PL Chit Chat?

Discussion in 'Project Life/365/52' started by ang517, May 1, 2012.

  1. ang517

    ang517 New Member

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    I don't have anyone to "talk PL" with IRL. Not a big deal but when I feel like chatting about it I find myself coming here and being surprised that there aren't new posts (with the exception of the weekly posts, which I love).

    So I thought I'd start one. (Yes, I'm at work... slacker!) :whistle

    So what's up? How are you feeling about PL lately? Filled w/mojo? Struggling?

    From some of the weekly posts I know many of us are catching up. I'm doing pretty well, doing some catch-up b/c we were away over spring break so that delayed my finishing the week before we left. The time we were away crossed over two PL weeks so those became a little more complicated with lots of family/vacation pics & stuff I had accumulated that I hoped to include. That meant 2 PL weeks with rather involved inserts, which is new for me.

    I also have a couple things here and there from past weeks that I wanted to re-print or add in so until they are done I haven't taken any pics of those layouts to add to the weekly posts. BUT I just kept at it when I could & kept better notes than usual so I'm almost done, just some little journaling I want to add to my vacation inserts.

    It feels really good, I'm definitely getting better at working through the process of putting it together. I thought the last 2 inserts would be really difficult to work out but they weren't. I LOVE how thick my PL album is getting!! Anyone else feeling that way?

    Your latest finds?
    Mine were the Martha Stewart collection at Staples and the Target brand washi tape (learned about both of those here). Then yesterday I was reading the latest lesson at TwoPeas & checked out their washi tapes. I found some Smash products I've never seen on the shelves, maybe they are new? Have you seen the "top 10" smash pad, calendar smash tape or the smash (washi-like) tape with designs in little sections so you get a lot of different designs on one roll? It was all reasonable and I was bored at work (shocker) so I ordered them! I can't wait to see them IRL!

    Wow! I was more chatty that I thought! :giggle Thanks for "listening"... this is the kind of stuff I would talk about... if I had someone to talk PL to!
     
  2. listgirl

    listgirl listgirl

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    I love that you started this thread! Let me think about this some and come back and post. Also, I actually just wrote my quarterly Project Life article for My Scrapbook Art's magazine, Home Is Where The Art Is. It's not live yet, but it will be later today and I'll come back and post the link to it. :)

    ETA: my article is live now http://www.myscrapbookart.com/msamagazine/?p=5587
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2012
  3. alb52

    alb52 · · · – – – · · ·

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    i'm struggling but it's only a time factor, not a mojo factor! i need to really just leave my pages open on the kitchen counter and do a little every time i walk by... i'm four weeks behind but those weeks are all laid out w/ photos, just need to get the rest of the info and tinkery details in there - that's always my hangup, though. never can keep things simple-er. :)
     
  4. Cristina

    Cristina Handmade with love, actually

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    Thanks for starting this!! :tu

    Time is the biggest issue for me too. I have been super busy with work for the past couple of months, and I am scrapping very little. PL gets most of my time. I seem to be constantly 3 weeks behind, but never have enough time to catch up completely. I still don't feel horribly behind though, and I am keeping a text file with notes so I can remember what has been going on. I have decided against moving on to the latest week because I don't like that if I do that the design for the previous week will be fixed (I am mixing up the page protectors).

    At the beginning of the year I printed out a few digi cards so that I'd have them ready to go when needed, but I find myself not using them. I like to match colors based on my photos, so I just find it easier for me to start fresh each week. For the same reason, I find it easier to work on one week at a time too.

    I have bought a few stamps lately, and I have been experimenting with them lately (I am not a stamper) - and I love the look in my PL album! I also finally took out my Silhouette and cut a few things with it too.

    Love your article, Christine! Oh and you totally pushed me to buy the SC ampersand mask! :giggle It should get here tomorrow or Thursday, I can't wait! :)
     
  5. joelsgirl

    joelsgirl joelsgirl

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    Ohhh, I REALLY love doing project life! I love how my pages have progressed since the first week. I haven't printed the first week yet, so I think I'll probably redo them. I love the flexibility. I'm putting 8 1/2 x 11 layouts in between PL inserts, and since I bought the variety pack of page protectors, I can mix it up each week.

    I love the look of paper pages, but I love the convenience of doing mine on the computer and printing them out. It makes me really happy to look at them!

    I find it easy to keep up now that I've found a groove with it.

    I'd love to see some template-style 4x6 and 3x4 cards, you know, like mini-templates, not just photo arrangements.
     
  6. emilymerritt

    emilymerritt skrpbkmom

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    I have loved doing PL! I already love looking back at my album and seeing all that we've done this year. It's really pushed me to capture the little things in life that I probably wouldn't usually remember!

