Summer Family Reunion Scrapbook

writerrighter — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:21:22 GMT

During the summer family picnic festivities, or shortly thereafter, ask--beg if you have to--grandma or grandpa to write a handwritten reflection of the day's events. If they can jot down things family members mention that are going on in their lives at the time it adds a nice, newsy touch. Keep a copy of the invitation to the reunion showing where it took place. Keep artwork the kids created. Be sure to include a group photo since it shows the size of the family. To add journaling you can record some fun facts to your scrapbook memories. Some ideas: What games and sports were played? Who traveled the furthest? Who makes the most popular dessert? Who grew the most since last year (taller that is!). Who's the "sore loser" at card games? Who's the biggest "ham"? Who sneaked in a nap? Are we having fun yet??

The photo collection you pick keepers from could be sent to you or emailed as files for you to print yourself. The advantage here would be your ability to print them at a size best suited for your "creative genius". Often a somewhat small size works for a number of the photos as there may be a lot of them. It depends on whether or not you receive vast numbers of pictures. The group photo should be at least 8 x10" in size. There is plenty of space for it as long as you get a 12 x 12" scrapbook. You could get a smaller size book but the large size lets you place numerous photos on a page with enough room for photo captions. To arrange photos on a page you can place them at various angles and overlap them a little. This adds a casual feel, lets you pack more onto a page and avoids the monotony of a traditional album.

Don't be afraid to trim around some of the people in photos. You can trim using small scissors around their outline; or even hire a freelance graphic artist to do it digitally. Say your special group photo requires 1 figure to be removed while keeping a fairly natural look. A graphic artist can remove a portion of the photo while retaining background. At an event like this many of the photos will have similar backgrounds or contain undesirable objects like a cluttered table or people with their backs to you. Cropping captures what is important since page space is limited. Believe me you’ll notice when you go to layout each page! Then you can place the cropped shape on a pretty or bright background. One method uses a large stamp punch that mimics the shape of a postage stamp. You place a small photo in it and use it like a photo matte. Little secret here...if that fiancé keeps showing up in photos, you can crop said newcomer and include on the page. Removal later on is easy if they don't become a husband or wife after all. Gosh...had to say it though!

If your family is very large commit a pagespread to each individual family to make it clear which kids are offspring of whom! It may seem obvious now, but wait until children change, babies are born and the years pass. Any members of your clan who didn't make the reunion can send current photos to contribute. Also, note the ages of each child so you can get that perspective of how they've changed years later. The backs of photos won't work since they will be glued down. Make a pocket and place the "Li'l Ones Facts" in it or enter as "Emily at 4." by their pictures. . Identify them with any nickname they’ve acquired too. If you really want to show what a journal wiz you are, have the kids write a little about something they like such as their pet, school or pastime. If you ask them in the form of a specific question, they write the answer for you. As a side note, take care if you ever write on photo backs as a slight indentation may be seen from the front where the writing is on the reverse.

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Summer Family Reunion Scrapbook