Write. Click. Scrapbook.

New Year's Eve

 

Happy New Year's Eve, everyone and thanks for stopping by the Write, Click, Scrapbook blog today. New Year's Eve is a time to reflect on the amazing year you've had, and look forward to a new year to come. Scrapbooking is a great way to document those special moments, and I wanted to share with you some layouts that do just that.

 

First up, some of our design team members shared some of their pages they created to reflect . Aliza created this page about some of her favorite moments in 2012.

I love how she used a family picture and highlighted all her favorite moments.

Diane sent this fabulous layout.

I love how Diane did her journaling month by month.

Next up, Kate sent this layout showcasing her favorite moments in 2012.

She did a fabulous job showcasing monthly favorites as well.

Amy created this layout about some fabulous moments in her son's life from the past year.

Jennifer created this amazng page with so many favorite pictures from her year.

 I am in awe of how many pictures she included on this page. I love the page she created for 2012 as well.  

Jenny created a page highlighting some of her favorite photos she took during the year.

Lisa created this page to share some favorite moments from 2010.

New Year's Eve is also a time to start looking forward to the brand new year to come.  Last year, I created this mini album for my family to jot down their resolutions for the following year.

For a few years, I have particiapted in Ali Edward's One Little Word and picked a word to focus on for the year to come.  Here is my word and layout for this year.

I hope that you enjoy a safe and fun New Year's Eve, and thanks for stopping by the WCS blog.  Happy New Year!

How Scrapbooking Has Helped Me To Reach My Goals

Hi everyone! Amy Kingsford here and with the New Year just around the corner I have been doing an awful lot of thinking about some of the goals I want to set for myself in 2014.

As someone who has been making and breaking New Year's resolutions for almost 15 years I've set a lot of goals in my time and I've even reached some of them too ;) But a few years ago is when I started using my hobby of scrapbooking as both a way of recording my goals and as a way of making my goals more visible and attainable. As a result I started to notice a big difference in my attitude towards my goals and the passion with which I pursued them.

In 2011 I made my own Diet and Exercise Journal.  

 

 

Not only did it's custom design make reaching my goals of eating better and being more active a little more practical, but the time and energy I put into making this journal made me that much more passionate about my goal.

In 2012 I made a goal to write in a journal and was inspired to make my own one-sentence journal.

 

 

The simplicity of this approach and my journal's one-of-a-kind design made reaching for it each day an absolute delight.

In 2013 I took the "One Little Word" approach and made this layout to remember my word and what it meant to me when I chose it.

 

 

And this year I've chosen to incorporate the recording of my goals into my Project Life approach as shown below.

 

 

This year I had a little longer list of goals than usual:

• Take more photos.
• Make more home-cooked meals.
• Read more.
• Try some of the things that scare me.
• Learn more about the things that interest me.
• Eat better and move more.
• Give Project Life another try.

 

As I had decided to give Project Life another try and this time to take a monthly approach--it seemed only natural to incorporate a monthly record of my progress towards these goals a long with my monthly spreads.

This approach allows me to plan the books I want to read, the things I want to learn more about and the new things I want to try, in advance each month. I'm also able to record the number of photos I take and the number of home-cooked meals I make each month along with showcasing my favorites in the form of photos. 

I can't tell you how excited this project has me to tackle my goals for 2014 and to share my progress! 

How has scrapbooking helped you to measure your progress and achieve your goals?

Sunday Photo + Words

 

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you´re wonderful, and don´t forget to make some art – write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself."

-        Neil Gaiman

In Review

It is the final Saturday of the month which means we are here together for one last reflection upon and look into this month's gallery. We hope you enjoyed our layouts and felt inspired to create your own lovely layouts. Here are a few suggestions for making the most of our December gallery, Holiday Traditions.

 

Here are six journaling ideas for you from our gallery.

Advent Legos | Jennifer Larson

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (Fancy Pants) + buttons (Fancy Pants) + stickers (Fancy Pants) + ink (Stampin’ Up!) + gems (Mark Richards, Stampin’ Up!) + die cuts (Fancy Pants) + die cutting system (Silhouette Cameo) + fonts (Lobster)

Make a layout detailing all that is involved with a family tradition.

