This year my main scrapbooking project was my digital journal, a 10x8 photobook called 'Digest'. It was a mix of project life, art journal, full page photos, layouts, notebook, bullet journal and smash book and I love how it turned out. It's probably one of my favourite things I've ever made. I have a video walkthrough of the finished book on my YouTube Channel and if it looks like something you might like to try, I have the digital templates available in my shop in 6x8 and 8x10/Letter sizes.
When that was completed (October 2021-October 2022) I started a little 5x8 book that just pairs a photo a day (ish, it's OK if I miss) with a caption and that's it. I'm still going with that and plan to keep it up in 2023 for as long as I'm enjoying it. (I also have digital templates for this project in my shop - Daily Delights). Mine will end up as a 5x8 trade book at Blurb when I'm done.
But I needed a main project for 2023 that could follow my simple parameters:
> digital
> ultimately printed as a photobook
> one-project-fits-all rather than multiple albums
So my plan is to make another 8x10 book that is sectioned by monthly dividing pages and covers all of 2023. I really like that size - not too big, not too small and perfect for the bookshelf.
This time, I want a bit more structure than last year where I started with a blank slate every page (but had a common style).
I want to include some theme pages that are recurring each month, like regular features in a magazine. These would be things I would like to track over the year and I'll end up with 12 pages on that theme over the year. Topics I'm thinking of including would be: cooking/eating, health/self-care, house (we are renovating this year), reading, watching, listening and intentions for the month. Not sure if they'll follow the same template each month.
I also love project-life style grid pages for all of my little everyday photos and stories to live so I will include either a single or double page 3x3 grid per week. This is Week01 so far (the numbers I'm using for the weeks are from last year's digital December Daily variety number pack and I am obsessed with the retro vibe of the vintage set).
If the grids are the only thing I end up getting done this year, then that will be fine. A grid a week sounds like a lot but it's a great place to use up journal cards, digital elements, selfies, not-great-photoes, collected memes and all of that ridiuculousness.
The rest of the month can be filled out with regular layouts (I've gotten away from those and look forward to getting back to that), drawings, full page photos and some longer journaling pages. I like the idea of some structure as well as lots of freedom.
I'm not great at envisioning projects until I have real-life stories and photos so I'm hoping once I do January, I'll have a better idea and some kind of roadmap for the album. I'm also not locking myself in and every month doesn't have to include everything.
I also mentioned last year that I would be offering classes in 2023. I've been working behind the scenes and hope to have the first two ready soon: Digital Scrapbooking for Beginners and Minimalist Scrapbooking.
Thanks everyone! Let's make some stuff!!
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