i keep calling this a vacation album. but we don't really go on vacations much. it's really more a "places we go" type album. now, i have done some mini albums for trips before. i did an 8x8 disneyland album a few years back. and an 8x8 album for one of our cabin trips. but i have to be honest ... i really have no desire to scrap tons of layouts or albums about trips. not when we have 3 or 4 cabin trips ... with basically the same photos (just everyone's a bit older). so i came up with this album idea at the beginning of the year. now this isn't the entire album ... i just took pics of select pages to give you an idea of what i'm doing. click on any photo to see it a bit bigger.
i'm using the 12x12 MM passport album for this project. i have 3 of them, of which one and a half are filled. so i have room to grow! i'm using a mix of regular page protectors and the divided page protectors. i use the ones from WRMK. at the time, they only had the horizontal ones ... but they recently came out with some vertical ones and also some mixed sizes. these are the ones HERE. i did just order some of the new ones ... and was going to actually switch some of my photos in this album to the vertical pages. but then i got too confused. so i decided to just leave everything that's done already ... and will mix those in for future pages.
these are my divider pages for each year. i just happen to have a ton of this road side die cut pattern paper (also from the MM passport collection). i thought it would be perfect for the divider pages. i just backed them with some kraft cardstock. and then used my foam stamps and brown paint to stamp the year on a white tag. i havn't used my foam stamps in ages ... can you tell by how off i was in my placement?!?! i was going to redo them ... and then decided to embrace the imperfection.
so here's my plan. i have the divided page protectors to hold all the photos. like i said, i really have no desire to scrap them all on layouts. and if i want too ... i can always pull out photos later and scrap them if the mood hits. i didn't stress too much with the horizontal pages. even if my photos were vertical ... they all just got slipped in. not a big deal to me. then i just used either 1 or 2 spots on each page to hold a 4x6 piece of pattern paper or cardstock. this can be for the title, some journaling, or just be decorative.
for most of these pages, i just grabbed all sorts of odds and ends from my stash. i did stick to a single paper collection for each "event" or "trip". i'm adding a few embellishments here and there ... but keeping these really simple. you can see some journaling cards on here. i havn't really done any journaling yet. i was going too get that done before sharing ... but figured it's taken me forever to share this anyways. didn't want to hold off any longer.
then if i happen to have any layouts that go with that trip ... i just added those into the album along with the photos. like i said, i havn't really scrapped too many photos from these trips. but i do have a few that i found tucked away. and these photos are probably in the divided page protectors too. not sure if i'll pull those out and only have them in there once.
no idea what happend in 2006 ... but i didn't have any photos that caught my eye from any trips. so on to 2007.
i had this layout for our trip to marine world. which is really called six flags discovery kingdom now. but i've always known it as "marine world" growing up. and i just now noticed that one of the chipboard 0's fell off and over to the side. see it?!?! i've found a lot of chipboard letters that don't stick anymore ... have been going back to add my own adhesive to them. remind me to get that zero fixed ;)
and then i have the photos from that trip. i have 8 photos on the layout. but i had more ... so into the divided page protectors they go.
on some of the vertical photos ... i had cropped them to 3x4 and put 2 of them side by side on a 4x6 photo. that would allow for all the pics to be going the same way. and wouldn't require tilting the head so much while looking through the album. i was tempted to do this on some of the other trips ... but it seemed like a lot of work in the end. plus, the earlier trips were from my film days ... so that wouldn't work. but a good idea for future ones.
2008 has a lot of pages. be warned.
2 layouts i've done with some of the photos from our day out golfing. i know, they have some of the same photos. this happens. 2 layouts done for 2 different reasons.
and then the pics.
yeah, this would have been a good spread to use the vertical protectors on. and i started to switch them. but then realized that the photos on the back side would have to be going vertical too. and they weren't. so i kept it this way. i'm cool with it. still have to journal.
on to the girls disneyland trip with alyssa's dad last year. this here is a 6x12 page protector. i cut a piece of pattern paper to 6x12 ... and then slipped in the park map and itineray. fun to mix this smaller page in there.
dug into the super old product here too. some disneyland rubon books that i've kept. knowing that one day, i would use some of them.
