i promised to have a post about my school album progress ... and this is a big one with lots of pictures. i spend some more time on friday night and saturday night working on these. i got so caught up in this last night, that i was up until 2:00am working. lol! i actually didn't want to stop. but here's what i have to show for my work ... 4 albums.
so the facts up front. i'm using the becky higgins school KOTM for these. i got them a year ago ... and they are not actually available anymore. but you could easily do something similiar. in fact, my friend marissa shared these pocket pages with me that she's using ... they're the same idea. i have 2 kits ... and also 2 of the expansion kits that have extras i can add in. each one has preschool thru 12th grade. i'm not sure that i'm going to include preschool ... we'll see. i'm using 12x12 AC modern albums ... they're 3-ring style which i love. at some point, i'll add just a little something to the covers or put something on the spines to tell them apart.
once i got started assembling these ... i figured out that i can really only fit 4 years in each album. that seems to be the perfect amount ... without bulking it up too much. now, since there are 13 years total (kindergarten thru 12th) ... i'll have to try and get 1 extra year into one of those albums. so i have 2 albums for alyssa shown here. she's in 7th grade right now ... so her two albums are pretty full and have the 8 years that she's been in school. and i have 2 albums for sarah here. she's in 4th grade ... so one album is full and the other is just getting started with her 5th year of school. i do have 5 of these albums (i'm using the same color for both of the girls) ... so i'll just have to get one more at some point.
so here's my basic set-up that i came up with. each year is set up the same ... and yes, i have them all done as of last night! these are in the same order you'll find them in the album ... so just imagine me turning the pages as you read these. and if anything looks crazy blurry ... it's because i blurred some of the school info on purpose. click on any photo to see it a bit larger.
i have the pocket page in front ... since it has a little tab on the side and the super large grade number on the front. this is where i put all their papers and stuff i wanted to save. this is the stuff that was in those bags i showed a few days ago. you could really stuff a lot of papers in this pocket page ... but i didn't want to fill them too much. the pockets themselves are pretty bulky ... so i have a decent handful of papers. pretty much everything that was in those bags. and these have 2 little pockets on the front. i realized i had all the girls student ID cards ... so i stuck their ID card from the year in the little pocket.
this just shows you a sampling of what's in that pocket page. this is from alyssa's 4th grade year. some of her stories and writing, a homework packet, some drawings, her mission report, etc. it actually doesn't look like that much here ... but it's a good stack of stuff. i still have the larger projects that i'll be taking pictures of ... and then i'll work those into the album in some way.
next page. that's the backside of the pocket page on the left. then i inserted some 8.5x11 page protectors in the album. i'm using these WRMK ones ... mainly because they're great quality and a good price. all these next items were in those expandable folders that i had with the bags of papers. i just pulled out the stuff from each year, and added them to these next few pages. i have their class photo ... which i mounted on a piece of white cardstock. and why they always have this bright blue background, i have no idea. is everyone's that way? our school colors are green .. you'd think they'd use that. whatever.
next page. on the backside of the class photo ... i slipped in their final report card for the year. we get a copy each trimester. but the final one shows the grades for the entire year ... so i'm only keeping the last one. it's a long paper ... so i just folded over one end and tucked it in the page protector. then i added a second 8.5x11 page protector ... and put their awards in there. i didn't want to have them all seperate ... figured that would be too many page protectors. so if they had 6 awards for the year ... they're all in this one page protector. honor roll awards, acheivement awards, perfect attendance awards, and other special awards. however, i did have to start adding an extra page protector once alyssa hit 6th grade ... because she just had so many awards.
next page. the left shows the backside of the awards page. forgot to mention i added their STAR testing reports in there too (some california standard tests required each year). now the kit came with the stuff to make 2 double page spreads. but i think i'm just using 3 pages instead of 4. the first one has their offical 8x10 school photo. the paper came with the grade printed on there. i did add a small strip of pattern paper (from the expansion kit) ... just to add a bit of color. might add something else to this page later ... but at least i have all the photos on there for now. and just a funny sidenote. i never hang up or display their school photos. and i really have a hard time paying the prices for them ... since i can usually take better photos myself for a lot less. so last year, i didn't order any extra photos. then i realized that this kit is made to hold a 8x10 photo ... and i suddenly regretted that i didn't have their photo. after all ... it IS their official school photo. so now i order them! and i was able to still do last year ... since i was able to order the spring photo.
