What order do you build your scrapbook page?

[hopemax]

2010 is my year to actually make pages for my book. I have about a dozen Disney trips that need to be scrapped, and I have a million swap items that need to be used.

My original scrapping method, was pick out pics, then pick out papers and fuss over a layout for hours or days, and just basically not accomplish much.

Then, when I needed to make wedding albums for Dcousin's I figured out I could work faster if I sketched a layout at the same time I was editing photos. Then when I got them printed, it was fairly quick to put a layout together, but I still wasted time picking out paper.

Now, I am thinking about building a complete page first. Arrange my swap items on the page, leave spaces for photos of varying sizes. Then, go look for photos to use on the page, edit, crop, resize them and print.

I feel like I'm never going to get around to editing or print all my photos, and I have thousands, so whatever I manage to do with this method is better than nothing. And that I will have a wide variety to choose from, so I should always be able to find pictures to put on a page. But I wonder, if I would regret it (wished I had used a different background, wished I had left space for 7 pictures instead of only 6, etc).

Has anyone scrapped this way?

 

[LindaBabe]

Pictures
Background
maybe a pagemap
layout
shuffle
shuffle
title
shuffle
stick down
journal
embellish (maybe) This is not my strong point.

 

[nicurn]

several years ago I went to a club scrap retreat and they basically handed out sketches that used all their paper/embellishments that came in each kit. It was awesome because I must have set up like 50 pages that way and then just dropped pictures onto them. It certainly made scrapping much faster and I still liked how the pages looked.

 

[toverly]

The digital books work that way. You drop in photos to a preplanned page then embellish. I agree, it would go much quicker. The great thing about Disney is it is easy to coordinate the entire album with coorinating background papers.

 

[MamaDrama]

My method is this:

Choose my pics
sketch layout
choose papers
put layout together
edit pics
print pics
embellish layout
journal

 

[rlovew]

I will choose my pictures first but many times I make my layout before printing so I can print photos the right size for the layout.

Rebecca

 

[New England Eeyore]

I couldn't work that way - I have a hard time using the page swaps I've done because I never seem to have the right # of pictures in the right orientation, etc. For me I always start with the photos. As I'm deciding what to print, I keep layouts in mind in choosing how the pictures get grouped together and if I have a ton and I want to keep it to a 2 page layout, I'll print some smaller. (Actually the sad truth is I keep layouts in mind when I'm *taking* the photos too.)

But I think if you haven't scrapped for yourself in a while, that might be a way to jumpstart back into it. Do a couple and then go check your pictures and see if it worked for you and then you'll know if you can do more.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Print pics
sort pics and divide into 2 page layouts
find sketches
background and coordinating paper
embellish
build

Most pics get printed at 4x6 but I pretty much know which ones will be 5x7 or 8x10 so I print all at once. I'm finally learning to select some pics for printing. I used to feel the need to print every single one and scrap them.

 

[lovingthemouse]

Definitely my pictures come first; then paper that works with the theme, always change it a few times before settling; layouts can take time depending on the theme; embellishments always come last, in fact they can wait for a while before they are settled on the page. Actually having too much paper to choose from is a big challenge, better to have too little than too much!!

 

[123SA]

I couldn't work that way - I have a hard time using the page swaps I've done because I never seem to have the right # of pictures in the right orientation, etc. For me I always start with the photos. As I'm deciding what to print, I keep layouts in mind in choosing how the pictures get grouped together and if I have a ton and I want to keep it to a 2 page layout, I'll print some smaller.

I work this way too. I tend to build layouts that feature a few 4x6 and many smaller photos. I dread sitting at the computer agonizing over which photos to print and at which size. It takes me so long. I would love to hand it all over to someone else and have them give me a pile of my photos to work with.

I have a hard time with our page swaps because I seem to take many more vertical photos than horizontal -- opposite of most people I think. I actually have started making a conscious effort to turn the camera the "normal" way.

 

[MamaDrama]

I seem to take many more vertical photos than horizontal -- opposite of most people I think. I actually have started making a conscious effort to turn the camera the "normal" way.

I seem to take more vertical pics too. I noticed it the other day when I was putting together a layout using a page kit I had purchased. I had to redesign the layout a bit because my pics were all vertical.

 

[LindaBabe]

I think, since you have so many photos, you need to start a step before that.

Think about the "story" you want to tell with this album. Is it "our favorite memories from 12 disney trips"?

Then you have a short list of those memories for each trip - and think about what photos best support that list and only work on editing those photos.

I'm guessing if you did a title page, one two page spread for each trip, and a closing page, that would be a total of 60 - 80 photos. Much more do-able than trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon!

 

[pixiedustforever]

(Actually the sad truth is I keep layouts in mind when I'm *taking* the photos too.)

