Hello Lovelies!
I absolutely love scrapbooking so I thought it would be fun to share things I LOVE to include in my albums.
First of all I am a 12x12 album kind of girl because it gives me the most freedom to play. I mix and match the sizes of the inserts, along with playing with traditional layouts, pocket style, and loose pages. When I refer to loose pages I mean a page that has no protective sleeve. I really like this approach and it works for me. It also helps that it looks really cool with all the varying size inserts and pages. ;)
Ok, Let's Get Started!
To get the most out of my album's real estate I use pocket style inserts quite a bit. It's easier to cover multiple topics or focus on just one. I tend to use photos that are wallet size or half the size of a wallet, but rarely smaller. So that means 4 photos at most printed on 6x4 photo paper. I usually get my prints done at Walgreens because it is convenient for me.
Photo Heavy on a Particular Topic
If you don't know this already, I am a HUGE series lover and so is Alfredo. This spread was photo heavy of our go to shows at the time. I always try to include journaling in some way, a lesson learned for me. My personal favorite is adding hidden journaling to an envelope, a flip, or even on the back of a layout. Sometimes I even make little journals that span a few days to include. That may actually be one of my favorite things to include because they are usually filled with doodles and fresh recalls of the day.
Hidden Journaling is Your Friend
First of all, there is no right or wrong way to do scrapbooking, it's completely up to you. Personally I do it because I enjoy the creative process, love looking through them, and I also have a terrible memory.
I have so many photos and layouts that have no substance, journaling helps give it life and trigger my memory. For example, I have a terrible photo collage of me eating at the park on one of my spreads. I actually included a hidden story about the day and it wasn't something superficial like, "today was a great day, we had so much fun." Really... no way, lol. I do have plenty of journaling like that though, but I'm trying to do better . Anyway, it was a funny story about watching the ecstatic kids looking for painted rocks and a poor dad that just wanted to relax.
Envelopes and Bags Never Fail
Try making the entire pocket an envelope. This one I used a coin envelope with minimal embellishing and a photo. This is a great opportunity to use your festive paperclips too. I also have an awesome video tutorial and template to make shaker coin envelopes here: https://youtu.be/VDAZRIEGq6c
Seriously, you need to get Glassine bags if you don't have them in your stash. They are great for layering and hiding extra tidbits. Paper bags are awesome too!
Mini envelopes that are the pocket's focal point are a perfect way to add a pop color. A 6x4 pocket with several mini envelopes is a fun way to add interest and provide extra space. I did this for Valentine riddles. You can also use mini envelopes in a more interactive way by creating a poll. For Halloween I added a section where you can place your vote for which Stephen King It movie you preferred.
Hidden Journaling and Photos with Flips
I add flips ALL THE TIME. It's great for layouts that focus on the creative process. For this one I created a flip under the top left photo and added a tab that said "story." Sometimes I neglect to include the label and I completely forget it's a lift. Oops...
The photo on the bottom is a lift too, but it looks a like an embellishment cluster. For this layout I used my Taco Tuesday collection, watercolor, and hand stitching. To make it more festive I glued tiny bits of crepe paper pieces throughout the layout.
Tags for Days
Tags are also a great option for inconspicuous journaling. It can be the eye candy of a pocket or tucked behind something. Don't forget to get creative with the tag tie. Use ribbon, crepe paper, bakers twine, tulle, etc. I'm so surprised I don't have a photo example because this is definitely a go to for me, especially for mini albums and pocket letters.
Too Many Photos
When I have extra photos that don't fit on my spread I like to place them behind another image. For this one I just added tab behind the title card and noted that there were more photos. This method is ideal for 1-3 photos. I also add extra photos to flips, envelopes, and bags. If there are quite a few photos and I really don't want to create a layout I make a loose bag flip. I add tabs that align with the rings of my scrapbook to a paper bag. Then I just pop it into my scrapbook and seal it with cute washi tape.
Enamel Dot's Crafty Cousin
Enamel dots look so cute on layouts. If I could I would have a huge stash of them. Well, I use the next best thing... brads. Yeppers, that one craft supplies that was SO POPULAR back in the day. It's safe to say I'll be set for life. :p
Thank you for taking the time to read Part 1 of my little series. It was really nice to just sit down and chat with you about scrapbooking. If you are new to memory keeping I hope you were able to pick up some tips. I'm really excited to see where this series goes. In the meantime you should join my Little Hot Tamale and Friends Facebook group for more crafting fun like freebies, swaps, and a fabulous community.
I'll talk to you later.