Project 365 Q&A

Holy cow. You guys are getting me even more pumped about Project 365, and I didn't think I could be more excited. But how cool is this!? So many of us -- thousands of us around the WORLD -- are in this together. Phenomenal.

Okay, tomorrow is the big day. Project 365 goes on sale and I have a hunch that many of you are getting anxious. You've asked a lot of questions. A lot of good questions. I want to be sure that you are as informed as possible. So let's get down to business.

Q: I've tried entering my name in the comments section of the give-away that you mentioned yesterday, but I was getting an error. Can I still be included in the drawing?
A: Yes. Leave a comment on this post if you want. I'll announce 3 (random) winners tomorrow before the kit goes on sale.

Q: When does the kit go on sale?
A: Thursday, January 1st at 9:00 am MST.

Q: Where do I purchase the kit?
A: Click here to take you right to the KOTM landing page. Note: Project 365 won't show up until it goes on sale.

Q: Will you ship internationally?
A: Yes, absolutely! You need to call this number [720.374.3628]. Unfortunately the web site is not able to take international orders at this time.

Q: What if I don't have internet access when I need to order?
A: Call the same number I just mentioned [720.374.3628] to place an order if you can't do it online.

Q: Will be there be enough kits, or will it sell out?
A: There is never any way of knowing the right amount of kits to order, so if you're certain you want this, don't put it off. That would be my best advice.

Q: How much does this kit cost?
A: $39.95 is the original price, and we're giving you 10% off, so you'll pay only $35.95 (plus shipping). That's like 70 cents a week to get a complete years' worth in a scrapbook. Just may be the cheapest scrapbooking you've EVER done.

Q: Is there an album with the kit? What about page protectors? Will there be enough of those?
A: Yes and yes. You'll see a complete list of all the kit components on the KOTM site and the KOTM blog. There are 54 page protectors (52 weeks in the year).

Q: What do I take pictures of, every day of the year?
A: That is entirely up to you, and your approach to this project! This is a very individual thing. That's the coolest thing about it. What do you want to capture in your life this year? I want a full picture of our family life so I'm keeping it random. My family and I will be taking pictures of anything and everything. Could be something we did that day, somewhere we went, what we ate for breakfast, or not even necessarily a "happening" but just something around the house or someone we love, etc. If you need ideas to get the wheels in your head turning, click here for a pdf with 365 picture ideas. Print it out! (This is in the January issue of CK, so you can tear it out of your magazine, too.)

Q: EVERY single day? Are you serious? Can I really keep up with that?
A: One of the beautiful things about this kit is its flexibility. You do not need to be so strict with yourself to photograph something every single day. Use the sheet protectors and the monthly dividers to display pictures on a weekly basis (just choose several pictures from each of the 52 weeks to print) ... or even a monthly basis. This does not need to be day after day after day.

Q: I am planning on doing this as a day-by-day project. But what if I miss a day, or even a whole week?
A: You have my permission to "cheat", my friend. For example, some of you may want to start this on the Sunday that just passed but you didn't know you wanted to do that until now. So what if you don't have pictures from the first few days of this week? Not a problem. Take pictures of "whatever" (something around your house, for example) and it can pass for being one of the days that already passed.

Also remember that this doesn't have to be 365 pictures in 2009. It's 365 snippets of your life this year. That means that some days won't have a picture, but rather a program from your child's school play, or a receipt from Target, or part of a piece of mail you received, or your hand-written to-do list, or a scan of your child's art. Get the idea? Just capture SOMEthing each day. And if you miss a day or a week ... just capture pieces from your life anyway, even if they aren't necessarily from "that" day. You can totally fill your "missed" days with pictures or memorabilia from other days.

Q: I really want to start on January 1st, so how do I do that, organizationally speaking?
A: One option is to do those first 3-4 days in the very first page (not a two-page layout). Personally, I'm a fan of introducing an album with a title page. If you are too, then I recommend filling those first few 4" x 6" pockets (before Jan. 1) with New Years resolutions or favorite quotes or your "theme" for the year or something like that.

Q: What about those days that you have several pictures you want to showcase?
A: There is some 12" x 12" designer cardstock included in the kit, which of course coordinates with all the other album pieces. So if you want to do some creative scrapbooking, or include multiple pictures from any given day within your Project 365 album, you have that option. As for me, I don't think I'll do layouts. My approach to this album is that I want to keep up with it and it's a bit of a "scrapbooking experiment". I am just going to choose ONE picture or "thing" each day and get over it. : ) If there's something truly big and worthy of your time & creativity, then you absolutely can still do a theme album on that, or just do some full pages as part of your Project 365 album.

Q: Is it true that I really don't need adhesive for this?
A: Yes, I'm serious. This is the easiest kind of "scrapbooking" E-V-E-R. Another reason why it's a brilliant project for the non-scrapbooker. There is a pocket for each & every picture and each & every journaling block. Just slip your items in those pockets. No adhesive needed.

Q: Can I see what a finished layout would look like in this album?
A: Here's a real week in my life from last January (but with this new kit, of course).



