I was recently part of a wonderful discussion on The Digi Show and that episode is now live today. Go HERE to listen.
For those of you who don’t consider yourselves “digi” … wait. This episode actually has a whole lot more than digital chit-chat. In fact, Steph (the host + the mastermind behind The Daily Digi + and huge influence in convincing us to take Project Life to the digital world) … asked me to share how Project Life came about. I actually talked quite a bit about that experience, as well as the story of how I even got into scrapbooking in the first place. It was really fun to be able to tap into my memory and recall so much from the past, and share pieces of my evolution and the process it has been to make a little idea become … a little bigger. At the end show I even share my “pick” which is something really fun for the life-documenter in each of us.
Side note: If you missed it, Steph wrote an incredibly insightful and inspiring blog post about how Project Life fits into her crazy-busy life and what her work-flow looks like. You can check that out HERE.
There seems to be an explosion of interest in Project Life this year and I’m not sure I have the words to articulate how I feel about this. Seriously. I am truly happy that so many people “get” this method of memory-keeping. I see how Project Life is helping those who weren’t doing much with their pictures actually do something and enjoy it. I see how it is bringing many who set scrapbooking aside, back into this wonderful hobby.
(Obviously this explosion of interest caused us to sell out of some items rather quickly but as I’ve mentioned – we expect those items to be back in stock on Amazon mid-February. Thank you for your patience.)
I want to extend a very special WELCOME to all who are new to this concept and our brand. We have created a GETTING STARTED slide show for anyone who wants to understand the Project Life approach to memory-keeping. This slide show is useful for those who want to really get to know Project Life and how it “works”. Even though it’s designed to be insanely simple, we totally get that actually seeing it work, step-by-step, really is so helpful. These are just a few of the slides:
For any of you who already have the product, but perhaps you haven’t actually opened the box yet … our GETTING STARTED slide show is for you, too. No need to feel guilty or “behind” (no such thing!). Just sit back, flip through the slides, and my hope is that it all just starts “clicking” for you and that you’ll want to rip the plastic off the products and get started!
I love what this newbie to Project Life recently told us. Elisa says, Until now, I had always felt overwhelmed by what I expected the final product(scrapbook) to look like, versus what my skill level was. My enthusiasm for Project Life stems from knowing that I can’t mess this up – no matter what I do, it will be beautiful.
Know someone who could use some help in the memory-keeping department? Send them HERE. Oh – and be sure they see the main Project Life video that shares more of the philosophy behind the product.
I would love for you to get to know someone very special to our family. Her name is Claire. She recently fell out of her 2nd story bedroom window (you can read the full story HERE) and broke her spine. Claire and her family already have a life full of very intense challenges – and now she has lost the use of her legs. The accident could have been much more tragic and we are all grateful it wasn’t any worse. There have been lots of little miracles the past few weeks, and her stay at the hospital is coming to an end soon. But Claire has a long road ahead of her. She is embarking on a new chapter of her life, which will be spent in a wheelchair.
Claire is one of my favorite people ever, and I’m not even sure I can articulate why I feel such a connection with her, but I just do. I love her, and I love her family. In fact, some of you may remember from a few years back when I shared some cute handmade bags made by Karlee Fuchs (pronounced “fewks”). Karlee is Claire’s mom and one of the most selfless people I know. For sure.
I made a little video from my recent visit with Claire at Phoenix Children’s Hospital so you can get to know Claire.
Naturally, the Fuchs family is facing a very expensive transition with having to remodel the main level of their home, making everything wheelchair accessible. Chris (her dad) even has a video on Claire’s BLOG right now that shows the current progress with that. They’ll need to purchase a wheelchair van and of course all sorts of other expenses are piling up.
Today I am presenting a very unique opportunity that some of you may be interested to know about.
I have never monetized my blog. I’m certainly not against doing it, but it’s just not something that I have implemented as a part of my brand or my business. However … for the benefit of Claire’s family … and for the benefit of (hopefully) many small businesses, I am going to open my blog for advertising!
Important notes:
- This will be temporary + the ads will run for one month – February. Then we’re back to no more paid advertising on my blog. Unless I realize after this experience that I can make millions that would help with huge manufacturing costs. : )
- 100% of the ad fees will go directly to Claire’s family.
- Ads are due SOON – January 30 – so that we can launch all these ads on February 1.
- Ads will be positioned on my blog sidebar based on a first come, first served basis as well as the largest ads at the top, and so forth.
Interested?
Oh, I hope so. Of course we would love to raise money for Claire’s family, to help lighten their burden even a little bit. Additionally, I love helping small companies. If you have a blog, or an online shop, or any sort of business that you would love more people to check out, this would be a great opportunity to increase your exposure. Please email karolyn@beckyhiggins.com and she’ll give you all the nitty-gritty details you would want to know as you decide if and how you want to do this.
Want to help, but not through advertising?
The Fuchs family would be grateful for any kindness sent their way. Even if you wanted to just send a note of encouragement (Claire loves mail!) or perhaps donate a small amount of money (it all adds up!) … go HERE to see several ways that you can help.
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Thank you for taking time to get to know Claire.
Thank you for considering this as a potentially fantastic advertising opportunity that doubles up as a wonderful service for a remarkable family.
Thank you for spreading the word to your favorite businesses (blogs, etsy shops, other businesses) so they will consider the opportunity as well.
Each week I take the opportunity to answer your questions and offer feedback to your comments that we spot here on the blog, facebook, twitter, and your emails. This week’s edition is a tech edition by the man many of you know as my “techie brother”. A very special thank-you to Kevin, who truly has a passion for helping people understand technology. He is very generous with his time. I will be back with my feedback next week.
Question about iCloud: We have one iTunes account so we can share apps on all our devices but iCloud now combined our contacts. With both we have 100′s of each others’ contacts on our phones. If he deletes one of mine or I add a new one, it does it to the others phone. Is there a way to keep contacts separate but still share apps, movies, music … you know, the stuff we have to pay for?
Absolutely, and my recommendation is to have two separate Apple IDs for that very reason. Remember that iTunes allows you to share your purchased content with up to 5 computers as long as you are authorized on each computer. For example, if I purchase an app under my ID, I can send that app to my wife for her to use… again, as long as I am authorized on her computer with my Apple ID (you can authorize multiple Apple IDs on a single computer). To authorize a computer, go to Store | Authorize this computer… from within iTunes.
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I would like more information about what class, and/or where to start out on your own doing digital scrapbooks, i.e. photoshop, using brushes, all the techy stuff of that is overwhelming!
There are lots of sites out there, but it may be difficult to weed through the bad ones to find the good ones. One site you should check out is JessicaSprague.com.
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I definitely want to know more about iCloud and how to share things when both my husband and I have separate iTunes accounts. Any way to merge them? Going forward should we share one family account?
iCloud really is an awesome service, especially now that it’s free. I use it very heavily for email, contacts, calendaring, etc. One of the great powers of iCloud is the ability to share and collaborate calendars. The larger the family, the more complex your calendar likely will be (like ours), and as a result, you will need to rely on a good, solid calendar sharing system. In order to keep things organized, I really recommend everyone having their own account. That way, family members can manage their own schedules, while at the same time, sharing with others. And having everything color-coded is the icing on the cake.
You can begin sharing your calendars either in iCal on the Mac or at iCloud.com on Mac or Windows. Unfortunately, sharing can’t be initiated from an iOS device… yet.
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I have a question regarding all the fun (and often free) journaling cards and such floating around out there for Project Life. What is the best way to use them? I’ve dropped them in iPhoto and printed them off like snapshots but in order to alter them or add text, etc what program should I use? Photoshop, PS Elements or another? Obviously cost is an issue. I’d hate to drop a fortune on something just for that purpose – I am not a graphic artist.
Adobe PhotoShop is a great tool to have, but for most people, it’s overkill. PhotoShop Elements would be great for working with journaling cards, and would also give you the flexibility to do lots more than just that. You can purchase a copy of PhotoShop Elements for about $100 from your local big box store (Best Buy, Fry’s Electronics, etc).
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I have a PC and Photoshop Elements 9. Any idea how my photos are organized in PSE? Does PSE go back to the original file, or does it have its own copy? My hard drive filled up amazingly fast & I need to move my photos to an external hard drive but I don’t know how that will affect PSE. Also, if PSE makes its own copy, that could explain why I ran out of memory so soon. Thanks.
Although I don’t use PhotoShop Elements a whole lot, I did some quick Googling to see what I can find. First of all, one of the complaints that users have is that Elements is a “destructive” editor. Meaning, when you make a change to an image, you are actually changing the image, not a copy of the image. This is definitely something you want to be aware of (although you can run through multiple undos to revert back).
As far as how files are organized, I’m not sure, but I would imagine they are kept within your My Pictures folder. Take a look for those files and check the file size on the directory (right-click > Properties) to see if the size makes sense.
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I know you can upload photos to the iPad with the camera cord, but can you save photos (that have been edited) back to a camera card for printing?
You can’t move photos back to an SD or CF card from the iPad, but there are a couple different ways to get the pictures. First, when you are done importing the photos to the iPad, you are given two options: 1) delete the photos from the card or 2) keep the photos on the card. If you choose to keep the photos on the card, you are still able to import them to another device.
The other option is to sync the photos from your iPad to your computer through the normal syncing process. On a Mac, those photos would be synced to your iPhoto library. In Windows, they would be synced to your My Pictures folder.
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Does a 2.5 year old iMac need anything, such as MacKeeper, to help maintain performance & speed?
The age of the computer itself doesn’t mean a whole lot from the perspective of keeping the software clean, and 2.5 years really isn’t that old for a Mac. There are a couple things that I recommend all Mac users do to keep their system running clean.
First and foremost, don’t install anything that you aren’t intentionally installing. Some questionable web sites require you to install certain apps or plug-ins to “work”. In some cases, this is ok, but in others, it’s not. There are too many to name individually here, but just watch for the ones that are obvious.
A utility you may want to become familiar with is the Disk Utility. There is a feature in there called “Repair Disk Permissions”. I typically recommend running this about once a month. It just keeps your hard drive and OS running clean (like an oil change).
I’m sure MacKeeper is a good utility, but it’s probably not worth the money for most. I personally don’t run any antivirus or utilities like that on my system and it runs awesome. The best defense is using discretion and reading prompts.
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What type of wireless router do you have at home? Our iPad seems to have issues connecting to our wireless (often told simply ” cannot connect” and then we are not able to use the Internet.) Also, we have the original iPad not iPad 2 (I know friends are having trouble with their iPad2 connecting as well).
I am asked this question quite often, and usually by people who’s home routers are dying a slow death. My recommendation (and what I use at home) is the Apple AirPort Extreme. This is also the case for a Windows-only home. Yes, Windows! Wireless standards are just that… standard. It doesn’t matter what computer or device you are running. I know plenty of people using an AirPort Extreme in a Windows-only home, and they love them. I’ve had mine for years, and the signal-to-noise ratio (i.e.: performance) is second to none when it comes to personal wireless routers. It has a lot to do with the antenna design and the way the standards are implemented. Yes, they’re a little more expensive, but trust me… it’s worth the cost.
