2013 Project Life 365: Week 4 [My Workflow]

Week 4 and I'm keeping up! Hurray! It was a little touch and go this week with a birthday party and a religious milestone this weekend but I've pulled it off. Yay, me! 

In order to make my goal (posting by Monday night), I had to save my WEEK in REVIEW card for later. All the journaling is done, I just have to transfer it.

Again, I used a lot of my stamps that I made a couple of weeks ago. To see most of the stamps I've made (15+), go here. For a How To tutorial on how I made them (so EASY & cheap!) go here.

I seem to be adding inserts every week even though, as a rule, I've been trying not to. We had a birthday on Wednesday & I wanted to include a current event, so I suppose it is to be expected.

I bought some American Crafts Slick Writer pens and I am loving them.

First of all, I like my writing so much more. Weird, I know, but it is true. The only other pen I find that does that is a Sharpie but an ordinary Sharpie is too thick for typical use.

Secondly, it works on those Martha Stewart kitchen and office labels that are moisture resistant and don't smudge. I haven't used the pens on my photos yet. But that will come very soon!

A few things to note on the right hand page: I used another couple of my stamps here - the camera that you also saw in my layout last week.

Here is the left side of my insert. To make the insert I took Design D Page Protector and cut-off the right two vertical photo pockets. I save all of the pockets that I cut off and save them to use in other layouts.

On the right side of the insert things worth noting not mentioned elsewhere are a very old circle sticker from a Creating Keepsakes Kit of the Month designed by Ali Edwards on the lighthouse photo at the bottom. And another one of my homemade stamps shows up again - the starburst stamp that I also used in last week's layout posted about here.

Here I used a Project Life Grid Cards to make my own filler card. I used a cat eye stamp pad to make this pattern that I originally saw on a throw pillow a friend of mine in Beijing (who has started her own textiles company) designed and created. 

This journaling card again uses two of my homemade stamps (that can be seen here): the zig zag/chevron stamp & the pot stamp that I created to add to my New Recipes 2013 mini album I talk about in these posts.

I'm not very good about including current events, but I've fixed that here. I googled Presidential Inauguration and clicked on IMAGES in the top menu bar. I selected a couple of my favorite photos & graphics and printed them out a bit smaller than 4x3, trimmed them down and adhered it to one of the Journaling Cards from my Clementine Core Kit.

After I took the original photos of my layout this week, I realized I had a screen shot from Jan 24 saved on my desktop. I printed it out on to white cardstock, trimmed it down and slipped it on top of this Clementine Core Kit filler card. I love how it worked out. It often annoys me to "waste" a pocket on a filler card - I have this urge to personalize it or add a cherished photo. "Just" a filler card feels like wasted high value real estate.

Anyone else feel the same way?

This might be my favorite journaling card of the week. Again I used my zig zag/chevron homemade stamp by stamping the image on the top and the bottom of a Project Life Grid Card and by masking the center to save space for my words. To mask the middle, I simply took a scrap of 4x6 photo, laid it across the Grid Card and stamped on top of the card and the photo leaving a crisp straight line. I then used black ink to stamp those words on top of the orange zig zag/chevron pattern. Those alpha stamps were only $1.

Here is another favorite filler card. Again I used a Project Life grid Card. I used some very old rub ons for the word and added with staples some Tim Holtz Filmstrip Ribbon. I LOVE this stuff. Every time I have a good coupon or I find it deeply on sale, I buy some. I think I have 3 or 4 packages of it and I will keep buying it. I don't ever want to run out! It is awesome. I may add more to this card like a simple black outline, but there is something I do like about it so far.

I wanted to highlight the amazing creativity of my oldest son pictured below that card (on the sewing machine). His determination and his creativity and his endless supply of grand ideas amaze and (sometimes) exhaust me. I have to find the right place in this layout to include all of my thoughts. Again to get this post out by my deadline, I had to wait on that.

Here is an extra photo I added on the left hand side of the main layout for this week. I taped on an extra photo pocket with some washi tape I bought in Japan. I didn't get it on totally straight. I may have to re-do or figure out a better technique. Like maybe adhering two smaller pieces like hinges.

And here is the underside. 

What I will do differently or more of next week: COMPUTER TEXT on photos. I wanted to do that this week, but I printed my photos out before I realized I forgot! 

Continue to add more stories and journaling.

Write down what kids say on a journaling card in that moment, add a date stamp and slide into the day's pocket in the next week of my Project Life Album.

To see all of my Project Life layouts of the past few years, go here.

I'm linking up at The Mom Creative for Project Life Tuesday. Check it out for lots of PL inspiration! Don't know what Project Life is? Go to Becky's blog for more information.

