Project Life Clementine: Unpacked

As I have previously mentioned, I received my Project Life kit on Dec. 22, 2011.  It was a wonderful gift to myself and my family.

I would have wanted to unpack it at a better time, but the delivery guy from DHL requested that we open it in front of them to make sure nothings missing.  (standard procedure -- I was told.)

So, I got this box from Scraplicious.

the picture would not rotate... (lolz)

Inside were these goodies.

Scraplicious offered a package that had the basic core kit, the album, scrapbook dividers, and a choice of big pack of page protectors (either A or B or Big Variety).  I chose Big Variety because I wanted the freedom to choose my page layouts.  Scraplicious also threw in a box of 3x4 grid journalling cards for free.  How great is that!

Below is the Clementine Binder.

It was such a delight to see this as a cover protector with the Project Life/Becky Higgins Motto.

Then of course, the star of the show... The Clementine Core Kit.

Inside are these wonderful goodies.

The designed journalling cards.

The 3x4 grid journalling cards (which I'm founding out is a delight to use), and the first and last page cards.

The designed 3x4 filler cards.

The designed 4x6 first and last page cards.

The 4x6 Title Cards.

The 4x6 Bifold Journalling Cards.

The numbers, days of the week stickers in colored and transparent (white) versions.

The Scrapbook Dividers which came with label stickers with numbers, months, grade school levels, and blank labels for your own words.

The Page Protectors which are of very good quality.

I got a box of 3x4 grid journalling cards (100 pcs), for free.

I also ordered as additional the 12x12 patterned paper pack in Clementine and Amber Editions.  (So, I still had my Amber Edition fix satisfied. :-))

When I got these I could not wait for 2012 to start.  So, I decided to do my 2012 Title Page already inspired by other Project Lifers pages.

Peachy :-)

Project Life: The 1st 2 weeks

Let me start by saying that I am a Project Life newbie.  I discovered PL around June last year while surfing the net about scrapbooking.  This is the first time I will be embarking on this project.  Although I have been writing diaries and journals since I was 7 years old, this experience is a totally new experience for me so bear with me.

At first, I was hesitant to blog about this project, only because I felt that those who do Project Life and post it on their blogs have such beautiful pages.  However, as I started seeing other Project Lifers' pages on the net, I realized that PL is really what you want it to be.  It is as unique as the individual doing it and each album is different in the same manner that no two person are exactly the same.  If there is one thing I know -- it is that there is no wrong and right way to do Project Life.

The Title Page

It was difficult to decide on how my title page will look.  But, taking some inspiration from other Project Lifers, I decided to compose this page.

Yes, this is not yet done.  I need to print a pic of me, monching and rocky to fill in the 3x4, but until that time the 3x4 filler cards will be fine.  I also feel that monching and rocky's picture (below left) still needs some embellishments and so with my 2012 card (below right).

The First Spread (Week 1)

This is the left page of my first spread for the year covering Week 1 (Jan. 1-8).

The top left 4x6 is the week's title card.  It features the hotel keycard case in the hotel I stayed in during the seminar I attended that week and my Sound of Music ticket which was sponsored by Trinitas Publishing, the company which organized and sponsored the seminar.  I think the card needs some titling though (lolz) coz it does not seem like it is a page title.  I also matted one of the pics on a patterned cardstock from All About Scrapbooking (a local Philippine scrapbooking brand).  That is because I had cut the picture to 3x4 size only to realize that it doesn't look good horizontal.

This is Page 2 of Spread 1.

Yup, I am also beginning to love Design F Page Protector.  What's nice about this page is that I used a bi-fold journalling card (middle slot-first row) to tell the story behind the cancellation of our flight home to Camarines Sur on the day we were supposed to leave and how we were able to come home after that.  I also decided to use numbers on the pictures (using the stickers provided in the kit) and on the top rightmost 3x4 card the numbers correspond to some explanation about the picture.

Spread No. 2 (Week 2)

By the second week I was totally getting the hang of it and honestly, find myself looking forward to working on my album at the end of every single day.  Here is the left page of my 2nd spread.

The left most 3x4 on top is a card from hallmark with a poem about God's faithfulness.  I chose this as my week's page title card because it goes with our family's celebration of my late Uncle Awel's birthday.  I also used Marks washi tape to embellish one of the journal cards (right most card on the middle row).

On the left most card (bottom row) I got a Sticker sentiment from AAS to compliment my sons' pictures.  This is my first picture of them for the year.  On the right most card, I stamped on the journalling frame (Teresa Collins).

The secret on this page is that I actually used the back of the 3x4 grid journalling cards that I slipped on the other side of this page.  This is why I stamped on the journalling frame because this particular 3x4 (the patterned card stock on the other side) is not ruled like the grid cards.  The washi on the 3x4 is an attempt at putting some design on the grid cards although I love the look without any embellishment on it.  So clean to see.

This is the right page of the spread.

