Keeping "Open" Albums

You may well ask..."what's an 'open' Album?"

Well by that I mean that you have an album that may have a theme, but you don't make it all in one go, you add pages to it as and when the muse takes you or an the next even has happened for which to make a layout.

This is different from just an album of page protectors into which you place your latest random layouts.

I am referring to albums with titles such as... "Things about Me" (or Book of Me, general thoughts, wishes, information about you and your life) , or "Birthdays" (a double page layout for each birthday party each year), or "Book of Firsts" (first foods, bus ride, first day at school, first award, first pet)... they are ongoing books.

And, of course, don't get hung up on the word "Album" - a lot of people mistakenly think that an album is a huge 12x12" brute! It's not, your album can be as small as 3x3" and still only add to it once a year, say after each anniversary!

I think 6x6 and 8x8 are brilliant sizes for albums, just big enough to hold lots of photos (if you want to use lots), but small enough that you don't feel overwhelmed with a piece of paper that can sometimes feel the size of a field when you start! LOL

I meet beginners who start their scrapbooking journey on a HUGE project, usually a "whole life gift album". Gosh what a daunting task! No wonder they get despondent half way through! So take a break and just build your albums a little at a time. Especially if you have children... start with the scrap pages now... a few each year, yes, I said a few a YEAR... will mean by the time they are 18 or 21 or much older... you will have the album basically finished when it's time to hand it over.

As for those of you thinking of making a gift album... even if the event, (landmark birthday or anniversary, or whatever) is a couple of years away, why not start now and pace yourself!