Adventures in Organizing Albums.
This is what it looks like when you remove all of your layouts from the hodge-podge of albums holding them:
This is all of them.
All of my layouts from when I began scrapbooking in late 2002 to today. I haven't counted them yet but they came out of 28 12x12 and 8.5x11 albums.
This is something that has been on my list to do for awhile now. In between doing all those things this week that go along with caring for my sick guys (so much laundry, the never ending dishes, pushing liquids, and dosing meds) I decided to pull out all my albums and finally do this.
This, for me, is getting my layouts in order and organized by date (for some of them) + by theme for the others. Prior to this they had all been in albums pretty much in the order they were completed. (And I was definitely inspired again by reading Stacy's new Photo Freedom book. )
Here' s the process I am going through (I am about half way through - I figured with everyone sick no one was really going to be sitting at the table for meals so this was as good a time as any to tackle this project):
1. Remove all layouts from the hodge-podge of 12x12 and 8.5x11 albums and place them in piles. My piles included 2002-2008 by year (each year was a pile) focused on Simon, a pile of layouts about me, a pile of layouts about Chris + I (and our friends + travels, etc), and a pile of layouts about general family (some about me as a kid, family reunions, my parents, Chris as a kid, etc). It took me a couple hours to remove the layouts from all the albums.
2. Next I began the process of putting them back into albums. I began with 2002 and inserted pages in date order (as close as I could). Note: I wish I would have ordered additional page protectors. I can fit twice as many page protectors inside each album. It took two albums for 2002 and 4 for 2003 (2003 + 2004 have the biggest piles).
3. Having a piece of paper + pen nearby to document my thoughts + observations was a really great way to collect all the thoughts going though my head as I went through this process (see observations below).
It was really a pretty amazing experience to handle each and every page I have created over the last five years.
Here's some observations I jotted down as I was going through the process:
- I loved looking back over everything. I kept coming into the living room and showing Chris and Simon and saying remember this + remember that. This is the first time I have gone back and actually looked at each and every page I have made since 2002. Most of these books have just been in my closet waiting to be organized. I was flooded with memories - not only through the stories being told on the page + the photos - but the memories of what was happening in our surrounding lives at those times. I love scrapbooking.
- There were many pages that I really just LOVE plain + simple. I had the overall feeling that I am so thankful that this has been such a big part of my life. There were also many (too many I think) that really said nothing other than showing a cute photo (more on these below).
- I liked looking at the overall evolution of the pages. From the very simple beginnings of cardstock + photo + pen to the addition of stamps to metals to bunches of different products to a much looser/more eclectic style. It was like looking at the history of scrapbooking products as much as the history of our family.
-
Many of my favorite pages are ones that tell the story of my own childhood using the photos that my parents took of our family. Many of those pages feel more thought out and complete (especially in comparison to others that simply show one photo of Simon + a quote).
-
There were lots of pages I don’t love - lots with no written story, no sense of balance - ones that just felt incomplete and/or hurried. I looked at them, noted on my piece of paper what I felt was missing and then put them in order and inserted them into the page protectors and moved on. (Note to self: make sure to include words to complete the story.)
- I have done a good job including my own story and that is important to me (the pile was nice and tall).
- I had to staple a bunch of chipboard letters that had come unstuck and were just hanging out inside the page protector. That was a bummer because I love the look of them. Most everything else was still in place.
-
I liked that there is an overall balance: some single page layouts that highlight a certain photo (more-so back in the beginning) + others that were two page spreads with lots of photos and a more complicated design and a more complete story.
- After 2004 there was a drop in the number of layouts I did for the year. This is either because I began creating more about my own story, doing more “other” work such as writing, blogging, traveling & teaching, etc., or because I had started making minibooks.
- I am including both 12x12 and 8.5x11 layouts into the 12x12 3-ring binders from American Crafts. I have a few smaller ones in there (a couple 8x8's and 6x6's) that I decided to adhere onto 12x12 white cardstock.
-
2002 + 2003 were almost all single page layouts. There are a few 2-page spreads included in there that were created later on (you can tell by the products + the style). I love the double page spreads - again, most of those seem more complete + actually tell the entire story of an event, moment, time, place, etc.
- I love seeing the photo compilation pages. Some of my favorites were ones that showed a bunch of photos from a single year or a season or that compare and contrast different events + times. Here's a good example of this from 2003:
If the layout included different years I put it in the later year's album.
