Making 8.5x11 pages 12x12

[lovetoscrap]

Hi! I finally got my scrapbook room cleaned up (again!) and have been scrapping. I have decided it is time to go back to the beginning (of DD1) and start scrapping in order so I can actually get some albums completed in order. Right now I just scrap what I feel like and put it in a page protector in a binder. It never feels like anything has been accomplished.

So I pulled out her "album" and it was a mix of 8.5x11 and a few 12x12. When I first started scrapping it was in the 8.5 era. When 12x12 become the thing I switched and decided I was just going to have a mix of those in that album-- mostly pages from her first 3 years. I really hate the way it looks and when I went through it I realized that some of the pages were getting bent and damaged and it just wasn't working. So last night I bit the bullet, pulled out a huge stack of 12x12 cardstock and started mounting the smaller pages on coordinating colors. I can't say that I am totally happy with the results but I am not sure of any other solution. I really don't want to redo those pages, I do like them, even if some of them are definitely a throwback to those original days of the craft ( sticker sneezes, lots of paper patterns, and tons of photos cut into funky shapes!). I enjoy seeing how my style has evolved.

Has anyone else done this? Any creative ways to make this work better that won't involve completely redoing the pages I have already done?

 

[JohnsonsLoveDisney]

I'm no help cause I did exactly the same thing with DD#1's 8x11 album. Just mounted everything in a 12x12 album and plugged along. Its not the greatest thing in the world but it all matches in size. and has all the same funky cut out pics and limited paper choices

 

[Lisa]

Leave the layouts as is. It shows the progress of your style.

I was so pleased with the job I did for my mother's 70th birthday album, but when I looked at it when I did her 75th, I just cringe. Not what I would do now.

 

[Jeniferdwn]

I am torn about doing that for dd's baby album. It's 8.5x11 and in a 3 ring binder. I've scrapped for years so i don't know why I did it that size and not 12x12.

 

[mommy2mrb]

I did exactly the same thing! just keep them the way you have them, it does show how your scrapping as progressed!

 

[lovetoscrap]

I am torn about doing that for dd's baby album. It's 8.5x11 and in a 3 ring binder. I've scrapped for years so i don't know why I did it that size and not 12x12.

If you are like me it is because when Scrapbooking first became popular the majority of paper and albums were for 8.5x11. You really couldn't even find 12x12 .

If her baby album is "complete"-- you don't need to add any more to it then I would just leave it as it is. My problem was that I don't scrapbook in order and I have done just random layouts of her first 3 years. I had 8.5 and 12x12 mixed together and it was not working well in the album. I went ahead and just mounted all the 8.5x11 completed pages on to some coordinating 12x12 cardstock so it will all be the same size in the album.

 

[beaucoup]

When mounting the 8.5x11 to the 12x12, could you add a border in that extra space? Or some journaling or embellishment?

Or center the layout & add things to the corners?

I finally accepted the fact that my albums are a combination of sizes.