(Posted by Sara)

For some, it’s the most intimidating thing about scrapbooking. Putting words on a page doesn’t seem like it would be that big of a deal, but when you are pouring your soul into a creation, finding the words to put with it can be a task. If you are overwhelmed by the idea of journaling or if you love to journal and want some new ideas, follow the Oscraps blog. A couple of times each month, I’ll be posting some thoughts about journaling and a new idea to try.

 

One of my favorite books to use for journaling inspirations is The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Word by Linda LaTourelle. Linda tell us that, “Journaling is the perfect way to recapture the moment and express to all who view the album the story behind the photos, and share the heart of the author or the thoughts and memories of those in the photo.” She adds that journaling is the most important embellishment on your page.

But that doesn’t mean that journaling has to be long blocks of text. In fact, often times, this approach can be overwhelming and make people feel like don’t have the writing skills to journal. So this month, as we start a new year, let’s start small with a new take on journaling. There are many ways to incorporate small, simple words and sentences to convey the meaning of your page. Take a look at these examples from our members and Cheery-O’s.

Strips

Using strips can be a great way to break up journaling into smaller pieces.  Taking a whole sentence or two and putting several words on strips of paper or tags can spread out the journaling to make both a visual and emotional impact.

Dialogue

 

Kym’s layout makes use of a short bit of dialogue to convey a lot of emotion.  You can hear the happiness in her voice, and the (dare I say) slight annoyance in her partner’s.  And the emotion is clear when she responds.  Try picking out a simple quotation from an event and pairing it with a photo to create a memory from the day.

Status Update

Many of us are getting good at posting status updates and tweets.  They usually are short and sweet.  In Sue’s case, it’s more of a lack of status update!  🙂  Try imagining your page as a Facebook update or a tweet.  Limit yourself to 144 characters and see what creative words you can use to convey what you want to say.

Simple Words

JanainaOliveira’s layout makes powerful use of single words.  Her creative positioning as a crossword makes the layout even more powerful and interesting.  The words interlink helping to deliver the message that the emotions are overlapping and intertwined.  If you’re feeling scattered, you could place the words randomly on the page.  Journaling doesn’t have to be complete sentences!

Lists

Sometimes it’s easier to come up with a list rather than complete thoughts.  What you jot down can work perfectly well as the journaling on your page.  Selena has made a beautiful list here about her daughter.

Lyrics

This time I had to pick two layouts.  I couldn’t decide and I love this technique.  We all have emotional connections to music.  Elisa and Sue have both selected lyrics to use on their pages and they pack a powerful punch.  There’s no need to use the whole song, just select a few of the key lines to add to your page.

Articles, Timelines, & Notes

Selena has incorporated many techniques into this funny layout. First, she used the concept of a newspaper article to make the journaling a bit removed from herself. This can make a personal topic easier to write and make it more interesting to the reader. She also used a timeline approach to break up her paragraphs into “bite-sized” chunks. Finally, don’t miss that little yellow sticky note at the bottom. A small note or tag can be a great way to add a small amount of journaling.

The O-Store is loaded with all sorts of items to help you journal: tabs, strips, labels, stamps and more! Simply search for “journaling” and get oodles of results!

Take a chance on small, simple journaling this week. Try using one of these techniques and break out your inner author! And don’t forget to check out our resident Queen Journaler’s challenge! Selena focuses on journaling as part of our monthly challenges and this month she’s up! Check it out here: https://ozone.oscraps.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21719

And keep following the O-Blog for more tips and ideas!