Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Blessed 2013!

Blessed New Year! May this year be all you hope it will be. May we love more, laugh more, feel more, smile more, engage more, forgive more, praise more, thank more, make more memories, record them more, notice more, live more!

Here's a verse from Isaiah 43: 18-19 that really touched and spoke to me for the new year:


I'm quite sure this verse is not saying we should forget and not record everyday memories like we scrapbookers eagerly do (smile), but in the Lord we can leave any regrets behind and confidently look forward to where He will lead us, where we will know and experience His purpose and love even more than before. What a promise! May you and yours be richly blessed as we go into 2013.

Project Life 2013 Title Page
I couldn't wait to do up the title page of my Project Life 2013! This is the digital version which I did up in photoshop, to see how everything would match up, before printing them individually as 4x6 photos at our local photo store. I don't do this all the time, but since my title page was all digital and I wan't planning to add any physical embellishment, it made sense to work on it digitally as a whole first.

Project Life 2013 Title Page
Project Life Title Page 2013

These were photos from our recent trip, the boys had been very unwillingly to get into photos, so I tried to sneak up on them and take 'self-mode' photos by holding my phone up high and pointing back down at us. They were still trying to avoid it, so we ended up with these fun candid shots. Love them! They make the cut for the title page! This is how they looked like in the album.

Chalk board look is all the rage and I'm crazy about it too. I downloaded a few new chalk fonts to create the top left card. The fonts used here were: Tiza, Schalk, HVD Bodedo. I also really like chalk-hand-lettering-shaded font - all free! You can also download free chalkboard backgrounds here. And even customise any other font or swirls to look like chalk by following this tutorial here.

Scrapbooking 2012 and 2013
I'm so pleased and really enjoyed how I scrapbooked our 2012, I'm continuing into 2013 without changing a thing!

My Process
As everyone has said, there is no right or wrong way, not even a better or worse way, just whatever works for you. Thought I'll just share my process, it might give someone some ideas :)

A) I rely heavily on my iPhone app - Project 365 (there are other similar apps too, I do not use the upload to internet or export or sharing functions, preferring to download the photos to my computer, so I can't testify about the other functionalities) to help me remember to take at least a photo a day on my phone. After a while, it becomes a habit and even if I missed, I fill in with something related and on we go again. It really worked for me! These are the iPhone screenshots of 2012 photos captured in my app. Cool!

B) Then at the end of every month or mid month, I open up photoshop and 'slot' the photos into one of my Half Monthly 12x12 templates, then print them with Persnickety (when they have a sale) and physically slot them into my Project Life album 12x12 pockets. To simplify, I stick to a template of graph/note paper backgrounds and embellish with word arts plus only a few touches. This is how they look printed out
And how they look in the PL album:
Easy!
I get the best of both worlds: digital scrapping which is faster for me and allows me to capture a photo a day painlessly AND get to use my digital stash, PLUS the physical part which has the great touch and feel, gets in my hand-written journaling, and allows adding physical memorabilia.
And best of all, right now my entire 2012 album is completed!!

Here are my 365 pages for November, and 2nd half of Dec (Did not do one for first 1st half of Dec since I had covered that in the physical PL pages I did on our Hawaii trip)
(Credits: Yin template 317E, background paper from Ladybug Hugs by Chelle's Creations, word arts from Bee You by Sabee's Creative World, alpha by Karah Fredricks)
(Credits: Yin template 317B, background paper by CD mukovsky in The Lily Pad Gratitude collab, word art by Gretchen Tripp, wooden words by Gina Cabrera,alpha by Karah Fredricks )
(Credits: Yin template 317F, background paper by Weeds & Wildflowers, elements from Coming Home by JustJaimee, alpha by Karah Fredricks )

All of the above are made using my Half Monthly 12x12 templates, available in the store. If you have been using them, do leave a link in the comments!

C) At the end of each month, I'd look for any photo, story that I want to highlight or record more about, and only print those out for my physical PL along with any physical momentoes, art work, tickets, etc to be included. So sometimes I have a lot, sometimes less, it's all good and so much fun to work on.

Now this is the last page of my 2012 PL. On the top right is a story of the picture (of some korean star probably, I've no idea who that is, lol) I showed to the hairdresser when I brought the boys for a hair cut, of course it had to be adapted to suit school guidelines (no hair touching the ears, eyebrows or collar), and the resultant haircuts, respectively, haha! Also included the boys' notes/prayers from camp (folded and tucked in the pocket) and our thoughts for the much loved Les Miserables! (Used cards from Becky Higgins' Turquoise Kit)
What a year, lovingly cultivated, and lovingly recorded (to quote Becky Higgins and thanks to her inspiration)!

Alternative 365 templates
Alternatively, you might be interested in my P365 templates which I used in 2009 for an entire year to record a photo a day. The format was 2 weeks (14 days) on every double page. This is what they looked like, and the download links are on the right sidebar. That was a fabulous photobook, I must say!


Finally also completed a themed-page for Christmas. We broke tradition and had a Barbeque party for Christmas - yes, it is hot here year round :) I was inspired by those ultra-simple looking wooden christmas trees from Muji.
(credits: Background paper by Michelle Godin, elements by Chunlin Designs)

I'm sharing this template - Download it here, hope you like it for one of your Christmas layouts!
And do sign up for my Newsletter HERE. If you like this template and download it, please leave a comment, love hearing from you, thank you!

