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

Using Digital Photographs in Scrapbooking Projects

2008-01-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

Digital cameras are a wonderful invention. In the past, the quickest way to get a fast photo was by using an instant camera; but one always sacrificed quality when it came down to the print itself. Now, anyone can simply print out all their digital pictures right after they are taken, without sacrificing quality.

Try experimenting with the various options your photo editor has to offer to give select photos a unique and personal touch. Don't forget to save each edited photo in case you want to frame your creation at a later date. Correct any imperfections in your photo by using photo editing software. Adjust the quality with the editing features using sharpness, blur and despeckle. Make your image appear clearer and brighter with these features.

Put your creativity to use with the color adjustment feature. Sepia makes an interesting look for portraits. Try using sepia for pictures of flowers and landscape scenes also. This look is great for an eye-catching photo layout. Try framing them for an artistic look for your home décor.

Black and white gives photos a sophisticated look, and works great for an old-fashioned family portrait. Try grouping several black and white photos together for an interesting family-themed scrapbook layout.

Cut, crop and resize your photos if you choose. Remember to make several copies of your photos before permanently mounting them to your scrapbook pages.

Try using the different fonts available on your computer and print out fancy lettering to title each scrapbook page; put captions under each of your photos. Add a little humor to each description. You will love reading them in the years to come.

With all the fantastic digital cameras on the market and the availability of photo editing software, there is no limit to making all your scrapbooking projects special.

by: Jane Karwoski

About The Author
Jane Karwoski is publisher of the e-book, "Scrapbooking Made Easy". To sign up for a free newsletter, go to http://www.scrapbooking-made-easy.com.

Rainy Day Scrapbooking Projects

2008-01-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

With the holidays approaching, it is time to think about visiting with friends, participating in family gatherings and creating special gifts for our loved ones. The memories of Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas gift giving remind us of the special times in our lives when we catch up on family news and visit with old friends.

With the colder weather, shorter days and lots of time spent indoors, now is the time to start your scrapbooking project. What better way is there to spend a rainy day than to dig out all those old photos, children's artwork and long kept treasures from vacations, birthdays and special occasions and begin working on a scrapbook. Scrapbooks make great gifts and also provide a way for us to share our life with others. Of course, some of us have to dig pretty far down to find these things which may have been kept in several different boxes and placed throughout the house over the years.

Where do you begin? Well, the first step is to look through all the things you have collected over time and decide what you want to keep. Next, decide what theme to make your scrapbook pages about. What is the overall purpose of the project? Who is it for? Or perhaps you would like to make several scrapbooks for various family members. The answers to these questions will help you select an appropriate theme for your creative endeavor.

Grandmother would love a scrapbook with a collection of photos of the grandchildren; perhaps creating a book with each child as the theme. Include a few of their art projects and cute photos for each scrapbook. Let each child be involved in the project, selecting their favorite color for the background. Ask them to pick out their own embellishments, paper, rubber stamps, and help create the overall design of the scrapbook. Your sister or brother would love a scrapbook with all the latest pictures of each child, collage-style. Try adding lot's of text to your scrapbook and let each child help in composing the words in their own handwriting.

Friends would love a small scrapbook of current photos of your spouse, children, etc. It is best to arrange the photos in chronological order. Also, try including some pictures of past adventures you have shared with them. If you were high school or college pals, find some pictures of your school years and make a collage using the best photos and add some school memorabilia (if you have any) to your scrapbook.

The use of dark colored backgrounds makes a nice backdrop for photos. Experiment with photo editing software for your digital photos and print out photos on photo paper. Remember to use acid-free and lignin free paper for long lasting prints.

Creating scrapbooks on rainy or snowy days is a great way to pass the time and an enjoyable experience for the entire family.

by: Jane Karwoski

About The Author
Jane Karwoski is publisher of the e-book, "Scrapbooking Made Easy" To sign up for a free newsletter, go to http://www.scrapbooking-made-easy.com.

Scrapbooking Idea For Thanksgiving

2008-01-06T20:16:00.000-08:00

The holidays are the perfect time to make scrapbook pages out of your memories and photos, so we know you are probably looking for scrapbooking idea for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a special time of year when we get together with family and be thankful for our blessings in life. That is why coming up with a unique idea for Thanksgiving is what can make your memories so precious. Here are a couple of ideas that we found which you may want to try out for this year's Thanksgiving.

