Memory Planning 101



Hi all! I've gotten quite a few questions about my 2020 Memory Planner so I thought I would put together a quick little post explaining what it is and how I create my pages.

What is a Memory Planner?

It's simply a way of using a planner (in many different forms) to document what is going on in your life.

There are many ways to create a memory planner. Traditional, digital, hybrid, you name it. Some people use planners and notebooks. Others use Traveler's Notebooks and albums. And that's what I love about this project. It's super versatile and you can pretty much use what you have, or you can go out and buy supplies you need.

This post will mostly be geared towards the digital format, since that is what I'm using this year. I chose to go digital for a few reasons: 

1. My printer has been wonky lately and not wanting to print colors correctly - bummer. And I'm not ready to drop a couple hundred on a new one. In it's defense, it is old.

2. I like that I can cut down on my scrap time. I don't have to wait for photos to print, trim them down, adhere them to pages, etc. With digital I just open  what I want to use, drag it in place and save the file. 

3. Since traditional scrapbooking supplies can get expensive, I'm using the kits I receive for being on the Sahin Designs Creative Team, as well as free digital files that I find online. I follow blog hops, download freebies from blogs and if I'm needing something specific, I just create it. (Don't get me wrong, I still support my small business friends when I see a kit I really like!)

How do you make one?



Again, I'm just sticking with the digital answer. There are many templates you can find online, but I chose the 8x10 Planner Pages Template from Shannan_Pages. Everything on it is customizable. I use an older version of Photoshop Elements and literally drag and drop. It's super easy to use, even for beginners that are just starting out on their memory planning journey. (I'm hoping to have a video on how I create a spread. That should be coming soon.)

How do you print your pages?

Right now I'm saving each page in a folder on my thumb drive. At the end of the year I'll have them all printed into a book. I've used Blurb in the past and really like how their books turn out. When I post a weekly spread on social media I open up a new blank file, drop an image of some wood and then layer my pages on top of that. I think a lot of people think it's an actual photo, when it's really just a digital design. For a while I was thinking about printing the pages myself, punching them and adding them to a disc bound planner. But with my printer acting up, I think it's safer to just have them bound into a book later on. 

Where do you find your digital files?

I'm using past kits from Sahin Designs and freebies from blog hops but you can also find digital files here:

Pixelscrapper
The Lilypad
The Digital Press
In A Creative Bubble
Ali Edwards
Designer Digitals
Shannan Pages
Cathy Zielske
Feed Your Craft
Wilson | Wilson
Kellie Stamps
Creative Market


Can you recommend some walk through videos?

Shannan has an awesome video on how to use her template with Photoshop. There's a lot of videos on YouTube for digital scrapbook beginners. I hope to have some walk through videos up on the blog shortly.

Please note that I am in no way an expert on Memory Planning, I've just found what works for me and hopefully you'll be able to learn a bit from this post. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or drop me a line!

Happy *digital* scrapping!

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