For this year’s family vacation, we decided to return to the same rental house on the same lake as last year. Since I had not quite finished with my album from the 2010 trip, I decided to tote along a selection of supplies. I couldn’t imagine a better setting to really get in the moment and return to the excitement of our first trip to the lake.
Since this was a driving vacation, it was not a big deal to bring along my camera bag with extra lenses as well as a tote bag full of scrapbooking goodies. Still, I tried to keep things minimal when packing. I pulled out only a few pieces of cardstock and patterned paper, a couple of embellishments and some basic tools – portable paper trimmer, corner rounder, adhesive and some pens. My photos were already printed and I had page protectors in an album all ready to go. Most everything neatly fit in a 12×12 envelope. I brought along my collected memorabilia in a second.
In the end, this was a perfect idea. My family was able to enjoy the completed album in the moment and think about what memorabilia we might collect this year on our trip. The whole assembly process took less than two hours, partly because I kept the ‘scrapbooking’ even simpler than I anticipated. The only supplies I used were the paper trimmer, kraft cardstock and a white fine-tipped paint pen. I just didn’t need any more than that for this Project Life-style 8.5×11 album.
All the details of my simple vacation album will be featured in the June Simple Pages / Simple Projects collection, but here’s what I learned from this process:
1. I made the process easy by selecting only a small number of items to bring along. In the end, I realized what mattered most was only a fraction of that. If you are paralyzed by choice, this process of forced minimalism is something you should try.
2. My portable paper trimmer desperately needed a new blade. I was really disappointed in how it trimmed my photos, but did my family notice? Not in the least. As scrapbookers we tend to nitpick on little details that no one else would ever see.
3. Having photos pre-printed made the assembly super fast. Even though they needed to be trimmed (I printed four images on a 5×7), separating the photo process from the scrapping process made my album project less overwhelming.
4. If keeping up with a Project Life album is intimidating, you can apply the same sort of fewer-supplies-more-words-and-photos approach to a vacation or other themed album. You get the same style without the guilt of not being able to keep up.
While scrapbooking on a family vacation might not work for everyone, I was able to squeeze in a few hours while my husband took the kids tubing. For vacations with a slower pace and plenty of do-your-own-thing down time, you might find your mojo in the perfect mood for some memory keeping.
Have you ever scrapbooked while on vacation?
Great idea! Relaxing for you and I’m sure you were excited about finishing a project and adding ideas for this vacations scrapping.
“paralyzed by choice” – I need to make a sign that says that and put it over my scrapbook table.
I haven’t scrapbooked while on vacation because we tend to be on the go and take exhausting trips. I do have a system for collecting keepsakes on the trip and have trained my husband: http://almostneverclever.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/saving-travel-keepsakes/
I haven’t scapped on vaca before,but I like the idea. The on site inspiration would like spur my journaling and make it go even faster. I may try to scrap my vacation “in the moment” this summer (digi style) thanks for the idea!
I just scrapbooked for the first time while on vacation and it worked out great. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Only one time. We went down south by the beach one May. On Mother’s Day there was a massive storm and we were stuck indoors. I scrapbooked the entire day whilst the kids played upstairs. It was great to have my stuff with me.
I wouldn’t scrap any other way than digital while I’m traveling. Every night I download the photos from the day to my laptop (a lot safer than leaving them in the camera or trying to find a place to get them printed) and scrap a page or two about the day. Ephemera (things I pick up) get put in a bag to be added in when we get home, or photographed to be used as backgrounds or embellishments. All I carry is laptop, mouse and hard drive. The laptop doubles as DVD player for the kids, music player for the teen, games player for the other teen and info source for mom and dad (maps, ordering tickets online to avoid lines). I won’t stay anywhere without wi-fi, so I can go shopping any time day or night 🙂 Last time I came home with 15 pages done and ready to print and put in the book. If I’d bothered to, I could have had the prints waiting for me when I got there. Hmmm – that’s a good idea! This year if I upload them the night before we leave, the package might just be there when we get home!
I head off overseas next week and for the first time am going to work on a Scrapbook on the Road. I have made a mini-album that I will take with me, adding journaling and ephemura as I travel. The photos I will add when I come back. Well that is the plan! (Photos and more info on my blog for anyone interested.)
How did you use the paint pen? Would love to see this “minimal” layout.
Here’s an example in the background of this image: