15 January 2014

Project life weeks 1 & 2

It's been a bit of a project life show around here recently but I am keen to get these two layouts out of the door and onto the blog before the uni term starts this week.

Gosh, I am loving having the new templates to play with. It brings such freshness to this project and I am feeling far more inspired.

I bought several new kits for 2014 too. I decided to move away from strictly project life downloads and instead buy digital paper and element packs and make my own journalling cards. After a year of this project I know how I like to work and can get more value out of making cards myself.

So weeks one and two, here goes....


Photos: 
Week one, had those photos from the farm as well as a few snapshots from New Years Eve.
After seeing how well big photos turned out in the printed book, I am keen to keep blowing the photos up large. That photo of the boy and me was a no-brainer- it had to be big!

Week two had slightly less photos so week two tells two stories. The left hand spread details my thoughts on my Project Life book and the right hand spread, the story of the scarf (which will make it up on the blog at some point!)


Journalling: 
Week one typically focused on an overview of New Year. I love writing on photos and adding text and photos to one journalling card like that "this week" card.


Week two, as well as holding the two stories, also has a brief summary of the week. I am using an app on my phone to record a few words about what happens each day. It's a good way to jog my memory when I come to make the spread and when I have space I think it will be fun this year to record those seemingly hum drum details.


Techniques: 
I love the squares. They really are the perfect size for journalling and for photos.
I am also enjoying using two different templates. These two weeks I kept the same format- one template for the left hand spread, the other for the right. I am keen to change this up although I think the templates will be dictated by what sort of photos I have.

I'm very pleased with the week cards I made for each spread. After looking back through my PL album from last year it would have been nice to see the date somewhere on each layout. They are also great space fillers when there aren't that many photos!


I want to get better with my graphics tablet this year so played around with it for the week two spread and made that title card "the story of the weaving". I think more practice is in order but gosh, there is so much possibility with this tool!


Anything else: 
Still striving for simplicity and trying to make this project simple and easy to complete. I am trying to make a point of saving any journalling card or template I make, in the hope of building up a library. That way, when time is short, I can use a ready made card, pop photos in, add text and it is still all in my style. That's the plan anyway, before I get distracted by pretty paper and fonts!

New Year, new Project Life. I'm excited to get going again.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

They're looking good. Mine has a few empty spots that I'm trying to figure out what to do with. I'm curious where you got your templates from. I've been using Cathy Zielske's so far this year but just not sure about them.

Amy said...

Well I think these look marvellous Abi and there is a good mix of change and a style that still is true to you.

JO SOWERBY said...

just loving seeing your style develop. I love writing on pictures too and perhaps I should take some inspiration from your braver and go for it more. Looking forward to following this years progress
Jo xxx

Christy said...

These layouts look wonderful! I love your style! It's such an inspiration to me as I begin Project Life this year. I also really appreciate your thoughts on how and why you changed things up. Great work!

Lou said...

Inspiring pages Abi x

Matt_Zipfel said...

What app are you using for Journalling? Evernote, or something else?

Sinead said...

Beautiful Abi! Really love the new templates and the variety of techniques you've used, like writing on photos. That large photo of you and T is fab :D Lovely to Skype the other night, and hope you got back to Durham safely. Best of luck with the new term! xx

alexa said...

Hoping things go well for you as you return to Uni. I always enjoy your pages, Abi, and the weaving ones are especially nice to look at. Though I have to confess to a fondness for that lovely photo of you on your own in the field - I'd be tempted to make that into a whole page somewhere at the start of your book!

Abi said...

Hi Matt. I use a journalling app called Narrato. Very clean and simple to use. It also imports your fb and instagram photos if you want it to.

Gail, I use templates from the digital project life site. The template I have used on the second pages is free. They also offer a free "starting project life pack" which has lots of goodies including two templates!

Sheena said...

Looking good Abi x

Sandra said...

It's looks fabulous

Cristina said...

Hi! I've just found your blog looking for inspiration for my project life. I love it ♥ Thank you for sharing! Regards from Spain.

Karen said...

I've had this post "up" on my Chrome page for several days because I always need extra time to peruse your Project Life pages. Like others who have commented, I always find inspiration here! I love the big photo of you and The Boy, and especially like how you've embellished the right-hand side of it.

Kirsty.A said...

I popped over to link up a belated 20 words (http://handmadebykirsty.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/one-photo-twenty-words.html)
but all your photos have been replaced with a Photobucket ad. Hope yout know about it