Scrapbooking

Christmas Gift Ideas - A Vintage Digital Scrapbook

2008-01-27T18:46:00.000-08:00

As the Holiday season approaches more and more people are looking for unique and personalized Christmas gifts to give to loved ones and friends. It is always a challenge to find a Christmas gift that will be a lasting treasure and legacy for future generations.

A vintage Christmas scrapbook is an idea for a unique Christmas gift that can easily be created by digital scrapbooking.

You could quite quickly and easily create a vintage Christmas scrapbook filled with memories of previous special holiday times to give as a Christmas gift. For example, you could use photos of previous years of Christmas family get togethers and capture these memories in a special scrapbook. This special gift could become a family heirloom, that will be treasured by future generations.

First of all collect all the photographs you would like to use and place them in folder on your desktop. This makes it easier to access them. You can take older hardcopy photographs and scan them into your computer. Look for photos that show your beautifully decorated home, family members dressed in their Christmas best, sitting down for that wonderful dinner, or that capture the joy, surprise and happiness that Christmas brings.

It will be a great to create memories of your family life to see how the children have grown and changed over the years, as well as to remember those family members who are sadly no longer with you.

You will need a photo editing program to create your digital scrapbook. If you don't have one, you can purchase software programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Digital Image Pro.

However if you have not tried digital scrapbooking before you might want to choose to download a free program from the internet such as Scrapbook Max or Scrapbook Flair
The next thing is to go onto the internet to find a Vintage Christmas digital scrapbook theme that you like. Ready made Vintage themes are very inexpensive and you can use them over and over again, and change them to make them unique very easily.

Once you have selected and downloaded your vintage Christmas scrapbook theme, you can start to create your pages.

Photographs can easily be placed into the layout, cropped or re-sized by the click of your mouse. Usually this can be done by dragging and dropping the images into the page.The vintage pages are usually soft and elegantly designed and perfectly coordinated to look beautiful with formal pictures.

You can even change the colours of the scrapbook layout very easily.If you want to be able to change the photograph colour to a sepia, to add to the vintage look you can easily find a online tutorial that tells you how to do that.

Most Christmas digital scrapbooking kits come complete with journal pages to record your holidays. Choose a layout that has 8 x 8" page size.This will make printing convenient and affordable. Just add your photos and your Christmas story Print your pages on your color printer or send them to your local office supply for printing.

By using different photograhs for each gift you can create a unique personalized gift for each person The great part is that you can have multiples made and keep one for yourself.

To perfect the gift find a classic album cover and wrap with a velvet ribbon.

Christmas Digital Scrapbook ideas with a scrapbooking tutorial you can use with a free software program

By Karina Stewart

How To Host a Scrapbooking Party

2008-01-27T18:43:00.000-08:00

Hosting a scrapbooking party isn't as bad as it sounds. It is a fun choice for women to get together with the same hobby and share ideas and techniques. Hosting a party gives you extra perks like, discounts and prizes. Before you start handing out those invitations there are a few things you need to know.

First, What are the benefits of having a scrapbook party in your house. Women are more eager to attend these parties because they have a chance not only to catch up with one another, but to swap different designs and scrapbooking tools.

You will need to think of a roomy location to have your party. Each person will need plenty of room for their supplies and other items. Each person should bring their photos and memorabilia the want to exhibit. There are also some fundamental items they will need to bring along. Be sure to list them on the invitations.

Sharp scissors or shears

Small paper trimmer

Acid-free and lignin-free paper for mounting and
background

Acid-free pens for journaling

Adhesives for mounting photos and embellishments

Stickers for decorating

Now would be a good time for you to start thinking about the display of your page. Gather your pictures and cardstock and place them in clear baggies. Obtain accompaniments you wish to add.
The normal scrapbook party usually lasts two to three hours depending on how many first timers there are. Arrange to serve some light snacks and drinks. Place these away from the scrapbooking area to avoid any unwanted mishaps. Choose snacks that are easy to eat without a lot of mess.

Don't try to push yourself to complete a lot of pages during this time. Many scrapbookers only complete one to two pages at the party. This is why so many continue to have parties at different locations. You can establish a group that is willing to host parties at each others homes. A good time frame to get together again would be about once a month. This will enable everyone to establish more photos and scrapbooking items.

During your scrapbooking party is a great time to swap or borrow scrapbooking tools you do not use any more.

For more Scrapbooking hints, tips and advice visit my site now.
http://123scrapbooking.blogspot.com

By Ian McWilliams

5 Reasons To Create A Newsletter For Your Scrapbooking Customers

2008-01-27T18:41:00.000-08:00

Your scrapbooking business really requires you to create a relationship with your customers. When a customer comes into your store you have an opportunity to visit with them face to face.

But when they approach your website, you need to capture their information so you can contact them about all of your scrapbooking specials and start giving them free information to keep them coming back to your website.

If you don't have a newsletter and haven't started building a subscriber base, you should start today.

Here are a few reasons why:

Reason #1: It's FREE advertising. Why pay a ton of money to advertise in a local newspaper when you can do it for free with yourself? Building a solid subscriber base means you have an open audience of like-minded people who either like what you have to offer, or are, at the very least, interested in your message. You just send off an email to your scrapbooking customer base and keep them in contact with what you're doing and also any specials you may have.

Reason #2: It's the perfect market research tool. Have you ever been stumped for fresh, new ideas to offer your customers? When you have a subscriber base, you can ask them for their feedback and/or ideas. What better way to give your target market what they want, than by asking them directly? You could find out what kinds of questions they have about scrapbooking so you can create online classes just for them. It keeps you in touch with what layouts they like, and most of all it keeps the communication open for them so they feel like they can contact you anytime.

Reason #3: It promotes word of mouth advertising. Everybody knows that word of mouth will get you a whole lot farther, faster, than any type of advertising. Please your subscribers, and they'll let their friends and family know. An easy way to get them talking is to run a scrapbooking contest on your site. One day I decided to run a scrapbooking contest on my site and I received 76 subscribers just in one day! A contest is well worth your time, scrapbookers love contests.

Reason #4: It keeps you in touch with your customers. What turns you into a return customer? Quality customer service! Your newsletter is an excellent way for you to stay in touch with your customers and show them your appreciation for their business. Don't just use your newsletter as a way to squeeze more money from them. Use it to express your gratitude for their business.

Even create memories for them, guide them to look forward to your emails by giving them great scrapbooking content, tips, tutorials, and contests. By providing them great information, they will look forward to receiving your tips all the time.

Reason #5: Keep your customers informed. Having a scrapbooking sale? New products arriving? Do you have something really exciting to share about your business? Mention it all to them!

Having a newsletter will give you an easy method of informing your customers about all the new things going on with your business. Keep them in touch with all the latest crops that are out there, products that are new. They will be very happy to learn more from you.

By Vera Raposo

Vera Raposo is the Scrapper's Business Coach. She is now teaching how to create your very own Custom Scrapbook Artist Business. You can sign up for her exclusive tips at ScrapVenturePro.com to help your business succeed

Your Wedding Scrapbook – Preserving your Special Occasion

2008-01-20T19:57:00.000-08:00

There are many events that are perfect for archiving such memories, and what better occasion to do so than your own wedding. Whether you had a small, intimate wedding with only a few guests present, or opted for a large celebration with everyone you know, and perhaps some you didn’t, there are plenty of items you could include in your wedding scrapbook, and many ways to arrange them in order to recapture that very special day over and over again.

Selecting Photos for your Wedding

Scrapbook

The first items you will probably want to scrapbook will be your wedding pictures. Photos can, and often do, tell a story. They can walk you through the events of that special day every time your scrapbook is viewed. The only difficulty may be choosing which ones you should include, since you will probably have many from which to choose. They will also give your children and grandchildren something to talk about as the book is passed down through generations. Your wedding scrapbook would not be complete without pictures of the building where the ceremony took place, you walking down the aisle, and, of course, the wedding ceremony itself. You may also want to include photos of the reception, the cutting of the cake, and you and your new spouse leaving the building. These special events will then be cataloged for years of enjoyment in your very own special wedding scrapbook.