- I was also really drawn to the pages that included specific information such as Simon's height, weight, what he was saying (or not saying), etc. There is simply no way I would remember those details if I had not recorded them in some way.
Those are my thoughts so far. I imagine there will be more as I complete the process. One of the biggest benefits of this entire adventure, in addition to simply getting organized, is that it is solidifying for me again the sorts of pages I want to spend my time doing.
I'll try to do another follow-up with additional observations as I finish getting everything in place.
I can´t get enough of your blog! After a while being fed up with excess information syndrome and feeling a bit guilty of engaging too much, too long in personal projects (not being too generous) I returned this way to the www. I think that keeping the memories of your family so well documented and taken care of is giving them a lot!
Bye now! I will let it flow; it was my word choice for 2008. Best, best!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Ali--thanks for sharing this.
Although I didn't re-organize my albums, I did sit down with my kids last night and looked through 3 of our albums. I think you are right on about needing to "tell your story" more. Those are the pages that we all cherish most!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Beautiful moment. It's a little like an archaeological dig through the soul. :)
I'm curious to know how you felt when you saw your earliest layouts, when you were still learning how to scrap. Did you have a moment of "I hate this layout, I'm redoing it?" Not that I can imagine you ever doing anything "ugly." :)
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Wow! Thanks for sharing this.
I have so many uncompleted albums and stray pages piled up that some days I wonder what am I really even doing this for since nothing gets put where it the right albums, etc. It's encouraging to see what you have done.
It's funny when one looks back at earlier pages, how they are done... You certainly can see the evolution of Scrapbooking with all the changes in the pages. So fun.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Thanks so much for sharing all this - great to read about what stands the test of time and what tells the story best. I'll try to keep all this in mind when I create.
It must have been something else to sift through all your creations!
A.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your process. It is *quite* a process, and being open to change and learning from how/what we create is hugely rewarding (and often hugely challenging). Your willingness to share all parts of the process in all their glorious imperfection is so refreshing and motivating and just plain wonderful.
:)
Sign in or sign up to comment.
I have all of my pictures scrapbooked and in albums by year back to 1983 to the present. However, even though there are layouts that I am not crazy about, the one overriding thing that I wish I had done differently is to journal more. I do that now so the "story" is always told, but what to do about the older layouts, the ones during the growing-up years of my children? I WANT those stories told as well and hopefully there is a way without having to go back and redo the layouts. I am thinking about adding some hidden journaling with pull-out tabs or something similar. If you have any great ideas along this line, I hope you will share them. You seem to be feeling the same way I am that what is lacking in so many of my earlier layouts is the journaling. Since I am in the dreaded position of being "caught up" (every scrapbooker says they want to be caught up, but believe me it's not an enviable position for an avid scrapbooker), I want to go back and add journaling and stories where I can. It's just a matter of figuring out how to do it, where to add it, etc. I am envisioning creating flip-up pictures with journaling underneath, pull-out journaling from behind another element, etc. Hope you can add to this list of possibilities. Thank you for sharing this "adventure" with all of us!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Hi Ali,
I love your work. Thank you for sharing so much of it and your life on your blog. I love the quote you have posted now. Very inspiring on those days when you don't feel like you are getting anywhere!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
I found this post very interesting. I joined 'two peas' around the same time you did and I remember seeing your pages there and thinking, yeah, that's the kind of scrapbooking pages I like. So I put you into my 'book of scraps' and have been following you ever since! So, actually, this post was a trip down memory lane for me too.
It is amazing to me how far you have taken this so called 'hobby'. You have always been and still are an inspiration to me!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Thanks for sharing this. What an awesome way to look back. It so makes you appreciate scrapbooking. I was thinking of just sitting down and going through my albums. It would be fun.
On a side note I'm glad I blog because sometimes I just don't have the time to scrapbook there can be so much going on that I can look back and use that journalling for my pages. :)
Sign in or sign up to comment.
What a job! -- and it's nice to hear how much you're enjoying the process though.
Just curious ... what 12x12 albums do you mainly use? There's so many out there and I'd love to know what are the faves out there for most people.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
No one does things quite like you Ali. You are the real deal. Everything you teach, you live. I know I am only one of thousands that you inspire, but can anyone really ever tire of hearing that they are impacting others? You have impacted my life in dozens of ways and I am grateful for you, all the scrapbook pages you so openly share and this blog.
