You guys know I read your comments here. While I can’t possibly respond to every one, I do my best to address your questions from time to time. One that keeps coming up is — When can we see more sketches??
Well I guess today’s the day. Here’s a new sketch!
Look familiar? Allow me to explain.
I’ve been scrapbooking for 17 years. It’s safe to say it’s in my blood. How I go about preserving our memories has changed and twisted and experimented and EVOLVED over the years. Any of you remember back in the mid- to late-nineties when creative lettering was my niche? I l-o-v-e-d creative lettering. I spent years doing plenty of creative artwork and layout design. Most of you are familiar with my sketches. Another niche. You’re the ones wondering when I’m going to share more. : )
Here’s the thing. In my personal evolution, I’ve had babies. I’ve grown busier. I spend more time outside of myself, and more time serving my family as well as those outside my family. I am equally passionate about scrapbooking as I have always been. Only now I am so, so, so much more practical in my approach. I spend way less hours putting together layouts. All the adorable accents, cool gadgets, and detailed techniques? They’re fun, but I simply don’t prioritize that in my life right now.
Bottom line: This is how I scrapbook now: Project Life. (See pictured sketch above.) Drop the pictures in. Add my journaling. Done. Photos and stories. That’s it. That’s the way I like it. I’m very, very comfortable with the system I’ve settled into and kinda wish all my books from the past 17 years were like this. Honestly. Although, believe me — I appreciate all of those stages and niches and all that resulted from thousands of hours pouring my heart into this hobby.
I still sketch. Only it’s not so much for scrapbook page design. It’s more for product design and web design and things like that. I am so grateful to know my sketches have helped in some way. I appreciate your kind notes and requests. I am just not in that mode of artistic scrapbook pages these days.
I’m in the mode of simplifying. I like helping others to simplify as well.
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Alright. Enough of that. Let’s open up this post to more of your questions. Go for it. : )
Tags: Project Life, sketches
what is your number one organization item besides your label maker?
In case no one has told you lately, you’re awesome! I hear ya, I’m there!
From someone in the same stage of life right now (young children, lots to do, not enough hours in the day) I SO appreciate your creativity in simplifying! Keep up the wonderful work!! You inspire so many!!
What kind of family traditions does your family enjoy?
I have always wondered if David is just as organized as you are. If he is, has he always been? Did you rub off on him? Or are you one of those rare couples who love to clean the garage together every Saturday???
Just wondering what a typical day might be for you? Do you get up at the same time? When do you fit in exercise, reading or creative time? Is your day structured? I’m feeling a great need to have a bit more structure/organization to my days. During the summer its easy to loose that schedule, but with the new school year approaching, I’m egar to get a new plan in place. Your E-Meals suggestion put such a smile to my face! Any more suggestions?
Do you have a set day each week that you vacuum, scrub toilets, do laundry, run errands, etc. or is just kind of random? With three small children (5,3 and 5 months) and a part-time job, I find it hard to squeeze in all the necessary cleaning and running around. It’s driving my inner control freak crazy!
Also, if David is as organized as you: A) God bless him and B) Does he give lessons to struggling husbands? 
I am so inspired by your home. Can we see more pictures?
I would love to see photos from your family room and your bedroom. Mainly colors and design! I think your design skills are wonderful!
I am wondering if you could tell us (once again, sorry!) if you still do any “traditional” scrapbooking (whatever that means). I just finished listening to an old Paperclipping Roundtable podacst you were on and you indicated you still do tradtional layouts (just way less of them) for your children’s albums. But this post seems to contradict that. I have all of your sketch books and they are so versatile that I can use them over and over again for YEARS, no worries there. I do however, very much miss being inspired by your layouts. In every issue of CK I looked forward to the sketch but the simple, well designed layout you created using that sketch was always my favorite. I would LOVE to see some new layouts you’ve completed for your children’s albums!
Just an FYI on your new website: the title of the blog posts, for example today’s “my latest sketch” are sitting a little high and so, the new logo, that bottom shadow, cuts into the title of the blog post. I hope this makes sense! I know I would want to know and you asked for feedback on a previous post, so I thought I would mention it! best to you, Amanda.
I remember taking one of your Creative Lettering classes at a scrapbook convention in Orlando! What a blast from the past!
What do you pack in your kids’ lunches? My daughter will be starting Pre-K at a new school next week and I will be packing her lunches for the first time. Until now, her daycare center has provided lunch so I didn’t have to worry about it.
oK-i think I have posted this before-was wondering what type of makeup do you wear and any suggestions for good lipstick brands and colors?
