Documenting the Big Stuff
One of my favorite things about scrapbooking, and probably what’s kept me at it all these years, is that it lets me relive my favorite moments. Memory keeping involves actively remembering, and I love the chance to look through all my photos and write down my thoughts. I love seeing the details captured in the pages of my albums.
Admittedly, big events are harder for me to document. The task seems more daunting, and I feel pressure to do it justice, I guess. Everyday moments are way easier for me to record. For whatever reason, I don’t stress about them. I just put things in the pockets and call it done. But putting this spread together took some thought and some effort. The Newport Folk Festival is one of my favorite events of the year. This year, I went all three days and I really wanted to capture the spirit of it in my album. I want to remember the people I was with, what I heard and saw. Ideally, I want to feel like I feel when I’m in Newport all year round. That’s unrealistic, but when I look at these pages, I at least want to remember how I felt.
If any of you are like me, and feel overwhelmed trying to document the big stuff, I put together some tips, and maybe they’ll help you. This is just what tends to work for me.
Remember that even the biggest events are made up of little moments.When I’m at an event like the Newport Folk Festival, my approach to documenting isn’t really all that different from my approach to documenting daily life. In general, the photos I take fall into two categories - people and details. I always want a good mix. I want to remember that I was with Paola and Rita and Aaron and Lottie and Marni. And I want to remember that my friends and I all wore the same shoes by coincidence. That Kermit the Frog sang Rainbow Connection. That we joked about stepping over the lines. That seeing the Newport signpost always makes me happy/sad. That I drank 100 Del’s Lemonades that weekend because it was so hot. People and details.
Let the photos tell some of the story. I take a lot of photos, and I want them in my albums. My event layouts tend to be photo heavy. Sometimes I let the photos tell all of the story. On this one, I used 16 photos on two 9x12 pages with a 6x12 insert. And I always aim for a mix of people photos and detail photos.
Limit the embellishments and colors.When I’m documenting a big event, I already feel a little overwhelmed, so I find that it helps to limit the decisions I need to make, product-wise. On this layout, I didn’t want to worry about sorting through my collection of journaling cards to find several that I liked and that coordinated well with each other, so I just made my own. I have a pad of 9x12 watercolor paper, which is perfect for cutting up to fit into 9x12 pocket pages. I cut a bunch of 3x4 cards, then used one color of watercolor on all of them. I made a mix of patterned cards and messy color-blocked cards to use for journaling. I embellished the layout with flower and butterfly die-cus from Tim Holtz, and with stamps from Everyday Explorers Co. Christine’s stamps were perfect for adding some subtle decoration and detail. I used Official Record, For the Record, Do the Work, and Dated to dress up my photos, add detail to my journaling cards, and create little spots for extra journaling. Sticking to blue, black, and white, and a few stamp designs, helped me to get this layout in the books without too much deliberating.
Use your words. The journaling for a layout like this is often the hardest part for me. I get stressed that I won’t be able to describe it adequately. Journaling is something I’m working on improving, and I feel like I have a long way to go. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try. So even if it’s just a list of favorites, I try to include some words. On this one, I used one journaling card for each day, and jotted down a few of my favorite things. I used a fourth card to journal about the closing act on the last day, because it was an extra special one for the festival’s 60th anniversary. I also added a couple notes on stamped images throughout the layout. I also love word and phrase stamps as a way to enhance the story. I used a few of those, too.
Add ephemera. I love saving little bits and pieces of paper from events like this, and seeing them in my albums helps me to remember the experience. On this one, I used my ticket print out, as well as a festival logo sticker that I bought. Ephemera can really add something extra to a layout, and make it feel complete.
Those are my go-to strategies for tackling a big documenting project. I know there’s nothing really groundbreaking here, but hopefully, if you struggle with documenting the big stuff, it helps to know you’re not alone.
The links to Everyday Explorers Co. are affiliate links, so thanks in advance if you visit the shop!
