Dreamland

Spacing Tricks.

Diane asked me to share a little bit about spacing.  And when I started to think about it, I wondered:  is a good sense of spacing something I learned or something I was born with?  Some people just know what colors go together...and some are just naturally good at skiing...is this one of those things?

But then I also remembered that I love teaching, and I love sharing what I've already figured out.  There must be a way to help you cultivate a sense of spacing!

To start, I think it's more a matter of seeing than doing.  If you want to improve how you space your handwriting, you're one step in the right direction; you must have already seen writing that is pleasingly spaced.  Your next step is to gather some examples to study:  greeting cards, scrapbook pages, even typewritten projects can help you train your eye to see great spacing.

When you're ready to start practicing, try a list.  First think about the spacing between lines.  I am a big fan of not measuring, but until you get the hang of it, you can measure the lines so that your list is spaced well from top-to-bottom.  You can measure lightly with pencil and erase it, or use a light table with a measured grid underneath.

Then think about the spacing between individual words.  This is where the examples you've gathered will come in handy.  And, of course, my favorite tip:  keep practicing.

Sometimes breaking apart what you want to say into little compartments is helpful.  It allows you to work with a very small canvas, and if you make a mistake, you haven't ruined your whole project.

 
Scraplifting is also a great way to get experience with spacing.  I made this layout about 3 years ago, based on one I saw with a left-justified quote, and by writing only one word per line, the spacing was easy.

I'm now pondering on spacing of individual letters within words.  When I have a plan, I'll let you know!

Simplicity.

 

Scan week.

I have a new toy.  I finally purchased a new scanner last week and installed it just this morning.  Now I'm a little bit scan-happy.  So this week I'll be scanning everything that will sit still long enough, and then sharing a few things with you.

First up, a few scrapbook pages.  I'm still finishing my scrapbooks from 2008.  (I have an ongoing travel scrapbook, in which I am just finishing the pages from 2008 travels; and our annual family scrapbook, which is about half done.)  I'm a linear girl at heart, like to keep my ducks in a row and all that.  There are so many ways to scrapbook...and I choose chronological.  It works for me.

One of my favorite family albums is 2006, which was in the landscape format.  For each month, I did a summary of activities from that month, plus additional pages for each month as needed.  Here are the summary pages for April, June, August, and September:

 

 

 

Last year's books.

Finally updated my book album.  Love that this project takes so little time, yet has a huge satisfaction factor.

 

 

Scrapbook the old-fashioned way.

Who says that scrapbooks have to be amazing feats of great design?  I'm all for keeping my memories the old-fashioned way.  Photos, captions, a bit of color, done.

 

 

 

 

Pockets.

The last piece of my scrapbooking puzzle is pockets.  I don't save everything, but I do like to keep a few little what-nots, especially sentimental bits (like a note with grandma's handwriting) or items that really represent the age we live in (like brochures and ticket stubs and clothing tags). 

Every year I usually have one page that is simply a pocket for the scraps of life.  My kids' albums are all Creative Memories, and they offer a "portrait sleeve" that is simply a page-size clear pocket.  Sometimes I like to fit smaller pockets on the seasonal pages in the albums as well:

 

This pocket does double-duty as a photo mat.

 

This one adds some texture to the page.  (It's velvet.)

 

I try to squeeze as much as I can onto my seasonal pages; I especially love recording the sweet things my children say.  (And let me add here that as they get older, those precious quotations get fewer and farther between -- so pretty please write them down now before those days are behind you!  Even if they are just scribbled into a notebook.  Last month my son told me I was very "thinkative" -- and I would have forgotten all about it if not for the scrap of cardboard I wrote it on and discovered last week.)

I do have separate storage for larger memorabilia.  I keep 10x13 envelopes, one per year for each of my kids, and I put larger items in there.  Choosing representative items is key here.  We all know they bring home six art projects a week from school and create more at home and have certificates and birthday cards and theater programs.  I choose just a wee bit to save for each year.  This goes back to my guiding principle of not overcreating, oversaving, overindulging. 

Tomorrow:  giveaway + November blog theme. 

Everyday.

Read more about my scrapbook method here.

Today's focus is the everyday elements I include in my kids' albums.  I like to include the things they say, their favorite books/music/movies/foods, friends, our home, hobbies, and our rituals & traditions.  I also try to include a family photo at some point during the year.  I like to tuck little notes in between the pages -- stories from me or letters written by their grandparents.  (It brings me back to Trixie Belden and the Mystery of the Emeralds, my favorite.)

 

 

 

Two more days to enter the October giveaway.  Just leave a comment by the end of the day Thursday; on Friday I'll draw a winner of the scrapbook supply pack.  Thanks for all the comments so far!

Content (and giveaway coming soon).

In the beginning of October, I explained my system for keeping scrapbooks:  organized, low stress, limited time commitment, meaningful, fun.  This week I'm keeping it simple with content.  (I am content with my content?)  As I mentioned previously, I generally scrap about eight pages per year in my kids' books.  Here's what I typically include:

birthday     winter/spring/summer/fall      Christmas      first day of school      school year summary      clear memorabilia pocket     

Some years the seasons take up one page each, some years two.  Some years the school year can fit on one page, some years two.  I also include pages devoted to everyday life:

I write the occasional letter about what's on my mind.  And there are special vacations or activities -- like each time my daughter is in a play, that gets a page or two.  And I like to include a different perspective from mine -- so there is a page in my daughter's album written by my husband, and a page in F's album written by my daughter.

More on content tomorrow, but I hope this much gets you thinking about what you would include.  Please remember that I may do eight pages, but you might do ten or two.  I really do believe two pages would suffice! 

I will draw a winner for the Giveaway on Friday morning.  Just comment on any post this month to enter.  Thank you!

Letters.

This week I'll be wrapping up Scrapbook Month with some tips on what I include in my (streamlined) albums.  

I like to include letters in my kids' albums, whenever the mood strikes me.  (That seems to happen roughly once a year -- although some years don't have one, and others have more than one.)  Like the day J. started her summer program after kindergarten:  I was nervous for her all morning and when I called the director to check in, she was doing wonderfully.  I just had to write and tell her how proud I was.  

Or when she was seven and going through some tough times (which is to say, I was going through some tough times).  Or when F. was five and just looking at his photo on my desk brought out some feelings I needed to get down in writing.

 

 

 

 

As you can see, they don't always take the form of a traditional letter.  And I don't always have the go juice to create a page at the same time that the words are flowing.  So when the mood strikes, grab a sheet of paper -- any paper -- or your keyboard or whatever you need and jot down your thoughts.  Some of these pages were made weeks after I originally recorded my words.

Scheme 13: doodling.

I jumped on the doodling trend bandwagon when I started working on F's pages for age 7 last spring.  And I am enjoying it so much that I am using the same concept for J's pages this year -- now that's a system!

 

 

 

 

 

Paper:  assorted patterned papers + similar colors in solid + kraft

Lettering:  cut-out letters with uneven outlines in black

Embellishments:  none

Techniques:  doodles in black -- outlines, scallops, dashed lines, etc.; some edges cut with "postage stamp" scissors; all mats + journaling blocks cut by hand

Next week I'll review my content choices -- what I like to include each year -- plus some ideas for pockets to save memorabilia.  Have a great weekend!