Keeping on top of MOC

Keep it simple and don't overthink! Some of my favourite MOC pages are from challenges I groaned at first read! You got this!

 

Start with the easier ones.. while I know you can't scrap today's challenge how about you jot down notes.. it is 10 of your favorite things.. you can make a page later with a selfie and a list of your 10 items and using TLP product to accent your list and photo.. same with yesterdays.. if you have an idea of what you want to scrap when you can, the process will be faster.. sort of like a sketch so for the blind scrap from yesterday draw out what you might want to scrap based on the instructions and maybe what kit and photo you want to use.. sometimes that is what take the longest for scrapping Good luck!

 

I think you are an perfectionist, right? I believe I remember reading that you spend multiple hours on a page, as average.
While I understand wanting perfection, MOC usually forces me to make some pages that I really don’t like much because they really are not my style or were too much of a challenge for me. In these cases: be happy with result, anything that’ll make you go “fine” is good enough.
If you want to finish MOC, and don’t have all the time in the world (who does, right? Lol) you need to put your bar a little lower I think.

 

This is literally what I mean. I don’t like bows but we had to use 3! Throw them in, make the best of it. You can always take off what you don’t like for the page you save for yourself. I’ve done that a few times. Posted the challenge page, then changed it and saved the “better” one for my album.

 

I understand but you have a lot of Just jaimee storyteller kits and they generally have a little bit of everything.. pick one and if the color of your photo doesn't work with the color of your kit you choose, change the photo to b/w .. when the photo is b/w it goes with everything. Don't over think the impossible.. ok so there are flowers and leaves... pick one of JJ storytellers that have flowers and leaves. go from there

 

Like the others said, keep it simple. Pick one kit that has flowers and leaves and use it. Use it for more than one challenge if it works for more... no judgements here. Picking products to scrap with is one of the slowest parts of my scrappin so I try to be a one kit scrapper as much as possible when I need to hurry.

 

I am on vacation still so I have been able to get these first two challenges done pretty quickly. Tomorrow's may not get done tomorrow as we move on to another room to purge. If I have time in the evening I will do it then or it may be the weekend. I try to pick an evening where I can get 2-3 (mojo cooperating) layouts done if I fall behind and then I pick the one that will be easiest moving on from there. As far as kits, try using your 'go to' designer/kits and go from there.

I am a kit scrapper but because I had oodles of time today as I was plunked down watching hockey ALL day (seriously 4 games ) I really stretched and have quite a lot of credits for today's challenge. Can't say will happen again unless they make me, lol.

Be kind and gentle on yourself, do what you can, when you can.

 

My biggest advice? Find a few kits that have just about everything you'd need in them, and just use the heck out of them! I find I lose the most time with searching for items in various kits.

 

Just keep it simple. There aren't any tips I can give because it sounds like it might be your overall scrapping habits. You mentioned you spend hours looking through your stash. Just pick a kit and go. Being a one kit scrapper can help alot when you're pressed for time. Double up elements and papers if you need to make it stretch for a certain challenge.

 

@littlekiwi As mention above.... go to your Just Jaimee Story Teller kits. I used two of hers for my Day 1 page. I split those sets up into separate folders to make it easier for me.... all papers left in their original folders so I have the date into a folder titled "papers" then a folder "embellishments" etc.

Keep your pages as simple as you can to fulfill the requirements.

 

i agree with all that's been said. If you take hours picking something, just make a choice and move on. I too have made layouts I can't stand but if I want to do the challenge, I just DO It. When this month is over, make the choice to organize your supplies - in any way that works for you. That simplifies the scrapping process a lot when you can find what you need or wan. I'd also suggest sticking to buying just one or two designers' products. You know who you like best and you'll get used to knowing what's where. Don't be your own worst enemy!

 

That is exactly what I do- though I am not a "kit" person- I always mix it up. Even so, this method gets things moving, and editing is not a big deal! Sometimes I have 3 or 4 pages in this stage. For MOC, I normally can do the challenge the day of, but that's because my schedule allows for it. Other times this method is my go to! @berniek : I rarely use flowers or leaves, lol. But it doesn't kill me to do it for a challenge, ha! And I throw in an art journal styled flower or two!

 

I see you have replies which say it better than I could....I would echo the "don't over think" keep it simple...
In my experience, the thing that took me the most time was choosing the photos, and I'm obsessive so when I started getting behind, I just had to force my brain to keep it simple and not obsess to have a wOw page.... if there is something I think I can make better once the 31 days are gone, I think I did change a couple of pages and still made it in time.... you are a wonderful scrapper, can't wait to see your pages!!!!

 

I'm also a slow scrapper. A "fast" page takes me about 2 hours. (Story of my life--reading is the one and only thing I've ever done quickly!) But as others have said, there's no way to do that for 31 layouts this month. So I approach MOC a little differently. When a challenge is first announced, I make any relevant notes (photo I plan to use, subject I'll scrap, etc.) even if I can't scrap it then. On weeknights when I have time to scrap, I try to get 1 layout done even if it takes me a few hours. Weekends are for catching up. Anything I didn't get to during the week, I have to scrap quickly over the weekend. I might need to finish 4 layouts over the 2 days, for example, which means I'd need to do each one in an hour. For the weekend I focus on the ones I think I can do more quickly (ie, no technique challenges!). I focus mostly on meeting the MOC requirements in that hour, and if I'm not happy with the layout I still post it and move on but save the psd to come back to later. When I have more time (which may not be until MOC ends) I go back and adapt it to be a layout I'm happy with. Sometimes that's the MOC version with a few small changes, and other times it's a more substantial overhaul. Good luck--you can do it!

 

But is it? How much down time will you have travelling? Is it for interviews or for pleasure?
When I traveled for work, I had meetings all day, but was usually back at the hotel by 6pm with nothing to do until 8am the next morning. So, I read a lot of books (too bad I didn't digi scrap then!). But, for pleasure? We go all day, and if I open a book it's not until the hour before bed.
Can you open the challenge on your phone? Make notes, or sketch out what you want to use for the challenge. Also, any kits. You could use visual history as your 'stash' for now.

I'm not either, you know that about me. So, I went with DYD2019. I searched flowers and leaves and ribbons and bows in the folders and found some that worked with the photo. Yes, it made my credits longer, but that only took a minute compared to searching each kit for all the needed elements before starting.

I let myself do this in regular months. During MOC: Nope! I ain't got time for that! So, I copy the challenge instructions to a word doc. Then I minimize my internet window. I go grab my kits, and if I'm not sure, I will check just the store to make sure they are there. Once that's done, I minimize it again. I do not open until I'm done.
I also will often set my timer for 15 minutes. 15 minutes to find a photo; 15 minutes to find a kit. My goal is 10, and I usually make that with the timer running.