Thursday, May 31, 2018

05/31/18 - "Capture" and More About my PL Journey

 
Not all my Project Life Pages are "Pocket Pages"
or even "Digital Pocket Pages";
some of them are Traditional Pages.
 
When I first started Project Life I was having trouble deciding how I wanted to do it but just dove in thinking I would (hopefully) find my rhythm as I went...
It took a bit longer than I thought it would, and mistakes... (LOTS of mistakes!) but I think I'm finally about there (but don't quote me on that)!
One thing I did learn early on is that I needed to mix it up..
mixing it up would keep me from getting bored and hopefully encourage me to
ACTUALLY FINISH A PROJECT!
As the self-professed "Queen of Unfinished Projects" this is a big deal to me,
which is where the Traditional Pages come in.
 
Here is a recent layout I created that, just by looking at it, by itself, would not seem like a Project Life layout...
and it's not, not in the way people think of Project Life.
 
But I'm making it a "Project Life" layout because it's chronologically inserted in the album right before/during/after the correct week the date of the layout falls into.
 
 
"Capture: Man's Best Friend"


Let me show you what I mean.
If you flip through my album this is what you'll see:

 
 
"Capture: Man's Best Friend" - 04/09/18
 
 
-------------------------------------------------- 
 
"Life is Ruff Ruff" - 04/12/18
(PREVIOUSLY SHARED)
 
*the 2 traditional layouts are back-to-back *
 
 
-------------------------------------------------------
 
 
"Week 15 (04/08/18 - 04/14/18)"
(PREVOUSLY SHARED)
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------
 
 
"Week 16 (04/15/18 - 04/21/18)"
(PREVOUSLY SHARED)

As you can see the 2 Traditional Layouts would fall into the Project Life Week #15, the Pocket Page that comes directly after them in the album.
Doing it this way keeps everything fairly chronological while still allowing me room for extra photos that didn't fit into the pocket page and/or that I want to showcase separately, and allowing me to be a little more creative.
I never want to stop doing Traditional Pages, but I do like having a mix of other types in my albums; hence the Pocket Pages, Digital Pages, and Travelers Notebook pages.


When I started Project Life I binged watched You Tube Project Life Process videos.
I discovered that the overall idea of Project Life is the same, but there are so many different ways to do it; it's not so "by the book".
And one particular channel I watch, when I commented that I love Project Life but it seems like it's going to be a lot of work, the artist had given me the advice to "keep it simple in whatever way that means to you".
In other words there are no rules, much like general Scrapbooking.

Sunday, May 27, 2018

05/27/18 - Project Life Weeks #15 and #16

2 More pages for my 2018 Project Life
 
Both are
12x12
Traditional Pocket Pages
 
I like the way these came out.
Now that I have identified some of the problems I have w/ Project Life I feel a bit more "in the zone"!
I hope it continues.
*Read my previous blog post for my "dislikes" about Project Life*
 
Week 15
 
Journaling (PL Card):
"Our friend/neighbor Heather had a birthday.
David baked her coconut vanilla cupcakes and made alcoholic gummy bears and Birthday cake shots (in the jar). 04/14/18"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Panera brings back my favorite Seasonal Salad:
Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken.
I also tried a Peach Blueberry Almond Milk Smoothie. 04/09/18"
.
.
(For those who doubt that I actually do eat "healthy" foods, LOL
BTW I am working on creating a TN page going into more detail about the salad. For those who want to know more about it, stay tuned!)
.
.
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Journaling (pancake photo):
"That moment when you can make more than 1 pancake at a time!
Using my griddle for the 1st time (a month and 1/2 after buying it) 04/14/18"

Other highlights:
>> Finished book 7 of my 25 book reading goal for 2018
>> Photos of my fur-baby, Spotty
(Still loving being outside despite his limitations)
>> Received my April Monthly Snack Nation $1 Snack Box
 
 
Week 16

 
Journaling (on cereal photo):
"Being a Food Hoarder means Pumpkin Spice in April"
 
Journaling (under Spotty's photo):
"THIS PHOTO represents our new normal"
 
Other highlights:
>> Spotty's Arthritis Meds
>> Bought "The Greatest Showman" on Blu-Ray
>> Taco Tuesday
>> We went to the Riverside Tamale Festival

Still behind but also still chugging along!
 
