So overwhelmed

[Tesia]

Help! I am SO overwhelmed! I have more than half of my son's 2nd year book left to make, more than half of his 3rd year book left to make, and now we are headed into his 4th year and I desperately want to keep up! I know many of you have gone through the same thing so I'm hoping that maybe someone can "wave a magic" wand with some brilliant gem of inspiration to help me get out of this rut! I have a free 20 pg 8x8 book until February 28th so I figure this is a good hard kick in the butt to just do SOMETHING and get one finished, but every time I sit down and say ok, just *start* I get all hung up again! I have so many pictures, and since I have some pages done already, I kind of don't want to just start using a pre-constructed book or templates...oy. I'm sorry, I can't even write coherently about it!
I just bought more things in the store too...that's the other thing. I have *so many* fabulous supplies that I haven't used ONCE because I can't get my Mojo going! such a sad story...

[susiecw]

Well, I was going to say "templates, templates, templates." Just decide to do them by month. Keeping it going in order helps me, although I still have to work on Christmas.

Hope some inspiration comes you way.

[muddygirl]

I'm in exactually the same boat as you and I feel your pain. It is very frustrating to lose your mojo. Something that has helped me in the past is to find a page you absolutely love in the gallery, one that you have a photo that would work for and that you have similar supplies for ( maybe new goodies you haven't used yet) and do a really literal lift. I don't know why, but creating a page like that teaches you about how the page you love was constructed and gives you inspiration for others of your own.
Also, look back through other books and layouts you have made and use them as your own templates, change the papers, photos and some elements and voila, a new page. Once you get started your mojo will come back, you'll see.

Just a couple of ideas. HTH

[Elena]

Templates... like, totally (said in Valley Girl speak.)

[echogirl]

I so know your pain. The first thing is you have all his photos...you are way ahead of the curve. I usually start what I need to finish first. If you are starting fresh use one of the template books in the store (not trying to repeat the above pearls just saying what I try to do). The templates do two things for me..one it gives me a direction to go and oh they are so easy..it helps the flow so very much. You'll be done so fast it'll totally get you excited to see the end product and wanting to get started on the next one.

For the book you've already done half of...that's easy as well. Looks at what you've already done. Shrink it, turn it, or enlarge it and use it as your 'template'.
I love Sam's suggestions as well.

You'll get there. Promise. Did I mention templates?
Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

[Tesia]

Thank you ladies! I will try it all...but I might have to make myself quit for the night. 2 hours of getting nowhere isn't good for the spirit.

[anxela]

I'd go for templates too. But I seldom do albums though... Actually, I have never done one, when I think about it! I made a photo book for grandparents for Christmas "Best of 2009", but no scrapbooking in there, just pictures. And that was so easy - I used iPhoto for it, and they turned out fabulous! If I were doing what you're doing, I'd try one of the Ali Edwards templates with room for a lot of pictures. But I actually only scrapbook my most important pictures - those who tell a story or I just use to illustrate a story, or the ones that speak to me in some way. I think Cathy Zielske did that to me I don't want to feel overwhelmed and as if I *have* to scrapbook. It ruins all the fun about it... It wouldn't be a hobby anymore, just another chore. And I have too much of those.

[champsarahjoy]

I am with you Tesia...I have that same coupon and need to get my youngest's baby book done...I have only a few pages started. ACK!!! Good luck and make it simple to start with. If you get done faster than you think, go back and add more goodies!

[mungerre]

Make sure to keep a journal of daily events for right now so that you enjoy your journaling for this year!
I am extremely linear in thought - I hate it when I skip photos and break chronologically or stop a project mid-stream. It sounds like you may be that way too. I have through May 08 done, and then a few pages here or there of 2009. I am sort of "tricking" myself by scrapping each month as it passes - so January of 2009 and 2010. After that is done, I go back to 08 and try to get as far as possible. For all those that can jump around in their list I envy you! It is not in my core being to do so.

The biggest help though is that I've been jotting down things in a word document on my computer every few weeks. That is so helpful to me and really recommend it for anyone not scrapping your current photos right now.

[luv2cre8]

Keep it simple! When I did my December Daily album, I used a cream background and templates (they really can be your best friend) and picked little pops of color with patterned papers. I think sometimes when we have so many beautiful products at our fingertips it can overwhelm us. Think neutral background and then dress up each page with some color. Rather than be boring, using this type of plan will keep your pages looking cohesive.

