Finding Photo Freedom

Sorting old film cartridges, negatives and index prints

Film cartridges and index prints in bags sorted by years

Stacks of photos waiting to go into storage binders

Library Lists

Category drawers

I haven't had much of a chance to blog over the last 4 weeks since Finding Photo Freedom started over at Big Picture Classes (BPC). I am one of five coaches assisting Stacy Julian as she teaches the 10 week-long class.  I am having fun but have found that it's a lot harder than it looks.  I appreciate Amy, April and Melissa who coached my class back in 2011 and have returned for this class as well.  Blayne is the other new addition to this year's class.  I'm slowly working on my system during the class and hope to continue through the spring/summer on my own. The photos above show some of the elements that we've been working on among others during the first 4 classes.

Finding Photo Freedom journey

As you know from a previous post, I am a Coach over at Big Picture Classes' (BPC) Finding Photo Freedom (FPF) course. Stacy Julian, the owner of BPC and the creator/instructor of FPF sent a suprise gift to celebrate the start of the class.  The photo shows her letter, some delicious Ghiradelli dark chocolate and a brand new Amy Tangerine stamp set.  I love getting suprise mail like this!
So now that we are a few days into the first week of class I've been busy working  on my own print and digital photos - purging and sorting along with answering questions on the message boards and writing blog posts.  

My Category Drawers

Piles of photos, photo packet, my Cold Storage Box,
my clipboard for my Task Lists, my timer and course notebook.

  Its such a great thing to get  photos organized so that you can easily find what you need when you are creating.  
I hope to do more with my older family photos this time around.  I recently purchased PSE 11 and am slowly learning how to use that. I've been scanning some of  my photos but I'm researching some scanning companies to see if that's a better alternative.  There's already been discussion on the message boards about scanning so I know I'll learn more there as well.
I'm having a lot of fun and am looking forward to the next 9 1/2 weeks of this course.

So Excited!

I am so excited!  I've just been dying to share my news but I needed to wait until it was officially announced.  

Today, Stacy Julian announced the Coaches for the upcoming Finding Photo Freedom class at Big Picture Classes and I'm one of them!!  I've known since October and it's been so hard not to say anything.  As a Coach I'll be contributing to the Coaches' Blog periodically, answering questions and sharing my process with the class participants.  I took Finding Photo Freedom in 2011 and having my photos and images organized is wonderful!  It makes finding what I need for scrapbooking and creating so much easier and less stressful. Plus as you begin to curate your photos/images you begin to see connections and stories that make your memory keeping so much more meaningful. 

If you have boxes of photos and lots of digital images on your camera and SD cards then this class is for you! Check the class out here:  
http://www.photofreedom.com/photofreedom.php You can also get 10% off any class by using the following code - 
paperclipping2013 from Paperclipping Roundtable.

If you want to join Big Picture Classes to learn about their other classes go here www.bigpictureclasses.com
Membership is FREE!
Please leave any questions in the comment box and your email address and I will get back to you.
I hope to see you at Big Picture Classes!

Finding Photo Freedom Pre-class materials

I started reviewing the pre-class materials for Finding Photo Freedom (FPF) over the weekend and today I completed the following items:  the Finding Photo Freedom Pledge, my week's schedule, and my EQ (Enough Quotient).  I also watched Stacy Julian's pre-class video before I completed these items.  Looking at the sheet on the left in the bottom photo you may be able to see that a good deal of my week's time is spent at work.  I basically have weekend and weekday evenings left for everything else.  Stacy believes that we need to have a good understanding of what is enough for us to be happy with what we accomplish; and until we understand (realistically)know what that is it won't ever feel like its "enough".  In 2011, when I took FPF the first time I threw everything I wanted to accomplish on to my EQ.  Realistically though there wasn't enough time in my schedule to humanly complete it all. I think that this time I understand better what Stacy is saying and have created an EQ that is realistic and achievable.  I actually have one open space (see the sheet on the right in the bottom photo) for four of the five categories listed.  I may leave it like like this or add something later in the process.
Here's my EQ for 2013 as of today:
Weekly:
Spend 15 minutes three times a week with my digital images
Spend 15 minutes three times a week with my non-digital photos
Complete 2 page weekly spread in my Project Life album
Monthly:
Complete One Little Word 2013 assignment
Complete 3 layouts
This Year:
Re-visit Twelve
Re-take FPF
Home:
Fill photo frames with photos! (and hang on walls)
Update SD card in digital photo frame
Online:
Blog - three posts per week
Purchase PSE 11 and learn how to use it (Check out Ali Edwards' tutorials and other online tutorials/classes
Now I have to admit I have a lot more projects I would love to complete this year but I'm focusing on this list and I'll see how many challenges come up.  The first few months of the year tends to be fairly easy as the winter weather keeps me indoors.  As spring arrives it becomes more of a challenge to keep to a schedule inside.
Are you taking Finding Photo Freedom with Stacy Julian starting in February?  If yes, what's your EQ?

