How to Scrap More in 2007

I was browsing through my favorite scrapbooking feeds when I came across this wonderful article by Ria Mojica of Scrappin’ Moms on how to scrap more in 2007 and I’d like to share it with you:

1. Edit and print pictures in batches. I try to schedule editing time every week. With 3 kids, I need to edit at least this often. I have decided not to play around with different sized pictures and sticking to the standard 3r, 4r and 5r sizes. Focal point pictures will be in 5R, and supporting pictures will be in wallet sizes. I will choose my pictures carefully and print only what I intend to scrap. The pictures are my main inspiration, so as long as I know I have great pictures to scrap, I will be in the mood to scrap.

2. Organize your supplies – in a way that makes sense to you. I tend to think by color and I’m familiar with the different brands’ collections so my papers are organized this way. My embellishments are organized by theme – Christmas, Disney, girls, boys, babies, love, etc. Alphabets are kept together – stickers and rub-ons in a clear folder, while 3d alphas – chipboard, metal, plastic — are in one drawer.

3. Schedule your scrapping time. I’m lucky enough to have a scrap room so I can leave pending projects on my desk and come back to it several times during the day, in between taking my kids to school, picking them up and taking them to their various activities. I used to have an officemate who would wake up early to read the Bible and put herself in the right perspective for the day. I’m thinking that if I were working, I’d probably do the same – recharge by scrapping.

4. Keep scrap magazines and books near you. Although I have a scrap room, my magazines are in my bedroom, so that on a lazy day, I can easily and quickly run through them and pick-up ideas. When I bring my kids to their activities, I always bring a magazine with me to read during “waiting time”.

5. Attend the EBs – This is a day dedicated to scrapping without household duties interrupting. My husband knows this is sacred to me and willingly takes over the kids during this time.

6. Multi-task – scrap during the news or your favorite TV show.

7. Keep a journal to write down your ideas – I just started keeping a journal to write down poems and quotes that I would like to use in my future layouts. I’ve also listed some album ideas in my journal. On the front of my journal is the phrase “Create Everyday” and at the back is a quote that says “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

8. Give yourself a time limit to finish your LO – Some people allow themselves an hour, 3 hours, etc for a LO. Since I rarely get to work on a LO without interruptions, I tend to finish a LO in 2 days. Sometimes I’m tempted to try to be superwoman and make the perfect LO, but God only knows how much backlog I have. So most of the time, I force myself to stop and move on to another LO.

9. Scraplift – Everyone has done it, even me. The definition of scraplift is getting blurrier by the second, as rarely is an idea a true original, most are “inspired by” other layouts.

10. Follow a sketch – This is a good way to jump-start your LO. Since I’m a very linear person, sketches remind me to use circles and other angles in my layouts.

You can read the rest of Ria’s tips HERE.