Articles

Hello-

I am stuck, but not really.   I want to talk about what I have been doing with this business of mine, but how many times do you really want to hear about the card I made, how my day went or where did I go on this day?   Articles, is the answer.   I did a little research by visiting different blogs, and one thing they have in common is a variety of things they made, and articles.   So, I have decided to follow in the same path of having a article every other week. 

Journaling, the Windows to One’s Soul and One’s Memories.




“Memories, in the corners of my mind”, is the first line of the song, The Way We Were by Barbara Streisand. She goes on singing about misty water color memories, smiles being left behind, and how things were so simply then. Everyone has memories of things they did, events that happening in their youth, and the first time they tried something; like a new food, or a new country. These memories are all stored in that part of the brain, that helps us recall these memories in an instant. To not experience anything in your life, can be very boring, or worst…death to one’s psyche, soul, and does not allow a person to grow.

This article is not about experiences, and how to make new ones, but how to capture that experience, and to show people, for example, that little café in Mulan, and that waiter with the funny accent who got the order wrong, or the baby who started walking at 8 months, instead of the usual 10-12 months. Scrapbooking and Journaling are two of the many ways to capture those memories, and to hold on to them, if only for a little while.

Journaling

Journaling, according to my definition is the writing of one’s experiences, usually in a notebook, to note a particular event in one’s life. Some examples are:

• A girl’s diary entry about how her parents made her mad that day, because she wanted to go out with her friends, and they said no.

• A good review on a restaurant a man visited while in Houston, Texas during a family vacation.

• A mother’s entry on the day her 10-month old son said the words stop and go on that day.

• An entry on a woman’s first day after she found out she had breast cancer, and her reaction to the news.

• A Christian’s faith journey with God.

These are all examples of journal entries being made across the country, and many parts of the world. If two people were journaling, and saw a baby bird fall out of a nest, the first one may write about that experience, and how they helped the bird get back in the nest, while the other may mention that while they were sitting, the bird fell, and they did nothing. Journaling is all about the experience that one takes in life or that event.

Scrapbooking

Journaling can be taken a step further, and that is where scrapbooking steps in. Take a picture; write about what is going on in the picture, instant journaling. Scrapbooking, one might say, is a visual representation of what is happening, and where is it happening. Now the reader has something to look in addition to reading the entry. Scrapbook albums usually run in themes:

• My 2004 Disney Trip

• Andrew’s school days

• My wedding day

• The Book Of Me

• My Nana-a Loving Tribute

• My Walk with God

Unlike journaling, scrapbooking takes on a more creative touch. The components include:

o The album: Baby, school, Wedding and Travel are the most popular and automatically suggests a theme; while a blue book allows the creator to pick a theme.

o Paper: again, select from hundreds of sizes, shapes and color for a theme. Sports, baby, travel, Wedding are popular; One with neutral stripes does not suggest a theme.

o Embellishments: There are tons to choose from. Stickers, flowers, die-cuts, and gems are the trend.

o Journaling: This where pen meets photos, but if a person does not like their handwriting, there is always the computer and a good word processing program like MS Word, or Corel’s WordPerfect.

One important thing is YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW ANY OF THESE RULES!!! A person can throw out the rule book for scrapbooking and journaling, and no one will never know, except another trained scrapbooker, and then who cares. Do keep in mind that the more you put on a page, it will be harder to keep it closed, so less is best. Think in terms of an interior decorator. Like an interior decorator, it may be nice to add every single thing on a page, it is better to break the layout into several pieces. Ask yourself these questions:

• What is the focal point of the page?

• What is the theme in the whole album?

• What is the color scheme?

• What is the style?

Traditional vs. Digital

Do a digital form of scrapbooking and journaling. The only extra thing that a person needs is a bigger external drive, or a flash drive. Create a scrapbook with digi-stamps; the most important thing is the accomplishment a person gets when an album is finish for family and friends to enjoy, and to have those same memories that are in the corners of their mind as well.

In my next segment, I will go further in the process of creating that wonderful book of memories. God bless you and talk to you next time.

Tricia


Note:   I have added a couple more cards on my Etsy Shop.  Click here to visit.