alpha is Kate Hadfield’s Roadworks Alpha
I sent out a survey in our newsletter last month asking what your biggest digi dilemma is. I was surprised that the overwhelming response seems to be a variation on the fact that you just aren’t scrapping. I think all of us come up against these road blocks at one time or another for different reasons. I have been scrapping for over twenty-two years now and have definitely had my share of scrapping road blocks! My biggest road block came in 1998-2001ish. I had been a paper scrapper at that point for twelve years. I remember pulling all of my paper scrapping supplies out one day and trying to make myself scrapbook. I remember thinking, “I just don’t enjoy this anymore!” I tried a few other times to scrap and had the same feeling. It got to the point that I dreaded it…more than doing laundry and more than scrubbing toilets!
Fast forward to 2002-2003 and my husband was telling me, “The future of scrapbooking is on the computer!” I would laugh at the idea of it! Then, I started playing on my computer…I started scrapbooking on my computer. Suddenly, I was in love again!
I have realized over the years, that I am passionate about memory keeping in whatever form it comes (this is something that I talk about a lot on the Digi Show). I believe that there is a form of memory keeping that will make your heart sing and that’s what you need to do! There are many types of memory keeping that fit under the umbrella of digital scrapbooking, as far as I’m concerned: blogging, Facebook, Twitter, uploading photos to Flickr, basically anytime you bring photos and memories together using technology, you are digital scrapbooking.
Here are some tips for overcoming potential roadblocks that keep us from scrapping:
TIME: If documenting memories is important to you, schedule time to make it happen! It’s really easy to put the things we love at the bottom of the list, but we need to do it! Figure out a routine that will work, schedule it (on your calendar) and stick to it!
RULES: What “rules” are you creating for yourself that you need to let go of? Are you telling yourself that you can’t scrap until you are organized? Are you telling yourself that you can’t scrap until you are a “better” scrapper? Are you telling yourself that you have way too many photos to ever be “caught up” so why even try? Let go of these rules, because they aren’t rules and they don’t matter! You CAN scrap without rules!
OVERWHELMED: Are you feeling so overwhelmed by the amount of photos you have that you are paralyzed? Just pick one memory and START! If that is too much, just pick a couple of favorite photos and START!
Just remember that something is better than nothing!! You can do it and you will feel so good when you do!!
Challenge!
1) Find THREE photos that you like and want to scrap! Hurry…go find them and then come back!
2) Pick a kit, any kit that you love, it doesn’t even matter if matches the photos because you can make the photos black and white.
3) Download this GREAT template from Scrapping with Liz (download links will only be good through this weekend).
4) SCRAP!!!!!! Make your heart sing!
This template is included in this collection of Liz’s. A BIG THANKS to her for sharing it with us! I rotated the template counter clockwise 90 degrees and made this layout of a story I have been wanting to tell and a memory I wanted to document and you know what? It made my heart sing to do it!
I used the Weeds and Wildflower Digi Files contribution this month.
Share This Using…
I wish there were png layers for this template, so I could have played too. Not every one has pse or ps or can open psd, abr, asl,and tiff file, it just seems like it. lol
Your welcome girls!
My issue is time…always time.
I didn’t use this template, but I did use the same kit for some of my new creation tonight! My road block is that even with a template, I have a hard time “seeing” what to do.
Steph-you know how you said in one of the episodes how you deleted the blog of when your husband was ill?
Oh, I do because that was such a sad moment in your voice and because I listen to the podcasts about 10 times each on my itunes at work, I remember.
Being in IT, I never really think data isn’t 100% saved unless it is on paper. lol
2peas, had something about wish I saved the article and my bookmark doesn’t work anymore. blah blah blah
So my pick of the week is “http://waybackmachine.org/” for you to see if you can find your old blog posts.
HTH
Yes, I remember that. I tried to look it up, but the blog was private, so it didn’t have anything for it. Thanks for the idea and sharing it with me!
By the way, today is our 5th anniversary of the transplant!