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Can you elaborate on apple tv – How does it work? Is it like an iPod for movies/tv, i.e. You can only watch what you pay for on it? Thanks Kevin.
This is not a short answer. In fact, I could literally spend hours explaining lots of details about how this works. If you head over to KevinAllgaier.com and search my blogs for “Apple TV” and “iTunes”, I think you’ll find some good information over there. If you still need more help, shoot me an email.
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Please discuss iCloud – how and what things are best kept there. And also photo stream – how it works and how it relates to iCloud. Thanks.
The quickest way to get a jump-start on learning what iCloud is would be to visit apple.com/icloud. There are FAQs and videos out there that explain it pretty well.
PhotoStream is a new service as part of iCloud, and I think it’s fantastic. It’s essentially a mechanism that allows your photos to be synced across all of your Apple devices. For example, if you take a photo on your iPhone 4s, that same photo will also show up on your iPod Touch, iPad and Mac (in iPhoto) within a few seconds (depending on your Internet connection). It has really saved me a lot of time by not having to physically sync my iPhone every time I want to use a picture. I just open iPhoto, and it’s already there.
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Is there a free app to make ring tones from songs that works and isn’t too complicated?
If you use a Mac, the absolute best way to do this (and it’s free) is using GarageBand (included with all Macs). It actually has tools built-in specifically to make ring-tones.
It’s a little more difficult with Windows, but still possible. First, you will need to open the audio file in QuickTime and single out the portion you want to use. Once you’ve done that, you will need to export in an AAC/M4A format. Once you have the new file, you need to change the file extension from .m4a to .m4r (“r” for ringtone). Once that’s done, just drag and drop it into iTunes, then sync the ringtone to your iPhone.
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I would love to know more about PSE 10. Where is the best place to learn how to use it? I have tried doing Ali Edwards’ tutorial about 10 times without success. I am usually pretty good with techy stuff but this just seems to escape me. Are there any online courses that you would recommend? Thanks Becky & Kevin.
I bought my Macbook Pro almost a year ago and have been using iPhoto for my photos. I use TimeMachine with an external hard drive to back up my computer. Is that enough of a backup for my pictures? I haven’t deleted pics from my memory cards for the last year because I’m worried I’m not doing enough. What do you think?
Before I answer your question, I need to let you know that your iPhoto library is NOT being backed up by Time Machine if you have iPhoto open. It’s a bug that I wish Apple would fix. So please be sure to close your library once a day (preferably overnight) to allow Time Machine time to backup.
My philosophy on backups: if your data doesn’t exist in at least 2 different places (home, work, etc) on at least 2 different types of media (hard drive, DVD, cloud, etc), it’s not being backed up. Using Time Machine is a great start, but what if someone broke into your home and took your computer and external hard drive? I hope that never happens, but that’s how you have to think about this precious data.
What you’ve done so far is great. Take it to the next level and consider using an online backup service like carbonite.com. Plans start at $60/year, but it’s well worth it for peace of mind.
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How can I store and file photos that are on negatives, disc, USB and SD card as well as on computer? Would love to have all photos in one place.
Your first step is to digitize all your photos using scanning services, etc. Once you have them all digital, then you need to design a good backup strategy (see previous question).
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What is the best way to organize digital pictures? What system do you use Becky and what system do you use Kevin?
I use iPhoto to keep my photos organized, and then have them backed up using Time Machine, and on several external drives as well as occasionally to DVD.
Organizing your photos is a very personal decision, one that is just a little different for everyone. I actually have most of mine stored in a linear fashion based on date. If I need to find a photo, I know about when it was taken, and then search from there. Some people have the time to architect a very elegant system using face recognition, metadata, etc.
Note from Becky: Kevin is to me, what Miyagi is to the Karate Kid. : ) Therefore, much of what I have learned is directly due to Kevin. It won’t surprise you then, that I have adopted a similar system of chronological/numerical organizing in iPhoto. We’ve been doing it this way for oh … probably 8-9 years now and it works for me. I know there are more detailed ways of doing it but I stick with this because … like I said, it works for me.
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I would love to know how to get rid of excess files/programs/(crap) on my MacBook. My hard drive is full & it is running so slow!
Unless you are super familiar with what files are legitimate and what files aren’t, this can be a challenge. The first place to look would be in your Applications folder. Look for apps that you know you no longer use. Simply drag them to the Trash Can and then empty the Trash Can.
The next step would be to comb through your Home folder. To get an idea of what folders are taking up the most space, highlight each of the folders individually and press Command+I (“I” for information). That will tell you how large that folder is (including its contents). From there, it’s just a matter of spending the time to find the stuff you no longer need.
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Best online backup for photos… About 64 gb worth currently…. What do you recommend? PC people. Amazon cloud is cheap, but not easy to upload folders or mass amounts to. Dropbox is $100 a year. Box.com even more. Have external and laptop is all currently. So afraid of external failing. Advice??
See a few of the questions/answers above, but my recommendation for cloud-based backup is carbonite.com. Plans start at $60/year for unlimited storage.
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How do you add a logo/ name to a photo that you upload to your blog. Is there an easy way or a way to add your name/logo that it automatically is on the photo when you upload it to your blog?
Once you know how to do it, it’s super easy. You will, however, need software to do this. I recommend either Adobe PhotoShop or Adobe PhotoShop Elements (definitely more affordable at about $100).
For a quick tutorial, go HERE. This shows you how to add text to a journaling card, but adding a logo or other text is the same concept.
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I would like to know the best way to learn how to use Photoshop Elements. It’s not as intuitive as I thought it would be. I just want to do things like merge several photos into 1 4×6 and lay a phrase or word on a photo and get it to print. I’m thinking I wasted my money but know I just need to learn.
A few others have the same thing in mind! There are lots of online tutorials, but as I’ve mentioned – one place you might want to check out is JessicaSprague.com.
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Is there a way once I down load songs from iTunes to my iPad to then transfer them to a non Apple desktop PC?
Apple has a great how-to article on how to accomplish this HERE.
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I took Kevin’s advice on the no cable idea for the home (everything is running through apple tv and netflix) and LOVE not paying for cable! But my questions now are – a) should I bother to invest in a roku box and Hulu? b) does Kevin use an antenna to get the basic channels (abc, nbc, and cbs) and if so, can he recommend a reliable one?
Congratulations!! Isn’t it great?
Yes, I picked up an HD receiver antenna at Wal-mart for about $30. It’s small enough to just sit behind the TV (which is wall-mounted). It works great for receiving local channels in HD.
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My son just got an iPod for Christmas. What protective software do you recommend now that he has full access to the world wide web. He is only 9. I know parental proximity is the best software available!
Oh, great question! I strongly recommend a good filtering service. One of my favorite (and it happens to be FREE) is OpenDNS (opendns.com). For more information, go to my blog at KevinAllgaier.com and do a search for “OpenDNS”.
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Thanks for the chance to ask! Is there a way to record me reading a book for my kids on my Macbook Air, and then to copy onto a CD? Thank you.
I love where this is going. I actually have created my own audiobook for my kids (they think I’m a dork for doing it, but I loved it!). The best (and easiest to use) tool to use is GarageBand (it came bundled with your MacBook Air). Essentially, you will record the audio, then export to iTunes. Once it’s in iTunes, you can then burn it to CD.
Tip: you want to make sure you have a good microphone so that it sounds good. I really like any of the Blue mics (www.bluemic.com).
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How can you un-erase a photo that was accidentally deleted from an SD memory card??
The good news is, as long as you haven’t overwritten the SD card (i.e.: taken more pictures), there is a good chance the deleted files are recoverable. There are lots of tools available on the web for both Windows and Mac. Do a quick Google on “recover deleted files SD card”, and you will get lots of good information.
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I was wondering if you can recommend a good online storage site for my photos. I need to make some space on our Mac by deleting photos and I don’t trust having them only on our external hard drive. For the record, I don’t particularly enjoy Picasa or any other sites with the ability to share photos. I’m strictly looking for a storage site. Thanks Kevin & Becky!
For online storage of photos (not to be confused with an online backup solution), you may want to check out SmugMug.
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I have two blog-related questions! One: I’m in the middle of redesigning my blog and when creating “buttons” for my navigation bar, is it better to create them in Illustrator or Photoshop? Two: do you have any tips when it comes to optimizing photos for use on a blog (i.e. resolution, filters to make them pop, etc)? Thanks Kevin & Becky! You both are awesome!
To answer your first question, it doesn’t really matter what you create them in, as long as they are saved as a PNG or JPG.
When it comes to optimizing for the web, the key is file size. PhotoShop has some great compression built-in that will keep near-perfect quality while significantly reducing the file size. You definitely don’t want to save an image smaller than you want to display it on your site (upscaling looks nasty), but you also don’t really want to use a 2,000×2,000 pixel image on your site if you only plan on displaying it at 200×200. You may also want to play around with different file types like GIF, JPG and PNG to compare quality and sizes. My personal preference is PNG these days.
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What are your favorite iPhone apps?
Wow! That’s a tough one. For image editing, Camera+. For panoramics, AutoStitch. For online storage, DropBox. For social media, Twitter. For games, AngryBirds (of course!) and Amazing Breaker. For health and fitness, RunKeeper. For remote support, GoToMeeting and GoToMyPC. For ordering pizza, Papa Johns. For scheduling flights, Delta. For getting around New York City, NYC Subway. That’s just a handful of apps that I have. Unlike most, I also have a huge amount of “geeky” apps for networking, bit and byte calculations, etc.
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I have started the huge task of scaning and saving my 12×12 albums spaning over 10 years. It is my New Years resolution! So far I have scanned 2 albums. My question is how should I save these files? Should I use a disc, USB or similar? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also I have photos on negatives, disc’s, USB and computer files. Any suggestions on how to best organise these.? We get so busy with life and the organising gets forgotten.
You’re right, life does get very busy! As I mentioned in a question above, organization is very personal, and difficult to respond to in a short response like this. I personally don’t organize a whole lot other than linearly and chronologically. That’s the easiest for me.
When scanning your 12×12 pages, the higher the resolution the better. If I were just going to re-print them, 600×600 is more than enough, but for long-term archive, you may want to consider 1,200×1,200. Yes, this will result in a much larger file size, but will cover your bases for long-term archive. You never know when you may be asked to put one on a billboard.
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When I am browsing sites (mainly blogs I read) and I was actually on old navy when the hit happened and was denied by my internet security (kaspersky). It says that an application IE contains a link to web page – gives address, used to steal passwords, credit card numbers and other confidential data. Then it said denied. Am I in danger? I have a PC and I use IE for my web browsing etc. Is there something better?
That sounds like it may have been a phishing attempt. Basically, malware that makes it look like you have a problem and tricks you into buying unnecessary software to fix it. Very annoying. This is one of the reasons why I’m not a big fan of Internet Explorer. I would definitely switch to using either FireFox or Safari (both work great on Windows). You will very likely encounter far fewer problems, and they are much more secure than IE.
