Please show me your 8.5x11 layouts

I am thinking of switching for several reasons-not needing to enlarge photos as much, making my supplies last longer(I think), by having less space to fill with embellishments, and having them easier to scan. What reasons do you scrap 8.5x11, and can I see your layouts? Also, where would I find albums in this size?

Thanks so much!!!

I started scrapping in that size because the very first scrapbook kit I bought at Walmart came in this size. I have since moved to 12X12 because I can use more pictures. I don't enlarge any of them. You can check out my gallery and I think I have an album marked 8.5 X 11. If not, then all the layouts that are in the main album are this size. You can get albums from Walmart, Michael's and JoAnn's. Hope this helps!!

Here is my last lo this size but I have others.
http://www.scrapbook.com/galleries/90777/view/692599/-1...

I have done them in both directions and I think I like this way the best. I have found albums at BigLots that are great. Also at JoAnn's and Michael's. The Micheal's one was just white and I made a cover for it. It's in my gallery also.

I made a gift with this size, also currently working on a gift this size. I did one for our cruise trip too. I do like 12x12 also!

I scrap 8.5x11 because I can print titles directly on the background paper with my regular printer. My supplies last longer and it is very easy to use up scraps. I don't feel pressed to fill up so much blank space like I do with 12x12 and it is much more aesthetically pleasing when I use regular 3x5 or 4x6 photos. LOs also go much faster since they are smaller. I love 8.5x11!

Many of the LOs in my gallery are that size.

I scrap in 8.5x11 too.
My reasons are:
1. Albums are easier to store, lift and handle.
2. Size is not so overwhelming to try to build on
3. I can run the paper through my printer to print titles, journaling etc... directly on the layout.
4. I can scan in my lo's without having to stitch them back together (my scanner does not scan 12x12).
5. Albums are cheaper, pages and page protectors are cheaper
6. one sheet of 12x12 can be cut down to 8.5x11, thus leaving the extra pieces for other parts of the LO and it's easy to coordinate things that way.
7. I can use normal photo sizes, like 4x6 and not have to enlarge them a bunch to fill the space.

I could go on and on but you get the idea.

In my gallery, I have uploaded some of my lo's. I mostly do 2 page spreads of an event. To make it easier to see both halves of the lo, I put them together before uploading them here.


Feel free to take a look.

My scrap style is very plain, simple and clean cut, as the pictures are whats important to me, not all the stuff around them.

All of the layouts done in my son's album of the days after he was born (up until he was about a month old) are done in 8.5x11. It's in my gallery if you'd like to check it out. I don't scrap exclusively in that size, I just did it that size because it was all given to me as a gift and it was too cute not to use

I started scrapping in 8.5 x 11 so all my older LOs are in that size, but then gradually switched to 12 x 12 (about 2 years ago). Now the only 8.5 x 11 LOs I do is for the kids "Meet Your Family" albums. here's the last one I did:
Brother & Sister

Also feel free to check out my older LOs in my gallery. Hope this helps!

I scrap completely 8.5 x 11

It started out as a cost thing.
I kept it because
it will fit my printer
it will fit my scanner
it stores nicely
it is easier for "novices" (or my kids) to turn the bulky pages without severely contorting it
it fits my totes
I like the way it looks more like a magazine - 12 x 12 pages look distorted to me

The only thing I have not liked about it is that my kits and most of the stacks are 12 x 12 size and there are always a few pages where the design fits the whole 12 x 12. I have to use care cutting or do something else with the paper.

What reasons do you scrap 8.5x11?
I already had tons of papers. I used to do what was in the old days called "desk top publishing" anything from flyers to resumes for myself and others. So I started with what I already had. Oh, and not just the papers but sheet protectors. I'll buy a box of 200 from Sam's.

Can I see your layouts?
Pretty much everything in my gallery is 8.5x11 except for albums that I did for my sister or gifts.

Also, where would I find albums in this size?
I've stuck with notebooks, O-ring or D-ring types. I prefer the kind that you slip a title into the spine and a cover sheet into the front. I buy the white kind in bulk from Sam's also. These are just so easy to work with.

Most of my layouts are two-pagers that don't need to be literally close together, just facing each other. But once in awhile the two pages have to touching (like when title goes across both, or an image is cut in the center, etc.). To make that happen in non-post/non-strap bound "albums" I staple the sheet protectors together.

In December I was in a wonderful sketch challenge. Since most of the sketches were 12x12, I learned to convert them into 2-8.5x11 layouts. It was the perfect solution for me.

You ladies remind me why I had been thinking of switching to 8 1/2 x 11 !!

Vivian your points about the notebooks and sheet protectors are excellent - I had loads from all my years working at home too and that is what I set up for all my nieces - each her own book.

