No matter how hard I try, I can't scrapbook. Well, I mean I can, I just don't. The pace is too rigorous for me. I can sort of keep up with this blog, however, so like a lot of people, the blog is my scrapbook. And my intent from the beginning was to make the blog into a printed book — for myself, my kids, my mother, or anyone else who wanted one. The thing is, formatting the blog into a book is way harder than I thought it would be. Because I'm making it harder than it should be. Because I'm trying to turn it into a scrapbook. And you know what happens when I try to scrapbook? That's right. Nothing happens.
About a year ago, I started formatting blog posts into book pages. I scanned pieces of notebook paper, I used bits and pieces of things I'd illustrated before, I used digital files from the Reprodepot Flora Book, and made some things I liked. It was super fun. I thought digital scrapbooking was just the thing for me. That is, until I stopped at page 2.
I left the project for months, too overwhelmed by the task. When I returned to it a little while ago, I knew I wouldn't be making a separate collage design for each post so I simplified it, hoping to make it past two pages. I did. I made it to seven.
I stripped all the extra elements away, leaving just the pictures, the text, and some handwritten post titles. The look was simple and clean, and the pages were moving along faster. Don't be fooled, though, it is still a lot of work to reformat the posts, even in this very simple way. Because every post is different. Some posts have a lot a text and only one or two pictures. Some posts have a dozen or so pictures and very little text. When I tried to use a template (of sorts), it wouldn't work for all of the pages. I had to get rid of some pictures and shorten the copy and then it seemed I was defeating the purpose of turning the blog into a book.
Now I'm thinking about putting all of the text on one page of the spread and all of the photos on the other, not worrying if there are six pictures on one spread and only one on another. I don't know, we'll see. The goal is to just get it done and move on so I guess whatever way helps me do that is the way I should go.
I think.
