Calling all scrappers - I need your help please!

[Tiggerlovinggrandma]

In the past years I have scrapped just a few albums. Very basic, nothing fancy. I am not an expert by any degree. I am still very much a beginnier. My problem is this. I have so many boxes of photos to scrap as well as a few albums to redo. The latter are old magnitic albums that I wish to remove the photos from and scrap into new albums. All together I am talking about A LOT of photos. Except for the photos in the old albums my pictures in b photo boxes are grouped by year, month and subject; past to present day.

Where do I begin to get a handle on this? Do I begin with the past and work my way to the present? Do I begin a present day album and work backwards? It all seems overwelming right now. Also should I scrap every photo if its a good one or choose just the best of the best. If it's the best of the best then what do I do with the remainder of pictures? For me a subject can run anywhere from 1 or 2 photos up to 100+ photos like for WDW trips, birthdays, weddings, etc. Would also like to know how many pages can you do in a week, month? Do you have a set time and day for scrapping each week or each month? Just how do you organise you time around scrapping? I need your help, advice, suggestions, tips and a good kick in the pants to get myself started. I desperately need to get my photos into albums where they can be enjoyed. HELP PLEASE!

 

[jaycat]

If the older photos are in danger of degrading (ie from acid based paper) get to those first. I believe there are pens you can buy to test for acid in paper.

Other than that I really can't tell you where to start or what photos to use, its really personal preference. I don't recommend trying to do a huge album all at one time, 100 photos can be really daunting esp. for a beginner (speaking from experience). I would chose the best/most special pictures and scrap those first, then go back and choose form what is left.

Good Luck!

 

[rlovew]

As far as where to start I reccomend starting with something that will excite you and make each time you work on it fun.

Scrapping all your photos or not is a personal preference thing. I would suggest just taking the photos that highlight an event instead of trying to do them all. You can put the rest of the good photos in basic albums either with or without journalling and then if you eventually want to scrap them and have time they will be available.

I don't have a set time but I do have a list of goals for the week and a tentative list of when I will do each thing. If something happens and I don't have time one day it is okay.

Rebecca

 

[Luvmy4boys]

In the past years I have scrapped just a few albums. Very basic, nothing fancy. I am not an expert by any degree. I am still very much a beginnier. My problem is this. I have so many boxes of photos to scrap as well as a few albums to redo. The latter are old magnitic albums that I wish to remove the photos from and scrap into new albums. All together I am talking about A LOT of photos. Except for the photos in the old albums my pictures in b photo boxes are grouped by year, month and subject; past to present day.

Where do I begin to get a handle on this?

I could have written this!!! This is also my situation. What I have been doing is just going through the pictures and scrapping whatever I am in the mood to do. So one day I might do Christmas of 2002 and then the next thing I do might be 4th of July 1999. I figure eventually I'll get it done (maybe I'll still be working on it the nursing home ). By doing what I am truely in the mood to do makes it more enjoyable.

 

[jacksmomma]

I would just scrap the best of the best and store all of the not so great photos in slip pocket albums or photo boxes. Make sure to label the scrapbook and album or box so that you know they go together. If you want to go the techie route you could always scan all of the photos you have and then save them on disks. That is what I do with my photos. We then store the disks in our fire-safe box.

I have to agree with the other posters, start small and scrap something that excites you. It will get you in the mood and keep you going. Also set yourself a goal; 1 page a week, 3 a month, etc.

Finally, if you get stuck on ideas check out some of the page mapping sites like www.pagemaps.com. They provide a sketch of what the page should look like and it is up to you to make it your own with your photos and embellishments.

 

[LindaBabe]

No way would I try to scrap all those photos - you've got the ones in boxes stored safely and presumably labeled, which is the crucial thing. I'd get the ones out of the magnetic albums and put those labeled in boxes too, first thing. Then take a deep breath.

I like to think about the stories I want to tell, maybe make a list. Pick one and start on it - find the photos that go with it, and scrap that. Then go on to the next one. No way would I try to scrap every photo that went with my story, Just the best or the most illustrative.

Right this moment, I'm telling the story of an old friend, my childhood mentor, my first boss, for whom I named my son.

Another was about the first house in which I lived with my parents.

Another was about a favorite aunt.

If the photos are labeled, your descendants will know who the people are. But if you don't write down the stories you know, your great - grands will never know the tales behind the photos.

I'm also liking "year in review" pages and "a decade of family Christmases" type pages. - There again, usually a theme or story emerges to be told.