This is not yet finished also.  I just need to put in some journalling on the 2nd 3x4 (from the top) about the REBAP meeting I attended to correspond to the REBAP officers list that I slipped on the top rightmost portion. I will be also writing in some journalling on the bottom 3x4, about our family's celebration of the Feast of Sto. Nino.  I will be putting in a picture of my son holding the image of the Sto. Nino.  I have not printed that yet.

Lessons Learned/Rules to Follow/Personal Guidelines

1.  There is no right or wrong way to do Project Life.  Anything goes. Don't be shy.  This is MY project and I can do it any which way I choose to do it.

2.  I will do a two-page per week project but do daily journalling.  Some days it might even be just one page per week but generally I am pretty sure I will be doing daily journalling which I found to be such a delight to do on PL. (I used to do this on a notebook/journal)

3.  I have also decided that I will do a title card for each week.

4.  Doing a our Tagaytay Family Vacation in PL made me realize that the Design E page protector is a GREAT way to do a Title Page.  I did the title page for this project in Design E and decided I will do all my title pages this way. (I will blog about this in the coming days.)

5.  I realized that although I love to take pictures, I am a more conscientious journaller.  I journalled everyday of the two weeks and had been doing so until today.  I feel that jounalling about my day on PL made me more excited in doing this.  This is why I have more journalling than pictures.  Sometimes, I journal one day per 3x4, and sometimes 2 days in a card.  So, you can say, rather than photo-a-day, I have a journal-a-day Project Life album.  I do my daily journalling on 3x4 grid journal cards.  But on special days that I would like to highlight, I use the designed journalling cards.

6.  I use the all the cards back-to-back.  This is not only to scrimp on kit supplies (because I just have so many), but to have thin pages.  So far I don't have any problems with this.  What's crucial though is that I have to commit on the lay-out I have decided so that the placement of the cards in front will guide the layout for the page at the back. I do not use the back of the pictures though, just the cards.

7.  Do not be afraid to use other products.  At first, I was hesitant to use other products on Project Life.  I thought it might not go together or destroy the integrity of the project.  But, there are days when I want to play. (lolz)  And prohibiting myself from using other products will curtail my creativity.  So I took out all my 6x6 cardstock pads from other manufacturers and it just adds to the excitement and delight in doing this project.

8.  Finally, surf the net for inspiration but don't get tied up in knots trying to copy other's work.  For days I was stuck as I stared in awe at the beauty of the work that is out there.  Even the simple ones are so pretty.  But, I realized, if I don't start and just do it, I will just make my PL album gather dust.  

Finally

In the first two weeks of the year, doing Project Life has already inspired me to be more productive and responsible as an individual.  It might sound weird, but yes, doing PL motivates me to be a better person everyday.  It drives me to make my day count so I could write something truly worthwhile in my PL.  My album is a work in progress.  I know that in the days to come, I might add some more embellishments to pages I already decided as finished.  I am even contemplating of making a Design E Title page for the album and have each family member's individual stats on each 6x6 at the back page (as inspired from a PLifer I found on Becky's Blog).  I am not sure of so many things as I do this project, but what I am sure of is that Project Life so far, has made me a better mom, wife, and friend.  

Thank you Becky Higgins for coming up with this wonderful system of keeping memories alive.

Peachy :-)

Clementine Arrived

Last December 22, 2011, my Project Life kit arrived from Singapore, courtesy of Scraplicious.  I was ecstatic, although I had to pay an arm and a leg for it (I'll explain more on these later), it was totally worth it.

I got the Clementine Kit.

It was a difficult decision to make at first.  I wanted the Amber Edition since I first saw it months ago on Becky Higgins Blog.  But, I have boys so I thought about the Turquoise Edition instead.  When the Clementine and Cobalt Editions became available, the process became more difficult.  I wanted both editions too.  But, I had to be realistic and just choose one collection or risk spending our Milk Budget.

I love the color blue, but decided that the Cobalt Edition was too dark.  So, I had to decide between Amber, Clementine and Turquoise.  The kits were available at the Singapore store already and I still haven't decided.  The special promo offer was almost ending and I was still flip-flopping over the colors that I wanted.  But, time was of the essence.  I have to decide or 2012 will come without my Project Life.

So, I thought, what will my Project Life 2012 be about?  It's my first Project Life and I wanted it to be as fun as I wanted.  Upon further thinking I realized that as much as I wanted it to be about my family, I wanted it to be about ME too.

I wanted my colors to be sunny and bright.  I want 2012 to be a positive year, one that is full of hope and great perspective.  A year that will be inspiring as I embark on becoming a better person and a better year, quality-wise, than last year.  Yes, I absolutely love the color BLUE, but I want a palette that had more reds, oranges and yellows.  So, now it became a toss-up between Amber and Clementine.

When I was about to order... Amber sold out.

So, the Fates chose for me.  Clementine won.

PS:  Clementine has some nice blues on its palette too that would go with my boys' (a 9-month old and a toddler) pictures... so I did not feel bad at all. :-)

*Project Life is a scrapbooking system invented by Becky Higgins.

Peachy :-)