I have always wondered...

How long on average does it take you to complete a layout?


I think I am a terribly slow (and messy too) scrapper

I tend to spend 2-4 nights on each layout

I like to grab every single product out in the colours that i am using.
Then I fuss around moving shuffling embellies and papers
It takes me forever to come up with something that I would be happy to stick down.

I have just started using pizza boxes to make up kits for certain challenges I would like to complete.
So when I have a few mins handy I grab a pizza box and put in their the photos I'm going to use and the paper and embellie options. I think this is slightly speeding up the process for me.

Any tips to speed me along? What is your process? And how long does it normally take you?

I'm a slow scrapper too!!

It's frustrating because I normally get the layout sorted out pretty quick, but then when the time come to stick things down, that's when I start procrastinating, and like you pull out anything and everything!
When I first started scrapping I used to cut and then stick straight away, maybe I need to start doing that again, as my current method is taking far too long!

Some pages come together really easy and quick, but some I can fiddle with for days!! Usually, I'm the one page a day kinda scrapper :-). Your kit idea sounds really great and I tend to do something similar too. It helps a lot!!

Tamara- I'd love to be a stick down straight away kind of scrapper but I'm just worried I won't like the end result.

Chloe- Sometimes when I scrap lift one of my previous layouts then I can put together a layout quite quickly. And sketches help a bit too. Yeah I'm thinking I will keep making up my own little "kits", helps to contain my products from being strewn across the desk too. LOL!

I love 'scrap-lifting' my own work, makes everything so much quicker!
I'm working on an album of our recent KL holiday, and I have scrap-lifted a few of my favourite designs in there, it's not like these layouts are being stored right next to the originals.

Sarah - I'm the same (worry that if I stick things down straight away I won't like it), but you know the silly thing? I usually fiddle with the page for hours, and then end up sticking things where I had them the first time!

Tamara- I'm currently in the middle of scrap lifting one of my recent layouts.

Ha ha so true about fiddling around with the embellies and them being right in the first place!

Once in a while, if I finish a LO and am on a roll, I will do another from search to glue in one sitting. This usually takes a couple hours depending on the page.

Most of the time, I have three steps. First I gather everything that I think that I will need. Then I visualize the completed page until whichever day that I have time to work on it. Sometimes I find items to use on it or think or other ideas. This is similar to the use of the pizza boxes.

The 2nd step is to finally have the elements I want and I organize how the page will look. The 3rd step is to glue it all in place, I enjoy the 1st step the very most as I hunt and find the items I need because It usually takes me the longest time from the next day to several days later. I find that the finished product is more pleasing to me, the longer this step takes.

For me, a LO would usually average 2 hours I reckon (and I thought that was ages! LOL) Sometimes they might take 3, but that's if I'm waiting for "drying time". Once I have photo/s & pps picked, I tend to shuffle them for only a short period of time and then just stick them down. It's when it comes to the embellies that I move things from side to side for ages! (I figure that once I've got the pps down, I will just deal with the embellishing after that!)
As you've probably noticed - once I have a certain set of pps or embellishments on my desk, I often use them again for the next LO, and find that saves me time. too.
I used to make up 'kits' including the embellies, but didn't like having to put all the ones back that I didn't end up using, so now I just have a few 12x12 plastic envelopes with pps & photos already sorted in them and deal with the embellies as I go.

Karen- Amazing process you have! The visualising the completed layout in advance is awesome- wish I could get my brain to work like that!

Sue- yep it takes me forever to put all my embellies away again. I like the idea of just having your papers and photos out! Might give that one a go next layout and see if it saves me time.

Sarah, part of the reason I did away with the embellies bit of my kits was that I started to get lazy about putting them ALL away every time and developed what I affectionately called "the crap box" on my desk, where I was just tossing them into. NOT good, as it just tends to grow & grow...LOL

Hehe - I have a crap bag that is full to bulging of embellies that haven't quite made it back to where they belong yet. I drag it out when I'm doing a LO and usually there is something in there that works so I really can't understand why that bag never gets any emptier...

I love hearing about the way others work - I don't seem to have much of a system and I think I work differently depending on how much time I have or if I'm working on a challenge that tells me what I need. So, no help really

bahahahahaha Ali!!! That makes me feel better that I'm not the only one with a crap bag / box / pile!!!

I love hearing about how others work too.

I have a couple of crap boxes, bags and containers I do the whole 'get everything out that I think will match' then don't put the left overs away properly Back in the old days when I used to scrap I would do the pizza box thing once I had everything picked out and I found it helped me a lot. And my lo's can take anything from a day (very rare lol) to a week.

