Do you create pages for art or memory keeping?

Kristi Martin

Kristi Martin

Well-known member
I am curious...do you create pages for art or memory keeping?
Recently I have noticed a trend, (though it has probably been around for a while), where more and more layouts are created using stock images and not photographs that have been taken by the creator of the layout. This doesn't seem to be quite as common here at Gingerscraps, but I often browse galleries of other sites or FB groups but I am definitely seeing this more and more over the last months. Also so many of the layouts are piles and piles of elements that often make the "photo" almost indistinguishable from the rest of the page.
This is such a far cry from the way I create pages and maybe it is because I am not one to create a page just to follow the trends. I am a memory keeper and always will be so my goal in creating pages is to tell the story and highlight my photos. If that gets lost in the "mess" of everything else then that defeats my purpose.
I understand if you are on a creative team and want to highlight their kits and don't feel comfortable sharing photos online, but I am also on a couple of creative teams and while I want to do my best to showcase their designs my goal is still to focus on my photos and document my memories. I literally have 1000s of photos that I love working with and even if I was into creating the artsy type pages my main focus would still remain on memory keeping because it is so important to me.
Thoughts?
 
It's a little bit of both for me, although when I am memory keeping, I tend to use templates and the same kit for a thing (like my granddaughter's first year). For arty ones, I tend to freehand things but still use my own photos. I've had to use stock photos once or twice for CT work when the kit had an obvious theme that I don't have pictures for.
 
My pages are mostly for memory keeping but I do like to create some artjournal pages and Scripture Art pages as well.
 
Where I am at this stage of my scrappy life is that( apart from the LOs I create for little great grandson Harley which become a book a year recording his adventures from birthday to birthday...he will be 3 soon) I create for ME, and for the pleasure of creating, playing with photoshop, using great kits n bits, using photos I like (my own or family provided), sometimes several times. I rarely print, only occasionally share my creations with family or friends. My main motivation, apart from the Harley books, is the challenges here and the pleasure I experience within the process of creating. I don't use stock photos but enjoy playing around in AI using my own photos, the results are often scrapped. I love using heaps of ellies but would never think of that as "mess". Scrapping is more than memory keeping for me, it is about using my creative thoughts and ideas and trying to create something that gives me joy.
 
I like to take photos and use them in my journal pages to capture each day. On days where I might not take any photos, I will use them from another day when I took too many and could not use them. I find unless a kit is total themed, you can use it for any still by using the pieces that fit you photos.
 
Jill said:
Where I am at this stage of my scrappy life is that( apart from the LOs I create for little great grandson Harley which become a book a year recording his adventures from birthday to birthday...he will be 3 soon) I create for ME, and for the pleasure of creating, playing with photoshop, using great kits n bits, using photos I like (my own or family provided), sometimes several times. I rarely print, only occasionally share my creations with family or friends. My main motivation, apart from the Harley books, is the challenges here and the pleasure I experience within the process of creating. I don't use stock photos but enjoy playing around in AI using my own photos, the results are often scrapped. I love using heaps of ellies but would never think of that as "mess". Scrapping is more than memory keeping for me, it is about using my creative thoughts and ideas and trying to create something that gives me joy.
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You have made some great points and your last sentence especially....do what brings you JOY! I love that and agree 100%! No matter what or how we scrap we should be doing what brings us joy!
One of my main motivations along with documenting my memories is also the challenges here, they are a huge push to get things done but I only do the ones that I can manage to coordinate with my memory keeping. While I do allow these challenges to push me out of my comfort zone and try new things, if I can't match it up with a photo in my stash then I will skip that one. To me that is the beauty of GS having so many fun challenges to choose from since it allows all of us to pick and choose the ones that work best for us and still reach our goals each month.
I also don't print anything these days. I do share most of my layouts online but my main way to share with my family is through shared digital albums which allows them to see my layouts even when they aren't at my house having time to look through a book.
And I realize now that my use of the word "mess" was a bit too strong and I apologize for that, it just strikes me as usual sometimes since I have seen some that almost completely bury the photos.
 
I am a memory keeper. I inherited a ton of photos of my grandparents and their childhoods. I know nothing about 98% of the photos so for me, its about keeping the memories for my kids and grands. I do enjoy learning new things though that I can use in my pages. I am not 'artistic' so I dont tend to create to make art, but I do create to please me, so its art for me.
 
I scrap for the joy of it, for the creative outlet and it's a fun and interesting way to share photos and journaling. I've created photo-less LOs with mixed media products which I have framed and hung in my home. I very seldom use a stock photo unless I need to create a CT page and can't find one of my photos to fit the theme but that hasn't happened very often.
 
What a great thread! Like you, I was shocked the first time I saw other sites with albums and albums of layouts with stock photos. I couldn’t wrap my head around that as, for me, scrapbooking is about preserving my memories and our family history. But I now very much appreciate how others prefer to use stock photos as they are focused on the creative outlet process. I’ve attempted to create a couple of pages in this style, but it doesn’t speak to me as much as working with photos that I’ve taken of my loved ones or hobbies. Loved reading the discussion here.
 
