As scrapbookers, we often inherit old photos from family members and many times they come to us in shoeboxes or crumbling albums without any type of documentation to help us determine who, what, where and how of each image. And while it may be difficult to scrap these type of photos, today I’m going to challenge you to do just that!

My dad recently gave me a CD of photos from his late twenties and while it included some of my early baby pictures, there were also lots of images from before I was born that I had no context for. But like any good scrapbooker, I knew they were a part of our family history and I wanted to include them in my albums! Rather than try to determine the exact location, date, and event happening in all the photos, I chose to use them more symbolically, to represent certain lessons that my dad has instilled in me.

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supplies | cardstock: Bazzill Basics; patterned paper: Echo Park Design, Carta Bella; alphabet: Pink Paislee; stamps: Michaels; die cutter: Silhouette Cameo; e

namel dots: My Mind’s Eye; adhesive: American Crafts; misc. buttons & stitching

 

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For each photo I included in the design, I  selected similar color patterned papers and layered them to create a matte. I added a stitched border with embroidery thread and coordinating buttons to highlight each journal strip.

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I wasn’t able to label each photo with exact dates and places, but instead, I thought of how the photo made me feel and how the moment captured here has shaped me into the person I am today.

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To tie all the images together, I created a bold title in the center of the page that’s a combination of die cut letters and stamping.

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While I wasn’t able to journal specifics for each photo, I was able to relate document the ties that they have to my present-day life and record some invaluable life wisdom that my dad has passed down. So just because you don’t know all the facts about a photo, don’t let it stop you from including it your albums!

~ Lisa Dickinson