New to Project Life Style Scrapbooking

I've been planning on really getting going & finishing my Disney World album and I had a few kits from Britt-ish Designs and was working on 12x12 digital layouts.  My biggest obstacle was time - there just isn't enough of it these days!  Between work and obedience training and spending time with my family I found that all scrapbooking and card making was getting pushed to the back burner.  And I really wasn't happy about that.  It's the one thing that's all mine.  Add to that the fact that I haven't had a vacation in 19 months and you will get the idea - I've been too busy for ME time.

So I was finally able to book a week off of work thanks to some great hardworking teenagers who are on Spring Break and could help out during the day.   One of the first things I did was start looking at the Disney pictures and kits that I had, then off to Britt-ish Designs and Sahlin Studio to look at the Project Mouse collection that they have been working on.  The more I read the more interested I got.  I've seen reference to the journaling cards on other sites but I never paid attention to what Project Life really was.   At the same time I sent off some of my 12x12 layouts for printing and found it is really expensive - the best price I could get here was $4.99 at Costco.

So that brought me back to Project Life.  As I took a good look at it I was intrigued with the fact that I could use this system along with all the card and scrapbooking supplies that I already own (hoard!) and with my digital scrapbooking software.

I played around with a couple of 12x12 layouts in My Memories then started to price out what I would pay per page if I printed out my pictures in 4x6 and wasn't I surprised!  Each Project Life protector holds the equivalent of 6 prints which I can get at Costco for $.14 each.  Then the protectors are $39.99 for 60 sheets which would get me 120 scrapbook pages - so it works out to $.33 each page.  When I realized that I have everything already to make my own journaling cards and fillers then I worked it out to between .89 - 1.17 and that's paying full price at Michaels here in Canada.  If I use my 40% off coupons or run down to Bellingham I will save even more.

So after a quick trip to Michaels with a 20% off my entire order coupon I was ready to get started.

First I had to clean my craft room which also serves as a games room that occasionally gets used by my children and for storage.

I have make-shift cabinets and a piece of counter top for my tools - eventually we will buy proper cabinets upper and lower and add a bar fridge at the far right side.  Everything got a good scrub or dusting then all the tools went back.

 The table got a good wipe-down - I really wasn't impressed when I found out my 19 year old had used it for playing poker with his friends.  Paper only!!  Something I'm really picky about - I don't like any transfer onto my paper when I'm crafting.   I love this Ikea table - $60 craigslist find.

 Then I started laying out my pictures.  These were the only ones that weren't digital. We bought a disposable underwater camera for Typhoon Lagoon.  Great idea - I just got my daughter a digital underwater camera for her upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic - no worries about water or sand!

I laid everything out then decided not to crop any I just put them in the sleeve that had 6 4x6 pictures and will add some journalling and embellishments later this week.

I felt really good about how quick I was able to get it all laid out and since then I have sent an addition 24 pictures into Costco for printing.  I used the My Memories software to put two 3x4 on some 4x6 prints and added in a journaling card too if there was space.  So all I have to do tomorrow is do a bit of trimming then slide them into the protectors (I've already planned out which sheets to use) and add some paper and embellishments.  I'll post more pictures tomorrow after I pick them up.