"Taco Tuesday" stamp from Kelly Purkey: Kelly Purkey Shop/Fri-Yay Stamp Set

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

05/23/18 - PL Week 17

 
12x12
Digital Project Life Pages
done through the Project Life App
 
Did I mention I was doing Project Life?
If not, know you know! :0)
...
As I navigate this journey of my first year of Project Life I have found some things about it I don't like:

1) it can be time consuming, which means it's easy to fall behind
(And as you know I do not have a lot of free time these days!)

2) I have difficulty with the journaling aspect of it.
Seems like there is a lack of journaling space when telling all the different stories of all the different photos of the week.

That's where the PL App comes in handy:
1) can do it on my phone, any time, any where.
+ I don't have to worry about having my supplies on hand

2) W/ their new feature of "Freeform Text" I can journal directly on my photos!
I know what you're probably thinking... it doesn't allow me to use my own handwriting.
And I agree w/ the importance of using my own handwriting, but... I have used my own handwriting on PLENTY of other layouts, in fact it's my main way of journaling, so I think it's okay if there are a few layouts/projects I don't use it on.

BTW - another testament to it's quickness and convenience... I finished these but still have Week's #15 and #16, which I'm doing in Traditional Format, sitting unfinished on my scrappy table, LOL

It will never completely replace traditional but, I like that it helps me catch up/keep going and I like the look of digital mixed in w/ traditional.
 
 
 
Week 17 -PG 1
 
 Week 17 -PG 2
 
I just realized other than 1 Random Pocket Page,
I have not shared any of my PL pages here...
though I have done so on Instagram.
 
You know what that means...
Expect some TBT  (Throw Back Thursday) posts!
 
Just a heads up as I get more used the Project Life, I can tell you right now some of my older pages I'm not as happy with...
But it's a learning process!
::shrugs::

Monday, May 21, 2018

05/21/18 - Weekend Craftiness

 
Hi there, hey there!
As I mentioned in my last post I haven't had a lot of time to scrap.
And just recently I realized feel like some of what I have done this year was done in haste which takes the fun out of it, and has me looking back on those layouts w/ a bit of  a "meh" feeling... like I could have done so much better.
 
It has me thinking back to my OLW(s) -
Less/More
 
I'm doing "More" but loving it "Less", and I need it to be the other way around.
So I made a vow to myself that I will make time for scrapping but if I absolutely have no time that I will accept it and wait instead of half-assing my spreads.
Oh, and  I may even go back and tweak those I've done a bit to make myself feel better about them.
 
 
I still have more than half-a-year to put that practice in place so here's to looking forward to a "fresh-start"!
 
 
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.
.
.
.
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I did make some time for scrapping this weekend and I enjoyed the process and the results very much!
Despite one of the layouts being about a not-so-happy subject:
 
 
"Hello Beautiful"
2 page
Travelers Notebook Spread
For my Food Themed Midori Travelers Notebook

Journaling:
"South of the Border Guacamole Charburger from The Habit Hamburger Grill
Fresh, seasoned Charburger topped with a crisp tostada shell, guacamole, pico de gallo, melted cheese, and ancho chile lime crema. Served on a toasted bun with crisp, shredded lettuce, tomato and pickles"
 
 
 
 
 "Life's Ruff Ruff"
Traditional
12x12 layout

Journaling:
"4.12.18 - National Pet Day. Also the day we found out Spotty has Spinal Arthritis. His back legs no longer work and it's irreversible. All we can do is try our best to keep him comfortable and give him meds to help w/ his pain. It makes me sad."

Friday, May 18, 2018

05/18/18 - "Sweet"

Hi all!

