Greetings, scrapbookers! This week we’re celebrating the week leading up to National Scrapbooking Day 2012 (Saturday, May 5) with the theme “scrapbooking around the house.” Each day we’ll host a variety of activities to get your scrap on, including tips, challenges, and prizes GALORE on both the Creating Keepsakes and Club CK blogs. On Saturday we’ll continue the festivities in both places, and we’ve also teamed up with Big Picture Classes to bring you a FREE 12-hour Creative Crop (sign up to reserve your spot today).
As we scrapbook around the house, today we’re visiting the HOME OFFICE. Let’s see how CK Contributing Writer Deena Boese approaches it.
Happy Friday! Today we’re going to spend some time in the home office. Go ahead. Walk in. Sit down. Now take a look around. What does your office mean to you? Is it a place you scurry by cringing at the thought of paying bills and shuffling through endless paperwork? Or is it a place you love to go, full of fun possibilities and creativity?
If your answer is the former, today’s the day to claim that square footage and declare it as creative space! Yes, please keep those bills and important papers, but file them out of sight. With the desktop clean, you’re free to sprinkle your space with fresh and inviting items that inspire your creativity. Add family photos, display recent finished layouts, or hang a colorful bulletin board where you can post goals and inspiration. Ahh, a creative office space!
When you think about it, the office could be the ultimate epicenter of your memory keeping. Let’s take a look at the three components of scrapbooking and how your home office can enhance your creative process.
PHOTOS in the Home Office
This is an easy one. We use the office computer to download, organize, view and print digital photos. You can also use programs such as Photoshop Elements Organizer, iPhoto, or Picasa to tag and organize your photos for easy retrieval. When downloading, spend a few minutes to delete blurry photos or images with incorrect exposures. Then remember to take time to sit back, relax, and enjoy a photo slideshow with a cup of coffee. Be sure to print your favorites so when you have uninterrupted scrapbook time, you’re ready to go! Temporarily display these photos on a magnetic board.
SET A GOAL to download and backup your digital photos once a week. Print and display your favorites to help inspire you to scrapbook the memories. 
Image from The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker, page 47.
STORIES in the Home Office
We also can use the computer to document and archive our stories. Create a digital journal in Microsoft Word to record memories, thoughts, or even funny little things your children say. Quickly “free write” while the memory is fresh in your mind; then, when you have time, go back and pull the important ideas from your text to finalize your journaling. Creating multiple documents (one for each member of your family) helps you keep memories organized. When it’s time to scrapbook, you have endless journaling material to pair with your photos!
SET A GOAL to log on to the computer every day and type in your digital journal about something memorable.
DESIGN in the Home Office
Now, if you’re a digital scrapbooker (like me), this is a no-brainer. But what if you’re not? You can still use your computer to search for scrapbook inspiration, quotes to use on your pages, or download free accents to use/sketches to scraplift. You can even use simple shape tools in programs like Microsoft Word to create your own sketches. (Following Creating Keepsakes on Pinterest is a great way to start gathering ideas.) Pulling items like these and pairing them with your photos and stories from above will create a foolproof blueprint to use when you have time to sit down and scrapbook!
SET A GOAL to spend ten minutes a day viewing scrapbook layouts, color combinations, or design inspiration. Download free accents or motivating images and place in an inspiration folder on your desktop.
Remember to think of your home office as an extension (if not the epicenter) of your scrapbook world. Utilize that computer to consolidate your memories and help your pages come together in a snap! Enjoy your reclaimed space! Pretty soon, the office will be one of your favorite places to be!
—Deena Boese, CK Contributing Writer
P.S. Don’t forget to download CK Choppy Block for Free Font Friday!
Great post!! So agree that having organized, visually pleasing surroundings can improve your creativity!!
Could not agree more! I’ve been lucky enough to have a husband who agrees as well and always makes sure I have the nicest space possible. Here’s what he’s doing in the house we just moved into! http://www.happydaisyaz.com/2012/04/new-office-facelift/
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Definitely, when you want your employees to be a part of your brand, one of the great ways to encourage employee productivity is to provide a little something different in terms of office space.
A creative office space makes working so much more enjoyable. My office is full of colour and things that get my creative juices flowing, I like to think of my office. as you said, “full of fun possibilities and creativity”.