Whew! Glad I'm not the only one who does that!

I'm "guilty" of putting pages together in all ways mentioned.
Sometimes picking pictures first, sometimes the paper first.
Ya know, for those "I bought this paper for this theme..."
And sometimes it's picking the theme of the book, and then
the pix to support the theme ...


Marylee

 

[joyah]

Pics always come first. Since my scrapbooks are glorified albums I scrap almost all of my pics for each kiddo for each year (yes I'm years behind). As walgreens has good sales I print and put in photo boxes by years sometimes 2 boxes for a year as the boys get older and do more things. I'm also finding that I'm changing my style of books a bit. I was putting their sports in with the school pics cause all I had was the professsional pics. I've decided to do sports albums now so E will have basketball and baseball albums from begining to end and L will have swimming albums. then there will still be the school pic album with awards and report cards. And finally their everyday albums.
So for me pics, paper move it all around cut what needs cutting stick it down and move on. i'm by no means fancy after all they are boys. I do try to do a few interesting pages ie mosaic moments ( it's nothing for those pages to take a day's time) or special shapes to the pics.
I also find that I take way more pics than I need. So I end up either not printing them or printing and letting the boys have them since they scrap too.

 

[bigbabyblues]

FYI - my "s" key is sticking, sorry if I miss a couple.

I start with pictures - I sort through them and crop the ones I'm going to use and set the rest aside. I only use 4x6 print, so that's easy. I almost always do a 2-pg LO and I usse several pics on each page.

I try to decide where they're going to go on the page as I crop them--crop one, put it here. Crop the next one, put it there, etc.

Move them around a half a dozen or so times until it looks right.

Then I choose the paper--this is the part I usually struggle with. It takes me FOREVER on some LOs to decide on background and other papers. Sometimes, I know ahead of time what paper I want for what pics, but not usually.

I cut out titles, etc., with the cricut, then stick everything down. Next is journaling, and I do quite a bit of that, always by hand.

I add the embellishments last, and then I'm done!

 

[pjlla]

1. Choose which pictures to print and decide on enlargements (only when they are on sale, of course!).

2. When pictures arrive, break up by event/type/day and put each 2 pg L/O's worth of pictures in an envelope.

3. Decide on layout sketch (either from a sketch book/website, or design my own). I usually have to lay out the pictures on a table and kind of shift them around as I am deciding on their final layout. I usually do a WHOLE BUNCH of photos at once for this. I either reference which sketch I am using (by noting which binder and which LO # on which page), or I enclose my own sketch in the envelope. I may do a few hundred photos over the course of a few weeks like this. I put detailed notes on the envelope as I go along.... 1. which child it is for, 2. the event and event date, 3. sketch reference, 4. any paper/color/embellishment ideas, 5. any "extras" that I have to use on the page (receipts, ephemera, tickets, park maps), 6. title ideas.

The envelopes (which I write on in pencil and erase and reuse many times) are stored in chronological order, standing upright in a photo box in my scrapping area. When I am ready for the next step of scrapping, I just grab the frontmost envelope in the box and I am ready to roll!

BTW, by deciding on my layout AFTER I order photos, I do end up with a handful of photos I didn't use sometimes... but I don't let it bother me too much. I am a tactile person so I need to have the photos ON HAND to shift around before I can decide on the final LO.

4. Decide on colors... which means picking cardstock and possibly patterned paper. Usually this is the HARDEST thing for me.

5. Assemble basic LO.

6. Decide on any extras (embellishments) that I haven't already planned on.

7. Design/create/attach title.

8. Type up journaling block and adhere to page. (Since I do this step AWAY from my usual scrapping space, I usually build up a large pile of almost-finished pages and do a LOT of journaling at once.)

9. Take page count for monthly challenge... and put pages away in albums IMMEDIATELY. I rarely leave finished pages sitting out. I try to ALWAYS have page protectors ready.

Just like each scrapbook page is an individual work of art, each scrapbooker has his/her own method. Keep trying different things to find what works best for you! Good luck.................P

 

[PaulaSue]

I put all my pictures in groups in order like NY, Valentine, Easter. Each group goes in a page. I do this to make sure nothing gotten lost and find it after I already Sbed that page.

Then I go back and put the paper and pictures on on the pages. (I use way more than 1 page for each group now).

Then I go back after all is put down and journal and add stickers or Cricut decorations.

Weird but works for me.

 

[jacksmomma]

Mine usually start with a sketch or a theme. Sometimes the sketches are my own, sometimes they are challenges or found online. Next I choose pictures, or take them to fit the page (I do this a lot...take them specifically for a page ) Then I choose the papers and embellishments and lay the page out. I create the title and glue everything down. Lastly I add journaling, quotes, and or embellishments.