Too Busy To Scrap?

I had grandiose ideas of getting a whole lot of scrapping done this past weekend. Well, due to an unexpected turn of events...it didn't happen. So now I find myself getting stressed because I am way behind on my personal projects. There is no good reason for this feeling...it's not like I'm on a deadline or anything...silly, isn't it?

So I found myself trying to streamline the process in order to possibly save myself some undue anxiety.

Here are some tips that hopefully will help you as well:

1) Don't journal - For me it can be really hard to come up with the perfect sentiment so I figure sometimes it's gotta be okay to let the photo tell the story.

2) Make your scrapbooking a gift - Sometimes if I can't get started I find it beneficial to do a quick little "something" for a friend. Most of the time this sparks my creativity and my pages and/or cards flow freely.

3) Use advertising for design inspiration - There was an ad for some sort of energy drink in my mailbox the other day and I loved the colors so much I made a card using them. So before you toss them see if you can get some inspiration for your next project.

4) Stick with your tried & true favorites - I have some friends who have the most gorgeous layouts and I would love to "scraplift" them. However, my experimenting needs to be put on hold until I have the time to try it. So for layouts that need to be completed...stick with your style and what you are familiar with.

5) Use ready-made embellishments - It takes time to make your own embellishments or even to cut titles or other designs, etc using a die-cutting machine and when I am busy...every second counts. So I often find myself grabbing stickers or even pre-made diecuts that we have at SB2 to save myself some time.

I would love to hear about more time-saving tips from all of my blog followers.