Contimplating Project 365

[KimR+]

I've loved seeing everyone's 365 project in the gallery so I'm contimplating on giving it a try. Does anyone get burnt out with the project lasting all year? Or is it not bad since it's a week of info on one pages vs December Daily where you have a page each day? Also, how do you come up with something each day that's worth documenting? I guess my life just doesn't seem that interesting to me! Any help or comments, suggestions are greatly appreciated!

[dugarner]

I tried it once and did it. It did get hard at certain times of the year. I have a very routine life, I live in a small town, and I felt like I ran out of things to take pictures of. Then I'd post my pages and people would comment how exotic my life looked. Really?!? Those lizards and alligators that I see all the time were so different for people who lived in different places. Your life isn't as uninteresting as you think. And that picture I took of a stack of chalk, it was boring back then but now I remember it fondly, because it's what my kids did all summer that year.

Do it however you want. I find it's better to stick to a plan. This year I'm trying again (I started twice in 2011 and stopped both times) and I am completely scraplifting Esther's 8X10 Blurb book. I hope she doesn't mind! No paper, no embellishments, just a picture, a word or two (or paragraph) about the picture, and the day-count of the year on the page. I'm excited about it because it's SO easy.

[PaulaSG]

I've done Project 365 twice. Once in 2008 and again in 2010. I'm going to try again this year. My advice - keep it simple. The first time I just did a two page spread of photos from a month. In 2010 I did a layout a week using two different templates. I didn't write about every single day but picked a few things from the week to highlight.

I'm attempting an iPhone photo a day this year. I'm adding some text to the photo (in Instagram) so that I'll have my "journaling" all ready when I want to do my page.

There's so many different ways of tackling this project - try a few and see what works for you. Don't give up if you miss a day though. There are lots of creative ways of getting past that problem -- see the 365 gallery for inspiration.

[cedarhil]

I agree to keep it simple. I used the same template for each week. In one evening, I made a dated, empty template page for each week. It was then easy to set down every Sunday or Monday evening to plug in the pictures. It was nice that my templates were already dated, because believe it or not, I would sometimes forget which week I was on.
I like it because I was able to capture events I wouldn't have ordinarily,

[Jen D]

Yep keep it simple. Find a template or two and pre-make the pages if possible. I absolutely love the 365 project. It shows our real life in a way that "event" pages just can't. I also love that those photos that I adore but would never make an entire layout around find a place to call home.

I did it in 2009 and 2011. This year I am going to focus on the weeks... so that if I have more photos that is okay and if I have less photos that works too

I say go for it! With kids you won't run out of material ... trust me

[blhdvm]

I have been considering it also. And I like the idea of something simple like Esther did - seems she has inspired many of us!!

[earlofoxford]

I did it in 2009 and 2011 and am doing it again this year. I missed it in 2010, so I'm not making that mistake again. The first year I did it I didn't use a template series because I was new to digital scrapping and just enthralled with all the cool products. Last year I used a template series that still gave me room to exercise some creativity. I'll be doing something similar this year. I can't tell you how many times I've gone back to my 365 album or pages to remember a date or a place. I think in the years to come these albums will be even more of a treasure. And as Jen said, with kids you will never be lacking something to photograph.

[thessh]

I've decided to take 366 Instagram-photos with my iPhone this year.
Made it this far... LOL!
I'm NOT making a special book with those pics, but I'll make a page each month to put in my "regular" yearly books.
I've installed an app that reminds me every day to take my daily pic!

[Ande]

I've done it 3 yrs now....last year did one LO each month with one photo for each week....Just be sure and take photos and then it's not so bad if yo_ (my _ is dead on my keyboard) get behind on the LO's...easy to catch _p...

[Erica67]

I'm gonna do this project for the first time this year. Actually, I was just busy preparing the first week. There are a lot decisions to make: which templates, which papers, which font and at what size etcetera.

BTW if anyone has a great tip for me about a great legible font for journaling and its size (printed in 30x30) that would be great!

