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.
A year ago I purchased your turquoise edition PL on Amazon. I couldn’t wait for it to arrive. The minute it came I put all the cards in their proper place. I had good intentions to start putting pictures in it but then never got around to it. It just sat there in my craft room. For a year. I had decided to completely quit scrapbooking because I couldn’t even manage to find the time for something as simple as project life. Then something amazing happened. 2 days ago I decided to take a look at PL on shutterfly. In just ONE DAY I had an ENTIRE YEAR scrapbooked!!! I still can’t believe it. I’ve told all my friends and family on facebook to give it try. Thank you so much for making scrapbooking simple and fun again!
Emily, thank you so much for posting this video!! you have made me feel completely validated by your super simple approach. i enjoy the inspiration of all the creative people out there in scrapbook land, but it is wonderful to see others take the less “fancy” road!! Thanks again for helping me feel better about my approach.
To change a quote i have seen “Only God is perfect, our scrapbooks don’t have to be.”
I did Project Life (Amber) pure and simple last year and LOVED it. I have my Turquoise kit and am ready to start my 2012 album now. The thing that I love most about doing it simply is the feeling of accomplishment I get each week as I see my album growing. Also looking at my now complete 2011 album and thinking how many more memories I was able to capture using this system than I could have ever done with my traditional artistic scrapbooking style. I still scrapbook that way, but it is purely as a creative outlet now, as my need to document life has been fulfilled through Project Life. Thanks Becky!!
I’m so happy to see this post! The thing that attracted me to PL was the simplicity of it all. I was excited to order a kit that included all of the components to make scrapbooking do-able again. I’m always excited to see the new kits that come out each year and to pick one that suits me. I get creative just arranging the kit components in my own way. I also find that adding ephemera to my PL album also gives it it’s own original look. Photos and stories are what matter the most to me. There was a time when I just collected scrapbook stuff in hopes of getting some albums completed. That’s not the case with PL. Last year was my first year doing PL. I set up my album in January and then printed and inserted photos throughout the year. With the exception of some journaling that still needs to be completed, my PL album is done. Even if I didn’t get the rest of the journaling done, my album is beautiful and all pictures, as well as a lot of ephemera, have been inserted. It’s my favorite album…ever! We’re all enjoying it so much and it’s so neat to be able to look back at our year. I wish I had an album like this for every year since I was married. Anyway, my Clementine core kit is due to arrive next week (Can’t wait!) and in the mean time I’ll get the rest of my journaling done for my 2011 PL album. Thank you, Becky, for creating PL. Scrapbooking is more enjoyable to me than it’s ever been. God bless!
Glad for the post. I’m keeping it simple! Just want to see if I could get a year down. Whether I do a post a day or not, eh, I’m not worried about it. I do so many other things as “creative” projects that I’ve decided this will be my quick, easy and organized solution to consistently document life. That way I can creatively create scrapbook pages without guilt about whatever I want without feeling like I’m “missing” stuff. Thanks Becky and Emily!!!
Thanks, Becky, for this important reminder. I tend to be the one that is completely overwhelmed because I read all the blogs and want to do EVERYONE’s style! But, this helped me see that I need to find my own style and do what works for me and my family, and just go for it. I have my album put together, my title and ending pages done, and my first week ready to go when I get pics printed! Yay! Thanks for the unending motivation to work PL the way I need to! =o)
NOW, I am ready to tackle the kids’ school papers that have piled up for 5 years! I’m waiting (not so very patiently) for your video/blog post about the kids’ school system! I CAN’T WAIT!! I need HELP! SOOO EXCITED to hear what you have to say and to see any new products you come up with. I know they will be just what I need! =o) Thanks for everything. You do a fabulous job and we love you and PL!
Do u know when the black signature binders are going to be available?
I’m pretty sure that I saw this somewhere before, but couldn’t find the information. Being somewhat computer challenged, how is the best way to print on the cards using computer and printer? I would appreciate any help or suggestions. Thank you.
