QOTW - Say it, Don't Spray it!

[shades of bliss]

LOL. Did I get your attention ::hi::. LOL

Let's talk about journaling. Do you put some on every page? Do you never include it? Do you write from 1st or third person? What are some creative journaling options?

Remember there is no wrong or right answer, just what feels good to you. But it is fun to share and get ideas from one another so...

start typing!!! You know you want to.

[shades of bliss]

Journaling is very important to me. I think my family is so funny and crazy and those are the stories that everyone sits around talking about. I want to capture all those "remember when..." stories. However, I have made a few pages without journaling. And I do believe that not every page has to have journaling to be special.

Lately I have been trying some new things with my journaling. Before where it would go on the page was kinda an after thought. Lately I've really been trying to incoporate it more into the over all design and play with the journaling like and element.

Many times I'm writing like it's a letter to my kids, but sometimes I like to use their words.

Oh and if you want to add a layout as an example, we would love to see a link from your Minty Gallery. :hug:

[paperboutique]

Other people's journalling inspires me. I never know how to put what I want into words - which is really, really weird for me! LOL Therefore, most of my pages just have a small, almost hidden name and date.

[shades of bliss]

Oh I know what you mean. Sometimes I write the journaling and then I read it back and think it sounds stupid. Sometimes I know exactly what I want to say, but not how to say it. It can be so frustrating.

[lacidock]

I try to include some sort of journaling on my pages. My journaling is usually just a short explanation of the picture or how I was feeling at the time. I am usually at a loss for words but I do want my kids to be able to look back and read about the memory I have scrapped about.

[mturnidge]

Oh I know what you mean. Sometimes I write the journaling and then I read it back and think it sounds stupid. Sometimes I know exactly what I want to say, but not how to say it. It can be so frustrating.

That's soooo me. I hate how my journaling sounds... but I try to include it on pages where there's a special memory attached to the photo.

[jenn7]

Funny how you bring this up - I just wrote about this very thing for a different newsletter that came out today. LOL As I said, I don't write journaling on every page (other than a title and date for sure) but I do try often to get the story across when it's something I want to remember. I think too many people get caught up with writing things perfectly - the perfect words, grammar, spelling (OK, that is a must for me LOL) but I think it's really about writing from the heart. So often, something is better than nothing. :)

[ingridfasquelle]

Ditto Lacidock ! Most of the time, i try to include a little journaling on my LO. A sort of explanation of the photo. I write it using to 3rd person. If the journaling is only a way of documenting my son's "first times", i write it in French but if it's something more personal, i write it in English ! SO practical ! ;)

[mj.johnston]

It's funny, the story behind my pages is very important to me, but you won't find alot of journaling on them. I can't tell a story or share a memory the way I remember it happening. I always hate the way my journaling reads; like it isn't eloquent or witty enough to match the story. I usually end up leaving it off or keep it hidden. I need to get better about that!

[MissPotts]

I almost always journal. I love it and believe there is always room for journaling on a page. I think I go between tird and first person. I will try to chime in more on this thread later. Great topic!

[~Julie~]

I dont journal on each one of my pages. But if it something that is real important I want to remember 20 years from now where we were or what we were doing.

[Dianne]

Not the world's best journaler here. I'd say most of my pages have very little to none.
IT'S HARD!!!!

[audscraps]

i suck at journaling only cause i never know where to put it! i always have something cute to say (i think so anyway lol) but i just dont know how to incorporate it. something i definitely need to work on! that and not being scared to use lots of elements/papers.

[Sweeet]

....sometimes I do and sometimes I don't, but mostly sometimes I don't..just short excerpts or to the like...

[aggietha]

I always write even if it's a date - it's as if I NEED to. Writing is one thing I consider my stronger points so I abuse it a lot -- it is because I talk a lot too and it needs to reflect on my pages :blah: :blah::blah::blah:

lmao

[starwarsfans]

I'm terrible about journaling because I always feel it "ruins" my page. I felt this way when I paper scrapped too. But, I make myself do it because I know how much it will mean to my son someday. I journal as though I am writing to him and telling him the story of what is happening in the photos.

