Post written by Guest Blogger Fran Smitherman – Thanks, Fran!
As the year comes to a close and I think back to what I did and did not accomplish with my photo projects in 2015, I am left with a desire to do even better in 2016! I completed a lot of pages and kept up with my weekly picture uploads, and I was very good about hosting retreats and workshops with fellow scrapbookers. 
Nevertheless, I fell short of my expectations in terms of journaling. As the days pass by and more and more events take place, the little details are slipping away. I have calendars and journals but the busier my life gets the less time I have to record long entries (and even when I do that I know I will have to re-copy all of those thoughts into a scrapbook with the matching photos.) So I have a plan for a better strategy in 2016!
Slide In Packs!
I want to have journaling cards with me at all times so I can use my “fringe moments” to record stories all year long. This is a bigger step in pushing my album projects forward than writing in a journal because instead of having to write it once, then transfer those words to a scrapbook when you get to those pictures, the cards are already done and ready to put in your album. Creative Memories Slide-In Packs are perfect for my plans!
They come in a variety of color schemes and themes, and depending on what event you are journaling about, you are sure to find something that will work for your pages. I plan to keep these and a few CM pens in my purse all year long – what a big weight off of my mind to know that even if the photos aren’t ready to go in a book yet, the stories will be!
Planners and Pre-Made Pages
I also have lots of other “pre-scrapping” plans for 2016! It is not that difficult to dedicate some time each weekend to working on having some pre-made pages, borders, and cards ready to go so my scrapbook pages can go by faster. This will take some planning and some awareness of what the year has in store.
Even in this digital world, I am still a big “paper planner” fan. There is something to be said for holding a calendar in your hand and seeing it all mapped out in front of you. I dream a lot and tend to plan vacations a year in advance, so at the beginning of the year I already know where I am going and when all year. For this reason I can completely get a head start on pre-made pages. For example, I know that in 2016 I will celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary with my husband in New England, and for the first time the family will go to Disney World for the Christmas festivities, so I just knocked out a few pages in advance:
I could go on and on – I know about a baby shower for my cousin in March, my mother’s 70th birthday party, and a family beach trip in June. Nothing can stop me from going ahead and predesigning these pages or making fun borders to match. I am sure this resonates with any of you who know that you are going to a special vacation spot, who knows they have a baby on the way, who knows their daughter is getting married, who knows they are going to do a house remodel, etc… Could you picture “pres-scrapping” any of these events?
To add icing to the cake, CM has just made it really easy for us with a brand new “Year to Remember “collection. It is perfect for those of us who are planners at heart. The Year to Remember collection includes 12×12 Paper Pack $9.50 (12/pk. Includes designer papers plus six calendar grids) Stickers (3 pk) $8 and Embellishments $8. The Monthly Stickers (1 pk) will be available mid-January for $2.50. This is for January to June – later in the year they will have the July through December embellishments – I cannot wait to see what they will look like. I love how CM is continuously refreshing the product line and keeping things fresh and fun for those of us who love our scrapbooks!
Please, CM, bring back 8.5X11 portrait sleeve pages (side or top loading) and 12X12 pocket pages to make it easy for all of us to store our memorabilia from travels, cards, Christmas letters, etc! I SO MISS those! Kathleen Torrey, former consultant and avid CM fan!
For years I’ve been using a similar method when I go on trips. I take a couple pages of tan pre-lined journaling paper, cut then into smaller-various sized squares and rectangles, And each day of the trip, at the end of the day before bed, or sometimes, as we travel from point A to point B, I pull out a card, put the time, place, date on it, and jot down some thoughts, highlights, impressions, favorite things I saw. What we did that day. I keep a very small journaling notebook (size 3″x5″) in my purse and as we see this and that, I jot it down to keep it all in chronological time. Also, whenever we stop at a bldg. that has a PLACQUE with information on it. I take a photo of the bldg. or item, and then a photo of the placque…instead of trying to remember what each one said. This is especially good for historical sites with larger placques. After a week or 2 wks. of a Jam-Packed vacation, with LOTS of different sights …it all sort of runs together. So, when I get home, develop the photos, I look at my sm. journaling book (3″x5″) and I get out my pre-line tan journaling paper pieces, match them up, and start organizing my pages for the Album of the trip. Your idea of using the journaling cards is wonderful. Great tip. Next time, I’ll include some of those and use them on my pages.
I went on a 3 week road trip and new I wouldn’t remember the details from the beginning by the end. I did just like Mardelle and made putting those photos in albums with the journaling already done certainly sped things up. I like the premade idea, I don’t know if I would mount to pages, but having borders already made would be helpful. Keep the ideas coming!
I have done the pre made borders and pages thing for soccer, but it was purely by accident – turned up to a workshop minus photos !!! Also loved to make the sample pages/borders you used to get in the CM catalogs – great help, great blog.thx
Excellent blog! Marked “pre-planning” days on my calendar last night. Looking forward to catching up or at least, not getting even more behind in 2016. Cannot wait to see today’s blog.
Great ideas! I’m ordering calendar pages today!
Will you be showing the Calendar pages complete?
Maybe some different ideas for each month?