Last Disney Pages

I got Aaron's Disney pages done, so his album is officially finished for 2011. These will likely be the last Disney pages you'll see from me, as I don't plan to do my own album from this trip. Someday, I'll get around to making a photo book. That may take me just as long as a traditional album, though. I've only done a few of the smaller ones, and even they have seemed overwhelming.

Next up is trying to get the boys' albums caught up. Hopefully I can stay semi-motivated and this can be accomplished this year. I already have photos printed for them up through Thanksgiving (I told you I haven't taken as many pictures). We're through January, though, which is when I always have gotten the most pages done. This year's page count for January was 17, less than half of last year's total. That doesn't bode well for the rest of the year, I'm afraid. It doesn't help matters that I've started a new knitting project that will likely take several months.

Before I get too discouraged, I should take a moment and bask in the knowledge that, as of today, the boys' albums are technically less than a year behind.

Here are Aaron's Disney pages. Most of the photos are the same as the last batch, and most of the layout designs are similar. I've tried to include links to the sketches I used this time.

 Sketch: Amy Alvis

 Sketch: Amy Alvis (I flipped it)

Sketch: Amy Alvis

Slow January

I am finally posting a bunch of new pages today, but at the same time, I'm saying that this has been a slow month, scrapping-wise. As far as scrapbooking goes, January is typically my most productive month of the year. Last January, I did about 40 pages, the year before around 35. We are at the end of January already, and my page count stands at 13. The good news is, Caleb's album is finished through the end of 2011. It's kind of sad when being a year behind in one album feels almost like being caught up.

I've been doing some thinking about my future in this hobby, which has consumed me at times for over thirteen years. I know I don't have the same passion for it that I once had, and sometimes it almost feels like a chore to get some pages done. I do still love sharing the memories, between my photos and my journaling. I never have been a technique scrapper, always having to try the latest and greatest. It's always been about the pictures and the stories. I admit that I probably took on too much, trying to maintain albums for each of my boys as well as myself, which oftentimes meant scrapping the same photos three times. This is the compromise I'm thinking of (compromise being in my head, because honestly, who really cares?): I will continue to work on traditional scrapbooks for the boys, but transition to photo books (i.e. Shutterfly) for the family albums. 

I'm at a good place to make this transition, too. The family album is only finished through 2010. I am not really close to starting 2011, so that would be a good place to make the switch. I think I will still do a traditional album for our 2011 Disney Cruise, partly because I already have the album and some supplies. I was planning to do that album before I started on the rest of 2011 anyway.

I still have some time to mull it over. I haven't finished Aaron's 2011 album yet, and have some of the boys' 2012 photos already printed. I'm trying to convince myself that it won't take as long to get their books caught up, because my picture-taking dramatically decreased in 2012. Caleb's 2012 pages actually start in April (don't worry, he does have some pictures, they just went in his Cub Scout album instead). I can't totally figure out why I have so many fewer pictures for 2012. Yes, there was no big vacation (or 3...) that we went on, so that cut down on the numbers. And yes, I've gotten too lazy to lug my aging DSLR around with me. But I always have my phone with me, its camera at my fingertips. Granted, its pictures aren't nearly as good as my Nikon's (even though it has an 8MP camera as opposed to the Nikon's 6MP), but you'd think I'd be taking more pictures with it. Whatever the reason, getting their scrapbooks caught up should be easier.

Here are the pages I've gotten done so far this year. In my ever-increasing laziness, I won't even bother with descriptions. It's safe to say that most of my papers are DCWV. Some are from Disney. I may have used some sketches on a few, but I can't remember which ones. There should be a link to the sketch blog on the right side here now.

With any luck, it won't be two months before I post again.

Another Complete Scrapbook!

I managed to carve out some scrapbooking time this week. The current batch of prints I have to work with are for the boys' albums, from November 2011 through the start of April 2012. Included were some Cub Scout photos. These were the prints I needed to finish Aaron's Cub Scout album once and for all. You may recall that in February he crossed over in to Boy Scouts, and I was determined to get his Cub Scout album current by that time. I managed to accomplish that task, but then there were the pages to do for the Blue and Gold Banquet and Arrow of Light ceremony. I finally got those pages done, and I can officially say that album is complete, including a title page and a photo for the window in the cover! Since I had the supplies out, I went ahead and did Caleb's Scout pages as well (they were from the same day).

With the exception of a few random pages, the only photos I have left to work with now are last December's Disney trip and Christmas 2011. I suppose it will be nice to work on them in the appropriate season (and only a year late). The only problem is, working on Disney pages will only make me pine for another trip. I still haven't ruled out another Disney-themed Spring Break, leaning toward a cruise, but that decision isn't ultimately mine. 