My life is pretty boring but I believe the daily things are interesting enough to document too. Yesterday I took a picture of my alarmclock which was set on 5.40 AM (my normal time to wake up on working days). I'm sure it will give me a smile on my face in years to come.
I SO regret that I can't remember how my life was when our boys were little. Yes, I have plenty of pictures, but the stories and daily routines have been forgotten.

When there's really nothing to take a picture of, the internet is the solution. News of the day, a song I love at that moment, a tv show we regularly watch, the weather forecast, a sports highlight. That's my life too!

[maureenreynolds]

I loved it! and will do it again. Yes, it absolutely helps to have pre planned templates with just enough change through seasonal papers and an element or two. My bits of journaling were as important to me as the photo. Probably more so. I hope to use Momento or some way in addition to the digital calendar to recall what I actually DID each day!

I'm more an event scrapper - with all adult children, I 'm not into cute children pages for the most part. 365 is, for me, an answer to a lot of what Ali Edwards talks about in her classes...what would you have liked to have known about your grandparents' daily life. I'm the grandparent now! and I wish I had more recollections of the day to day events of my life as a teen and then a young mother etc. etc

[KimR+]

Thanks everyone!! I may just see if I can do it...or for how long I can! I also need to look into the app for a reminder!

[Jana Morton]

I have done it for two years and love it. I use a set of basic templates and keep it super simple. For me...it takes a lot of the pressure off of feeling like I have to scrapbook everything. I just put the photo in this album and I have record of something that we did. I also use it to go back to remember dates and find photos that I still want to scrap for fun. Each year I make a few changes....I haven't quite nailed down this years format yet but I know it will be simple so I stay caught up. I also included special events pages this year which I know I will continue from here on out so the album feels more complete for me.

[home in ottawa]

Don't set yourself up for failure! If you think that you will run out of things to photograph, you will! Instead, think of something that will help you remember what happened that day, a dirty spoon that you used to make dinner, the thermometer in the car which will remind you how cold or how stinking hot the day was. There are no 366 police! I have taken pictures of my alarm clock, like Erica, to remind me that I got out of bed at all hours when being called in. I have taken pictures of my shower head when I was grateful for my shower after a long night.....The possibilities are almost endless. Your life is not my life so I enjoy looking at the things that you photograph and chances are, that in the future, you will enjoy being reminded of the routine.

If you forget to take a photo, so be it...cheat! Take a photo the next day of something that you did or saw! I try to take a couple of photos of equipment that I use on a daily basis... a computer, a cable, then when I forget, I can slot a photo in. Did anyone notice that I used the same photo twice last year? OR skip a day... it doesn't matter!

All I am saying is that life isn't perfect. This project requires a time commitment, but it is not a sentence. Just do the best that you can and ENJOY IT! Lesson over, class dismissed!

[mungerre]

I just printed my P365 from 2010... which turned into 26 weeks instead. I still love all of the pages that I got done, and don't regret it at all. I'm doing it again this year, and even if I don't make it all of the way I know I'll be happy with what I get done.

It's the little things that we don't normally scrap that are so much fun to look at in the P365 (because you have to think outside the box to get a different photo everyday).

[MINIDEB]

Hi Kim ....I'm doing the 365 project for the first time this year too........ this is my thought process maybe it will help yours... I have given a lot of thought to what to do in 2012 regarding my scrapbooking. First off I want to take a photo a day weather I use it or not - I want my photo's to be better. Second I want to continue to lift other's ideas because I want to try something I wouldn't do. Next I'd really like to have a book at the end of the journey something I'd be happy to see in print. I'm printing 8x 8's. Jean 2 suggested Ali's Bread and Butter templates so that's where I think I'm headed . I love Carol's project 52 and I Love Jana's 365 as well as so many of the others that are in the gallery. I believe it was Shari AKA B2Halter who said she did 2 layouts a month and somehow I think that's where I'm headed but with a page when I need it for emphasis.
I read everyone's comments above and I'm going to keep what they said in mind.... because it was all good advice! thanks for starting the link! I already did 1 page... it was for the home challenge and I thought having a photo of my home was as goos as place as any to start.... ps it was the 2nd.... I'm already cheating!