next page. this is the 2page spread that came for each grade. i put the papers together (hard to tell, but that cream paper is ruled) ... and added the chipboard grade circle. this it the part that i'm going to have to work on later ... and figure out exactly what i'm putting on there. but these are all assembled and in the albums ... so they're all ready for me.
next page. i'm planning on leaving the backside of that last page blank. the back of the paper on the previous layout is actually white. and i like that it'll be blank ... since the next page is the start of the next grade. kwim? but what you see in the left page is actually the sticker sheet that goes to the previous layout. these are the stickers to fill out and journal about their year. and i'm not sure if i need that curved pattern paper piece yet. but i just slipped both in the page protector ... so that i could keep it all together and ready to use. i'll just pull it out once i'm ready to journal ... and then when i'm done, that will be a blank page.
and since i can't play favorites ... i have to share one of sarah's years too. lol! shows how i used the same ideas ... and same set-up. this is sarah's kindergarten year.
i cannot tell you how good it feels to have these done. they're not totally done ... but they're really close! i want to keep going ... i didn't even want to stop. but i do have to put them on hold for a few days. i actually have some scrapping assignments due in 2 days ... thinking i should start those. lol! and i have 3 days to get my tax stuff ready ... i've barely started (and i have 3 small businesses to do paperwork for!). but for now ... how cool do these look all lined up?!?!
please feel free to ask any questions you might have ... if i didn't cover it. i like the plan i came up with ... but there are lots of different ways to go about this. i'm all about easy and simple ... so i'm keeping this pretty basic. that way, i know i can keep up with it!
Wow, wow, wow Laura!!! This is brillant and amazing! I want to do something like that for sure! Nice to get some ideas while my kids are still young! That idea is great for sport pics too!
I'm gonna lift this someday!!!
and I love seeing your girlies so little. They are SO cute!!!
Posted by: Carla | February 22, 2009 at 05:39 PM
Great job, they look wonderful. I think I need to start doing this. I did a preschool scrapbook and thats it. I think this way is much better..
Posted by: Kim j | February 22, 2009 at 05:51 PM
WOW...you have been one busy girl! great jobs on those school albums!!!
Posted by: Candi Tardio | February 22, 2009 at 06:11 PM
I came back to check my computer, and there was your email- I didn't even open the attachment, I just came to your blog! Way cool! Are you using regular page protectors for the class picture, or are they a scrap brand like AC? Did you tell me that WRMK has the 8 1/2 x 11 page protectors, or were they photo pages? i can't remember!!! I now see the kit makes the whole thing so much easier! I have to decorate my own pockets and type out all of the favorites, etc! I bet you inspire lots of people to get going on this!
Posted by: Marissa | February 22, 2009 at 06:15 PM
Whoa, you are smokin' girl! You've been on a mission and I wish I could get on one! Love your system..I kept teetering on the edge and almost ordered those kits but didn't...but I am going to get some of the pockets from Joann's and just add the year somehow with letter stickers or something...this must have been a lot of work to type up too..thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Heather Crawford | February 22, 2009 at 06:48 PM
That came together so quickly! They look amazing Laura - thanks for the peek, now I am going to recreate something similar for my two kids. My son has only just started Year 2 and my daughter is at Kindegarten - so easy to put a plan into gear now for the years to come :)
Posted by: kiwimich | February 22, 2009 at 07:16 PM
Thank you so much for showing us your albums in such great detail. You have done a great job in such a short time. I have an itch to start working on my kids albums after seeing yours. I went to Michaels today and bought the cloth AC albums but I only bought 2 for each kid. I guess I will have to go back to get more. They had great colors! Thanks for letting me know where to get them!
Eileen
Posted by: Eileen Van Dyke | February 22, 2009 at 07:21 PM
Thanks so much for sharing this! I don't have Becky's kits, so it's great to see some ideas for school albums. Now I can build my own, too. And the AC albums look really nice lined up together. Great job!! Now I've gotta collect my daughters' schoolwork. Luckily they are still in pre-k & Kinder!!
Posted by: Heidi Y | February 22, 2009 at 07:50 PM
You've accomplished so much! I love your albums! Do you think you could put in a good word with Becky to ask CK to produce more of the school albums? lol! I'm sorry now that I didn't follow up with the three I had on order after my credit card was compromised. I especially like how you included the girls' STAR testing results student ID cards, report cards, and special recognitions. I've only glanced at your picts, but can't wait to actually read your detailed post. Thanks, Laura!
