Put it in Writing!

A picture tells a thousand words, but whose words are they? The interpretation is left up to the beholder. As an example, a fellow scrapbooker was laying out her pages from her wedding and I nosed in to see what she was doing with her photos--anxious to share my wisdom. She had chosen a photograph that was dark and of the backs of people. I blurted out something like “you can’t keep that photo, it’s terrible!” It turned out that it was a very special and endearing moment when her father and her husband were mock-fighting over who was going to dance with her next. Certainly, the average beholder (like me) would not understand why that photo was selected to be in the layout, but by adding words—writing down the story of what was happening at that moment—the image is enhanced. Isn’t that what scrapbooking is all about? Enhancing your images and preserving your memories.

I cannot more strenuously express the importance of adding journaling to your pages. While it is not always needed (some photos do say enough), it should also not be left out and in some cases, it could be the bulk of your book! I recently took a vacation to Southeast Asia and it really turned out to be a whirlwind trip. I barely shot six rolls of film. But because it all happened so quickly and so much activity was condensed in a short period of time, I had a lot to write about. Needless to say, that book had to be created right away before those memories escaped my little old brain.

There are some wonderful tools out there for journaling. Starting with your own handwriting, and don’t forget your remarkable computer (word processor). Some fabulous fonts are available online at www.p22.com (an extensive collection) and www.myfonts.com (has some more affordable fonts) and there is always the option to search for free downloadable fonts on the Internet. Tags, lined stickers, alphabet stickers, rub-ons and rubberstamps (journal lines) make lovely page décor, as well as some of the newer label printers are great options for journaling your life events.

Have fun! And don’t forget to write!