Today I want to focus on something that lots of scrappers will say is one of the most difficult parts of putting a page together: the journaling. Whether it’s the process of writing the journaling, how to incorporate it or just trying to choose the right words, it’s one of those things that doesn’t always come easily to everyone.
This is probably one of my favorite parts of the scrapbooking process. Sure, I love the pretty papers, embellishments and photos, but hands down I love telling the story first and foremost. I’m not very good about detailing events, like birthdays and holidays, but love to document our everyday lives, our quirks, and my feelings about things at a certain point in time.
Today I thought I would give some starting off points for those that do struggle with journaling on their pages.
*Look through photos and write down what strikes you as you look through them. Not just the who, what, when, and where of the photo, but beyond that. If you look at a certain photo of your son or daughter and it makes you smile or giggle, why is that? Does he/she always make that same funny face, were you all dancing around silly that day, was it after a difficult day or week with him or her and now you came out on the other side of it all? These are the types of things I like to scrap the most and will go with my gut when I look through photos.
For instance, this photo is from my daughter taking a field trip with her class last year to an animal sanctuary.
I could have made a page about the trip and what we did that day. However, when I look at this picture I don’t remember that day, but I see her personality as a shy little girl who is introspective and at times vulnerable. So that’s what I made a page about: my feelings on her vulnerability, but also her insight.
Another example is this photo of my girls from the first day of school:
I could have given the details of them starting school, what grade, teacher, etc., but instead I focused on what life will look like in the future as parents of 2 teenage girls. I journaled about our survival of those years and how we will get through it (hopefully)!
*Look for prompts on blogs and websites. There are so many different challenge blogs and websites that will have a weekly or monthly theme that will get you thinking beyond the details and events. I love taking part in these to push myself.
*Get creative with your journaling placement. It doesn’t have to be paragraphs upon paragraphs of journaling in a large block, although I do love me a good journaling block!! You can use paper strips, premade journaling tags, stamps that have journaling lines, hide your journaling within a pretty envelope or under a photo, or as I’ll show you tomorrow, putting it on stickers throughout your page.
Again, to me, meaningful journaling doesn’t have to be super long, but just that: meaningful to you and your family. That when they look back on the layout, photos and journaling it floods back memories to them too and it’s something you can all sit and share together.
Christa
This is probably one of my favorite parts of the scrapbooking process. Sure, I love the pretty papers, embellishments and photos, but hands down I love telling the story first and foremost. I’m not very good about detailing events, like birthdays and holidays, but love to document our everyday lives, our quirks, and my feelings about things at a certain point in time.
Today I thought I would give some starting off points for those that do struggle with journaling on their pages.
*Look through photos and write down what strikes you as you look through them. Not just the who, what, when, and where of the photo, but beyond that. If you look at a certain photo of your son or daughter and it makes you smile or giggle, why is that? Does he/she always make that same funny face, were you all dancing around silly that day, was it after a difficult day or week with him or her and now you came out on the other side of it all? These are the types of things I like to scrap the most and will go with my gut when I look through photos.
For instance, this photo is from my daughter taking a field trip with her class last year to an animal sanctuary.
I could have made a page about the trip and what we did that day. However, when I look at this picture I don’t remember that day, but I see her personality as a shy little girl who is introspective and at times vulnerable. So that’s what I made a page about: my feelings on her vulnerability, but also her insight.
Another example is this photo of my girls from the first day of school:
I could have given the details of them starting school, what grade, teacher, etc., but instead I focused on what life will look like in the future as parents of 2 teenage girls. I journaled about our survival of those years and how we will get through it (hopefully)!
*Look for prompts on blogs and websites. There are so many different challenge blogs and websites that will have a weekly or monthly theme that will get you thinking beyond the details and events. I love taking part in these to push myself.
*Get creative with your journaling placement. It doesn’t have to be paragraphs upon paragraphs of journaling in a large block, although I do love me a good journaling block!! You can use paper strips, premade journaling tags, stamps that have journaling lines, hide your journaling within a pretty envelope or under a photo, or as I’ll show you tomorrow, putting it on stickers throughout your page.
Again, to me, meaningful journaling doesn’t have to be super long, but just that: meaningful to you and your family. That when they look back on the layout, photos and journaling it floods back memories to them too and it’s something you can all sit and share together.
Christa
2 comments:
Excellent tips! I find that journaling is where I stumble, too. BUT if I journal before I start the page, the page just seems to come together so much faster!
These are great journaling ideas and I can't wait to see how you display them on a lo. I seem to collect many journaling block, spots, etc. but don't always know how best to utilize them.
Post a Comment