Posted by: girlsmiths | February 22, 2009 at 08:05 PM
Laura, you so inspired me to do this for my son Vincent. And wouldn't you know it...today at a scrapbooking yard sale a gal was selling this very kit. I had to buy it. $25 ain't bad eh? Everything was in it and it was brand new. I took love the AC albums and was going to use these as well. :)
So I too will be doing this myself. Thank you for inspiring me! YOU ROCK!
Posted by: Selena Kimsey | February 22, 2009 at 08:12 PM
Okay, I seriously think that this is my next project- great idea (I am a bit of a, um, clutterbug) now I know what to do with all that stuff I can't throw away!!
Posted by: Nancy Mackey | February 22, 2009 at 08:25 PM
Those are so colorful and look so good!!! What a lot of work - but it must be so fulfilling and I bet the girls are pleased :) Good job!
Posted by: Jessica | February 22, 2009 at 08:45 PM
Wow! You did a fantastic job! That's a lot of work and so organized. I like those AC albums too.
Posted by: Cheryl | February 22, 2009 at 11:49 PM
This system of pocket pages is so great to keep their drawings ! This album is a great idea ! congrats
Posted by: lutin | February 23, 2009 at 02:33 AM
I saved some of the boys stuff but not like this. The past couple of months I've been trying to figure out what to do with the stuff I do have and these are excellant!
Oh...our school pictures have the same backgrounds too and the name tag for Sarah in the Kindergarten pack...my youngest son has that style too, LOL
Posted by: jakki | February 23, 2009 at 04:33 AM
Looks awesome and so organized, Laura! I stopped getting school pics 2 years ago, so I know what you mean. I don't miss the photos with the messy hair and cheesy smiles. (I have 2 boys in school).
Posted by: cathy | February 23, 2009 at 04:48 AM
These look FABULOUS! I am going off to order tons of the generations pocket pages right now and doing this myself! With 2 boys in college and 1 almost in college, I have a LOT of catching up to do! Thanks for the INSPIRATION Laura, as always!
Posted by: Lisa | February 23, 2009 at 05:12 AM
I got this kit and love it! I agree with you on the school photos...they are expensive and not always so great. I take my own photo and make it into an 8x10, but then order a small 4x5 through school and mount it with some of the expansion photo corners and write "official school photo."
Posted by: lisa | February 23, 2009 at 05:30 AM
These came out great! You have inspired me to use my KOTM I have also had for a year LOL!!
thanks for the insight, makes me want to get started right away!
Posted by: wendy | February 23, 2009 at 05:38 AM
Those memorabilia pockets *are* bulky, aren't they? I had planned on putting my kids' school pages right in with their regular scrapbooks (like Becky Higgins said she was going to do). But after seeing how much room those pockets take up, I'm thinking I might have to have separate "school" scrapbooks for the kids like you did.
I also like how you did all the background pages for each year so you're ready to go. I think I'll have to get mine done like that, too!
Posted by: Michelle W. | February 23, 2009 at 06:59 AM
Wow, these albums look great! I'm sure your girls will love and appreciate having all of their work when they get older. Great job!!
Posted by: Kathy W | February 23, 2009 at 07:05 AM
I'm soooo impressed! I just love that feeling when you are so engrossed in what you are doing that you don't even realize how much time has passed. That usually means you are enjoying yourself. Hope you had fun reliving those school years! Happy Monday!
Posted by: Lisa Howard | February 23, 2009 at 07:36 AM
Ah Laura! You make me want to work on mine! These look so cool full of their school papers! Now I realize how badly I have to "downsize" my pile of papers!! These really look GREAT! Thanks for the nudge!
Posted by: Sara Rossi | February 23, 2009 at 07:53 AM
laura, it looks awesome! how great u must feel to have that done! my 2, are in 3 & 7! so i better get busy. i'm gonna go check out those keepers from joanns this week. thnx for sharing and giving us some light & inspiration.
lynda in calif
Posted by: lynda | February 23, 2009 at 08:39 AM
Laura
Wow...I really missed out when I did not order KOTH school kit!!!. Your albums are looking great and so well put together. I love the fact you passed along all the details of how to adapt them to make on your own with out the kit.
I am so proud of you for getting so much done in one weekend! Good luck on your next two projects. I look forward to seeing them.
Sandi N.
Posted by: Sandi N. | February 23, 2009 at 09:37 AM