Some of you reading this headline will know exactly what I’m talking about because you’ve been waiting for this day. Perhaps you have been “holding out” on starting your 2012 Project Life … waiting for Design A to show up.

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{ WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT? }

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a re-cap: In December, our first-ever Project Life photo books on Shutterfly became available. There are two editions: Turquoise and Clementine. Same awesome graphic designs that you find in our physical product as well as our digital elements available on JessicaSprague.com, but the difference is that you drop your pictures and add your journaling into page templates already set up for you. You do this completely online. When you are done, a completely finished photo book (professionally printed + bound) is sent to you. It’s a very beautiful process. I’m a fan.

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{ BRINGING THE TRADITIONAL PROJECT LIFE LAYOUT TO OUR PHOTO BOOKS }

The way we have Project Life set up on Shutterfly is that the “default” 20-page photo book is set up for you to quickly + easily add your photos and text … but it’s also super flexible if you want to alter the design or page count or book size or anything. So cool. There are many different layouts and Idea Pages (templates) available but when we released the product, there was no “typical” Project Life layout, which is simple and linear. You know – like the Photo Pocket Page Design A. Four spots for photos + 4 spots for journaling cards per page. Simple.

Shutterfly has heard the plea. They have responded to the request. They have added the Design A template to our Project Life photo books! THANK YOU Shutterfly. When you are creating your book in Shutterfly, you’ll notice the tabs on the far left side (Layouts, Backgrounds, Embellishments, and Idea Pages). When you click on Idea Pages and scroll to the very bottom you’ll see Design A. Simply drag + drop that on the left page and then the right page too … if you want that format. That’s it! You can leave the design alone and just add your photos + text, or you can change a few things if you’d like.

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{ HAVE A LOOK }

This is what Design A looks like in a Turquoise 12×12 photo book and then an 8×11 photo book (since the format does need to change):

 

This is what Design A looks like in a Clementine 12×12 photo book and then an 8×11 photo book.

{ TAKE NOTE }

Notice the focus is on large photos + journaling cards. Notice that you hardly even see any background in the square format. Remember that you can change the background pattern, the journaling cards, the photo size, etc. You can add embellishments if you’d like. You can remove photos or journaling cards. You can add them. You can re-size them. You can do pretty much anything you want. Or nothing at all.

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{ MY PERSONAL APPROACH TO PROJECT LIFE IN 2012 }

I am pleased to finally have a start on our 2012 Family Yearbook. I am pleased that “catching up” on the whole month of January is a cinch. I have chosen the Clementine Edition in the 8×11 size. I am highlighting one week per layout – not necessarily a picture-a-day, but just whatever I want to document each week. This is the first week in January.

{ DESIGN NOTES }

1. I left the layout pretty simple and straight-forward. This is the default background (neutral but very cool detail).

2. I added 3 embellishments – the tag at the top for labeling the week/dates, the stamp art on the left side, and the “document” art on the bottom right.

3. I omitted a journaling card and I also swapped out a journaling card.

4. I increased the size and customized the proportions of that large photo, taking the place of two smaller photos.

5. I changed the text color to orange on one of the cards just for fun.

6. I didn’t “have” to do anything beyond dropping in my pictures and adding my journaling. But doing these things literally took me all of 3 minutes.

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{ MY ADVICE }

Play. Play. Play. If you’ve never created a photo book in Shutterfly, just get in there and play. Look at your options. Upload a few photos. Mess around with the backgrounds and embellishments and Idea Pages. The best way to learn is to PLAY – honestly. I did this over the weekend and learned a lot just from looking, clicking around, moving things, and figuring it out as I go.

I promise you will become more + more comfortable with the process once you dig in. I personally love it. I am so excited to document my family’s life in 2012 with this format. It is so quick and really fun. Because I plan to sit down with Shutterfly just 20-30 minutes per week (in one sitting), I feel completely liberated about how easy this is process is, and how thoroughly our life can be documented with just little snippets here and there of our everyday life + our exciting moments + whatever we feel inclined to document.

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{ FINAL THOUGHTS }

Project Life is offered in 3 different ways because whatever works for me doesn’t necessarily work for you. And whatever works for you doesn’t necessarily work for your friend. And whatever works for your friends doesn’t necessarily work for her mother-in-law. You get the idea. I realize most of you are using the physical product – which is fantastic. I totally know that some of you are so not interested in large 12×12 albums, so the digital route is the way to go. Seriously – whatever floats your boat. Whatever helps you document your life the way you want to do it. Take your pick.  : )

If you want to check out an entirely completed Project Life photo book, Deb Duty has been kind enough to share her Turquoise Edition family book from 2011 – HERE.