[Sarah8914]

I include journaling on most pages... mostly feelings. I learned long ago you don't just journal what's happening in the picture because everyone can see that! It's not great, but it's mine. I write as if I'm writing about them, not to them. I would like to do it to them (my children) but I print a book for myself and a book for them. For my book, I don't want it to say you to every different child--I would rather it be like a story... and I don't want to have 2 copies!

[AllieP]

I always try to journal because I feel like that's one of the most important parts of my page. Even if it doesn't artistically go, it's what I'll treasure 10 years from now.

[glumirk]

I really like to journal about the parts that aren't in the pictures. Sometimes I'm having too much fun to take the picture (since I'm usually the one with the camera), so a lot happens. Or there are the memories which pictures can't capture, so I try to put it into words. I love journaling, but it takes me a long time to get it "right". I may even go back to pages and change it (I've only been scrapping since May, so I don't have a lot of experience here).

I guess I like it because I've gotten so busy that I don't write in my regular journal anymore, so my pictures are what I've got, so I feel that need to document it. Life is so amazing that I just can't capture everything...

[KirstieGai]

it depends on the LO I'm doing if I journal or not. I do if it's got a story to tell but don't if it's just a gorgeous photo I wanted to scrap or for a theme.

[Jani22]

I'm bad at journaling. I am pretty much a novice to this to begin with, so I often feel like my attempts are bad and poorly done.
I guess I just have to get comfortable with it.

[MissPotts]

for those who think u are bad at it! that is so not true. It does not take alot and there really is room on your LOs just put it on there. If u look at my blog u can link up to my DST gallery and see how I have gotten it on most of my pages. I am not saying I am the expert but I realized that memories and warm feeling fade quick and I did not want to look back and not know what my pages meant. So I started making sure I journaled we cant rely on a kit to tell our whole story. Even if u dont find room on your LO you could journal seperate and save the word document with your LOs under the same name. Or slip a handwriiten note behind your pages in your albums.

[joscie]

I almost always journal. When I first started scrapping paper way back a million years ago... I would leave a blank spot and say (to someone looking through my album) and that's where the journaling will go... as if I were waiting for the journaling fairy to come do it for me. Finally one day I just told myself to stop procrastinating and just do it. Now i have the journaling in mind when I start the page/project. I journal to tell what was going on, or why i took the picture or what I want to remember about the picture. Sometimes I write it as a note/letter to the child.....

[MissPotts]

Journaling fairy that is funny Joscie!lol2

[ashleyhawkes85]

I think it doesn't matter if the journaling sounds stupid or not. Sometimes I get too worried about what other people will think while reading it and somehow I lose the meaning and end up just trying to be funny or witty. I think what is most important while you are composing your journaling is to focus only on the memory and to not care if it could qualify with the National League of Scrapbook Journaling editors-because they simply do not exist!! It is "journal"ing. Alot of us wrote a lot of silly things in our journals when we were silly young girls and now we can look back and see how far we've come and we can almost re-feel what we were going through at that time! I've never read journaling on someone's page and thought "That's stupid. What was she thinking?" I honestly think everyone is just way too critical of their own work!!! Tell that inner dummy to go back to its dark corner and leave you to your work!!! I promise that as soon as you do, your creativity will expand and the invisible boundaries we create for ourselves will dissolve!!! You girls are all amazing!!!:cheer:

[MissPotts]

well said Ashley! But I will add I did say some stupid stuff in my teen journal. Along the lineS of. Oh I love Jon, forever and ever. I cant live without him. I will just die! lol!lol2

[ashleyhawkes85]

well said Ashley! But I will add I did say some stupid stufff in my teen journal. Along the line of. Oh I love Jon, forever and ever. I cant live without him. I will just die! lol!lol2



HAHA That's funny! yeah I am sure my journal was just full of dramatic tidbits. "Mrs. Fiona Charming....Mrs. Fiona Charming. Mrs. Fiona Charming..." HAHA (Shrek 2)
Aren't the phases of life a beautiful thing?

[shades of bliss]

I do agree that journaling can be important...but I would offer that on some pages the title and picture/or even just sometimes the picture can say everything. I saw this great page once of a kid eating his birthday cake. It ws just priceless and needed no words.

