Project Life Might Be the Death of Me

They say the first step toward overcoming an obstacle is admitting that you have a problem. I have a problem. I am pattern challenged.

For several years, I scrapbooked with two friends one day a week every week. It was awesome and I was caught up - emphasis on was - but that is another post. My point is that each of us had our strengths that we brought to the table. Denise was the queen of card stock. She could pick perfect shade of card stock to match any layout you could throw at her. My specialty was journaling. I have put my creative writing abilities to work on numerous layouts for each of us. But Susan...she was the patterned paper expert. Hands down. She could take multiple totally random patterns and make them work. I have been, and will forever be, in awe of her ability because one thing is certain...I don't have it.

Enter Project Life. As if remembering to take a picture every day isn't hard enough, I have this huge box of multiple patterned journaling and filler cards. Each page requires the use of at least 8 different patterns on one page. and that doesn't include the 7 different pictures that make up the weekly layout. I am truly paralyzed at the thought of putting together a page.

The creator of the project, Becky Higgins, is an amazing scrapbooker. I am sure that her albums are beautiful, and I am sure that she would never steer me wrong with her products. If she says they work together, they must work together. But, to my pattern challenged brain, it all looks a bit chaotic.

I love to design stuff - I mean really LOVE it. I also love to decorate and to create order. And, although my designs used to be very symmetrical, working for a pastor with a graphic design background has taught me to step outside of the comfort zone of the proverbial box. My designs still tend to be fairly clean and linear, but that is why I chose the turquoise version of Project Life. It is very graphic. Lots of lines and circles. LOTS of lines and circles. So many different lines and circles...

So for now I am being held captive by a literal box - my Project Life box. Would it be cheating to purchase a color coordinating card stock for each of the patterns and use only one pattern per page? Probably - and it would be a lot more expensive. I am guessing it is time for me to step out of my comfort zone and man up - or woman up as the case may be - to the task at hand. All I know is that this year long project could be a lot more difficult than originally anticipated.