Project Life | Week Two..

Hello Friends!  Firstly I want to say thank you for the warm welcome I received last week and for the lovely comments reserved for my first Project Life spread here on the blog.  Today I am excited to share with Week Two | Jan 6 - 12.  

 

January is a month full of birthdays in our family.  And Week Two was no exception.  The spread however, doesn't look like I've documented it right? More on that later.  *grin* 

 

  This week in January the kids organised sleepovers at their Grandparent's house - the kids being cousins who correspond to each other in age! My daughter and her cousin match (9 months apart in age), my eldest son and his cousin match (3 month age gap) and my middle son and his cousin match (11 month age gap) all managed to get together for consecutive sleepovers in. one. week! Project Life has allowed me to really document the dynamics between the cousins.  Something I'm sure they will all fondly look back on in the future.  And something I'm sure Grandma and Grandad will shake their head at because of the craziness involved!   It was also in Week Two that I realized that I need to be productive with taking photos.  Not just the standard 'happy snaps' but the ones that document and tell a story without too many words being needed.  I'm sure at times there will be a case where I will have to journal and journal to get my story recorded, but in the beginning, it's nice to be able to look at the photo and take in the story with just the caption next to it.  

   

    Similar to last week, the Prima Sun Kissed Alpha Stickers and Becky Higgins Project Life Grey Alphabets are perfect for this idea.  To fill in the gaps for the photo stories, I've used Kaisercraft's Captured Moments 3 x 4" Journal Cards and typed directly onto them in point form.  

 

   And when I combine the alpha stickers and journaling card together, my weekly date sequence is easily coordinated with the rest of my spread.  

  When capturing our family moments, I like to have a combination of both phone photos and DSLR shots.  And let's face it, our phones are with us most of the time and those sporadic moments can be captured.  On the weekends however, I will carry my 'proper' camera with me AND actually use it! *grin*  So what do you do when you have so many photos from one week and no space to share them all in one spread?  You have to get creative! LOL!   Remember at the start of this post where I said it doesn't look like I've documented the celebration of another family birthday?  Well, here's my secret.  I actually have 21 photos shared and 9 of them are hidden behind my photos of the weather.     

 

Using a collage app on my phone called Diptic, I chose a layout to combine four photos into one 4x4" image.  My Instagram photos are a great source for this type of collage, (1) because they are usually taken with my phone where I have easy access to them and (2) the smaller photo produces a better quality image when shared at this size.

 

 To create a similar fold out effect, cut a piece of white cardstock to size (8.5" x 4").  Score lines in a concertina fold at 4" and 8". The 1/2" excess is to help secure the hidden photos to a 4" x6" card.

 

  Adhere your photos to each section on the white cardstock, being mindful of the way they will be displayed once you open up the card. Gently refold the card and press along the fold line until the card lies flat in the pocket.  These hidden photos were also deliberately placed on page two of my spread due to the opening of the pocket itself.  Once you have photos hidden, you do want to have easy access to them every now and then.  *grin*  

Next time you find yourself with too many photos to fit on one weekly page spread, try using a collage app for phone photos such as Diptic or PicMonkey if you choose to use photos from your 'proper' camera.  Either way they will help to tell a photo story/sequence and support your documentation when you are short on space.