i worked in a lot of their memoribilia for this trip onto the pages. it was the "year of a million dreams" at disneyland last year. and they were lucky enough to score some special passes on 2 of the days they were there ... allowing them special access to the rides and other things. those are pretty thick passes, and were on lanyards. so i took them off the lanyards and glue dotted them onto some of the pattern paper spots. i also included their park tickers, fastpass tickets, and some of their autopia drivers licences.
another cabin trip. sort of the same type of photos from the 2005 trip ... we're all just 3 years older. and i actually have done a layout for this trip. it is a 12x12 single page layout, with 16 photos on it. i havn't shared it yet ... because it will be in the july issue of scrapbook trends. but then i'll add that in to this album, right after the photos.
i've been slowly working on pieces of this album over the past few months. a little here and a little there. and i LOVE it! sure, it could be done even simpler ... just photos slipped in. but i think adding little pieces of paper or stickers makes it kind of cool looking. even though it's not technically layouts ... it IS sort of like layouts when you get right down to it. but it makes the process so much faster than trying to scrap full albums from each trip or event. i've been using the divided page protectors a lot ... on several different types of albums and projects. they're really helping me to get a lot done and organized.
so, was that worth the wait?!?! it wasn't too long though, right? i think i started mentioning this album at the beginning of the year. i have to say .. i feel so much better, having posted this finally. now if only i could finish the journaling ;)
Thanks Laura for sharing all of that! That is a ton of work but its so nice to share all the trips in one album! That Passport is perfect for all those photos. And its cool that WRMK has the vertical photo holders...sometimes I take vertical and horizontal pics just cause I'm not sure how I'm going to use them. And I like the 6x12...that's something I would certainly use.
I really like what you did with the Disneyland stuff...keeping all those passes etc. And between you and me I had to google lanyard...and funny I wear one all day at work and didn't know it had a name. LOL!!!
I can't wait to see the LO in July SBT. Cool!!!
thanks again for sharing with us. Fun to see your ideas and all the pics!
Posted by: Carla | June 14, 2009 at 07:31 PM
This was well worth the wait! I can imagine how long this took to type up nevermind putting the album together--or at least it would for me! ;) Think this would be perfect for all our Disney trips--since I'm too lazy to put together the albums online like I've wanted...
You come up with the BEST ideas!! Seriously love the album...and the stamped tags--you bring those foam stamps back!!
Posted by: Sara Rossi | June 14, 2009 at 07:58 PM
Laura, I love your idea on vacation albums. I dread the fact of making a mini ablum of our vacations, and this would be great to just keep adding on. Very simple and easy to follow. Thanks for the tip.
Posted by: Alex Simon | June 14, 2009 at 09:07 PM
I have some Disneyland stuff that I will never use (since I live in Fl. and we go to Disny World) and if you would like it, you can have it. I can get it out tomorrow and take a photo and email it to you. If you like it, I will mail it to you. Let me know if you want to see it.
Posted by: Melanie | June 14, 2009 at 10:23 PM
Laura- I am so glad you posted this because this is the route I am going for our Disney Albums and then mixing in a few 2page spreads- trying to get that all wrapped in my brain now,,ha! and THANKS for posting the new WRMK dividers- since I mainly take vertical shots. And doesn't it feel nice to get those pic into albums? GREAt job and thanks for posting. You always post such inspiring work and ideas. If I lived near you, I would be your stalker..ha!
thanks again. I LOVE, LOVE your blog and work, and wow the girls are GROWING...
Warm smiles! thanks again!
Posted by: Jay Kaye | June 15, 2009 at 05:08 AM
Wow, Laura, you have been busy! Your album looks great! I had one idea for the vertical pages- if I don't have photos for the back side, I just stick patterned paper back there- it is kinda wasted space though! I am so used to only having the horizontal, though, so it doesn't bother me to have the verticals going horizontal!
Posted by: Marissa | June 15, 2009 at 05:42 AM
Great share. As I sat and read your post, it dawned on me that this would be a great format for my son's sports photos. I have 9 years of baseball photots and two years of football photos - much of which are the same type of photos each year. Thanks for sharing your album.