Choosing a Theme

Creating a theme that depicts your thoughts and feelings you had on your wedding day is important. A distinctive wedding scrapbook or album is essential, as it will help you to always remember the people who helped to make your day what it was. Writing down the events and the emotions you had when they occurred will also serve as a record or journal, and will supplement the pictures quite nicely.

Organizing Your Memories

There are several ways to organize a wedding scrapbook, and many layouts from which to choose. When putting together your wedding scrapbook, color is extremely important, as it will accentuate the photos and other material. Many people choose to use their own wedding colors, but you can choose other color combinations if you prefer. Even if you do choose to use your wedding colors, you may want to use other colors to add variety to your scrapbook pages and layouts. For example, if your colors were burgundy and green, you could add cream, light pink, or yellow to accent the darker colors. Putting different colors together will give your layouts a distinctive look and set them apart from other wedding scrapbooks.

Your wedding scrapbook should look elegant and charming, so you might want to add embellishments. These, as well as the right color scheme will make your wedding scrapbook unique and appealing. One option is to use vellum paper. Vellum looks elegant and is easy to find. Eyelets, brads, and ribbons are also suggested embellishments that will add character and personality to your wedding scrapbook.

Floral patterns also work great for wedding scrapbooks. They tend to match well with wedding décor, and lend themselves to the overall wedding theme. Your choices are numerous, so don’t be afraid to experiment until you find the color scheme, embellishments, and patterns that work best for you.

There are many different themes you can use to capture the love and affection felt by everyone on your wedding day. One idea is to include marriage tips from more experienced individuals. These tips may serve as simple ideas or advice that might be useful to you and your spouse on down the road. Interesting anecdotes may also serve as a fun read. You can even incorporate this as an activity at your bridal shower or bachelor party, whereby, other married people write down their tips and give them to you for the scrapbook. You can also include photos of the married couples that will serve as captions for the tips.

Another wedding scrapbooking idea is to incorporate any interests of the bride and groom that may have been a part of the overall wedding theme. For example, some couples choose to make personal interests a part of their wedding. If you or your spouse to be enjoys playing golf, you may depict this at your wedding reception. Guests may be provided with wedding favors that are golf-related and have been customized for the event. You might want to devote a page or two in your wedding scrapbook to this, and include photos or items small enough to fit on a page. This is your opportunity to be as creative as possible, while making a wedding scrapbook that will truly record your very special day.

A More Personal Approach

You may want to create a wedding scrapbook that is not considered to be traditional. There are many ways to set yours apart from others, thereby, taking the untraditional route. When planning your wedding scrapbook, you should focus around your lives together, while catering to your individual personalities. If desired, you can include pictures of memorable events that took place before your marriage, their respective dates, and any photos you may wish to add. You may also want to include your spouse in the scrapbooking activities. This will allow both your personalities to come through, and will be something the two of you can work on together.

You can add mementos and items such as the wedding invitations, reception napkins or cards. Scrapbook stores sell memory pockets for these types of items, and are easy to incorporate in your wedding scrapbook. You also might want to include any congratulatory notes or cards from friends and family you may have received during your engagement. This will add a more personal touch, and will further personalize your scrapbook. It will also serve as a reminder of your feelings during such an anticipatory time.

No matter what you decide to include in your wedding scrapbook, choose carefully. Take as much time as you need when deciding on colors, a theme, and the various photos and items you will include. Your wedding scrapbook will be a very important part of your new family, and will help preserve memories for many years to come.

Author: Michele Cardello

Get Started With Guide Scrapbooking Ultimate

2008-01-20T19:54:00.000-08:00

If you are one of those who love to collect and preserve materials that are close to your heart then scrapbooking is for you. It is more than collecting and placing of your beloved articles. To help you get the most out of scrapbooking, you need the guide scrapbooking ultimate. This will help you learn about scrapping from the very basic to the more complicated concepts. If you are going to participate in scrapping you need to know the right way to do it with guide scrapbooking ultimate.

Many people have lately realized the beauty and wonder of scrapbooking. Scrapbooks do not only allow you to store beautiful pictures and other thing of your loved one’s but records them for you too. In fact, getting into the hobby of scrapbooking also allows you to improve your artistic and creative abilities. While there is no right or wrong when it comes to the designs you create, there is plenty of mistakes that you can make with the wrong materials or even the wrong type of pages you place your work on.

With the guide scrapbooking ultimate you won’t have to worry about such mistakes happening to you on a regular basis. If you are considering starting a new album then choose durable and long lasting scrapbooking materials. Many a times, you will come across beautiful as well as attractive scrapbooking materials and you may end up buying beautiful but wrong material, hence always look for something that is not too delicate to handle or even preserve. After all scrapbooking is all about preserving your long cherished memories.

The right guide scrapbooking ultimate for you depends on what you hope to get out of the entire scrapbooking process. A beginner will always prefer to use a different guide scrapbooking ultimate than an experienced person. Moreover, guide scrapbooking ultimate will help in developing some more in depth techniques of scrapbooking.

You can find guide scrapbooking ultimate publications in a variety of places. Your craft store will offer a wide selection of them. This may be your best resource because you can flip through each guide scrapbooking ultimate and discover what it has to offer. If you buy one online you may be disappointed once you open the cover and see what is inside. Be creative as possible as you can. Though there are ready made scrapbooks available in the market but nothing beats a personalized album that reflects the idea and creativity of the owner?

Instead of purchasing embellishments and stamps to decorate your scrapbook, use home materials or items that are lying unused in your store since many years. For example, instead of buying a post card for travel related album, you can use plane tickets or passes as this will give your scrapbook a different look.

As your skills for scrapbooking improve with the time, you will find you want to learn new skills. That may require you to purchase new guide scrapbooking ultimate books. You can save your older ones for easy reference or even sell them on the online auctions to other people who are just starting out in the area of scrapbooking.

Author: John Foster

Ideas for Layouts in Scrapbooking

2008-01-20T19:45:00.000-08:00

What is scrapbooking?Scrapbooking is one of the ancient methods for preservation of data in the form of information. Scrapbook is just not a mere form of notebook but it is a, but it is a book which contains information which is very precious to the people.

It contains information in the form of photos, text, stickers etc. Scrapbook involves lots of creativity and attractiveness. Scrapbooks are reflection of the creativity skills of the individuals. Now a day with the advent of technology digital scrapbooking is coming in picture.

Ideas for the layout of the scrapbooking

* In the older scrapbooks photos were mounted on the corners of the quotations. The photos used to have a border to make it more attractive. To add more liveliness to the scrapbook pages used to have a memorabilia attached to them.

* To add more glamour to your scrapbook borders your scrapbook with attractive designs of medium size. Precaution should be taken that the pictures or the photos do get covered due to the borders.

* For a better layout use good color combinations. If not used a proper color combination the scrapbook will look shabby and its attractiveness.

* The layout should be such that it should be pleasing to ones eyes.

* It's always important to use high quality materials for the layouts as your scrapbook is a treasure of your memories.

* Always use those materials which are acid free as the colors or the decorations may fade over after certain time if used an acidic material.

* Using color pencils will help you to add a spark to your layout and will help to boost the creativity.

* The layout of the scrapbook should be such that it will bring a pleasant smile in your face as you go through your sweet memories.

* Try to make the borders more attractive with the help of stickers or rubber stamps. In case of rubber stamps try making use of the same stamp with variety of colors. Even the use of stencil will help.* Even you can border your main photos or pictures with multicolor pencils and make the use of sparklers to highlight it.

* If you have pasted dark color pictures or photos or you have written text in bold letter then you should go for background colors. But use only light shades preferably by pencils. Don't make the use of the bright colors, the scrapbook will look shabby and untidy.

* Try pasting good quality pictures which will help to enhance the look of your scrapbook.

* Give your 100 % creativity skills while making a scrapbook.

* Make use of good phrases or most of the people also have a habit of writing the dates and the place where they have taken the photos pasted in the scrapbook.

* Think of unique ideas and implement them to make your scrapbook look more attractive and pleasing to your eyes.

