Sunday 13 January 2013

Twenty Twenty Scrapbooking

It can be hard to find the time for scrapbooking at this time of year. If I'm lucky I'll have found some new craft books in my Christmas stocking and their lure will be strong. All the things I want to do! Cutting up paper is only one of them.

So, this week I've been experimenting with something I think I'm going to call Twenty Twenty Scrapbooking. And that means setting my clock, pulling out my paper and seeing how far I can go in only twenty minutes. And then another..and then..

The First Twenty:

So, what can you do in twenty minutes? I managed to
  • decide on a colour scheme. I made it easy on myself with a black and white photo; but as soon as I saw that blue in my paper pile I knew I wanted to use it. My dress in the photo was blue. I'm sure of it. I picked one other neutral paper and trimmed the bottom borders of both to use as contrasts. two papers, double sided, no more.
  • round the corners on my background and my photo to echo the soft seventies lines in the picture.
  • use letter stickers for a fast title.
  • add a camera embellishment which adds to the seventies feel with its hint of an old viewfinder toy.
  • use a mini clothes peg to pin my photo to my page
and this is what I ended up with:



It looks like a layout; but I'll admit it: it doesn't feel quite like one of my layouts just yet. Twenty minutes has given me a great basis, though. A firm foundation, ready for another layer. So I set my clock again for another twenty.

The Second Twenty:
Twenty more minutes and I was able to build up my page by
  • matting my photo onto white card, which echoes the pram handles and helps it to stand out
  • adding a couple of tabs
  • sewing the blue paper into a big pocket with a line of yellow machine stitching. I then spent the rest of my time finding and printing out the blog post which tells the story of this photo. (It's here). 
and this is what it looked like:



But wait - one more twenty minute block would take me to an hour in total; and that's still quick for me. I set my clock again:

The Third Twenty:
gave me enough time to

  • trim some ribbons from scraps of a 6x6 paper pad (all from the same collection - no time for too much deliberating)
  • add some pre-made embellishments from a kit. Working again to repeat what is in the photo, I found some "wheel" shapes
  • move the clothes peg over to the left hand side of the page to balance it up a bit more
  • and finally, brighten up the far right with a little touch of blue washi tape.
So, now it looks like this:



That's what I can do in twenty minutes times three. I could add some more, if I wanted, but I hope it has everything it needs. After forty minutes it had a photo, a story, a title and some pretty paper: I'm pleased with that. I think I'll be trying it again. Instead of laying out everything on my page and then having to pull it apart again to stick it together, I was able to create a base layer and then a second and a third, finishing each before I moved on the next. That's a satisfying way of sticking and now I'm planning a few more base designs I could use. How about you? How far do you get in twenty? or twenty twenty? or more?

46 comments:

helena said...

an interesting question - I'll be setting the timer next time I create a LO.

I think a lot will depend on how much of an idea of general design and colour I have before I start

debs14 said...

I love the style of your layouts so this was a great insight into how they come together.

Unknown said...

What a good idea Sian, if you are short of time and want to get something done then it is a great tool.

Love the page, the rosette especially and the photo is great.

Alison said...

I do enjoy finding out how people approach their layouts...this turned out beautifully...I'm pleased to report that I may be close to finding my scrapping mojo!
Alison xx

Ruth said...

I love what you've done with this ~ I'll be giving your idea a go.

Kirsty.A said...

Cool idea. I consider myself a fast scrapper, but I've never timed myself

Lea Lacoste said...

OOh i love that idea!! i usually takes me like a day to get a layout done! I think i'm gonna give it a try, let's see what happens!

JO SOWERBY said...

wow that is such a cool idea. I can make LOs I really love in less than 30 minutes when I put my mind to it but I have to keep it simple,
Jo xxx

Elizabeth said...

I think you've found a sound process for creating your layouts. I like how you show the results for each 20 minutes. The finished layout looks a lot different than the first 20 minutes.

Cheri said...

It is so cool seeing your process - and kind of hard to believe that those ribbons were an afterthought!

Carmen said...

I love this idea and am thinking it could be used for non-scrapbooking creativity too :-)

humel said...

And after 3x20, it definitely looks like one of your layouts :) I've never timed myself but I really like the idea of setting myself 20 minutes - I suspect the first 20 would be spent going through my patterned paper collection, which I know isn't necessarily the most efficient use of my time, but it's a very enjoyable part of the process for me!

PS Loved your feature in Scrap365 (my copy arrived yesterday) x

Unknown said...

That is very similar to my process. After I have a basic idea where the pictures go and I have my background papers selected and glue everything down ti make the first layer. I will add title and journaling in the second stage and embellishments in the third stage. On rare occasion I will have to go back and pull some things apart but mostly it works well for me. :)

Irene said...

This is a wonderful mini tutorial on usage of time. My first 20 would be spent trying to find the right photograph. The second 20 would pass as I procrastinated about the colour, and then lastly, 20 minutes would fly as I tried to find just the right piece of paper. But you have spurred me on to give it a try!
Love the photograph and how you have built the page around it.

Jo.C said...

Great page and my favourite colour. I have been thinking about doing something like that for a while - now where did I put the timer :0)

laurie said...

what a great approach! often when i don't have a big chunk of time, i end up doing nothing. now i'm going to dive in when i have at least twenty minutes. if nothing else, i will have a start that can be finished later.

Lou said...

I'm finding it hard pressed to find 20 mins at the moment. And when i do, like now, i don't feel inspired too. Maybe I will try your twenty min spurts next time to get me going.

Brilliantly gorgeous layout Sian...the added rosette and flags really do finish it off, well worth the extra 20 mins xx

Ladkyis said...