 

Evolution of His Chanukah Lists | Aliza Deutsch

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts, Bazzill Basics Paper) + patterned paper (BasicGrey, Jillibean Soup, Cocoa Daisy) + brads (My Mind’s Eye) + thickers (Pebbles inc) + mist (Tattered Angels) + stickers (My Mind’s Eye, BasicGrey) + tape (My Mind’s Eye) + wood veneer(Cocoa Daisy) + embellishments (BasicGrey)

Record the changes in the lists of your kids. Include their take on what is happending as well.

 

Graham Cracker Houses | Kate Christensen

12 x 12 | materials digital kits cardstock (Cardstock Essentials No.3 by Karla Dudley) + patterned paper (Here Comes Santa Claus Collaboration by Gennifer Bursett, Mye De Leon, Robyn Meierotto, and Shannon McNab) + template (My Treats by Amy Martin, modified) + buttons, flowers (Here Comes Santa Claus Collaboration by Gennifer Bursett, Mye De Leon, Robyn Meierotto, and Shannon McNab) + tag (Tag You're It by Robyn Meierotto) + arrows (Wood Veneer: Arrows by Sahlin Studio) + doily (This is Why Collaboration by Mye De Leon and Gennifer Bursestt) + alpha (Here Comes Santa Claus Collaboration by Gennifer Bursett, Mye De Leon, Robyn Meierotto, and Shannon McNab) + mist (Toolbox Mists V.7 by Gennifer Bursett; mists by Adrienne Looman) + action (Digital Glitters by Sahlin Studio) + fonts (Traveling Typewriter, Violation)

Did you have a change in a regular tradition this year? Record the change and the reason for it.

  

First Photo with Santa | Valerie O'Neall

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye) + printed chipboard (My Mind's Eye) + thickers (American Crafts) + phrase sticker (My Mind's Eye) + number stickers (Dear Lizzy/American Crafts) + mist (Studio Calico) + pen (Copic) + punch (EK Success)

Take time to explain your beliefs on a layout. And how those beliefs shape your holiday traditions.

  

Fave December Moments | Diane Payne

8.5 x 11 | materials cardstock (Studio Calico) + patterned paper (Glitz) + buttons (A Flair for Buttons, Glitz, Prima) + labels (Glitz) + mist (Heidi Swapp) + stickers (Glitz)

Record a childhood holiday memory.

 

Holiday Card Trouble | Marnie Flores

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Glitz) + fonts (Ostrich Sans, Bebas, Letter Gothic)

Don't be afraid to document a holiday "failure."

 

 

Here are six photography ideas from our Holiday Traditions gallery. 

Happy Mail | Celeste Smith

12 x 12 | materials kit (One Little Bird: Happy Mail) + kit (Valorie Wibbens Sprinkles v10) + stitching (Sahlin Studio Stitches v1)+ font (Underwood Champion)

Try to get a shot of you or your kids mid-tradition. It's totally okay to pose this kid of shot, too!

 

Gingerbread House| Amy Coose

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (Chic Tags) + letter stickers (Chic Tags) + labels/tags (Chic Tags) + mist(Studio Calico) + stickers (Company Name) + rubons (Chic Tags) + pen (American Crafts) 

A full shot and a detail shot make a lovely pairing for recording a family tradition.

 

Starting Traditions | Francine Clouden

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill Basics Paper) + spray ink (Kesi’Art) + pearls (KaiserScrapbook) + rhinestones (Making Memories) + patterned paper (Studio Calico) + journal card (Jenni Bowlin) + letter stickers (Sassafras Lass) + chipboard stars (Heidi Swapp) + sticker phrases (Cosmo Cricket) + sequins + acrylic star pin + printable tags

Think of all the ways we use our hands to create during the holidays. Getting shots like Francine's preserve not just the traditions but the hands that make them.