[donna goar]

So many great ideas mentioned above for you already. I highly recommend templates and a template photo book set would work even better as the whole book of templates is set for you. Also just pick a few kits.............too many supplies are overwhelming.

Do some sorting and organizing and break the project down to bite size pieces. Today/This week projects.

My kids are older and I always thought I would go back to scrapbook the early days, but didn't happen. I incorporate alot of the younger photos in pages of today.

Remember you don't have to scrap EVERYTHING! Don't put pressure on yourself............life is full of enough of that and we scrapbook to forget that stuff!!

ENJOY the process!! Remind yourself that you will never be caught up because if you visit the gallery here at DD the ideas will come to your head faster than you can scrap them!!!

Hope you figure out a process that works for you and look forward to your pages in the gallery.

Donna

[twirlerzmom]

I'm so far behind in my scrapping projects it isn't even funny I'm also a chronological scrapper and it drives me nuts if I can't get a project done because then I feel like I'm falling even further behind. But I've recently found a system for me that seems to be helping.....templates. First I pick a template series (because I'm working on a whole theme album-grandkids births, Christmas, etc) so that way my whole album is similar in style. Next I grab all the photos I want and lay them out using the templates. I don't add anything else at that point. Just photos, then move on to the next page, add photos only, and keep repeating. Before I know it I've got a whole album filled with all my pictures, in order. THEN I go back and add papers, titles and maybe a few embellishments. I tend to reuse the same papers over within the whole album which helps with the continuity of the album AND makes things super fast. This method kinda tricks me into thinking I'm getting something accomplished even if it's just all the photos at that point. And my mojo reappears by the time I need to add the finishing touches. I've completed 2 baby albums up to their current age within a week using this method. I'm now working on this past Christmas and have 12 pages done (photos only so far) in just one day.

[Blossom]

I have decided to release myself... I am doing photobooks for special projects like vacation, 365 etc. Then I do single pages for everything else... my DD is soon 15 so I am 15 years behind... I put the singles into scrapbook albums into "chapters" - and now I never feel behind because I just put it in when it is ready.

[arimacias]

i am in the same boat....kind of. i printed every.single.picture in a 4x6 format before i started digi. i stopped printing at the end of september. so what do i do now?
pretty much my game plan is to digi scrap my pictures from the point where i stopped the 4x6's. i am purchasing 3-up albums and storing my printed pictures in a chronological form slowly but surely. my paper albums are all in shape, so those will be left alone
as far as my digi pages, i decided to go with a library of memories type library with 8x8 albums. i can get black cloth american craft 8x8 books and protectors with coupons at michaels. they are working FABULOUSLY!
as a mom of six with a single income our finances are tight, so we really have to budget well. i LOVE digital for that reason. no need to buy packs of kraft, black or white paper anymore...and i feel the need to paper scrap then i can just use my downsized stash. you can do it!!!
and ps: templates are the best thing EVER!!!!

[faerywings]

I went through this right before the holidays- I had a coupon for a free book at artscow.
I had to do a wedding album for my brother and SIL.
I kinda burned myself out a bit.

My thoughts-
Yes-- Templates! Don't forget you can flip/rotate etc
Take breaks- scrap some fun stuff for yourself in there too
And yes- a free coupon *is* a good thing- but the photo book companies keep them coming- if you can't get it done before this coupon expires-- there wil be more out there.

[kaleidoscope]

I am no help. I paper scrap (and won't be giving it up), I'm a chrono scrapper, and I'm 10 years behind on my kids' albums. (Then there's others to be done, too.) I hope to hunker down and get several years in their albums done this year! Oh, and I scrap ALL my pics.
For me, sketches has helped a lot. I'm sure you could apply them to digiscrapping. Even though I'm still a slow scrapper most of the time (I just can't pull stuff together quickly like other people do) I think using the sketches has helped a lot. First, I get my pics so I know how many and what I'm working with. Then I choose a sketch to work with them. Then I pick out the papers I want to use. If I have particular embellishments, etc. in mind while I start pulling my 'page kit' together I get those, too. Otherwise, I just cover the basics of sketch, photos, and paper and let the rest come to me when I start putting the page together.