One great idea for Thanksgiving is to title your page "Giving Thanks" and then put on the page pictures of your family and the various things that you are glad you have. These can be photos of almost anything from the food on the table to the people in your life, pets, and even a favorite knick knack. Take detailed pictures, close-ups, and photos from different angles. That is what will make your scrap book really unique.

Another wonderful idea for Thanksgiving is to center your page around a Thanksgiving poem. For example, here is one that we especially like:

Thank you for the gift of life,
For letting me be me,
For all that I can know by words
And all that I can see,
For all the music I can hear
And all the songs I sing,
For all the joy that comes to me
And all the joy I bring,
For all the food that I can taste
And all the sweet scents smell,
For all the loved ones I can touch,
Who love and wish me well,
For all the beauty of the world,
Ever fresh and new,
I don't know whom else I can thank,
And so I'm thanking you.

Paste this at the beginning of your pages and then make additional pages that show all you are thankful for like pictures of your family, your friends, the food, even the sky above. You could also center the poem on the page and post photos or write memories around the poem. Using poetry can be a great scrapbooking idea for Thanksgiving, or any time for that matter!

You can many other web sites that will give you scrapbooking idea for Thanksgiving. Take a moment and look at your favorite scrapping sites to get ideas from other members as well. However, perhaps the best idea for Thanksgiving is to scrap from your heart and use your imagination and creativity to make beautiful and unique pages that you can be proud of.

John Todd
More on Thanksgiving Crafts

Scrapbooking to Give as Gifts

2008-01-06T20:14:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking has become a nice hobby for you to creatively display some of your favorite pictures. If everyone raves about your abilities as a scrapbooking genius, you might want to create a scrapbook to give as a gift for those who don't have the talent or the time to make beautiful keepsakes like you do!

It's easy to shop online or mosey into a local store and pick up a present for someone you love. But a personalized gift means you've put your heart into it - and it will be far more treasured than a department-store gift would be.

Is someone you know having an anniversary? The first year of marriage is the paper anniversary - an ideal time to deliver a scrapbook of memories to a bride and groom just starting their lives together.

Older couples would also enjoy scrapbook keepsakes to look back on the years they've spent together. Put together a scrapbook that shows as much as you can share about the couple, but add some blank pages so that each of them can add their own memories to the scrapbook form their own perspective.

Milestone birthdays are another perfect opportunity to give a scrapbook as a gift. Someone turning 40 would enjoy an "Over-the-Hill" scrapbook that shows their lives up to that point - providing they have a good sense of humor.

Someone who's retiring might also love a scrapbook that shares their time spent with a company. To many, their work family is an integral part of their lives, and having a scrapbook to look back on and remember the people and place would be a gift they treasure for years.

Your themed pages could include ladder climbing, showing their progress as they were promoted up in the ranks. Add a few blank pages to include pictures and mementos (as well as notes) about the retirement party itself.

Scrapbooks are great gifts to give someone for holidays or everyday occasions. They're easy and fun to make and show you put a lot of thought into the gift. Scrapbooks that have photos of the past bring an overwhelming amount of happy memories they can relive and enjoy all over again.

By Tiffany Washko

Tiffany Washko is the editor of Nature Moms, http://www.naturemoms.com . After working several years in corporate healthcare marketing and public relations, she took time away to be a mother. This new pursuit lead her to a new passion, natural family living and writing about environmental and political issues. She currently works as a freelance writer and newspaper journalist.

Scrapbooking Pet Page Ideas for a Unique Pet Album

2008-01-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

Our pets are part of our families and our memories. Whether they are dogs, cats, hamsters or rabbits, they enrich our lives. Creating a pet-themed scrapbook album will preserve the special moments you share with them. Consider these scrapbooking pet page ideas to make an album just for your pet photos.

Everyone remembers the excitement of bringing home a new pet. Make a scrapbooking page about their first night at home. You can include pictures of your pet's new bed and any toys you bought for your pet. Photos with each family member should be highlighted as well. Journal your thoughts about how you selected your new companion and what inspired you to choose its name.

Another scrapbooking pet page idea is to capture your pet's personality on a page. This can be done through photos and journaling. Dogs might be lazy, energetic or neurotic. Cats can be affectionate, frisky or aloof. Hamsters might be friendly, shy or bold. Consider your own pet's behavior. Funny stories and memories would be a great addition to your journaling.

