Project Life 2015 Gameplan
With the new routine that I’ve set up for working on my project life layouts in a monthly format, I’m actually on track to complete my 2014 album shortly after the new year. That means I can start the planning process for how I’ll tackle 2015.
Here’s the gameplan!
1. Dedicate Time
I have one and a half hours every Saturday afternoon unless I’m out of town or have something else scheduled. (I’m going to let you in on a secret… this is the time when my husband goes to church and I stay home like a heathen)
2. Plan My Tasks
For each available Project Life timechunk, I pre-plan what I’m supposed to work on. This reduces decision fatigue so I can get started right away.
3. Organize by Month
This is continued from 2014 and I really loved how it expedited my process!
4. Select Photos
After each month is over, I make sure I’ve imported all the photos from all the sources (DSLR, point and shoot, my iPhone, my husband’s iPhone). I use Photomechanic to select out my favorites from each source and then copy them into a working folder for Project Life. I always name my photo files with the date, so the pictures sort themselves into chronological order. This is a totally separate task from working on layouts.
5. Use One Core Kit per Month
Totally works for me to keep things cohesive. Also, I pre-plan this so I don’t have to think about it. I really aim to reduce decision fatigue and set up creative constraints so I can get things done!
6. Incorporate Brush Lettering
I plan on using my own brush lettering for month headers and other embellishments. (get your own copy + a freebie here)
7. Use a Consistent Font Scheme
2015 Font Palette: Oil Can and Adria Slab
8. Catch up on 2013 Photos
I am scheduling in time here to work on my 2013 layouts. With my dedicated time, I think I’ll actually make it!
9. Write Blog Posts
I’ll continue to share my layouts here on the blog to share my capture ideas and get-it-done attitude about scrapping.
10. Enjoy my Photos
This is really the best part. Because of the lag time between when I take the photo, and then sort the photo, and then work with the photo, I get to experience stuff three times! It’s fun to look back and think to myself, “hey, remember that?!” This is definitely my reason for continuing on this Project Life process.
If you also do Project Life, what’s your gameplan? What’s your reason why?
For more info on my general approach to Project Life, check out this blog post.
Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. She’s awesome. Go visit her website for more information or watch her 3-day course on CreativeLive.
Presents for You: Brush Lettered Michael Jordan Quote
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls. Just click the links below to download the version you desire.
Click on photos for JPG
8×10 inch Orange PDF
8×10 inch Charcoal PDF
Transparent PNG
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
Resource Round-Up: Working with PNG Files
photo by Death to Stock Photography
When I’m working on my digital scrapbooking, the word art that I like to use is in PNG format so that I have tons of customization options. I can layer over photos, resize to fit the space I want/need, and customize the colors.
Check out some of my word art for sale (plus a word art freebie!) in this post.
For those of you new to using PNG files in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, I’ve rounded up some video tutorials and resources for you.
How to Recolor PNGs by Cathy Zielske
Click here for Cathy’s original blog post and written instructions.
HowToRecolorPNGs from Cathy Zielske on Vimeo.
Working with Digital Stamps by Cathy Zielske
Click here for Cathy’s original blog post and written instructions.
Working With Digital Stamps from Cathy Zielske on Vimeo.
How to Work with Photo Flag PNGs by Cathy Zielske
Click here for Cathy’s original blog post and written instructions.
CZ Design: How to work with photo flag PNG files from Cathy Zielske on Vimeo.
Working with Layered Sentiments by Ali Edwards
Click here for Ali’s original blog post and written instructions.
3×4 Layered Sentiment How To from Ali Edwards on Vimeo.
Any other awesome tutorials or resources for using PNG files? Share them below!
Photo Series: I Watched My House Being Built
When my husband and I bought our home, we ended up purchasing new construction. On the day we signed the paperwork, our property was nothing but a plot of land. Because of this, we had the opportunity to stop by every week to see how the construction was coming along.
We decided to take a photo from the same spot each week, so that we would have a cool series of how our house was built.
After we moved in and started to decorate, we decided that one wall in our living room would hold a collage of these photos (how meta).
Still pretty cool to look back on though.
Do you document change and growth with a consistent photo spot? Maybe your kids or pets or garden?
Presents for You: Brush Lettered Edison Quote
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls. Just click the links below to download the version you desire.
Click on photos for JPG
8×10 inch Blue PDF
8×10 inch Charcoal PDF
Transparent PNG
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
Brush Lettered Word Art and a Freebie!
Get ready for a new year of digital scrapbooking.
I’m excited to offer you my hand-drawn brush lettering to use in your layouts and projects.
Click on each image to purchase and download.
PNG files are sized up to 12 inches wide so that you can stamp them onto your layouts that size or smaller. These are on a transparent backing so that you can layer over any photo or background you choose. You can also customize the color and opacity of the stamp.
For the months, I’ve also made you some cards that fit into 3×4 or 4×6 pockets (Sets include both portrait and landscape orientations). If you like the black on white look, JPEG files are ready to send to your printer. But if you’re like me and you love color, the layered PSD files let you customize all the colors and backgrounds.