    I'm all caught up, mostly...just finished my week 17 (but still need to blog it). And the only reason I'm caught up is because I know if I let myself get behind I will stop and won't finish! :)

    I feel like I've finally gotten into my groove with how I approach each week. It still takes me a long time, so for awhile there I was getting really good at working on it throughout the week. My last few weeks have been crazy though, so I haven't had time to work on it...then it becomes a huge chore to finish over the weekend. But I feel like the system I use to put it together is working for me! :)

    It's fun to read about everyone else's experiences! :)
     
  7. heathergw

    heathergw Singing in the Neil mobile

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    I've been really loving Project Life... I'm a bit behind and part of that is because of Ali Edwards' Week In The Life and gearing up for NSD... but hoping to get caught up the beginning of next week. This week is going to be interesting since I got kinda burnt out on taking pics last week for WITL, so it may be lots of journaling cards and no pictures LOL... maybe I'll put it in my calendar to make sure I take some pictures one day, just so I have some LOL. Really, I'm just enjoying using all the goodies here in the shop to make them not as boring as I initially thought PL was going to be. My problem is that they still take me longer than a regular template and I need to figure out a way to streamline them a bit and maybe not add soooo many details LOL
     
  8. mixedclawzz

    mixedclawzz Member

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    I am really behind. I am currently only on week 4. Had to be without a computer for a couple weeks (no pics) and didnt get my pl stuff until late feb. had issues with getting my photos printed also so that discouraged me. but i have been in a little grove. got a couple weeks done last night. i will say the 3x4 and 4x6 templates from lili have helped with printing tremendously! now my stuff is not getting cut off.:happydance

    Even though i dont have much done, I AM LOVING PL. I dont take pictures everyday but I am taking them more than I had been.

    I wish I would have thought about what PL protectors I was buying because I bought the big variety pack. Which is awesome but now I have to plan out a little more carefully which protectors I used for certain weeks. For instance for Week 2 I didnt have many photos/inserts but on week 3 i had a ton. so thats kinda been an issue. i think i may order a pack of just design A.

    I am loving PL and it has opened my eyes to show me that my life isnt as bad as I make it seem at times. I absolutely enjoy browsing this forum looking at all you wonderful ladies' pages. You all are an inspiration!:heartslub This is my go-to spot to seek out any PL related goodies.
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2012
  9. listgirl

    listgirl listgirl

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    I feel that it certainly takes a high level of commitment, but the end result is worth it. I've learned a lot about my process so far and I've got 16 weeks done. I've learned to remain flexible so that on the busy weeks I can keep it simple and get it done. I love to get crafty with it though, it's fun when I have time.
     
  10. ShannaNoel

    ShannaNoel ShannaNoel

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    I still am LOVING it!!!! I decided to take it down a notch & I am not photographing them, I am finding thats saving sometime.
    Also I think I am going to order more pics via postal pix, editing photos takes me a while too. :)

    Latest finds? I LOVE studio calico wood veneer shapes, these aren't new but they have new shapes, I love them all!!!
     
  11. staciahall

    staciahall Quidditch, anyone?

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    I am still enjoying the process. I managed to get caught up over the weekend from being without my photos and stuff for a week with my EHD failure. (Actually ended up combining two weeks onto the two pages because those were the pictures I had to use and didn't stress over it a bit.) I remember the first two weeks it took all Sunday to do it. It was okay for those two weeks but then life gets in the way. I end up using very few of the physical core products. I use the 4x6 weekly cards for the dates and THOSE are the things I get paper crafty with (flowers, stickers, ribbon etc). Then for pretty much everything else for the week it is photos with just words on them or with frames/labels and text. I've used the heck out of Lili's 4x6 templates for this. Printing the photos at home has helped me. I don't think I'd still be doing it if I had to go and pick them up somewhere.

    I'm glad I bought a couple of the different styles of pages. The one that's slightly smaller with two horizontal 4x6 and two vertical 4x6 and the two 3x4 are perfect for weeks with lots of photos (like my son's Eagle Ceremony). I'll scrap those photos for months in layouts but it was nice to have a small representation of the best in the PL album to flip through later.

    I print texts from my daughter (away at college) and photos from her so she's represented and that really makes me feel good. I think I'll be really happy I did this for this particular year. It also saves time that I'm not trying to photograph them and post them. I can't ever get any decent shots of them where they are legible, so I can put personal stuff in there and not worry about trying to edit that out later.

    I am a little envious of others pages with letters and stitching and all kinds of little embellishments... it's really pretty! I'll just look at them from afar!
     
  12. ang517

    ang517 New Member

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    GREAT article!! :)
     
  13. ang517

    ang517 New Member

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    I definitely envisioned my PL pages would look more crafty & eclectic than they are turning out. But I quickly realized that although I LOVE that look, it just doesn't come easily to me. I still have hope that a little of that will come through here and there, and I think it does but basically I just go with what comes easy and move on. And then I look at the pages of others who achieve that look and enjoy those too. :)
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2012
  14. itsmeamanda

    itsmeamanda New Member

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    I agree with you 100%! Some weeks go quicker than others, and it definitely takes up a huge chunk of my time, but it is so worth it. I, too have made it a priority to not fall behind because I know if I do, I'll get discouraged and quit.

    My workflow is ironing itself out, so that helps as well. I usually edit my pics within a day of taking them. Then on Thursday or Friday nights, I plan out my layouts (loosely); and then arrange, crop, and order my prints from Costco and pick them up the next day.
     