I am definitely a memory keeper. At any one time I have probably three different photobook projects going (old vacations, baby, wedding, heritage, cookbook, etc). Challenges play a big part in inspiring me to keep creating. But because of that, my photobooks often don't have a very "cohesive" look. They are more a throwback to the hodgepodge of paper scrapbooks. That said, a time or two I did use stock photos for ScrapGirls Creative Team projects when the theme didn't fit my personal images.
 
I'm a memory keeper. Although I do make a page here and there that is very "art" heavy.
I have always been a memory keeper. I remember making scrapbooks as a small child, I would save all sorts of funny things to scrapbook. I made one whole album where I picked flowers and things I found outside and taped and glued them all into an album. I didn't know I needed to properly dry flowers before sticking them in a book, and then whole album grew mold. HAHAHA
My mom is not a scrapbooker, she is an artist in every sense of the work (master seamstress, painter, quilter, etc) so we have always been surround by creativity but I'm the true memory keeper in my family. I take videos and photos of everything!

I'm a memory keeper to the core and always will be, but I do love and appreciate all sorts of different styles!
 
GingerScraps said:
I'm a memory keeper. Although I do make a page here and there that is very "art" heavy.
I have always been a memory keeper. I remember making scrapbooks as a small child, I would save all sorts of funny things to scrapbook. I made one whole album where I picked flowers and things I found outside and taped and glued them all into an album. I didn't know I needed to properly dry flowers before sticking them in a book, and then whole album grew mold. HAHAHA
My mom is not a scrapbooker, she is an artist in every sense of the work (master seamstress, painter, quilter, etc) so we have always been surround by creativity but I'm the true memory keeper in my family. I take videos and photos of everything!

I'm a memory keeper to the core and always will be, but I do love and appreciate all sorts of different styles!
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Oh my... that is sad about all of your flowers, but kinda funny too!
I used to collect printed napkins or straw wrappers from restaurants that I went to with my family especially when I spent time with my grandparents or we went on a trip and they were glued or taped into an old scrapbook that had construction paper like pages. I guess that was my first foray into scrapbooking! :D
 
I scrap mainly to document the memory. But it is 100% a creative outlet too. I absolutely love re living the moment as I am scrapping my photos too. It's a very mindful and relaxing process for me. What a great question. I have enjoyed reading all of the replies.
 
Celestine said:
That is too funny about the moldy flowers! I hope it wasn't in a box with other keepsakes!
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Thankfully to moldy album was self contained so nothing more was damaged. LOL
I was probably about 7 years old at the time, but I still remember making that album.
 
I am a memory keeper, and I scrap simple pages. I have done some artsy pages, but that was mainly because of challenges. The reason I got into scrapbooking (I started out as a paper scrapper) was to journal; that's my favorite part. It usually comes quite easy to me. I know what you mean about using lots of embellishments. One time I was looking at a page, and I literally had to search for the photo. But that's the beauty of scrapbooking -- there is no wrong way to scrap!

Ginger, I started scrapping back when I was in elementary school -- using construction paper. I remember saving a sugar packet (with the sugar) from a restaurant where my high school choir ate after a competition. I put it in my senior memory book. LOL Now I have to wonder if the bugs go to it; I think it's in the attic. Ugh. So glad your moldy album was self-contained!
 
I’m a memory keep scrapper. The odd time I’ve had permission from a ct lead to use a stock photo but not often. I need memories documented. But I love art Journalling too, I find it fun but consider it different from memory keeping.
 
When I was on creative teams, we were told not to use stock photos. When I was a designer I preferred my team not to use stock photos. If they didn't have one for a themed kit, I send them one of mine or encouraged them to think outside the box using the kit. Actually, I'd prefer them to think outside the box because it shows the versatility of the kit that way.
I scrap for memory keeping. Lots of times with the challenges, I'd think out of the box to make my photos fit with the theme. Sometimes, with some of our trickier challenges people would be lost on ideas. I'd list some in the thread that I thought of.
 
I'm definitely a memory keeper, but it's got to have style and art and hopefully wit, too. I'm not the floral cluster master. I use a lot of nature photos, and fake flowers just don't work w them for me though I love to see how other people use them wonderfully.
 
Why I scrapbook:
1) 99.9% of my pages are created for designers. Therefore it’s important that I show off their collections as best I can.
2) I love the process of digital scrapbooking, it’s my only creative outlet. I don’t make cards, or sew, or paint, or craft, or cook. Just scrapbooking and golf. ;)
3) I always use my own photos on my layouts. Then every few months I choose 20-30 pages and create a photo book. Just a random variety of pages bound together to represent our life.

So my answer is BOTH! I create for art, but the result is pages of memories!
 
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