Smash Book Fail

Who here has started a Smash Book and feels like a failure?

Obviously I feel this way since i started the topic.
I bought a Smash Book last year and was soooo excited to start the "journey " but it wound up feeling more like work.

My Smash Book was pieces of randoms of my life as well as a sort of diary. What I found was as the novelty wore off I found myself slacking in keeping it up and now when I look at it it just seems like a waste. I feel like I can't pick up where I left of because there has been to much of a space of time in between my efforts.

I'm actually thinking of ripping out the few pages I do want to keep and throwing out the rest because I feel like it taunts me!

Anybody else feel this way or better yet have any encouraging words of wisdom to make my hate of the Smash Book less?

I must confess, I never saw the point of the smash books. So of course, I won one. It is still sitting on the shelf, but I think I've decided to use it as more of a mini album. Rather than document what appears to me as random stuff, I thought I'd try to document who I am for this year in my life. I haven't started yet, but I feel more confident when I have a plan to follow.

As far as feeling like a failure? Don't! You tried something new, found it not to your liking, and I'm sure learned from the experience. That equals success in my book!

I agree with pp....not a failure! You just tried something and decide it's not for you!

I've only used a Smash Book once....I used it for a travel journal when we went on our trip to New Zealand.....that worked because I only used it for the month of our trip and it was a great reminder of what we did on each day etc...
I don't think I'm good at day to day journaling either.....I can't keep it up!

You could use the remainder of the book as a sort of art journal....just put favourite quotes in it....try out new techniques, paint, stamps etc...
That way, you only use it when you feel like it but eventually, it will get used up!

Doreena I started one as a travel journal and hardly kept to it... I'd rather be doing than not.

I like Kiyawinns idea of how to use it...great idea.

I don't think it's a fail - I just don't like spending money on something that just sits there. eRepurposing is a great way to redeem that.

I would not worry about it at all. I do not see it as a failure... you tried something new & you get points for trying something new. We can't feel like failures when we try new things.. You are brave for trying.

i also bought a smash book after swearing i never would. i did like the embellishments but i finally broke down and bought one.
Mine doesn't have a theme but i have not worked on it for a long time. to me, it feels like it's for special photos or something like that.
i can't say i failed at it maybe the time to use it hasn't come yet.
i think one of the things that keeps me from using it is that the pages are decorated too much and i don't want to cover them up.
who knows mabye an event will come up someday and you'll be glad to have you smash book.

I actually liked the fancy pants brag book better. I found the SMASH book to be too kitschy/theme-y for my taste. The brag book is basically a notebook with pocket dividers.

I didn't buy a smash book. I don't think I would have enjoyed them either. But I made something like a smash book like someone on youtube. I cant remember her name. She called hers a junk journal But any way she made hers from a plain composition book which is no theme really. (unless you want it to be)I like to put my phone pics in them ( I have so many )or I just put random pic of things in there that I don't want to lose or don't want to do a whole 12 x 12 LO.

But I have to admit I had more fun making the book then filing it.

LOL I have made 6 so far and none are full. LOL.. but I made 3 as gifts. I made one Saint and LSU and one Saints and one Orange..

So now that I rambled on and on.... LOL.... But for sure it is not a failure. Some things aren't made for everyone..

I have bought things several items that I have not used in a few years thinking "when am I ever going to use them "- and guess what, opportunity arises and you will use them- eventually.

I had a fairy tale castle (chipboard) by Kaisercraft that I kept thinking what on earth would I put in there? I didn't have any fairy photos of my daughter to fill up a whole book. Then, my daughter had 'book week' at school, dressed as 'Sleeping beauty' and likes reading books. I put all these photos in the album with pictures of her favourite books at age 5 -- and it looked great in the end. Something I thought I wouldn't use!!

One good thing with scrapbooking, you can rip out layouts and start again, modifying, cover and embellish. Don't throw it out.

For the record, I made my own smashbook. Its just a journal, no pressure to add stuff, just whenever I want to record something, I just add it. I also experiment with things (stamps) etc in it. No-one sees it bar me (and close family)
good luck,

I never got into the whole Smash Book thing, but I agree with the others....it's not a failure! You tried it, and it didn't work for you - so what?

Some of what you ladies posted are one of the reasons that I had trouble w/ it.
The themed pages are cute but sometimes didn't fit my needs.
And because of this I had to jump around in the book to find pages that did fit my theme which made my book such a mish mash of random items and that's not my style at all (when creating a book or journal I mean. My personality, on the other hand, is very random! LOL!)

Thanks for your words of wisdom and encouragement.
And you're right! I tried, I didn't like, I move on... isn't that what life is all about anyway?!

I think I may still destroy the book, as keeping it, unfinished, will drive me crazy! I'll just keep what I like and use the pages I haven't filled up on future layouts.

I have another empty SMash Book that I bought on Clearance. If I can find a way to make it work for me, perhaps I will try again, knowing what I know now. If not, Oh well!

Thanks again!

I just bought a smash book kit and I thought I never would. I did it after watching several videos that convinced me that there is no wrong or right way to "Smash". I will be going back to teaching at the end of August, and it is crazy busy for several weeks. I won't have time to crop, but I'm going to keep the smash book close in an effort to do some kind of crafting. I'm going to make it my informal, funky, messy kind of scrapbooking. I don't think you failed at all. I think you had expectations of the experience that you could not live up to. Maybe put it away for awhile and then return to it later?