Author: Muna wa Wanjiru

Scrapbooking Your Christmas Memories

2008-01-19T10:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in America, and is full of many fun-filled memories and traditions. There are many ways to document the various events of the season, and Christmas scrapbooking provides one of the easiest and most convenient means for doing this. From a variety of delicious foods to the glorious decorations, there's something special and unique about every experience that can be chronicled in an album for many years to come.

The first step to preserving your precious memories for a Christmas scrapbook display is to gather your favorite photos that will help illustrate your family's story and give those viewing your album a good sense of who you are. You can begin by focusing only on one year, including pictures from a collage of holiday-related days or special events. If you wish to cover a longer period of time, organize your photos in chronological order so the story told by your scrapbook will be sequential.

Include pictures of your entire family, and encourage everyone to become involved. This is a great way to spend time together while taking part in a meaningful project.

Choose Christmas scrapbooking paper and embellishments that enhance your photographs, and arrange them in a way that looks festive. Prepackaged scrapbooking kits are available for a variety of occasions, and Christmas is definitely among them. These kits come complete with coordinating papers to match a wide variety of holiday themes, 3-D stickers, self-adhesive borders, frames, tags, photo corners, and embellishments. Other unique items such as your child's artwork, hand-made Christmas ornaments, and addition holiday memorabilia can be added to make the album truly your own.

When choosing a layout for your pages, take care to arrange each item so that it compliments another and places proper accent on important items. Begin by contrasting colors, mixing solid paper designs with others that are patterned, and accentuating pictures with colorful borders. You can create your layout by scratch, or adopt ideas found in scrapbooking magazines or online sources. It may also be helpful to consult with fellow Christmas scrapbooking enthusiasts to obtain their opinions and tips.

Select ribbon, rub-ons, and markers to add the finishing touches to your holiday memory masterpiece. Don't limit yourself to the items that came in your kit. Look around the house for items to serve as add-ons to complete the pages and make it a truly personal experience for your Christmas scrapbooking project.

By Michelle Cardello

Michele Cardello, director of marketing and creative for Life Imprints, a creative scrapbooking supplies company also offering contemporary picture frames, in Cleveland, Ohio, has worked in the photo packaging industry for 10 years. Cardello helps customers find creative ways to preserve and appreciate a lifetime of memories.

Baby Scrapbooking - The Best Way to Preserve Your Baby's Memories

2008-01-19T10:38:00.000-08:00

Babies are small bundles of joy. Every couple, one day or the other, wants to start a family. If you are planning on starting a family, then be prepared to change those dirty diapers, waking up at all odd hours to tend to your baby and clean the baby bottles.

The journey of a woman, from a daughter, to a wife, and finally a mother, is beautiful. The growth of a baby is like a seed to a beautiful plant. The growth of your child, right from the birth, until he starts taking his first step, is a memorable experience. Every parent wants to preserve these memories, both for their children and for themselves.

Photo albums are very common, but a baby scrapbook is new and trendy. Baby scrapbooking is becoming very popular among parents. The scrapbooks are helpful, as every time you see them, all of your baby's memories will come alive. If you are still wondering how to start your own baby scrapbook, there are many books available to help you out. If you want more ideas on how to make your baby scrapbook, you can easily join any of the baby scrapbooking classes that are available.

Baby scrapbooking can be a very fun experience. You can start your baby scrapbook with your own pictures. You can take pictures of yourself during your pregnancy days (yoga classes, routine checkups at the hospital, etc.). When your baby is born, add his/her pictures. Capturing all of the moments of your baby is very memorable. Capture every special moment, such as when he/she smiles for the first time, starts standing, sitting, and finally walking.

You can choose the color of your papers and sketch pens. If your doctor has told you the gender of your baby, then it is easy to choose the color before your baby is born. You can select the color accordingly. If you do not know the gender of your baby, you can use sober colors, such as yellow, orange, or cream.

Keep a note on what happens on which day and how it is special. The first word he/she speaks or the first step he/she takes is very special. You can cut a small ringlet of your baby's hair and attach it to the scrapbook. It gives a personal touch to the baby scrapbook. If you feel that baby scrapbooking will take a lot of your time, then you can start early, from your pregnancy days, by starting to format the scrapbook.

Parents often regret not keeping a diary, because when children grow up, they want to know everything about themselves -- how they behaved, which words they spoke first, etc. These memories are very magnificent as they bring life to every moment that was once experienced by the parents.

A parent relieves those moments when they look at the pictures and notes. The child feels and understands what he/she did at that moment. Some memories are fun and some are heartfelt. These days can never come back, but they can be relieved through a baby scrapbook.

To learn more about baby scrapbooking, visit http://www.babyscrapbooking.net

By Steve M Barnes

Beginner Scrap Booking The Easy Way

2008-01-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

Yes - scrap booking really can become an addiction, but fortunately it is a healthy addiction. Maybe you have experienced that yourself: You see a friend's scrap book and you just feel bored with your plain photo albums.

Then your creativity begins to work and you start thinking about what you can do. Maybe you have come up with a specific idea or your head is just overflowed with lots of ideas. Sometimes, it is difficult to decide which project to start with, but once decided, you can start searching the material for your very first scrap booking project.

Beginner scrap booking is really not difficult these days. Many websites can provide you with the information you need to know about scrap booking. Just check out our website which you can find at the bottom. It is packed with cool information about scrap booking!

To get the right information is important when starting out, but once you got a basic knowledge you sure will be enthusiastic to begin with your "new addiction"...

Do you have to be an artist to do scrap booking? Absolutely not! Your desire to express your creativity counts much more than your skills. It's best to start simple and small. This way you soon will see first success and this will encourage you to move on.

Start out with only few basic equipment like scissors, glue, a few pieces of colored paper and a simple album. Your scrap booking skills will improve very soon, you just have to start!

By Simon Rohde

Simon Rohde provides articles and information on a variety of topics, including how to Stop Snoring. For more information and a free 5-part Email course please visit http://www.ways-to-stop-snoring.com

Using Scrapbook Stickers

2008-01-18T21:30:00.000-08:00

The easiest way to jazz up a scrapbooking page is with scrapbook stickers. There is no tricky or confusing technique that you have to learn to use them. They are quick and easy to apply. They are inexpensive. And best of all, they come in every design that you could possibly imagine!

The manufactures in the scrapbooking industry continue to wow us with fabulous design after fabulous design. Whether you are doing a page about basketball, your best friend's new baby or your aunt's visit, there is a sticker for everything.

There are also several different types of stickers. The most popular is the flat sticker. These can be matte, glossy, sparkly, glittery, pearl - any finish you like really. Most are precision cut but some do come with a white border. These are the types of stickers you grew up with, although now they are acid and lignin free to ensure your memories are well-preserved.

Cardstock stickers are also popular. They are precision cut so you do not end up with unwanted borders around your stickers. They are also relatively thick so that unevenness in the background they are stuck to does not show through the sticker.

Dimensional stickers like those made by Jolee's Boutique continue to grow in popularity as they allow us to add dimension and texture to our pages with little efforts. Their composition generally includes non-paper items like fabric, beads and gemstones that are often tricky and time-consuming to use any other way.

With so many choices available, you will have no trouble finding what you want. The only trouble you may have is deciding which scrapbook stickers are your favourite!

Visit http://www.stickersnfun.com to discover 100s of designs of scrapbook stickers to suit any page. Don't forget to sign up for the free newsletter so you don't miss any of the free scrapbooking ideas.

By Jennifer Gormly

Journaling With Scrapbooking

2008-01-18T21:29:00.000-08:00

A good scrapbook has an important written journaling aspect that sets it apart. You are able to keep track of your memories and mementos in your scrapbook.

When compiling a scrapbook, we like to make them to look good and that is important. Great design techniques will make your book look great and will help you organize your memories.

Unfortunately, design can only go so far in preserving your memories. If you want to really preserve your memories, you need to incorporate journaling into your scrapbook.

Journaling is all about attaching notes and information to your scrapbook pages. Unfortunately, as time goes on, we forget about the events in our photos and other mementos. I'm sure we have all experienced looking at an old picture and trying to remember the thoughts and feelings that accompanied the photo. That's why we use journaling.