I’ll emphasize it again and again – Project Life is designed for simplicity. If you need a pep talk about this, be sure you see my recent post: Project Life in its Most Basic Form.
However … anyone who has been following my blog + facebook / twitter posts has noticed a flurry of creative idea-sharing. While I strongly promote the simplicity of Project Life, I am also fully aware that many do love to embellish and personalize and add their own flair as a creative outlet. I have personally evolved in kind of a full-circle way, in that simple is my personal style and I don’t add much of anything. And yet – I do love that so many enjoy the creative aspect of scrapbooking as well. Project Life is completely flexible that way.
No matter if you are using Project Life in the most basic form or you’re seeking for creative ideas, you are sure to feel inspired as you see what others are doing. Today we’re sharing some recent layouts from our Creative Team.
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{ but first! }
Please help me welcome our newest Creative Team member – Jessica Sprague!
Heard of her before? Yep. It’s the same Jessica Sprague that carries the Digital Project Life elements on her website. And guess what? She is actually doing Project Life this year and we are so pleased that she’ll be sharing her layouts with us. It’s so fun have Jessica join our Creative Team and I know many will be inspired by her work.
In case you’re wondering (I have a feeling the question will come up) … yes, we are considering adding another digi Creative Team member or two, to represent the digital side of things.
Pages by Deb Duty using the Turquoise Edition (currently sold out; not sure when it will be back in stock yet). She used a Design G Photo Pocket Page (back in stock early February) to combine horizontal + vertical photos to the full-sized Design A layout. You can see the front + the back of that above.
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Layout by Jennifer Woodbury, using the Amber Edition.Also used: Classic Calico Scrap Pad from Studio Calico; Ali Edwards 365 Photo Overlays; C-Line Flip Pocket 4×6 Page Protectors.
Jennifer’s comments: “This is a layout that illustrates something I love to do in my Project Life albums, which is to show connections across time. Current photos often remind me of moments and photos from the past, and when that happens I like to try to incorporate the older photo in the layout as well. In this layout, the photo I took of my #2 & #3 daughters going down the slide holding hands reminded me of a similar photo from two years ago of my #1 & #2 daughters. I used a flip up page protector to showcase the older photo. This layout also shows how I sometimes incorporate current events into my Project Life album, with a photo and journaling about Steve Jobs.”
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Pages by Liz Tamanaha. Do you love, love, love how she implemented her girls’ art? She used kraft paper from paper source; striped journaling card from her then & now journaling card kit by paislee press + three paper peonies; vintage label stamp from purple onion designs.
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Pages by Marcy Penner, who brilliantly pulls little bits + pieces from her stash to mix and match and always implements little Instagram prints.
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MaryAnn Perry used a Big Envelope Page (back in stock again in early February) to keep lots of memorabilia from the month of December. She created the 4×6 insert with one of the papers from the Original Edition of the Digital Project Life Paper Pack. Also used: Ali Edwards Brush for the title Holiday Word Art Vol. 03.
Pages by MaryAnn Perry. She did a little mix + match because her title card is from the Turquoise Edition and her journaling cards are from the Clementine Edition. In addition to the Design A Photo Pocket Page (coming back early February like almost everything else that is sold out), she used Design E as well, and trimmed it down to 6×6. She also used the 6×12 Page Protector. Also used: Ali Edwards Templates (December Daily Template Package Vol. 04); Cathy Zielske Templates + 6 x 12 Photo Templates; Avery Small + Large Adhesive Tabs; Technique Tuesday Stamps (December Daily 2011 by Ali Edwards); Cosmo Cricket Tiny Text TX903; Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher.
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Pages by Michelle Wooderson. You’ll notice she used a 6×12 Page Protector (coming back early February) to add some extra highlights, like a handwritten list and her husband’s warning (oops!).
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Pages by Monica McNeill, who included her boys’ “Guess How Many” journal cards from the party (she set out Amber Edition cards for them to write on) and also included pieces from the Turquoise Edition. She trimmed down Design F to accommodate the number of cards that she had, and worked this in with Design A and Design G. Also used: Decorative Paper Tape Numbers + Vintage Numbers Rubber Stamps from Cavallini & Co.; Star Banner Yellow Stickers + Border Stickers Brown from Jenni Bowlin; Tiny Type from Cosmo Cricket; Graph Paper Bag from MishMash; Wood Grain Tag + Honeycomb Tag from Banana Fish Studio; Scrap Pads from Studio Calico; Mini Market Stickers Red&Cream from October Afternoon; Tickets from Tim Holtz; Smash Pad Entertainment from K & Co.
I’m still pinching myself that Project Life really is available on Shutterfly. We love comments like this one from Nicole: Becky, I am working on Project Life through Shutterfly and it is AMAZING! I LOVE LOVE everything and I LOVE most of all how I can customize everything the way I want it but with such ease!
The Shutterfly platform is fairly simple to use but I’m sure it seems quite overwhelming for someone transitioning from physical scrapbooking product. I want to address the questions and comments that are coming in, hopefully resulting in a better understanding about this Project Life option. If you’re ready to dig in and give it a try, click HERE for the Turquoise Edition or click HERE for the Clementine Edition.
{ Note } You can find some of my tips and inspiration for taking everyday photos in the Storytelling section on Shutterfly: Documenting Everyday Life
{ Also Note } I am personally using the Shutterfly photo book version of Project Life for our family’s 2012 yearbook and will happily share some of my own layouts soon, as well as samples from others who have submitted their screen shots. The purpose of this specific post is to answer your questions and address your concerns and as you will see, it’s long enough as it is. We’ll come back to the “fun side” and idea-sharing later.
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I thought the Shutterfly version would be a simple drop-in-my-pictures-and-add-my-journaling approach but it looks more complicated than that.
It absolutely is that simple, actually. The page templates (called “Idea Pages” on Shutterfly) are set up so that all you do is drop in your pictures and add your journaling. That’s it. You only alter the design if you want. I wonder if it “looks” more complicated because of the layouts being less “linear” than what most of our Project Life products are like.
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I’ve looked at it but starting seems so overwhelming. What is the best way to get started?
Since Project Life is designed around ‘bite size’ portions of photos and stories a week at a time, I recommend you set aside “Project Life time” each week to select your favorite pictures and create a spread. That’s my personal approach to creating our family yearbook this year and I anticipate spending about a half hour or so each week creating a spread about the previous week. As for getting started …
2. Next you will be prompted to “choose pictures for your book”. You can upload the desired photos from your computer, an existing album in your Shutterfly account or Facebook.
3. Once uploaded, “select” then “add” photos to your book. After the photos have been added a pop up will appear with 8 quick tips to making an amazing photo book. If you haven’t made a Shutterfly photo book before, spending a couple of minutes to review these tips will give you a great head start!
4. Your photos will be added to a tray at the bottom of your screen from which you can drag and drop them onto the pages as desired. If you’re adding a lot of photos at once (let’s say you want to make a book about last year), you may want to consider using the “auto fill” feature which places the pictures for you chronologically based on their time stamp. If you choose to do this, start by making sure you’re happy with the way your photos are laid out. Then go back to add captions and any other journaling you want.
5. If you want or need to play with the layout of the page to fit your photos or the amount of text you want to include, go into “customize mode” by clicking on the “customize page” link in the bottom left corner of your screen. Make the desired changes to the template and click “apply changes”. Customize mode allows you to easily move or resize any photo space, embellishment or text box. You can also add more text boxes as well.
That’s it! Oh, one last thing to keep in mind – don’t worry about if you’re making the “right decision” about which Project Life edition to use or which book size you want. You can always change size or style at any point before you order your book! Very cool.
{ Note } When it comes to the nitty-gritty and the technical side of creating your book, please go directly to Shutterfly for help as I will not be able to help you if you leave a comment on my blog, for example. The fastest and easiest way to find answers to your questions is through their FAQs. If you are unable to get the answers you need you can contact their customer service department by:
When you get started with a Project Life photo book, the default size is 12×12 but you can change that if you’d like something smaller. Shutterfly photo books are available in the following 5 sizes:
12×12 square (hard cover only)
8×8 square (hard or soft cover)
8×11 landscape (hard or soft cover)
7×9 (soft cover only)
5×7 landscape (soft cover only)
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Once you start the book how long do you have to complete it? Can I work on it over the whole year?
Indefinitely. And yes, you can work on it as long as you’d like. As I mentioned, I will take the entire year to create our family yearbook in 2012. I’ll do a 2-page spread each week until the end of the year, and then I’ll print the book. I think many people are planning to do something like this as well.
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I’m a dedicated Project Lifer with the physical product but I’ll admit that the photo books intrigue me. It doesn’t make sense for me to do both but do you have any thoughts on this?
What is so exciting about this year for Project Life, is that we have all these OPTIONS now. We have the physical product, the digital product on JessicaSprague.com, and the photo book option on Shutterfly. Pick one that floats your boat. But if you just love the idea of trying a couple options, then by all means – go right ahead! Perhaps you’re using the physical product for your regular, everyday documenting and photos. If you want to try the Shutterfly option too, perhaps you could create a photo book that focuses on a person, trip, or theme. Create a book about the last family reunion, your parents’ anniversary, your daughter’s first year of college, whatever. Anything. The photo books don’t have to be as thick and involved as say, a full-sized scrapbook.
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Will there be other designs, or just Clementine and Turquoise?
I would absolutely love to have ALL Project Life designs available on Shutterfly but the thing is … that wasn’t up to me. Shutterfly has a LOT of photo book designs and lots more coming, so they could only choose two designs for now. Depending on how customers like our designs there, we’ll see if it’s possible to add more Projection Life designs in the future.
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How many pages is the Project Life photo book? I want to do a photo-a-day book for this year, which would require 104 pages (1 week per layout x 52 weeks) + title page + last page.
The “default” book is set up to be 20 pages, just like every other Shutterfly photo book, but you can increase the number of pages. Currently their maximum page count is 101; however Shutterfly is working intently to increase the page maximum to 111 to allow for enough pages to create a complete Project Life book with a spread for each week. This should be available sometime in March.
Guess what, Project Lifers? This is due in large part to your voice. We do hear you, we listen, and we are grateful to Shutterfly for working hard to make it possible.
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How does the cost of the Shutterfly version end up comparing with the physical product? If, for example, you were doing a picture a day for a year, would the photo book be more or less than buying the physical Project Life stuff and printing all the pictures?
Excellent question. But I’ll be upfront and tell you – it’s not as easy a question as you’d think. There are several variables that will affect the final cost of a photo book – size and cover are only part of it. First of all, I think the regular price of a 12×12 hardcover book is $54.99 but it goes on sale fairly often. Second, the cost of additional pages varies by size so adding a 12×12 page costs more than adding 8×11 or 8×8, etc. Note: The additional cost is for a ONE SIDED page.
