Project Life Organization – part 2

Seeing someone else’s organization pin on Pinterst that seemed very workable for me, I bought the initial item on the right from Hobby Lobby.  And I was also pleased to be able to use  their 40% off coupon since they carry some items of the Cropper Hopper brand. 

Cropper Hoppers

The Cropper Hopper on the right is great for organizing stencils, stickers, alphabets, labels, etc. – all the embellishments that go on my Project Life cards and scrapbook pages.  It expands far beyond what I have used.  I still kept the thickers, flowers, etc. in my (mentioned and pictured in a precious post) roll-around cart. 

A month later I went back and, again using my 40% off coupon, bought the Cropper Hopper on the left.  This was perfect for storing primarily my 12 x 12 inch papers organized by color – so much easier to see and get to.    Again, it was inspired by someone on  Pinterst using something different but with the same efficiency.  This item can also expand far beyond what I have used so far.   Both are attractive as well as extremely functional, with room for holding even more.

Needless to say, the addition of these two items prompted a further re-organization of the roll-around cart since some of the items were now in Cropper Hoppers.  I am now able to put more of my stamps and stamp pads in the rolling cart, allowing more to be handy and easily visible.

Project Life Organization

Each has their own specific organizing technique that works best, and many times it takes a while after starting any project, like Project Life, to figure out what is your best way.   One begins slowly accumulating items, like  card kits from Becky Higgins (www.beckyhiggins.com).  I started with the Clementine set and used only that for a while.  Now I have the standard sets of Clementine, Cobolt, Cherry and the mini For Him) and various 12×12 papers and stencils from the local Hobby Lobby (which now carries some of the Becky Higgins Project Life items).  I found that boxes and a plastic rolling cart from Hobby Lobby worked fine.

Project Life Card Storage

This also shows the many cards I printed out from Pinterest to insert because of the beautiful colors or the intriguing words.  I also made many cards by adding washi tape or doodling onto the journal cards (which I’ll show and discuss at a later time).

Rolling cart with all embellishments

This cart can be rolled around to accommodate use of space and where one happens to be working.    The 2 lower drawers are filled with 12×12 paper and pads of paper, pictures I’ve taken from various batches so I can go back and look for what I want, stencils, stickers, paints/pens/brushes, stamps and stamp pads, etc.   The cart came with each drawer having a lid which is perfect for traveling but for everyday use, I took off the lids for easy and quick access.  Works great for me.

Project Life Beginnings

It was right after I made the previously mentioned Razorback Bear for my teenage grandson in December 2011 that I started investigating and then getting involved with Project life, so the Razorback Bear was a major part of one of the first pages to be included in this system designed to meld picture albums and journaling. 

Project Life page for Christmas 2012

Project Life is a system originated and developed by Becky Higgins that includes whatever components you want to use, but basically an album, divided pocket pages holding various size pictures or cards, the pictures you take, and other cards specially designed to fit into the 3×4 or 4×6 plastic page slots of the pocket pages.  I started with the Clementine set for 2012, and this year got the Cobolt set.  Love them both along with my own pictures and also images I get from Pinterest, another online networking site.    

Title page for 2012 album

This is the title page for my 2012 album using a store-bought album and background paper from Hobby Lobby while the cards are from the Becky Higgins Clementine set, available from Amazon.  The use of pocket pages makes the layouts easy as you can choose from many different layout presentations.  I tend to use Pocket Page D most of the time, but have been using inserts for special days, like for someone’s birthday or anniversary.

I’ve noticed that many people come from a scrapbooking background and so tend to embellish/scrapbook their Project Life inclusions.  And almost everyone does one week in a 2-page spread.  Right from the beginning I realized that, for less stress, I needed to include as many pictures and journaling cards as was needed and wanted, so many weeks spilled way over the 2 pages.  Also I prefer a simpler approach so color and visual enjoyment seem to predominate my layouts with lots of journaling on the backs of cards and pictures.  A lone dandelion in a flower-pot filled with chickweed is as worthy of a picture as well as the many pictures I take of people, the garden and its inhabitants,  like the many turtle visitors. 

And I do not keep track of where I got what embellishment from – this has been for my pleasure – and I am very pleased, with the process and the results.