Just before I get started there are a couple of things to let you know.
All of our challenges will be labelled in the sidebar to the right of the blog, you can always access the challenges and you can add a link to each challenge whenever you feel like it - there are no deadlines, so, when you should be folding washing but you'd prefer to procrastinate, come on over and find some inspiration and take it from there! On that note, if you do decide to add a page to our flickr pool or within the link widget, please leave us a comment ... remember those 2.8 children we have each? Well, they are keeping us on our toes and we do not want to miss your pages, if you can, please comment on the particular challenge to which you are linking.
During the week we have had some interesting discussion in the comments section. We are all trying to respond to your questions and comments - if you do have questions we will respond to them within the comment section rather than sending you a direct email - these questions and general comments are giving us plenty of further blog fodder ... keep them coming!
On that note, let's get on with this week's challenge.
Journaling.
I'm not going to talk about which category you fall into, the love it or the hate it one that is, but rather, offer you a quick and easy solution. This doesn't work for all pages and in all instances but it is a great way to capture personality and it certainly helps to bring an 'in the moment' feel to your pages.
Conversation.
Parts of conversation.
Things people say - all the time.
This is my favourite way to journal, it does catch me out though, I have been known to drive all the way home from the school drop off chanting something one of the kids have said ... I know, I know, I need a notebook, and I do have one, but often forget it in the mad rush to get out the door in the mornings, it's a full time job remembering to remember stuff some days!
I've got a couple of examples for you today, one is a cardstock and letter sticker page with five random and unrelated photos of my son.
The other is a digital page with something my daughter said recently - the template is by Ali Edwards and the papers are from Oscraps.
The girls have had a few things to say about this challenge too, let's see what they have come up with this week.
First up is Nicole, she has captured a conversation that takes place every single time I head out to the supermarket with my daughter, I am glad I am not alone!
Next, Emma made this fantastic and vibrant page about her son, I love her paper choices and this design is one I hope to 'lift' some time soon .... after I stop giggling at her journaling though!
Keeping with the theme of scrapping conversations out of the mouths of sons, this next fabulous digital page is from Sharon. As a mum, you have got to love this next stage of independence don't you?!
Finally today, Diane has a wonderful hybrid page that focuses on a conversation with her daughter, but is also about her son.
There you have it, this is challenge two .... recording a conversation or a part of a conversation in your journaling. When you are ready, leave your link and comment to either flickr, your blog or online gallery - we can't wait to see what you come up with!
So inspired by all your pages ladies...no excuse NOT to have half a dozen pages done by the weekend!!!
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed this challenge ~ thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Girls, Always read and loved your blogs and this is no exception. I agree that simple and uncomplicated is best. Not much of a journaller myself but it's important. I need your help, I have been contemplating an album about Me and the things I like and do etc, for a while. (even have dusty album sitting around to prove it)but I'm unsure where to start. Does anyone have any ideas? Annette.
ReplyDeleteHi Annette.
ReplyDeleteI am sue all the girls will agree the best option is a Cathy Z class called Me: The Abridged Version. We have all done it.
Check out her blog here to see some info.
http://cathyzielske.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/08/me-the-abridged-version-are-you-in.html
I have emailed Cathy to see if she is running it again this year. If not we can share what we have done in the future.
Hi Annette,
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great question and one that I think nearly all scrapbookers and memory keepers deal with in a variety of ways.
Just recently, when thinking about this type of album myself, I ended up having a great conversation with some blogging friends and I came to the realisation that there is a big part of me in all our albums anyway as they are all written from my perspective and through my eyes. Now, I know this is not a replacement or an alternative but it was a bit of an a-ha moment and now I feel less pressured to be on the look out for an opportunity to scrap myself.
Having said all that, I scrap about myself the same way I scrap in general - I choose some random snippet of information and take it from there. I always feel a bit too pressured to start with a whole album in mind ... hence why I have yet to finish my Me:TAV album with Cathy Zielske at big Picture Classes.
Sometimes just making a list of all the things you want to cover can be a big help and mini albums can also seem less daunting ... perhaps the other girls may have some more ideas for you.
Annette. Right. Here we go.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many ways one can scrap about themselves, and I do think it is crucially important for your children. Right now if I was going to do a mini album about me I would do it like this (can't remember if this idea was Ali Edwards' or Cathy Z's).
I would title each page or each double page and follow with lists and a picture or too. The titles are:
'I LIKE...' (people, eg read, shop, clean linen, coffee, day of the week etc)
'I AM...' (age, personality traits etc)
'I GO...' (where to you go? eg. to work, shops, to your laundry, out with partner, on holidays etc)
'I WANT...' (want do you want from shallow and simple to deep and meaningful - eg a rest, world peace, health, a new government, solitude, contentment, a coffee?)
'I NEED...' (eg what do you personally need in life? to have more time to.. to eat healthier (speaking for me here) to exercise, to find joy, a coffee?)
'I LOVE...' (eg who, what, where)
'I DON'T LOVE...' (eg cleaning bathrooms, rain for 3 weeks, winter, customs at airports, spiders, forgetting to put garbage out etc)
This would pass over a huge amount of information about you and you hardly even need to journal - just make lists with a small explanation or two if needed. Each title can have a photo or two taken to go with it. Title the whole book "ME - age x, date"
That's what I'd do!
Good luck!
Hi Annette, as Di mentioned I have done the Cathy Z class at Big Picture Scrapbooking called Me: The Abridged Version. It was unreal and I highly recommend it. So I have that album about myself. I also have another album that I keep away from my standard albums. This is more the private things that not everyone needs to see and I rarely show anyone this album. I treat this like a normal album in the sense its not all matched, just individual layouts. So in there I have things like a page about my week timetable which documents all the running around etc. I have a few questionaire type pages that I have done at different times (I find this easier than straight journalling about myself), I have pages about the relationship I have with my hubby, I have a page titled "I Remember" which is all about my relationship with my nan in point form, I have a few random type pages titled 5 things about me right now and I have a couple of pages on my feelings being a mum (the good and the bad!!). So that is how I cover it. I don't do these pages very often, but try to make an effort and do some for my kids to read one day. Nicole's ideas are great that she mentioned...I might even need to try some of them! Thanks for participating in the blog, hope our answers have given you some ideas!
ReplyDeleteOh amy that expression of your daughter's could have come straight from Charlie and Lola!
ReplyDeleteHi All, Thank you so much for your ideas. Look forward to all your future blogs, here and your personal blogs. Thanks Annette
ReplyDeleteAn imagined conversation with my dog!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the challenge. That's two pages that might not have happened this month if not for these challenges. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi I tried to post my link with the widget, but it is not working - I did do a layout about my daughter's Helmet and Danceing Shoes. You can find it here
ReplyDeletehttp://mahsliceoflife.blogspot.com/2011/07/simple-scrapbook-challenge-2.html
A page about DD this time....hope it's simple enough!
ReplyDeleteAlison xx