Creating a photo book with one layout per week would total 106 pages (52 spreads x 2pgs/spread PLUS the Title and End pages) which would require the customer to buy 86 additional pages. At $1.50/pg (for the 12×12 size) that would bring the total cost of roughly $184 + tax and shipping. So let’s assume we’re talking about a $184 photo book, which would be without any discounts at all. (I want to point out that discounts and coupons are available frequently, so this truly is the “worst-case scenario” and definitely on the high side.)
Okay, now let’s look at the price of the physical product. Let’s say you stick with just the basics to create a full scrapbook. That would be a Binder + Project Life Core Kit + Big Pack of Photo Pocket Pages. Without any “extras”, we are looking at about $65. Now let’s look at the cost of photo printing. Again, this is variable and we have to keep in mind that the cost of printing photos is different from place to place. Let’s say you print your photos very economically – at Costco, for example. Those prints are currently 13 cents/print. Let’s say you print 365 prints for a full year’s worth of pictures, which would definitely fill an entire album. That’s nearly $50 in printing. So the grand total of physical product + printing your photos = $115.
So you can see how there’s not really a simple answer. Even with the numbers I’m throwing around here, that’s not considering that most photo book makers will likely find a coupon to use, which will bring the cost of the photo book way down. And perhaps your favorite place to print photos costs more than 13 cents per print, which would bring the cost of a physical scrapbook project up. So really – the price comparison could be a wash!
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The page templates provided in the default 20-page book are pretty cool but they don’t all fit my personal style. Do I have other options?
Yes, there are a whole bunch of Idea Pages (page templates) to choose from and you can switch those out as you wish.
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There isn’t a lot of journaling on the page templates. What if I have more to write?
You’re right; the way the pages are set up, there are just little bits of journaling here and there. The advantage to this, is that anyone who doesn’t feel confident about their writing, or perhaps doesn’t want to say much, that’s just fine. However, the text boxes are adjustable and you can make them larger for adding more text. I know I’ll be doing this.
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I was expecting to see the Project Life classic layout (like the Design A Photo Pocket Page) but instead I see a totally different collection of layout designs. Are you planning to add the more traditional layout as an option?
Yes! Based on the desire for this (expressed by many of you), Shutterfly is working on adding an Idea Page (page template) so that you have that option. It takes time to implement and test and they are working on it. We really do listen, we hear you, and we work hard to provide solutions. We are grateful to Shutterfly for hearing you too and as soon as they have that layout template ready, we’ll announce it.
Just to clarify: When Shutterfly adds this classic Project Life “Design A” Idea Page to the collection, you will automatically see that in your page template options, even if you’ve already started a book. In fact, I know many of you will want to create the entire photo book with that layout design so that it mimics the physical product and everything is lined up and organized, and the journaling cards go through the middle and everything. Some of you are familiar with a similar, linear format that we used to have with Ziblio. If you want that, you can certainly have that by making every page the “Design A” template. In fact, I’m contemplating doing that myself, at least on some of the pages. If you want to hold out until that is available, you certainly can. Just keep your pictures in one place and you can quickly drop them in when the time comes (crossing our fingers for very soon).
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I was hoping to see more Project Life Journaling Cards.
Because we are adding the Design A page template, it makes sense to add some Journaling Cards as well. Note: Shutterfly has completely maxed out the number of embellishments that we can offer per Project Life design. In other words, we are pleased to at least be able to squeeze in 10 Journaling Cards per design, but unfortunately we’re not able to add ALL of the journaling cards that you find in the physical product (Core Kit).
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What do you do about the memorabilia and the “stuff” of life? It doesn’t seem like I can implement this into a photo book like I can with the physical product.
You’re right, to an extent. There are pros + cons to each option, and that’s why you have to choose what works best for you. Can you include actual, physical, dimensional “stuff” to a photo book? Well – not really. Can you scan or photograph those items (receipts, movie tickets, programs, awards, ribbons, etc.) and make them a part of your story in a photo book? Absolutely. That’s what I do.
Let’s say you strongly prefer the photo book (personally, I love that the end result is a skinny, professionally bound book simply because we already have so many full-sized scrapbooks in our home from being a lifetime scrapbooker). Let’s say that you also don’t want to let go of the “stuff”. Solution: Get a 12×12 Binder + Big Envelope Pages (currently sold out but available again early February) and keep a binder with a Big Envelope Page full of memorabilia for each year – or however you decide to use them. Naturally, organizing + displaying memorabilia in our Photo Pocket Pages is also a great idea. Having a 12×12 binder specifically for all the “stuff” that doesn’t fit in your photo books would certainly be an option to consider.
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I’ve created other photo books on Shutterfly and there are certain design elements I like from other designs. Can I use them in my Project Life photo book?
You bet! In fact, two of our very own Creative Team members have also designed books for Shutterfly (Ali and Liz) and I bet they have very cool elements that many of you would love.
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Will you still be able to do the cover of the book as a single photo like you did for your family yearbooks? I loved that look, and am ready to jump in and try Shutterfly.
You have as much flexibility with the cover as you do with any of the other pages. Shutterfly makes the whole experience customizable. Again, I want to re-emphasize that you do not have to be creative or spend time altering pages in a Project Life photo book. It’s designed to drop in your pictures, add a little journaling, and be done.
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Will there be a school version available in the future?
Let’s hope! One step at a time, my friend. : )
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How true-to-color does the finished product from Shutterfly come out?
Color calibration and resolution is different for every computer so it’s hard to judge what your expectations are based on the computer you’re looking at, but Shutterfly print tests every style to ensure the final product accurately reflects the designer’s intent and their color palette was developed specifically with accurate, high quality color in mind.
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Can I save each page as a jpg on my computer for printing?
Shutterfly is introducing a new feature in February which will enable you to download a pdf of your book for easier proofing before you order. The pdf WILL have a watermark and is intended for proofing only.
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I want to print my pages outside of an album and use them for a hybrid album. I don’t see the option to just print pages in 12×12 format.
Unfortunately, you can’t print the pages in your book one-by-one. They only come in a bound album. If you’d like to create digital scrapbook pages for say, a hybrid scrapbook, you will love the Project Life products available in digital format at JessicaSprague.com.
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Do I pay for it only after I order it? I’m assuming I keep working on it until it’s done and then place the order and pay.
Yes, you are only charged when you order. Take as much or as little time as you’d like to create the book. As I mentioned, I will literally build upon our family yearbook a week at a time in 2012 and will print at the end of the year.
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What is the maximum file size for pictures when uploading them? Can you upload RAW format, or does it have to be jpg?
Only jpg formatted photos can be uploaded. I don’t think there is a maximum size but the bigger the file the longer it will take to load. Shutterfly recommends a maximum file size of 4-6MB.
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Does Shutterfly ship internationally? I live in Australia and am curious about that option, and the cost.
Yes! Shutterfly does ship internationally. Shipping costs are based on book size and can be found HERE.
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I have trouble with the captions. I can’t seem to get them the right size.
You can resize the text boxes by going into ‘customize’ mode and changing the size of the box. Additionally, you can change the font size by clicking on the text box.
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Is there a way to have plain white boxes with rounded corners to use for journaling that can be adjusted to ANY size? I played with the grid ones that I found and they can be adjusted in size but have to maintain their proportions it seems. If I want a square or just an itty bity rectangle that is wider than it is tall I want that option. You don’t always need or have room for the proportions of the grid ones on there.
Unfortunately, you can only change the size of embellishments (including the journaling cards) in proportion to their original size. However, if you don’t see what you want in the Project Life kit, you can also search Shutterfly’s extensive palette of embellishments to see if something closer to what you want is available there. There are several shapes and sizes of tabs or frames that could fulfill your need.
To search, click on the “embellisments” tab to the far left of your screen. Then click on the link for “get more stickers”. This will bring up a search box that includes EVERY embellishment available in all 70+ styles Shutterfly offers! For your particular search, click “Categories” then click on the boxes for “Frames” and/or “Organizers”. All sorts of options will appear. Click on the ones you’d like to add use, then click “Add to Project”. These will now appear in your project’s embellishments palette on the left side of your screen. Remember, these can also be re-sized using customize mode.
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Will we be able to use coupons or Shutterfly discount codes to purchase the book?
Absolutely!
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I’ve been creating a book on Shutterfly and overall, I love it. But there are a few things with the program that make it difficult. 1.) No zoom 2.) No copy + paste 3.) No undo when you are in customize page mode 4.) No redo anywhere . Any chance you have connections with Shutterfly and can get these things addressed?
These are all great ideas. #3 is on the short list to address in the next couple of months (however just to be clear if you haven’t already “applied changes” you can just click “cancel” to undo any changes you have made to the page). Shutterfly will definitely look into your other requests as they plan for future enhancements.
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Where is the copy function so I can duplicate pages?
Shutterfly does not currently have a “copy” function but is currently working on one which should be available in the coming weeks.
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I am loving it but it doesn’t auto save. I lost tons that way and had to redo it all.
Shutterfly is in the process of reviewing an auto save function to make sure it will work as intended and expect updates shortly. We encourage you to save your project frequently on your own to avoid the loss of work.
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Please beg Shutterfly to upgrade their iPad app. I want to do my Project Life on it soooo bad!
The current creation path is built in flash which doesn’t work on the iPad. Shutterfly is DEFINITELY working on opportunities to create books on the iPad (and other tablets) but due to the extensive work required to accomplish this and ensure it runs smoothly, it’s probably not something that will be available this year.
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Can I order more than one book at the end of the year? I know my girls will want their own copy. I understand you can order more pages, I didn’t see where you could order more than one book. What would be the cost of each additional book?
Yes! You can order as many copies as you want at any time. You will select the quantity you need when you begin the order process. One of the biggest advantages of creating your book in Shutterfly is that you can even order the book in different sizes for different recipients! So if you want a big, beautiful 12×12 book but your girls only want it in 8×8 – NO PROBLEM! Isn’t that so cool? Shutterfly also SAVES your project indefinitely so if you decide you want to order more copies of your book as gifts at Christmas or for a birthday or Mother’s Day or whatever, you can go back into your account and just order another book (again, in any size). Costs vary by size but each book of the same size will be the same price. Prices do not vary with quantities.
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{ Once again … } If you need tech support or have specific questions about your project (or prices or coupon options or other questions), please do not ask here on my blog or contact our Customer Service, as we are not the experts. Shutterfly is all set up with customer support for anyone creating a Shutterfly book. You can contact their customer service department by:
J habite en france, ou puis je trouver les fournitures?
I love that we got an email in French! This reader lives in France and is wondering where she can buy Project Life. The answer for her, and for all Europeans is HERE. Anyone who lives anywhere outside the U.S. can go HERE to find your closest distributor for Becky Higgins products.
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Is there any chance we can purchase the Project Life boxes that the old kits used to come in, to protect the albums when moving?
No, sorry. Those were nice but they’re gone.
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Are there any plans to make monthly dividers that are more like the ones from the past kits? I loved the clear dividers with the color designs printed on them.