LOL ladies! Putting things away for me is a huge challenge! Once I get on a role I hate to stop to clean up. Love the crap box! Mine just usually piles up but a box would make sense! Just making sure I emptied would be the hard bit.

Because i had a crop every friday night at one stage, i learned to pre plan my los i was working on and just recently have gone back to that.
In my pizza box and my paper pack i keep :
paper pack - 4 peices of themed papers - photos
pizza box - embellies and flowers and ribbon and rubons and stamps.
Since i have had the kids i am a much faster scrapper and that helps too. I have been doing it for so long that i just find i am naturally fast and dont tend to procastinate as much. I also find that if you dont mix your products it comes together much quicker as you dont have to worry what goes with what.
Another tip i learned is that colour is the key. Once you have that sorted everything seems to come together quickly.
Also re sketches - (sue would know this..lol) are perfect for faster layouts. I used to design them and sue was on my dt, so she knows how fast they come together using them as you dont have to "think" where things go you just stick them down.
As for embellies, yeah just play until youre happy with it.
I have changed my style alot recently and i have been really happy with it, its much more me and its "do-able" with 2 young kids in tow..
i am finding that i am scrapping simpler but better if thats possible and i can keep it simple if i want or change it up to suit if i have more time.. either way its still different for me and stops me from getting bored.
Good luck sarah.

it's been great reading about how everyone goes about getting their pages together and I've really enjoyed all the tips to get things done faster

I'd say I fall into the slow category too and have plenty of crap bags and boxes around. I actually got into one of those boxes recently for a challenge and put together a whole page using nothing but scraps and loved how quickly it came together - maybe because there was less to choose from and it was very satisfying to put a little dint into my stash of scraps!

Bek- you have some awesome tips there! Thank you! Sounds like you are a very organised scrapper. I never tend to scrap from the same line- never really buy all of one line of products. I just mix and match between brands and lines. But that sounds like a faster way.

Agnus- Must have been very satisfying to put together a page quickly and without pulling more stuff out of your stash!

I'm hoping to squeeze in some more scrapping time tonight! Lets see how quick and organised I can be! LOL

Aga wrote:
I'd say I fall into the slow category too and have plenty of crap bags and boxes around. I actually got into one of those boxes recently for a challenge and put together a whole page using nothing but scraps and loved how quickly it came together - maybe because there was less to choose from and it was very satisfying to put a little dint into my stash of scraps!

Hey Aga, that is exactly right, it does come together faster b/c you dont have much choice and have to play with what you have. I challenge both you and sarah to work with a) either a kit you buy, or do one of the girls challenges on here and see what you come up with !

Thanks Sarah..
As you say, it can be a challlenge and i have to be more organised these days, housework, and my two dont allow me much time.
i challenge myself all the time by trying new challenges when i can and by trying new products... see how you go..

im way too slow as well!

There is nothing wrong with being a slow scrapper.
When I first started scrapping it used to take me a month to complete 2 layouts. Seriously!!! Now it just depends on the mojo. If I am inspired it will be done in a night otherwise I put them on a shelf then add to it and shuffle things around when I have a moment spare. I think the time it takes to complete a layout and the process can be determined by your style of layout. I'm a 'heavily embellished with lots of layers' kind of scrapper and this can take more time especially when I like to fill my table with products and then eliminate products as I go. Yes, it takes me a good half hour just to put things away and even then its not 'neat' which slows me down the next time I want to create because i cant find it quickly. I also find I create more quickly late at night. No logic, I just do!

I'm a bit of an in-between-er..when it comes to layouts.

I haven't scrapped much this year in all honesty, have been de-cluttering and downsizing in my house and stuff...

when I am in a scrappy mood I can do 3 to 4 in a night, usually I take over the kitchen table or a little coffee table we have, whack on a chick flick and just scrap...

Other times however, I start with good intentions and great ideas and just cant get it to work, so it sits or I put it away and forget about it... I recently went through a few albums from my earlier days and so many I had intentions to fix but never did *lol*

Ohhh.. i don't even glance in my early albums! My style has changed soooo much!!

I haven't been scrapping a lot lately either, not nearly as much as i used to!

I've been scrapping in fits and starts lately ... I'll have a good couple of days and then ... a drought for a week or so!  

 seems to be the way it goes!

Yep, I'm still a slow scrapper! Not much has changed since I started this post.

Except less time for scrapping now : (

And like Chloe, I guess you say i go on a scrap binge.

If I have a couple of days free then I quickly do as many layouts as possible.
Then there will be a couple of weeks break, before I can scrap again