Category: project life

I got kind of behind last week and ended up finishing week 8 and putting together week 9 all in one sitting. It still turned out great and there was really no stress involved.

Week 8

I got the layout done and most of the pictures put in quickly and added just a little bit of journaling. One reason that it took me so long to finish is because I’ve been having problems with our printer. It’s not completely broken, but using it is a two-person job and way too much of a hassle. So I had to wait until I could make it to my parents’ house to get that stuff done.

Meredith turned 8 months old that week, so I put in a picture from her monthly photoshoot and a shortened version of her monthly blog post. I thought it was cute how she was lugging around that 3-pound weight, so I included that picture, and we had one little flower in our wild backyard so I put it in too. I also joined a local co-op and took a picture of my first purchase (I only got a few things because I wasn’t sure how the process would go).

I thought this quote from Harry Potter was appropriate for my life that week because I was struggling mentally with all of the things that I wanted to do and be. I was getting caught up in trying to change things instead of enjoying what I had. I’m not saying making plans is bad, because I did that and it was helpful. But I was actually grateful when Meredith got sick and I was forced to relax and just cuddle.

So I wrote a little bit about her sickness. There is also the card I made, me wearing my new shoes, my friend Lauren (it was her birthday!) with Meredith, first bluebonnet sighting, and my running shoes to commemorate my first run in over a year.

I wanted a spot to record more in-depth how I was feeling, so I just wrote on some paper I liked and folded it over and clipped it to some cardstock.

Week 9

I didn’t take many photos this week so I had to get a little creative, and as it turned out I think this might be my favorite spread yet.

I chose this quote because I began to take charge of all the little areas I had let slip away from me and I made a lot of progress and noticed a huge difference in my mental state. I don’t always find quotes that match up perfectly with what’s going on, but it’s nice when it happens.

The “we” paper is clipped from a West Elm catalogue, and I took those photos of my new haircut on my phone and made the collage with the Diptic app.

By the way the labels I mostly use are from Paper Source. I love them. Another way I label, like on the picture of Meredith crawling(!) is punch out a circle from cardstock, draw around the edge with a colored pen, cut it in half, and staple or tape it to the photo.

And that picture of Cleo cuddling with Meredith – oh my gosh. They love each other and it’s adorable.

The paper I taped the picture of the clouds to is actually one of these grid Post-it notes. I just cover the sticky part on the back with paper. The “Hello, spring” lettering is from the Madewell catalogue.

I included my friend’s business card because she’s selling essential oils and I went to an informational meeting about them at her house. (Super excited about investing in them to use for health purposes.) The paper I stapled it to is from the blank Smash pad. Most of the Smash products are great to use in Project Life.

Then there’s a picture of a card I made at craft club, my list of the week’s activities, and the “wonderful takes work” was a free download from Elise. I knew when I saw it that I would include it because the sentiment was perfect for this week.

That’s week 7 for me, since I started at the beginning of February.

I’m a week behind in posting my progress because lately I haven’t been finishing until halfway through the next week. But that’s just how it has to be and I’m fine with it. It’s getting done. Still loving it.

I was really strapped for time to complete this week so it’s extremely simple. Mostly just photos with very little journaling or embellishment. However, we did visit Bayou Bend, which lent itself to some really pretty pictures, so I included those in an insert.

For the insert I just cut a 6×12 piece of cardstock and taped the photos to it. I slipped it inside a page protector and added a fabric tab.

I print almost all my pictures using Snapfish and pick them up at Walgreen’s. For the 3×4 photos (perfect for iPhone) I just combine two into one 4×6 using the Diptic app and then I can print them regularly. If I want a square photo I either place it onto a 4×6 canvas in Photoshop Elements, or I print using PostalPix – but that takes longer since they have to be mailed. I don’t have a photo printer so I have to work with conventional sizes if I want to be able to pick up my pictures the same day I order them.

The picture in the top right of me in my sunglasses is a good example of how I place a square photo on a 4×6 canvas. It’s all one photo, and I just wrote directly on it. That “celebrate” card in the lower right is from this.

Overall I’m just keeping it simple, and I’m finding that the sum is much greater than the parts. It’s going to be SO much fun to look back at. When I have extra time to play with it I love adding more embellishment, but if I don’t that’s okay too. Such a great project.

I started Project Life on my birthday at the beginning of February. It’s a scrapbooking system that can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. It uses a 3-ring binder, photo protector pages, your photos, and journaling cards. There are special Project Life kits and supplies that you can buy, or you can just recreate it on your own.

I really love it. I’ve never kept up with a scrapbook before, but this seems sustainable. It’s been five weeks and I’m going strong. I do one spread (two 12 x 12 pages) per week, and I usually put it all together on the weekends in about two sittings.

Here’s the front page (click on the pictures to make them bigger):

The week of February 5 – 11 (including my birthday):

February 12 – 18 (including Valentine’s Day):

February 19 – 25 (Meredith turned 7 months):

February 26 – March 3:

March 4 – 10:

So I almost didn’t post about this at all, because so many of my ideas for this are taken directly from Elise. The top left pocket with the date on the kraft paper circle, the weekly quote, the list of the week’s happenings, and the labeling are all inspired by her. I’m not an original person, but I do like to craft. So I take other people’s ideas and make them my own.

My album isn’t the most detailed, creative, or cool, but I like it. If I had more time I would have a blast adding little things here and there, but I don’t. I take pictures and keep odds & ends throughout the week. On Saturday I choose pictures (I print them using Snapfish and pick them up at Walgreen’s) and get a basic layout. On Sunday I put it all together.

I don’t know if anyone is even interested in the supplies I use, but here’s some basic information. I already had some scrapbooking supplies around because I’m in a monthly craft club that focuses on making cards. I decided not to buy the Project Life kit, because I figured I could make it more like I want it on my own, but the kit is great if you don’t have any supplies or if you don’t feel like getting creative with it. I did buy the big pack of Design A page protectors because I liked the layout.

My binder is American Crafts. I use a Fiskers corner rounder and paper cutter. I have a few punches from Stampin’ Up (tag, circle, heart) that I use frequently. I got some washi tape, some labels, some stickers, and I cut out cute patterns from magazines to add interest. I try not to spend too much money on it and use what I have.

Let me know if you want more details about anything. I’m going to try and get my act together to post my progress (with clearer and more detailed photos) every week or two.