Yep, we’re working on bringing those back – a set to go with each Project Life edition. But first, we have more of our Scrapbook Dividers coming and those will be available again on amazon in a few weeks. They are neutral and classic and work well with any theme or style.
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I’ve been considering Project Life for a couple of years now, and thought I was familiar with the whole thing. But now that I am ready to buy, I don’t see anywhere the details of what is included in the Core Kit. What do the title cards say? Are the journaling cards already in there?
When you click on any of our Core Kits on the Products page, you’ll be linked to their listing on amazon. Here you will see more details and several images of the contents. You will probably also benefit from seeing my posts – What Exactly is in a Core Kit? and Project Life Core Kit: A Closer Look at the Cards. I appreciate your question because I do think it would be good to include more specific information (# of cards, # of sticker sheets, sizes, etc.) on our Amazon listings for the Core Kits. Thank you! We’ll work on that.
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I would love to know how you organize your recipes! I would like to make a book of some sort and I’ve been brainstorming. You have such awesome ideas – thought I would ask!
Oh wow. I’m am so not the person to be asking about recipe organization at this very moment. Unfortunately. In fact, thank you for reminding me that I have actually been neglecting the Recipes section of my web site. However, if you haven’t checked that out in a while, it does stand as a wonderful little place that I have collected some of our favorites.
I wish I had a fantastic answer for you and one day – I kinda think I should come up with a great solution since I do love organization and I do love good recipes. But for right now, my recipes are so unorganized. Some are in a cute little recipe book I used to keep up with, some are on the computer, some are scribbled on a piece of paper and shoved in a binder. Some are hiding in a recipe book and itching for me to pay attention and actually make it! So no – I’m sorry I don’t have a great idea. However, I have a very strong feeling that some of your fellow readers will love to chime in with their solutions and favorite recipe-organizing sites. : )
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What is the best way to add the different sized Christmas cards into Project Life?
Great timing on this question, as I’m sure many of you are contemplating – do I throw all the cards away? Do I keep them? If so, what do I do with them? Well if you want to implement them into your album (not necessarily Project Life, but any 12×12 scrapbook) … there are a couple thoughts I have on this: 1) Simply place all the cards you’re keeping in a Big Envelope Page (these will be back in stock in a few weeks if you missed them earlier). Or 2) If you’d like to see them in your album instead of tucking them away, you could simply trim down the cards that are not a perfect fit for the standard pocket sizes … and use any of our Photo Pocket Pages to store and display your cards. In fact, I’d be willing to bet many of the cards would be perfectly fine to trim down to even a 3×4 size.
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I know there are a lot of suggestions for a 3×4 punch … Any thoughts on whether you might do this one/think its crazy/etc?
We don’t think it’s crazy. We think it’s brilliant. And we’re working on making that possible.
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What size corner rounder should I get so they’re the same size as the corners on the Project Life cards?
Personally, I use THIS one and I’m very pleased with how the rounded corners look, as well as the quality of the tool itself.
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My son is 14, and I am 13 years and 9 months behind on scrapbooking. No joke. I’ve made 3 pages and one wasn’t even about him, lol! I’m considering starting Project Life, starting from when he was a baby. I have always been overwhelmed with scrapbook layouts, supplies, etc. Do you think this would work?
Ab. so. lute. ly. I created this for you. You will find it to be incredibly gratifying and liberating when you toss that guilt and pressure out the window and simply start sticking those photos into Photo Pocket Pages, resulting in caught-up albums for your son.
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Does anybody have a solution on how to carry out your Project Life while waiting for products to come back in stock? Would love suggestions, as I don’t want to get so far behind.
I would invite anyone who wants to contribute their thoughts, to please do so. My thoughts: Take pictures as you planned to take pictures in 2012 (whether it’s just random/whenever or a photo-a-day approach). Keep the pictures that you know you want to use in a folder on your computer called “Project Life 2012″ … or go ahead and print the pictures you plan to use. Additionally, jot down a few notes to go with your pictures that you don’t want to forget, whether it’s on a note-taking app or in a document on your computer, or handwritten on a note pad. Just keep all your notes in one place.
When those Big Packs of Photo Pocket Pages are back in stock in a few weeks, you’ll be ready to snatch up what you need, drop in those pictures, catch up on your 3×4 journaling cards and be right on track.
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{ a couple favorite comments }
Debra said: I have just discovered you … it’s like you read my mind. I love scrapbooking and taking pictures but don’t have time. Your system seems perfect!
Stacy said: You rock! You encourage me to continue putting the emphasis on the photos, not on all the foofee stuff. Thank you.
We are super happy to welcome Miss Kelly Purkey to the Project Life Creative Team and we think you’ll love what she has to share with us in 2012 as she embarks on doing Project Life to document her own adventures. Get to know her HERE.
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{ no. 2 | digital project life tutorial }
If anyone would be the master at helping others to understand how to use the digital Project Life templates that are available on JessicaSprague.com, who would that be? Uh, yeah. Jessica Sprague. Well guess what? Jessica whipped up a little video tutorial out of the goodness of her heart and I think you’ll fine it really helpful. Check it out HERE.
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{ no. 3 | photo inspiration }
I put together a little collection of personal photos to share on Shutterfly, hoping to inspire others to document the everyday. You can check that out HERE.
There are a couple other related photo collections that I think are specifically inspiring to Project Lifers:
Lili Niclass, the fabulous and super sweet designer behind the Clementine Edition has just released a few extra Journaling Cards that coordinate and you can check them out HERE. She also has a set of 4×6 photo collages (HERE) that I think many of you will be pretty over-the-moon excited about.
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{ no. 5 | 6×12 templates + tutorial }
Most of you know that Ali Edwards creates some of the best digital templates and many of them go so perfectly as an add-on to Project Life. She recently added templates specific for the 6×12 Page Protector (currently sold out but available again in a few weeks) and also shared a video tutorial for working with the layered templates. You’ll find all of that HERE.
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{ no. 6 | inspiration for stuff to keep }
Jessica Turner (The Mom Creative) has come up with a wonderful resource and free printable that Project Lifers will love. It’s a document called 100 bits of Life and you can get it HERE.
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{ no. 7 | project life for free }
Right now there are 2 Project Life giveaways happening so be sure to go enter for a chance to win. Go to The TomKat Studio and Margie Romney-Aslett‘s blog. Both giveaways close tomorrow – Thursday night.
Be sure to click on those Amazon links to see several detailed shots of each binder. They are both made with the very best materials. Crafted by We R Memory Keepers, just like our Project Life Binders. It’s a gorgeous coated paper. They are beautiful. Classic. Timeless. Stylish. And … yes, they are wipe-able (because that’s an important quality about a binder that’s being handled, if you ask me).
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{ a gift for you }
We are pleased to share with you … Project LifeBINDER LABELS! They are free, they are fun, they are available to match each of our current Project Life editions, and they are HERE. Right now. Enjoy.
Monica McNeill shows how she printed the labels on a textured cardstock, trimmed to the exact size, and adhered the design to the folded piece that comes in every binder. Note: You can just discard that folded piece that comes with the binder if you want to eliminate thickness.
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Even if you’re not using our Signature Binders but you are using another type of album by We R Memory Keepers (or any other brand with a label holder on the spine), feel free to use the labels as you wish.
Amber Edition label shown in a black leather binder from We R Memory Keepers | Photo by Jennifer Woodbury
You know, when I started this “Feedback Friday” thing in December, I didn’t expect so much to “come up” that would keep me from being consistent with my Friday posts. But it has. And you know what? Stuff will continue to come up again and again because that’s how life works out. So instead of my instinctual desire to say “Sorry I’m late with this post” or “Sorry we’re skipping Feedback Friday this week” or “Sorry I haven’t finished that video that I talked about” or whatever … I’ll just remember that ya’ll get it. Life happens to you, too. : )
Now. On to Feedback TUESDAY … responding to your comments + questions on various topics.
Do you know of a good book or resource on how to be a better blogger or how to get started with blogging?
Oh goodness, there are so many resources out there. There are books about blogging and blogs about blogging and conferences that are specific to bloggers. But I’m afraid I don’t really know of any one, specific resource that is “the” best because I never sought after any formal blogging education. Maybe some fellow readers/bloggers can chime in on this one? I will mention that I know of a conference coming up in April that I think would be a lot of fun and useful for those who are interested in learning more about blogging. It’s called SNAP and you can learn all about it here.
I began this blog 5 years ago for the purpose of sharing, uplifting, and inspiring. I guess my personal advice (purely based on personal experience) would be to make sure that you are absolutely, positively passionate about what you’re blogging about. People who start with the I-want-to-try-to-make-money-by-blogging mentality aren’t as likely to find success or enjoyment for that matter. I am never, ever “searching” for things to blog about because I am genuinely passionate about cultivating a good life and recording it and helping others to have success with that. While I spend a good chunk of time blogging, it hardly feels like work and the content comes very naturally in the context of what I love, and what I do, and what I love to do.
*We’re not talking about personal/family blogs; that’s different. I assume the person who asked this question is interested in starting a blog that would be open to anyone and everyone and I assume they are interested in monetizing a blog or creating a blog to support their small business.
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Is the weight of the cardstock in Cobalt and Clementine products the same as the Amber and Turquoise products from last year?
Yes, it is exactly the same.
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I love the idea of sharing Project Life layouts and seeing what others are doing. What’s the best way to share my pages too?
I love all the sharing too – it’s awesome + inspiring! In fact, right now there is such an abundant amount of sharing and posting and chatting about everyone who is doing Project Life that I’m finding I can’t keep up with seeing everything that everyone is doing.
We have an official Project Life Community over at Big Picture Classes. It’s completely free and includes a forum for idea-sharing, it’s a great place to ask questions of other Project Lifers, and of course there is a gallery dedicated to sharing layouts. This is a wonderful place to share your layouts!
Also: Jessica Turner (The Mom Creative) hosts Project Life Tuesday on her blog each week, which is where anyone can link up to their layouts. She does this because she loves, uses, and believes in Project Life – not because I asked her to. Hey, guess what? It’s Tuesday right now! Head over to her blog and check it out.
Also: Our Digital Project Life offering on JessicaSprague.com comes with a gallery for idea-sharing as well.
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I’m brand-new to Project Life and wondering how to use the bi-fold cards.
The bi-fold cards are designed to give you twice as much real estate as a regular 3×4 journaling card. This is handy for those days when you have more to say. I know some people like to go beyond that as they attach small pictures, movie ticket stubs, or other memorabilia on the bi-fold cards as well. Fill it up however you’d like, then fold on the scored line and insert into a 3×4 pocket. Or … leave it unfolded and insert in a 4×6 pocket.
Any chance there will be a Project Life Wedding or Baby edition?
