I have a little story to tell you. It’s about a girl who started scrapbooking 12 years ago and her journey. Spoiler alert: She got WAY too caught up in what everyone else was doing and what she was “supposed to be doing”.
She became obsessed with magazines and design teams and what everyone else thought about her.
She made herself try stamping and misting and painting and all kinds of stuff she didn’t like. And she ended up MISERABLE.
The STUFF became too much. It paralyzed her. Honestly, it was pretty ridiculous looking back on it. The good news is…the story has a happy ending.
She finally got out of her stupid slump and stopped caring what everyone else was doing. She happily went back to her flowers and doilies and labels and started writing the stories down again.
This happened largely in part to Heidi Swapp’s Storyline collection (and also because of The Happy Planner Memory Keeping but I’ll get to that on another day- it SO deserves its own post).
So, ahem, excuse me while I switch from third person to first person.
Like I said, my sweet friend Heidi is a big reason I’m rediscovered memory keeping. I was at Michaels one day and her new Storyline collection was on sale. I’d never heard of it but I was immediately drawn to the D-Ring albums and embellishment sets. They contained cards and stickers and die cuts…and everything I needed to make a page. I’ve always loved everything Heidi makes (remember those fuzzy damask rub-ons? OMGolly Gosh). And, excuse me while I go off on a side monologue, I think she is such an amazingly strong, inspiring, and transparent woman. I love her and her strength. And her vulnerability. She makes me want to simultaneously hug her neck and clap. She is brave. And wonderful.
Sorry, but it had to be said.
Anyway.
I started churning out pages and sharing them on IG. My joy was apparent. And probably repetitive and annoying too but I didn’t really care. HA!
Somewhere during this entire reawakening, Heidi contacted me via DM on Instagram and asked me if I’d be a guest designer for her. This? Was a no brainer. I wanted to tell my story. And share how much Storyline has changed my creative life.
I won’t tell you the whole story here. I want you to head over to the Heidi Swapp blog and read it there.
I hope it will inspire you to try documenting again, if you are in the same rut I was.
Here are a few of the pages, there’s much more on Heidi’s blog.
It brings me SO MUCH happiness to be able to share something like this here today. I’ve wanted to get back to documenting and memory keeping for so darn long. I just couldn’t find the right fit.
Hope you’ve enjoyed my post today- I’m so grateful you dropped by!
xoxo
S
I’m so excited for you! Your work is amazing! I’m also in the slump. I need to rediscover my style. Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to see more.
What camera/printing do you use?
I have an HPEnvy All in One printer. Not in Love with it by any means…need a new one soon!
I have an HP Envy also…it isn’t great …I also have an HP Photosmart 5520…it’s really old, but still works pretty well..I’ve mostly had HP printers and have loved them…except they don’t last long enough…possibly because I’ve printed hundreds of photos on them!! BTW…I have followed you for years…I think since the twins were babies…lost touch for awhile and today!!! I thought to myself that I should do a web search and re-connect with you…I wondered if you were still scrapbooking…I clicked onto Heidi’s blog…and there YOU were!! Super excited that you are going to be a Guest Designer !!
Love your work Stephanie. I have tons of scrapbooking stuff and just don’t do it any more. When I look back on my old layouts, I love the fact that I did them. Thanks for the push. I think I”ll dig it out and find some time to get back into it.. Do you have any favorite themes with Storyline? It looks like fun stuff but very themey…I look at them in Michael’s and wonder what I’d use them for. Some times I get hung up on things coordinating.
Loved reading this and feel like I am in a similar boat. Kind of feeling like this could be something for me…. possibly…. However I have a question looking a your pages, you seem to have lots of different sized photos fitting together so neatly or “perfectly randomly”. I’d love something similar, looking at your pages make me very happy. But the photo printing feels overwhelming. How do you go about your printing, what do you use to print in different sizes and do you “plan” what size each photo should be printed as to fit with the other photos in your page etc…?
