Picture My Life

Pocket-style scrapbooking has been all the rage the past few years. Some people even use it exclusively to record their memories. I love the fact that it makes scrapbooking super simple and quick. If you have a lot of pictures to get organized, or into albums, this is a wonderful alternative to elaborately constructed scrapbook pages.

If you are new to pocket-style scrapbooking, let me explain what it is. You may have heard of the wildly popular program called "Project Life" by Becky Higgins? Well, Close To My Heart also has a line of pocket-style scrapbooking products, which we call "Picture My Life." 

So what exactly is it? It all starts with clear page protectors:

As you can see from those pictures, these aren't regular old page protectors. They are divided into different sections. There are different types of protectors because each one offers a different layout style for your scrapbooking. The type you choose depends on your specific style.

Next you will want to choose a theme for your layout. Are you scrapbooking a new baby? A vacation? Are you looking for something girly? After you decide on a theme, you purchase pre-coordinated kits that contain little "cards" of various patterns and sizes, like the ones shown above in the baby-themed kit.

Here is a closer look at what came in the Surf's Up kit that I received a couple of weeks ago:

These themed cards, along with your pictures, simply slip inside the pockets of your divided Memory Protectors, like this:

Are you having an "AHA" moment? Can't you just see how fast and easy this is? Simply add any journaling on the pre-designed cards and the work is done for you! You can add some embellishments like ribbon, Washi tape, buttons, stickers, etc. to personalize it even more if you wish. You can even add your own stamped images.

Here's something else that's positively genius with this system... flip your finished page around and create another page on the back! Each card comes with an image on the front and the back (2 different images for more flexibility!), so by inserting cards and pictures back to back, you DOUBLE your layout space!

Like I said, there are many companies that now offer this type of scrapbooking. However, if you are interested in knowing more about the CTMH Picture My Life kits, here is what's included in every kit:

44 - 4" x 6" cards (2 each of 22 designs)

78 - 3" x 4" cards (3 each of 26 designs)

1 - 12" x 12" designed cover sheet (images front AND back)

10 - 12" x 12" Memory Protectors (various designs)

That's 122 cards, a designer cover page, and a bunch of page protectors to hold them all! You can create a TON of layouts with that many cards. So quick and easy.

Check out this video to learn more about Picture My Life:

Have you tried pocket-style scrapbooking? What do you like best about it? Please let us know in the comments below!

I'll see you in the craft room,