You can start journaling your scrapbook by making notes on your scrapbook pages when you insert items into your book. You can also make notes on small pieces of paper and paste them into your pages. This way you can keep a good memory of your mementos and memories.

Once you start integrating journaling with your scrapbooking, you can actually take it further by writing pages to insert into your scrapbook. You can write up stories about your family and highlight memories and thoughts that you can't quite express in pictures or clippings. This way, years later when you open your scrapbook, you can easily recall your memories. Or your children or family will be reminded of what happened and will see it through your eyes.

Journaling in your scrapbook is as important as placing your photos. Without the context around the photos, the memories and events in your history don't have nearly as much meaning as you imagine they do today.

Interested in Scrapbooking? Short on time? Check out the Pre-Made Scrapbook Pages at Scrapbook It For Me. These pre-made pages save you time on page creation and allow you to focus on your journaling.

By Russ Gilman-hunt

Scrapbooking and Recycling, A Perfect Match

2008-01-18T21:25:00.000-08:00

Recycle is to process used items so that the material can be used to make new products. Reduce refers to lowering the amount of items or resources that are consumed. Reuse means repurposing an item rather than discarding it. Recycling generally prevents the waste of potentially useful materials, reduces the consumption of raw materials and reduces energy usage.

Scrapbooking is about preserving a legacy in the form of photos, media and other memorabilia while incorporating the creative use of papers in decorated albums.

Recycling and Scrapbooking are a perfect match. Paper, the primary material in scrapbooking, is a natural, renewable resource, making it an environmentally friendly medium.

There are so many fun and easy ways to make your scrapbook personal and unique by reusing things from around your own home. The handcrafted items made from common everyday goods add the ultimate personal touch that can't be duplicated in mass production. Here are a few ideas on how you can increase your recycling while you scrapbook:

Recycle

*Set up an area near where you scrapbook for items that can be recycled like papers or ribbon scraps, this will encourage you to consume more and throw away less

*Purchase recycled scrapbook paper, there are new lines of patterned scrapbook paper that are made from 30% post consumer content and use vegetable based inks (available now at www.scrapbookpantry.com)

Reuse

*Use the scraps on several pages in the same album to carry an overall theme
*Donate the papers in your someday pile to charity or your local senior center
*Share or trade your idea books with your friends
*Purchase slightly used items scrapbook garage sales (or host your own)
*Find a way to use the packing material often included with scrapbook items (remember you may need to treat these items to make them archival safe)
*Don't just buy your buttons collect them from old blouses or shirts in your closet

Reduce

*Purchase durable, long-lasting products
*Use every bit of item that you do purchase
*Don't buy the newest item if you already have a similar item

Written by Lori Heino-Royerhttp://www.scrapbookpantry.com

Scrapbooking Memory is a Mirror to your Soul

2008-01-17T08:24:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking is the perfect way to treasure cherished memories. Moreover, it has become an industry now and is taken seriously by the scrapbookers. Scrapbooking memory is a way to showcase those preserved memories to the people who are loved and cared for. Moreover, it is a fun activity that keeps people going on.

In fact, scrapbooking memory is a perfect way to have a walk down to the memory lane and also discovers creative side of a person. It incorporates various qualities that one is constantly looking for. Thus, one can say that it is more than just compiling and completing pages. Scrapbooking takes one into past while remaining in the present. It is a complete fun activity that enables a person to discover various things that he or she was unaware of. Scrapbooking memory is a great way to show the differences that has taken place in one’s life. One can actually do so many things in their scrapbooks. It is a reflection of one’s soul. There are a variety of themes like wedding, birthday, anniversaries, and travel and holiday that one can choose to base their scrapbooks on. However, one can get inspiration from other things and can base their albums on animals, advertisements, daily life and even movies.

Moreover, one can teach the concept of sharing and bonding to their children through scrapbooking memory. With the help of scrapbook, one can tell their loved ones that how much they mean to you. Well, there are various situations that you can use in the scrapbooking memory idea for. If one is planning a special album on their children, then one can record first year of a child’s life, which is full of wonders and growth. Moreover, to honor these special moments, scrapbooking memory is a wonderful idea. This in fact can be used for your child as a first birthday present. There are many other themes you can select for a child’s album like first visit to a school, debut in his or her school play or annual game, or even participation in cheer leading team.

Basic themes like a birthday parties or weddings can be used in a scrapbook, as they are the most cherishable and celebrated memories. One can use the themes of wedding for scrapbooking memory, as it is simple and symbolizes two people becoming one. In fact, it will be a perfect gift for the loved ones on their first or even 25th wedding anniversary. All one needs is to get an album with two pages, use one side of the book for scrapbooking memory for the groom and one side for the bride. One can even create a wonderful page for their wedding day with room to add a picture later on. Wedding anniversaries are a great time to celebrate. However, the longer a couple is together the harder it becomes to select a gift for them. Hence, scrapbooking memory is a way to provide the insight of their lives together over the years. This is a sentimental gift they will always treasure and love.

Author: John Foster

The 10 Most Essential Items For Every Scrapbooking Kit

2008-01-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

There are so many scrapbooking supplies out there that it can be difficult to know where to start. As you do more and more scrapbooking you will start to put together many items into a kit. You can start your kit with the 10 items below. They are tried-and-true tools that belong in the arsenal of every serious scrapbooker.

*A Scrapbooking Album*

This one's a no brainer, you can't scrapbook without an album. There are a wide variety of them out there in different shapes and sizes. Be sure to pick one that matches your theme and colors. If you take the time to find the perfect one it will make all the difference in your project.

*A Pair of Scissors*

A nice, sharp pair of scissors is a must for the serious scrapbooker. In fact, we recommend having a pair that is only used for your scrapbooking. That way you won't have to deal with lost or dull scissors.

*Adhesives*

You certainly don't want your scrapbook pieces falling apart on you. Unfortunately, that might be exactly what happens if you chose the wrong adhesive. As a rule, any kind of children's glue or cheap gluesticks will cause problems. Some of the best adhesives are photo tab dispensers, and double sided tape runners. Whatever adhesive you chose, make sure that is acid-free.

*Tweezers*

Unless you want to get your hands messy and smudge up your scrapbook pages you'll need some tweezers. They make placing small pieces on your scrapbook a snap.

*Scrapbook Paper*

Make sure the size of your scrapbook paper matches the size of the album you are using. Great scrapbooking paper will be also be acid-free and may be described as buffered or lignin-free. Card stock is also a great paper to have around as it can be used for many things related to scrapbooking.

*Pen*

A good pen is also a must for scrapbooking. It doesn't have to be fancy, just a basic black pen that is acid-free. You may want to add more pens with different colors as your scrapbooking kit grows.

*Paper Trimmer*

A paper trimmer is a necessary tool for cutting straight and making squares. There are several different sizes of trimmer and all of them are useful. It's probably best to start with a 12" paper trimmer but you may also want to get a smaller one for portability reasons.

*Eyelet Setter Kit*

Some of our favorite scrapbooks use eyelets for embellishments. Without an eyelet setter kit you won't be able to use these handy little guys. Fortunately they are easy to find online or at most craft stores. They are also affordable.

*Embellishments*

These are the little things that give a scrapbook character: Stickers, eyelets, buttons, charms, etc. Go for embellishments that match the theme of your scrapbook. Have fun collecting these!

*A Great Scrapbooking Book*

Need some scrapbooking ideas? You'll usually be able to get some inspiration if you have a good idea book around. Becky Higgins and Tracy White are both authors who have written some fantastic books on the subject of scrapbooking.

Author: Nicole Fisher

Holiday Scrapbooking Ideas – Making Memories for Years to Come

2008-01-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

There are many important characteristics of a good holiday scrapbook, and it is all a matter of personal preference. Since the idea is to compile your own memories into your own personal album, it is important that you choose them carefully.

Photos

One of the key ingredients of a holiday scrapbook is your photos. The images you portray are much of what actually make up a good part of your holiday memories, and often depict a true representation of your family and friendships. Since there are probably several from which to choose, you might consider coming up with a central theme for your holiday scrapbook and base everything you decide to include on that idea. For example, if your scrapbook is a Christmas album, you would want to use pictures that are representative of that holiday.

