Love, Tuesday... (Are you sitting down?)

 

This is BIG.  It's been building for a while and I can't stop thinking about it.  I kind of hinted at it a week or so ago but now I know in my heart for SURE...

I {heart} Scrapbooking BUT... I DON'T WANT TO SCRAPBOOK ANYMORE!!

Seriously, I'm not joking.

...and btw, the drugs for my Bronchitis are not impairing my judgement :)-

See the thing is this.  I don't have the time.  I DO NOT HAVE 2 HOURS+ to work on a 1 PAGE LAYOUT!!  It's RIDICULOUS!  And with this being the current way of "scrapbooking,"  I just can't do it.  

Do YOU have the time for this?  Maybe it doesn't take you that long to do a page... Maybe because I was on two DT's last year I fussed with my layouts too long?  IDK... but I do know I can't scrapbook like this anymore.  

SO, I'm PURGING my Scrapbook stuff!!  Yup, I'm getting RID OF IT!!  

I am looking into OTHER WAYS to record our family memories and there's a few things I want to do INSTEAD.  

Like for starters... Project Life 

It was started a couple years back by Becky Higgins.  It's a way to document your year in very SIMPLE, easy steps that looks like this:

 

You can find all kinds of examples and ideas on Pinterest.  Here's a few:

 

or this:

or this:

So it's STILL very CREATIVE, but within ONE YEARLY album, you record everything!  You can get as ARTSY as you want or you can keep is SIMPLE.  But I'm really thinking this is the way to go for me.

Any of you Scrapbook this way?  I'd love to hear your feedback.  I actually bought this system a couple years ago when Becky first came out with it.  It sat in my garage.  I just don't think I was ready to simplify my "scrapbooking" yet.  But now I want to SO BAD because I just can't scrapbook the traditional way anymore!

I also may still dable in "mini-books" but that will ONLY be for special occasions, gifts and for vacations.  I still think it's important to document those special memories, but again, NOT in a 2-3hour layout with ONE or TWO photos!  It's just crazy what it has come to.  I also thinks it's crazy to spend so much MONEY on ONE LAYOUT!  It's just gotten out of hand!  I look at the layouts on 2Peas and Scrapbook.com and they ARE GORGEOUS, don't get me wrong, but they are loaded with flowers, swirls, trims, embellishments and it's just too much $$$. (and one or two little photo's)  I can't justify the time and money it takes to do that anymore.  Boy, I hope I'm not upsetting anyone.  This is a PERSONAL decision for ME and because this is my blog and I "tell it like it is" in my world, this is what I've decided.  I may change my mind, I may still do this type of LO once in a while for a special event or for a magazine, but overall, I'm really done with it.

So this week that I've been home with Bronchitis, (and with Isabella and now with Rebecca too) I've been PURGING my Scrapbook room and I've got a LOT of goodies for YOU!!

Yes, I'm planning on a HUGE SCRAPBOOK SALE!  I think I may put it up here on the blog like my old kits!??  What do you think?  

They will be kind of like my "Grab Bag" kits, but with a theme!  So probably a color theme, or special event theme or even a Specific Mfg. company theme. (i.e. 7 Gypsies, MME or what have you...)

I will let you know when they are ready to be posted and I may take some pictures of them so you have an idea of what you are getting.  But expect them to be FILLED to the BRIM for a GREAT PRICE!!!

I'd really like to hear your thoughts on my "Epiphany" and if you ladies have any ideas to simplify and cut costs on your memory keeping..

Oh and even though I won't be "Scrapbooking" anymore, I still will be enjoying CREATIVE TIME!  I plan to continue to CREATE with mixed-media, altered art, journaling and things I can display in my home.  That is where I feel the art of our memories can truly be enjoyed!

Hugs to all,

Laura

 

Comments

[Grace P]

Just as scrapbooking is coming back you are leaving? Oh my. But we will have you still to create I can't wait to see what you come up with. Grace xoox

[Kip]

I totally understand. I have gotten into mixed media the past couple of years so am reaching out to all kinds of mediums. I only do mini albums when I scrap, never layouts. It is crazy to spend so much time and money on one page so know what you mean.

[Erica]

I rarely scrap any more because I just don't feel like it. It used to be all that I did. Now I prefer to make cards, ATCs, altered art projects, ornaments, whatever. I managed to make 11 layouts last year. And I did create 2 mini albums for vacations. That is what I plan to do for now.