36 comments:

  1. Great verse! Thank you for the template. :)

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  2. Love the template and I also grabbed the great word art you mentioned in your NL. Thanks so much! Your designs are 'crazy good' as my sons say. Happy 2013

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  3. Thank you, Yin! I love looking at your layouts--so fun and full of life. And, hi Tammy! ^

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  4. Thank you so much for the template. Have a great year!!

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  5. Thank you so much for the template & Happy New Year :) !

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  6. Thank you so much for sharing. I LOVE following your blog and your sweet family. Thanks for always sharing about God. Loved the scripture in this post. I just lost my job and we are trusting God's provision and know He is doing a new thing! I am new to digi but i have almost all your templates. Someday i will post a completed one as i am learning. Looking forward to following you this year.

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  7. Your PL pages look super lovely. I am not such a big PL fan for myself but I do enjoy looking at other people's pages.
    Thanks for the great template.

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  8. Hi Yin! LOVE it! :) I thought I had PL all figured out for how I was going to do it and print it, and now I'm struggling with indecision yet again. Are you using the Becky Higgins page protectors for your full 12x12 prints also? I was going to do a photo book, but then switched to an 8x8 ring album, and just got prints from Persnickety yesterday of my 8x8's. I'm just not loving them, and I think it's the page protectors I'm using. They're the We R Memory Keepers ones, and I don't like that they leave extra space around my prints. It just looks like a lot of plastic. Anyway... are the Becky Higgins ones exactly 12x12, meaning that the 12x12 prints fit snugly, or is there extra space around them when you insert them? Thanks for sharing!! :)

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  9. Happy New Year! And thank you for the template. Was just about to do my Christmas photos. Perfect.

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  10. Thank you! Would you consider doing a tutorial on how you make your photo shadows? I like the warped look.

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  11. Love your monthly templates! I may have to try this! I'm just learning how to do digital scrapbooking and using photoshop. I think I will be visiting your blog often!

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  12. Thank you for the template! And I love the "half-monthly" templates, they look great inserted with your PL layouts!

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  13. Hello and Thank you for this template...

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  14. TYVM hun for the fabulous template!!!! I love the way you scrap and wish i had the time or talent.

    God Bless, Tamie


    P.S I made a another page with one of your temps an posted on my blog this week :)

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  15. Wow, these are great Yin. So stoked to have found you via The Mom Creative. I love your half monthly 12x12 templates! What a wonderful idea.
    Ronnie xo

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  16. Hi Christine M, I'm not very good at doing up tutorials, but I'll try to explain how I do the warped shadows in my next post.

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  17. Hi Jenny, I can understand your indecision, so many choices! I will write you on your question re the protectors.

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  18. Happy New Year to YOU and your awesome family!

    OK, so my PL and your PL look very, very similar :) I have officially scrapped all 365 photos on your 1/2 monthly templates. I have scrapped the 'major' events through May 2012..but with Wendyzine's actions, the rest of the year will go FAST, so I should be completely done soon!!

    You have probably posted this answer, but on your 1/2 monthly pages, what font are you using for the 'month' title?? I love the look!

    What PL set are you using for 2013? So many great ones to choose from.

    And now I will end the longest comment, ever. Thanks for the tree template..just what I needed for some of the hundreds of holiday photos..and loved, loved the verse. Just what I needed this morning..hugs to you! <3

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  19. Love your cover page for 2013! Did you enjoy your barbecue Christmas? On my mom's side we've been themeing out Christmas Eve for well over 10 years now. We've had a luau, German, Italian, Mexican, old fashioned and brunch parties. This year's was a country Christmas and everyone wore cowboy hats and boots. Next year's is tailgate and wearing your favorite team colors. We have so much fun.

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  20. Thanks for sharing this terrific template!

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  21. Tracey, always lovely to hear from you! That fantastic alpha I used is from Karah Fredricks at Lilypad, she has a few more lovely ones! And I will continue to use my Turquoise and Cobalt, there's still lots left from both! But the latest mini kits are super tempting too!!

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  22. Wow Jody, your family's Christmas themes are such fun!! You must have a great, great time!

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  23. Thank you so much for the template! Love it!!

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  24. Thank you for the generosity of your templates. I enjoy using them. May God bless you and your family in 2013.

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  25. Thank you for the template!

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  26. Perfect verse for this year! Thank you so much for the template :)

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  27. Dear Rhadonda, I'm so glad to hear from you. Yes, nothing escapes our God and your job situation is definitely in His Hands and I pray and look forward with you to see the new thing He does this year! Take care!

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  28. Here's hoping you have a Happy Healthy Year. Love your templates and thank you for this one.

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  29. I was just thinking that I really needed to do a page to fully capture our Christmas, and I read your post - and love your Christmas page and template! Thank you so much - and happy new year! You are always so inspiring! Tracy

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  30. I really enjoyed your post and thanks for the template (heard about it via the Daily Digi).

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  31. Love it, thank you!

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  32. Hi Yin! I love your digital + physical approach to Project Life! It's great to see you do it your own way that totally works for you. I love it!

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  34. Thanks for the awesome template!

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  35. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your templates! I appreciate them so much! Thank you!

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  36. There are no right or wrong ways in scrapbooking. You are free to do it your way and let your creativity lead you. But what I love most about scrapbooking nowadays is that I can do everything from my preferred size, to little details I want to add in each photos, up to the entire layout of the page. All that I have do is to feed it on the printer, and just like that, I have my personalized family album. Isn't that nice? Shelley Dade

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