Hopefully I have yet to juggle kids in my life lol, and no question, merely a comment
I find it funny that you posted this as I have been going through my old issues of CK just to go over your sketches, I have used 1 or 2 in the past but now I’m totally hooked on templates and your sketches, as I’ve found my “style” and it’s more the clean and simple approach and I tweeted about going over CK mags for your layouts (mmmbisto on twitter lol)
I love your organisation posts, I love all that stuff, sadly hubby makes such things impossible, but I can still swoon over your organisation photos and wish. You are such an inspiration, thank you
What is your current calling in your ward?
Becky – have any favorite organizing website that you wish to share? I am thinking of adding a third child to my family and feel I should get things organized and under control first. I love your website!
Will you be including any of your sketches as template pages in your Digital Project Life? Have you considered making some of those sketches available to digital scrapbookers as templates for use in Photoshop? You wouldn’t have to do it yourself – you seem to have good access to technical support – perhaps you could find someone to transform your sketches into Photoshop templates and make them available for sale through your own website or a site like Designer Digitals (and even have the odd freebee if you’d like; although I’d be quite happy to purchase them).
Thanks Becky for sharing all that you do. You continue to be an inspiration, even as you grow and evolve with your life processes. I feel so grateful for what you gave us during your time with CK, but continue to feel grateful for what you are still taking the time to give and share with us even now. You also have allowed many of us to feel that its okay to let certain things go that maybe were eating up too much of our time. I love scrapbooking, but I too have simplified my process because it wasn’t getting done the traditional way. The only thing I have accomplished this year is keeping up with my Project Life album and I celebrate that accomplishment! Thank you for opening up the door to new ways of thinking and doing!
I have to share this with you – I am in my first week of e-mealz. This is HUGE for me! I do not enjoy cooking and have never been able to discipline myself with preparing meals. My hang up was a mix of disinterest and truly not knowing how. In just this week, I am on my fourth prepared meal, I have cooked with fresh ingredients that I never have used before (sadly), and I love knowing what I’m doing for dinner when I wake up in the morning. Its an awesome change for me on many levels and I am really going to try to keep it up and train myself. Thanks for asking for help because its working out great for me too!
I’m wondering if you have unfinished projects hanging around. From decorating to scrapbooking, it seems like I can’t commit to finishing anything. My perception is that you just power through and finish what you start – is that right? Do you have a secret? And serious question: how much sleep do you get?
I have to say this post makes me sad. I can certainly appreciate the simplicity of Project Life, but I could never give up all the” embellishments, and cool gadgets”. I have a 4yr old and work part time, but I make the time to scrapbook the “traditional” way because I love it. I know that everyone’s life is different and having 3 kids is different than having one.
This makes me the most sad….” kinda wish all my books from the past 17 years were like this. ”
Different strokes for different folks I guess, huh?
Thanks for all your past work Becky! Even though you may never release anything else related to “traditional” scrapping, I am glad I have all your stuff from the past and can continue to use it for inspiration.
Love the new look of the blog!
Do you think that Crew will look at his siblings scrapbooks and wonder where his are?Or will you explain to him later that Project Life and all it entails to market to us great people was very time consuming?
Ouch- My kids love looking @ my project life book and P365. I think they just love the pictures and the stories behind the picture, I honestly don’t think they care about all the fancy paper, stickers and all that stuff. That was more for me and less about them. The kids just want to see themselves in pictures I think. With 4 boys college age down to 3rd grade, there is just not enough hours in the day to do traditional scrapbooking. I would love to get back at it someday, but right now I am just thrilled to have a system that keeps me printing pictures and documenting our lives. Just my 2 cents worth.
Ouch is right! Crew knows his mother loves him.
My 4 year old loves what little scrapping I’ve done. She doesn’t need the scrapbooks though. She’s just as happy sitting at the computer viewing slideshows of the thousands of pictures I’ve taken over the past 4 years!
Becky takes the pictures and writes the stories – that’s what counts.
Becky- Thanks for sharing your talents! I really enjoyed taking your album class and meeting you in Atlanta a few years back. I loved that you shared your journals from YW Camp last year (and for free). I was able to use them last fall when I taught a YW lesson on Personal History. Everyone loved them – don’t know if they took them home and finished them, but still.
I totally “get” why you don’t travel for scrapbooking events anymore. Makes sense! My question is Will you consider organizing an event there in Arizona? I would love to attend another Album by Becky Class with lots of crop time to finish albums between when I lost control (2006 ish) and Project 365. Less vendors, less splash. More Completed Albums. More Family History.
