Monday 27 May 2013

Project Life, my way

I first discovered the Project Life method of scrapbooking in December 2012 via Pinterest. A friend of mine shared a pin that mentioned it and I thought, "Huh? What's this Project Life thing? It sure looks like fun. Let's Google it." So I Googled it. And I found this. And then this. Instantly I was hooked!

Before I ordered a Project Life kit though, I decided to do some more research about it online. I quickly discovered a plethora of inspiring scrapbookers that did Project Life but they made theirs a little different - they used normal scrapbooking products on their pages. I really liked that idea so I decided not to order a kit. Instead, I bought some page protectors, some 3x4 and 4x6 grid journalling cards, and some normal scrapbooking supplies, printed some photos, and got to work.


Now, I used to scrapbook many eons ago and honestly, it used to really stress me out sometimes. I'd get so caught up in the process of taking the perfect photo for a page, narrowing it down to using just one or two ideas for the page, making the page, and trying to get it all "perfect" (I am very critical of the things I make) that I would feel seriously deflated by the end of it. Not a good way to feel about something that is meant to be fun, so I stopped scrapbooking.

Scrapbooking on my Project Life layouts is so much more fun! Unlinke with traditional scrapbooking, I am not stressing over making my layouts for my Project Life album because essentially I am creating 6-8 mini scrapbooking layouts on the one 12x12 inch page. I can make each of those little layouts different - one can be a photo, one can be journalling, one can be made up of letter stickers and pretty papers and other bits and pieces. I really love doing Project Life this way because it lets me play with many different scrapbooking products and techniques all on the one page, eliminating some major creative anxiety in the process.


Another big thing for me now is that when I do my Project Life layouts, I am using my normal, everyday photos from my iPhone or DSLR camera, be they perfect or flawed. No longer am I focused on taking that one great photo with the sole vision of using it on a scrapbooking layout. I am also writing the stories behind those normal, everyday things that make up our lives, like the kids going back to school and us all struggling to get back into that familiar daily routine, the flood in January, soccer games, a day trip to the beach, birthdays, sick days, etc. Previously, I never scrapbooked half of that stuff. Now I'm taking more photos and telling the important stories behind those photos much more than I ever did in the past which is a fantastic feeling!


I am planning to buy an official Project Life Core Kit designed by Becky Higgins to organize those many boxes of old photos that I have going on at home here (I'm sure I'm not the only one who has boxes of photos lol!). I think the system that Becky has designed is so wonderful for quick and easy memory-keeping and I can't wait to get a kit when the new ones come out in June. For current photos though, I'll continue do Project Life in my own fun and colourful "scrappy" way because it is a fantastic creative outlet for me. I am absolutely loving Project Life!

7 comments:

  1. WOw WOW WOW Karen, it was like you typed exactly how I have been feeling, bout traditional scrapping( was feeling stressed same as you) and how much I use my phone as a camera now instead and get some fabbo everyday shots, as well as loving the whole system of Project life and being able to use/create/document our lives in an easier, fun way.So glad that others felt this way about Trad scrapping...and loving that you are doing a blog.I will be a regular.

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    1. Hi Melissa :) Oh wow, it's SO GOOD to know that there is someone out there who feels the same way about traditional scrapbooking compared to Project Life! I really didn't realize that there were other people out there who stressed with trying to scrapbook traditionally, truly. Before I started Project Life in January 2013, I had not scrapbooked for 6 years...not good! Project Life is a God-send, isn't it? And so is the mobile phone technology these days! It's hard to lug a big camera everywhere you go and having such a good camera on your phone makes it so much easier to take pics when you are out and about at a moment's notice. Thank you so very much for visiting my blog and for your lovely comment Melissa :) xx

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  2. I going to be your PL stalker Karen ... your style is just super gorgeous & always inspires!

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    1. Lol Vicki! I won't mind at all :) I'm so pleased that you find my Project Life layouts so inspiring :) xx

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  3. So great to see that you've started sharing your fabulous PL layouts on your blog!! I totally LOVE your style from seeing your work over on the Aussie PL FB page and am sure to be a regular visitor too ;)I still like doing traditional scrapping but have recently made a start on my PL album after collecting PL "stuff" and admiring other peoples pages for the first part of the year LOL.

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    1. Hi Agnus! Thank you very much for your lovely comment too! I'm sure you will love Project Life just as much as the rest of us on the Project Life Australia FB page do...be careful, it's very addictive ;D xx

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  4. You totally said everything I'm feeling about Project Life.
    I have been scrapping on and off for eleven years, but the last couple of years I've really not taken many photos and i'm very 'behind'. But I jumped into PL at the start of the year and I love the process and I love that I'm taking so many more photos and documenting the everyday things we do. It's really inspired me to do more memory keeping.

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