I "failed" at Smashbooking as well. I just don't get it apparently. It really looked appealing, but I just couldn't think of anything to do with it, and when I did, I hated the one page I did so I ripped it out and threw it away.

I don't want to hijack the thread, but what is an art journal, like kiyawinn mentioned?

I have three smash books and love each one (well two) the third is my daughters!!!
just not for you definalty not a fail!!

my smash book is a junk drawer/memory book. there is not really any order but I like it like that because I just smashed what I never seemed to keep all in one spot. my next one is of my clothes/crafts I like and want from all of my magazines. and then I have another I just started of what I pinned on pinterest.

I have a smash book but I do not use it as an album. I store things I will use in my scrapbooks like tickets, brochures, etc. I also have a couple of pages to write quotes that I love. I use the book to write down favorite fonts I want to try out on pages. When we travel I take it with me to write down notes about things I want to remember. It's full of lists-things I need to scrap, pictures I need to print, scrappy items I NEED to buy, etc. I think it's a cute little "notebook" type item and that is how I have been using it. As many other posters said I cannot see it working for me as an album because the pages are so printed with themes that wouldn't work for actual layouts.

• *jesse* Said:

I wasn't sure myself but here is a link I found that explains it: http://debbiehodge.com/2010/03/defining-art-journaling/

Think I found a use for my other SMash Book... although I may just go simpler, like w/ a notebook since I still don't know if I could make the Themed pages work!

http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2013/08/stories-of-home/

Art journaling is just a way of sharing different art techniques, favourite quotes etc...
It is a great way of covering up pages you are not fond of.....just paint/gesso/spray/stencil /stamp/doodle/draw etc. over top of the paper.....

Another option...one I used for my Smash travel book....cover the pages with other paper....
There is nothing saying you can't cover up the pages you don't like! I used paper that matched what I was doing and just glued it to the page....
Or glue an envelope to the page, decorate the envelope and store memorabilia in it.....

i don't even start mine - for exactly the same reasons. I like the pages to fit the theme, I like to have an idea behind the entire book - not just random stuff. I think I'll gift my smash book to some teenage girl for a journal - she'll be happier for it))

Oh come on!! I need to hear from someone who loves their smashbook and everything about it!! Anyone?? Mine will come in the mail any day and i am determined to enjoy the heck out of it. I think one of the problems will be letting the smashbook be messy and relaxed instead of some perfect art form. Does anyone understand what im talking about?

I bought 7 smash books and I love them. I'll tell you why. I turned one into an art journal. In another I glue crafts tutorials from magazines that I don't want to keep. Another one is full to the brim with templates for scrapbook pages. I'm thinking of using for a "project life" type of thing and the rest will probably be more art journals :-D I really did empty out several drawers and smashed the stuff into several books :-D

Very cool. Love these ideas! Thanks

Happy to hear it works for some people!

I never got into the Smash Book thing, but all you ladies have some great ideas!

Well..i havent received mine yet. I came up with an idea to use scraps and embellies left over from cropping. Kind of like a recycling project. What do you think?

I have several and love them. I did not stick to the theme I just did what I wanted with them and the pages that I did not like I covered with my own paper. I've used one for a art journal, one for recipes, one for cute pictures, one for cards I saved from friends and family, one for random "stuff"... I pull out my Smashbooks when I want a break from regular scrapping and just want to be "outside the box."
So, don't feel bad if it's not your thing... I think we all have tried a new craze at one time or another and found that it just wasn't for them. Give it to one of your little people to draw in. Then save it and give it to them for later...

I'm in San Francisco right now on vacation and im using my smashbook!! So fun. It's a journal with benifits!! Its messy and imperfect and i love it!! For me, a huge success.

Didn't think I'd like it, but I have fun with it. I don't follow any rules & don't "smash" it all in. I've used mine as mini scrapbooks for pictures that may not "make the cut" for layouts, but are fun none-the-less. I found you don't have to be perfect, just have fun with it.

I just bought my first Smash Book yesterday, our Joann's has them on clearance, $6.97 for the big size, so I figured why not. Lots of extras on clearance too...then I thought what the heck will I do with this, well, here's my idea. I've worked as a salesperson for a few years, with my newest company I just started with I'm very lucky, I work from my home in Upstate NY and when I have to go to the office it's in Sarasota FL, I also get to travel, so I thought, why not do a smashbook, easy to take with me of my life as a female traveling salesperson, the places I go, experiences, things I see, people watching...airport issues, etc. Maybe when my son is older he might like to have it someday:)

That's ok....I bought a Smash book and many accessories for it. But have I ever used it? Have I ever opened it? Nope. I think it scares me. I just don't know how to use it.

I think they are darling and all the stuff is really cute if you know already what you are going to do with it. I've never bought one because I don't have a clear plan for it.

I think as traditional scrapbookers, we might over think the creative process. Im really enjoying my smashbook because i am really allowing myself to relax and "smash it in". I look at it ad a chance to "let my hair down".