On Friday I asked readers on Facebook about topics they’d love to learn more about in my next newsletter. One concern raised by several readers was how to organize albums.
I’ll be touching on how I organize my albums in the next newsletter (which I’m currently finishing up) and then offering some additional tips in a future post.
I think sometimes its helpful to have a clear picture of the end goal when planning out new projects. In the meantime, I though I would pose a set of related questions to you, since we haven’t done that in a while:
- How many albums do you have?
- What (different) size albums do you use?
- Do you put only pages of that size in the album? (i.e. only 12×12 in a 12×12)
- Do you use any page protectors with multiple pockets?
Currently, I have about 20 albums. They range from 6×6, 8×8 to 12×12. I don’t do any portrait style 8.5×11 but I would love to do some landscape, but finding page protectors is next to impossible. Landscape is what I grew up doing – in old albums years ago tied by a shoelace 🙂 I don’t use any protectors with pockets, except for my planning pages. I do have some albums (2) with multiple page sizes, but those are generally my “skill learning” albums, not the albums I’ve done for others. But after having done this, I certainly could see doing it more often. Some things just lend themselves to different size pages, but for some reason, nothing really lends itself to portrait in my world.
Great topic!! I have several albums going at the same time … a first years album, birthday album and school year album for each of my four kids (12 albums total) plus a general family album for each year. I also have an “all about me” type album for myself called “39 and counting” plus a handful of mini theme albums, pretty much focused on specific trips. I should mention I “have” these albums … not that they are in any way complete!! LOL Most of the time I do 12×12 digi layouts and stick them in sleeves, though I occasionally toss in other sizes and/or pocket pages, depending on the album. My theme albums about my trips are my only professionally printed & bound albums so far…
Unless its a bound album of a specific event, I certainly do hope that most albums are unfinished. Life is a work in progress!
HI- looking forward to this info. I am doing 2- Babys First Year, & one that has dif pages from my life & challenges that I like. I am working on a Book of MEmories, no where near printing yet.
As for sizes- because I am *thrifty*, if there are not a lot of photos in the lay out, I have them printed 8X8 & then stick to a 12×12 piece of scrap paper to put in my 12×12 album. I can still add a few embellishments then, stickers, ribbons, etc. I prefer my pages flat… thats why I love digi scrapping… so I dont use anything that will add much height (?) to the page.
Something that I figured out a little too late- if you have an album that is always being added too- use a binder w/ rings until you have finished the pages. My SB albums have not held up the greatest with continually adding a page here & there.
Yes, I totally love D-Ring albums. I switched early last year and never looked back!
“page protectors with multiple pockets” I dont think I have seen these. Guess I need to get out in the world. LOL
There are a lot of different ones now, moreso in 12×12 and some in 8.5×11…. I am really looking forward to some multi-pocket pages in the 8×8 size.
For me the question is more “how many layouts do you have” to which the response is stacks and stacks. I haven’t decided how best to organize them – topic, chronological or some other way. So, I have piles. PILES of finished layouts. Argh!
Don’t overthink. Just pick an approach and go with it.
I took Stacy Julian’s Library of Memories class at Big Picture Scrapbooking in the Spring and managed to do the assignments for a few weeks before I got bogged down. I do like her plan of organizing layouts by type rather than chronologically. Right now I put all my layouts in 3 ring binder albums that are 12 x 12 — some of my layouts are 8.5 x 11 but most are not. I just through those in with the others the right sized page protector. They are in the order in which I created them at the moment. I only have 3 so it’s not hard to find things yet anyway. I’ve also done a few 8 x 8 albums for special events. One to celebrate the first year of my twin niece and nephew which I gave to my sister, one to document a trip to New York City. I haven’t used any divided page protectors yet, but the idea intrigues me. I did do a photo album scrapbook to document a trip to Europe where I used the 4 x 6 openings for both photos and journling and added embellishments.
I am hooked on black 12×12 D ring and black 6×6 three ring binders. Currently I just fill the large binders with similar style layouts and forget about the chronological order. Perhaps I will choose to organize my large binders in the future, but for now I am just happy to get them finished. My 6×6 binders are for specific locations, events and people. They are easy to share and carry. (I’m thinking of our old age and ease of use.) I’m 57 and have a lifetime to scrap not to mention my present life! My goal is getting a solid representation of life without stressing out. I want to scrap for enjoyment and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
Ok..here goes my answer…it is long though…
When I paper scrapped I put my pages into 8.5×11 office binders. I used to be in some design teams so i have always made a lot of pages.
Those are organized by theme..a very loose type of Stacy Julian library of memories. I have about 25 of those in an expedit bookshelf.
I also have 12 or so 12×12 albums that are all thrown together.
I have a box full of minis too.
Sigh…it’s a lot of stuff already finished.
My digital stuff is done in phtobooks by theme. I am following a chronological format with those, but then i also have five 8×8 ac binders in sj style. I loveeeeeeee those. I also have another 4 8.5×11 binders for
Paper pages. It ‘s all a bit complicated, but it works really well for little old OCD me…LOLOLOL.
I love hearing how others control their pages…..
Because I live in a small town, I print my own digital layouts so I scrap 8 1/2 x 11, but after reading an article here (I think…lol) I found the idea that I could use a 12 x 12 album and mix the sizes. I plan to do some paper scrapping in 12 x 12 and continue to do 8 1/2 x 11 for digital scrapping.
I have made about 15 scrapbooks. Some are basic that document my maternal and paternal family history, Christmas celebrations during my growing up years, one that has all the family weddings starting with my parents wedding in 1938, and I am now working on scrapbooks for both our grandchildren that will be HS graduation gifts. We have always been so active in our grands lives and their mother asked me when they were small to do scrapbooks and tell their stories through the eyes of a grandparent…so I am. I hope they will treasure this labor of love all their lives and that it will help them remember the fun times we spent together. That’s what really matters in life…not the price of a gift, etc.
Hugs!
4 12X12 creative memories strap hinge albums – theme oriented mostly: trips, Christmas, a family reunion, and a failed attempt at a chronological album. 3, 12X12 3 ring binders, 2 no themes,1 about the “Camp Grammy” adventures when I host all 4 grandkids for the weekend. 1, 12×12 post-bound, grandkids and pages made in or for classes, 2, 3-ring 8×8 albums, no themes, 1 8×8 post bound albums of pages for a make n take class I taught every thursday at a LSS (still love the pages, even if made for a “commercial” purpose) 2, 8-1/2 x 11 albums, one the first album I ever started to work on, the other a current one of pages about me or hubby or me and hubby. The most current scrapbook layouts are digital or mostly digital, though I am learning about this and will likely settle on some sort of hybrid scrapping because I do like hand making a lot of my own embellishments. LOTs (16) of 2-ring 2-up photo albums for holding un-scrapped pictures – mostly by date, in a rough sort of way.
I have settled on ring bound albums, as they are much more versatile. I don’t like post bound or strap-hinge (sorry Creative Memories)
Oh, and I relish using pocket pages in scrapbooks – I have them for my 12×12 and 8×8 ring bound albums