Create a scrapbooking page of pet memorabilia. You can use pockets and envelopes on your pages to add tufts of fur, old ID tags, baby teeth and labels from your pet's favorite food or treats. A pet-themed album can preserve your pet's adoption papers, paw print impressions, veterinary records and obedience training awards and certificates.

Obedience classes are great photo opportunities. Design pages that show your pet's progress through training courses. More people are involving their dogs in classes beyond basic obedience. Many active owners participate in agility training, fly ball and rally competition. Don't forget to include photos of these events in your dog's album.

Pets are part of our holiday celebrations. Create a Halloween page with your dog in a costume. Around the holidays, pet stores often offer pictures of pets with Santa. Pages of a kitten playing in the wrapping paper on Christmas morning or a puppy sleeping under the tree can be part of both your holiday album and your pet-themed scrapbook.

Document your pet's firsts like your dog's first visit to the veterinarian or your puppy's first bath. Photograph your puppy's growth over its first year. Create a "day in the life" page for your pet. Meal, nap and play times can be more opportunities to show your pet's behavior and personality in photos. Celebrate your pet's birthdays complete with cards, presents and cake. Then, make birthday scrapbooking pages for your album.

Scrapbooking manufacturers are responding to requests for pet-themed albums and embellishments. Most craft stores stock dog and cat stickers, and some even offer small animal stickers, like hamsters and rabbits. Patterned papers come with dog and cat themes. You can find materials for page accents, like die cuts, brads, ribbons, and stamps, designed for pet pages, as well.

Owning a pet is a relationship and a commitment. Pets provide companionship and their lives become part of ours. A pet-themed album is a reflection of your bond with your pet. Think about pet scrapbooking page ideas that capture the essence of your relationship with your pet. Make your next scrapbook one that celebrates the special moments you and your pet share.

By Christine Perry

Baby Scrapbooking - Because They Grow So Fast

2008-01-06T00:26:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking is an all-around crafting phenomenon, by no means limited to proud parents and proud grandparents. It seems that scrapbooking is attractive even to people who never considered themselves to be crafty before, it's the kind of anti-crafter's craft as well as a crafter's craft. What better inspiration to start a baby scrapbooking project? Everyone goes gaga over baby photos, right? Making a baby album is even cuter, somehow, than putting the photos into a baby photo album.

How to Make One

Thankfully for those of us with not too much crafting talent and little to no drawing ability, the industry has recognized the huge market for baby scrapbooking and has responded with an absolute wealth of supplies that lend themselves perfectly to making scrapbooks of all those new pictures of the most popular person in the family: a new baby.

Any major crafting store will have a decent selection of supplies. These stores are a good place to start collecting things to make a scrapbook, whether it's for a baby or not. Other great resources where you can find a multitude of supplies are specialty scrapbooking stores that have popped up only in the last decade in order to meet the needs of scrapbookers across the country.

Of course, there's also the internet. Many scrapbookers swear that they find more and more of their supplies on the internet each year. While your local crafting store, or even your local scrapbooking store, might have a lot of supplies, you're apt to find even more variety on the internet. If a store carries only 20 different layouts of a particular sticker line, you can be sure that on the internet you will find the other 80 layouts and many, many more lines of stickers.

Baby scrapbooking is no exception to this rule. Proud parents are having lots of fun making albums of their babies, and the internet is certainly one of their largest resources in finding the supplies that they need and want for their albums.

By Leonie Brogan

Leonie Brogan is an accomplished Author of several Romantic Novels and prize winner of Mills and Boon short stories competition 1993. Her love lies with living life to the best she can and helping others understand the world around them.

Leonie draws on her vast knowledge after turning her four sons loose on the world covering many diverse topics including relationships

Writing daily is Leonie's passion along with a never ending appetite for reading where she can devour a novel in a day if it burns her desires.

6 Time-Saving Tips for Digital Scrapbooking Enthusiasts

2008-01-06T00:23:00.000-08:00

Digital scrapbooking can be addictive and very time consuming. Somehow, time just seems to slip away. So, I'm sharing a few of my time-saving tips to help you get the most out of your digital scrapbooking minutes.