Use a wide variety of photos within your central theme. If you have children, include pictures of them taking part in various holiday activities. Also include photos of other friends and family members, and then tie it all together by using group photos that show the involvement of your entire clan. You can use pictures of your child sitting on Santa’s lap, photos of people opening presents, and images of everyone around the Christmas tree.

Use images that are unique and will easily show others your dynamic personality. Decide on striking images in attractive settings that will make the viewer stop to look at and admire them. Choose carefully, and have fun creating your holiday scrapbook.

Sliding Cards

Microcut sliding cards can help take your holiday scrapbook to another level. They make it easy for you to include the photos you want on an attractive card that you can embellish as desired. Simply scan your photos into your computer, then use the included software to put two separate images together for one card. Then, print and assemble the cards to create a page that viewers won’t miss. You can get more information about sliding cards from the Internet, where you can also purchase the software and necessary supplies. Also check your local scrapbooking supply stores for this product. Sliding cards are fun and easy to assemble, are very unique, and add fun and originality to your holiday scrapbooking project.

Paper Patterns

The type of scrapbooking paper and particular paper pattern you use are also very important elements when personalizing your holiday scrapbook. Because this project is all about you, your family, and those around you who help make your life special, it is a good idea to choose patterns that depict just that. For example, if you are putting together that Christmas scrapbook, you will easily be able to find patterns of Christmas scenes, Christmas trees, snowmen, and so on. If these are patterns that will give others an idea of your holiday memories, then they are the ones you should choose. You can, however, go for something a little more personal by piecing together paper patterns that will reflect an array of events and activities. If you have a large family, you will want to show that, so choosing patterns that include Santa or ginger bread houses, along with the others mentioned above, can add personality to your pages.

Paper patterns can also be an effective way to add subtle beauty to your pages by serving as a backdrop to your photos. Since the photos are often what you want to stand out, choose something that compliments them. You can also choose different patterns for different types of images, and mix and match as you desire.

You can find various patterns in your local supply stores, or shop on the Internet to find, view, and purchase paper patterns. There are also numerous web sites with pictures of holiday scrapbook pages that others have used, along with other paper pattern tips and ideas. The key is to simply make it your own.

Journaling

Journaling is another important part of your holiday scrapbook. While not everyone chooses to do this, it is a good way to keep track of the memories that go along with the photos. By writing down the date and time the photo was taken, the names of everyone in it, and other information such as the location, event, and various activities that took place at that particular time, you will be able to easily recall the day as if it had just occurred. This is especially important if the holiday scrapbook is passed down from one generation to another, because often times later generations either weren’t old enough to remember the actual event as it took place, or weren’t even present at that time. Journaling is also a good way to add character and personality to the images, and helps them tell a story.

Urge others whose images are included in the holiday scrapbook to write down their memories and ideas. What better way to add variety to your memory book than to include special memories and sayings from those you love. Not only will you have their pictures to remind you how wonderful the holidays were, but you’ll also have their words. This will definitely help make your holiday scrapbook unique and eye-catching.

Mementos

Add mementos to your holiday scrapbook. If you have received greeting cards that hold special meaning for you, paste them on pages designated just for this purpose. If there is a specific Christmas or holiday poem that you find poignant, include it as well. You can also add other mementos such as holiday pictures your child has drawn or colored, special holiday stickers, or cards with holiday sayings that go along with your images and theme.

Family Project

Make your holiday scrapbook a family project. Encourage everyone in your family to gather items and photos that are of special importance to each person, then designate pages for those items. Give each family member a page if possible, and if your family is too big for one book, consider putting together a second. Combine items where there aren’t enough to fill up one whole page, but be sure to keep it all in order. Holiday scrapbooking can then be enjoyed by the entire family from beginning to end, and each member will have played a special role in putting it together.

Though holiday scrapbooking can become a big project, it can be a fun one as well. Encourage those around you to take part, and to continue the tradition. If your children help you put it together, they are more likely to teach their children, and your family scrapbooks can then be enjoyed from one generation to the next. A holiday scrapbook should tell a story, after all, the holidays are about family, togetherness, and the memories gained through these special times and experiences.

Author: Michele Cardello

Creating A Family Recipe Scrapbook

2008-01-16T00:44:00.000-08:00

Recipes are among the most treasured family air looms handed down from one generation to the next. They become especially important during the holidays when even the most infrequent of cooks strive to produce the most tantalizing, mouth watering dish at the annual get-together.

Every year, family members rush around to find that particular recipe that has been a favorite for generations, and every year, that person inevitably calls everyone who just might have it. What better way to end the search than to start a family recipe scrapbook.

A recipe scrapbook will serve multiple purposes. First, it will ensure that the recipes frequently used by you and your family members are always close at hand. Second, it provides a way for you to pass them down to your children and grandchildren. Creating one can also make for a fun project for all involved, and the best part is that it can be continuously added to year after year.

When you begin, you should first decide which family recipes you want to include. Some people choose to create a book for each side of the family, while others choose to combine all the recipes in one neat album. Naturally, as it continues to grow, it will become necessary to add subsequent volumes.

You may even want to categorize the recipes by type, family member of origin, or in chronological order by generation. The possibilities are endless.

You can copy each scrapbook you create to be later given to aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, children, and grandchildren. The advantage here is that the scrapbook can be copied as many times as needed without altering the placement or format of the original content.
To begin, choose your scrapbook. A 6x6 scrapbook works wonderfully to hold 3x5 index cards. Alternatively, you can use an 8x8 scrapbook and present your recipes on larger sheets of paper instead of the smaller cards.

To add variety, combine photographs with your recipes for an added personal touch. For example, include a group family photo at the beginning of the album as a great way to begin the book. Other photos can include holiday shots of family members whose recipes are used placed just before those particular recipes. Include a bit of family history in your scrapbook either at the beginning or dispersed throughout the book. Here, you might explain the origin of each recipe, when it began its generational descent in your family, and a short story about why it has become a family favorite.

Add a shopping list for each recipe to make it easier for others to find the right ingredients. Consider placing the list on the page adjacent to the recipe. The recipe submitters photo may also be placed on the page with the shopping list. Add the author and historical information on a third page. Since many scrapbooking albums are very expandable, it is often easy to add pages when needed.

Add measurement charts and converters to the back of your family recipe scrapbook. If you feel this information should be included before the end, place it in the front. These recipe scrapbooks make great gifts to family members, new brides, or college graduates starting out on their own. Create them, add to them, and have them close by for many years to come.

By Michelle Cardello

Become a Scrapbook Event Organizer

2008-01-16T00:35:00.000-08:00

There are retreats, crops, getaways, cruises, conventions, and even scrapbook expos being held every single weekend now! Scrapbookers love to connect, and you can help provide the connection. If you're well-organized and can put together the kind of event that will generate excellent word-of-mouth, an event planning company could be a profitable venture for you.
While this is along the same lines as teaching a class, events are meant to be all day affairs - even multiple day affairs. So many women are hankering to get out of the house and get away from the stresses of every day life. A weekend scrapbooking retreat would be right up their alley!

One website I've found gives an account of her "Scrap Camp" that she hosts where a camping experience combines with scrapbooking to provide attendees with not only a getaway, but a way to talk and interact with other scrapbookers and get ideas from each other.

Just like the classes, you'll need to set a price and decide whether or not supplies are included in the price. Obviously, the cost is going to be a bit higher, but often times, your attendees won't blink an eye to paying it.

Concentrate a multiple day event on putting together an entire custom scrapbook. Encourage your students to bring along as many pictures as they can find and then show them how to organize them into beautiful layouts.

An event might require you to spend more one-on-one time with those attending, but personal service could be the difference between you and your competition.

Contact scrapbooking suppliers and let them know about your event. See if they would be willing to donate supplies in exchange for liberal advertising at your event. You might be surprised at how many companies would be happy to sponsor T-shirts, flyers, and even supplies. This is especially true if you really play up your event and have great attendance.

If you can find a company willing to donate toward your event, you want to keep them on your valuable contacts list. The best way to do this is to send a follow-up after the event is over to show how successful your event and their products were.

