What is your process?

[Blesus]

Wondering if you have a step-by-step process that you turn to each time you create a LO? Background, elements, frames, etc., etc., from the bottom up? Or, do you have another tried and true method? Trying to streamline the approach here. Would appreciate hearing your suggestions.

[dugarner]

Wow, I'm sure you're going to get a billion different responses here!

Since I'm a convert from paper scrapping, I kind of work from the bottom up.

I decide first which pictures I'm going to do.
Then I look around websites, in my favorites, and such, and find a page to scraplift. (I always use someone else's pages for inspiration. Sometimes I lift them, sometimes they're just a starting point.)
Then I choose my background and accent papers, lay my photos down, decide on frames/outlining/shadows.
Elements go on last, then journaling.

I'm anxious to see what everyone else does!

[donitab]

I always start with my pictures UNLESS a new product is just crying out to be played with & then I might just let it dictate my direction.

I start with pictures, paper, journaling & then elements - at least for the general rule.

[1gr8muggle]

I have absolutely NO rhyme or reason to my scrapping. Sometimes it's the pictures, sometimes it's the product, sometimes it's from some inspiration piece I see out in the world.

My process is:

Open the software
Create a blank page
Start.



One fun thing to do . . .

Go through your stash and just find some papers and elements that you love. Find about 10-15 things (I know it sounds like a lot). Put them ALL on a blank page, add a photo you love, and just START.

This is a page I created that way. I had NO plan. Just a bunch of fun stuff on my page to manipulate.

[JALong]

I usually start with a photo or photos and go from there. I'm not very organized--I think I am going to work on that. I love Sarah's (dugarner) systematic approach and I am going to write down her suggestions and try to be more organized. Maybe I could finish a page quicker that way.

Cassie, I am going to try your 10-15 things suggestion. That sounds FUN!

[dorah]

I don't have a system. I open the blank doc sometimes with no idea of anything I am going to put on it. Sometimes I get an idea around a photo, sometimes I just get an idea and add stuff to build the page and then pick a photo to go with it. Even if I start at the bottom and work my way up, as I play with the page to get the look I want I sometimes go back and add new stuff under previous layers.

[THAT-GIRL]

Well my system is...: if I have a pictures of a trip to make a scrapBOOK...
1. I fix the ones I am going to use for album (book)
2. I look at pics and figure out how many pages that book going to have (example: pics taken at different places... hotel, beach, dinner, show... etc.) that could take anywhere from 1 to 7 photos per page...
3. In the PS Bridge I have made folder "Workflow" it changes according to the album I am working on...
4. I make first double page ( Beach-1-L, and Beach-1-R) L-left, R-right...
5. I drag the chosen photos accordingly to the pages... LOOK AT THEM...!!!
6. In the Bridge "keyword" pulls all PAPER... my start with paper that I like or that will go with those pictures... drag it in the "Workflow" folder...
7. So on... "keyword" MASKS, ELEMENTS, BRUSHES... etc... everything I like or I might use goes to "Workflow"... AND then all I have to look is in ONE place... "Workflow" and that is much easier... than go thru folder by folder of ALL the stuff that I have...
8. After I've finished on that particular book "Workflow" folder gets emptied until I start working on the next album...
AND THAT IS MY WORKING PROCESS...
Hope it helps somebody... I like it...!

[deanie]

A process....well actually mine does usually start with a photo. Then create a blank document and goes from there. I am really funny and have a hard time doing a photo without a frame, so that usually comes next. But after that it's playing with it till i like it!

I'm going to try Cassie's idea-sure would be fun to take a diverse bunch of stuff and put it together.

Was fun thinking about this. For a book, usually chronological and my pages that touch have to coordinate.

[Denise Gormish]

I'm an organizational junkie as you may notice...

I start with photos. I start by organizing the photos. I make folders of layouts I want to do. I label each folder with the topic or story - like "Vernazza hike" or "passport quote". Then, I search through my photos and put the appropriate one in the folder. Sometimes, I work the reverse and go through my folders and figure out topics or stories to go with them and make a folder for it.

When I ready to really scrap, I open a folder and figure out how I want to place the photos. Very often I will just go through my large file of templates and find a template that works for the number of photos/orientation that I have for that topic. It doesn't have to be exact and that's part of the beauty of being able to re-use templates! I work the template (or my own design) until I've got the photos placed the way I want them placed.

The, I move on to papers, finding something that works with the photo colors and/or the mood of the topic. I start with white paper and end up leaving it that way 70% of the time. It just works for me.

Then, I add journaling. Placement, amount and style all depend on the topic and layout mood.

Then, I create a balanced layout with embellishment. Embellishments are last for me probably because of my graphic style. It's usually a touch here and there. And here is where I fiddle and fiddle with things. Often I think its too plain but I'm never pleased when I pour on the embellishments. Eventually, I agree to finish it.

Whatever style works for you, take a hold of it. It's all good!

[kikimama]

I love Cassie's idea, will definitely try that!

I don't have much of a process, I tend to open a new document, then flick through my photos till I find one I like. Paper tends to be put in next, then everything else, guess I came from paper too.

Other times I buy something lovely from the store and put it in first, then search for a photo that'll work with it.