Q: What about a title page and ending page, especially since the page protectors are divided? How will that work?
A: The kit includes designer blocks specifically for those pages that introduce and conclude the album. Once you put the pieces into the pockets, those pages would look like this (of course you can add any creative & personal touches you want!).





Q: What pen should I use?
A: One that is acid-free and archival. Not a ball-point pen. I really like the Pigment Pro from American Crafts and the Pigma Micron from Sakura. These pens can be found at craft, scrapbook, office supply, and art supply type of stores. Chances are, you already have something in your stash of supplies that works just fine.

Q: I am starting the project now, but obviously don't have the kit yet. What should I do?
A: No worries! Just be taking a picture, or collect something each day. You may want to also jot down a note each day (keep a small notebook handy) so that you'll remember what to write on your journaling block for each day. You do NOT need this kit to get started.

Q: Is this kit specific to 2009?
A: Nope! Totally flexible. Maybe you took a picture every day last year? This will work for you. Maybe you don't want to do this until 2010? No problem. Nowhere in this kit does it say "2009". And you do your own labeling of days (with the day stickers and date stamp that come in the kit).

Q: What will your process be for organizing & printing photos?
A: The most important thing is to do what works for you. Some of you may have a personal printer, and you'll want to print each day's picture ... each and every day. Some of you may not print more than once a month. For me, I am going to print in batches of about a week at a time. As for organizing, I am keeping my daily pictures in a folder on my computer (actually, an "album" in my iPhoto). They are labeled with their date (12.30, 12.31, 1.1, 1.2, etc.) so I don't lose track. Once I print them, they go immediately into the page protector pockets in the album.

Q: Explain how the journaling blocks are supposed to work.
A: Each day has a journaling block for you to jot down whatever you want. Could be the highlights of that day, a description of the picture or memorabilia for that day, an a-ha moment or deep thought, a quote from one of your kids ... whatever. You are getting a LOT of these in the kit. Plus, you're getting a bunch of tri-folded journaling cards that give you expanded room for lengthy journaling when you have more to say.

Q: What about vertical photos? The page protector photo pockets are all horizontal.
A: Yes, all the page protectors have horizontal pockets for 4" x 6" pictures. Statistics show that people shoot 90% horizontal. However, most of us will have vertical pictures that we want to include in our Project 365 album. Here are some options: 1) Just include the image on a horizontal 4" x 6" canvas (in Photoshop) and print it like that. 2) Include 2 vertical pictures, side by side (also in a photo-editing program). 3) Put vertical 4" x 6" photos in the pockets sideways if that doesn't bother you. 4) This is a fun idea: Try printing the vertical image as a 6" x 8". Cut it in half (horizontally) and place them one above the other in the page protector. 5) There are 8 vertical pockets in the page protectors (intended for the journaling blocks), but who says they HAVE to be for journaling blocks? Print your occasional vertical picture as a 3" x 4" and switch it up!

Q: Are the photo pockets in those page protectors top-loading or side-loading?
A: Top.

Q: Will this kit be available in digital format?
A: No ... not yet anyway. Let's see how this one goes and if there's enough interest for a digital format, I'm all over it!

Q: Will this kit be available in future years, or is this a one-time thing?
A: This is an experiment. For me, personally, and for you. So what if you complete Project 365 in 2009 and just miss doing "main events" and layouts like you used to? Then you go back to your traditional approach to scrapbooking and all is well. And you've lost nothing. You'll still have an entire year preserved! But if this whole idea catches on like crazy, I would absolutely love to continue offering this as a product each year. So much of that depends on you, the customer & family historian, and what you demand. : )

Q: Are you really not doing your kids' albums anymore? Project 365 is it? What about all your sketches?
A: This concept of Project 365 (totally focused on just photos & journaling) is my new approach to our family scrapbooks. I will continue with our kids' albums in the traditional scrapbooking format (12" x 12" albums with layouts that highlight their baby-hood, milestones, personalities, schooling, birthdays, etc.) The long-term goal is for each child to leave home (many years from now, of course) with a short series of albums containing an overview of their entire childhood. I have also done "family" albums over the years, so that we have our own books to enjoy ... even long after the children are gone. This Project 365 is my new way of preserving our family memories in 2009 and so any "layouts" I do now, are going to be either for the kids' albums or the "catching-up" layouts that I want to do from this year and last. So my sketches will continue to come in handy.

And yes, the Sketch column in CK lives on.

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Click here for a pdf with more of my thoughts on Project 365, as well as great tips & ideas.

Oh! And I have to share another idea that "Happy Mommy" left in the comments ... a different approach to this album & a great idea. Know anyone getting married? This is an excellent gift idea for the new couple to record & preserve the first 365 days of their new married life together. Brilliant.

And I close with a comment from Michelle in Chicago, who said it best: "Your 365 project sounds like a great alternative to the pressure of being 'caught up' as well as a nice way to preserve what life is truly like day to day."

So many of you are making comments like this and I'm just so pleased that we're catching the vision!