PROJECT LIFE on PINTEREST

Follow my Project Life board on PINTEREST. Leave me a link to your board in the comments and I'll follow you back. I love finding more friends to share inspriation.

Here's a link to my PROJECT LIFE FREEBIES board as well.

 

PROJECT LIFE WORKFLOW

And for those that are interested, here is a quick summary of my Project Life workflow using Lightroom. Though it would be applicable for lots of other photo organizing software.

My Project Life weeks go from Monday to Sunday

1)   Typically throughout the week, I upload my photos into Adobe Lightroom.  Before I upload any new photos, I make sure I KEYWORD and RATE (1-3 stars) all of my photos. Lightroom automatically leaves your last group of uploaded photos together until you upload more photos, so it is easy to see if you have finished rating and tagging your photos before you upload more photos.

2)   SUNDAY night I make sure all of my photos from the week are uploaded into LIGHTROOM. I make sure all photos from the past week have been tagged with KEYWORDS and RATED with stars.

a)    My very favorite photos get rated with 2 or 3 STARS. Photos that I like but aren’t my favorite get a 1 STAR. I use a rating system similar to that taught in  Stacy Julian’s FINDING PHOTO FREEDOM class at Big Picture Classes.

b)   I tag all photos that are RATED with 2 or 3 STARS. LIGHTROOM makes tagging photos with KEYWORDs (as well as RATING with STARS) super easy. You can KEYWORD and RATE photos in bulk by highlighting a large group and simply typing in your KEYWORD once or simply choosing the number of STARS you want to rate your photos and tapping that key. For RATING photos you do not even have to have your cursor flashing in a cell. Your photo(s) just has to be highlighted and it will automatically be rated with the number you tap.

1. I KEYWORD at least one photo a day  as “POTD” which stands for Photo Of The Day.
2. The other KEYWORDS I use are peoples’ names, locations, “Photos I love,” etc.

3)   I have set-up my LIGHTROOM to create SMART FOLDERS. This means it takes my search criteria (i.e., KEYWORDS & RATINGS & CAPTURE DATE RANGES) and makes folders for me automatically.

1. I make a COSTCO (or SHUTTERFLY) Photo Center SMART FOLDER each week. Each folder is named 2013 PL365 Week X. The criteria for its photos are: 2 or more STARS, Capture time of one particular week’s date range, KEYWORD: POTD (NOTE: I downloaded free Plug-Ins that allow me to upload photo files from my LIGHTROOM catalog directly to my COSTCO (or SHUTTERFLY) account.

This means that the photos I want are automatically added to these folders, so all I have to do when I’m ready to print, is click on my SMART FOLDER, double check that I have KEYWORDED & RATED all my photos from the week and then click PUBLISH.

4)   On Monday, I visit my COSTCO account or SHUTTERFLY account and order the prints for the week. I typically pick up my photos from COSTCO on Monday afternoon. (Though last week they printed them too dark so I’m looking into a local photo developer that should do a great job! Not to mention I have gift bucks for that store from Xmas! Yay!)

5)   Then I place my photos into the seven pockets, and keep the others in case I decided to fill the smaller pockets or create an insert.

6)   Throughout the week I place memorabilia in the current week’s pockets (the week following the week with printed photos). I put Wednesday’s stuff in Wednesday’s pocket, etc.

 

This week I felt like working on the floor!

7)   I finish my layout by Friday night or Saturday morning and so I can photograph my layout in natural light the next day. My personal deadline is to have my photos ready to post by Monday night to link up at Project Life Tuesday every Tuesday morning. This gives me a day or two extra in case I need it (like this week with a birthday party and special religious milestone).

 

NOTES: I do not plan out my week ahead of time. I like to put all of my photos in at the same time and move them around as I add journaling cards and other “stuff” so that the album is mostly chronological yet still makes sense and looks pleasing.

Please let me know if you have any questions. How does your workflow differ from mine? Any good tips or tricks you’d care to share??

 

Comments

[Alida]

That is a great page! And what do you know, we both celebrated an 8th Birthday in January. My workflow is super simple: I keep a little jotter where I draw and insert my album lay-out for each week. In My Pictures I open a file for each week where I copy & paste the ones for printing and then I play when the photo's arrive. A lot of times I also add journaling digitally to photo's so that's also done by the time they go into the album. Works for me.

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Happy Birthday to your 8 year old! What program do you use to write on your photos?

[Rebekah]

Fabulous pages and images of your own stamps! Wonderful job! I'm loving my new digi workflow. I do need to get started on this week though...feel a little behind with emergencies and sickness around here. One day at a time..

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thanks, Rebekah. I know your busy but Id live to hear about your workflow sometime even if just the basics. Theres always something to learn!

