Layouts in 30 Minutes?

I often hear friends say they are slow scrapbookers. I was too, once. There is really nothing wrong with scrapbooking slowly. However, if you desire to work faster, you can.  Speed often relies upon making clear, confident choices when you work. Much of what slows us down lies within finding the materials you want to use and deciding how to use them. You also need to understand how you work and to manage your time.

Today, I have a post up over at the Scrapbook News and Review blog. The layout I shared isn't fancy, but it was made in less then 30 minutes. It was also created while I cleaned my desk. ( to see how, pop on over to the SNR blog)

Been Caught Peeking by Christy Strickler Supplies Cardstock: Colorbok; Patterned Paper: Crate Paper, American Crafts; Letters: My Little Shoebox; Stamps: American Crafts, Poulain; Embossing Powder: Ranger; Punch: EK Success; Tape: Jenni Bowlin; Other: Patterned paper, ribbon, buttons








Scrapbooking doesn't have to be complex. Some layouts take me longer than others. Some have more detail or time consuming techniques. When I sit down to work, I have a rough idea of how much time I can spend creating. Knowing how I work allows me to choose the right project for the time allotted  or to break a larger project into smaller parts. Each part would then fit a specific time frame. I have learned to be realistic in what I can accomplish. I won't, for example, plan to do a fancy wedding layout in just 30 minutes.I will break it into stages to be completed or I will choose a different topic. 

I have, over time, learned to choose supplies quickly and to live with my decisions. There will, after all, always be more paper or supplies that I want to buy. Buying them and and not using them just doesn't make sense. Yes, I have special papers. The difference now is that I no longer am saving special papers for a rainy day. Sometimes I do complete a layout and think, well, just maybe that other paper would have been better. At the end of the day, I have a great layout. I used my supplies and I am happy. Don't allow yourself to get caught up on which paper is the perfect paper for each set of photos. Options are good but not if they cause a halt to your creative process.

Once upon a time, I would have said I never could have made a layout in under an hour, much less in just 30 minutes. Banish the though that you are only a slow scrapper. Get to know yourself and how you work better. Adjust your supplies to fit your scrapbooking style. Be realistic about the time you have and what you can do. Challenge yourself to try a layout in less than an hour. Set the timer and then observe what happens next. What is slowing you down? What do you do efficiently? All of your supplies are fair game. Don't let the options stop the creative process. You might not get a layout done in that hour the first time. I do know you will know more about how you work and the things you can do to improve your scrapbooking speed.

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