I know I haven't been really active lately but unfortunately time is not really on my side these days.
I am still scrapping though, even if it's minimally...
which brings us to today's page:

-Travelers Notebook page
-For my Food Themed Travelers Notebook
-Midori Travelers Notebook Page
4.5 x 8.5

A simple page using a Studio Calico 4x6 Documenter Card as a photo mat; from their October 2017 kit...
a scrap (the half circle cut w/ a punch),  a couple of strips of washi tape and some old chipboard stickers...

Simple, but I'm finding that simple is all I really have time for these days, and...I'm finding that I actually love the simpler pages!
"Sweet"
 
Journaling:
"04.08.18
Boysenberry
Coconut Macaroon
Knott's Berry Farm"
 
Later!
 

Monday, May 7, 2018

05/07/18 - National Scrapbook Day/Weekend Projects

How was your National Scrapbooking Day?
Hopefully productive!
 
Mine was,  but not scrappy-wise, LOL
 
My son came down from where he now lives, which is about an hour away, to go to the movies w/ my husband and then take him, and I out for my Early Mother's Day Lunch.
W/ that and real life responsibilities, including a dog who has recently become "handicapped", (about a month ago he lost use of his back legs and he needs constant supervision and assistance) I didn't have a whole lot time to myself to scrap.
But no worries...
I still got a few layouts done, though it took 3 days: Friday. Saturday, and Sunday.
 
Here they are in order of when I scrapped them..
And coincidentally they are all food related; it seriously was just a coincidence!
 
 
 FRIDAY -
 
"Say Cheesecake"
 
Documenting a "tasty" piece of Pumpkin Cheesecake I had at the "Lazy Dog" Restaurant in March.
This is a page in my Food Themed Travelers Notebook.
 
The Alphas and the Sunday Fun-Day stamp came from the Kelly Purkey shop:
and the PPs and "eating" sticker came from her March Traveler's Notebook Kit.
I just signed up as a subscriber to her kits and this was my first:  March TN Kit/Tina's Currents
 
The "Tasty" stamp is from Citrus Twist and is one of my favorite stamp sets, second only to the "Fri-Yay" stamp set I mentioned above.
Though I am not a subscriber.
 
 


SATURDAY -

"Copy Cat Cookies"
 
This was actually created on NSD and was inspired by the following Studio Calico Challenge:
Mix It Up Challenge  - which is still open until May 13th
 
The challenge is to use a Documenter Card (AKA their version of a Project Life Card) on a non-pocket page layout.
I used 2: the "Good Stuff" journaling card and the Pink Squiggly card from which I also punched out the half-circle embellishment.
I am subscriber of their Documenter Kit (AKA their version of a Project Life Kit) also.
 
Here's the journaling:
"Have you heard of the Levain Cookie?
It is a 'World Famous' 6oz chocolate chip walnut cookie at the Levain Bakery in New York. They are described as 'enormous, crunchy on the outside and soft and ooey gooey on the inside'. People wait in long lines to get their hands on one; apparently it's worth it!
David found a copy cat recipe and they are now, officially, my FAVORITE cookie! If these are anywhere near as good as the originals, I would definitely agree that they are worth standing in line for! Someday I hope to try the real thing. BTW - David created a special Pumpkin Spice version for me."
 
 
 
 
SUNDAY -
 
"Oh, Yeah!"
 
Another Page in my Food Themed Traveler's Notebook.
Also another Challenge inspired by Studio Calico, also involving a Documenter Card, although this time
it's to use a Documenter Card on a Traveler's Notebook layout: Doc to TN Challenge
This one is also still open until May 13th.
 
The "delicious" is from the same Citrus Twist stamp I mentioned above; I have already gotten a lot of us out of the set and know I will continue to do so!
 
 
 
Though I didn't get to create a lot I am happy w/ all that I did create and to me, that's the most important thing: quality over quantity!
 
TFSB!

03/27/23 Planning with Urban Journal Season Ink

My printer was having issues and I fixed it but during the interim I was not scrapping and lost my mojo ::le sigh:: But I've still been ...