You said you enjoy weekly date nights with your husband. What types of things do the two of you enjoy doing together for fun? We just made it through residency and are looking forward to more of these nights together! (And what’s the going rate for babysitting with three kids these days?
Paper napkins or cloth? Oh and what does your ‘to-do’ list look like? Computerized list? Notepad? On the back of your hand?
Hi there just wondering if you can share how you edit your photos in photo shop, i.e what steps you take to get the amazing colour in your photos. I have the same camera as you but far from the same results.
I don’t have any questions, just a thought…I think it’s going to take me several years to process the fact that you don’t scrapbook traditionally anymore. For the last ten years I have referred to you as “The Queen of Scrapbooking.” It’s sad to me. It’s hard to understand how you don’t crave “the stuff” that goes along with papercrafting. I love to touch it all and smell it and just enjoy looking at it.
Love your website and all of the information you share. Even more, I love your positive and optimistic attitude. I think having a healthy outlook on life is so essenital when one leads a busy life.
So anyway, my question involves scrapbooking. You have said that you no longer do a lot of traditional scrapbook layouts. Would you ever consider posting some of your old layouts (for those of us who haven’t read Creating Keepsakes from the start!) and possibly make some recommendations on how a new twist can be applied to old layouts?
Thanks and have a great day!
Hi, Becky!
I just wanted to let you know that even though I enjoy traditional scrapping very much, I congratulate you on being able to give it up for the sake of time for your children. After years of waiting, my husband and I still haven’t been blessed with children, but the intense sorrow has made us realize just how very precious each child is. The reality is, you only have so many years to make a difference in their lives. Then they’re gone. And you can tackle the more intense things then.
I think they’ll thank you for spending time with them today!
Bless you!
Just wanted to know where you bought your shelving system for your albums.
I too am wondering what system you have for your children’s albums…especially Crew. I know at one point you were using the baby album and I would love to see some pages designed from that. I bought the kit a long time ago, but I am finally having the baby to go with it and would love some inspiration. I am enjoying project life for our family album, but still want to do something more for my children. But of course I am all about simple and that’s why I enjoy your layouts so much. Also do you feel guilty not using all the supplies that you have stocked up on over the years? I just am not sure what to do with everything I already have and have spent so much money on?!
Becky, I absolutely LOVE the concept of Project Life! I scapbooked like you for over 10 years and loved the embellishments, the process, the outcome. But I just don’t have the time to keep up with it all: kids, work, home, graduate school, play??? and would start to sweat thinking about how far behind I was falling…I truly see Project Life as a blessing..to be able to chronicle our life, day-by-day, with no pressure, and leave a keepsake and history for my children. thank you so much!
One question: I did buy your previous Scool Kits for my kids (and will someday get them done!)…What album does you suggest to put all of the componets into??
Thanks again!
Amy
I, too, wish most of my past scrapbooks were like Project Life! I so so so like this method. It fits my life and my desire for simplicity so well. I’m way behind but I know I can catch up pretty easily. My problem is…how do I deal with all of my pages that I have created over the years, particularly those that I simply don’t enjoy? Those pages that have no story behind them and were basically just an excuse for a bunch of stickers, embellishments, and cute paper. I want to tear them out and throw them away! Any ideas? It may sound crazy but just having them around bothers me and spoils my enjoyment of those pages I really do like. Thanks, Becky!
I have not totally “bought” in to Project Life but it has caught my interest. I know if I did it I probably would not do photo of the day…my question is how would you do it on a month by month basis? Thanks and really enjoy your blog! michelle
What did you think of the Williams and Sonoma Dish towels? Love your blog! Great inspiration for good living!
First, a big thank you to ALL the amazing things you pass along to all of us following your blog. You truly are an inspiration. I’ve always been crafty, long before having kids and scrapbooking, but I love how you pass along tips, ideas, projects, etc. for everything…not only scrapbooking. I would like to say a personal thank you for the P365 & P Life. These have helped me to do all that you have said yourself and to allow me to let go of the obsessive need to do an overwhelming number of pages that just can’t be done with a 6 yr old, 2 yr old and 5 mo. old twins. How do you spell impossible?! I am P365ing and will P Life next year and have albums for the kids that when I feel sometime like doing a good old scrapbooking page…I’ll do it. If not, I am also ok with that. Going off work 3 months before expected and having twins 2 months early and I am ok that I haven’t done a single scrapbook or P365 thing since about 5 months pregnant. That is ok because I’ve been busy with life.