Thank you for these last few posts; they really spoke to me!! I have been a huge fan and follower of yours, Becky, since the early days of CK. You said jump, I said how high! I worked hard on creative lettering, creative cards, and sketches. (I still refer to your sketches for most of my layouts!!) So I really was on board in ’09 when Project 365 premiered. I loved the picture a day idea and happily completed my album. I was ready for your next big idea. hmmm…Project Life…. hmmm I was happy that you were happy, but I had already done it, and while I loved the project for that one year, I also really kind of missed my traditional layouts. I continued to read your blog and was cheering for your amazing work and your amazing company, but I must confess that I was secretly doing traditional layouts (gasp!) and was even a bit jealous that all your good advice wasn’t for me any longer. I felt like a big cheater every time I read your blog. I was convinced I had to do one OR the other. Fast forward to the first week of 2012 and your blog posts. Yahoo! The lightbulb finally went off! I can do both! Why do women like me need to have permission to do something a little different or a little easier? Who knows, but I am one them. So, to make a long story short, THANK YOU for giving me permission to personalize Project Life to fit my needs!! (I know you’ve been saying it for a long time, but now you’re personalizing it too. Maybe that’s what I was waiting for? ) Anyway, now I am jazzed more than ever that I can do a version of Project Life in addition to my other layouts. YAHOO!! Thanks once again for the endless inspiration!!!
Isn’t it funny that we can ‘hear’ something over and over and over again, but until we feel like we are being ‘spoken to’ we just don’t hear it?? I totally get what you are saying!
I apologize if this isn’t the best place for this question, but I have started my new album, and 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? Thank you!
Hi Melissa – have you checked out the Project Life board at Big Picture Classes?https://www.bigpictureclasses.com/
Awesome place for ideas, questions, etc. I think the intention is you would most likely use no more than 10 pictures in one spread so you can use those numbers to identify the pictures with the journaling cards. I’m using them in an insert for my son’s birthday to make a “list type” of journaling.
Hee Hee – how many of you, like me, have been checking this blog several times today looking for Becky’s answers to our digital Shutterfly questions? I’ve been taking my pics and keeping an ongoing journal – all ready to fly one way or the other.
Yes you and me both:)
[...] one, it is a leap year)..there is a great article and video posted over at the Daily Digi and at Becky’s blog. No one asked me to share these links…I just thought I would share the things I have read [...]
[...] http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2012/01/project-life-in-its-most-basic-form/ [...]
Thank you for sharing this Becky. I think one of the reasons why I have hesitated to really do PL since getting my big box in May last year was the fact that I was overwhelmed with all the many beautiful examples out there. I had to remind myself that it’s fine if mine would be basic, no frills. Maybe in the future, I can embellish more, but basic is okay. So this year, 2012, is the year I will complete Project Life.
[...] 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. [...]
I think there are plenty of us Simple Scrapbookers out there, but I think we also are less likely to post our work. I really don’t care whether anyone else sees it or likes it beyond me and my kids, so posting to a gallery has never been a priority. But I’m thinking maybe we “simple” Project Lifers would be doing our peers a favor if we DID make an effort to post a few layouts! I have a super-simple album done mostly with plain cardstock, because the “busy-ness” of the patterned paper on the premade cards detracted from the photos. It’s VERY simple!
Emily’s video made me so happy! First of all, it was very rewarding to see a year in the life of her beautiful family — and yes, I had to go back and see the baby’s birth a couple times.
But it was also great encouragement for this simple Project Life journey I’ve undertaken for 2012! I mean, the video showed her scrapbook as pretty eye-candy, lively and loving, FINISHED, plenty personal, and flexible. And forgiving. “Look — she put her vertical photos in horizontally… and it was okay!!!”
Thanks for sharing! <3
[...] completely agree with you! If you missed it, be sure to check out my Project Life in its most basic form blog post. I would be thrilled to see more submissions from Project Lifers who aren’t [...]
this will be my 3rd year keeping my memories in the PL way, and i still keep it basic. sure i sometimes add some little extra here or there, but for the most part not. i have come to terms with the fact that i am not the most clever or creative memory keeper and it’s ok because, for me and my family, it really is about recording our life. my girls get such joy out of looking at the books (over and over and over) that it has spurred me on to continue along this path vs. ‘regular’ pages (which i do still do sometimes) because i DO this and the memories aren’t lost. this year i am adding one more step to the mix by sharing, so if you’re interested, stop by and say hi
[...] For inspiration on the most simple approach to Project Life, be sure to check out our Getting Started slide show and be sure to check out this post if you missed it: Project Life in its Most Basic Form. [...]