[Cerise]

I really love your layout this week. It's so much fun to see all your stamps at work.
I don't mind using filler cards with quotes, but a rarely will use them....most of the time I have too many pictures :o)

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thanks so much!There in lies the inherent problem - too many photos and too many stories to tell. Thanks for stopping by.

[Scrumptious]

Hi Margie, thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog! Your layout is amazing. The stamps are wonderful, I really like your design sense. Obviously a very creative family! I'm a bit jealous of your great-looking insert. I'm doing digital right now and I've really been struggling with fitting everything in. It was fine for 2011 (I haven't put 2012 together yet, I'm forging ahead) when I often forgot to bring my camera places so I usually ended up with too few pictures and stories to tell. Now, thanks to my camera phone and a much more deeply ingrained "photograph everything" attitude, I end up with way more than will fit in a 2 page spread, but of course with digital you can't do a smaller-sized insert or that GENIUS flip-up photo you added (that looks so great!).

You mentioned filler cards - back in the day when I actually had room for filler cards, I'd feel like something was missing with them just sitting there plain as well. This year I made my own digital PL kit and I have all these pretty filler cards I haven't been able to use because there's no space left on the page!

As far as workflow, I do plan it in advance, though it often still changes several times. I think because it's digital it's nicer for me to move things around by hand (eg on a piece of planner paper) than keep dragging them around on the page in Photoshop.

[Sarah]

I LOVE your pages! It looks like you captured some really beautiful moments. And I am so jealous of your handwriting! And the ability to add special pockets/add ons - we can't do that in digi land quite so easily. :( Super nice work though!
My work flow varies from yours quite a bit! I make my page in a program called iScrapbook (I'll use pixlr.com if I need to do any photoshop type things), save, export, upload to godaddy and blog it. I get my 8x8 prints done when i can afford it at mpix.com. LOVE them.
:D

[Nirupama]

Impressive post. I love your pages, thanks for sharing your process for stamping journaling cards. It really makes me them more personal and unique!

[Nirupama]

Impressive post. I love your pages, thanks for sharing your process for stamping journaling cards. It really makes me them more personal and unique!

[Alexandra McAllister]

Wow! What a lovely post. Love all the pics and your stamps! Thanks so much for sharing. One can see how much love you put into this!

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thanks so much! Its lots of fun.

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thank you so much! I dont know either of those programs. I am curious now. Ill have to check them out.

[Rebekah]

I've got that and a post on Wordpress vs. blogger on the agenda for sometime soon I hope! :) Sick with a bad sinus/cold since Monday afternoon. Likely part flu with the aches I've been feeling too. Blech!

[Lezlye Lauterbach]

Looks great! I need to start one of these books. I am bookmarking this post so I may revisit the Lightroom information. I am the worst at keeping photos and anything else on the computer organized!

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thanks, Lezlye! I absolutely love Lightroom and strongly recommend it. Its great for organization as well as basic (and a little more advanced) photo editing. There are so many great things I couldnt list them all. And if you ever start a Project Life book, let me know, Id love to take a peek!

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

You poor thing! I too am fighting a never ending cold, but so far it hasnt gotten too bad so Ive been laid up. Maybe it was the flu shot I had early this year??? I hope you feel better soon!

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thank you so much for your compliment. Youve made my day. How fun that youve made your own project life digi kit. Did you post about it on your blog? If so, would you leave me the link? Id love to stop by and see it. So creative! I totally know what you mean about a deeply ingrained photograph everything attitude- it is a blessing a curse. In addition to all the photos, I am filling up hard drives faster than I would care to admit! Overall, though, I love having so much documented.

[Wild Wyoming Art Cafe']

Oh I'm totally loving your Project Life post. Thanks for including the LIght Room info. I just love that you showed your floor and your crafting! awesome!

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thank you! It is certainly a labor of love!

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thank you! I always strive to personalize my albums because I get so much pleasure & satisfaction from it. I'm glad you stopped by.

[Nihao, Cupcake! by Margie]

Thanks! Definitely keeping it real around here :) - with projects there is typically a mess!

[Pearl Maple]

Great post on all the details of making project life happen, you have a delightful style and approach to documenting your family's stories

[Susan M. Brown {sbartist}]

WOW! Thanks for sharing your project life progress. Love your pages, how you integrate stamping and in particular your process of photo organization and ordering. Great tips. Also - I laughed out loud at your project assembly strewn across the floor {I too work on my living room floor quite often} - nice to know I'm not the only one. The floor is great because there is so much more space to fan everything out around you. I'm inspired to start my own project life book :)

[Kristin Tweedale]

Great PL Spread. I love your handwriting. I love how you bold your titles with a thicker tipped pen; I really need to try that more often!