Friday, June 12, 2009

My {Scrap} Process: Mini Albums

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

This is the second in a three part series where I examine my creative process. This entry will focus on my process for creating mini albums. The first part focused on my process for creating layouts, and the third part will focus on my process for creating cards.

Like my layout creative process, my mini album process can be broken out into two distinct starting points as well:

1) Starting from a page kit. This is the process I use if I have a very specific idea in mind of what I want my mini album to be. I used this process in several of my videos, such as my Seaquarium mini album and my Christmas mini album.

OR

2) Absolute and total chaos and anarchy. This is the process I use if I have a general idea for a mini album, but not a specific plan on how to carry it off. I used this "process" in the creation of my Engagement mini album.

Okay, so what does this actually mean for my creative process? Let me see if I can break it down a little bit more.

The first creating process is very similar to that of my layouts. Since I have a strong idea in my head of what the finished product should look like, I choose photos and page kit and mini album and just get started. I still make decisions as I go ~ I don't usually use sketches, for example ~ but since I know what I want it to look like when I am finished, the decisions are easy to make.

The second creating process is quite a bit different. Usually when I am doing a mini album with the CHAOS process ~ like the Engagement mini album ~ I start with a vague idea & try to use all scraps if possible.

With the Engagement mini album, my idea was that I wanted a small book that was soft and romantic. That was it!

I had one picture & it was sepia toned, so I pulled all my cream-colored scraps and put them on my desk. Then I wanted some more color, so I pulled my pink and blue scraps and put them on my desk. Then I put any stamps and inks that worked with the theme/feel on my desk. I grabbed some brads and other embellishments and added them to the pile as well. I just kept grabbing stuff I might use until I had a huge pile of things on my desk. If you watch the first video in the Engagement mini album series, you can see the pile of stuff on my desk.

By the time I'm done making my pile, I have, essentially, created a page kit. So I an now sit down at my desk and start pulling papers together and pushing elements around until I like how it looks enough to glue it down.

I am equally happy with the creations from both processes ~ I like the Seaquarium and Engagement mini albums equally well, for example ~ but it is much easier to clean up after if I am using page kits!

Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

8 comments:

  1. Great tips. I have started to look at my stuff in terms of kits now. I need to buy some pockets and away I go. Thanks.

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  2. Thanks, Maritza! I have fun making kits ~ it's like shopping for me! LOL!

    Kathryn
    Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

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  3. Thank you for sharing your creative process with us.
    Chaos, I can relate to --- that is the way I have scrapbooked for the last 30+ years. And yes, you are correct it is a pain to clean up after I'm done, especially since I usually end up grabbin stuff then I can't find it on my mess of a desk.
    Organization maybe thats what I really need...lol
    Have a fantastic weekend,
    ~Jill

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  4. Thanks, Jill! Cleaning up after mini album chaos is NO FUN, but it sure is fun to make a big mess while I'm creating! I do try to organize as I go to keep it from getting too out of hand.

    Kathryn
    Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

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  5. Mini album process - Well, the only mini album I have made was a kit from A piece of craft. I basically just copied what she did. I am new to mini albums and I wanted to see how it came together before I played around too much on my own. I do have a small car album to make my nephew THIS weekend as his birthday is on Wednesday. My process on that so far has been STEP 1) put a kit together of the paper I want to use, embellishments that fit the theme. I still have to print the pictures out. STEP 2) Watch Kathryn make a few mini album videos to get inspired and see how you layout patterned paper vs plain cardstock so it doesn't seem too busy. Then I guess that leaves me where I am now...nerviously getting ready to start to put the ablum together. Good news...the mini album is for a 2yr old so I don't think he will be too critical of my artistry! Wish me luck!! I will post pictures and maybe a video on my blog!

    PS - thanks for telling me we can schedule posts through Blogger - great to know!

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  6. As long as there are plenty of pictures of him in there, I'm sure he will love it! The pretty papers are nice, but I think it's the pictures of thmselves that kids most like to see. Have fun creating it!

    Kathryn
    Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

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  7. Mini books forever!!

    Alright, now that I've gotten that out of my system...I am on the CHAOS (Creative Happenstance Achieves Occasional Surprises) camp 'cuz that's how I "create" minis 99% of the time. Vague idea? Check. Supplies spread out all over? Check. Adjusting/rethinking as the photos dictate? Check. Not sweating anything? Check. Loving my mini when I'm done? A huge check.

    Mess? Uh...will get back to you later on that.

    -Liz

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  8. I have done a couple of mini albums with the theme in mind, so I have done the " chaotic style process " Even when I had bought some specific staff for the mini album I can always find complementary things that will fit in just perfectly from my ever growing supplies. So I go all around matching all kind of things to add to my original material. By that time I have run out of room on my table, and the chair, and the other chair, I am exhosted. But I am also inspired, somewhat overwhelmed, out of room... Oh yeah Chaos that is my "process?"

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