Information

[QueenBee89]

I'll be here to crack that whip for ya!

This reminds me of when Mildred had to use a whip on me and a couple of naughty cherries.

Kirby! Lol

[GinniG]

You are not alone my friend!!! A few months ago I realized that my at least 3 foot stack of layouts sitting on a corner of my table was in danger of falling over. To avoid that disaster I had my DH set up a table in our unfinished house. I took all of my layouts over (it’s just a few feet from the cabin we’re in now) and I sorted them by grandchild, my daughter, DH’s family, etc. Then the weather got chilly and we ended up having to go down to Kentucky for DH to have surgery. That was totally unplanned!

When I first started sorting I was looking at all the layouts and the 2 or 3 empty albums I had and knew I’d have to spend money on albums. I ordered some from Amazon because it’s free shipping to even Alaska if you’re a prime member. That could be one option for you.

Of course while we were in Kentucky I got to spend an afternoon at HL. They didn’t have a huge selection but I think know I have what I need. Now the weather is getting chilly again and that’s as far as I’ve gotten. Steve wants to work in the room where the table is so I need to get over there, turn on a space heater or get a fire going in the wood stove downstairs and get to work. Lol!!!

So I totally understand where you’re at! Maybe we could encourage each other??!!

[Breauxlabs]

I am with you 1000%. I have about 15 albums full that are by year… 7 full vacation albums and stacks upon stacks of layouts that need a home. Then I have 12 x 12 iris cases that are labeled by year…they are all full too. I need to break down and buy albums. I just rather spend the $$ on pretty supplies! 

[karensay]

Wish I could help.  I have not finished any albums yet and I have one for every year since 2000, plus, 3-Girl Scouts, 4-Marching Band, 5-Disney albums, Camping, 4-school year albums and there are more.

[sherelm]

Let me tell you I have a storage bench all filled with layouts. I finally said enough, too . I tried themed scrapbooking, and other than Christmases, nothing seems to get filled or put away.

I also lost 34 albums in a storm flood outside of Hershey, PA, when I lost EVERYTHING. Ya know how people say they got out with just their clothes on their back? I didn't have them either I swam in much to save my dog and two kitties and a canoe picked them up and I got out swimming, too. So I lost what I had done in almost two decades before that.

So now I have two suggestions. Chronological and themed. That's right both. If you do one with pictures from Halloween, toss it in that album. But keep an album for the year 2025, start next year, and do 12 months . Use page dividers, I use a smaller page in a 12x12 for that. And don't be afraid to put in a picture you love in a smaller page, too, if it's just a short story.
Right Shimelle on her website shimelle.com has a class called This Years Story. I'm loving it. I watch her update her own chronological album when I can as a bedroom story lol. I find it relaxing, it's like being at a crop, where you sit and talk to pals while scrapbooking.
I think if you do both you'll keep them in albums. I know I have. And if you think the price of albums are costly, just think how much $ you are spending on each layout. And if you lose a lot that are laying around, you'll lose much more than your cost of an album. I ask my family for albums for gifts. I put ACOT gift cards on every wish list.

Now I'll help hold you accountable too, if you keep me practicing what I'm preaching!!

[suewho372]

This reminds me of when Mildred had to use a whip on me and a couple of naughty cherries.

 

Made me think of that too Brandy ! And we tried to bring it back a couple years ago too! 

Yeeessss!!!!

I remember that, during a NSD right?

[stinkerbelle]

All I can think when I read posts like this is . . .

Thank goodness I never tried to scrap chronologically!  I'm perfectly content seeing my daughter's graduation on one page, then my son's 5th birthday on the next, and then baby Flasher on the next!  I like the whimsy!

right there with you!  my brain definitely doesn't work that way and i know i would find it very frustrating!

plus i'm the only person who ever looks at my albums lol if they're all higgledy-piggledy i'm the only one who would be bothered and i'm not 

[stinkerbelle]

posts like these also make me happy i permanently (well mostly lol) switched back to 8.5x11 pages in 2006.  i buy regular office supply binders and page protectors because i would rather spend my money on paper.  i recently bought a case of 3-inch binders from Amazon to put away my giant pile.  unfortunately i haven't actually put any away and my pile keeps getting gianter!

    
that basket is big enough to hold 12x12 and is packed full.  second photo shows the empty albums waiting patiently lol

[scrappinmom99]

OKAY, today is the 5th!  Where is your next page???  

I am scrapping 2007 for my 3 kids.  However, I have started making albums by year(s) because I do scrap out of sequence, since a lot of these challenges make me say “oh, that time we went here”, or a photo of the kids that fits a holiday”. Plus, I don’t like to have all that pressure on scrapping all those photos in order.  I like a little chaos in my life.  Easily distracted?  Yep!  But, it makes scrapping MORE fun for me.  I agree with Kim. Do create a different misc. album(s).  I also like the carefree pages of one season on one page, then another different time/person on another page.  It depends on your personality. 

Set small obtainable goals, keep a list if it helps.  Have a goal of getting 1 or 2 albums a month and getting your pages into them, perhaps? 