Finding Photo Freedom

One of the classes I'll be taking at Big Picture Classes (BPC) in 2013 is Finding Photo Freedom (FPF).  I took this class in 2011 and LOVED it!  Stacy Julian is an amazing teacher and it re-inspired my scrapbooking and memory keeping in ways I never could have imagined.  I'm really excited to be taking the class again.  I also received a surprise regarding this class and will be able to share that with you sometime after the new year!  Now that I'm enrolled in the class I'm reviewing the Pre-class materials and preparing for FPF.  One of the decisions I need to make to this weekend is whether I'm going to purchase Photoshop (PSE 11).  I've been debating this since the last FPF class.  I'm not sure why I'm procrastinating, oh I know, I hate the fustration of learning new programs!  Poor excuse, right?  There are so many free tutorials out there now and lots of classes so I just need to make this a priority.  Plus I learned today (from one of the BPC's message boards that there is a book Photoshop for Dummies that someone found very helpful and takes you step by step through the program.  I'll have to check that out and make sure its updated for PSE 11.

Yesterday I showed you my work tables - the photo above shows what my desk looks like.  I've printed out the pre-class materials for FPF and will be working on my Enough Quotient (EQ) and sign my Finding Photo Freedom Pledge.
I'll be checking the supply list and checking over what I already have to see if I need to order anything.  I think I'm pretty set but may need to order a couple more storage binders.
If you are interested in Finding Photo Freedom go here for more information:
http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/photofreedom.php
I'm also going to check out Echo Park's new Photo Freedom System.  I have the Dear Santa pack (I love all things Christmas/holidays).  I'd like to look at the other packs too plus what page protectors are available as well.  With everything I want to finish up and complete in 2013 I'll need products that are simple and easy but look amazing!  For more information on Echo Park's Photo Freedom System, go here:  http://www.echoparkpaper.com/pdfs/EP_Photo%20Freedom.pdf
This will take you to the pdf that's sitting on my desk.
More tomorrow!

Here comes 2013!

So here is what my craft room looks like as we approach the new year.  I'm slowly working on my 12/12/12 album(top photo) from Big Picture Classes (BPC) Twelve class.  I didn't complete 144 layouts (12/month) as part of the class but I learned a lot about storytelling thanks to Stacy Julian!  I'll be reviewing this class with several other class members as we continue to dig into the enormous amount of material that was part of this class. I love the Simple Stories album that we are using for this project.  I'm trying to think how I want to do Project Life and also do another Simple Stories album in 2013.  I love the idea of a Year in Review album like this.

The middle photo shows my December Daily album in progress.  Several snowstorms have prevented me from getting to CVS to print my latest photos but hope to get that done today before more snow tomorrow!  I'm enjoying this process and have several ideas for how I would like to do this next year.  I think I'm changing it to a Holiday album and include Thanksgiving through the New Year next year.  I'm also working my way through Journaling Your Christmas with Shimelle.  Shimelle provides two prompts a day - there is a lot of material and I need to catch up with those as well.  (Can you tell I have a large "to-do" list for the next five days?)

Bottom photo is a look at my three work tables.  Can you see my Project Life album buried and shoved up against the wall in the photo?  That's on my "to-do" list too.

What's on your "to-do" list for this last week of 2012?  And what are your plans for 2013?  Stop back tomorrow as I talk about my One Little Word for 2013 and what that means for my goals and plans for 2013.

National Scrapbook Day Recovery

Wow, what a great weekend!

