Streamlining My Scrapbooks

This year I have committed to converting all my large old post-bound scrapbooks into D-ring albums. I like the versatility of D-ring albums and their stability. Several of my post-bound albums are really falling apart. I do have a couple post-bound albums that are thin and very specific (ie: our engagement and a few vacations) that I will leave as is, but about 85 percent of albums should be converted by the end of the year.

I plan to buy a one or two scrapbook albums each month until all are converted. That is all our budget will allow- and as someone who is really busy, I don’t mind taking my time with projects like this.

My favorite scrapbook albums are American Crafts D-Ring albums. I use a variety of cloth albums- black, red, pink, green and blue. Each of the colors is for a different “category.”

Black– Friends and Dating albums (I have several big albums of Matthew’s and my dating relationship. The layouts are TERRIBLE, but the memories are recorded, and that is the important part.)
Red – My Family (The Schims) and University of Wisconsin days
Green – Matthew’s Family (The Turners)
Pink – Us (Matthew, me and Elias)
Blue– Elias

The category system that I use is based on my friend Stacy Julian’s Library of Memories concept, which she outlines in her book Photo Freedom. I have said it before on this blog, but I will say it again.

If you haven’t read this book and you are a scrapbooker/photo enthusiast, you need to read it.

I actually am planning on reading it again. It is that inspiring. No book has shaped my scrapbooking philosophy as much as that one and her other book, The Big Picture… Scrapbook Your Life and a Whole Lot More.

But I digress…

Hobby Lobby and Michaels carry these scrapbooks, so I do my best to get them on sale 40-50% off (making them $10-$12). However, I use these blue albums for Elias’s scrapbooks, and those I can only find on Amazon. I love the color and may need to stock up since evidently it isn’t popular enough for major chains to sell. I hope they don’t get rid of it any time soon.

I will say that I just found these new robin’s egg blue ones on scrapbook.com and at Hobby Lobby, and I am obsessed with them. Aren’t they adorable?! I have to find an excuse to get at least one. They also have these really pretty damask ones, which I think would be great for a wedding album, graduation or friends.

I am planning to add little hanging tags like Stacy on her Library of Memories. I just need to get some colored clips.

What kind of scrapbooks do you use?

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