I have lots of other pages organized by a cluster of years until I get them into albums.  I purchased plastic page protectors off of Amazon and from Michael’s at one time.  I will share a photo.  

You sound like me! I don't scrap in order but in my head, I'm trying to put everything in albums in some kind of order. I bounce around from subject to subject based on the challenges or whatever strikes my fancy at the time. I like your idea of sorting and putting in page protectors until the time comes for album availability lol. Better than having them all willy-nilly. Maybe this can be yet another one of my "when baseball season ends" projects  

[scrappinmom99]

Oh my goodness!!! I am NOT caught up at all! I do not scrap chronologically. So mine are just in the albums however they get in each one no specific order.
I do however sort my layouts by groups and put them in albums ! I have these groups-

DD

Me & DD (photos of us together)

DD & DS (photos of the kids together)

Doggos ( I have lots of albums of them and they all go into whatever album I’m filling at the time)

DD wedding and all the ones of her and her boy

DS
The DS wedding album is defunct since they are divorced. So I had not gotten many of them done.
DS & Me

DGS 1
DGS2
Grands together

My layouts ( this is for all of the layouts I do of songs or deer or scenery or me and friends - you get the idea)

I have been VERY fortunate. When I was traveling for work I was in lots of bigger cities that had good Marshall’s/tjmaxx/michaels/hl /joanns. I got alot of albums on clearance at Walmart before they stopped carrying most things.
Back several years ago big lots even used to have scrap stuff- anyways Marshall’s and TJMaxx used to have overstock scrappy supplies - when I found albums at any of these places at a good good price I got them. So like I said I’ve been super blessed that I have albums.

So that being said : Anne Marie I stalk Joann fabric online- they run sales on shipping sometimes 1.99 and sometimes 3.99 with no purchase cost requirement. That may be something to look into. Recently I got doodlebug 12 x12 albums for $$ 11 and 1.99 shipping.

I don’t know if that helps or not but that’s what I do. I do wait until I have several layouts before I put them in the albums.

Wow, that did help! I'm so glad I posted about all this. I'm getting lots of good info. I don't drive and you would think there would be more craft stores in NYC but it's just not so. I had a Michaels in walking distance but it closed during the pandemic. I guess I didn't spend enough money there LOL! We do have a Marshalls and I had no idea they had scrappy stuff. I will have to look next time I go. And I will also start stalking Joann's for those deals!? And when I go visit my BFF (a couple of times a year) in NJ, we always hit up the craft stores but then I have to schlep it on the bus so...it depends if she's going to drive me home LOL
 

[scrappinmom99]

OKAY, today is the 5th!  Where is your next page???  

I am scrapping 2007 for my 3 kids.  However, I have started making albums by year(s) because I do scrap out of sequence, since a lot of these challenges make me say “oh, that time we went here”, or a photo of the kids that fits a holiday”. Plus, I don’t like to have all that pressure on scrapping all those photos in order.  I like a little chaos in my life.  Easily distracted?  Yep!  But, it makes scrapping MORE fun for me.  I agree with Kim. Do create a different misc. album(s).  I also like the carefree pages of one season on one page, then another different time/person on another page.  It depends on your personality. 

Set small obtainable goals, keep a list if it helps.  Have a goal of getting 1 or 2 albums a month and getting your pages into them, perhaps? 

I have lots of other pages organized by a cluster of years until I get them into albums.  I purchased plastic page protectors off of Amazon and from Michael’s at one time.  I will share a photo.  

PS: I just finished the next page, which has 3 photos (so 4/22 done now!) but will take pics when the light is better. 
 

[scrappinmom99]

I am completely organized,  but in my defense, I do not have children/grandchildren. 

I don't  use albums either because my pages are thick with embellies.  I scrap  DH and I vacations.  The completed layouts go in the 12 x 12 IRIS cases and labeled accordingly.   

Since we haven't  done much traveling since Covid, I started making mini albums instead of full page layouts.  One album can hold at least 12-16 photos.  They are also smaller and easier to store when completed.

The only layouts I'm doing new is for the challenges.

I'm wondering if I should just invest in more Iris cases which prob hold more layouts than an album. At least for the time being. I've started using 8x11 format for some themed albums over the past few  years too. DH is the supplies manager at work and can get all the 3-ring binders I want lol. So that's what I'm envisioning moving forward, but I still have like 23 years worth of 12x12 layouts to deal with - ack LOL!

[suewho372]

Oh my goodness!!! I am NOT caught up at all! I do not scrap chronologically. So mine are just in the albums however they get in each one no specific order.
I do however sort my layouts by groups and put them in albums ! I have these groups-

DD

Me & DD (photos of us together)

DD & DS (photos of the kids together)

Doggos ( I have lots of albums of them and they all go into whatever album I’m filling at the time)

DD wedding and all the ones of her and her boy

DS
The DS wedding album is defunct since they are divorced. So I had not gotten many of them done.
DS & Me

DGS 1
DGS2
Grands together

My layouts ( this is for all of the layouts I do of songs or deer or scenery or me and friends - you get the idea)

I have been VERY fortunate. When I was traveling for work I was in lots of bigger cities that had good Marshall’s/tjmaxx/michaels/hl /joanns. I got alot of albums on clearance at Walmart before they stopped carrying most things.
Back several years ago big lots even used to have scrap stuff- anyways Marshall’s and TJMaxx used to have overstock scrappy supplies - when I found albums at any of these places at a good good price I got them. So like I said I’ve been super blessed that I have albums.