[Jane_Bond7]

LOL Debbie, a girl after my own heart.

I did "cheat" too Kim when I did mine (not finished) in 2010, and figured down the road, who would know.

The one piece of advice I can give, which worked really well for me, was I started a document, (I do mine in word, but whatever works for you) and I journaled each night, just a few lines of what we did that day, or about the photo I took. That way if I do "get behind" I didn't have to worry about racking my brain to remember about what we did that day or why I took that particular photo.

I started working full time half way into 2010, so my project 365 took a beating, but even though I still haven't finished (a goal for 2012, as well as doing this year....whew, can you say ambitious!) LOL I can still go back and finish, as my journaling is all done.

I am going to try to keep it simple this time, (similar templates) I used a different 2 page layout for every week last time and found it slowed me down in trying to come up with new ideas. I was afraid of "getting bored" too, but these days, it's more about getting the story down, and I figure I'll get creative with my other pages.

Even if you miss a day (or two) you find creative ways to fill in the gaps and you will find, once you get going, you will have more photos, than you do days. And when you look back, you will never regret doing it, even if you only make it half the year!

I once just took a photo of the cleaning supplies I had used to clean the house that day. I had switched to all "green" products, so I just mentioned that, and I'm sure future generations will be happy to hear that I helped preserve our planet for them to enjoy as well. The point is the photos can be ANYTHING.... and I think you'll find, your life is more interesting than you think.

Just look back at other people's 365 for inspiration and another good site for photo inspiration is Shuttercal. I went there a lot when I was doing my 365, and will be checking it out again this time.

Good Luck and have fun!! That's what it's all about! Looking forward to all the pages in the gallery this year!

[brenda_in_tx]

I have a question about Ali's Bread and Butter templates - do these start out as 12 x 12 and you can resize? I couldn't find a size on them anywhere - I'm sure I'm just not seeing it. I plan on doing some sort of life documentation this year - I think more of a month in review type project, and I think the templates are the way to go since I'm just starting out with digital scrapping. Are there any other templates you can recommend for a project of this type? Thanks!

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by brenda_in_tx

I have a question about Ali's Bread and Butter templates - do these start out as 12 x 12 and you can resize? I couldn't find a size on them anywhere - I'm sure I'm just not seeing it. I plan on doing some sort of life documentation this year - I think more of a month in review type project, and I think the templates are the way to go since I'm just starting out with digital scrapping. Are there any other templates you can recommend for a project of this type? Thanks!

Brenda, they're 12X12 and will resize perfectly to 8X8 or 6X6 as long as it's a smaller square size. Just be sure if you're going down in size to make your font large enough so that it is still readable when it's been made smaller. I think her templates are great for a project like this. Keep it simple!

[brenda_in_tx]

Originally Posted by dugarner

Brenda, they're 12X12 and will resize perfectly to 8X8 or 6X6 as long as it's a smaller square size. Just be sure if you're going down in size to make your font large enough so that it is still readable when it's been made smaller. I think her templates are great for a project like this. Keep it simple!

Thanks so much! One more question - for those who use templates, do you just use the one template pack for the entire project, or do you mix and match?

I appreciate the help!

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by brenda_in_tx

Thanks so much! One more question - for those who use templates, do you just use the one template pack for the entire project, or do you mix and match?

I appreciate the help!

I used a template the first year, and actually I didn't even use a whole pack, but just one template. I rotated it 90 or 180, vertically and horizontally, to get "different" looks. You could use the whole pack, but I'd stick with one pack to get the continuity you get from layouts that repeat. I don't have any of my pages from 2009 in my gallery but there are lots of ladies who have done the project who use the same general template or layout on every page and just rotate and flip. It's exciting in January and the momentum carries you, but think about June and July and how tired of it you might be. A simple template and keeping your choices to just one or two will help keep you going because you won't get overwhelmed just at the time you're getting tired of the project. Does that make sense?