Here are the latest Cub Scout pages. As usual, they are in my ultra-simple style.

Paper and Stickers: K & Co.

Papers: DCWV, K & Co.
Stickers: K & Co.

Papers: DCWV, K & Co.
Stickers and Rub-ons: K & Co.

Papers: DCWV

Rub-ons: K & Co.

Cricut Cartridge: Alphalicious

Embossing folder: Cuttlebug

Finished 2010!

Yes, I finished my 2010 scrapbook, even down to the title page! It's about time, too. Being this far behind in my scrapbooks is a more recent phenomenon, but the new normal, I'm afraid. Between the Disney album and the "regular" album, I did an awful lot of pages for 2010.

Next up is going back to the boys' books, and trying to get them caught up. I'm telling myself it shouldn't take as long as I think, because as I was going through photos, I discovered (with the exception of last year's Christmas Disney trip) that I have taken way fewer pictures than I have in the past. I think subconsciously I know how far behind the scrapbooks are, and the fewer photos there are to scrap, the easier it will be to get caught up.

But naturally, since I've finally caught a slight wave of motivation, I have run out of printed photos. I ordered a batch yesterday, thanks to 101 free prints from Shutterfly, but they are not scheduled for delivery for at least a week.

This is another big group of layouts, but it's the rest of them for the album!  I admit, a few of these are definitely of the "slap the photos down and be done with it" variety. If you've been following along with me for any length of time, you surely know by now I'm not out there to win any prizes for my pages. And, if you have been following me for awhile, thank you. I know there aren't many of you, but I appreciate you taking the time to look at my work, amateur as it may be.

Papers: DCWV
Punch: Fiskars

Papers: K & Co., DCWV
Stickers: K & Co.

Papers: DCWV
(Could this one be any simpler?)

 Papers: DCWV

Papers: DCWV, Provo Craft
Punch: Fiskars
Stickers: American Crafts

Papers: DCWV
Cricut Cartridge: Tear Drop

Papers: DCWV
Punch: EK Success
Cricut Cartridge: Lyrical Letters

Papers: DCWV
Punch: EK Success
Stickers: American Crafts
Cricut Cartridge: Doodle Type, Lyrical Letters

Papers: DCWV
Stamps: Stampin' Up
Cricut Cartridge: Alphalicious, Calligraphy Collection

Papers: DCWV

Goal Met!

As of this moment, I have achieved my scrapbooking goal of being "caught up" to two years behind in the family album! Of course, I had initially wanted to reach this goal a month ago, but better late than never, I suppose. I scrapped Halloween 2010 today, so I made it just under the wire.

In other news, I finally finished reading Les Miserables! I can't believe it took me ten weeks to read to read one book (okay, with four or five other books interspersed). I have stuck to reading lighter fare since finishing it. I will try to take a break from some more intensive reading for a little while to make some headway on the 2010 scrapbook.

After I scanned the batch of pages below, I went ahead and laid out the rest of the pages for the 2010 album. I can see the light at the end of it now. I think I only have nine layouts left to complete the album, so if I can keep some motivation up, I can get it finished in a week or two (and hopefully not four or five or more...). I already decided that the next project will be going back to the boys' albums. I realized that theirs are now officially a year behind. I need to get theirs caught up, since I use them to jog my memory when I get around to mine.

I'd also like to get started on my 2011 Disney Cruise album. I'm telling myself that won't be as major of an undertaking as the 2010 Disney World album was. For one, I have the experience of a "big" project under my belt. Also, more importantly, I didn't take as many pictures on the cruise as I did at The World, so there is less to work with. What brought this on is I'm fantasizing about another Disney cruise. Actually, I keep debating between a cruise and Disney World. It's still fantasy at this point, but even in my fantasies I know that both is not an option!

Here are the pages I've thrown together over the last month. I keep saying I need to post them more frequently instead of in large batches, but I never seem to manage it. If the next post isn't for another month, I hope it will be the last of the 2010 pages.