I will retire to my craft room and give it a go - I'll take the timer with me, tomorrow after I have taken Miss Em to school.
I like a challenge

Missus Wookie said...

Fun idea to take photos as you go. Hmm - I've got tutorials to do, think I might nab your idea! Hope you don't mind :)

scrappyjacky said...

I do like the idea of putting the page together bit by bit....instead of taking it all apart to put back together to stick....which is what I usually do.
I love the paper ribbons....they finish the page perfectly.

Denise said...

Fascinating! I love the colours of the riboony flags at the bottom under the rosette. As for 20 mins - sometimes I can sit and scratch my head for that long - make tea and still have nothing.Other times I can steam in and nearly finish one!

Sue Althouse said...

I definitely think in layers and steps, and sometimes I can do each one in 20 minutes, but sometimes....well, not so much. I'm wondering if setting your clock helped you focus or helped you feel the pressure? I hope the former. Love this idea and seeing you work your process!

ComfyMom~Stacey said...

Great job on this!

Miriam said...

This is such a great insight to your process Sian, thanks. I'll put some batteries in my clock & have a play, but not today I have to go to work Oh how I would love to stay here....

Sandra said...

Wow, you sure can achieve a lot in a short time :)

Michelle S said...

Just gorgeous! Love it

Julie Kirk said...

I've had to time myself a few times for a magazine feature where you make 3 layouts with increasing time limits as a guide for the reader. Before that I hadn't really realised how long they take! When I had to work on the 'quick' one [around 25mins] it felt impossible!

At the monet I honestly couldn't tell you how long mine take ... because I haven't finished a layout in *months*! I've started many ... but they've all got a title / journaling / embellishments left to add. I think I need to follow your lead, set a timer and finish them!

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

What an interesting post Sian. I'm amazed at what you have achieved in such a short time. It takes me days usually to put together a LO, in little bursts. Now I no longer have a permanent craft space,I don't scrap at all. Cards have filled the gap and strangely enough the last two I made took me...you guessed it...20 minutes!

Scrappi Sandi said...

What a great concept....'Twenty Twenty Scrapping'!!! I might just have to set the timer & give this one a go!! I love this LO & agree that the last twenty minutes was when your 'stamp' was solidly put onto it!! BTW I enjoyed your article in the new Scrap 365 which arrived on Saturday...all three LO's are so 'you' but my fave was the one featuring 'Little A' :D

Unknown said...

What an interesting concept ... I don't know how it would go for me as I get interrupted so often sometimes I only sit at my desk for 5 min in 20! :-) But I do tend to work that way. I stick as I go at major points like you just did. Layers and some borders, then more layers and a thing or two and the story, and then more embellishments. I might have to give this a go ... when I can find my desk :D

Barbara Eads said...

Watching the transformation was amazing. Your page actually looked good at each stage. I'm going to try the timer for 20 minutes and see what I come up with too!

Beverly said...

I love how when I scrolled to the 3rd pic it shouted Sian to me :) I enjoyed seeing the progression of the page, I think I'll go with that one day. I am a fast scrapper but for me it's just sitting down and getting to it that takes forever ;/

smcl said...

Really the best blog post, or magazine article for that matter, that I have ever read about the process. Of course, the LO is wonderful in all three stages. Maybe you would make this a monthly-type post? Thx for sharing!
smcl

Jennifer Shaw said...

What a fun post to read and this LO is just lovely including that sweet photo!! A terrific concept of scrapping but for me I am such a tangent person that I could never discipline myself to walk away. I agree that sticking as you go is the way to scrap! It is too hard to place it all out and then try to get it back right to stick it down. I use a lot of temporary bond adhesive. I can pull things up if I change my mind along the way.

stephanie said...

Great idea. love how you show the development of the Lo and the finished one is.fab!

Sian said...

I'm delighted that you all enjoyed this one. I'll be trying it again soon and I'll certainly post my progress on here. Sue, setting the clock didn't make me feel under any pressure because I don't usually scrapbook for more than about thirty minutes at a time anyway. It was just a way of pinning down what I could achieve in a short burst

Jennifer Grace said...

Great idea for a series, Sian. I love the finished layout, especially that tiny touch of blue tape which I might not think to add but which makes all the difference!

alexa said...

Lovely page and fascinating to see its evolution :). The spray of papers was eyecatching at the end - I was wondering what was going to go in there!

Maria Ontiveros said...

Oh, the ribbons just make the layout! And I love, love, love seeing how you create. Please, please do more of these.
Rinda

Melissa said...

This turned out lovely & I like the idea of finishing each step in 20 minutes, then starting from there for the next 20.

I won't have a lot of time in my craft room the next few weeks, but maybe I can give myself 20 minutes a day with the timer & see what I can do.

Anonymous said...

I loved seeing how you put it all together. I'll have to give that a go next time I'm ready to do a layout but probably my first 20 minutes would be spent going through my papers. :)

Jo said...

That is a great layout and I loved reading your process. When I'm procrastinating a bit too much I do a speed layout in about 20 minutes to get me back to scrapping :)

Ginger said...

Such a fun post Sian! I loved seeing your process and the changes! I remember trying something similar in a Nic Howard class at BPC. It truly shows one what can be accomplished in these intervals!

Karen said...

Fabulous! I think I'm going to try this. With my CAS style I might be able to get done in two sessions. Then on the other hand, it takes me so long to figure out how to do the simplest of embellishments, it will probably take longer. I love the idea of documenting the process, too.

Susanne said...

Oh I like this approach, and I knew you were not done at 40 minutes. I might have to give this a go - you do come up with the cleverest ideas!

Sandie said...

Love that idea Sian. I am always up for a challenge and using the clock keeps me focused and motivated. I may well try this idea. Love the page you completed and the process.

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