You can do this in many ways. We would suggest having all participants sign an over-sized card with personal comments and include pictures of that company's products being used. They'll surely appreciate the advertising and are more likely to sponsor one of your other events further down the road.

The best part about scrapbooking events is that you can plan other activities to go along with classes to enhance the experience. After all, you really don't want to spend 12 hours doing nothing but scrapbooking, do you? It would seem too much like work.

Even though scrapbooking is the main reason for the event, networking, sharing ideas, and making friends is also important. This is an excellent way to promote scrapbooking in your community and share your love of the hobby.

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By Gail Anderson-Metcalf

So Many Scrapbooking Album Themes To Choose From

2008-01-16T00:16:00.000-08:00

Most beginners start their first scrapbook as a chronological album. They have sorted their photos according to date, and start scrapbooking each event in order. However, there are so many other scrapbooking album themes you could use. Don't limit yourself to just a chronological album. A themed album centered on one topic can inspire you and create a wonderful keepsake for years to come. Scrapbook album themes are nearly limitless when you consider all the topics available to choose from. You could create an album on something as universal as a wedding album, or you could get even more specific to your life and create one centered on a family member, such as, your mother or grandmother. Let's look at a few of the more common album themes.

Chronological Album

This is by far the most common theme for scrapbooks. Each page focuses on the photos from a specific date or event, and the album usually progresses from earliest dates to later dates. The tendency to start with older photos when scrapbooking comes from seeing all those old photos and realizing how overdue they are to be placed in an album. However, choosing to scrapbook with your most recent photos first and work your way back in time has a distinct advantage.

These memories are the freshest in your mind. The older photos get the more likely you have already forgotten details about the event. In addition, working from your most recent photos gives the feeling of being up-to-date. You can work your way back through the old photos when you have time, but the most current photos continue to be placed in your album without creating an additional backlog.

Baby Album

It's surprising how many scrapbookers first start scrapbooking as a hobby when they have their first baby. Following a baby's development with photos is a natural thing to do. The photos start stacking up, and you realize that putting them in a photo-safe album is the best way to preserve those memories. A baby album can also be a chronological album. You might start from pregnancy and birth and then baby's progress from month to month. However, you could also make a baby album of all baby's firsts. Baby's first smile, baby's first word and baby's first step are just a few ideas.

Wedding Album

Photographs are an important part of any wedding. You have the professional photographs, as well as those taken by guests. A wedding is such a significant event in our lives. Even though it lasts for only a day, we want to preserve those memories for a lifetime. An album theme for a wedding is often more elegantly embellished than other albums. You might consider making a more casual and personal wedding scrapbook, include your own thoughts and feelings about the day. Scrapbook a page about your favorite moment during the wedding, and don't forget to include those things that were unplanned as well.

Holiday Album

Holidays are great photo opportunities. We gather together with family and friends to celebrate and taking pictures is always a part of the festivities. The more common holiday albums are Christmas and Halloween. However, maybe you have a family reunion every Fourth of July and want to create a photo album specifically for those photos.

School Days Album

An album that follows your child through his school years is really just a more focused chronological album. However, it is unique in that it often holds more memorabilia than most albums. They include art projects, essays, report cards and other mementos from each school year. You can have a school days album for each of your children.

Heritage Album

All scrapbooks are really heritage albums. When the scrapbook is made of archival-safe materials, it preserves your memories for future generations. However, heritage albums usually refer to scrapbooks made from very old photos. You might have photos of your great grandmother or your grandmother's baby pictures. Having these photos all in one album can be a wonderful conversation piece when family visits. Remember to ask your family to contribute to the journaling in a heritage album so as many memories as possible are documented.

These are just a few ideas for album themes. Begin to think about your photos and reoccurring themes in your pages. Has your teenager son played hockey since he was seven? You might create a hockey album specifically for his team photos and his progress in the sport. Did you take a trip to Europe this year? The number of photos taken on a vacation can easily fill an album.

Working on a scrapbook album theme allows you to choose which album and photos you want to work on today. You aren't limiting yourself to working in a chronological order. You might want to scrap your daughter's first smile in a baby album or maybe you want to scrap her first day of kindergarten in school days album. There are no rules to follow. Themed scrapbooks can be completed at one time, like your vacation to Hawaii album, or they can be an ongoing album like a Christmas album. Think about what kind of album theme fits into your life, and start scrapbooking outside the chronological limits.

By Christine Perry

Christine Perry invites you to her website, http://www.intoscrapbooking.com for more scrapbooking ideas and vacation scrapbooking layouts.

How To Start Digital Scrapbooking In 5 Easy Steps

2008-01-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

Digital scrapbooking is gaining in popularity rather quickly. However, to someone who is just getting started, it can seem like a daunting project to start. It doesn't have to be this way. You can start digital scrapbooking in 5 easy steps.

Step 1. Gather your gear. You'll need photo's on your computer. They can be photo's you've taken with your digital camera, photo's others have emailed you or old photo's you've scanned and imported to your computer. It doesn't matter how you got them on your computer, what's important is they are there!

Step 2. Decide which software you'll be using. There are two types of software for digital scrapbooking. Layout programs and photo editing programs. There are a host of layout programs for digital scrapbooking. Layout programs allow you to assemble and make digital scrapbook pages easily. They help you organize digital photo's, page themes and journaling. Sadly, many of these programs leave something to be desired for serioius digital scrapbooking. If you really want to try a layout program, give Pixel Magic a try.

The other type of program for digital scrapbooking is the Photo Editing software like Photoshop, Corel's Paint Shop Pro, Adobe Photoshop Elements or Microsofts Digital Image Pro. Paint Shop Pro and Adobe's Photoshop Elements are two of the most popular and easy to use Photo Editing software for digital scrapbooking. You can find online tutorials for each program if you don't already know how to use them.

Step 3. Create Your First Digital Scrapbook Page. Here is where the fun starts. You'll want to find some tutorials about laying pages out (layering), resolution count and creating your first basic page. You'll be choosing templates, photo's, embellishments, decorations and other elements for your first page. Don't get carried away, keep it simple until you get a few pages under your belt. You can then try new things and techniques.

Step 4. Store you newly created scrapbook page. There are a number of ways you can choose to store your digital scrapbook pages. You can save them as a high resolution JPG image, in the native format of the program you're using or as a low resolution JPG. Also, make sure you create proper folders on your computer for you digital scrapbook pages. Nothing is more frustrating than hunting for pages you know you created but can't find!

Step 5. Show off your pages. There are many services where you can choose to share your newly created digital scrapbook pages with friends, family and the whole Internet! You can also email them to other people, but be warned, the size of the scrapbook pages can get huge and you could fill up someones email box by sending them a huge file.

It really is this simple to get started with digital scrapbooking. There are many, many places on the web where you can get ideas for you own page. There are galleries of other scrapbookers finished pages, forums and blogs. There are no limits to the resources for a beginning scrapbooker!

By Delores Robinson

Delores Robinson is an experiences scrapbooker. She spends her time helping newcomers to scrapbooking, designing scrapbooks or working on her site DIY Scrapbook Supplies You can find advice, tips and helpful advice as well as the latest scrapbooking supplies on her site. She also has the latest and coolest digital scrapbooking supplies to make your next scrapbook project really jump out!

12 Quick Scrapbooking Ideas to Add Interest to Your Page Layouts

2008-01-13T07:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes all a scrapbooking page needs is just a simple accent or element to add interest to the layout or to enhance the photographs. Here are a few quick and easy ideas you can use on your scrapbook pages today.

1. One of the easiest scrapbooking techniques to learn is paper tearing. Paper tearing adds a soft edge to your cardstock and texture to your pages. You can choose to tear just one edge of a paper or tear completely around a mat or frame. Try tearing the bottom edge of a tag or mount a sticker to cardstock and tear around the ends.

2. Matting highlights photos and page elements. Double or triple mat a special photo on the page. Match the mat color to enhance the photo. Photos aren't the only page elements that can be matted. Mat a sticker or dimensional embellishment.

3. Add metal embellishments to your pages. Scrapbooking isn't just about paper. Use brads, paper clips, eyelets and staples as accents on your pages. You can also use them to attach other embellishments, like ribbons and tags, to your page.

