This is a hard question, and is obviously different for everyone out there. When I did those very first albums I felt the need to always go in order, and always complete the album before moving onto the next project. However, as time has evolved, I tend to want to focus on what pictures make me feel creative rather than what picture is the next in my pile.
Sometimes, I will look at a picture and have no idea how to scrap it, what title to put on it, what papers to use, etc. So, I will search for a picture that does inspire me and it makes it a lot easier to get a page done. Here are some suggestions based on what I have found works for me. However, it may not work for everyone.
1. Have a good archiving system for your photos. Now that we are in the digital age, you don’t just take a roll of film to the store, get it developed, and find that you only have 2 pictures out of 24 that you actually like. How fortunate we are to be able know what is on our photos before printing! So, I only print photos that I want to frame in my house, or put in a scrapbook. Yet, other photos are saved on my computer for me to look at whenever I want. I organize my photos on my computer by month and year. When they are uploaded, they go straight into the appropriate folder.
2. When I feel like scrapbooking, I go through three months of photos at a time. I order or print pictures that I want to scrap from those three months. That way, I am still going somewhat in chronological order, however, I am not tied down to doing one photo at a time by date. I do not place them in an album until I have gotten the entire three months finished. And likewise, I do not order more photos until I have gotten close to finishing that three month time period.
3. Sometimes, I let myself scrap something that inspires me, but is not anywhere close to being in order. Every once in a while it is good to do this. We always need to keep those creative juices flowing in order to prevent scrapper’s block. Yes, there is such a thing! Order a picture that you are just in love with and scrap it. Even if it is the most current one you have, that’s OK! If it’s a layout you are going to love, hang it in your scrap space for a while when it is finished to help inspire you to create more wonderful pages.
In my opinion, you do not have to scrap your photos in exact chronological order. Scrap in a way that inspires you. That is the most important!
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