I'm definitely not a chronological scrapper, I'm just trying to capture stories and moments for the future, not fussed about pages co-ordinating in albums either, so that gives me freedom each time.

[Aino]

I am a lot like Cassie I guess. No rhyme and reason fits me well.

To me scrapping is based on MOOD. Not that I am a particularly moody person (I am sure my dh would disagree) - but emotional, yes.

So, when I *need* to scrap, it starts with any of the below:

a. an idea I have
b. a sketch I have made
c. a photo
d. an emotion I need to convey (usually for my artjournaling pages)
e. a story I want to tell
f. scraplift or challenge

Based on this, I open PS, open a blank page and go from there....

Like Cassie said : no rhyme or reason to my madness.

[esther_a]

If I'm doing a book I follow a very similar process to Tatiana - except I don't have bridge. What I do is
* organize my pics into pages so that I have the right number of pages to make a book
* make a collage of photos and upload to kuler.adobe.com to choose a color scheme
* hunt through papers, embellishments and templates to choose ones that might work with my book (I tag them using ACDSee)
* make a master page with a selection of favorite papers, stitching, brushes and the fonts to use.
If I'm doing an individual page, the inspiration can be a template, photo, scraplift, challenge, whatever. No particular process there!

[whatnext]

my "process" would not be helpful to anyone. if you can imagine a teenager's hideously messy room...that's the inside of my head. i have no idea where any creativity i might have comes from. i have not studied and have limited talent in art and design. i was a hopeless paper scrapper, and any page that comes out well is a surprise to me! one thing i am consistent about, is that when The Muse flies the coop, i always turn to other scrappers' pages to jump start the process. something as small as the placement of a tag can give me the shove i need to begin again.

[sawdust]

Process? Surely you must be kidding!! I can't even decide what my style is let alone how I start! LOL I guess I just grab pics first and then let it happen. Sometimes what I end with is nothing like I started for! Unlike paper scrapping...that is no biggy now!!!

I think sometimes it takes longer to clear out the paper and embellis that I didn't use from my layers pallet than it did to do the entire LO!!!

I guess I am a Just Let it Happen person!

[Blossom]

I have days when the creative juices is not there - then I put together Los with photos that shall be on a page - then I fit them on a page or in a template.

Then save it in my not done folder - there I have also undergrouped folders like different albums I work on.

So when the creativity is there I can open a psd file and work on it, and then often I can get several LOs done in one night.

[LisaD]

Originally Posted by Aino

I am a lot like Cassie I guess. No rhyme and reason fits me well.

To me scrapping is based on MOOD. Not that I am a particularly moody person (I am sure my dh would disagree) - but emotional, yes.

So, when I *need* to scrap, it starts with any of the below:

a. an idea I have
b. a sketch I have made
c. a photo
d. an emotion I need to convey (usually for my artjournaling pages)
e. a story I want to tell
f. scraplift or challenge

Based on this, I open PS, open a blank page and go from there....

Like Cassie said : no rhyme or reason to my madness.

I'm a bit like this, except leave out D altogether (always wishing to start one & jotting down ideas for when I have time, but never having time).

[Blesus]

Good Stuff! So many new things to try! Thank you all for sharing!

[chari]

Originally Posted by Denise Gormish

I'm an organizational junkie as you may notice...

I start with photos. I start by organizing the photos. I make folders of layouts I want to do. I label each folder with the topic or story - like "Vernazza hike" or "passport quote". Then, I search through my photos and put the appropriate one in the folder. Sometimes, I work the reverse and go through my folders and figure out topics or stories to go with them and make a folder for it.

When I ready to really scrap, I open a folder and figure out how I want to place the photos. Very often I will just go through my large file of templates and find a template that works for the number of photos/orientation that I have for that topic. It doesn't have to be exact and that's part of the beauty of being able to re-use templates! I work the template (or my own design) until I've got the photos placed the way I want them placed.

The, I move on to papers, finding something that works with the photo colors and/or the mood of the topic. I start with white paper and end up leaving it that way 70% of the time. It just works for me.

Then, I add journaling. Placement, amount and style all depend on the topic and layout mood.

Then, I create a balanced layout with embellishment. Embellishments are last for me probably because of my graphic style. It's usually a touch here and there. And here is where I fiddle and fiddle with things. Often I think its too plain but I'm never pleased when I pour on the embellishments. Eventually, I agree to finish it.

Whatever style works for you, take a hold of it. It's all good!

Love how you do it! Maybe you should teach a how to stay organized workshop! I get so distracted, especially when i find new kits that i want to start on!!!
I may be just a shopping addict!

[GypsyMama]

This has been so helpful to me! I love organizing ideas and how people apply them. I have just started using Bridge (I had it and didn't even know what it was) and wondered how to best keep a list of what products I was using. Normally I am flying around my folders so much, I get to the end and have to backtrack. With a WorkFlow folder, I can just copy everything and have it there. Do not know why I didn't think of it! Plus, having a plan seems to be more efficient, and I definately haven't done that!

[Kayleigh]

I have no set in stone process at ALL!

Sometimes it starts with photos or a certain product or a page concept. But I know I am done when I start putting stuff on then taking it off.

[teeleedee]

I usually start with a photo and a layout idea.

Tara