1. Shopping tip. When you're shopping for scrapbooking embellishments, purchase a few kits at a time to save for a later date. We all have a certain style that we like, so pick some that fit your style and start a library of embellishments and papers. To get you started we have some freebies in our Free Download section, plus some from other shops.

2. Keep your photos and embellishments organized. I know, this doesn't sound like much fun, but it's well worth the thought put into it and the time invested. I've written an article on how to organize your photo, for more information I've provided the link below.

3. Focus. If you have little ones, obviously the best time to start digital scrapbooking is when they're napping or after bed. This will allow you to focus on your layout. Once you get started the creative juices will start flowing.

4. Invest in a timer. It's easy to lose track of time and the next thing you know it's midnight. Allot yourself a certain amount of time and a goal. When you're just starting out, you'll want a little extra time to allow for the learning curve. If you only have 30 minutes, don't force yourself to complete a page. There's only so much time in the day and we have to work with the time we have. When your time runs, save the work you've done and then take a few notes of the ideas you have. Now, next time you scrapbook you can pick up right where you left off.

5. Baby steps, take one step at a time. I have very little time to work on my own layouts, so I've implemented steps to create a layout. Even though I don't finish a layout in one session I have goals. I know that by completing one step per session that I'll have a completed layout by the end of the week.

a. Edit your photos.

b. Create your layout & choose a background.

c. Find/Create embellishments for your page.

d. Title your page and add the journaling.

e. Print, have it printed, email or share it online.

6. Journaling.Once you have picked your photos you can start thinking about what you'd like to journal on your page. Keep a notebook in your purse and jot down notes on your lunch break, when you're waiting for the train to pass or right before you fall asleep. I always do my best thinking before I fall asleep. You can also be proactive and keep your notebook handy to jot down things that happen, as they happen. Then you don't have to go back and try to recall that memory. Now you have everything in your handy-dandy notebook when you need it.

I hope these tips help you save time and get the most out of your digital scrapbooking minutes.

Jennifer Thompson would like to inspire and enrich your digital scrapbooking experience. Scrap! by Penelope & Simon is a place where you can find tutorials, tips & tricks, product reviews, inspiration, how-to guides and the latest news in digital scrapbooking. We're here to provide a safe and secure place where you can share your ideas, experiences, techniques and your favorite shops. Our goal is to become the #1 information source and community for all your digital scrapbooking needs.

Free Downloads

Organizing Your Photos

By Jennifer Thompson

Add Digital Scrapbooking To Your Journal

2008-01-06T00:21:00.000-08:00

Now, instead of buying one book to keep your memories in, you can create a unique page for every memory digitally. Just use the same technology that digital scrapbooker use, such as software like Photoshop Elements® 6.0 by Adobe® and kits from shops like Scrap Girls or Computer Scrapbook. Now you can have fun while you journal and create a book, all at once.

A good time to write is at night when the house has gone silent and solitude is among you. You don't have to spend a lot of time writing, or write a lot. Just 5 to 10 sentences and you're done. You can add quotes or lyrics to your pages too. Sometimes you can't find the right words, but you know the right quote or song that can express how you're feeling.

"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!" - Anne Frank

Start by documenting your birthday, New Years, a promotion, marriage, birth of a child, you get the idea. These are times to reflect upon ourselves and set new goals. Change and growth are inevitable; they're a sign of strength which empowers us to continue growing. By looking back at previous years you can rediscover yourself and watch yourself grow. For instance, what did you want to be when you "grow-up"? As children we look forward to growing-up. Now we are grown-up, so what do we look forward to now? Watching our children grow-up and their children? So, why not capture these memories and sharing these moments of yourself for generations to come.

It's always fun to capture the good times, but the bad times are just as important. Although, we may not want to admit it, the bad times mold us into who we are too. By reflecting on the bad times it may just help heal your soul. Remember, you don't have to share everything with everyone.

My grandmother and I have started going through some of her pictures. We have found pictures of her as a child, her mother as a child, even pictures of her grandmother. Hearing all her stories, and having faces with names, has given me a new found sense of family. I've always been close to my grandparents and am fortunate to still have them in my life. I feel that it's important to document these stories, because I know that someday she's not going to be here to tell me. The stories that she shares with me, and my own story, are ones that I want to share with my children and grandchildren.