 

Elf Tradition | Cristina C. Scrap

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (BasicGrey) + alphas (BasicGrey, American Crafts) + stickers (BasicGrey) + wood veneer, sequins (Studio Calico) + pen (American Crafts) + washi tape (Cavallini & Co.) + adhesives (Martha Stewart glue pen, Zig 2way glue, foam dots) + stamps (Stampers Anonymous, Tim Holtz, Kelly Purkey) + ink (Versafine Tsukineko, Ranger Archival ink) + embossing powder (American Crafts) + heat gun

So many of us have an elf visitor--why not record each visit, or at least the stand outs?

 

New Traditions | Lisa Ottosson

8.5 x 11 | materials journaling cards (Crate Paper, Becky Higgins) + rub-ons (Creative Imaginations) + labels (Crate Paper) + doily (Michael`s) + pen (Sharpie)

Don't forget the bokeh shot of your tree!

  

Made with Love | Stephanie Bryan

12 x 12 | materials | cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (Carta Bella, Chic Tags) + stickers (Glitz Design) + rub ons (Chic Tags) + tags (Chic Tags)

Switch to your macro lens or setting and roam the house for a few detail shots that help document your holiday festivities.

 

 

And finally, six ideas for designing your pages.

Christmas Cards 2012 | Sue Althouse

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (Echo Park) + thickers (American Crafts) + square punch (Creative Memories)

49 photos or card tidbits fit on one layout. Truly! Let's try it!

 

Enjoy the Show | Amy Kingsford

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Chris Collection by Karla Dudley) + flair (Chris Collection by Karla Dudley) + veneer (Wood arrows by Robyn Meierotto) + alpha (Shadow by creashens) + stickers (Chris Collection by Karla Dudley) + masks (brushies no. 1 by creashens, watercolor splatters by Celeste Knight) + template (Quick Scraps No. 2 by Anita Designs) + fonts (Orator, Great Vibes)

Painting on patterned paper lightens the pattern allowing you to journal right on top of the paper.

 

Since 2009 | Monika Głód

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (Studio Calico) + transparent overlay (Studio Calico) + alphabet (American Crafts)

Try stitching over a stamped images. Yes, it's just for fun, not to hold anything down, but look how pretty!

 

Joy & Wish| WaiSam Ho

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Elle's Studio, American Crafts) + wood veneers (Studio Calico, Freckled Fawn) + stickers (American Crafts) + alphabets (American Crafts) + flowers (Prima Marketing, Inc.) + stickers (American Crafts) + stamps (American Crafts) + ink (Prima Marketing Inc) + dies (My Favourite Things) + stickles + adhesives (Elmer's Tacky Glue) + sewing machine (Brother)

Ofttimes we try to coordinate two pagers bu making them look similar. Or do it Sam's way with similar design but dissimilar colors. So interesting!

  

My first DD | Jina Jean

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Fancy Pants, Allison Kreft Designs, Chic Tags) + brad (Crate Paper) + ephemera (Pink Paislee)+ sticker (Pink Paislee) + tag (Chic Tags) + mini bag (Allison Kreft Designs) + clips (Allison Kreft Designs)

Use watercolors to add a pop of color and create a color scheme that coordinates with your embellishments.

 

Tradition | Lisa Ottosson

Use a collection of photographs from years'  past to put together a compilation layout.

 

That's it! 18 more ideas for creating amazing pages. And only four more days until a brand new gallery to inspire you even more! Thank you for stopping by!!

Reflecting on 2013

 

Hi there, Diane here, taking this last week of 2013 to reflect on the past year and start thinking about the upcoming New Year. I'm not really a New Year's Resolution kind of girl. I never did make a resolution that I kept, and in the end I only felt like a failure or bad about myself. I do, however, like Ali Edward's "One Little Word" concept and have done that for several years now.

Some years I have done more with my word than other years and I'm ok with that. What I like about having a word is that it is always in the back of my mind and, at times, will pop into my consciousness at just the right time and influence my decisions in a positive way.

I have also learned that writing down things that I want to focus on is a powerful tool in succeeding. My word for 2013 was "Yes" and I recently looked back at the layout I did about my word earlier this year and was amazed at what I had actually done with my word, without even realizing it at the time.

Here is the layout I made about my word...

