Today I wanted to share something a bit more personal that I've been working on lately. When I started digital scrapbooking in 2008, I had been a paper scrapper for just over 2 years. I had a 6 month old and a 3 year old, and I just wasn’t able to find the time to drag out my supplies and work on paper pages. So my first digi pages were an attempt to scale down my scrapbooking process, in order to save time and keep all of the scrapbooking supplies out of the hands of my tiny kiddos.
My first digi album was a 4x6 photo book. I chose a 4x6 photo, and digi scrapped a journaled card to go with the photo. Then I slid both the photo and the journaled card into an album side by side. It was a very simplified form of scrapping, focusing more on recording the story and the memory, than on the elements and papers. As I became more involved in the digi community, I moved away from this process and started creating 12x12 and 8x8 albums. I found that the 12x12 style was a fun and beautiful way to scrap.
Over the years, because I have limited time, my computer time has been focused on more on my digital scrap designs and less on my personal memory keeping, I have created far fewer layouts than I would like. This January, I was listening to this episode of the Digi Show. The guest on this episode was Becky Higgins. She talked a bit about rediscovering her love for scrapbooking through her Project Life line. That podcast really inspired me to devote more time to my own personal memory keeping.
So after really considering what has worked for me in the past, and what hasn’t, I have decided this year to return my personal scrapbooking focus to the 4x6 albums that I started with in 2008. I’ve been referring to this as “Snapbooking” because basically the method focuses on a snapshot and a little bit of journaling. So far I have been able to keep up with my memory keeping, and I’m really enjoying the process. I’m still scrapping the occasional 12x12 page, but my main focus has been on my Snapbook album.
I am enjoying it so much, that I wanted to share the idea with you. I think it’s a really quick easy and stress free method of memory keeping. And it’s a great way to scrap those older photos, a vacation, and just everyday snapshots and simple moments that you want to remember.
Here a couple of the album pages that I’ve done using this method:
Most of my photos have been taken using my iPhone. I’m keeping it really fuss free, and simple. My kids really enjoy working on the pages with me, and they love looking through the albums and having us read the journaling to them.
I created a Snapbook journaling template that you can use if you’d like to give this method a try! If you do try Snapbooking, or you already scrap in a similar way, I’d love to hear about it!!
Happy Scrapping!
Download Snapbook Templates 1 HERE
24 comments:
I really like this idea, its simple yet really effective and fun looking. I scrap 12x12 for photobook printing. However I dont yet trust my 2 year old to look through the photobooks without very close supervision. This maybe my answer to giving her, her very own photobook to flick through.
Thanks
Helen
Helen, I agree with this being a great solution for books your kids can look through. They are so inexpensive, that you really could reprint it very easily and quickly if the pages get damaged. :)
Oopps forgot to say, thanks for the freebie
Love your idea with these pages and your pages are gorgeous as well :) Thanks for the freebie and I can't wait to see your new kit!!
Hugs Natascha
Thanks for the goodies and the great idea!
Hi Kristin
I didn't know it was called Snapbooking, but I have been doing this for a few years now. In fact, my old boss got a huge promotion so I gave the employees all 4x6 journalling cards and had them write their best wishes and congrats on them and I took a ton of pictures and gave him the album as a going away gift. He absolutely loved it.
Thank you so much! What a great idea. Lately I am all about simplification. I'm so glad you shared it with us. Thank you for the great freebie too!!!
Thanks for the kind words!!
Amie, I don't think "Snapbooking" is the technical term for it. It's just what I've been calling it, and I thought the name fit! LOL
I'm so glad to hear that there are others out there who scrap this way!! I'm finding that I really like how the albums look put together. And I'm not afraid to let my kids handle them because they are so inexpensive, and easily replaced. :)
I made a full year album this way for my MIL as a Christmas gift in 2009, and she loved it! My kids look at it frequently too! :)
This is a great idea. Thanks for sharing it, and for the great templates, Kristin.
Thank you for the templates. This is such a great way to preserve memories. I shared this blog post with my daughter, too. She has done some similar things at times, but I thought she would appreciate this idea. She has 3 little ones ages 3, 19 months and 6 months.
Thanks for the templates. Love the idea (and the name) of Snapbooking. Was wondering what kind of album you're using - are they the soft cover ones we used to keep in our purses or have you found some that are a little sturdier?
This is so wonderful! Absolutely love the idea, and your pages, though simple, are beautiful and well put together.
Thank you Sandy and Jo!!
Cheryl I think this would be a great method for a mom with little ones. Those are the ages that you just want to record every little moment. And this method definitely allows for that!
Wahoolady, the albums I have been using are pretty sturdy. They are sort of a leatherette type, 2 photos per page, with a mesh background. I have found that the paper backgrounds do not hold up as well when my kids look through them. I've had to replace two of the paper bound type. I picked mine up at a Scrapbooking store that went out of business years ago, but I have also seen them available on Amazon.
Thank you so much for this post. I want to let you know that I posted a link to your blog in CBH Digital Scrapbooking Freebies, under the Page 5 post on Mar. 15, 2012. Thanks again.
This is a really cute idea. I'm so behind that it makes me almost want to give up so this may be a mojo-starting solution! Thanks for sharing and thanks for the freebie.
Chris I hope you give it a shot!! I think you'll like it! Plus you can always still scrap 12x12 when you feel like it. I do both. This has definitely been a mojo starter for me! :)
I would love you forever and like you for always if you could make different templates and bundle them together in your store as a set for this... the more I think about it, the more I am thinking this is the answer for me... :)
Stephanie, I will definitely work on some template packs for this method! :)
Thank you for the awesome template! My nine year old is getting into scrapbooking, and this would be a great place for her to start.
-Lynn
I love your templates (and the fact that you respond to everyone on here!). Unfortunately I can't use tiff or psd in my program. I don't suppose you have the png files do you? I know....I am quite needy ;)
Genevieve, I'd be happy to put the files into png form for you. I won't be able to do that until later in the week, but I will definitely work on it. I'm embarrassed to admit, that I'm not familiar with using png files as a template. Do you just need each individual piece saved in it's own file? How do you then know where to put it on the layers? I need to be educated on this so I can make sure to include them correctly for the future!! :) Thanks sweetie!!
Lynn I think this method would be perfect for a new scrapper! The 4x6 prints are so inexpensive, that it's not really a waste if you then later want to redo your pages more elaborately as you become more experienced! It would be perfect for a young one!! ;)
Kristin, Thank you so much for the template and for the awesome idea! I had never even thought of doing this! It's so simple, and yet just as beautiful! Thanks again! :)
Oh! PS. To make a template in .png format you would just open your .psd file and save each layer individually, just as it is. Don't resize anything. And then put all the layers in one folder. There are actually actions out there to do just that! HTH
Thank you KC!! Thanks for telling me how to take care of the png files as well. I can't believe I didn't know how to do it! hahah! I guess there is always room to learn something new! :) I appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me!!
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