4. Ribbons can be used as borders on your layouts. Take both ends of a ribbon piece and tie them together. Now cut the ribbon so the knot will be positioned as an accent on your page.

5. Add something extra to your paper accents. Run your paper edges and frames along an ink pad to add some additional depth to your page.

6. Take out the sandpaper. Distressing your page elements is quick and easy. Just rub the sandpaper along the edges of your chipboard. You also can sand some cardstock paper giving it a different effect.

7. Keep journaling simple. The important thing is to document the photograph. Use bullet lists for journaling or just stick with who, what, where, how and when.

8. Use your own handwriting. Instead of printing out journaling from your computer, try using your own handwriting. It is much more personal, and future generations will appreciate seeing your handwriting.

9. Tags are one of the most versatile page elements available. Put your page titles on tags. Photos or journaling blocks can be mounted onto tags as well.

10. Scrapbooking page kits keep everything coordinated. Using page kits makes putting together a scrapbooking layout fast and simple. All the paper and page elements work together, and most kits have instructions and ideas for layouts.

11. Use a rubber stamp to create your own patterned page. For example, stamp a leaf image randomly on a piece of cardstock to make your own autumn-themed patterned paper.
12. Make your pages interactive. By adding envelopes and pockets to your pages, you can involve others in your scrapbook album. Hide little journaling notes in envelopes, and try tucking memorabilia into pockets. You can also create mini scrapbook albums on your pages that fold out with more photos.

These scrapbooking ideas are quick and easy, and they can inspire you to get more pages done. Keep your layouts simple, and try one of these ideas to add interest to your next scrapbooking page.

By Christine Perry

Christine Perry is an avid scrapbooker and has over 10 years of scrapbooking experience. Her favorite photography and scrapbooking subjects are her reluctant teenagers. She invites you to her website, http://www.intoscrapbooking.com for more scrapbooking ideas and circle journal themes

Scrapbooking How Tos: From Nothing to Something

2008-01-13T07:45:00.000-08:00

So you have decided to create your own scrapbook work of art. Here is the step-by-step process you can follow to creating a one of a kind scrapbook…

Shopping.

Yes, the best part of everything. It is as exciting as your birthday celebration. And no one can resist it. Shop for the supplies you need. Shop for the essentials such as the album, album refill, adhesives, card stock, embellishments, papers, pens, punches, stamps, embossing, stickers, a pair of scissors and everything you need for your scrapbooking project.

Tip: Buy only acid-free adhesive, permanent marking and non-fade pens and inks. Your aim is to preserve memorabilia for years. These things will save you from messing up with your scrapbook.

Gather your memories.

Get as many photos as you can. Depending on your theme and the aim you want to achieve, you can sort them according to their relations to one another. For example, you can make a bibliography through scrapbook, then, you grab pictures from your childhood up to now. Sort them out according to the year they were taken.

Tip: If you are grabbing old photos, make sure that your hands are clean. Old photos can easily be destroyed with oil and dirt from your hands. Old photos are also brittle so you may want to handle them with extra care.

Another tip: If you want to preserve old photos, you can scan them to your computer and make a copy. Doing this would also let you edit the quality of the photo or crop the particular portion you only want to have.

One more tip: If you want to take some recent photos, use digital cameras. In this way, you can take as many photos as you could without wasting film. Upload all the photos you have taken, then, print the ones you have selected.

Gather your supplies

Let your imagination take you anywhere. From the supplies you have, create a scrapbook that is truly yours. Decorate the front page of the album with your chosen general theme. A delicate combination of colored papers, pens, photos and creativity would let you create a good front page. On the inside, decorate each page with distinct designs.

For additional decorations, you can consider using a paper trimmer, punches, circle cutter, decorative rulers, paper rolling ball glue pen, or putting on some templates, stickers, computer clipart, rubber stamps, and colorful decorations you can find on magazines. Use the right adhesives to secure what you have placed on your scrapbook. There are several of these: double-sided adhesive dots, photo tape, glue pens, photo corners, non-permanent glue, squares or strips, glue sticks, and bottled glues.

Putting them all together

The most difficult part of the whole scrapbook making is putting all the stuff together, so here are some of the tricks:

Your options are more flexible if you are using photocopied pictures. You can cut them in to different shapes and sizes or you can decide the picture’s size. Placing them to the pages is easier if you keep the space free; then decorate it afterwards.

The best way to cut papers and photos would be using this trick: think twice and cut with no hesitation. Use a sharp pair of scissors. Exploring your creativity in cutting would give better impact to every page of your scrapbook.

Journaling

Adding some handwritten text also involves creativity. Putting some captions, names, dates by hand would let give some personal touch on each page. The use of templates and paper cut outs would also be great.

When using pens, make sure that they are acid-free which avoid degrading the scrapbook’s image. Use different colors for each page.

You can ask your friends and family members to help you write something on the pages.
Finishing touches

Use some additional decorations for final touches. Stickers, handwritten shapes, and paper cut outs are some of the things you can add as your final touches. Compile the pages carefully and share it with friends.

Now that your have your own scrapbook, you can add pages anytime you want to and you can keep your memories alive for as long as you keep your scrapbook alive.

For the Latest Scrapbooking Tips and Tricks, visit us at http://101-Scrapbook-Tips.com.

By Stan Beck

Here Are Some Ideas For Scrapbook Borders

2008-01-10T21:55:00.000-08:00

What is Scrapbooking? Scrapbooking is basically one way to store information, be it in any of several forms: in the form of photos, text, cuttings from various source like newspapers, magazines etc. The information stored is a form of preservation of memories for the users.

Scrapbooks are not simply the regular notebooks but they are very special books which are decorated by the individual as per his /her creativity skills to store special information as a form of memory.

Here are some ideas for Scrapbook Borders Borders can be used in many ways; for example, then can be used around the entire page or around photos or stickers pasted in the Scrapbook. Proper borders help you to improve the looks of your scrapbooks and helps to ad glitter to your scrapbook.

For simple borders, stickers can be pasted as borders. But the stickers should not hide your photos. The stickers should be narrow and should cover most of the paper from the border. A ruler will help to overcome this problem. A ruler should be used for drawing two strait lines around the entire the entire page. Scrapbooks pens having different widths and colors should be used to create a square shaped border. One line should be made thin while the other should be made a little much wider than the previous one. After done with the borders scatter the stickers on top of the border. Rubber stamps can also be used as an alternative to stickers. The stamp used with different colors will make the border more creative.

Rubber stamps also help to make some great creative borders. A medium size stamp should be preferred for the borders. A vertical line down the page should be created down the page. This will look much better rather than the entire border around the entire page. After the border is done each stamp of several of colors should be colored by multi-color pencils, this will help your scrapbook look more attractive. After that a square-line border should be created around the photos with pencils of various colors.

Another alternative for making the border is to use stencils. For making your scrapbook more attractive, wavy-lined stencils should be used along with pens. Die cuts can be created with the help of shaped stencils and with the help of exacto knives. In order to create names on the top of those die cuts lettered stencils should be used. However the use of the border should be used only on one side or across top and bottom.

To add more glitter to your borders, cut vellum in squares and string its pieces together with a ribbon pasted on the back. Stamp On the top of the or on the vellum; this will make the border more attractive. For a more unique look tare the vellum from one side and tear all the other vellums on the similar sides. This will add a spark of glamour to your scrapbook and will make it more attractive.

Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Scrapbooking for Years. For More Information on Borders For Scrapbooks, Visit His Site at BORDERS FOR SCRAPBOOKS

About the Author
Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Scrapbooking for Years. For More Information on Borders For Scrapbooks, Visit His Site at BORDERS FOR SCRAPBOOKS

How Digital Scrap Booking Has Become The New Form Of Collecting Your Albums

2008-01-10T21:52:00.000-08:00

Scrap booking is a very popular hobby. In fact, more than 25% people are enjoying scrap booking. With improvements in technology, scrap books with digital photographs are even more easy and impressive. Digital Scrap booking is a scrap book with the digital photos. It is a new form of collecting your albums. Digital scrap books are more attractive with help of graphics software. Your layout of scrap book will be very nice and catchy with the help of computer.

