So this week I thought I would try something a little different before sharing my Project Life spread, I am including a little progress shots and thoughts on how I make my weekly pages. Where to start, what photo's to choose, printing photos, Trimming. Tons of photos in this post go grab coffee + hope you enjoy this post!
I love this part, it's that part in the documenting process where you are in between weeks or (months) how ever you are documenting. That part where the last week is done and you are staring at the next week ahead with empty pockets. I also like to call this ...
Here on my work table ... A blank slate. A starting point from last spread, I will sometimes keep on that momentum from last week OR I go in a whole new direction and new cards, but keeping in my Usual GO TO items (labels + Wood veneers + stamps). I LOVE this part!
I think at your starting point it's important to "make room for yourself" to work in, Now this doesn't always mean a studio ... when I first started I drooled over so many beautiful work spaces that people had and wished for that one day too, I made creative corners in my homes where ever I could where ever we lived. Presently I now have an office space to create in but for years it was my dinning room table (that works just fine) and I would keep my paper projects on there for weeks if not months. Do with what you have, and to make room for yourself to work in.
Choosing the photo's. When you get to that part of the week you sit down at your computer go upload pics from your camera or phone and another fave part of mine ... choosing the photo's that BEST describe our week. I take a TON of photo's like most, It's a process that I have fine tuned and really the science behind this part of documenting is choosing the photo's that make me feel something ... happy, excited, grateful, worried, anything just some type of emotion that speaks to me + that I know I want to remember, and share.
Printing at home. I have had a lot of questions about printing photo's so here it is again (I don't mind sharing) I print at home on a Canon pixma mx892 printer I have had it about 2-3 years and LOVE it! It is a little bulky, heavy, but prints really good prints so I am happy with that!
I print at home for many reasons, mainly it's so convenient! Yes it can be a lot of ink if you are not careful on HOW you print the photo's I hate to waste paper more than ink don't know why, but I do. So above you can see how I add a 4x6 and four 3x4 photo's on one 8.5 x 11 photo paper I am sure I can do this better but that's how it's done for now.
I use a range of papers from ... Canon glossy, ILFORD galerie smooth pearl, Epson ultra premium photo paper glossy just to name what's on my printer right now. I love printing at home and know that the only time I don't is if I have a larger stack to print or if it's film.
Trimming the photo's I bought this trimmer in 2010 it's a fiskars brand and although the handle on the blade is broken I still use it ALL the time. I love it and hope it can last me a few more years. I have to replace the cutter blade about every four to six months and I do a lot of cutting so that's pretty good I think.
In the start I was majorly intimidated by cutting it "wrong" but I quickly learned this trimmer and the pressure needed to cut with it when printing on thicker photo paper or card stock. You just keep learning as you go. I started to relax more once I played with it more and now I hope I don't have to replace it any time soon.
That wraps up this little but long post ... there as so many more ways to make your own spreads & pages I am not positive that this is the best way, but the way that works for me and if you are just starting Project Life there is a ton of inspiration out there - overwhelming amount actually - but you will find YOUR way!
Thanks for reading & Next up is : Project Life | Week 8 finished spread. Happy Sunday!! Hope You all changed your clocks Forward YAY for Spring!!!
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