So, here’s my question: I LOVE how organized you are with 3 kids. In my life, I have 4 kids, am a full-time RN, thankfully a very helpful hubby and a huge extended family. Add on the usual stuff we all have to do every day, errands, laundry, sports, activities, cooking, etc. and hmmmm…it is just never done to my liking. Nearly all of my friends have cleaning help and I am not sure what to do.
I’d love to know if you have a cleaning person/company/nanny and how you manage to keep your home so beautiful in all the amazing pics you share. I find this to be such a battle in my life. I’m a very relaxed person and would rather spend my time with the kids, but yes, the cleaning stuff also needs to get done, but it just never seems to be. I followed the Peter Walsh stuff and feel comfortable that every single space in my house is organized and decluttered, but it is just keeping my head above water!
I’m very honest in my admission that my home is clean, but hey, with my family, I just don’t have the time to have it perfect given I don’t have outside help (other than daycare for the kids when working). I see so many friends trying to be superwoman and almost afraid to admit that it is hard to have time for your kids, to cook, clean, spend quality time with our husbands, families, etc. It would be awesome to see one of your days and how you fit everything in. I always did a page in the kids’ albums once a year (though haven’t done this in over a year now) that was a sample schedule listing literally everything – fun now to look back and see how I fit in everything, including shower time, etc. ( yep – love showering at 5 a.m. sometimes, just so that I can have one in peace).
Thanks Becky and keep up all the neat stuff on your blog – LOVE the new look!
Made your buttermilk pancakes the other day – YUM; best pancakes ever! Thank you!
Love your house pics here and there. I always thought your home was so gorgeous before, but am so excited to see your new splashes of color. Would love to see a grand tour with perhaps a before and after.
Also, another question: how do you go about child discipline? With 4 kids I don’t have enough hands or eyes, yet am the only person of all my friends/family with more than 2 kids. What is your philosophy on keeping your children well mannered and behaved? Do they all allow you to shop in peace and quiet or is your grocery trip like mine? (yep – that’s me with the kids arguing in the buggy on occasion – urgh). Any parenting tips/books you would recommend?
Thanks a bunch! I heard a rumor…are you expecting again?!
Any chance that the digital version Project Life could be available in 8×8 or 12×12 size? All of my other digital scrapbooks are 8×8 and I’d like them to all “match” on my bookshelf. That’s the only thing holding me back from buying it now.
I am totally LOVING Project Life. I was one of those folks who were anxiously awaiting the return of this year’s addition. It is such a perfect way to tell our story of daily life, which is what makes us….us. I tell anyone who wants to listen to come to your website and check it out.
)
So no questions here….just lots of love to you from me
Wow, kind of surprised by some of the comments on here. I applaud you for finding a new way to capture the moments from your life. I too was doing layouts and have embellishments for a lifetime. I don’t have children, and realized that I’m not really enjoying all of the supplies laying around my house anymore. I want SIMPLE and organized. I’m thrilled to have Project Life! Easy, organized, and saves on space! Life is too busy to spend on something that you have moved away from. I’m selling, donating, downsizing my supplies and plan to do Project Life for now on. Maybe an occasional mini book for fun…but only if I really want to! Blessings!
I’m so happy that a school kit will be coming next year. I have 2 of your original school kits which I LOVE for the first 2 kids and now need 2 more for the next 2!
As a Canadian, may I give a suggestion?
Our school system here starts with Preschool (optional, but all my kids are in preschool), and then here is where it differs in some parts of Canada from the US: we don’t just have one year of kindergarten. We have Junior Kindergarten in which kids start at age 4 and then Senior Kindergarten at age 5. The rest is the same, but this has caused a huge problem with my first 2 kids’ albums. The kindergarten packet is jammed full because with only one for “Kindergarten”, I just filled it with everything from both years. In terms of the page designed for the school picture that said “Kindergarten” I just added a small subtitle that said “Junior” and then did another page for the beginning of the section for Senior Kindergarten so that worked out ok.
Not sure of the design of your new school kit, but with many Canadians that will surely purchase the school kit (I’ve already got about 10 of my friends wanting it when its available after seeing the original), is there any way to make some option available to assist us? Perhaps a purchase option that for an additional price, the ability to buy a second set of whatever will be the Kindergarten “stuff”? Whatever that may be (envelopes, packets, pages, etc.)? Please consider this option for us loyal Canadians!!! I’d easily pay an additional $10-20 just for a second “Kindergarten section”.
I only had 2 girls at the time of the “Canadian shirts” – remember me? Back then my 2 school albums were ok, but But now have 2 boys as well and can’t wait to do their school albums…looking forward to the new ones!!!