Thanks for the inspiration and Liz for the template. I got a page done for the first time in ages. Best part is, when I was browsing for photos to scrap I came across these from a moment I would have otherwise forgotten.
I posted my page on my blog; http://mistycatodesigns.com/2011/03/mini-pies-with-mya/
Misty! THANKS so much for sharing this! Your little girls is so CUTE, my heart melts every time I see photos of her! I LOVE this memory and that you were able to get it documented!
Thanks for the template! I’ve been excited about scrapping recently and have gotten a lot of LOs done, but I’ve dealt with a lot of roadblock phases over the 7 years I’ve been digiscrapping. Some just last a week, one lasted an entire year.
I’m kind of curious what the road block was that lasted a year….?
Thanks for the lovely template! My problem is time too. I have so much catching up to do because I can’t find the time to be at the computer lately. Hoping to get some scrap time in tonight!
I hope you were able to scrap!! Don’t worry about catching up, just start with something that inspires you!
Thank you, Steph AND Liz for the beautiful template!!! My issue is time – really I would sit in front of the computer and scrap all the time if I could (though my husband and son would protest!!!) Love the Daily Digi!!!
Me too! I really could scrap (and work) all the time, I love it so much!! It’s all about balance huh?
Great post, Steph. I love your broad definition of scrapbooking, because while I haven’t made a layout all week (rare for me), I’ve blogged every single day (also rare — my thanks to Katie and her inspiration to do a monthly roundup!)
Lately the important thing to me is to get the memories captured and I feel like I am doing a pretty good job of it.
That said, I am eager to do some scrapbooking this afternoon — a little bit more art in my life makes me happy! That template looks like a great place to start; thanks so much!
That’s exactly what you need to remember! Get the memories captured in whatever format you can and whatever way “makes your heart sing”!
I hope you were able to get some scrapping done!
I did — two great pages! I’ll upload them to the Flickr group soon!
Not a roadblock so much, as a lack of time to scrapbook – darn that job! Plus, I’ve gotten more into photography and photo-editing in recent years, rather than scrapbooking. So I guess as a result, I’m most interested in templates or quick-pages for simple layouts that feature the best of my photography, rather than highlighting lengthy journalling about the photos. That is, I’m mostly just interested in documenting where and when the photo was taken, in an attactive way. My mother gave me an old photo album with some of my grandmother’s photos, and I’ve found that she didn’t write down where and when most of the photos were taken – I don’t want any inheritors of my photos to have the same problem!
I think this is the great thing about digital photography! Most digital cameras include the date the photo was taken in the metadata, so it’s always there! Many cameras can now have the ability to include the location as well. I agree with Noell (Paperclipping Roundtable)that including info in the metadata is how our posterity will learn about us.
Also, see my comment above about Cinzia and Gina Maries no photo based products.
I’m new to scrapbooking both traditional and digital, my “road block” comes into play with the photos themselves. I’ve been playing around with photography for a couple of years and I know that I’m being too picky with the pictures that I want to scrap. I have to get past this “portrait quality” mentality that I have. Thanks for the post!
Did you see how Gina Huff is scrapping her photos? The products that she and Cinzia have created are perfect for someone like you!! I don’t think there is anything wrong with having layouts with “portrait quality” photos, as long as the memories that don’t have those photos are being documented somehow too and you are telling the stories you want to capture.
Thank you for this post. My big problem is that I don’t really “love” scrapping traditionally, but I am not really proficient at scrapping digitally, and get frustrated very easily. I also have SO Much tradiscrap stuff that I feel so guilty when I scrap digitally (which I have also amassed quite a collection of). I tend to get very excited about new projects and then peter out. Sometimes I wonder if I should just pack it all up and take a complete break from it, and see how much I miss it when it is gone!
Kris,
I think you need to let go of the guilt and give your paper stuff to a good cause like a children’s hospital.
I can understand petering out, I was very much a hobby hopper before digital scrapbooking came into my life. I just try to remember, I’ve always been a memory keeper just using different methods to achieve it.