Epiphany

Well - actually, I've had a couple over the past few weeks -

Firstly - yes, I really am emigrating to Australia- or going home - and things will be sitting in storage for quite a while.  There is a difference between knowing it intellectually, and having the realisation of what this change means in practical life terms.  In reality, I won't have access to most of my craft tools and bulk supplies for ages and ages - certainly not at Mum and Dad's, maybe not in rented accommodation - and maybe not until we buy a house, however long away that might be. 

So therefore it really didn't make sense to hang on to certain things.  My philosophy up until now has been "hang on to it - it will always come in useful, and I could always use it here or there .... " Well, I haven't done a bad job - but I will have moved on again in a couple of years, so time to let most of it go. 

I have been destashing and decluttering a good while now.  I freecycled my fibres and other bits of wool and materials.  I gave away my lovely stash of antique buttons and other vintage clunky bits.  I have pulled useful bits out of magazines and filed them - haven't quite finished that process, but nearly there.  A solid week at that, and it will done. 

Now for the bigger stuff!  I've now sold my Cricut and most of the cartridges.  This has been firstly inspired by this epiphany, but secondly - we need the money.  Thirdly - I need to downsize.  Fourthly - I will aspire to a Silhouette Cameo at some point.  I've been wondering how people have done stuff lately, and all of a sudden it just dawned on me.  That is what I need!

So the selling will continue, and I will just keep going through things and thin them out. 

Secondly - I am changing the way I scrapbook the everyday stuff.  You could call it "Project Life" - but I've been scrapbooking my holiday projects like this for a few years now.  I called it "functional scrapbooking" - and really it is just using divided page protectors.  I suppose I am moving back to a decorated photo album - but more importantly - which also tells the stories in more detail than a normal scrapbook page. 

I will still continue to do showcase layouts - but really only for very special photos, or if I feel like being arty.  I need to fit in more photos, and more stories - but where I will differ from Project Life (or maybe not the theory, but how most people do it) is that I won't be restricted to a page per week.  It will be in chronological order, but most importantly, it will celebrate my boys' milestones as they happen.  Just as well I've been semi-up to date with my blog posts about the boys! I've also written the seminal stuff on our calendar, so that week to week, I can easily scoop it up to go into that scrapbook page.  I don't need so many supplies - I can use office stuff if I have to - but I can just print out the photos, slot them into a few slots, and even scribble some journalling onto a scrap piece of paper, and come back and fill it in properly later. 

That way, I won't get too behind with their chronology, no matter what other madness life decides to throw at us concurrently.  At least, that's my plan - at the moment, it seems as clear as a bell as to how it will work - we will have to wait and see. 

In the meantime, this is my first double page:

 

Left:

 

 Right:





I've already noticed quite a few pros and cons in this new process:

Pros

• I can go through and slot in photos as and when
• I use a LOT of stash! and from a load of different manufacturers
• Cheaper for photo developing in the longer term
• I was already using a lot of old stash, but I've managed to use somethings from very very early on in my scrapbooking life!

Cons

• Maybe it is this page, but I wanted to make it special - so still very time consuming
• I will need to go back to editing a bunch of photos at a time, to upload them to a digital processor
• You need to have a vision of how your pages will come together over the divided page protectors - I can really see the beauty of buying "Project Life" kits, which are already coordinated and cut to size.  That would save HEAPS of time, but then I wouldn't be using up my own stash!

It is my first double page with this new process, after all.  So I am sure it will get quicker!  But it also means a new way of working too - organisation by theme, rather than what I had before.  I've also started to go through and refine my organisation of stash - alphas into big chipboard, and now smaller letters.  A Cropper Hopper for quotes and journalling labels, stickers etc.  Then if I decide I want a quote on one section, I can go to that Cropper Hopper to file through.

So - a whole new way of looking at almost everything scrapbooking related, that's for sure!

Supplies:
Bazzill Basics Cardstock
Patterned papers: First Edition "Up Up and Away" paper stack, Kaisercraft Hey Birdie collection "Hightail", plus unknown scrap from a stack I was given nearly 9 years ago
Cricut Home Accents cartridge "Family" (my last use!)
Basic Grey White Chocolate Chip "Beckham" micro chip stickers
Pink Paislee "Captivating" sticker book - blue alphas
MM Star and Tiny Alphas on White
Artemio Felt "Baby and Bears"
PSX Designs "Fairy Tales" stickers
Autumn Leaves "Romance of Spring" clear stamps by Sande Kreiger
MAMBI rhinestone words "Beautiful"

If you've made it this far, phew! well done. Thanks for joining me in my journey.  :)