Papers: Bazzill, Paper Studio
Cricut Cartridge: Opposites Attract

Papers: DCWV
Tags, Stickers: Making Memories
Ribbon: Offray
Punch: EK Success

Papers: DCWV
Punch: Fiskars
Balloon: Karen Foster

Papers: DCWV
Cricut Cartridge: All Mixed Up

Papers: Provo Craft, DCWV
Cricut Cartridge: George and Basic Shapes
Punches: Fiskars, EK Success
Stamps: PSX
Sticker: SRM

Papers: DCWV (including some OLD stuff)
Cricut Cartridge: Alphalicious

Papers: DCWV

More Pages Already

I can't believe I already have more pages to post and it hasn't even been a week. If I can do four more layouts before the end of the month, I will be officially *only* two years behind! I could have gotten one of them done, or at least started, if I hadn't distracted myself by going back and reading all my old blog posts. I know, there is something seriously wrong with me. At least I'm doing laundry in the process, so that hour wasn't a total waste.

I find it a little ironic that one of the layouts I did is of the boys first TKD tournament. We had another one this weekend, and it was my first time competing. It was not something I had felt too strongly about ever doing, but decided that if I was going to try it, this would be the one. It was a national tournament that was being held locally, our school being the host. There would be a greater number of competitors among color belt adults, so I had a better chance of being with ladies of my same rank. More irony is that I won a 4th place medal in sparring, when my fear of sparring is what kept me from even trying class for the longest time. I feel like I accomplished something, maybe proved to myself that I could do it. However, I am in no hurry to repeat the experience. I enjoy going to the tournaments and watching my boys compete (they also won 4th place for sparring), but I can't honestly say I enjoyed myself when it was my turn.

Anyway, here are my pages from this past week. Hopefully I'll have more soon.

This one was realizing I could cram the rest of this trip in two pages, rather than four. Lately I've been too lazy to crop photos, but I do like doing less pages.
Papers: Scrap Book Wizard (old stuff), DCWV
Cricut Cartridges: George & Basic Shapes, Lyrical Letters, Mini Monograms
Random stickers from my stash
The white block is just a way to cover my journaling, since I included some personal information that would be better not to post.

Papers: DCWV, Scrap Book Wizard
Cricut Cartridge: Jasmine

Papers: DCWV
Unknown stickers
Punch: EK Success

Papers: DCWV
Cricut Cartridge: George & Basic Shapes
Rub-ons: Making Memories

Papers: Provo Craft, DCWV
Cricut Cartridges: Lyrical Letters, Zoo Balloo

2010 Again, With a Side of 24601

As I was using up the last of my printed photos, I debated what I was going to work on next. Do I keep going in the boys' albums and try and get them caught up (they are a year behind)? Or do I delve back into the family album, which left off in July 2010? Before I find that album even more woefully behind, I opted for the 2010 route. I ordered prints to finish out the year, and right now my unofficial goal is to get "caught up" to two years behind. To accomplish that goal, I need to complete 10-11 layouts (most of which will be 2-pagers) by the end of the month. Not an impossible task, but given my pace of late, a difficult one.

There are the usual added distractions. Not only are we entering "Birthday Season" (both boys with birthdays two weeks apart), plus the other fall activities (I don't know why this time of year seems especially busy for us. Maybe it's just every time of year these days!), I am trying my best to read Les Miserables. It is my all-time favorite musical, which I've seen four times over the past 20 years, and listened to the soundtrack (currently I have three different recordings on my iPod) countless times. I decided it was time to tackle the book, and it has been quite the undertaking for me. I am generally a fast reader, finishing your average best-seller in 2-3 days. When I decided to read Wicked before seeing that musical last year, I was surprised that book took me over a week to finish (and, in case you're interested, it was WAY different than the musical). Imagine my frustration now that I am only a little over halfway through Les Miz, and I've been reading it for over six weeks! Granted, I've read three other books during that time, but still...I was actually a little glad when I found out yesterday they pushed back the release date of the movie to Christmas day. I doubt I'll go see it opening day now, but at least I have two more weeks to get through the book!

I have managed to get a few more scrapbook pages done since my last post. While I was waiting for my print order, I did a couple for my portrait album. These are the 5x7's and 8x10's from the studios that used to be in frames. Rather that try and fit them into the regular chronological albums, I started a separate album just for these photos. They are more simple than my usual simple pages, and I generally only work on them when I've run out of other printed photos. These are fun for me since it usually means I get to look at baby pictures of my boys again.

I should quit babbling and either get to scrapping or get to reading! Thanks for looking.

This is one of those papers from the DCWV Doodlin' Around stack that I thought I'd never use.

Another super fast page with a DCWV paper. This is my niece.

Sketch: Amy Alvis
Papers: DCWV
Punch: Fiskars
Cricut Cartridge: Lyrical Letters

Papers: DCWV
Cricut Cartridge: Lyrical Letters
Punch: EK Success

Papers: DCWV
Cricut Cartridge: Doodle Type