Sweet memories can be stored in an artistic way using your creativity and tremendous variety in graphics layouts. Now computer is an essential commodity in everybody's home. Hence you can utilize it for many purposes. Storing photos is one of them. It does not need any special software or knowledge. A common man having basic computer literacy can create digital scrap books like a professional one.

Digital scrap booking is growing because of its convenience. It is not messy because there is no use of paper, scissors and glue. It is easily done by children also. They love to do it and parents are not worried about them while they are working with computer.

Digital scrap booking is popular because you can share your creation with the internet. You can flexibly change the layout in many ways with the different materials used for background; while this can not be done with the normal scrap books.

If you want to have a physical scrap book, you can have your collection printed on the paper. These finished pages can be shown as scrap book album. These printing and storing is done economically. Digital scrap booking can be done to save environment, because you can avoid the waste which will be otherwise created.

Digital scrap books are more versatile with everybody's unique style of designs. There are basic steps of creating background paper, adding photos, creating photo mats, adding effects as shadowing and the last step is to finish with titles.

You have number of options from simple graphics to the 3 D effect of photos. The first time user can rely on ready made templates which will give the impressive look to his collection in short time. Once he is confident and experienced he can try his own imagination to create the nice look for his collection.

The important element in digital scrap book is digital scraps. You have to collect your photos in digital form and then you can add give them different look as 3-D look. For backgrounds you can use many things like papers, rips, buttons, photo frames, pendants, string, jewelry, flowers, diamonds, etc.

You can create unlimited variations with these materials in your scrap book. You can use the readymade templates as a guideline. Once you have achieved the skill then there is no ending for your imagination. Adobe, Photoshop, Photoshop elements, Jasc Paint shop Pro, Ulead PhotoImpact and Microsoft Digital Image Pro are some of the software available in market for the photo editing. They have many features which will create professional scrap book with your imagination and own ideas.

Because of the popularity of digital scrap booking, the help is offered by many websites and online digital scrap book sites. It is now easier for the beginners to start with their first project and they can finish their project with the feeling fulfillment.

Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Scrapbooking for Years. For More Information on Digital Scrap Booking, Visit His Site at DIGITAL SCRAP BOOKING

About the Author
Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Scrapbooking for Years. For More Information on Digital Scrap Booking, Visit His Site at DIGITAL SCRAP BOOKING

Computerized Die Cuts Revolutionize Scrapbooking

2008-01-10T21:51:00.000-08:00

For years, schools have been using expensive die cutting equipment for bulletin boards and craft projects. Then as scrapbooking became more popular scrapbook shops and craft stores started selling die cuts and die cutting equipment. Usually, the die cutting equipment isn't that expensive. However, you can easily spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on die sets. For most individuals who love to scrapbook, the cost of owning a traditional die cutting machine along with a large selection of dies is just not practical.

With the cost of traditional die cutting solutions, most serious scrapbookers were left to either buy die cuts or use a die cutting machine at local scrapbooking stores. However, that has now all changed. With the advent of computerized die cutting solutions, it is now possible for individuals to create their own die cuts in the comfort of their own home without breaking the bank.

There are a number of different computerized die cutting machines available on the market. However, most of these machines require users to buy font sets and shape sets to use with the machine. Usually the machine itself is not very expensive. However, like traditional die cutting solutions it is easy to spend two or three times the value of the machine on the fonts and shapes. Unfortunately, this isn't that much better than the old way of doing die cuts.

A few computerized die cutting solutions are different. They allow you use your computer to cut any font or shape that you have on your hard drive. With these solutions, there are literally millions of possibilities and you don't need to buy a single font set or cartridge. You can use any of the fonts, clipart or shapes that you currently have on your computer or you can design your own shapes and cut them out. These solutions even come with software that allows you to "weld" words together to make a die cut of a complete word.

The possibilities for this type of machine are endless. You can use these machines to cut letters and words from virtually any type of paper you can find. You can cut nearly any shape that you can imagine, including complex shapes with small details such as a snowflake. You can even cut a logo or shape out of a card or document allowing you to create unique layers. Plus, if you run out of ideas of things to cut out you can find endless ideas on the internet. In fact, there are even groups dedicated to sharing ideas and designs to use with these type of die cutting machines.

There are currently three different machines on the market that offer the option of cutting shapes and true type fonts from your computer. These options include the Xyron Wishblade, The Craft Robo and the Pazzles Mini. All three of these machines offer similar features at similar prices. Check them out for yourself and start cutting shapes and letters today.

About the Author
Jeff McRitchie is the designer and Director of Marketing for MyBinding.com. He has written over 100 articles on Paper Handling,binding supplies,and more.

Scrapbooking for Kids

2008-01-09T08:23:00.000-08:00

As a homeschooling mom of 4 girls, scrapbooking for kids has been on my mind alot lately. Let me back up a bit. My 4 year old was quietly playing one day with a roll of stickers. Afraid I was going to later find a bunch of stickers caught in the carpet, I asked her what she intended to do with them. She pondered for awhile and then said, "I am going to put them in a scrapbook. Mom, can I have my own scrapbook?" For some reason, this caught me by surprise, as I thought how wonderful of an experience this could be! So, I started thinking about it more and have come up with some tips and ideas to share with you on scrapbooking for kids.

First of all, I will admit, I am cheap! I wasn't sure how excited I would be at the thought of my 4 year old and her sisters cutting up my beautiful papers and glueing everything down in sight! I immediately thought of our local dollar store. They have albums that would be perfect for showcasing their creations in for the time being. The dollar store also offers scrapbooking supplies in the form of kits, stickers and embellishments. We have a reward system in place, where the girls can earn a trip to the dollar store to purchase their own scrapbooking supplies to do with as they please. This alleviates the desire to "mess" with my stash while instilling a sense of responsiblity to earn thier reward!

Here are a few more cost saving tips:

*Have too many pictures to scrap? Let the kids scrap the leftovers.

*When developing photos, get double prints. Let the kids scrap with the doubles.

*When you complete a project, put the leftovers and unused scraps in a container for them to use. They can create their own embellishments with the scraps. You will be amazed at what they can create!

One thing I do want to mention, when you scrap for the first time with your children, be prepared to help and guide them. Don't expect to get much done on your own pages until they start to get a feel for what they want to do and accomplish in their own scrapbooks. Now that they are ready to scrap, what should they scrap? Here are a few layout ideas:

*Have them scrap a page all about their favorite things at that particular age. (then repeat it for each year and see how their favorites have changed or stayed the same)

*Have your kids scrap about their favorite activities or sporting events they are involved in. I'm sure you have plenty of photos!

*Turn it into a learning experience and have them interview the subject of the photo. This would be great for older generations.

*If there aren't enough photos, have them draw pictures of people. Then watch how their drawings progress. Each one of my girls have a specific style of how they draw family members. It is interesting and fun to look at.

What about incorporating their artwork and creations? I am very blessed to get cards, pictures and artwork on an almost daily basis from my girls. But what do you do with all of them? Here are a few ideas:

*Hang on the refrigerator for all to see. Then once the fridge is full, take a picture of your child in front of their artwork and scrap the photo. You can also incorporate their artwork into the layout.

*Color copy and reduce the drawings/projects and use as photos in your layout or as embellishments.

*Are you near the end of a roll of film? Use up those last couple of shots of your child's artwork.
*Use pocket pages to "hold" your child's artwork.

*Create a "brag" book and give to grandparents or other family members as a special gift!
Even though I can be anal at times, I still want to incorporate my girls work into my scrapbooks as well. Afterall, they aren't really my scrapbooks but for all to enjoy! Here are a few ideas:
*Use child's drawings as a background paper.

*Use their creations as embellishments. You'll be amazed at what they can create with some paper, scissors and adhesive!

*Interview them. Ask them questions about the photo, layout, their mood. This would make for some awesome journaling!

I hope the above tips will give you some ideas on scrapbooking for kids!

by: Dawn Stegall

About The Author
Dawn Stegall is a homeschooling mom of 4 girls and owner of http://www.FaithfullyYours.net a Christian scrapbooking site. She is also a regular contributor at http://www.ThatScrapbookSite.com