[Jane_Bond7]

Originally Posted by brenda_in_tx

I have a question about Ali's Bread and Butter templates - do these start out as 12 x 12 and you can resize? I couldn't find a size on them anywhere - I'm sure I'm just not seeing it. I plan on doing some sort of life documentation this year - I think more of a month in review type project, and I think the templates are the way to go since I'm just starting out with digital scrapping. Are there any other templates you can recommend for a project of this type? Thanks!

Brenda, there are some awesome templates here as well by Kayleigh, "Year In Review Quick Pages" by Studio DD. They are templates where everything is done for you and all you have to do is drag and drop your photos! It's also a great alternative, especially if you are fairly new to digital scrapbooking.

I just love Kayleigh's style, so they were a perfect choice for me. I am in the process of doing 2009, and I knew they were a quick way to get a whole year scrapped quickly.

I haven't seen Ali's templates, but I love her style too, very clean and they are probably very versatile.

Have fun whatever you choose.

[brenda_in_tx]

Originally Posted by Jane_Bond7

Brenda, there are some awesome templates here as well by Kayleigh, "Year In Review Quick Pages" by Studio DD. They are templates where everything is done for you and all you have to do is drag and drop your photos! It's also a great alternative, especially if you are fairly new to digital scrapbooking.

I just love Kayleigh's style, so they were a perfect choice for me. I am in the process of doing 2009, and I knew they were a quick way to get a whole year scrapped quickly.

I haven't seen Ali's templates, but I love her style too, very clean and they are probably very versatile.

Have fun whatever you choose.

Thank you so much - I will definitely go check Kayleigh's out too!

[brenda_in_tx]

Originally Posted by dugarner

I used a template the first year, and actually I didn't even use a whole pack, but just one template. I rotated it 90 or 180, vertically and horizontally, to get "different" looks. You could use the whole pack, but I'd stick with one pack to get the continuity you get from layouts that repeat. I don't have any of my pages from 2009 in my gallery but there are lots of ladies who have done the project who use the same general template or layout on every page and just rotate and flip. It's exciting in January and the momentum carries you, but think about June and July and how tired of it you might be. A simple template and keeping your choices to just one or two will help keep you going because you won't get overwhelmed just at the time you're getting tired of the project. Does that make sense?

Thank you, Sarah!

[esther_a]

I used a template by Ali and flipped it.

[dugarner]

I've got my momentum going since I decided to CASE Esther's book format. SO much easier than scrapping in the sense that I don't have to worry every day---or even every week---about a design concept. It makes taking the photo the most important thing, and I can handle that.

I'm not posting them here in the gallery since I'm not using any product (just straight pictures), but my album is public on my FB page under Sarah Luce Garner. And I always welcome new friends, too!

[kcar08]

I'm doing it this year too! I am doing hybrid though - I ordered the cards and page protectors and am also using some of the digital elements from here (Ali's and Cathy's so far). I decided to do hybrid so that I could just stick papers, etc in instead of having to scan them, and it would be easier to actually complete pages. I think I will be doing a 2-page spread per week.

Sarah, I added you on facebook and also sent you a message. We went to the same college!

[dugarner]

Originally Posted by kcar08

I'm doing it this year too! I am doing hybrid though - I ordered the cards and page protectors and am also using some of the digital elements from here (Ali's and Cathy's so far). I decided to do hybrid so that I could just stick papers, etc in instead of having to scan them, and it would be easier to actually complete pages. I think I will be doing a 2-page spread per week.

Sarah, I added you on facebook and also sent you a message. We went to the same college!

Hey, I got your request but not the message yet---it's messed up that way. Did you go to Navy or Maryland? Anyway, I'll wait to see if the message comes through. Sometimes it's days before I get stuff in my account.

[kcar08]

I went to Maryland. Go Terps!

If you check your "other" Messages folder on Facebook it might be there. Sometimes it puts messages there that it thinks are spam. (Under Messages on the left, there's an "other" link.)

[Nancy Beck]

Jana convinced me to try it when she said it takes some of the pressure off your need to do creative pages for every thing. Makes sense to me.