I wrote down some things I wanted to keep in mind throughout the year on a framed chalkboard and had my son snap a photo of me. I said I wanted to say yes to trying new things, changing what doesn't work, and exploring the world.

Here are a few things that I did with my word:

• Volunteering with school programs that benefit my kids
• Accepting some fun amateur photography opportunities
• Moved into a new area of responsibility at work after doing the same thing for the past 15 years
• Started a new 25 minute workout regimen that help me shed and keep off excess weight
• Two trips abroad...a trip of a lifetime to France with my hubby and a fun family weekend get away to Cabo, Mexico
• I also gave up some things that I enjoyed to be able to focus more on my family and haven't regretted it for a minute

I plan to attach this list of accomplishments to the back of the layout. I'm sure that this will be really fun for future generations to look back on.

Whether you do resolutions, goals or choose a word to focus on, I hope you will take the time to make a layout about it and write out some of the things you want to do. At the end of the year, look back at the layout, I'm sure you will be amazed at what you accomplish.

I hope as 2013 comes to a close that you will enjoy these last few days with those you love most and that you will be blessed beyond measure in the New Year.

Sneak Peeks!

We have a few sneak peeks for you today. Think you can guess the new gallery theme? Here are a few places to look to see what you can find:

Lisa Ottoson
Laura O'Donnell
Jennifer Larson

We are making it hard on you this month, but hope that you have fun trying! The countdown is on to the big reveal. Sorry you have to wait until next year. Hahahaha!

Let us know if you have any guesses! Happy Boxing Day!

Merry Christmas! And Now It's Time for the New Year

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope this is a happy and healthy holiday for all of you, wherever you may be. 

I hope you don't mind that on this Christmas day, I am going to jump ahead to the new year. More specifically, creating a planner for the new year. I am one of those people, and I imagine many of you paper obsessed scrapbookers are too, who take their personal planners pretty seriously. I want it to look pretty, feel good in my hands, and meet my organizing and notetaking needs. I want a place for to-do lists, and a place to collect ideas for blogging and scrapbooking. And since I am a teacher, I also need a place to write lesson plans. 

A few years ago, I began making my own planners, and they have stayed pretty similar each year. This September, at the start of the new school year, I made my planner as usual, but in my mind, I thought it was time to make few changes. With a new year upon us, it seemed like the perfect time. 

So, to begin, I got myself a brand, spanking new 8.5" x 5.5" binder with rings that are a little bigger than the ones I have used in the past. I thought I would add a lot of embellishment to the cover, but I loved the kraft color so much, I just added a touch of washi, and a chipboard letter. 

Side note: You will read the words "washi tape" A LOT in this post.

 

Let's Take a Look Inside

 

I started off my binder using a page protector to house a cute little notebook that I can pull out, carry around, and jot down some ideas. (I didn't photograph the page protector because of the glare.) My hope is that if I quickly write down a to-do list, I can tear it out and slip it right into the planner pages. And how will I adhere those loose pages to my planner? With washi tape, of course. 

 

 Section 1: The Monthly Calendar

 

I made a section for my monthly calendar using this Microsoft template, that I resized and modified in Microsoft Word. 

 I used a little washi to draw my attention and a little cuteness to the pages. 

 

 

Section 2: Weekly Calendars

 

This is the section that I will use the most. 

Inside this section, there lies my weekly  planner. Each week has my personal planner across a two-page spread, followed by my lesson planner for the week.  I made these calendars from scratch in Microsoft Word, (by inserting tables) and I typed each date in there, though I feel fairly certain there is a more efficient way to do this. I used this font by Amy Tan, and I might be in love. To me, it makes the planner. 

 

And, what's that? Some washi tape? Why, yes. Yes, it is. I added some tape where I had notes written down, like the start of a vacation or holiday. I also used tape to make tabs on the side of the page, to remind me when something important is coming up. More and more often, dates seem to sneak up on me out of nowhere, but now, armed with washi tape tabs, I can see them coming!

 

Section 3: More Note Taking Possibilities 

 

I made another little section with blank notebook paper, because, hey, you never know.

 

 

And, Finally...