To get 2015 started, I’m offering a special word art freebie for you to use in your designs. Click on the image to download.
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Understand How Habits Are Built
If you haven’t already noticed, I’m a bit of a personal development junkie. I’m very interested in reading nonfiction books and resources that claim to improve my life somehow. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
How this Book is Organized
1. Habits of Individuals: This section provides examples of individuals and how their brains work to create habits.
2. Habits of Organizations: This section has more managerial advice than what you’d apply in your personal advice. However, if you’re a small business owner and trying to grow your audience, some of the stories in this section could apply to your situation.
3. Habits of Societies: The key example from this section was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the United States in the 1960s and how peer pressure can influence society in a good way. This section could also be useful in marketing terms because it’ll give you an understanding of how ideas go viral and the importance of involving key influencers.
After telling you everything you should know about the science, the action items are hidden in the 12-page appendix. (If you read this book on an e-reader, be careful that the e-reader might direct you to a page of “similar books” before you hit the appendix) The appendix provides a four-step guide to implementing the principles presented in the text for creating and modifying habits that you can use in your life.
Overall Impression
I really enjoyed this one. I enjoyed learning about the science of why people and societies behave the way that they do.
Useful For
This book is useful for those of you who struggle to adopt new habits and are looking for strategies to change your habits for the better. This book is also useful for small business owners looking to increase sales and audience by understanding the habits of your target demographic.
Amazon links are affiliate.
Presents for You: Brush Lettered Eleanor Roosevelt Quote
I love quotes. And I love to letter them out. And I’m happy to be able to share with you!
Use for Project Life, scrapbook, art journals, or just print it out and hang on your walls. Just click the links below to download the version you desire.
Click on photos for JPG
8×10 inch Red PDF
8×10 inch Charcoal PDF
Transparent PNG
I’d love to see what you’re doing with my lettering and you can share your great ideas with others too! Tag me on instagram @randomolive and use the hashtag #randomoliveletters.
Personal use only. (Because these words are neither yours or mine to sell.)
Do you have a favorite quote you’d like to see lettered? Suggest it in the comments!
Silver Lake Utah Photography and Tips
Silver Lake is about 40 minutes outside of Salt Lake City. The lake is completely encircled by a boardwalk, so it was pretty easy to get some photos from every angle.
Photo Tip: Snap those cabins or buildings nestled in the trees.
On the way out to Silver Lake, our bus broke down and everyone disembarked as we waiting for a new bus to arrive. I was able to get this shot from the side of the road.
Photo Tip: Crouch down to hide as much of the road as you can, so that the attention is given to those trees.
We eventually made it to the lake and it was really pretty there.
Photo Tip: Try to get some of the wildlife. This lucky duck swam by at just the right moment.
Lake reflections make me happy.
Photo Tip: If the lighting is right, try to get reflections from the water.
More reflections. I think this one’s my favorite of the bunch.
Photo Tip: Look for framing elements, like this space between the two shrubs.
And finally, a straight shot into the sun.
Photo Tip: Experiment with getting the run and lens flare into your shot.
Photos edited by RadLab. (Affiliate Link)
Digital Project Life Layouts: February 2014
Project Life is my preferred method of scrapbooking and I’m hoping to provide you with some useful tips for either documenting your own lives or putting together your own pages with minimal fuss.
Here’s what I’m going to emphasize with the layouts I share:
- The random stuff I like to capture and document for myself.
- The simple approach to Project Life that I take. There are a lot of photos and very little embellishment and journaling.
- The way I organize some spreads into themes or stories.
You can click on each image below for a slightly larger view.
Capture Idea: There’s no shame in selfies. How else will you remember what you looked like twenty years from now?
Capture Idea: Any hobbies you are working on. In this case, this was my progress in brush scripting.
Capture Idea: I received a card in the mail with this super cute Pixar stamp that coordinated perfectly with the envelop.
Capture Idea: Manicure shots since I’ve been painting my nails a variety of glittery patterns. Definitely a part of my weekly routine.
Capture Idea: I took a screen shot of the TV Guide app with the listing description of the Winter Olympics. You can take screenshots of your own favorite TV shows.
Simplicity Point: We went to the movies and I just laid the ticket stub on a piece of scrapbook paper to take a picture of it. Now, I don’t need to find a journaling card or anything to digitally enhance the space.
Story Idea: Make one page or spread about one specific outing. The left side here was free admission day to the Nixon Library because of Presidents Day.
Capture Idea: Food. If you ever move away, it’ll be fun to reminisce about your favorite restaurants in the area. Also, it may remind you to go back to a place that you might have forgotten about.
Resources:
Photos edited with RadLab. (Affiliate Link)
Templates by Cathy Zielske: 01, 02, 05
Fonts: ABeeZee and Klinic Slab
Kit: Plus One Mini Kit
For more info on my general approach to Project Life, check out this blog post.
Project Life is a memory-keeping system created by Becky Higgins. She’s awesome. Go visit her website for more information or watch her 3-day course on CreativeLive.
