KISS Week Wrap-Up

Today we are wrapping up KISS Week, or Keep It Simple Scrapbooking Week. Throughout last week, we celebrated getting back to the basics. Our goal was to share our favorite tips + tricks that we come back to again and again in our storytelling adventures. The creative team's blog posts featured design and storytelling tips: something to motivate, something to encourage, something to inspire, something to remind you that you don't have to make it more complicated than it needs to be, something to support you as you go about the process of documenting life. Today, we wanted to share some inspirational tips taken directly from our community! 

Lori Ann Matthews: I used to spend HOURS planning and finding which embellishments etc would work the best... now I just use the first thing I find and like, no more agonizing over "what ifs" or saving an embellishment or paper for the "perfect page" - USE IT and get the story told. its helped me a lot!

Jeanne Williams: My tip would be to start where you are now. It’s so overwhelming to think of going back to catch up. I still don’t have my 21-year-old daughter’s childhood documents but I have the past 7 years of wonderful memories and stories documented. Also, starting with pockets and weekly Project Life really helped me get back to telling our stories. And now it’s my jam!

Susan Bowers: Photos + words is enough.

Jennifer Voorhees Locke: My best advice is to remember that scrapbooking is not a competition. We’re not here to compare. We’re here to tell our stories. And we all do that in different styles. Sadly, I’ve seen new scrappers quit because they think they’re not good enough. But that’s just not true! Like any new hobby, there’s a skill set that is required. You will learn more as you go and your confidence will build. You got this!

Michelle Mirando Muller: Print the photos, put them in the pockets... every week... make notes for journaling every week. Whatever that looks like for you.

Houston McGuirk: Don't be afraid to experiment and play! Sometimes we get so stuck in our own mind about how our documenting is "supposed" to look that we forget to enjoy creating for the sake of creating!

Sharon Hughes: Don’t feel like you have to keep reinventing the wheel. If you like the placement of your photos or matting your pictures or the place you wrote your story...do it again on your next layout. You’ll know when you want to add something new or do something different. HAVE FUN!

Christine Standerfer Hogue: You don’t need all the things. The “rules” are really just suggestions. Whatever makes you happy to do and look at is exactly right for you. Spend more time scrapping and less time viewing and comparing yourself to other scrappers. Unless you are planning to make money off the layout, scraplift to your heart’s content. Just give credit if you post it.

Colleen Doerscher Collins: You really just need photos and words. If it seems to much, start with pocket pages. If you like the more traditional type layouts, it's okay to scrap lift it.

Natalie Gibbons: My biggest tip would be not to buy lots and lots of product when you first start. Start with a few supplies that really appeal to you and see how you get on. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with product. Invest in good basics like scissors, adhesive and a pen that you love.

Amanda Watkins: It’s not wrong to copy ideas you like from someone else’s layouts..... rather it’s a great way to gain confidence.

Nashonne Newman: Sometimes less is more. Deciding what to use on a layout/project can take me so much time.

Bradelynn Boyce-Dendy: Scrapbooking is a way for me to tell my story...a way to tell the story of a girl who loved learning and mechanics that turned into a world of computers...a way of telling the story of my families...both coming from so many directions and going into so many as well. What a wonderful way to tell the stories! Give it a try. Who knows what you might find even in just telling your own story. Good luck!

Deb Lengyel: Advice I’d give to someone just starting out would be to not feel like they need to get all the stuff. The stuff is great but can be overwhelming to someone just starting out. Photos, paper, and a pen are really all you need to get started. Grow slowly from there.

Kirsten Heal: I would say just start playing. I tend to have a photo and go from there.

Thank you all for joining us and sharing your wisdom. If you missed one of this week's posts, find them here. We are also finishing up a summary of all of the great tips shared by the creative team. We'll let you know as soon as it's ready to download. And don't forget our entire basics collection is on sale! From now till March 31, get 15% off the basics collection using the code BACKTOBASICS15. Enjoy! We are so thankful for each of you for being a part of this community and for sharing your own stories over the years. For those that are just starting out, welcome. We are so happy to have you here and look forward to telling stories right alongside you.