So, I'm happy to report that these days, I'm often able to produce as many as 4-6 pages in the space of just 2 hours! How do I do it? 15-minute scrapbooking.
It's all about keeping my pages super simple, with the added timesaver of "glue and go." The idea behind "glue and go" is that I don't lay out or plan my pages ahead of time. I just start sticking stuff down until I'm happy. The great thing about this system is that it yields a lot of pages in a short amount of time, and I'm getting a chance to scrap some of my favorite photos, which is perfect. But are any of these pages going to be published in a book? Likely not. Am I going to win any contests with these? Not happening. But does that even matter? No way!
The thing that I've realized throughout my scrapbooking journey is that my pages have to be, first and foremost, MY pages. I've taught countless classes where I tell students that it doesn't matter if their pages are "as good" as someone else's. Yet at times, I have trouble embracing that theory in my own scrapbooking. I think it's easy for me to fall into the trap that everything I create has to be "perfect." This was one of the primary reasons that I left all of my design teams and took a blogging break for much of the past 7 months. I simply needed to find my style again, and get back to having FUN!!
Take this for example...
This is a simple, 15-minute page. The design isn't ground-breaking, and as a designer, I can tell you what I'd change to make it better. But all that aside, I LOVE this layout. The picture is a favorite of our sweet Gracie, and the title is right from a favorite Beatles song. I had this hanging in my cubicle at work for several months, and everyone commented on how much fun it was. I love that.
So here I am. Back in the world of scrapbooking. Granted, sometimes I still bust out the paint and chipboard and all of the extras and spend more time on pages that become my favorites. But what I've discovered is that a simple layout can mean just as much. I've learned a lot in my "time off" and have plenty of fun things to share. I hope that these projects & ideas will inspire you to try something new. Whether it's a new technique or embellishment style (stay tuned in the coming weeks) or simply learning to LET GO and have some fun.
So, I challenge you to create your OWN 15-minute page. Grab a favorite 5x7 photo, a few papers & stickers. (Or, if you're a digital gal, start with a photo, a quickpage, and a few favorite embellishments.) Set your timer. 15 mintues. Ready? Set? Scrap!
(And, please share links to your creations in the comments! There just might be a fun RAK in store for those who take the plunge!)
