Expressive Journaling

I'm in a writing mood today, so we're going to talk about journaling. In my opinion, it's the most important part of your scrapbook. Yes, it's fun to look back at old pictures, but without the written words describing the picture, the memories start to fade and meaningful moments are forgotten.

We've all heard of the five W's. Who? What? Where? When? Why? Keeping these five questions in mind while journaling will help what you write to be complete. Consider the following:

-Who was there?
-What were they doing?
-When was it?
-Where were they?
-Why were they there?

It's important to record all the details of an event, not just the names of the people involved and the date it took place. While details are very important, don't include flowery words and phrases. Talk as though the person looking through your scrapbook is sitting right next to you while you tell them the stories in the pictures.

If you had just celebrated your child's first birthday, and a friend asked you how it went. Would you answer January 20, 1998--Our House? I doubt it. You'd talk about her excitement when she saw the pile of wrapped presents, how she stuck her hand in the cake, the guests who were invited, and all the fun she had. It's helpful to keep this type of thing in mind as you are taking photographs. Take pictures of things that will later provide details of a story.

When you're journaling be sure to add in details you can't see in the picture. For example, if you were scrapbooking Christmas photos, you might want to include something about your favorite gift, the smell of the pine tree or ham cooking, how the tree shimmered, what time you got up, and the excitement and joy on the children's faces.

It's important to journal while the events are still fresh in your mind. I have a journaling folder which contains thoughts and ideas I will eventually get around to scrapbooking. You don't have to wait until you create the page to create the journaling.

As you journal, keep in mind the pages may be read by people many years from now. Help them feel like there were there. Talk about the important things such as how much you cared for your loved ones. Your words, no matter what you think of them now, will be treasured by generations to come.

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Interactive Pages

Do you remember lift-the-flap board books from your childhood that had hidden pictures, pockets, and tabs to pull with surprises behind them. My children love them. You can recreate something similar on your scrapbook pages.

Hidden journaling is always an adventure and a fun surprise. You can use techniques such as library pockets (get a template here), envelopes, cards, tabs, a gatefold card tied with ribbon, CD pockets, hidden flaps, mini file folders and more. You are only limited by your imagination.

In the layout to the left, a hidden journaling pocket is created behind the picture itself. Put three strips of adhesive on the sides of the picture where the journaling card does not slide in. This creates a pocket behind the picture. Add a pull tab to slide the journaling card out.

If you use page protectors, to easily access the journaling card you can cut a slit in the page protector to enable you to slide the card in and out. If you make the cut along a line or a matted edge in your layout it will be most unnoticeable.

In the layout on the right, in the lower corner there is an accordian mini-book. It's a great place to put extra pictures that won't fit on the layout and include more journaling. By adding ribbon to tie it closed, it becomes an embellishment for your layout.

You can see inside the mini-book here and watch a video about how to make it. It's really cool! Check it out.

Creating interactive pages for your scrapbook by using flaps, tabs, and other pieces that move, allows you to include more pictures and journaling and just makes your scrapbooks a whole lot more fun!

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Handwriting Hints

I've mentioned including your own handwriting on your scrapbook pages in a couple of recent blogs, so I thought I'd discuss it in more detail.

Scrapbooking has definitely joined the digital age. You can complete an entire page on the computer. Even those people who don't scrap digitally yet, often use the computer to create page titles and journaling blocks for their layouts. Handwriting on a page may not look as neat as a computer font, but it is more personal and meaningful to your family.

Why do we hesitate to use our own handwriting in our albums? I think there are a few reasons. First of all, lots of us just plain old don't like our handwriting. We might think that it's too messy to be read by others. But stop and think for a moment of a handwritten birthday card you've received, or grandma's recipes, scribbled in her own handwriting. These items leave a legacy for those you love.

Sometimes you are afraid that you can't write straight on the paper, or that you'll run out of room before you finish your story. Or that you'll make a mistake and not be able to erase it. But there are many ways to avoid these handwriting errors. Start out by using a journaling block. If you run out of room, or make a mistake you can use another one. You won't need to adhere it to your finished product until it looks just right. You can also fix a mistake by placing a new piece of paper over the error and writing on that one. And don't forget stickers, they are wonderful for covering up mistakes.

Also, before you start writing, make sure you have the right pen. Many pens will smear on certain types of papers. Also make a note of the width of the tip. If you are writing in a small space a broad tipped marker won't quite do the job.

If you don't want your handwriting to be a main element on a page, you can create hidden journaling. Pockets, folded cards, matchbooks, etc. are great ways to hide journaling on your scrapbook pages. You can write out your journaling by hand on a piece of coordinating cardstock then slip into a pocket on the page.

If handwriting intimidates you, start out small. You can write just the date, or a person's name. Another fun idea is to create a handwritten dedication page. Include who made the album, who it is being dedicated to, and dates included in the album or when it was made.

Whatever type you choose to include, don't be afraid. It's important to preserve something as unique and individual as your own handwriting.

Check back for one other fun handwriting tip in an upcoming blog. It's so cool, it deserves it's own blog entry! Until then . . . happy scrapping.

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Titles and Journaling

Scrapbookers often find journaling the hardest thing to do, whether it’s coming up with a catchy title for the page or writing a description of the events pictured. But, in my opinion, it is the most important part of the scrapbook.

I have a four year old who loves to look through her scrapbook. She often brings it to me and asks me to read ‘her story’. Without the journaling, the book would just be photos. Yes, photos can tell a story. But there are many benefits to adding journaling to your pages.

The simple fact is, you will not always be around to tell your children about the pictures in their scrapbook. And frankly, it’s hard to remember detailed facts about every event, vacation, and holiday for which your family has pictures.

I love sitting with my daughter and reading ‘her story’. It brings back memories of the special time it was for our family when she was born. In fact, I recently submitted a story about her birth, and without the scrapbook to remind me, small details that enriched the story would have been forgotten.

When you are looking for ideas for fun and creative journaling, browse through magazines and jot down any quote or title that appeals to you. Look up quotation sites on the Internet. Also, don’t overlook your favorite songs and poems. I’ve seen lots of darling scrapbook pages that included a meaningful poem for the journaling. If you blog, or email stories about your children, these are great places to find journaling ideas. You can even simply copy them directly and put in your scrapbook.

If you think your handwriting isn’t good—don’t worry about it. The personal touch handwriting lends to the page is very important. You handwriting is part of you. When you create scrapbooks for those you love, you are essentially sharing a part of yourself.

There are tons of fun ways to add journaling to your pages. The most simple way is to write directly on the page. You can also write or print your journaling on paper and mat it with another coordinating paper that matches your layout. You can make pockets and create a journal card, attach ribbon to the top, and slide it into the pocket. You could also make a card with journaling inside, or a journaling window with flaps folded like shutters over the journaling. The ideas are endless!

Have fun journaling and scrapbooking this week. If you have any fun journaling ideas I didn’t mention here, I’d love to hear about them.

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