Made in Minutes
Time is the one commodity we never seem to have enough of, especially when it comes to scrapbooking. When life gets too hectic, our crafty pursuits are often first to be sacrificed. So what’s a busy memory keeper to do?
We rounded up some Ella Friends who are self-proclaimed scrapping speed demons, and clocked them. (With a timer, of course...no scrapbookers were harmed in the making of this article!) Then we gleaned their best tips for pulling pages together quickly and stylishly.
30 minutes
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Supplies: stickers (me and my BIG ideas) • patterned paper • pen • photos by Elisha Snow • 8½ x 11 layout by Wendy Smedley |
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Wendy created this quicktacular wedding page for her sister, Heather, in just 30 minutes! How? By choosing a single package of stickers that included both a simple title (“Bride”) and a series of matching accents. The pop of color from those stickers goes to show that fast doesn’t have to mean plain. When time is of the essence, keep an eye out for self-adhesive supplies that pack a strong visual punch. (And speaking of punches, Wendy used a corner rounder as her only tool—another great way to simplify!)
45 minutes
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Supplies: cardstock (Bazzill) • patterned paper, borders, alphabet stickers, & accent stickers (Sassafrass) • pen (American Crafts) • ribbon • ric rac • stapler • pop dots • 12 x 12 layout by Tami Morrison |
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I relied on coordinating materials to eliminate the hunting and gathering of supplies. Sticking with a single product line not only ensures everything matches, but also saves time by limiting the scope of choices. Instead of deliberating over a studio full of product options, I was able to spend my time adding layers of dimension and interest to my page, proving that layouts can be speedy without being sparse. Try using lined paper to make journaling directly on the page a snap, and store sets of corresponding products together for grab-and-go convenience.
60 minutes
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Supplies: cardstock (Bazzill) • patterned paper (BasicGrey) • string (Shabby Green Door) • brads (BasicGrey) • photo corner paper punch (EK Success) • ink pad (Clear Snap) • liquid glaze (Stampin' Up!) • font (Garamond) • 8½ x 11 layout by Barb Wong |
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In just an hour, Barb was able to pull together a detailed birthday tribute that includes a nifty handmade number accent. How did she do it? She kept the design clean and simple, and used her computer to efficiently fit her journaling to the available space. That left her enough time to get artistic with some brightly colored paper scraps and collage a colorful number ‘8’ that draws the eye right into the page. If you think swift scrapbooking doesn’t leave time for creativity, think again! It’s just a matter of prioritizing what to spend time on.
Here’s how to create your own “8”:
- Draw (or print with your computer) a large 8 on the back of a piece of cardstock and trim it out.
- Pull out a pile of paper scraps that match the mood of the page you’re creating. Barb used bright patterns by BasicGrey.
- Cut or tear the scraps of patterned paper into little bits and glue them to the shape so they overlap and completely cover it, overhanging all the edges. A glue stick is great for this.
- Trim around the shape again, cutting off all the overhanging pieces.
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Optional: ink the edges and apply a thin coat of Crystal Accents or Diamond Glaze to make it shine.
90 minutes
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Supplies: journaling spots and letters (October Afternoon) • patterned paper (American Crafts) • jump rings • popsicle sticks • mini album by Katie Scott |
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Katie managed to create an entire handmade mini album (24 pages long) in just 90 minutes! Here’s the breakdown: She spent 30 minutes tracing a picture of a popsicle onto American Crafts paper and trim out all the shapes. She spent another 30 minutes adding pictures to the pages, and her final 30 minutes were spent cutting popsicle sticks (with a guillotine-style cutter) and adding assorted label stickers to her photos.
One time-saver was to reserve the wordier journaling for her regular scrapbook pages and stick with brief descriptions jotted on the sticker labels. Not every page or project needs paragraphs of journaling. Try condensing your thoughts into captions the next time you’re scrapbooking in the fast lane.
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Now that you have these tricks and time-savers under your belt, you just might become hooked on speed scrapbooking! Well it’s just your luck that Ella’s July eBook, Time to Scrapbook! 9 busy women share 27 tricks for fitting it in, will help you carve a few minutes out of even the busiest week to get creative and act on inspiration. Featuring the nine nominees in Ella’s first-ever Most Influential Scrapbooker Awards, this eBook is a must-have for your eBook library.
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