New to scrapbooking

[pipkim]

Just a little help and nudge forwards, I'm struggling for time on the computer to indulge my family history  (competing with two kids) and I have come to a stand still, so need to do something off the computer.

So with my rusty graphics design skills and need to do something crafty, I want to document my family history so far, in the form of a scrapbook (handmade with embellishments etc not the sugar paper kind). But where to start. I thought I might concentrate on the one family at a time, but do I start from the eldest ancestors first up to present day or the reverse. My husband said start where the money is!!!!! His little joke.  There isn't any!!!!

Hoping for a direction, can anyone help?

Thanks
Pipkim

[K44ENF]

I would doubt that there are any hard and fast rules about what order you should go in. Maybe when you pull the photos together, an order will suggest itself based on what would look good where.

A couple of years ago I was copying a lot of family photos and I decided I would pull together a scrapbook for my sister in law, because I knew she did not have copies of her family photos. I started with the oldest, her great grandmother and came up to the present day with my sister in law's own grandchildren. The design was very much dictated by the photos themselves and which ones were good quality and large enough to print well.

Though I say so myself, it looked wonderful!

[mike175]

I've had similar problems, writing my family history into a book. Do I steadily plod through each line generation by generation . . . or what?  

One way might be to pick an individual you have a lot of information about and make him/her the focus of a chapter or a section of the scrapbook, broadening out to include his family and friends or workmates, business associates, etc.

You can always include a family tree to give an overall picture of their place in your family, but I find there are usually a handful of people with particularly interesting stories, or at least ones you know about.

[pipkim]

Thanks for the replies, it really helps to formalise ideas. I think I'll probably start with the earliest ancestors of one family and see where it leads me.

I don't have photographs of the ancestors, but thought I could illustrate with pictures of clothes of the day, topical news, artists etc. My idea is to produces pages in a loose leaf way and then hand bind them, so at a later date I could expand it with new finds, maybe.

Thanks again
pipkim

It's like having a blank page in front me and not knowing where to start, so I think I need to get on with it!!!

[K44ENF]

I think just getting on with it is a good idea! More ideas will probably come to you as you go along. Good idea with the loose leaf - I'll bet it changes a few times as you go along. Good luck!

[Niksmum]

If you are using regular paper then it would be a good idea to use copy of photos not the original as the acid in the paper destroys them over time.
When no photos are available for some ancesters why not scan in a copy of BMD's or maps of areas where they lived.

Irene

[tofgem]

I agree with Niksmum about not using originals. Keep the originals safe somewhere and use scans. Its amazing what information you can find about the places where your ancestors lived. There are lots of web sites which have old photos; there are lots of books containing old photos - try the library; if you are lucky you may find photos of the houses in which they lived; historical directories will give you useful information about places; old maps are available to show where your ancestors lived as are contemporary descriptions of the areas etc etc. Where did your ancestors work? What were conditions like? Did they go to school? What were the schools like in the area in which they lived? Some local authorities have fantastic web sites giving loads of historical information.
I have made my family history research into a study of the social and economic history of the times and area in which my ancestors lived. My problem is that I have so muc information I'm not sure what to do with it. Once you start looking you will be swamped with data.

I suggest you make a list of what you have and then make a quick search to see what is available. Then decide on a theme and attack!!!

(The trouble is - you will need the computer to find some of the information).

Have fun
Tofgem

[pipkim]

Thanks Tofgem and Irene,

That's the problem, there is so much information out there. I need to focus on a few things and get them in order and watch the project grow. At least I now have access to a scanner which will help enormously.

I partly feel I need to do this, to get what information I have found into an easy to understand format before it grows any more. Thanks for the advice and enthusiasm.

Pipkim