Scrappy Process Tutorial - Frosted Designs | The Flamingo Chronicals: Scrappy Process Tutorial - Frosted Designs

Scrappy Process Tutorial - Frosted Designs



Hi everyone, hope your week has been fabulous so far!
 I thought it might be fun to share how I organize my photos and ideas for getting
 layouts done and into the actual albums!

If you are like me, starting the layout is the hardest part! Once I get started
it usually flows pretty well, but deciding on photos and
how I want the layout to actually look can be the real time
consuming part.I have finally settled on a method that lets me 
get my photos, supplies and ideas together and get
started pretty fast. Really!

I start here, with my list of what needs to be scrapped
This is just a simple spreadsheet that I created and printed off. It has columns
for which album I want to put the finished layout in, the subject of the layout, the date 
the event occurred, and spots to check off when I have printed the photos and
when I have actually scrapped them. I just scan down the list until something
catches my fancy. 

From there it is time to grab the photos. I keep mine in Iris photo boxes. 
I am telling you these things are the best idea EVER. I LOVE THEM
I have 4 of them, loosely divided by subject. Each one holds six smaller
boxes of photos. Amazing way to sort your photos - trust me on this! 

Inside each smaller box, I use regular ol' lined index cards to list what is in
each one. I also use these same cards as a divider between each set 
of photos. I can read the cards without opening the boxes -super handy!

I generally keep one or two on my desk to work out of. And they are super portable for 
when I go to crop, just toss one in my bag and go. The larger ones here hold 5x7 photos :o)

So now I have photos picked out, what am I going to do with them??? 
If you are like me, you find lots of  great ideas on the net (Pinterest, anyone?)
but how to access those fabulous ideas when you actually need them?
 Here is what I do - I print them out several to a page. If you are
an ink miser (like my husband, don't tell him I do this) you won't like this idea.
I am a very tactile person, I want it IN MY HAND, not on the computer.
So I print them out. I never duplicate an actual layout, 
but there will be one thing about it that I love,,,,

so I write next to each photo what it is that I liked about it. 
So 4 months from now, or next year, when I get around to using that idea, I will know
WHY I printed that photo. Smart, huh?  

Now, what about all those magazines I buy? 
If you are a librarian, stop reading right now! 
I tear out the pages with ideas that I want and write on it why I liked it. Everything gets
3 hole punched and put into a binder with my list of things to be scrapped. 
The binder has divided sections for techniques, journaling, embellishments, etc. 

I also keep a binder with sketches I have collected. There are so many wonderful 
sketches available these days. PageMaps is one of my all time favorites
but there are so many others. Find some that suit your style - it is a great
way to jump start your creativity!

So now I have my photos picked out & inspiration at hand and I am ready
to scrap. How do you start your creative process? I would love to hear your
ideas too. Be sure to leave a comment with your favorite tips!

Thanks for stopping by today!
Have a great week!


24 comments:

  1. i love the listing sheet. i also love the idea of index cards for photo boxes to keep track of subject and dates. i just cleaned out a drawer that was filled with print photos. i will use the index cards to keep track of them. What a great and simple idea.

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  2. i love the listing sheet. i also love the idea of index cards for photo boxes to keep track of subject and dates. i just cleaned out a drawer that was filled with print photos. i will use the index cards to keep track of them. What a great and simple idea.

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  3. I definitely like the idea of keeping track with a spreadsheet. I would like to use this for keeping track of printing out photos!

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  4. I need to create a similar system. Because I rarely scrap chronologically, I am getting to where I forget what I want to scrap or even worse, that I already scrapped it! Thanks for the ideas.

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    1. I hear that! I just spent the weekend scrapping pictures I had done five years ago...

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  5. Found it very helpful. I have so many pictures to scrap, some printed some on the computer etc. So this was a helpful way to get me organized on some of that. Great idea.

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  6. I love your process! I've scrapbooked, but I wouldn't call myself a scrapbooker because I don't do it regularly, even though I WANT to--it's pretty overwhelming to me. I'm going to have to create a similar system because I love how simple yours is. (And I have those photo boxes, too--they're amazing!)

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  7. Best place to get the Iris boxes?

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    1. Hi Dena,, I bought all of mine at JoAnn's with a coupon or when they were on sale. They run them on sale for 50% off quite a bit.

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  8. I love this idea. I have so many pictures and albums started but none if them are finished. I feel that if I spend the time to organize and get ideas on hand instead of searching for them I can spend more time scrapbooking then trying to figure out what to do next. Thanks for the helpful tips.

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  9. I love this idea. I have so many pictures and albums started but none if them are finished. I feel that if I spend the time to organize and get ideas on hand instead of searching for them I can spend more time scrapbooking then trying to figure out what to do next. Thanks for the helpful tips.

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  10. I like your ideas a lot. The spreadsheet is really smart. I've also been known to print off ideas for the same reason you stated. I've thought about doing a lot of what you do, only you've actually done it and I've only thought about it! Great job!

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  11. I'm going to have to try the spreadsheet method. I have too many projects in progress and need to figure out what is left to do in each one.

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  12. I love your method, just found this on pinterest awhile back...I only changed one thing and added a column for photo number and orientation (horizontal or vertical) and for sketch since I use sketches this helps me to select what sketch to use and I write in the sketch column which sketch I plan to use like PageMaps October 2014 etc....thanks for sharing this really did help me get more organized!

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    1. Lisa that is a great idea. I use sketches quite a bit as well.

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  13. I love your spreadsheet for keeping track of layout ideas, and the (simple-yet-effective) idea for using index cards to list the photos that are in the boxes-- I have a set of those Iris boxes, and haven't yet found a good way to keep track of what all is in them. thanks!

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  14. I also use the idea of a spreadsheet to keep track of my pictures. So I have packets for on the go I usuallyputs pictures with paper and embellishments and an index card with ideas on it and I keep for five of these so that I always have something for on the go.

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  15. I just found this and with 6 grandchildren and another on the way, I desperately need to get organized. I have layouts and photos all over three rooms in the house. Will let you know if a month if this helps me.

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  16. I am so glad that I found this spreadsheet idea. I have kept a list on scratch paper and it is a mess. I created one like yours for my own use. Thanks for the idea!!

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  17. Hello, you have another scrapper that likes your ideas; going to make a spreadsheet, I use the Iris photo boxes, love the idea of printing scrapped pages that you like rather than going to the computer to look at them. I also have a 'ink miser husband' but will attempt this anyway. Not sure how to do this, will need help figuring it out. Thanks for the ideas!!..

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  18. I love your spreadsheet idea, especially with all the digital photos we take now, I don't print them until I'm ready to scrap them, then after a few months, I forget about them.
    I have my old film photos organized in the decorative photo boxes with the date on the outside and sub dividers inside.
    Thank you so much for sharing ��

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  19. Love your spreadsheet idea. I'm going to copy! Thanks

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  20. Love it. I love scrap booking but I'm terribly disorganized. This article really helped.

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