January Crop N Time Challenge - Then and Now

I write a monthly challenge for my friends over at Crop N Time scrapbook events. I've decided to post the challenges here as well this year. If you are local, you should check out Crop N Time and consider attending one of their all day crops. If you are further away, feel free to play along with the challenge and share your entries here by January 31. If five people play along here I'll draw one random participant to win a small prize!


And now, to the challenge...

I love to tell stories. Probably you do, too. For me it is one of the main reasons I scrapbook. Often I tell straight forward stories dictated by the photos and the events: the day we went to the zoo, the time everyone was sick for Christmas, the way my kids love to dress up in costumes. Sometimes, though, I like the perspective of a different kind of story. One way to change the story you tell is through comparison. Looking at one family, person or place at two different moments in time tells the story of change.

My story today is of the changes that have happened over 13 years. The first photo, a playful “family” photo of my then fiance and me, was taken in 1998. It became the inspiration for the layout. Since it was a photo of the two of us, I chose a 2011 photo of our family of four. In addition to mirroring the family aspect of the first photo, I wanted to repeat the playful (yet posed) character (not a difficult task when working with two children under five.) The photos in the layout - supplemented with the date embellishments (CTMH's January stamp of the month) - tell the story of the changes. 

With that in mind, your challenge is to remember and compare. Create a page that compares then and now! Take it in any direction you choose. You could compare family photos as I did, focus on how one person (or one place) has changed, or consider how your “where” has changed. Choose something that works for you. The time span is your choice as well. I chose 13 years not because that number had any significance but because the photos that paired well were taken 13 years apart. You might choose to compare two life milestones, two birthdays, two summer vacations.

Remember, to play along, create a layout that compares then and now. Post a link to your layout in the comments by January 31!


I can't wait to see what you create!