic "Day in the Life" or "Week in the Life" projects, I've seen both timestamps and those descriptive time categories used to great effect.

Whichever you choose, be sure to share your completed layouts here in the Gallery! We want to see 'em!

 

[Marif]

Thanks everyone!
That is a lot of good food for thought... I might be more confused than I was when I asked, but that's more because of my personality than your doing

That is a unique way to do it! If it works for you, go for it! If the date thing seems repetitive, you could always find a stamp of Day1, Day 2, etc with a fill in the date aspect. The day 1 stamp could go on the very first page of that day. Then after that you would just write the date and Magic Kingdom (or something like that).

I feel I would mess them up too much if I scrapped with time stamps. If you do it, make sure you save them with that time, so that when you print an album you can arrange them that much easier. Maybe mix up how you do the date elements on the pages if it feels repetitive. Maybe the date by itself, maybe work the date into your journaling, maybe a stamp on a photo or on your page? Maybe use alpha numbers to tell the date? Just ideas.

I like the idea of the Day 1, Day 2, etc.
And you might be right that rather than a system I use on all pages, changing it up might make more sense.

There's a whole section in the store of date elements: https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/Date-Elements/

You could add the date on the first page of the day, then just add a time stamp on the corner of each photo throughout the day. If the whole page is about one event/time, you could use something like this:

https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/sweetshoppe/images/P/digilicious_goodmornsun_clockprev700.jpg

I like those!! Never thought of using an actual "dating" element instead of just a font...

I like it. But, I'm also the girl who adds time stamps to Week in the Life, thoroughly enjoys the random times dadchats adds to his YT posts, and I think sometimes time of day can really add to the story. I did time stamps on a snow day layout. My Panama Crossing has/will have some time stamps because it's part of the story to me.

Love that! Thanks for sharing! (also, love the subtle HP siggie )

I like the idea of including the time if it is meaningful.

Remember when cameras printed the date and time onto photos? Something like that might be cool to do digitally.

Love that idea!! It would make the whole thing more discreet!!

I am all about adding more journaling and identifying information on layouts, but I don't think I would add the time(s) of the photos unless it was important to the story I'm telling. For a specific album like a party, travel activities, or photo shots, I agree with the others above that suggested dating the first layout or cover page, and then adding the times on the following pages. I know in my cache of layouts there is a layout or two I completed for a challenge and you had to take photos at a certain time every day. In that case, of course I added the date on the layout and then the times on the actual photos.

If you are not a photo book printer, and you print single pages, I would stay that including the date and time on each layout IS important. I am the curator of a lot of family heritage photos, and believe me, people take photos out and don't put them back where they belong. Having the date and time on printed single pages would be advantageous not just for you, but for your descendants.

I used to use all kinds of fonts on my layouts, but since I'm not a chronological scrapper, I chose to start using the same font for text and the same font for my date/time stamp. I use Traveling Typewriter for text and for date/time, I use Stamp.

Thanks @Cheryl Ashcraft, this actually touches on all the problems I'm having deciding. I'm aiming to print a photobook, which it partly why the repetitive dating is especially unnecessary, but when posting online, or if I chose to include a single page in a different book, or print a single page album version for my son, I'd want the date on there...
I'm also really struggling lately with the "who are these for" question when I print pages of books. I lwon't be passing them down to anyone really... But I'm thinking about myself once my memory goes, and hoping the details help me remember, and also whoever will be showing them to my son in the future (whether it's me or especially if it's other caregivers who won't know what happened when). I think this book being his Make-A-Wish trip is stirring all sort of deep feelings and causing some extra overthinking...

This is such a clever idea! Since your complete album covers a compressed timeframe, it would be very cute to add in timestamps.

However, the other ladies bring up good points, so if you wanted to break down the days without having to get that granular, you could include basic Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Night parameters instead.

Instead of
Dec. 16th 2026, Magic Kingdom, 2:37pm
you could use
Dec 16 2026 - early afternoon - Magic Kingdom

For the classic "Day in the Life" or "Week in the Life" projects, I've seen both timestamps and those descriptive time categories used to great effect.

Whichever you choose, be sure to share your completed layouts here in the Gallery! We want to see 'em!

Love that!! I do that in journaling sometimes, defining a general time of day when the event happened, but had not thought of using it in the dating snippet.

Thanks again everyone, so many great ideas and points of view. Your help is much appreciated
I've downloaded a typerwriter font (Royal Vogue Typewriter 1929) and I think I'll combine a lot of these ideas...
And I promise I'll add to the gallery any that use SSD products!

 

[Cheryl Ashcraft]

Thanks @Cheryl Ashcraft, this actually touches on all the problems I'm having deciding. I'm aiming to print a photobook, which it partly why the repetitive dating is especially unnecessary, but when posting online, or if I chose to include a single page in a different book, or print a single page album version for my son, I'd want the date on there...
I'm also really struggling lately with the "who are these for" question when I print pages of books. I lwon't be passing them down to anyone really... But I'm thinking about myself once my memory goes, and hoping the details help me remember, and also whoever will be showing them to my son in the future (whether it's me or especially if it's other caregivers who won't know what happened when). I think this book being his Make-A-Wish trip is stirring all sort of deep feelings and causing some extra overthinking...

I can't imagine how this is emotionally affecting you! I think you prepared by thinking adequately, and now you have more suggestions or pathways you can take. Don't think of it as overthinking. You don't know what the future holds, and being aware of that and then making choices about the stories you tell and the information you provide. Said a prayer for you, that you will have a clear mind so you can make the best decisions, not just for now, but for your son in the future. You never know what medical advances will occur . . .

 

[Marif]

Thanks Cheryl, that's very sweet and wise advice. And your prayer is very much appreciated and deeply felt

 

[mmbstaley]

Add it all if you want!
I did a huge, very detailed photobook (it took 2 volumes as there were over 100 pages for our travel and 3 days in the parks LOL) for my daughter's first Disney World trip with her high school band back in 2019. All of the pages have a 'day of trip' identifier (day 1, day 2 etc) in the top corner and I added time stamps on the pages too. I probably put the date on the pages, but I don't remember doing that consistently. I think it is interesting to see how long things took us to do.