Absolutely there is a chance! In fact, that’s the plan. Just not right this second. In fact, don’t plan on seeing those products in 2012. We are prioritizing the school/childhood version of Project Life before any other themes. As you know, the school/childhood stuff is taking a little longer due to the “life happens” theme I mentioned a minute ago. (*sigh*)
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I have about 20 years of photos to catch up on. Not proud of that, but happy they are in boxes awaiting a glorious unveiling. Please help me get a sense of what I might need to put together some albums and get caught up. Just wondering if you have a good suggestion for a basic “Dig yourself out” package.
“Dig yourself out” package!? That’s awesome. The good news is that I absolutely have a recommendation. The bad news is most of what I’m recommending has sold out … but more good news is that it will all be back in stock next month. Lucky for you, waiting another month isn’t such a big deal when you’re talking about pictures that have been waiting around for 20 years. : )
My recommendation: Get a bunch of the Photo Pocket Pages (Big Packs of 60 are the best value). Then decide – Do you want there to be a designer look to the albums or a plain/classic look? If designs are important for adding flavor, pick up a Core Kit (as many as you need) in whatever edition(s) floats your boat. Or … if you want to have the most timeless, neutral look of all, get a bunch of the plain grid 3×4 Journaling Cards for all the notes and stories and captions you want to add with the pictures. Put everything in some nice binders (note: our classic Signature Binders will be available this week) and that’s all you need! Oh, and a pen. : )
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I can see how the Design F Photo Pocket Page design would be really cool for school pictures and trading cards but how does it work with my regular Project Life album?
Picture this: A title card in the top corner and then all the 3×4 pockets filled with your kids’ scanned art (mini versions) … or a bunch of 3×4 cards with family quotes or “momisms” that you say all the time … or fill it with 3×4 pictures to simply get more on a page. Design F is one of my absolute favorites because of being able to get so much onto one page while still maintaining an organized look. Here’s how Liz Tamanaha used Design F for her 2011 Project Life title page.
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I’m just curious to find out why European customers have to wait longer to get Project Life?
I really wish our friends there in Europe could have access to Project Life now, trust me! Product is making its way but it’s a long way to travel and it’s a much more complicated process to get it all there than one might realize. But it’s coming – next month I believe. If you are in the UK or anywhere in Europe, go here to sign up for email updates from Tammy Morales. She’s keeping her customers well informed.
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I’m taking most of my pictures with Instagram these days. Since these are square photos, what’s the best way for me to implement them into the Photo Pocket Pages? Are you coming out with a design that will work for square photos?
First of all, me too! A lot of my daily photos are taken on my iPhone, using the Instagram app. Secondly, yes – we are planning to offer more Photo Pocket Page designs that meet the needs that so many of us have for square photos. I’ll share the ETA on that as soon as I have one (we’re working on it).
In the meantime, try using Design E for a super dramatic Instagram page once in a while (6×6 square pockets). Personally, I think that would be so cool. On a more “normal” scale for implementing those Instagrams, check out what Marcy Penner does. She uses square pictures a lot and simply adds them to her 4×6 and 3×4 cards.
I know there are apps/printing services for the Instagram (and similar) images but I haven’t personally tested them myself yet. The one I hear about the most is PostalPix and I hear it’s great. If you’re interested in printing yourself or uploading the images to your favorite printer, Deb Duty shares a quick tutorial on her blog HERE that shows you step-by-step how to prepare those files to print. Simple stuff.
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Do you have suggestions for how to incorporate 3.5×5 photos into the Project Life format? I’m helping my mom consolidate my family’s photos from my childhood into several Project Life albums and the first several years are primarily 3.5×5 and then they switch to 4×6 pictures.
I think mounting those pictures on 4×6 cards seems like the most natural solution so that you can slip those into the 4×6 pockets. We are going to be coming out with 4×6 grid cards (ETA to be announced) and that will help a lot, especially with projects like what you’re talking about. I think it’s awesome that you’re getting all those old photos into albums. Good for you and your mom! What a neat project to work on together, too.
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I am wondering about the number stickers included in the Core Kit. I thought they might be intended for dates, but there is only 1-10 so that doesn’t make sense. But I can’t think of what else they could be used for?
As you know, we included day stickers so that you can label the day of the week as it pertains to specific pictures and journaling cards – if you want. This applies especially well to those who are documenting life with the photo-a-day approach, which of course isn’t everybody’s approach. That is why we also included number stickers, simply for numbering your pictures and journaling cards. For example, you would put a clear “1″ sticker over the first picture and a colored “1″ sticker on the journaling card that goes with that picture. And so forth. It’s not likely that you’ll have more than 10 photos per page, which is why the numbers are 1-10.
Another fun way to use the number stickers is for making lists in your journaling like Deb Duty did in this layout:
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What is the best way to print on the cards using computer and printer? I would appreciate any help or suggestions.
Liz Tamanaha has an excellent + simple tutorial HERE on her blog.
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You said that you are probably going to do two pages per week. Do you mean two pages front and back or do you mean a front and back and count that as two pages?
I mean that one week will be represented with 2 pages that face each other – left side and right side of a layout. When you flip the page in our family book, you would view one week at a time on each two-page spread.
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The Turquoise Edition Core Kit sold out before my eyes. Do you think you will have more of these coming?
It disappeared before our eyes too! One day there were plenty in stock and then over the holidays – *poof* – they were gone. I’m not sure why the sudden surge of interest in that particular edition at that specific time, but we’re thrilled that Turquoise continues to be so well-loved and yes we are making more. I will share an ETA when we have that. In the meantime, the other 3 editions are still available.
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{ a couple favorite comments }
Dana in Texas said: I’m even more excited that I have found Project Life to help me ORGANIZE what I feel and see everyday. I am such a believer in capturing my heart on ‘film’, and preserving future history. I think it is THE main reason I am a photographer, because I know that I am preserving a memory I may not remember otherwise, and on a day I know I will never get back – for me AND other families. It’s an awesome and sometimes overwhelming feeling.
Christie: From the bottom of my heart (tears in my eyes!), I thank you for creating this product. You brought the joy back to me for preserving memories for my family. I’m learning to make it my own, and I’m LOVING the process once again.
*Note: Even though we don’t have our school-related products out yet, Christie is using Project Life products to do her kids’ school albums. Check it out here. Remember that I have been working on making a video that will also share tips on getting organized and how to get things going with your kids’ albums. I’ll do my best to continue sharing inspiration in this department.
In light of sharing an abundant amount of Project Life inspiration this week, today I want to broadcast a very important reminder:
PROJECT LIFE IS DESIGNED TO SIMPLIFY THE PROCESS OF DOCUMENTING LIFE.
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I know, I know, I know. I’m the one sharing a smorgasboard of examples and blog posts that have an abundant amount of inspiration. I am fully aware that this can be overwhelming for some of you – especially if you’re just getting started. All of that sharing is mostly going to appeal to those who have the itch to get creative. I will continue to share creative ideas because you are a large part of my audience.
But … this post is for those of you who really do want to keep things simple. This is for the newbie. The brand-new-to-scrapbooking. The first-timer. The busy + tired. This is for those of you who want to throw in the towel because scrapbooking is just “too much”. This is for your friend/cousin/sister-in-law who doesn’t think she’s cut out for scrapbooking.
Project Life truly is a back-to-basics approach to scrapbooking. Pictures + words. That’s it. Slip it all into pockets and add title cards that are already designed for you. Don’t think about layout design. Don’t think about cutting and pasting anything. SIMPLIFY. Get it done.
I want to share a blog post with you, written by someone who stumbled upon the hobby of scrapbooking, totally loved it, and then found herself totally doing nothing because of how overwhelmed she felt by what everyone else was doing. I really do think many of you will greatly appreciate her words and relate to her experience. This is by Nathalie: Eyes on your own paper, ya’ll.
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My inspiration sharing for today is on the other end of the spectrum from what I’ve been sharing this week. You don’t have to go crazy customizing your Project Life album, because you know what? Your pictures and your words are custom and personal to your story.
Instead of showing you loads of ideas for creative ways you can use Project Life, I am so very pleased to share with you a complete album that was used in the most basic way.
Emily Straw used Project Life to document her family in 2011 – quickly, easily, simply. This is her email:
Hello, Becky! I have to say that I am so, so happy with my Project Life kit from 2011. I finished at 3am on New Year’s Day, in a tradition I decided to start by finishing my album on New Year’s Eve. This is the first year I used your kit and I love it so very much. I am not very eloquent with words, but I wanted to share my finished product with you because you have really helped our family keep our memories from this year safe and special. Thank you for designing such a wonderful system!
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A very special thank-you to Emily for sharing. I know her simple approach to Project Life will inspire many. As a reminder, the very basics are: Binder + Core Kit + Big Pack of Photo Pocket Pages (which are currently sold out but you can pick up some 12-packs or wait until the 60-packs are back in stock in February). Also note: Emily used the Turquoise Core Kit, but that just sold out as well. We still have Amber, Cobalt, and Clementine in stock. All Project Life products are shown here.
Project Life is about your life. Keep it simple, add a little flair, or get fully creative with it. The beautiful thing is – it’s your choice.
Some may call it a dilemma. I call it the big picture. Today we’re talking about something that a lot of us think about … or don’t want to think about … or should think about. : )
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{ the dilemma }
The “dilemma” is best outlined in this recent reader comment. A wife/mom wrote: I’m starting to feel overwhelmed with all the choices and what is “best” for my family. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of girl, and right now I’m doing nothing to preserve my family’s memories because I don’t know which direction to go. Should I do Project Life for each of my kiddos’ first year and then an album a year after that for each of them? Should I just do a family album after their first year album? If I do an album for each kid, do I do a regular Project Life AND a school kit? When they reach the age of going to school, should I just do a school kit? I’m pretty overwhelmed! I feel very motivated to get organized and go through the piles of paperwork/ephemera in the upcoming year–especially since my five-year-old is so inquisitive about his family history. I need suggestions on how to best tackle/organize documenting a family’s life! I’m just at stand-still until I know what simplified approach I should take. Thanks for all you do!
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Okay, first of all — everyone take a deep breath with me.
Inhale. Exhale. Good.
Now I want you to go to your happy place and feel a great sense of calm envelop you. No? That’s not working? Are you feeling stressed about this too?
Okay then. Let’s get real. Here’s the thing: Most of us are facing the very same challenge. I totally get that this reader feels stuck until she knows her game plan. Wanna know why? Because there is something to be said about BEGINNING WITH THE END IN MIND – something I read about years ago when I first read Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. This life principle has stuck with me ever since and absolutely plays a role in my scrapbooking approach + organization.
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{ my recommendation }
If you are interested in being a documenter of life – or if you have already been taking pictures and/or scrapbooking for quite some time – It’s worth stepping away from your tools and supplies and computer … and just step back for a moment (or a day or a week).
Ponder these questions: What do I want the end result to be? Why am I doing this? Who is this for? What do I want to get out of it?
With this type of thought process, many of you will come to a place of greater clarity about your scrapbook organization. It might take a little time to realize whatever it is that you need to realize. But many of you truly will have an a-ha moment. Super. However … Many of you will not necessarily have the light bulb moment, but rather you will throw those questions and this blog post to the wind and say Who cares about a system!? I just want to play!
