Systematic scrapbooking

We all seem to be very aware of the amount of stash we have. And during this fiscal austerity, we all seem to be trying very hard to use up what we've got. I'm no different. You may remember at the beginning of the year that I had a bit of a sort out and put the oldest of my papers on the top of my 12x12 pile so that I may actually get around to using some.  It sort of worked!

I'm very sorry but I can't remember who this paper comes from. (you may want to get used to this phrase)

For any scrapbooking time, I sort through old, inherited, gifted and current photos. I pick photos that I suddenly want to use, that I'm in the mood for, and then sit in front of my 12x12 shelf and match papers to them. Once I've done that, I try to envision a sketch. More often than not, I can't. I'm not a leader in this crafting business, I'm a follower. So I use others' ideas as a springboard or for a straight lift. I make a terrible drawing of the intended sketch and pop it in the box of papers and photos ready to 'do'.

From the time of arrival at Crop, it then becomes very systematic. Really. I take a box of metal embellishments including brads, eyelets etc., a box of gems, a box of tags and journalling cards, a box overflowing with alphabet stickers and less often, a box of chipboard shapes. And here's the system:

• set up the page, decide on photo placement and overall sketch.
• mat photo(s) and, using the sketch, stick it down.
• go through box of stickers and alphas, pull out anything that could be used.
• go through box of metal embellishments, pull out anything that could be used.
• go through box of journal tags and cards, pull out anything that could be used.
• go through box of gems, pull out anything that could be used.
• pick up box of chipboard shapes, hunt through it, pull out perfect piece and then discard in disgust. All the chipboard is naked and I don't have ANY inks or spare patterned paper to dress it.

Arrange it all in a haphazard fashion that vaguely resembles the sketch and stick it down before I change my mind. I usually manage to repeat this about four times at a crop. It's not the lack of ideas that causes me to be quite slow. Nor the chatting. Or indeed the eating. It's raking through each box, each time. It's a system for using stash. And it sort of works. And if nothing else, my memory of what's in each box is improving with every crop!