Yesterday I received an email from Groupon entitled, “10 Deals to Mend Broken Resolutions.” And while I chuckled, I also realized that even though only 17 days have passed, I am already “behind” on several projects. How are you doing? Keeping up?

Always best with a plan, and even better with a template, I decided to get moving on a couple of 2012 projects.

One of my goals for this year came from a calendar project I did in December. Our amazing Celeste Smith, created a calendar for 2012 and asked a few of us to see what we could do with it. This is what I did.

I created it as an 8x10 document and gleefully clapped my hands, knowing it could not only help me keep track of my year, but also do triple duty as a present for the grandparents and our Auntie Claus. (The kids’ beloved aunt who spoils them to pieces!) Trouble was, it took me more than two days of pouring over photos to get twelve that were just right. I needed one per month with adequate representation by all. You know the routine.

After finishing the calendar, two things became clear. First, I wanted to do this again…every year. And second, this project would be much more manageable if completed in monthly increments. Oh, and I realized that this project would also make a fantastic photo wall, Christmas card and—wait for it—a photobook. It’s really just waiting to be bound.

Thinking that this might be the kind of project you’d enjoy as well, I thought I’d share my process with you. Sound fun?

Photos

Taking photos is just something I do. We all do, no? So this part shouldn’t be too hard.

I have sketched out an idea of the photos that would represent us best. I know I need three of each child. Here are my notes to give you an idea:

January Lavender (birthday), February open, March open, April NPL (house anniversary), May open, June open, July open, August Lavender (beginning Kindergarten), September open, October Nigel (football), November Poppy (birthday), December Nigel (birthday).

Hopefully this will help me stay on track. I have also made it a goal to pick my photo by the end of the first week of the next month.

Book Basics

I love to build photo books, much like the paper mini-albums I used to build. But, rather than page-by-page, I prefer to go step-by-step.

Step 1. Color Scheme

Sometimes the colors can come from a kit. But for this one, I wanted to create my own. But to make sure that I have colors that coordinate well, I went to Seeds. (I read about them on Laura Coyle’s post from a couple of weeks ago.) Using the palette search tool, I put in a couple of my favorite hues which brought up a handful of options with each one. I pinned some of my favorites and then sat staring at the board to see which sang the loudest to my soul. This was the winner:

Using the eyedropper tool (for instructions on doing this, read Laura’s post mentioned above), I created a small color palette for reference.

Then, I realized that I’d like the colors a tiny bit more vibrant, so I played around a bit until I came up with this.

Step 2. Page Design

Because the photos are the essence of this book, I wanted to use them at their full sizes. And because I was pre-planning, I had the option of choosing the size and the orientation.

Knowing that most of my photos are going to be of people, I decided to use a square shape. The bonus is that by using squares, I wouldn’t have to remember to turn my camera! And it will make the calendar easy to create in December.

The next choice is how much text I want on the page. Knowing that I used to make notes on the backs of my photos, I knew I would need some space for journaling. I decided to use just a short title and a brief photo explanation.

With these decisions made, I put together a handful of page templates. I am leaving them fluid enough to be able to be altered, but standard enough that they will keep a repetitive flow to the book.

Oh, did you notice I slipped a font in there? It is Channel, one of my new favorites! For books, I like to stick with fonts that are sure to match the photos, so this one may change once all the photos are added. Or, I may “fickle-y” fall in love with another one by then!

Step 3. Final Elements

The cover, the flow and the spine. These elements will have to be added in December. Late in the month, probably, as Nigel’s birthday isn’t until the 23^rd. Unless I fudge a little on the dates and take it earlier in December. Which I will have to do in order to print and bind in time for Christmas. That will be just fine.

So that’s it! I’m set to go. One 2012 project well enough underway that it will happen!

If you have a similar project on your to-do list, follow the steps above, and build some templates so you can keep it up! I’ll keep you posted throughout the year with my progress; will you do likewise?

Next month I will tackle another project, hoping to help keep you target for accomplishing your goals! Meanwhile, keep taking those pictures! That’s the hardest part. Putting them together is doable as long as you have photos!

Cheers!

Marnie Flores

Marnie Flores is one of the founders of Write.Click.Scrapbook. She has been published by Scrapbooks, Etc., Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbooks & Cards Today, and Simple Scrapbooks, where she was a contributing editor. In addition to her duties at Write.Click.Scrapbook., Marnie spends her time raising her kids, taking way too many photos, and trying to scrapbook a little every day.

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Tags: projects | scrapbooking