Journaling?

Hi Shannon - welcome to RCS!

I think journalling is really important - it tells the story of the pictures from your perspective. I don't think it is necessary to do it on every layout but it is nice to write down a little something so the person looking at the book will know why you did what you did on the layout. Hope that helps!

Hi Shan,

I feel it is, but that's just me. There are no rules to scrapbooking. Adding some text to your images will give future admirers of your scrapbook more info about the photos you scrap. You don't need to write a novel, but you could if you wanted to! What was the day like? What were the subjects thinking when the pictures were taken? Is there something sentimental in the background, like a car or a piece of furniture, and so on.

My mom has a "scrapbook" that she kept while in high-school, it's over 40 yrs old and without the journaling she wrote, many of the special details would be lost because I now know who the people are in the photos!

Just my opinion! Brandi

I think it depends on the picture - if it's just a portrait style picture then all you really need to put is the name of the person and their age or the date.

If you don't like the look of journaling you can always use 'hidden journaling' where you write all the details on a piece of card stock that slides in and out from behind the picture or write on the back of the matted picture and have it so that you can flip ot over to read the info.

If pictures are of an event or special occasion then I think journaling is important - the basics are the who, what, where and why - but you can go further and journal your feelings and special memories.

I personally don't scrapbook for future generations - I scrapbook for me and my husband for our old age and for our children, so I journal with that in mind - but if you are journaling for future generations then the journaling is more important with facts like names and dates. With me it is the memories and emotions that are important!

HTH

Bws Jane

I started to journal, and I'm stuck. I started with "Alex was six months old when he went to florida. He met his Great-Great Grandma Betty, and his Great-Grandma Shirley. He got his picture taken with both grandmas and his mom...but was sad that Grandma Ellen wasn't there".

Is it wrong to talk about him in the past tense? Is that how most work? Am I better off saying "Alex is having his picture taken with his mom, Great-Great-Grandma Betty, Great-Grandma Shirley. He was sad that Grandma Ellen wasn't there". Should I have my name mentioned since I mentioned everyone else?

Why do I make a big deal about everything? ROFL Thanks again, Shan

If you are journaling for you then your name doesn't matter (in my opinion) but if you are scrapbooking for future generations then you need to have your name too :)

With layouts from the past I do tend to journal in past tense but again that is personal. I probably would have written:

'These pictures were taken when Alex was just 6 months old. He is sat with his Great Great Grandma Betty and his Great Grandma Shirley. He had his picture taken with both Grandmas and with me, his mommy Shannon. I remember this day so well - we were sad that Alex's Grandma Ellen wasn't there, but it was still a wonderful moment having Alex with so many generations of our family.

Florida (add date)

I hope that helps :)

Bws Jane

Jane! You write so perfectly!!! Thank you so much for that

Shannon, I have found it helpful to let some one see my layout before journaling...and see what questions are asked or see what explanations I have to give. It usually ends up that I am telling a nice little story about the event or people and I find it easier to journal.It is better to journal on a seperate "box" in case of errors. Although computer journaling looks so much neater,I find I like seeing notations fromthe original person creating the album. It is worth the extra time to journal.

Hugs, Sabrina in Kentucky

Lord,keep your arm around my shoulder.......and your hand over my mouth

After my mom passed away in 98' my dad gave me some albums and several huge boxes of photos. There was 'zero' journaling in the albums and none of the photos had any information written on the back of them. I had no idea who many of the people were in the photos. I know they were significant somehow to my mother because she posessed their pictures but I have no clue what the significance was.

I'm left with trying to piece information together through my dad or my mother's siblings.

After that experience I make a point to try and journal on most pages in my scrapbooks.

Shan - I try to journal on most of my LO's but run into problems when the pictures are sent by my daughter-in-law from Germany - she doesn't always telling me what's going on. So I can relate to being "STUCK" -

Jane - Very nicely said - will you do my journaling for me? [giggle] Okay we will have to make you the "Journaling Queen" What does everyone think? ----we have a new picture Queen for the most pics on a page, a font Queen & King...I'm sure there are others but I can't think of them now...so why not a journaling Queen.

hehehehehe I think it was me that won the picture queen too with 49 pictures on a single page :)

Aw shucks Queen twice in a day ;) that makes up for a day with a bad headache and not being able to take any meds for it ;)

Bws Jane

I think we have now crowned Queen Jane ! You do have a way with words,lady!

Hugs, Sabrina in Kentucky

Lord,keep your arm around my shoulder.......and your hand over my mouth