Have you ever journaled on a page and then went to post, and then while posting put a back story in the comments that sounded better than your journaling. I did this not to long ago!! I would have re-written the journaling, but often times (as I said before) it becomes an integral part of the design and changing it would mean way more work!!

[MissPotts]

Very well put Claire. I really do admire those pages that tell the story without words. Like pictures huh worth a thousand words sometimes. Maybe those of us that journal less should shoot for a bit more and those of us who do lots should shoot for a bit less sometimes. Its always nice to take a trip out of our own box once in awhile.

[shades of bliss]

Its always nice to take a trip out of our own box once in awhile.

Most defintely ::yipee::. Do you read all the journaling on all the layouts you comment on in the gallaries?

[MissPotts]

I try to especially if I like the page. Sometimes the journaling really sets the whole thing off for me.

[KirstieGai]

yes, I do read the journalling on LO's, when it's not too small and blurry!

[AquaRuby]

Claire -- to answer the above question I do tend to read the journaling. I love to hear people's stories and with the first question you asked, I do tend to journal a lot. I've always done that though. I want my kids to understand how I feel about them. Like a previous poster said, I don't just say, "Jorja, age 5 playing dress up." I try to go into more detail about it. I tend to write to them specifically and sometimes I will write in 1st person.

[shades of bliss]

What are some different creative ways to journal? for example: I wrote once from a toys point of view. That turned out cute.

Any ideas?

[MissPotts]

Listing, poetry, and journaling before u scrap. Thats what I came up with right off the top of my head.

[MissMint]

Great Q Claire! and LOL about Joscie's journalling fairy. I rarely include much journaling, mostly cuz there isn't too much to say. The animals can't read and Mr.M isn't that interested. I would likely jounrnal LOTS if I had kids..almost as if I were writing the memory for them but for now I keep it pretty simple unless a page has a really good story behind it.

I do like to ppl's journaling...I'm nosey like that. :eyepop:

[kc_happymom]

When I started scrapbooking I used to write in 3rd person but after my ex and I separated I slowly started writing in first person. I figured since I was the only adult in the house it would be easy to figure out who had written it LOL. I'm usually resizing to cram more writing into my layouts. My problem isn't figuring out what to write... it's figuring out when to stop :o)

Oh and I love adding quotes too.

Kathleen in Canada ::yipee::

[Winkapot]

This is my first post. And honestly I'm not so sure if I'm doing this right. :eyepop: Back to the topic... Yep, I journal most of the time. But sometimes, I experience some sort of "journaling block" after creating a LO. Whenever this happens and there is a desire for me to write a journal for the LO that I made but the right words seem to elude me, I give myself some time to inspire myself again so I could compose a nice and heartfelt journal about it. But I have also a handful of LOs that didn't have journal in them.

[Winkapot]

Great Q Claire! and LOL about Joscie's journalling fairy. I rarely include much journaling, mostly cuz there isn't too much to say. The animals can't read and Mr.M isn't that interested. I would likely jounrnal LOTS if I had kids..almost as if I were writing the memory for them but for now I keep it pretty simple unless a page has a really good story behind it.

I do like to ppl's journaling...I'm nosey like that. :eyepop:


That makes the two of us, Miss Mint. I also enjoy reading other people's journals as much as I enjoy reading blogs!::yipee::

[joscie]

I like to read others' journaling too, I especially like when they add it as part of the credits. it's easier to read that way. less squinting on my part.

and Miss Mint, your children one day will be curious to know what was important to you before you had them! :P

[Scrappie Irene]

I have difficulties with journaling in English and use it on layouts that are also made for galleries. For my personal layouts I don't have problem at all with it. I do it in Dutch (my mother language) so it's much easier to write what you want to say. In English it's always diificult if I write things in the right way.
But I love pages with journaling. And I'm always looking for new fonts to use for it.

[ingridfasquelle]

I have difficulties with journaling in English and use it on layouts that are also made for galleries. For my personal layouts I don't have problem at all with it. I do it in Dutch (my mother language) so it's much easier to write what you want to say. In English it's always diificult if I write things in the right way.
But I love pages with journaling. And I'm always looking for new fonts to use for it.