And you know what? That’s okay too.
“Figuring out” a scrapbook system isn’t for everyone. Sometimes it’s best to just do something. Start somewhere and have fun and that’s it! But for many (myself included), there is great value in thinking about the big picture … even if it evolves and changes a bit over time (which is a thousand percent perfectly okay!).
In addition to your own personal pondering, I’m sharing some additional thoughts on this topic – from me, and from our Creative Team. As with everything else in scrapbooking, there is no right or wrong, no best or worst. Do what feels right for your life, your situation, your family, your sanity. The purpose in sharing these ideas is the hope that something will stand out to you as something you want to consider for your own system … or perhaps a completely different idea not even mentioned here will pop into your mind.
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{ becky }
Here’s my personal approach to memory-keeping for our family: As I think about the big picture (the future), I would like our children to have a series of family yearbooks and a series of personal scrapbooks. It’s a simple plan, and something that I feel I can maintain. Further explanation follows.
Family yearbooks: One book per year, through their entire childhoods. These are thin photo books (I’ve done the past few years this way and will continue now with Project Life templates on Shutterfly). Some years will be more dense with loads of pictures and memories and some years will be just a handful of favorite highlights and moments from the year. And that’s okay. I’m not trying to have them all exactly the same thickness. The idea is that 1) we will have a collection of books that will span across many years, 2) the focus is on family photos + togetherness + memories, and 3) each child will have his/her very own complete set to keep forever. I talked a little more about my approach in yesterday’s post.
Personal scrapbooks: In addition to the family yearbooks, I envision that each child will have a handful of full-sized 12×12 scrapbooks to take with them. I’m not exactly sure what a “handful” means but maybe like 7-8? I would love these albums to be comprehensive in content and yet concise enough that it doesn’t become an overwhelming collection of large albums that require their own mini moving truck when the kids are no longer living with us. (Okay, quick – someone freeze time so that day doesn’t come any quicker!) The idea is that these scrapbooks will 1) focus more on the individual child – personality, milestones, accomplishments, school, sports, hobbies, etc. and 2) be a place to organize and store all the papers, artwork, and other memorabilia specific to the child’s life and experiences.
That’s it. That’s my plan. That’s my big picture. I used to create ongoing family albums (12×12 scrapbooks), which I really do love but the bummer is that those recorded memories won’t really “go” with the kids when they leave home. Ultimately I plan to scan all those pages (holy mother of projects!) and get those into photo books that I can print in multiples as well. A girl can dream, right?
In the meantime, I’ve been getting organized and back on track with the kids’ 12×12 albums and I’ve been video-documenting the process along the way so that I can share that with you. I hoped to do that before the end of 2011 but due to a series of life circumstances, including a really full Christmas season, the video is not quite ready. But I will wrap that up as soon as I can. If you have organization and scrapbooks and your kids’ school stuff on the brain, I think the video will offer some ideas you may be looking for.
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{ marcy }
When I first started scrapbooking I was determined to make it “fair”. Every kid was going to have the same number of layouts to take with them. I was going to be Supermom. After a while reality sank in. I was lucky enough to find time to make one layout. And then to duplicate that 3 times?
I realized that it was more important to get stories recorded once than to worry about my kids taking albums with them. And now that I’ve started Project Life I don’t feel any differently. It’s ours. I don’t worry about dividing up albums when the kids move out, or about who gets what. At the end of the day that’s not a big deal to me. I don’t anticipate a big family fight over layouts and pages. And even if there were I figure I’ll scan everything and burn them to discs and divvy it up that way. I guess it’s one of those “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it” kinda things.
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{deb}
I don’t have profound thoughts on this, but it’s not something that worries me. I have two boys and I just assume that the albums will stay with me until I’m gone and then they can figure it out after that! They’ll just have to share. I started scrapbooking when Alec was born in 1995 and then Mason was born in 1997. Their dad drowned when we were at the beach in 1998 two weeks after Mason’s first birthday. At that point, I had been making a book for each of them. I couldn’t go on with scrapbooking so I just put the books on a shelf and didn’t think about scrapbooking again until I started getting interested in photography ten years later and of course that led me to Becky Higgins and Project Life which I’ve been doing for almost two years. I don’t know if I’ll ever go back and scrap from all the years I missed. Maybe one day.
(By the way, I’m happily remarried to a man who didn’t have any children. He loves Alec and Mason as his own and they both say he’s the best thing that ever happened to them.) In other words … I have two boys who are teens right now. I don’t really stress about what will happen to the albums. At this point I am only doing Project Life – no other scrapbooks. These albums will stay with me until I’m gone. After that, my boys will just have to share them and split them up however they decide. I plan on doing this for every year from here on out so there will be lots of albums to go around!
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{ cathy }
I know for me, that most of the albums will stay with me. I mean, my kids will get their school albums and their baby albums, but I’m keeping everything else here. When I die, they can have at it. ; )
That goes for Project Life as well. It’s our family document and I think it belongs in their family home, even after they’ve flown the coop, which in my case with Aidan, gets closer all the time. Sigh. I’m holding them hostage!
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{ jennifer }
I don’t have it all figured out. Ultimately, I think just getting memories documented is what’s most important. I can’t let myself get too worried about exactly who will get what down the road. I imagine that my Project Life albums will stay with me even after my children leave the house. I just don’t know if they will really want to take such an extensive collection with them. I do want them to have something that is theirs to keep. I’m imagining a more condensed collection of memories; something along the lines of a school album in which multiple years of their lives can fit into one album. But like I said, I’m still figuring things out and just trying not to let the details get in the way of the actual documenting of life.
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{ ali }
I’ve had different thoughts about this over the years. Here’s where I’m at today: I’m making these books as much for my kids to look at today & down the road as for me. Right now the plan is that they will all stay with me. I do Project Life, annual family albums, minibooks, photobooks, and then I also have a baby album for my daughter, quite a few years of albums that are just my son’s stories, plus albums that hold my own stories from yesterday and today. That is a WHOLE LOT of albums. That said, anytime any of my kids have an interest in these albums I will happily hand them over.
For more information on Ali’s thoughts on album organization go here.
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{ monica }
My personal big picture is focused on my family enjoying our scrapbooks right now while the boys are still in my home. In addition to Project Life, I have implemented Stacy Julian’s Library of Memories which means my layouts are categorized by All About Us, People We Love, Things We Do (my Project Life Binders fall into this album category) and Places We Go. While our All About Us has the layouts organized by person I do not focus on maintaining an album for each child. My oldest son has a disproportionate share of layouts right now and I’m OK with that. Why? Because my youngest son’s story is primarily being told in Project Life right now.
I work hard to not get crazy about “even” or “fair” because if I did I wouldn’t be focused on telling the stories that speak to my heart the most right now. I trust that in the end what my children will see is my love for our family throughout all the stages of our life together. I trust in this because both my 7 year old and my 18 month old frequently pull down albums and look through them with wonder. They are not focused on seeing a particular person but instead focused on seeing our life. I see my albums only leaving my home when my husband & I are no longer here. I see these albums as part of my legacy for future generations, not necessarily a possession of a particular child. Right now I am writing my life story for me. I would like to think that there will be someone years from now who sees this as a treasure but as there is no guarantee I focus instead of my boys seeing our scrapbooks as treasures to be enjoyed now.
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{ maryann }
This might sound a little selfish at first but just stick with me for a moment and hopefully it will make more sense as I explain my thought process. My Project Life albums are about our daily lives from my perspective. It includes stuff from our family life, things that my girls experience, the little everyday stuff we do, and how I interpret them. It’s a collection of our lives as a family from my point of view.
That being said it’s not something that needs to be done in duplicate form so each child can have one to take with them when they leave our house. The plan for now is they stay here with me. So I get that this might sound completely selfish because part of the reason I do Project Life is so that in the future my girls will be able to read my albums and relate to the same situations that I struggle with … laugh at and cry over … but the way that I write in my albums have made this the most logical approach for me at this time.
Plus the thought of doing two albums is overwhelming and I know my limits and honestly I would fail before I could even start. However – keep in mind part of that is because I have an almost 3 and 4 year old. As they get older I plan to include them more in the process so the albums will evolve more into a family project as opposed to just my perspective on life. So I will reevaluate it again at that time. I think it will be something that is constantly changing for me. The most important thing for me is to keep it simple so it is attainable – or it won’t be doable!
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{ liz }
Since most of my scrapbook albums are photo books it will be easy for me to print additional copies when and if my daughters decide they want the albums. The Project Life album is different though, since I’m not doing a digital version, don’t plan on switching to digital, nor do I have a desire to maintain multiple copies of Project Life. The Project Life albums will stay with me. What I can see myself doing is using the information I’ve collected in the Project Life album to create new photo books (funny things you said, vacations, a year of Saturdays, etc.) to give to my daughters.
Actually, now that I think about it, I’ve already made a photo book this year called Snapshots of Sisterhood. I would also like to add that because I was doing Project Life (and hence keeping up with photo editing, etc.) that particular photo book only took me a few days to put together, as opposed to what probably would have taken me a few weeks to do. And I’m certain that I was feeling inspired to create because I wasn’t stressing out about getting “caught up”. I love Project Life. It has totally changed the way I approach and feel about documenting!
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{ michelle }
Since the creation of Project Life, I will now be using that method of scrapbooking from here on out. It’s truly the only way I can keep up with my photos. It looks like I’ll probably have 2 albums filled per year which will include some traditional scrapbooked layouts tucked in here and there. Some of those layouts may feature only one of the girls or a special occasion but for the most part, this is a family album that features our life as a whole. I do have individual albums I started for my two girls that hold mostly sports related photos, programs, school related photos and the like since sports is such a big part of our lives. I’m behind on those albums so I may start implementing the Project Life method for those albums too by using an assortment of the page protectors to speed up the process.
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{ okay – your turn }
If you have thoughts on your “big picture” system – please share in the comments.
Sounds simple, right? As we all know, setting goals is the easy part. Achieving them? Not always so easy. That’s why I’m happy to share with you this online workshop – How to Achieve Your Goals and Create a Life You Love!
If you are here on my blog, then it’s likely that you share my passion for cultivating a good life, and so do my friends at simplify 101! That’s why I am so excited about today’s giveaway. One of my blog readers will win a spot in this online workshop, taught by professional organizer Aby Garvey, co-author of The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker. She gives you the foundation, ideas and inspiration you need to dream about a life you love and take steps to make it happen!
In this four-lesson, five-week workshop, you will:
- Learn how to dream. As crazy as this may sound, many of us have forgotten how to dream! Faced with the realities of the “real world” dreaming about what we truly want is becoming a lost art. In this workshop you’ll learn how to free yourself from anything that’s holding you back from allowing yourself to dream, which is the first step in creating a life you love.
- Learn how to turn your dreams into goals. Find out how to create an effective goal statement for all the key areas of your life. Plus, learn how to make your goal statements super compelling so you can’t help but take action on them!
