In my 10+ years of scrapbooking, I have come across and even adopted, several scrapbooking styles. There are those like the great Cathy Zielske who do it "Clean & Simple". Others like Mou Saha enjoy adding a little mixed-media flair to their pages. Kerri Bradford favors die-cut elements. Plus, there are many more styles in between. The same is true for pocket scrapbooking.
Today I want to look at some examples of pocket scrapbooking pages from around the internet & show you how pocket pages can be whatever you make of them. The point is not to feel overwhelmed. Do it YOUR way. They're your memories after all, & pocket scrapping was designed to be simple at its core.
"Just the facts, mam."
If you like your pages clean & simple or are just overwhelmed by all the photos & memorabilia you have to scrap, you can make this process as cut & dry as you like. This example shows just that. As you can see, this page is very streamlined. There's a summary of the week & several Poleroid-style photo prints with captions accented with a couple of crisp, clean quote cards. The page comes together quite nicely & no other embellishment is really needed. The simplicity of this scrapbooking style is favored by many scrapbookers whether they're trying to "catch up" on their memory keeping, save time &/or money, or just like how it looks. It's both effective and pleasing to the eye.
Kickin' It Up A Notch
There are times, however, when you want a little extra flair. Take this layout for example. It's just as clean & simple as the one above save for the addition of a few well-placed flags & tags. Nothing overwhelming, just a little extra detail to really set it off. My personal style typically falls into this realm, but I have been known to mix it up with other styles when the mood strikes me.
Going All Out
Of course, scrapbooking is nothing if not a creative outlet. When I first picked up this hobby years ago I didn't have any kids. I wasn't even sure what in the world I'd fill my scrapbook pages with. But the first time I stepped into a scrapbook store & I saw all the beautiful papers & embellishments it clicked. Yes, this hobby was about preserving my memories, kids or no kids; but it was also a way for me to express myself creatively. It was something I desperately needed. I still need it. I can go 2-3 months without scrapping anything, but somehow I always come back. The feeling I get when I've completed that first page after some time away... well, it's like a weight has been lifted off of me. All the stress of life, all my sorrows, all my joy, everything finds its way onto the page. My heart & mind is free again & ready for whatever comes next. The act of scrapbooking, like knitting or fishing or what have you, is therapeutic. Meditative. That is why I love it. When I'm in need of excess "therapy" I find my creativity spills out by the bucket load & I start going all out on the page. Like these:
Here you can see how the designers added all kinds of little flourishes here & there, yet their layouts remain tasteful & not overdone. There are flowers, doilies, buttons, brads, rub-ons, die cuts, washi tape, tags... As I mentioned earlier, it can be whatever you want it to be & whatever it is will work. This is true of both traditional scrapbook pages as well as pocket pages. I've seen people insert everything from handmade mini books, QR codes, & CDs into their pocket pages to make their books more interactive & intriguing. Others have added programs, ticket stubs, subway passes, & more. I've even added a few of these to my traditional pages. Really, the possibilities are endless.
So, if you're new to scrapbooking, or even if you're just interested but are afraid your creative skills aren't up to snuff, I'm here to tell you YOU CAN DO THIS!!! Throw caution to the wind & give it a whirl. I can say with certainty you'll be glad you did. Start simple or go all out. It doesn't matter, & no one will judge you by your level of creativity. Stellar layouts are great & all, don't get me wrong. We all love to see a beautiful page, but what matters most in a scrapbook (& we all know it) is the memories. We do this for the memories, for ourselves, for our children, for our grandchildren, for our friends & long lost relatives. Whether your page is plain or fancy isn't the issue. It's the stories & photos that count. It's how you felt at that moment. What you did, saw, discovered, & learned. It's you. Do it YOUR way.
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