Project Life Q&A + Week 17
Week 17 and yup, you guessed it. Still loving Project Life. Though I attempted to do Week In The Life for the 3rd year, it didn't quite work out as planned. And it's ok, because this year is being thoroughly documented with Project Life. Although each week my system tends to vary, the basics are about the same. I try and do just a little bit during the week, and then the following week (usually on Mondays) it comes together and I make myself finish the previous week. I like to plan out all the printing of my photos of the week at once - and most of them seem to come from my Instagram feed. I print them at home and most of them come out to 2x2. As you can tell, I like incorporating the "stuff" from life - magazine clippings, business cards, food labels, etc. After doing this successfully for over 4 months (which is a total surprise and accomplishment), here are some tips that work for me.
1. My #1 rule:
Use what you want. Make this project work for you. It's your life and feel free to document it in a way that works for you. Don't feel limited. I try and use my newest products (in an effort not to hoard them) along with a lot of stuff from my stash, including my PL core kit. 2. Go with the flow - When I sit down to work on a week, it's probably going to be a bit different than the previous week. Some weeks will have more photos, some will have more souvenirs and bits. I try not to spend too much time over agonizing over what I have an what I don't. If there's a lack of photos and stuff, then I can always supplement with fun supplies from my stash. 3. Don't be afraid to mix and match - I don't pre-plan too much when it comes to color. As I flip through my pages, I have noticed that I like bold accent colors, especially yellow and teal. Matching colors to photos is a good start. If you choose to use a color not seen in photos, keep in mind you can use the same product (patterned paper for example) in a few different places on your 2 page spread so the colors tie in nicely. I don't like to stick to one collection entirely. I find it much more fun to mix it up and use elements from collections that complement one another. 4. Try new techniques - I love the little journaling card slots. The size is 3X4, which makes for a perfect little canvas to experiment on. If there's something you've wanted to try, like watercolors, misting, stitching, anything really - sample it on one of these cards. Remember, there are no mistakes; just happy accidents. 5. Focus on just getting it done - Documenting some weeks will go by more quickly than others. Sometimes I struggle with a lack of photos or inspiration from a certain week. I remind myself that the whole is more important than the sum of its parts. It's important to remember that years from now it really won't matter that I didn't have the perfect embellishment or I wasn't happy with the way the watercolor turned out on 1 journaling card. I will enjoy and relish as I flip through the delightful pages and realize it's a good life - a life worth documenting. And I'll be super happy I did it.
Here's how I got this week done:
Supplies: Studio Calico exclusive stamps, Weekdays stamps, Heidi Swapp Petite Paper pack, Daydreams Thickers, Sketchbook 6X6 paper pad, Studio Calico 6X6 paper pad, mostly from Two Peas in A Bucket, some from the local independent stores I visited recently.
I love everything Ali Edwards does, including Project Life. I am thinking I need to sign up for her new 31 Things class at Big Picture. Another class that I am considering is Happy Go Lucky Stitchalong with Amy Powers.
You can see all my Project Life posts here. In case you missed out, Project Life photo pocket pages are back on Amazon. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section. How are all of you doing with Project Life?