Ohh, i know what you mean, Irene, that was totally the same for me when i began scrapbooking ! I can speak English but i'm not totally fluent though ! Words come easier in French which is my native language ! If i have a problem finding the right expression, i simply ask to my English scrappers fellows ! ;)

[Sarah8914]

So speaking of children Miss Mint... when are you going to have some? They'd be adorable!

[MissPotts]

OOO! Inquiring minds want to know!

[MissMint]

So speaking of children Miss Mint... when are you going to have some? They'd be adorable!

What like you want a date? lol2

I think I'm supposed to get married first......yooohoooo paging Mr. Mint!!!!!


Oh also - good point Joscie ;)

HOW DO I DOUBLE QUOTE??

[shades of bliss]

This is my first post. And honestly I'm not so sure if I'm doing this right. :eyepop: Back to the topic... Yep, I journal most of the time. But sometimes, I experience some sort of "journaling block" after creating a LO. Whenever this happens and there is a desire for me to write a journal for the LO that I made but the right words seem to elude me, I give myself some time to inspire myself again so I could compose a nice and heartfelt journal about it. But I have also a handful of LOs that didn't have journal in them.


(Yeah I'm glad you posted::yipee::) Because I like your point. Yes sometimes I have journaling block to. I find that if I think about it as I'm falling asleep, it will all come floating out. I have been known to jump out of bed, run downstairs and write something down real quick. Only then can I sleep.

[audscraps]

What like you want a date? lol2

I think I'm supposed to get married first......yooohoooo paging Mr. Mint!!!!!

lol. well, that's the ideal order, but doesn't always apply! ahem. for instance, like myself. :redface: but i swear we're good people! lol2

[MissMint]

LOL Audra - I have no doubt!!! ;)

[glumirk]

What like you want a date? lol2

I think I'm supposed to get married first......yooohoooo paging Mr. Mint!!!!!


Oh also - good point Joscie ;)

HOW DO I DOUBLE QUOTE??

I'm trying to figure out this double quote thing, and this is the best I've got.

go to the post and find the quote and copy it into your text box. Then highlight the text, and click the little quote box at the top of the text box (4th from the right on mine). That should work.
What's funny is that when I saw your picture my first thought was "wow, they are going to have beautiful babies!". Maybe because my mind's been on babies lately... :cover:

[Jani22]

I love to read other people's journaling. I am jealous of the skills! hehe

[MissMint]

Is there anyway to get the name of the poster on the second quote? Someone? Anyone?? Don't make me start a whole thread for this!

[Keela]

I love to journal! I took the pressure off myself when I started digital scrapbooking by not following any rules. LOL! I talk to my kids with my journaling, telling the story. I also don't pressure myself to journal on every single layout. No rules! Got to love that!:happydance:

[LeeAndra]

Journaling is my favorite part of scrapping, but then I always have been a wordygurl! Incorporating photos with my stories just makes it easier to convince people to stop long enough to listen to/read me. lol

I write in first, second, or third person depending on the theme or tone of the page. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.

Although I do sometimes scrap generic 'beautiful/special/love you' pages (especially if I have a CT obligation to fulfill and no other more unique idea --- shh!), my favorite pages are ALWAYS the ones that tell a story: the sillier or funnier, the better.

I used to write a journaling-specific article for another digital site's ezine back in the day, so I have lots of ideas for creative journaling... tucked away in my archives somewhere! lol

[Raylene]

.....reading it, not necessarily doing it, but look at it this way: I have a million old pictures in my FIL cd's and most have no titles, other than untitled 4, etc, and it urks me! :annoyed: Who is it, what is going on? SOOOOO....your pages in 20 years will do the same if you DON'T journal.

In years to come, the family will want to know all about the photos and the goings-on. This year I started adding pictures to my vacation diary and I love it! Now it seems I can't do a layout unless I have xome "chatter" to start with!

TIP: open up a word doc and start a little chat about the photos you've selected. Just jabber to yourself. Then use it, edited of course, for your journaling! :blowkiss: