project life 2014

So around about this time every year I have these grand plans about how I’m going to keep my photos, memorabilia and memories for the year. This generally involves some kind of Project Life album.

I start off with all guns blazing, I get very excited about new products, I blog about it regularly  and then by about February, I’ve found I’ve had too much to do, the blog posts stop and I start to get behind on my album.

I did pretty well in 2013. I didn’t blog a lot, but I kept fairly well up to date (and by that I mean no more than three months behind at a time) and, as of today, I really only have to sort, edit and print photos from December and from Juniordwarf’s birthday in September.

In 2013 I tried a digital approach, where I didn’t use an official Project Life kit. Instead I used my own digital supplies for titles, backgrounds and journalling and I did a lot of journalling directly onto the photos. It meant a lot of time on the computer, but then once the photos and journalling was done, there was no writing and everything slotted neatly into the album.

For 2014 I’ve decided to go back to a paper kit. It took me months to decide which one to get. I thought I was going to get the Rain edition, which is lovely tones of olive, purple and blue, but I kept thinking it might be a bit monochromatic for a whole year.

Having said that, the approach many people seem to take is to mix up different kits throughout the year rather than stick to one kit.  Also the mini packs of themed cards that were released earlier this year mean that you can slot in layouts about various themes (such as school, summer, dad, soccer etc) and use cards that specifically relate to that theme rather than using the more generic core kits.

But I wanted one main kit to use during the year as I have done in previous years. In a last minute flash of enthusiasm I ended up deciding on the Sunshine edition, which I now have in my hot little hands, ready to go for the year.

This edition is designed by Elsie & Emma of the A Beautiful Mess blog, which is a lovely crafty/lifestyle blog.

Here’s a quick peek at what it looks like (I ended up getting the matching album, patterned paper and the 6×4 coloured cardstock as well as some blank journal cards):

ImageAnd inside the box:

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The title page of the album (for now – these are the recommended title cards for the first page, but I usually change my first page layout during the year, add photos and try to make it a more consistent-looking spread).

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And I love the matching dividers. I like how they don’t come pre-printed with the months on them now. They have labels so you can divide your album up in any way you want – which is going to be very useful for the approach I’m planning.

ImageSo that’s it for now. I’m trying to find people who will be using the Sunshine edition this year, so if that’s you, please let me know. If this year is anything like previous years, I expect I’ll be needing inspiration and a support group as the year goes on.

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