Looking forward to the follow-up on this post. Hoping to get glimpses of even more of your artistic genius! Any chance you would show some of your "wish I had done this one differently" or "this would have made the page more balanced" examples?? For those of us with no graphic design background, your advice is so wonderful and appreciated. Also love to see your personal favorites... really just love to see anything you create!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
nice - so gotta do this too, although my pile will be significantly less than yours. :) I agree that looking through all the pages brings back memories and it is a great way to see the progression of your scrapbooking style/thoughts/processes.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Wow I really love your outlook on things.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Wow love to see all you have done. I was thinking the other day I need to review mine, they are currently all in year order, which I love. And I truly love the binders, not a lot of my friends do - but I love that there is a lot of room and also easy to add more and change the layouts.
Love seeing Simon as a little man.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Thanks! This is so great. I've been planning to do something like this for awhile, but haven't gotten around to it. Seeing those big piles is so inspiring.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
What a great accomplishment and a wonderful adventure! I did this a while back as well...but now wish I had paid more attention to what I thought about my pages and style. Thanks for the tip.
Also intersting: I did a scraplift of the layout on top of the bottom left pile in pic of piles after it was in CK. It is definitely one of my fav pages - turned out quite differently that yours, but yours was my inspiration!
Cheers!
Jen
Sign in or sign up to comment.
your pile is absolutely beautiful because it really means something...you and your family's story and history. i can't wait for my pile to look like that. thank you SO MUCH for sharing this. you are awesome to share so much with us, and i really appreciate that. i am definitely going to "examine" my pages and make notes for future layouts. thank you!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
That took courage! I enjoyed a re-visit of all of my layouts in Stacy Julian's Library of Memories course. I reorganized all of my layouts into Us, People, Places & Things, giving up the chronology altogether. The layouts I loved the most were the ones with the most journaling that made me laugh or cry all over again. Stacy also encouraged an exercise to figure out what was missing from our layouts: certain people? everyday things? special places? Since doing that exercise a year ago I have been filling in the gaps in our family story. I made a mini album this week about the values I want my kids to know. Those are more important to pass on than another layout of Halloween or a birthday party. I love your inspiring books & posts. Keep it up!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Ali,
What a great post! I haven't stopped by b/c of your "laying low" post. What a delight to stop by and catch up. We love Obama here. A favorite memory of election night for us (in California) was sitting the kids in front of the TV (they're 9 & 12) and having them listen to Obama speak. I wanted to take a pix but my camera was not within reach. I'll just have to keep the mental picture and journal about it.
As for your page review, it reminds me of the technique you suggest in your first Designer's Eye book. . . an exercise on fiding your style. You suggest looking through all your layouts & pulling out your top 10 and then seeing what makes them your favorites. It looks like you're doing something similar.
Thanks for sharing & stay healthy,
Rinda
Sign in or sign up to comment.
That is so cool that you spent the time organizing your layouts. Now you should rotate the albums out in the house so they don't stay in the closet anymore.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
What an undertaking, Ali! Your work ethic and just the sheer volume of all that you undertake is amazing in itself. I have read Life Artist and am in the process of starting A Designer's Eye for Scrapping (not nearly as good as Life Artist, but still wonderful). Your new work, just like with everyone, I think, is so awesome and inspiring. You make me want to be a better me. You probably intimidate some people, but that again is what is so inspiring about you!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
That's awesome. Interesting confirmation for me of how I have things ordered...and how I've been scrapping lately regarding pages you like/don't like.
Also interesting about placing a smaller page in a 12x12 with the rest. because there are some pages that would just work better on a smaller scarle, and yet I try to make them bigger to fit. Silly me - such a *simple*, obvious answer.
Hope the guys are on the mend.
Sign in or sign up to comment.
If only I had a superpower and could teleport there and spend some time around that table o' inspiration. I would be in heaven!
Sign in or sign up to comment.
Hi Ali- I rarely comment, but I ALWAYS read. I love your blog, ezine, books, etc. You are my daily dose of inspiration.
I just wanted to echo some of the comments about sharing all this info. This post feels as though you are my real life friend and I called you on the phone to ask, "what did you do today Ali?", and you told me all about your album/layout sorting. I just love that we get a glimpse of your real everyday life.
As always, thank you so much for sharing YOU!
Sign in or sign up to comment.