[LisaD]

I have a book coupon as well. I'm trying to put together an album from 2004.
I say use templates. Decide on which photos really tell your story/you really want to use. Put a copy of them in a separate album just for the photo book. Then go from there. I like to do my journaling first. Choosing the photos is the main battle for me (as I have so many & want to use them all). Then pick templates/layouts from there.

[Tesia]

Wow. You are all full of such wonderful wisdom. Thank you! I am taking so much of this to heart and really trying to step back and "ENJOY the process!!" (thank you Donna!). And even though I've tried templates without success in the past, I'm going to try try again! Thanks again. All of your responses really have helped me shift my perspective!

[wendymck]

i'm never going to be caught up. and i'm totally ok with that. how fun will it be to scrap a baby pic of my 14 year old this year....seriously. let it go and enjoy the process. you'll be in very good company.

[maureenreynolds]

You cannot be behind unless you are scrapping for $$s. If you fall behind there, you'll be fired and then it'll be a moot point.

Do what YOU enjoy, and you'll be more likely to enjoy what you do. Generations of children and families grew up and survived without scrapbooks. Seriously - and I hope you got a smile here to remind you this is not like neglecting to feed your children for four years.

[Myra]

I decided long ago (after Cathy Zielske enabled me) to scrap as I please. My books are in no particular order, they're just special moments I want to remember. I do have a couple special occasion books, but other than that, going free form has taken the pressure off and made scrapping totally fun.

That, and like, totally - templates.

[dstnd2be]

Exactly what susie said TEMPLATES!!!! Templates got me through my daughters 1st year book and are helping me catch up on her 2nd year and my wedding book.

[Tesia]

Originally Posted by maureenreynolds

Do what YOU enjoy, and you'll be more likely to enjoy what you do. Generations of children and families grew up and survived without scrapbooks. Seriously - and I hope you got a smile here to remind you this is not like neglecting to feed your children for four years.

Thanks that sure did give me a smile Maureen. And to all of you who have so kindly reminded me that this really is meant to be for *fun* ... thank you for the perspective! It's not easy for me to do anything without trying to be "excellent" at it, and when I first started digi-scrapping I felt much more free with it. I just gotta remember how much fun it is to just DO it!
Thank you all! I know everyone here says it, and unfortunately I don't have time to participate as much as I'd like, but this is really a wonderful community!

[dugarner]

I know I'm late to this party, and several ladies have already mentioned it---but I'll throw it in the mix, too. When I lose my mojo, get behind, or just don't feel like doing it, I find a template, find a great page in the gallery, and do a 100% lift. It's easy, it's fast, and it usually gets me going again. And if it doesn't, I do another one. If that still doesn't work, well, I take a break and have some dessert. (Well, not really, but I think about dessert.)

I don't keep myself under any deadlines, except for my yearly book. I like to have it finished each year by February. I'm already slogging behind, I have Christmas day pictures to do and I just don't want to do them! I want to get started on my fresh, **new** 2010 pictures.

So just have fun with it! And keep it going at whatever pace fits your life.

[cheska99]

Take the pressure off yourself, sweetie. If it stops being fun, you'll see what it means to really fall behind.

[Tesia]

I just signed up for Debbie Hodge's "Building Pages"! I'm excited...assignments work great for me and I think it will be just the ticket to get me flowing again!!

[partsofme]

I decided early on to scrap the "moments" that I wanted to remember, rather than every event. I found that if I put the pictures aside for awhile and then came back to them there were certain images that just stood out. The little things are the important things to me, not capturing every single shot.

[MajorJavaJunky]

IF you scrap every moment:
1) Where the heck are you going to store them, ESPECIALLY if you have more than 1 kid?
2) WHO ON EARTH really wants 15,000 pics of themselves???
3) Is it BLESSING or BURDENING those you thought/think you were scrapping for? (My visual is a kid being sent "out of the coop" with a U-Haul full of scrapbooks OF THEMSELVES - not a pretty sight!!!)
4) Does anyone care besides you??? (sadly, I've realized that MOST OF THE TIME the answer is NO!!!)

I could go on, but hopefully this at least triggers a pause & reconsideration of the "scrap every moment" line of thought.

I now mostly scrapbook FOR ME the things that I want to remember, mostly that make me laugh, but that ALWAYS invoke an emotional response IN ME!
Got that memo from Kathy Zielske (sp?) about 5 years ago & it has made ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD! (& . . . I don't really care what they do with them when I'm gone, cuz they are FOR ME, RIGHT NOW!)