Use a library pocket on your page,

  There's nothing like getting into a creative zone and having a blast with it.  I was a little slow out of the gate (I did take time on Saturday to watch the Kentucky Derby - with 2 veterinarians that specialize in horses in the family its kind of mandatory.) on Saturday morning.  I was trying really hard to get my Week in the Life/Project Life album current before Big Picture Classes' Creative Crop started at noon.  I got almost all the photos in but need to go back & do the journaling and add bits & pieces.  I was also getting some paper and tags misted that I hoped to use to create some pages I wanted to get done.  I was hoping that they would work for some of the challenges and they did so I was glad I got a head start on those and they had time to dry.
I completed 8 out of the 12 challenges between Saturday and Sunday which I was very happy with.  I'll be sharing those over the next few days.  I never did get over to scrapbook.com to do their NSD challenges.  I have some ideas for next year that will hopefully better prepare me to do both events.  Besides creating layouts for the challenges I did catch 2 of the live chats - one with Stacy Julian and one with Ali Edwards.  I also participated in another chat (with just typing back & forth) with Nic Howard.  I was especially happy to be in that chat as I'll be taking the Double Take class with Nic and May Flaum (can't wait to be back in a class with May!).  With the chat I felt like I had "met" Nic.  I wasn't planning on taking Double Take as I have quite a list of Big Picture Classes (BPC)  that I'm already taking & felt I should focus on those.  However, I had participated in last week's BPC week-long giveaway contests and won a spot in Double Take!  WooHoo!  Very happy.  Really added to the festive feel of the weekend.

I did the photo at the top for the challenge "Use a library pocket on your page".  I had a package of these blue library cards so I used one of those.  I added the kraft card "GROW" and wrote a little note to my grandson, Owen on it.  I decided to decorate the card as well using crushed velvet to make the snowbank and Liquid Pearls to mimic snowflakes. The rest of the page came together quite quickly.  I cut a sheet of corrugated cardboard paper (from Michael's) into strips and adhered those onto a sheet of kraft cardstock. I was trying to mimic the look of the fence behind Owen.

One of the challenges was to use photos from your iPhone and if you didn't have an iPhone to use everyday photos for you layout.  I used photos that I had taken during A Week in the Life of the department I work in.

Everyday Photos

Stop back tomorrow for more photos of the layouts I complete during the Creative Crop!

A little of this, a little of that...

The last 6 days have been pretty busy.  I've been taking lots of photos for A Week in the Life. On my best day I took 54 photos and another day I only took 2 or 3.  The rest of the days I took between 12-25 photos.  I stopped at the kiosk at CVS to get those printed & I'll pick them up tomorrow.  I'm using the downloadable sheets that Ali Edwards provides for the journaling and have kept up fairly well.  One of my biggest problems is that I work in Mammography & Ultrasound in a Women's Imaging Center.  As a Certified Breast Patient Navigator I can not photograph most of what I do at work. And frankly the rest of my week is not that interesting..however as Ali and Stacy (Julian) are fond of saying its just as important to document the everyday, small moments of life as it is the big ones so I took some photos that I normally would not. Frankly I was suprised to see that the one day had 54 photos.  I actually took more but weeded some poor shots out.  I'm hoping to work on getting my photos (& journaling in my Project Life album tomorrow. I combine the two projects as I try to limit the numbers of albums I create yearly to a minimum.
I've been playing with different parts of Heidi's Memory Files.  I'm waiting for more of her products to be delivered before I finish 3 Memory Files I have started.  It would be nice to keep up with the class but I don't want to rush these.  I am making these for a trip my husband & I are taking in September to see our oldest son & daughter-in-law.  We'll be visiting Lake Tahoe with them and I really excited about the trip!  I love that you can have so many photos in one Memory File with her system.  I hope to have some time tomorrow to work on this as well.
I'd also like to do one piece this weekend for May Flaum's class A Curious Scrapbooker's Field Guide.  We are at the end of this 12 week class -sadly :(  I know May is going to repeat this class.  I can't say enough about May & this class.  It was amazing! I may even take it again even though it will be the same material.  By the time it runs again I will be in a different place creatively and I think I would still get a lot from it.
I hope that you have checked out Big Picture Classes upcoming FREE event - their National Scrapbook Day's Creative Crop.  I really enjoyed this last year and got quite a few pages done.  I need to straighten up my craft room when I'm done in there tomorrow so that I'm ready to go next Saturday.  To check it out or register, click on the Creative Crop badge to the right of this post.
What are you working on this weekend?  What classes are you taking right now?

30 Days of Lists

After a year of Project Life one of the things I identified that needed improvement is my journaling.   I'm pretty much a who, what, when, where kind of journaler.  And now that I'm taking Twelve with Stacy Julian and learning more about storytelling I really want to focus on my journaling and writing.  So I've signed up for 30 Days of Lists.  This sounds pretty easy and is not time intensive so I'm hoping this can be the starting point for developing a daily writing/journaling habit!  Here's more information straight from 30 Days of Lists "About" page....

