If you could go back and you were to just start out, what would you do differently or the same. I read the post where you were all discussing about whether you will or won't redo your first pages. I learned a lot from that, but was wondering if there was anything you would change or keep the same. Like a bunch of you said less decorative scissors, less stickers, and more pictures. Is that it? Are there others?
Shan
Shan asked if there was anything folks would do differently if they went back & redid their original pages.
My first album had a "stock" (one of the ones you can pick in PageMaker) black border around the outside of the page. My first few albums were pretty stark:
1 (occasionally) to 5 or 6 (for the small 1950s b/w photos) pictures on each page, with "who, what, where & when" written [typed -- my albums are digital] below or beside each picture. Real exciting, huh? I am redoing that album, tho won't get rid of the original; I just have many more pictures to add!).In the next one I branched out & added "memory boxes" (usually my memories; it was a 40th anniversary album for my folks).
The one after that was for mom's 80th birthday, & at the beginning of each decade I included a page of "events of the decade" divided into 4 sections: mom's life, U.S., world & sports+entertainment. I also had found by that time the dMarie website, & included income & prices for mom's birth year & each 10th year after that. I also threw in a couple of maps (from one of the online map sites) to show where she'd lived. That was also the first album where I started including text other than just "who, what, where & when".
The 4th album was a family album for the families of one of dad's sisters & one of his brothers. It had a unifying border on every page with the last names of each (brother's last name which was also sister's maiden name, & sister's married name), since I was doing an album on their families. I might or might not keep that idea when I redo the original album, depending on what I end up doing with the rest of the page.
The 5th album was originally started by my cousin, who'd go visit my dad once or twice a month & take a tape recorder with her. She'd ask questions to elicit family stories, & would tape & later transcribe the interactions. She'd asked me for a few old photos of him (digtial, since I had many scanned), & gave that to me for Christmas the year my dad was 79. We turned that into a present from both of us for his 80th birthday the next summer. I took her text, which she emailed to me, reorganized it as chronologically as I could, & added many more photos, creating a digital album that each of the 3 of us have copies of. I used a little more color in that one, with the questions my cousin asked in green & "mattes" behind the photos (& text describing "who, what, when & where") in matching green. (Ooh, exciting! )
It wasn't until my 6th album (OK, I'm a slow learner ) that I got more creative with the background. It was a travel album for the same cousin -- we've taken several trips together around the U.S., & one abroad. In that one, I introduced each section (trip) with a map of the whole trip. Then, if a long trip, I'd break the travel down into smaller sections, each with a map with our route traced on it. A map you could read introduced each section, then the background for all of the pages in it was the same map faded enough so while you could still make out what it was, you could read over top of it & not find it distracting.
The 7th album was much like the 4th, & was for the family of the cousin I'd made the travel album for. Back to a plain white background on that one.
The album I just finished wasn't started until I'd found this board, so y'all inspired me to do that album in a journaling format all the way through, with no "who, what, where, when" next to the pics except what I could work into the text. This album has white handwriting-style text on a black background ("full bleed", no white border) with photos where they go along with the text.
So, except for the 7th album, my style has evolved with each one. I pick a "look" for each album & keep it unified for the entire album. To get back to Shan's original question, when I redo the original album, I'll incorporate many of the different styles into that album. I will keep the "family tree" theme from the first, fourth & seventh albums (they each had a family tree on the cover). My grandmother (the album will be centered around the ancestors & descendants of my paternal grandparents) grew up on a farm called "Seven Oaks", so I'm considering using various shots of oak trees faded back as the background for each page (roots, trunk, bark, brances & leaves, representing different generations). Again, from this group (along with receiving a tape of family history from a distant cousin to go along with the ones I have of my dad's stories), I got the idea to weave family stories in with pics labeled "who, what, when & where"). Being a genealogist first, sharing the family history in story form as well as the "facts" is important to me. When done, I'll offer the album to anyone in my family who wants it for the cost of the printing & materials. My goal is to get as many copies out there as possible so that if the original photos are lost (many are mine, but some belong to various cousins), they won't be completely lost.
Well, I didn't mean to write a novel. Hope that answered your original question, Shan.
Alicia
I think for me it would be just having confidence in myself! I was so worried about what others thought of my first layouts that I didn't do what I wanted to do and what I enjoyed. These days I journal for me and design for me and the end result is that I am much happier with my layouts.
I think I may have taken a couple of beginners classes too though because I would have learnt a few things much more quickly that way than trying on my own!
Bws Jane
I know I'd never go back and redo my first pages...I have too much I want to do moving forward. Looking back to my first layouts, I think I wished I had not attempted to use all my tools in the same layout. I used three different fancy scissors to cut mats, several different mat colors, and various pictures shapes -- all in the same layout! What a jumble!
Another thing I wished I had done was to take a class or two. I read a book I received as part of my "getting started" Christmas present, and then got started. I often wonder what my first layouts would have been like if I'd gone to a cropping class first.
One thing, I would NOT have changed...I got started!
-- Amy Springboro, OH
My first pages were very "busy". Too many patterned papers and colors. I'm finding that I like simpler pages. I still use patterned paper, not just so much of it. I do love to use embellishements :-)
I would take classes, everything I've learned has been either through trial and error or through newsgroups.
Teresa in MD
InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.