So that being said : Anne Marie I stalk Joann fabric online- they run sales on shipping sometimes 1.99 and sometimes 3.99 with no purchase cost requirement. That may be something to look into. Recently I got doodlebug 12 x12 albums for $$ 11 and 1.99 shipping.

I don’t know if that helps or not but that’s what I do. I do wait until I have several layouts before I put them in the albums.

Wow, that did help! I'm so glad I posted about all this. I'm getting lots of good info. I don't drive and you would think there would be more craft stores in NYC but it's just not so. I had a Michaels in walking distance but it closed during the pandemic. I guess I didn't spend enough money there LOL! We do have a Marshalls and I had no idea they had scrappy stuff. I will have to look next time I go. And I will also start stalking Joann's for those deals!? And when I go visit my BFF (a couple of times a year) in NJ, we always hit up the craft stores but then I have to schlep it on the bus so...it depends if she's going to drive me home LOL 

Marshalls is few and far between but only sometimes these days.  Stalk Joanns!! I will try to remember to tell you when I see they have 1.99 shipping because that TOTALLY is a great deal! I hope that she drives you home!!! I grew up with no car at home so I was always walking or on the bus so i understand it very much!!! 

[Art_Teacher]

I am completely organized,  but in my defense, I do not have children/grandchildren. 

I don't  use albums either because my pages are thick with embellies.  I scrap  DH and I vacations.  The completed layouts go in the 12 x 12 IRIS cases and labeled accordingly.   

Since we haven't  done much traveling since Covid, I started making mini albums instead of full page layouts.  One album can hold at least 12-16 photos.  They are also smaller and easier to store when completed.

The only layouts I'm doing new is for the challenges.

I'm wondering if I should just invest in more Iris cases which prob hold more layouts than an album. At least for the time being. I've started using 8x11 format for some themed albums over the past few  years too. DH is the supplies manager at work and can get all the 3-ring binders I want lol. So that's what I'm envisioning moving forward, but I still have like 23 years worth of 12x12 layouts to deal with - ack LOL! 

I started with 12 x 12 Creative Memories, strap-hinge albums.  Switched to 12 x 12 post bound.  The strap-hinge are holding up better with lots of pages in them.  However, I do like the We R Memory Keepers 12 x 12 3-ring binders.  They hold hundreds of pages!  Unfortunately, all these 12 x 12 albums take up a lot of shelf space. lol  I am running out of room.  Still have hundreds of layouts on my computer that aren't printed out, too.  I have been doing 2 albums for each year, because I take way too many photos and can't seem not to scrap most of them.  (I am 10 years behind, however, currently working on 2013 and 2014...)  But, I don't scrap in order.  Year ago, I found it much more freeing to scrap what I want, so none of my albums after 2011 are complete. I have done some separate vacation albums for big trips, and I have an album for each of the pets, an All About Me album, and a couple of heritage albums with my layouts about my family.   lol  Let me know if you figure out a good system!
 

[Jolly Holly Scraps]

So I am notorious for doing layouts and never finishing albums. I have literal boxes of layouts that need albums, but albums are so $$$ and my Michaels closed several years ago, so it's not even like I can go pick some up on sale and not have to have them shipped. I have I would say 100s if not 1000 layouts that need homes. We moved here 14 years ago and there are still layouts in the moving boxes in the closet. Erg...LOL! And I have a few 12x12 albums that still have space (travel, 90s, school, DD's friends album, Halloween, a few others) so I am trying to do pages for those albums that can be put away right away. The other chronological/family ones are full. So you can imagine the hot mess all of this is. So one solution is to switch to 8x11 where DH can bring home all the binders in all the sizes I want. He has done that for the "special" albums (the pandemic, recipes, pics with Santa). So having said all that...I came across a set of 22 pictures from 2000 when we took DS to see Santa at Macy's. My goal is to start and finish this album before Christmas. 22 pictures doesn't seem so much...but I get distracted easily lol. So I'm going public and asking you guys to help keep me accountable LOL! And if you guys have ideas about albums / organization / not hoarding lol...I'd love to hear that too!

pictures done: 1/22

This is the first layout I've done for it. 

First, you're layout is AWESOME!
I THINK it's SUPER AWESOME that you've set this goal for the Christmas photos from 2000!
I don't have a lot of advice for getting your layouts into albums - I can tell you that I love doing 8 1/2 x 11 because I easier to make them into albums, and they're easily available! I love smaller size albums though, and plan on doing more smaller sized ones: I have unfinished mini albums, I have some new smaller binders and I have some traveler's notebooks/journals which I LOVE!
I highly recommend mixing up your album sizes!
Good luck with getting all your 12x12s into albums.
ALSO , I scrap non chronologically, my albums reflect that.