I love that you can design your own covers and back/spine artwork and slide them into those notebooks, and office sheet protectors are hugely inexpensive - that is how I did my own cookbook that I use daily.

If you only HAVE one photo, a 12x12 page can be daunting to face. Even one 5x7, in my opinion, can look small.

If you have double sided papers, you are really in luck, because you can cut the plain side for your background and have all the rest for borders, tags, whatever.

There is a woman here who does amazing work in that size - I'll find her gallery and put a link. Samsmom I think is her name. Amazing stuff.

here is a gallery - she has hundreds. The new ones seem to be digital.....but go back through. There is a book she did on kraft paper I adore!!

http://www.scrapbook.com/myplace/index.php?mod=gallerie...

You can get albums anywhere for this size Landscape albums are tougher to find. I have had to get those online here at sb.com or from other online sources.

I have lots in my gallery here and at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lapeen2/sets/72157594306222949/

And remember you don't HAVE to lock yourself into a size!! This is supposed to be FUN!! After reading 'The Big Picture'....I started scrapping whatever size I felt like scrapping...and whatever pics I felt like scrapping and it really got my scrap mojo goin' bigtime!!

i used to only do 8*11 but found that most swaps are 12 *12 so i have changed but the pages are alot bigger and take up so much more room

Thank you ladies so much! I decided to try a layout last night and I love the way it came out! I will upload it when I get a chance! I think I will still do some 12x12 layouts, but I think I will convert! I am going to thoroughly look at your pages when I get a chance later, but just wanted to say a quick thanks!

I love 8 1/2 by 11. I like to put a lot on a page, and 12 by 12 is just too big for me. I get a loss of what to put.

Re: Albums--I love 3-ring albums (used to do post but now I'm addicted to 3-ring)! The ones by American Crafts are adorable and embellishable and I love them! You can order them through this site.

I scrap almost exclusively 8.5x11; feel free to check out my gallery if you're interested.

Here's a link to the gallery sorted by size.

Click on the 8.5x11 button to see them all. There's landscap too, click the 11x8.5 button.


http://scrapbook.com/gallery/?type=layout&page=1&am...

Hope that helps!

I just posted a LO I did that was 8 1/2x11. Love this size alot!

http://www.scrapbook.com/myplace/index.php?mod=gallerie...

I have several 11x8.5 landscape pages in my gallery....not sure how to post a link. Anyway, if you go to my gallery, they are the pages of the St. Paul Cathedral.....take a peek I LOVE the landscape 11x8.5 but cannot scrap regular 8.5x11, how crazy is that? LOL

I have always been an 8.5X11 SBer, I have tons of LO's in my gallery. For all the reasons listed above. I also just use a regular old 3 ring binder and cover them in fabric to match my decor. Super easy and costs a fraction of what a purchased album does. I cringe at the cost of those if I spent to much on the albums alone it would really eat into my SB budget.

Most in my gallery are 8.5x11

Here are 4 of my latest

Hilarity
2006 Memories

Love my Dad

A little nerdy

I started with 8.5 x 11 before I changed to 12x12 I have several in my gallery. I still do an occasional 8.5x11.

• PamFSU29 Said:

I started out with 8.5x11 since I already had tons of stuff for that format. Most of my layouts for my own stuff is done in that size as you can see in my gallery. I use regular office type notebooks for my albums. Hate post-bound albums normally.

I only do 12x12 for certain themes or for my sister's albums.

I started out with 81/2 x 11 but now prefer 12 x 12 because I like to use at least 3-5 pics on each page. I find that the 3 ring binder albums don't like to be dropped, the rings don't match up and pages slip out.

I only scrap 8.5x11 (actually it is a tiny bit bigger as I scrap on A4), because I had that size of cardstock already on stock when starting scrapbooking. I just look at 12x12 very frighting: it is way too big for me to get filled LOL.

On my blogspot blog: http://scrapmonique.blogspot.com/ on the right side there are several links to my Photobucket LO storage!

Great LO's ladies!!

Check out my gallery. I am a MAJOR 8.5x11 scrapper and have been doing it for years. It's a versatile style and I'm a big fan.

I do think it is more cost effective. I buy 12x12 paper and cut it down. A pp sheet can last me thru 5+ los. I enjoy running my page thru the printer and it stores better on my shelves. I use regular sheet protectors. So many reasons.

Many people argue that you cannot fit as many photos on a lo. I disagree. It takes a little more effort, but is certainly possible. I have los with 3, 5, 13 even 23 pics (I cut these out of my contact sheets.)

Thanks for allowing me to extol the virtues of 8.5x11 sbing. I sometimes feel that people think it's old-fashioned or inferior to 12x12. And then I laugh because it seems to be making a comeback in the mags and people act like it's some new discovery! Oh, the trends and the dynamic world that is scrapbooking.