Thank you again for your blog and your fantastic P365! I’m sure in the future I will try the new Project Life too!
Love it! Simplifying is so inspired and I find even Project Life hard to keep up with these days – so I really appreciate simplicity! (Coming from and “old school” scrapbooker from 10 years ago).
But my question is – do you mind posting more pictures of your decor elements in your home? Is there already a section for this on the new blog layout? I’m interested in furniture, paint, picture frames, bedding, cabinets, toy organization, etc.
Thanks so much!
odd question, but what do your kids eat? I have a very picky three year old and a 1 year old who is starting to get choosy about what she eats…so I am just wondering what you feed your kids to keep them interested. thanks!
Thank you for sharing this, Becky. I think your sketches and whole scrapbook “evolution” played a huge part in settling on Project Life. And can I just say “thank you” for Project Life. It came at the right time in my life, I love a photo a day, I have a photo for each day so I don’t feel so overwhelmed by the files and files and files of pictures and digging back through them to find what I need. (I still have those, too, I just have my Project Life ones organized along side those!) As a mom of 5 I needed simplified and this is something I CAN do an LOVE to do and am still recording those memories! Ahhhh, it feels good, that’s for sure!
Becky, you are great! I just have one question and that is for 2011 is project life going to look the same as 2010 or are you going to tweak it a little? I love Project Life by the way and I am so glad I am using it. I still scrapbook, but Project Life takes away the stress of having to scrap all those photos. Now I can store them and go back to look at the adventures for the year. Thank you once again Becky.
Hey there! I hope you have time to read through all these questions!! I have some questions I hope you can answer.
1. When you have your children or husband take a picture for Project Life and journal, do they write this is written by (their name)? I do the majority of the pics and journaling, so I wasn’t sure how to go about that??
2. I love how you add text with Photoshop to your photos. I am doing digital Project Life and wondered what size font you use to type text on your photos. I know this seems like a silly question, but I am afraid the font will be too big/small when I go to print the book.
3. Anytime you want to share a traditional layout from one of your children’s albums, would be so appreciated!!
Thanks for all the inspiration!
Stacey
I’m patiently waiting for your page protectors to be offered separately so I can use them in my current scrapbooks. Are those coming out at the same time as the new editions of Project Life for the holiday season?
On a busy school morning what do you serve for breakfast?
This is a big problem at my house–I don’t have time to cook and everyone gets tired of cereal. but at the same time I would like to be eating healty foods.
Hey Becky, I love Project Life too. It lets me ‘scrap’ more photos than I ever would have time to do – it is fantastic
Thank you.
Just wondering, will there be other designs for PL – different colours, maybe themed etc? Or maybe a mix n match type thing , where you can buy the page protectors and then choose the cards, album covers, 12×12 papers etc?
Thanks again, I love it
Hi Becky. I’m interested to know if the Project Life page protectors are available for sale by themselves? If so, where could I find them? If not…are there any plans to make them available?
Hey Becky. Thank you for your inspiration and for giving us Project Life. I used to be an avid scrapbooker. I loved embellishments. I loved the process. What was lacking were the stories. With project life, I am starting to focus on the stories behind the pictures. Not just the who, what, and where. I love thinking about the journaling and editing down to the most important points. I had some major ordering issues and was unable to get P365 when it was first released. I was able to purchase it for $150 off of ebay (shh, don’t tell my husband). It was worth every penny. My children love looking through this book. I took a break from the picture a day ritual this year. My kids needed a break too.
I went ahead and purchased your Project Life kit this year. I was going to use it as a school of life album for my kids, but have decided to wait on that project until you release your school kit. I think I will use this year’s kit to hold my favorite pictures of all time and journal a little about each one. I have already made a file on my MAC and have been going through all my digitial photos to pull them together. I am getting really excited about the process. These are photos that probably would not have landed on a scrapbook page. (I rarely scrapbook single photo layouts). It also gives me a place to record all the funny things that my children have said over the years (along with scans of their drawings).
Sorry for the long post, but I feel totally in sink with your process right now. I am so grateful for its simplicity.
I know that you don’t want to give too much away, but I would love a little more information on the School kit. Any information that you could provide would be greatly appreciated. I have one in 2nd and one in 4th. I have been collecting photos, school papers, etc. since they started Pre-K and am itching to get them in an album.
JUST A NOTE: In Illinois, we have two years of pre-school. I too would love the option to purchase an additional section for pre-school in any future kit.
Thanks Becky for all you do.