Thanks for any advice 🙂
Glad to see you back in your own way… many of us have gotten caught up in that with all of these goodies…i too took a step back for a few months and still f-ing that my mojo us still buried under all the stuff but um working my way back to memory making 🙂 ps- I’ve had some HS Storyline on my desk for months, I should be ashamed
I have no idea what auto correct did above. There is no cursing in my message… should’ve said I’m worried that my mojo is buried under all the stuff! I have sweaty fingers and forget to proofread 🙂
i have loved your pages since the first one i saw, stephanie, and i’m so happy to see that you found something that works for you! any memory documented is better than one that is not.
i have yet to start my 2017 album yet (EEK!) but life tends to slow down for us during the winter months so i know i’ll get it done. i hope you continue to share your pages with us! 🙂
Great story! I am kind of the same way. No attempt at publishing, but thought my pages needed to be “perfect” to justify using the expensive supplies I would buy. Also, I blame my digital camera! haha! I used to take a roll of film to Walmart and get three sets of pictures (one for album, one for scrapbook and one for storage at my parents house in Maryland). It was easier because I took less pictures. With digital, I would take hundreds of pictures of one big event instead of 24. I got too overwhelming to pick the perfect picture for the perfect page. So I haven’t scrapbooked in 10 yrs! I miss it and want to get my house in order and scrapbook again! I do miss the magazines and 2 peas in a bucket scrapbook gallery.
I love your pages!
I have followed you for years – back from when I found you on the MME blog (think the twins were just babies) and am so happy that you are back to memory keeping and found a way that works for you! I hate when we get caught up in the stuff and not the memories and when others ask me if I’m “caught up”! I figure if I’m documenting the memories that matter who cares if they are from today or 10 years ago as long as I’m doing it and it doesn’t matter if it’s on trend – as long as me and my family are happy! Love seeing what you’ve done and so happy that you are happy!!
I am thrilled that you have found a memory keeping system that works for you and your busy lifestyle. Nothing makes me happier than to see your pretty pages on your blog! (Okay, I love your book posts too!)What I love most about these pages is that they are so you with the addition of your signature doilies (I think you stared that trend!) and hearts. And I love how the focus for you is always the story and the pictures of your beautiful family! Keep shining, Stephanie!
Hi there. I scrap separate pages for six grandchildren so that each has their albums. There are a lot now!!!
the oldest is 21 and the “baby” is 2 1/2 and I began when they were all babies. I do this to document the stories of their lives and it gives me great joy. I love all kinds of scrapping, but the stories are there every time, whether it is a little stop off at the playground or their 21st birthday dinner. sometimes I use mixed media, sometime lots of lovely layers of papers but always to record the stories and have fun. Scrapping kept me sane in the months/years after our many earthquakes in Christchurch. Keep doing what makes you happy and thanks for sharing some lovely photos of your beautiful girls.
I LOVE your Storyline pages, Stephanie! I was immediately drawn in by the clean lines of this system, too, when it came out, and I felt like it gave me “permission” to just go back and do things the way I wanted to do them. Like you, I felt the pressure to do all the extra artsy, layering stuff, when in reality it really wasn’t me. So, no more!!
I am curious what photo sizes you have found that work best for you for the 8.5×11 pages? I keep trying different ones and either get them too small or too big to get everything I want on the page.
You’re scrapbooking! I’m over the moon to see these pages!
Love these and seeing you document the story for your girls. I bought a Heidi Storyline 3 ring set for my 23 year old daughter who just got married. She is making her wedding album with it, yes she had a formal church wedding but she wanted her album done this way and it is so adorable, she works here and there on it because she is a recent college grad and started her career but it works great for that. Honestly it is so fun to look at. Good luck, keep documenting, and showing your work we love it. Oh little side note Chelsea reads all the time like you so I showed her the page you did she loved it.
Thank you
Donna
Love seeing your scrapbook pages. Glad they’re back. They make me smile.