Just as important, but often overlooked, is the importance of backing up our scrapbook layouts. Wouldn't it be just as devastating to lose your scrapbooks as it would your photos? Actually, I think it would be more devastating. I treasure my scrapbook layouts not just for the photos on them, but for the handwritten journaling, handmade embellishments, and one-of-a-kind memorabilia I used. While I could replicate some of my layouts if I had to do so, there are others that I could never recreate.
Here's one example. I made this layout when Trevor was three to document his love of mazes. For the title, I had him write his name directly on a nametag. His adorable 3-year old handwriting is what I love best about this layout.
If something happened to this layout, I could never recreate that part of it. Now that Trevor is 7, he obviously writes much differently than he did as a preschooler.
Fortunately, I don't have to worry about "what ifs" because I back up every layout I make, without fail. As soon as I finish a layout, I scan it. It's tempting to wait until there's a stack that needs scanning, but I don't allow myself to do that. I scan each layout immediately after finishing it, even if I'll be finishing up a second one 30 minutes later. If my original layout were ever ruined, I could print a high-quality copy from the scan.
I don't stop there though. Any disaster that ruins my scrapbooks could ruin my computer as well, so I immediately upload the layout to my blog. Once it's safely stored somewhere other than my house, I take my time uploading it to scrapbook.com and our personal photo gallery.
While chances are I will never suffer the devastation of something like a fire or flood, I feel much more comfortable that if I do, the contents of my precious scrapbooks won't be destroyed.
Do you back up your layouts?
When I scan my layouts to load to my blog and/or SB.com I also save a copy of it to my USB drive.
ReplyDeleteOne time I misplaced my USB drive though and for a few days, ntil I found it, I was devastated!
great ideas
ReplyDeleteI back up my layouts too! I don't take a photo of them right away though. I do them in groups because I forget, but I do get it done.
ReplyDeleteI photo all my lo's ... so I have them on my blog, on Picasa and on my external hard drive :)
ReplyDeleteYep, I do back up on discs, my blog and photo galleries.
ReplyDeleteI can count on you to back up your layouts, Cindy! I take a photo and upload them to my blog, too! I take a photo right away, like you do! Oh, and I absolutely love this layout of Trevor when he was 3. The handwriting warmed my heart like I am sure it does yours every time you look at it!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a large format scanner, it would be so much easier! I started taking photos of my layouts a few years ago, and about every 3 months, I back up my computer (photos and documents, etc) to an external drive we keep in a fireproof safe. I often wonder if I shouldn't do it weekly ... just in case. :)
ReplyDeleteI do my best to back them up.... but it's an imperfect system at best for now. In the process now of double checking to make sure I got them all! :)
ReplyDelete