a word (or lots) on album storage

So i went to a card making/scrapping thing tonight at my local school. First off it was wierd because i actually went to the school over 14 years ago! So seeing everything in minature was quite bizarre. Now i'm not the hugest fan of going to crops because it pisses me off that i have to plan what i want to scrap bec i can't be bothered to lug all m stuff along, but also because people either tend not to 'get' my stuff or people flock to my table and start quizzing me about how i did such and such, + usually they tend to be made up of people older then i, with completly different lifestyles. Don't get me wrong, i can get on great with people of all ages but when i'm in a situation where everyone else just wants to talk about their families & children i tend to lose interest a little bit. i especially feel out of place for example, when someone gets a text from their 17 year old daughter asking permission to have her boyfriend over after college and i'm thinking 'She is 17 and has to ask her mum for permission to have her boyfriend over!!! WTF?!?!? At 17 my boyfriend was sleeping over! Maybe i just have a very cool mum or i am a little too liberal or the memory of being 17 is much fresher in my mind? i'm not entirely sure how other people live their lives so can only base my opinions on my experiences. But i found it a little hard to get my head around.

Anywho, back to scrapping. i was most shocked when someone stated that they can't even contemplate making a page without having an album to put it in! That's NOT how i roll! Ummmmm... do you think artist's decide not to create art without a place on their wall to hang it on?!?! i think not! Now i just make stuff because it makes me happy, i enjoy the process etc etc. i am none to worried about where i'm going to put it once it's made. Looksie:



Yes, a whole stack of layouts without a home! And i'm ok with that! One day they will probably find their way into an album.

This is how i organise my scrapbooks: My storage is based on Stacy Julien's Library of Memories. i've got this book and taken an online course. i also really want her new book, but have not purchased as yet. Not all of this library system works for me so i just do what does. i use D-Ring Albums from American Crafts, because it's easy to move the pages around, and aftertime when the album is full i can staple together page protectors of double page layouts so that they sit nicely together. Plus i really like these ones because i can decorate the front myself. Like so:



i file pages according to theme. For example, Family & Friends, All About Me, Travel etc (i have seperate albums for each theme). Within these albums, layouts are filed in rough chronological order. i have lots of 8 1/2 x 11 albums, but recently i've been scrapping a bit more in 12 x 12 and 12 x 6, so i bought a 12x12 album which fits all sizes. This is especially great for my Travel album, as i tend to mix up the sizes quite a bit when i'm scrapping this theme. i also have lots of mini books, which don't really have a home but one day will (they are just in a pile like most of my other stuff).

And another shocker: i don't scrapbook all my photos! At the crop tonight i was asked how many photos i had to scrapbook from my recent travels and how long it would take me. i just do whatever i feel like was my reply. What's the point in putting a time limit on yourself?

i don't feel i have to be 'caught up' with my scrapbooking. i don't feel like i HAVE to scrapbook a certain event or memory, i scrapbook for fun! i have a system for my photos (also based on themes and individual people) and eventually after time if they haven't been scrapped they'll go into 'real' photo albums. i can always go and take them out if i am ever inspired to scrapbook them afterall. i love taking photos, and there's no way i'm ever going to scrapbook every one i take, nor would i want to!

{now stepping down from soapbox}