Memory Keeping - where do I start??

It’s a good question! Until last month’s release, I had never done any form of memory keeping at all, and it just didn’t float my boat. However, when Jo showed the design team the products she had designed and some examples of them in action, I was immediately hooked! BUT I was still totally intimidated by all the different options, and I just didn’t know where to start. So, if this describes you – here’s my guide on how to get started!

1.       Narrow down your options

12 x 12 inch books, pockets or no pockets, mini books, pull-out books… the options are endless, right? So my number one tip is to get online, start looking at some ideas and decide which style of memory keeping looks like the one for you. Or at least, the one for right now! I trawled Pinterest and found that I was loving the 8x6 inch pocket pages the most, so I decided to start there. I will definitely look at other types of project in future, but this was where I wanted to start.

2.       Pick a subject

Again, this is such an important step – your project needs to be focused, or it will get unwieldy! It might help to start small, and pick something like “A week in the life”, where you document what you do in one particular week, as a snapshot in time that you can look back on in future. What were we eating, watching, driving, listening to? Actually, Jo’s Creating Memories stamp set is perfect for this, as it has lots of little prompts for those categories, as well as other things.

You might go for a particular holiday or trip that you’ve been on, or you might document a new hobby, or your pet… Anything goes! Just pick one thing and run with it. I had been wanting to make a photobook of our Lockdown memories, as I did so many fun things with my newborn and two year old, so I decided to go with that.

3.       Gather your memorabilia

What do you want to go in your memory book? For me, it’s mainly photos, but I have a few bits and bobs like pictures that my daughter made that I may try and work in, too. Do you have concert tickets you want to keep? Or a sightseeing pass? Why not work them in to your design?

4.       Dive in!

So, you’ve picked your format, your subject and printed out your photos. The best thing to do now is roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.

I found that sitting down and thinking about what I wanted on each page/double page spread before I started, really helped. I sub-divided my main subject of Lockdown into smaller bite-size topics, like Baking and Crafting, and Supporting our NHS, so I could pick photos that related purely to that. Again, this stops you from getting overwhelmed by all the options.

I then decided which photos I wanted as 3x4, and which as 6x4, so I could plan my page layout. Then, I knew where the gaps would be in my storage pockets, and I could decide what to fill them with. The beauty of doing it this way, was that at any point, you’ve only got a little space to fill, and it’s not too daunting! I used Journaling Cards that co-ordinated with my subject/colours and hand-wrote details about the photos. I decorated them with Enamel Dots and even with stamps and dies that went with my theme for that page.

5.       Make it interactive!

One of my favourite things about the examples that Jo showed us, was how interactive they were! Elements you could lift up to reveal details or pictures underneath; pockets that stored things; peekaboo elements… I thought it made the project really fun!

Example

Today, I’ll show you the very first double-page spread that I made. Now, bear in mind that I had NEVER done anything like this before, so if I can do it – you definitely can!

“Baking with my little mice”

I started out by choosing my photos – I had one landscape picture to use in a 6x4 slot, and three portrait pictures. I decided to use two of them in the 3x4 pockets, and print one out in a mini size, using my Sprocket mini printer.

Once I knew where the pictures were going, I chose some journaling cards for the other pockets. For my top left pocket, I cut a square of white card and added some handwritten details, then stuck it down on the journaling card. I added the “eating” word from the Creating Memories stamp set, and the little cupcake from the Bake My Day stamp set. I also stamped out the little mouse from the same set and coloured with pencils, then added him to the bottom of the journaling card.

For the top right section, I stuck down my mini photo at an angle, then added a sentiment from the Bake My Day set which I heat embossed onto black card. I then finished with a few cupcake embellishments.

For the bottom section, I cut a frame from the Smile Inverted Scallop Frame dies and trimmed it down to size, adhered it over my photo, then added a tag to the bottom left (I just cut this shape myself with scissors), with the words “Favourite” and “memories” on it from the Creating Memories stamp set.

For the right-hand page, I simply added two of my photos, with journaling cards in the other spaces.

However, I did add a little interactive element, with a peekaboo element popping out from the top-right card. To make this, I printed out a photo on my Sprocket printer, then die cut the tab shape from the MemoryKeeping Essential Dies, which I folded around the top of the picture and glued in place, then added a “Look Here” sticker from the Noted Tabs and Mood Stickers set. The tab protrudes from the top of the journaling card, so you know to pull to slide it out and see the flapjacks we baked hiding behind!

I hope this has been helpful – is there anything else you’d like to know about starting memory keeping? Let us know!

And if you fancy treating yourself to any of the new goodies (or anything else on the T4TD website!), make sure to use code T4TJAYNE10 for a 10% discount.

Happy journaling!