Posted by: Jodeen Buehler | June 15, 2009 at 07:55 AM
LOVE this idea...we have lot of places we go pics and I really want the kids to be looking through them and not keep them hidden in my "to be scrapped" pile...great idea!!! Thanks for sharing. ;-)))
Amy
Posted by: Amy | June 15, 2009 at 08:18 AM
so well worth the wait, ur a genius...that's my conclusion. i love that idea. i like the by "year" theme...we're not big "vacationers" but i'm sure i can scrounge up photos from random places we've been. except this year we're heading to san fran. for the first time as a family...i'm so excited, it's been over 10 years for me and it will be the kids first time! thnx for sharing with us
lynda in calif
Posted by: lynda p | June 15, 2009 at 09:32 AM
What a great idea Laura! I am definately going to order those page protectors. I've been thinking about it for awhile but was unsure of what brand to get. Thanks for the info on it.
Posted by: Cheryl | June 15, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Another fantastic idea! I love this idea! How long did this take you to type? LOL You are always so detailed! Love it!
Posted by: Suzanne | June 15, 2009 at 12:30 PM
I love this idea! We also have lots of photos from grandma's cabin and I love idea instead of trying to make layouts. I already know that I'm going to "steal" this idea for a trip we will be taking to Disneyland soon.
Thanks for sharing this great idea!
Eileen
Posted by: Eileen | June 15, 2009 at 01:06 PM
My favorite line of this post... "embrace the imperfection!" I'm learning... :)
Posted by: Dani | June 15, 2009 at 01:59 PM
I really enjoyed reading all about this post. Those divided page protectors are such a great addition! I didn't know anything about them until I started the P365. I'm now wondering if the reason I haven't scrapped the last 2 years vacation pics is because I think every pic has to be a layout!?! Thanks for getting us to think outside the box and move forward . . . love your ideas!
Posted by: Leslie | June 15, 2009 at 03:06 PM
Great idea for an album using travel photos. I have toyed with ideas of doing something similar but never seem to have the time to get anything accomplished on it. thanks for the inspiration!
Posted by: Chris R | June 15, 2009 at 05:09 PM
You're a girl after my own heart! I LOVE this type of album, and plan to do something very similar for my home improvement pics. Thanks for the inspiration!
Posted by: jamie | June 15, 2009 at 08:19 PM
Thats a very good idea I think:) We also not do vaccations much but more trips like you.
Where did you buy thoose picture holders that are the same size as layout things?
Posted by: Peggy-Sue | June 16, 2009 at 01:26 AM
Hi Laura,
I love this great idea and will have to use it for some of my photos. Thanks for taking the time to post about it.
Love your blog and your wonderful work.
Fran H
Posted by: fran heupel | June 16, 2009 at 06:07 AM
this is wonderful laura! you have a knack for getting the job done! you make me want to scrap!
Posted by: Krista | June 16, 2009 at 06:26 AM
I love the vacation albums! I would never think to keep the fastpass tickets, but next time we go I'm going to. Loved all the little extras from the trips you included. It's an awesome thing to have for the girls in the future.
I want to listen to your birthday song but its WAY TO QUIET in the office this morning! Hope you had a great day!!!
Posted by: Sierra | June 16, 2009 at 07:47 AM
Laura such a great idea. Such a fun album!
Posted by: Deneen | June 16, 2009 at 08:29 AM
Love your album, great idea! I'm not big on scrapping vacations. Like you said, basicly the same pics, just the people are older. This would be perfect for me, thanks for sharing!
Posted by: susieq | June 17, 2009 at 09:46 PM
Great idea! Love your album. I think I going to do the same. TFS
Posted by: Teresa | June 18, 2009 at 09:46 PM
what a great album! i love it!
and i seriously want to go to your cabin now!
Posted by: Heather M. | June 20, 2009 at 05:44 PM
Love seeing albums using the 4x6 slots. I take a lot of pictures! I found that this way is easier to scrapbook them. I love mini albums so I just take my favs and scrapbook them in a mini album.
Posted by: maridette cachola | June 22, 2009 at 11:45 PM