CREATIVE SCRAPBOOKING -Self Pages

Self Pages: Who are you?

by Rockester

"Whhoooo are you? Who? Who? Who? Who? I really wanna know!" These are the lyrics of a popular song by a classic rock band called The Who in 1978. (Am I dating myself?) Well, who are YOU?

Have you ever done a page just about yourself? Well, you should. You are an important part of your family and YOU need to be documented too! Your parents, children, and siblings as well as friends and coworkers would love to see a page about you now and then. Put one in your own personal albums or in group albums. Tell the world a little about the things you love and hate and enjoy. Don't be shy! Tell them the foods you love, your pet peeves, and the highlights in your life so far. Here is how I did a page about myself recently for a group directory I participated in for a chat/message group. You can use it as a model for your own Self Page.

Choose the Photo:

Choose a photo or two that show your real self. You may have a quiet side that no one sees. Include that. Or perhaps you have a wild and crazy side? Express that in the photos you choose. Or even blend the moods by showing several photos that show your different moods. You can also do a sequence like a filmstrip showing "The Many Moods" of (your name here).

Choose the Papers

I went through certain steps to determine what I wanted my page to look like and to say. First I chose a photo as above. then I chose papers that I loved that really expressed the mood of my photos for my Self Page. My favorite color is blue. So I used that color scheme. Perhaps you love a certain color. Use it! Or perhaps a certain artist and style is a favorite. (Think Mary Engelbreit, Jill Rinner, Sharon Ann, Rebecca Sower, K and Co, or Debbie Mumm??) Use their papers if so! Since I was going with blues, I chose a set of blue papers that were soft and muted. Perhaps it was just my mood that day but they seemed right to me. Don't think too hard on paper choices. Your first inclination is probably the best one to follow.

Add a Poem or Quote

I think the written word conveys so much of our true selves. We may not all be poets but we can use quotes or poems written by others to express beautifully what is INSIDE us. I searched several different poem and quote sites and found examples to fit my mood and the photos for my Self Page. I searched for keywords like Self, Me, Hope, Dream, and Life until I found a few good ones to choose from. I printed them out so I could see how I liked them. I settled on one that expressed my message about myself the best. As you can see you do not have to be a scholar or a writer in order to use great words! Just borrow some of these!

Here are just a few places to start looking:

http://dmarie.com/asp/poems.asp?action=queryform

http://www.gracefulbee.com/avenueb/titlecompany/articles/pageTitles.html

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Farm/9753/

http://www.n2scrappin.com/mothers.htm

http://www.n2scrappin.com/love.htm

http://scrapbooking.about.com/cs/poemsandquotes/index.htm?once=true&

Thinking Happiness - Robert E. Farley

Think of the things that make you happy,
Not the things that make you sad;
Think of the fine and true in mankind,
Not its sordid side and bad;
Think of the blessings that surround you,
Not the ones that are denied;
Think of the virtues of your friendships,
Not the weak and faulty side;

Think of the gains you've made in business,
Not the losses you've incurred;
Think of the good of you that's spoken,
Not some cruel, hostile word;

Think of the days of health and pleasure,
Not the days of woe and pain;
Think of the days alive with sunshine,
Not the dismal days of rain;

Think of the hopes that lie before you,
Not the waste that lies behind;
Think of the treasures you have gathered,
Not the ones you've failed to find;
Think of the service you may render,
Not of serving self alone;
Think of the happiness of others,
And in this you'll find your own!

You Tell On Yourself - Author Unknown

You tell on yourself
By the friends you seek,
By the manner in which you speak;
By the way you employ your leisure time,
By the use you make of every dollar or dime.

You tell what you are
By the things you wear,
By the spirit by which your burdens you bear;
By the kind of things at which you laugh,
By the records you play on your phonograph.

You can tell what you are
By the way you talk,
By the manner in which you bear defeat;
By so simple a thing as what you eat,

By the books you choose from a well-defined shelf.
In these ways and more, you tell on yourself.
So there is really not a particle of sense
In your efforts to keep up your false pretense.

Add Some Artwork if you Like

Below is a link the Creating Keepsakes magazine Cut and Copy freebies in case you need some printable artwork to go with your Self Page. Each monthly link has a different theme so you are sure to find something that suits your needs. I especially liked the May 2001 offerings as well as the National Scrapbooking Day 2002 items.
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/magazine/cutncopy/

I chose to use two of these sheets for a quick but adorable art accent for my own Self Page.

My choices of the Mothers Day art and the Scrapbooking Day art seemed to cover all the bases for me--both my private side and my professional side. I printed both sets onto vellum on the computer printer so I could color behind the artwork with chalks for a soft effect. Combined with the "Who You Are" poem, a few page accents from the CK artwork and my photos, I should have enough for a very nice Self Page.

Add Some Personal Journaling

If you like, you can add a touch of personal journaling to your page. Certainly you can add vital statistics like your name and height and personal favorites. Or write a little essay on the important things in life or about your philosophy. Be sure to add lots of descriptive words and emotion to your words. Don't worry if it seems pained, corny, sentimental, or gushy. That is just what we want. A hearty message. If it is sappy, but genuine, be proud of it! Tell us not only that you love gardening, but WHY!?? Who introduced you to it? What does it make you feel like? Are you a kid again digging in the dirt? This is just the kind of thing your loved ones will want to know about you. You can even hide this kind of journaling underneath a piece of artwork like I did under my vellum accents.

Create that Self Page!

Put it all together in a pleasing layout format that you like and presto! Your photos, poem, quote, artwork, journaling and paper all combine to quickly create a work of art that tells us who you are. Don't let your own identity get lost in your albums. We want to know the scrapbooker behind the lens! Put yourself on the page soon! You might just learn a few things about yourself in the process!

Happy Scrapping!
~ Rockester ~