- Learn how to make it happen! Find out how to turn your goals into simple action steps and begin taking action on your goals during the workshop. With the support and encouragement of your instructor and the workshop’s online community, you’ll be well on your way to creating a life you love before the workshop ends.
- Learn how to track your progress and celebrate your achievements. Monitoring your progress and celebrating your victories are keys to making goal-setting and accomplishment of those goals a habitual part of your life.
- Learn on your time schedule in a format that works for you. Class materials are presented online, via a printable PDF document, and via audio files you can listen to on your computer or MP3 player. Select the method (or methods) that work best for you!
- Get the support you need to succeed! Up through the workshop end date, you’ll have direct access to me via the private workshop forum. Plus, you’ll get inspiration and support from your classmates via the private online community and photo gallery for up to one year!
- Stay connected! NEW in this session of How to Achieve Your Goals and Create a Life You Love, you will have ongoing, exclusive access to the simplify 101 online community.
- Have fun! This workshop includes bonus, creative organizing project downloads, with colorful, step-by-step instructions. These optional projects give you hands-on projects that make it even more fun to take action on the workshop concepts and make them part of your daily life.
Aby only runs this workshop once a year and the 2012 session begins tomorrow – Thursday January 5, and one of my lucky readers gets a free spot! Plus, simplify 101 is offering my readers 15% off enrollment in any of their open workshops! To take advantage of this offer, enter BH15 during checkout. This coupon is good through January 6, 2012 and may not be combined with any other offers.
Simply leave a comment on this post telling me your first name, city, state or country, and one of your goals for 2012. I’ll announce the winner (adding the winner’s name to this actual blog post) by Thursday morning.
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***Added Thursday morning: We have a randomly chosen winner! Congratulations toTanath in Karoonda, South Australiawho said that one of her goals in 2012 is to “be present with my 4 children”. I love that. All the best to you as you prioritize what’s most important. Karoonda, email jay@simplify101.com and they’ll get you all set up in the online class. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: There is an abundant amount of inspiration in this blog post. You may be required to cuddle up in your favorite chair for this one. The last thing I want to do is overwhelm you. Remember: Project Life is designed to SIMPLIFY. My purpose in sharing so much, especially in this first week of January, is so that you can pick + choose which inspiration might stick with you. Project Life is a personal thing, and yet we are part of a community and we share a common goal: Cultivate a good life and record it.
My hope is that you will feel inspired + motivated + ready to make a plan for your Project Life in 2012.
Supplies Photo Pocket Page – Becky Higgins; Patterned paper – Crate Paper; Cork paper – Recollections; Vellum – Paper Source; Tag – Bananafish Studio; Stamps – Studio Calico; Ink – StazOn; Stickers – 7 Gypsies, Basic Grey; Stapler – Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher; Pen – American Crafts; Fonts – Avenir, Bebas Neue
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{ most important message about Project Life }
Project Life is whatever you want it to be. Please, please, please keep this in mind as you see a smorgasboard of ideas and examples from others who are doing Project Life. The products are designed to simplify the process of memory-keeping for you. If all you do is add your pictures and write some journaling notes, that was the whole purpose in the first place.
Project Life is designed to be an easier-than-ever scrapbooking system. Simply pair your photos and journaling with pre-designed title cards and journaling cards. Your photos, these cards, and even your memorabilia slip into the Photo Pocket Pages and that’s it. The result is a stylish masterpiece that represents your life or whatever occasion you choose to record. With Project Life’s beautifully simple format, deciding what supplies to use or how to design layouts becomes obsolete, leaving you more time to experience life.
However … I totally realize and appreciate that many of you have that creative instinct to do something more. And that’s wonderful too! Personalizing your project and going beyond the core essentials can be fun and just the creative outlet you need. Kelly’s title page above and Mandi’s title page below are examples of artists who take customization seriously.
Title page by Mandi in Brookfield, Wisconsin.
Supplies for her 8.5 x 11 title page: Crate Paper Neighborhood Collection – Friendly; Basic Grey Basics Micro Mono Stickers; Heidi Grace Beyond the Sea Punchboard Box Set Alphas + Symbols; My Minds Eye Lost + Found One of a Kind Buttons (from Studio Calico’s Handmade kit); Cosmo Cricket Tiny Text Stickers (from Studio Calico’s Brooklyn Flea kit); Studio Calico’s Mister Huey’s Calico Shine; We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper; Stampin’ Up Dimensionals; Fiskars Fingertip Craft Knife
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{ my personal approach to Project Life in 2012 }
For 3 years I have documented our family’s story with a picture + blurb of journaling to represent every single day. I used the physical product to create a 12×12 scrapbook in 2009. I made a digital photo book for 2010 and 2011, both of which I need to wrap up the journaling and having the actual books printed and shipped. Soon. Super excited about that.
Project Life began with that “365″ approach for me, but I want to emphasize again + again: Project Life does not necessarily = Project 365. Yes, you can absolutely do that. Of course. In fact I know many of you have done that, or are planning on that for 2012. The 365 approach is so very cool but honestly – it can be difficult to keep up with that pace if you have a lot going on in your life. I will forever be grateful that I have documented our life with the picture-a-day format for the past 3 years. But even I – a dedicated documenter of life – find the photo-a-day approach challenging because of how much I have going on.
Now. Twenty-twelve is a new year and I am beginning the next volume in our family yearbook series. I am choosing to stick with the digital version and will be doing a Project Life photo book on Shutterfly. I’m using the Clementine template. The Turquoise template is also available and very cool. My main reasons for choosing this method: 1) I can print multiple copies so that each child has a family yearbook and 2) The photo book is much smaller/thinner. I have so many large scrapbooks in our home and they already take up a lot of space.
My approach: I know some of you will be surprised about this, but I am going to relax about the picture-a-day thing. I love, love, love it. But this year I am joining many of you in the weekly approach. Each two-page spread will show a week in our life but there will not necessarily be a picture for every single day. I’m looking forward to this.
Big picture for me: No matter how I document our family’s story, the end goal is to have a family year book each year. Some years it might be photo-a-day (check), some years it might be just a few highlights for each of the 12 months (check – did that in 2008), and some years it might be the weekly approach (new to me). The point is that I’m preserving my family’s story. I can accomplish this - you can accomplish this – with very little time and stress. I have been – and continue to be – very open to how I evolve in my approach.
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{ advice to those who are brand-new to Project Life }
1. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Project Life is designed for SIMPLICITY.
2. Watch my Getting Started video. (NOTE: I did this video last year when the products were slightly different. When you see little things that look different than your new products, look past that and focus on the core content of getting your album set up.)
3. Check out the Project Life Community. This is a great place for Project Lifers to ask each other questions, share ideas, and of course share finished pages to inspire each other.
4. Follow me on facebook or twitter (same content; two options). I share almost-daily inspiration for picture-taking + life-documenting. I’m sticking by your side on this. We’re in this together.
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{ advice to those who are “behind” }
Yuck. Don’t you hate that word? Who wants to feel behind on anything right? If you have already been doing Project Life at all in the past few years, and if you have a year (or more) that you haven’t “finished” please consider this: Let it go.
I sooo know that it’s easier said than done. But let me tell you from personal experience, that “letting it be what it is” is a very liberating feeling. My first year of trying to do the daily documenting thing went completely by the wayside when I grew more and more sick with my pregnancy. I simply couldn’t keep up. So you know what I did? I compromised. Instead of having nothing for my family that year, I decided that it would be A-OK to create a photo book that simply highlighted each month on a two-page spread. That’s it. And you know what? We love that book. And it tells our family’s story in 2008 – even if it’s less-comprehensive than I originally intended it to me.
Let’s say you got part-way through 2011 and you just burned out. Guess what? What you did document is utterly fantastic and you should be pleased as punch that you cared enough to document with pictures + words at all. What now? Well, obviously that’s up to you but you should seriously consider just letting it be what it is and starting fresh with 2012. Perhaps a different approach for this year is what you need. Perhaps a simple month-at-a-glance photo book is more manageable. By lightening your load, you will likely be more motivated to stick with the project.
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{ excellent “getting started” inspiration from a few of our Creative Team members }
I was “off the grid” quite a bit over the holidays – happily directing all my focus on family. As I’ve worked on getting back into my groove I’ve noticed an almost overwhelming amount of conversation and sharing about Project Life. There aren’t words for how that makes me feel. Everyone is doing their own thing. Some are taking the daily documenting approach, some the weekly approach, some the monthly approach. Some are using Project Life to go back and scrapbook past years, some are using it to document specifically about life changes (weight loss, losing a loved one + adjusting to their “new normal”, etc.).
It’s allll good, folks. It’s all good.
Enjoy a sneak-peek into the minds + albums of some who are embarking on doing Project Life in 2012. You’re in good company.
You are always welcome to share with us. We love to see how everyone is using Project Life! Email your pictures to submissions@projectlife.com. Likewise, we always love to see pictures of happy customers with their product.
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{ inventory update }
As some of you know, we are currently sold out of some products. Please know that we really did order a lot, but thanks to the wonderful viral affect of word spreading rapidly about Project Life, some things literally flew off the Amazon shelves over the holidays.
Have no fear. More product is on the way and we’re re-stocking inventory as fast as we can. If you aren’t able to get your hands on something that you want, remember that documenting life can + should still happen. You can still get started on taking pictures and writing a few notes, even if you’re waiting on Photo Pocket Pages.
This is what is sold out now but will be back in stock on Amazon in about a month (early February):
Everything else is in stock. Check it all out HERE. As for the black + white Signature Binders? Those will be showing up on Amazon this week. I’ll let you know when they’re there.
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*NEW* items that are part of that same shipment for early-February:
Photo Pocket Pages: Big Variety Pack 2 (60) – This has 40 of Design A + 20 of Design D
Big Pack of 12×12 Page Protectors (60) – Just like what it sounds. Good ol’ classic page protectors with no pockets for full 12×12 scrapbook pages
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{ digital update }
I will have an entirely separate blog post about the Shutterfly option, which I mentioned is the product I’ll personally be using to document our 2012. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, for those of you who are interested in the Digital Project Life components/kits/templates available on JessicaSprague.com, there is some great inspiration from The Daily Digi: Does Project Life Fit in with my Life?
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Oh my stars. How’s that for a loaded blog post? : )
As many of us are spending time pondering the changes we’d like to make for 2012 I wanted to share this thought with you. N. Eldon Tanner (1898 – 1982) said:
As we reflect on the value of resolving to do better, let us determine to discipline ourselves to carefully select the resoltuions we make, to consider the purpose for making them, and finally to make commitments for keeping them and not letting any obstacle stop us. Let us remind ourselves at the beginning of each day that we can keep a resolution just for that day.
You can do it. In fact, if you make up your mind that you will do it, well then – what’s stopping you? Don’t let anyone or anything make you feel like you can’t achieve your worthy goals. Wishing each of you much success with your personal and family resolutions this year – one day at a time.
