Project Life Disney Album: Part 2

I'm back with another post about my Disney Project Life album using Sahlin Studio's Project Mouse. This time I'm going to be sharing 3 things I think you might also like to use. Two of the three items are free. Yay, free stuff.

First Item: In my previous post, I hastily mentioned a very helpful, amazing PS/PSE action that I'm using. Actually, it's a script that you, too, can install. Here's how it works: You create your digital 12x12 Project Life layout and if you are going hybrid, like moi, you want to print individual 4x6 pieces to put in your physical pocket pages. Now, the easy way to do this (note: I did not do it this way, of coarse) is to then save the file as a jpg so that it's all one layer, run the script and waa-laa, it sends (6) 4x6 jpg's to the same folder where the original file resides. Neat. Easy-peasy. Done and done. Ok, I'll stop dragging on, go here and download it. Anika's blog has some good stuff. She also has a video for the simple way of using the script. She's an engineer and as far as I'm concerned a genius. I haven't explored her whole blog. Probably more stuff we want there. Start following her. You'll thank me. You're welcome. Oh, and she's a PLJunkie Creative Team Member. Since there are over 10,000 members in the facebook group, I'm guessing you know what I'm talking about.

Back to that nagging question that I know you all are asking (or not, but I'm sharing anyways). What is it she is doing and WHY ON EARTH not do it the easy way? Well, the short answer is that I'm a complicated woman, people, like most creative types. The actual concrete answer is that since I'm doing two types of books (refer to previous blog post), I have certain needs. It might be less complicated to just tell you "I'm complicated". For my parents' Shutterfly book, I want the straight-forward- stitched-template-with-rounded-corners look.

Shutterfly Version with rounded corners

Then, for my hybrid album, I want square corners. This means, it's now a several step process. Here it is:

1. Create Shutterfly version with rounded corners  
   
2. Save it. In fact, just upload that to Shutterfly now as a way to back it up, just in case the unthinkable happens. I won't even say it out loud. Bad juju.
3. Save as new file. Adjust the 12x12 layout so it fills the page edge to edge with no rounded corners. I undo all the masks and turn off the stitch pattern to make it work.  (Turn on the grid to help line it up, but don't sweat it. Don't try to get it perfect because you will be trimming them down anyway)
   
4. After getting them squared off, I put any journaling cards together and photos together. That way, I can print journal cards on cardstock and photos on photo paper. It's just smart. 
   
5. Now you save again as a jpg. 
6. Finally, you are ready to run the script on that jpg. Go to File, Automation Tools, and (if you've installed it) it will show up as "Save 12x12 to 6x4" 

   

   Print on cardstock

   
   

   

   Print on photo paper

Second Item: All of my Disney Album templates are the stitched grid pocket pages designed by Traci Reed. Love them. They just look great with anything. It's like the little black dress of digi-scrapping. This is the set of templates that I am using in the Shutterfly book version. My co-blogger, Luly Gonzalez, (sidenote: I thought I made that word up, "co-blogger", but I didn't. Apparently, it's all the rage. So, go find a best bud and get co-blogging. It's a hot new thing. At least, I'm trying to make it a thing. Pass it on.) Luly, she's my co-blogger, remember? She introduced me to Traci Reed (well, not LITERALLY, but you know, her stuff.) Check it out. Good stuff.

Third and FINAL item: Another freebie. Our first day, if you noticed by the pictures or because I probably already said it, was at Epcot. I found some free fonts that matched the rides we did and places we visited there. Super fun to use. Go grab them right HERE. (And btw, WDW Prep School is a brilliant resource for planning a trip to the happiest place on earth)

Fun Epcot Fonts in use.

Our next day was at Animal Kingdom, so come back soon to see what I'm using for those pages. Fun safari stuff. 

Holly Genc

Project Life Disney Album: Part 1

I want to share my current favorite Project Life album. I typically do physical Project Life annual albums, but for this particular vacation album I'm working on a hybrid version. Oh, and it's DISNEY. OMG, so much fun to scrapbook. Our first Disney trip with little ones was this summer. (That could be another post on it's own: Going to Disney with a 5, 3 and 1 year old, YIKES) Before the trip, I bought into the Project Mouse collection by Sahlin Studio, which is fabulous. When you see it, you have to have it all. At least that's what happened to me. Ok, I didn't buy it ALL, but close. Why digital? Well, I had two reasons. My parents went with us, and they of coarse will NEED an album. Digital made sense. I couldn't really imagine making TWO of the same physical album. Instead, I do one digi design for two different album types. For Papa and Mimi, I'll just print a book. BUT, I couldn't go totally digital on my own album. As I create each page digitally, I also print the pieces and have a hybrid version for me. There is a really cool action for PSE that cuts your 12x12 layout into 6 separate 6x4 jpg's to print. Awesomesauce. I mean, really. The other reason for going digi/hybrid is that Project Mouse is all digital files. They don't sell physical cards. 

Cover Page. Project Mouse cards.

First tip I can offer from my own struggles: I stressed to the max trying to print a ton of journal cards to take on our trip. I imagined relaxing evenings after a day out and about, reflecting on our adventures and writing details on the actual journal cards that would go in my album. How cool. I'd just have to put them in the album and print pictures.  Well, needless to say, with 3 small monkeys, I mean kids, I was falling asleep before my head hit the pillow most nights. That, or sitting and staring, as I tried to find my brain at the end of the day. The ONE thing I did use were the autograph cards. Bring a sharpie and the autograph cards for characters' to sign. Of coarse, if you forget it on the last day and happen to meet your fave guys, Phineas and Ferb, spend $15 on a Disney autograph book and pen and get it anyway. You can scan it in and add it digitally to your Project Mouse autograph card. Not, that it happened to me....

Minnie has an adorable signature

Stay tuned for more Disney Album updates, as well as, tips and funny stories to go with them. See how excited my daughter was to meet Minnie Mouse? All my character photos include ME getting the autographs and you only see her backside in the photo. Such is life....