  15. Lisa Carroll

    Lisa Carroll Lisa Carroll

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    I spent last week catching up on a couple weeks and it really wore me out. I haven't felt like getting back into it since then. I need to get week 17 done though before I get behind again. I am also not taking as many pictures as I probably need to but our weeks are just kind of boring sometimes. And the everyday/mundane shots are just not interesting to me anymore. I am hoping things will pick up with the summer months.

    I have really enjoyed the project and looking back at what I have accomplished is awesome and inspiring! I am really glad I did this. I have found that I prefer to print the pictures at home, it seems to make everything easier, and I feel like I am getting closer to finishing faster. I also seem to be doing all the journaling on the computer. I like the cleaner look and it just feels easier. I have yet to add any of my paper supplies to the pages, besides a few things from the core kit (which I probably could have gotten by without) and a few smash pad things. That is a little disappointing, but I don't want to force it either, that will just stress me out.
     
  16. ang517

    ang517 New Member

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    Ok, I'm back to chat! :) I am doing pretty well filling in the last 3 weeks & adding the finishing touches but I'm behind on getting pics of them to share. Week 18 took longer than I expected b/c I tried something new (for me). I guess I'm so used to my own normal that even though I thought I was trying something more simple... it actually took longer. LOL I usually do a lot of journaling and most of it is on the 3x4 cards of Design A. Last week I used just one 3x4 card and did a basic list that covered the whole week and everything else is photos/ephemera, some with their own journaling on them. By Sunday night I am usually uploading my pics to winkflash, or by Monday afternoon the latest. For week 18 it turned out to be Tuesday night by the time I was ready to upload. That's not a problem, it just surprised me. I'm really curious to see how it turns out when the prints arrive.

    When it became obvious that the process for week 18 wasn't going quickly I was REALLY tempted to stop and just put my finishing touches on week 17 but I thought about how many times people have suggested staying with the current week and I fought the urge. I'm glad I did b/c once I clicked "submit" on my print order I felt really happy that I stuck it out. Now while I wait for those to arrive I can go back and add the dates, etc. to the last couple weeks and finish them up. Maybe I'll even get to take pics of the final pages to share!! :)

    Any new goodies? I ordered 2 smash tapes, tabs & pad from 2peas that I haven't seen in stores around here. I also participated in a craft supply sale and made about $250 from old supplies in my stash so of course I bought more washi tape! (from Intheclear @ etsy) That should arrive in a couple of days. I DO NOT NEED any more... it was purely a treat since I worked so hard to organize for the sale. And of course I HAD to buy some PL cardstock at 50% off! That arrived yesterday and I LOVE it. I got 2 packs of Clementine (my fav) and 1 of Amber & Cobalt. It's such a great deal, I couldn't resist... not that I need anymore paper!!
    [​IMG]

    How are you doing this week?

    :tu
     
  17. heathergw

    heathergw Singing in the Neil mobile

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    Now that iNSD is over... My goal this week is to catch up... I only have weeks 17 and 18 to catch up on so I'm happy about that... and I want to finish up my Week In The Life book too this week...

    I'm just sooooo distracted this week... and I have to go to an audiologist today because I've all of the sudden lost a ton of hearing in my left ear and my right ear is already really bad... I'm really hoping it's just a bunch of wax built up in there and that cleaning it out will bring back my hearing... but I'm also nervous about thinking what if it's something else :/ so I'm trying really hard to stay positive and scrap to keep my mind off it LOL
     
  18. ang517

    ang517 New Member

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    Good luck!!! :beat
     
  19. Cristina

    Cristina Handmade with love, actually

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    P&PT for you, Heather! :hug

    Another week has gone by, and I am still 3 weeks behind. I only seem to manage to do one week each week, so I never catch up. :) I do need to catch up within the next 2 weeks, though, because I have a business trip after that, and then my mom is coming, so I will get behind again.

    I have been using some new stamps I bought, and I am loving them!

    I have also had bad luck with weather so I have not been able to take pictures of the last completed week yet. I cannot wait to share it, it's done with the May BYOC!
     
  20. 4noisyboys

    4noisyboys Being a Grandma is the best!

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    I need to do weeks, 15, 16, 17 & 18 now. I have two days off, but I've been cleaning all morning, and now I need to go out and do errands, get groceries, etc... Tomorrow Rick has a doctor appointment, and then I'm hoping to come home and just scrap. Hopefully I can get two or three weeks done. I don't even remember anything about week 15...I looked back at my calendar, and there really isn't anything I jotted down. I'll have to look throught my phone and see if I took pics. The other weeks I have journaling and some photos. I think I was just stressed out and totally blocked the week from my memory! LOL

    I'm thinking I'll just continue with doing mine digi too. It's just easier. I'm going to use a lot of my paper supplies in my Smash books though, and I might just make some paper pages...may do some PL ones that are just for fun to through in my book. I think I bought some 6x12 plastic protectors, so maybe I'll use those.
     

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