Simple Strategies - Putting Together a Travel Album with April

Happy Monday everyone!  Hope you all had a great weekend!  A couple of weeks ago, Trina shared a great post on how to pack some scrapbooking supplies to take with you while traveling.  Today, I'm going to share a simple strategy on how to tackle the overwhelming task of putting together an album after you've come back from your trip.

It was my first time using a 6x8 SNAP! Album.  I thought the size was perfect for this trip especially because it comes with a handful of grid/lined cardstock and page protectors.  I bought a couple more packs of page protectors (which can be found in the CTK store).  (Note: If you're new to the 6x8 SNAP! albums like I was, the pockets are sized 1/4" bigger.)

I decided that my strategy for this was to approach it similar to how I approach my Project Life album:

• I organized my pictures by days and decided which pictures I wanted to incorporate.
• Once I knew what pictures I wanted to use, I grabbed my pile of memorabilia from the trip, then came up with my game plan.
• Based on what pictures I wanted to incorporate in the album and how big I wanted them, I sketched a plan of where I wanted to place the pictures and that also helped to determine which style page protectors to use.
• I highlight my game plan after I prep my photos.  That helps me figure out what I have left to do.
• With my photos printed and cut down (I normally print at home on a Canon Selphy, but I printed at Costco for this project because I had so many photos), I slide the photos in their appropriate pockets and work each pocket one by one until the whole book is complete.

And here's a look at a few of my completed album pages.

Front cover - I glued down the strip of packaging that was wrapped around the SNAP! album, then topped it with cardstock and miscellany from the July Travel Kit to cover the advertising.

Front page - I used the ledger style cardstock that came with the album and layered some cardstock, OA Travel Girl packaging, and more Travel Girl Miscellany.

DC Map spread - I incorporated a map that was provided by my hotel and used the enamel dots that came in the kit to mark spots that we visited.

First Dins Together spread - I incorporated bits from the Travel kit, Embellishment kit, and PL kit along with white Kelly Purkey and pink 7Gypsies alphas from my stash.  The red chipboard arrow is from last month's kit and the "We Rate This" is this month's Stamp Add-On.

Love spread - The pink Thickers, cardstock, and fussy cut arrows (cut from a sheet of cardstock) are from the Travel kit.  The cardstock Thickers are from my stash.  With an album that is incorporating a lot of pictures like this one, I chose to keep it simple and not document every pocket with a lot of embellies.  Instead, I simply mounted photos on cardstock and called it done!

Jefferson spread - I used Jen Boumis' stamp and the cardstock arrows that I had left from last month's kit plus more of the white Kelly Purkey alphas.  The cardstock, miscellany, pink Thickers, and flair are from the Travel kit while the labels are from the PL kit.

Cupcake Menu spread -White Kelly Purkey and gray Glitz alphas are form my stash.  The rest of the supplies are from the Travel and PL kits.

And here are a couple more spreads that use the same supplies and techniques that I've already listed above:

I hope this helps with motivating you to complete your travel album!  Thanks for stopping by!