"30 Days of Lists is our encouragement and challenge to you that you CAN journal just something every day – even something as small as a list.
Every day through the month of March we will be posting a list prompt – anything from weekend goals to celebrity crushes. At the end of the 30 days you’ll have a collection of entries creating a small snapshot of your life right now.
Only 5-10 minutes per day are really needed. While you’re waiting for someone, or when you’re the passenger in the car. Download one of our kits so you have the topics ahead of time and just write.
That’s all.
Just write.
There’s no wrong way to do this and if you don’t like a prompt on a certain day, just change it.
30 Days of Lists is a collaboration between Kam of Campfire Chic and Amy of Lemon and Raspberry."
Here's the link to 30 Days of Lists homepage http://march2012.30daysoflists.com/ for you to learn more and sign-up.

Moving on to 2012.....

I'm just now starting to think about what I'll change in my Project Life (PL) 2012 process.  I already keep my book out on a table in my craft room and have my supplies organized in a 2 shelf wire rack.  I like Margie's idea (see her post at  http://xnomads.typepad.com/blog/2011/11/november-12-18-project-life.html )  about date stamping memorabilila as I tend to leave these items on top of my book rather than taking 10 seconds to put it in a pocket!  I also will try to set my weeks up ahead of time so that I don't need to figure that out as I go.  I also want to be more thoughtful and selective about what photos go into my album.  The one thing I have found is that when I have quantity the quality of the album tends to suffer.  By this I mean that the journaling may be more rushed or less complete.  I don't feel as I've always told my stories the way I would like.  So I hope to have more emphasis on the journaling in 2012 and be a little more choosy about the photos I add.  I plan to do a Week in the Life and December Daily again next year so those will give me the opportunity to add the everyday in twice during the year.

Class supplies - the black 12 x 12 bin holds my various page protectors for Project Life and my class albums and papers I've set aside for those individual projects.



A close up my various albums
Black - Twelve, Cobalt - PL, Red - OLW 2011 & 2012 and Move More, Eat Well



Besides PL 2012 I will be doing One Little Word again and adding Stacy Julian's class, Twelve.  I will also be taking the yearlong class Move More, Eat Well with Cathy Zielske.  I plan to remain active with the Library of Memories Community as well.

Finding Photo Freedom.....



Photo Central



Film cartridges, index prints, large photos, old photos, and ???



Photos stored chronologically  in a family box and each son has his own box

 The top photo is of Photo Central (my dining room).  At the far end is my Project Life album and supplies for that.  At the near end are my boxes of photos (a slight step up from how Mom left photos for me - shoe boxes full in her closet).  The photos are mostly organized chronologically.  Amazes me that I have 10 full albums of family photos and 4 albums for the boys and there are still all these photos.
I started scrapbooking while my oldest was in college so the photos definitely had a head start on me.  Today is the first day of Stacy Julian's Finding Photo Freedom class (formerly called Library of Memories or LOM) and I'm looking forward to utilizing her system for my photos and memorabilia.


Memorabilia

 Besides working on the print photos and memorabilia I've been working on my digital prints as part of our pre-class work.  I've downloaded Picasa (quite painless and easy) and pretty much have my digital photos organized there.  I don't have them rated yet as Stacy has outlined.  I have to think about that some more.  I don't have as many digital photos as most people do.  I have less than a 1000 total on Picasa.  We've only had the digital camera for 4-5 years (yes, we're slow adopters of new technology!) and I have been good about deleting poor quality shots or photos I know I'm not going to do anything with.  Plus our sons are all grown up, married and live on the opposite side of the country so most of our photo taking occurs a few times a year with visits back and forth.  So my journey begins in Finding Photo Freedom....I'll keep you posted!

Clipboards

Today I painted 2 clipboards that started out as brown $1.69 6 x 9 clipboards from Office Max.  I promised myself that I wasn't going to obsess over trying to make them perfect.  I'll be using them for Big Picture Classes and Stacy Julian's Finding Photo Feedom that starts this week.  So they are just for me and for fun.  I ended up not liking the acrylic paint on them so I ended up covering most of the clipboards with paper and Mod Podge.  Then used some embellishments and flowers to dress them up a bit.  Both papers are from Close To My Heart.  I've had them awhile and I don't believe they are available any longer.  The flowers are Prima and I added a little pearl to the center of each.  I've decided in the future when I paint something that I have to use a better quality acrylic paint.  After 3 coats of the yellow you could still see a brownish cast.  And I like something that leaves a smoother coat without brushlines (if that's possible).  I'm also switching to Claudine Helmuth's Multi Medium as I don't like the Mod Podge either.  I need to get some gesso to and try that.  So more experimentation will be in my future as I work to find products that I like for these type of projects.