[tina f]

finally someone comes forward and says what we have all been secretly wanting to say...I agree with you..The cost is way to high and the stress of trying to think of things to create, and then only putting two small pictures on the page...I am with ya, but I will admit I am just not there yet to admit it. I love the friendships that I have made and the women bonding over creating pages for our family and friends...I commend your honesty and your courage, and maybe I will be right behind you soon!

[Shirley]

I think art journals are also a very cool way to keep a record of your memories.

[Beth W]

With you all the way.I've been thinking the same thing myself-it's preserving the memories that are important.Having said all that-can't wait for your sale!

[Chipper]

This has been a recurring conversation with my friends and I over the past year. Currently in Australia it is quite common to see up to $30 of product on one page!!!! This is the socially appropriate way to scrapbook for some reason. I however do not do this as it is not why I started scrap booking. I like it to be quick, enjoyable to do and tell a story. This is the first year I have heard much about project life as I only started following blogs in the past 6 months and it is not readily available here. I love the idea!

I own a paper craft store and am thinking of giving it up completely as this kind of over the top scrapbooking is really getting to me. I know someone who is published regularly and it takes her the better part of a whole day to complete one layout. I wouldn't even want to guess at how much stash she owns!

So you follow your passion and do what it is you want to do. I will be :-) There are still lots more stories I have to tell and I will scrap them my way. I look forward to seeing where you head from here.

[ruth tacoma]

I think everyone needs a break now and then. Whether you purge, or just close the scraproom door for a few months, is a personal choice.

The nice part of purging is that if you decide to scrap again, you will shop for all new stuff....and we know how fun that is!!! :)

As long as you can be creative in some way (and we know that you will), that's all that matters.

[JJ]

I think however you choose to spend your creative time is valid. And how you do 'memory keeping' is your choice. It's interesting (unexpected?) to see a scrapper with your style say "it's enough" - I wonder if we will hear more of this.

I guess I'm somewhere in the middle - I enjoy spending a couple of hours on a page, but I don't enjoy spending a lot of $$ on a page, so I tend to be more technique driven (a couple bottles of art mediums will go a looooooong way on layouts).

Very interesting - thank you for saying 'out loud' what is certainly on the minds of many scrappers.

[Laura C Michigan]

I guess I'm a little confused because of your Bellagio trip that you have scheduled. I too am going with a simpler mode. My life is busy. I bought a couple collections of Simple Stories just for this reason and some collection pages and a book specifically for this. So I understand some of what you are saying because I too run into the time issues. I'm not ready to toss my "schtuff" though - LOL

[Jackie]

Thank you for saying what I have been feeling for a while now. I also started doing PL this year and am loving it! It really is so freeing! I am still doing Layouts but I have gone old school...SIMPLE. I still think my layouts are pretty but the photos and the memories are the focus NOT the cool PRIMA embellishment I just bought... Please don't get me wrong, I LOVE PRIMA and all of the others but it has just gotten out of control. I don't have the time, the money or the space for all of it. I long for the days when my entire scrapbook stash fit into my big CM rolling tote. I have given up on trying scrap every photo in layout style and keep them in chronological albums. I still do albums but they are categorized by people, places, and events. Heck, when I'm an old lady and want to look back at a some pictures of my kids with Easter bunnies, there is no way I am going to remember what the heck year it was...LOL I am using the Project Life system for the chronological stuff and so far (one month) I am really liking it. I hope you enjoy your new style of memory keeping as much as I have loved mine.

[Theresa Lee]

Kudos to you Laura for making a change. Maybe you're just burnt out like me - I hardly ever scrapbook layouts anymore. I make cards because I still like to make things, and cards are useful. I also like to make banners sometimes and other types of "different" projects. I have purged at least 3 times over the past few years. I don't get rid of everything, but I usually end up giving away hundreds of dollars of things that are outdated or I just don't find useful for my style at the time. I find that clearing away some of the clutter frees me to try new things or the things I couldn't see because I had too much. Sometimes less is more!

[comprar camisetas]

Sus acuarelas son simplemente increíbles, y van muy bien con el estilo de sus fotografías. Usted tiene un gran gusto para estas cosas, y me alegro de que hayas publicado sobre este evento. En cuanto al retrato, que se parece mucho a usted, especialmente si nos fijamos en la expresión de la cara, muy so?adora y teniendo en cuenta, al mismo tiempo =) cejas grandes, demasiado;)