 

I used some page protectors just to hold papers that accumulate in life. I had some 6x8 page protectors, which is not exactly the right size, but close enough for my purposes. The holes were not in the right place, but I hear washi tape can be a useful little product. So I covered up the original holes, and then punched some new ones.

Well, I might be the last person on earth still using paper to organize my life, but if not, I hope this gives you some ideas you can use. 

Once again, enjoy your holiday, and may you have a happy, healthy, and organized new year!

 

Christmas Eve

 

Merry Christmas Eve, I hope you are all ready for the big day tomorrow.  I have accumulated quite a few traditions during this time of year, and I am usually a bit of a wreck by this time of the holidays trying to make sure we've done (and I've captured) as many as we possibly can.  This year, I decided to try and cut down on the stress and the tears that come with capturing some of these traditions.  Case in point-one of my favorite Christmas Eve traditions is taking a family photo in our pj's in front of the Christmas tree.  After a full day of stuff, Christmas Eve mass, and a big family dinner, you can imagine how excited my kids were to sit for a big photoshoot.  This year I decided to take the picture a few days early, and there were no tears and no screaming fits from me, which was a big win in my book.

In the long run, it won't matter that this wasn't done on Christmas Eve. In fact, I'm pretty sure I won't even remember when I took it.  What I will remember was that I was able to capture this sweet family moment. I hope your family has a wonderful Christmas, and that you are enjoying creating many family traditions of your own.

 

Christmas in Photos

Christa here to tis the season with lots of merriment, food, giving and of course photo opportunities.  Whether you are doing December Daily or not (I happen to not be doing it this year), if you're like me then you still end up with many, many photos on your camera and hopefully in your pages as well.  That last part is a little harder for me recently, but I still like to complete at least one page for each year of our holiday.  Just don't tell anybody that last year's isn't done either-shhh! 

Tis the season also for early sunsets and bad and/or low lighting on Christmas morning.  It's inevitable really that you will have less than ideal light, but it's the memories that count not the quality of the photo.  However, I'm going to give some quick tips and tricks to help ease the troubles come 6 am on Wednesday morning!

External Flash

If you have the ability to use an external flash I HIGHLY recommend it.  I have an inexpensive one similar to this one.  Yes, going up in price will grant better results, but for my purposes this one seems to work just fine when I do need an external flash.

I normally bounce mine towards the ceiling to get good all over light on my daughters for our morning present opening.  

Again, not a fantastic photo, but I'm pretty sure my daughter doesn't care about the lighting, but will want to look back on the ghoulish Monster High dolls she received when she was 7 years old!

 

Setting White Balance

Unless you live somewhere that the light comes into your home at the wee hours of the morning and stays there until late in the evening, you will at some point turn on overhead lights or lamps during the holiday season.  Even some point and shoot cameras allow you to have control over your white balance setting.  

 

 For example on this camera you would switch that very left dial to "WB" and choose your custom white balance from there. I would advise consulting your manual to figure out if you have that capability and if so, how you change your white balance. 

This is an EXCELLENT cheat sheet to know which setting will be right for you if you are changing your white balance.  During the winter and especially during the holidays my white balance stays at "flourescent" much of the time because I am indoors taking photos under flourescent light bulbs and overhead lights.  If you are more skilled and have a grey card at the ready you can also set a custom white balance for your lighting situation.

 

Tripod

I would also highly recommend setting up a tripod if you have one, or maneuvering a coffee table or side table to set your camera on for timer photos or just to steady your grip to reduce blur and shake when taking photos.  Because of low light your camera will compensate and use a lower shutter speed, increasing the chances of blurry photos if you are hand holding your camera.  This is also a great way to be in on the action as well instead of stuck behind the camera away from family and friends.  

 I set up my tripod several years ago to capture this photo of my husband and daughter enjoying Christmas morning:

And for the Christmas Eve writing of the letter last year too!

Embrace the Grain

And finally, embrace those grainy photos this time of year.  I actually love that about these photos because there is just no getting around it and it adds some character I think to them!

Have a wonderful holiday week and Happy New Year! 

 

Sunday Photo + Words

"Present over perfect" - S. Niequist