I've inspired myself to start journaling, I hope I've inspired you too.

By Jennifer Thompson

Creative Scrapbooking Albums For Your Pets

2008-01-04T10:50:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking is a wonderful way to preserve your cherished memories. For many people their pets are an important part of the family, so it is just natural to want to capture those special times shared with a beloved pet. You can use your favorite scrapbooking tools to make unique pages that you can enjoy for years to come.

As always, make sure the scrapbooking materials you use are acid and lignin free. You'll need the typical scrapbooking supplies such as an album, cut-outs, stickers, letter rub-ons, and any other creative embellishments you desire. Choose things related to your pet such as dog breed stickers or cat themed papers. Creating scrapbook pages for your pets is also a great way to get the kids involved.

To get started, you'll need to have some good photos of your pet. Try taking pictures from a variety of different angles and include your pet with different members of the family. If your dog has a favorite toy, include some special pictures of that as well. Do you celebrate your pet's birthday? Then by all means include some "birthday" photos in the scrapbook. My children even celebrate the birthdays of our fish!

Here are some fun theme ideas for creating your pet's scrapbook.

Focus on "the firsts". If you are fortunate enough to get your pet while he or she is still a baby, then create a scrapbook album around the "firsts". Even if you adopted your pet when it was older you can still create some great "first" scrapbook pages. Create a scrapbook page or album around your pet's first bath, coming home, first holidays, first visit to the park, first car ride, etc.

Another great scrapbook theme is "A Day In The Life of ________" which would include pages about your pet's morning routines, nap time, meal time, play time and favorite toys, and outdoor time. Trace your pet's paw print and include that in the pages too!

A theme around "pet favorites" is also a fun idea. Take photos and create pages around your pet's favorite activities. For a cat you might include pages on favorite toys and favorite nap places. For a dog, choose photos of favorite outdoor play or playtime with favorite toys.

Whatever kind of pet you have, you can enjoy creating special scrapbook pages that you will enjoy for years to come!

By: Dee Marie

Article Source: http://www.articlemap.com

Dee Marie is a freelance writer who enjoys scrapbooking. Visit www.scrapbooking-bug.com for more scrapbooking tips and ideas.

The Art Of Scrapbooking

2008-01-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking is one of the most popular hobbies in America and is done in recognition of special occasions, including anniversaries, graduation, birthdays, weddings, new births and as a memoir of precious moments. The possibilities are limited by the owner’s imagination and may even include such things as building your first house or as a journal used to document a dream vacation.

There are several products needed for scrapbooking, which includes an album that can easily have pages added or removed, photos, magic markers in a rainbow of colors, glue, stickers, confetti-like embellishments. These products are readily found in any craft store or the craft section of most retail stores, but are also commonly found online. Many online specialty stores carry a broad range of crafting supplies and embellishments that are designed to make the scrapbooking experience a terrific one.

An example of a quality scrapbooking project may be a high school or college graduation. Photos of the graduate, along with special moments with his/her friends at college, could be added onto various scrapbooking pages. For each page, perhaps the graduate could share some thoughts in writing about the image that was captured on film and what he/she was feeling at that moment. Perhaps it was a big win for the football team or a special dance but, whatever the case, it is nice to have a written sentiment to go along with the photo. Once the picture is applied and a few words are written, it’s time to add the embellishments. It’s fun to add a catchy title to the top of the page, which can be written, printed from a computer or found on stickers. Once the title is added, some ribbon or confetti-like additions can be placed sporadically throughout the page.

Scrapbooking is a fun hobby and is also a way to preserve the memories that we wish to keep in our life forever. As the years go by and memories slowly fade of how we felt on a particular day or at a particular time, it is wonderful to turn to a scrapbook and see what we were thinking at the big game or how we felt after being asked to a dance or after meeting our future spouse. Not only can scrapbooking be a wonderful way to pass the time, but it is also a treasure that we can share with our children and grandchildren through the years.

By: Angel Estrella

Article Source: http://www.articlemap.com

To find out more about scrapbooking, please visit our website at www.scrapbooking-guide.info . It contains tons of free scrapbooking articles, resources and tips.

Quick Tips For Super Scrapbook Business Success!

2008-01-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

Here are some mini-tips I've been collecting:

1. Pitch your business to telemarketers. When they call to sell you the latest gizmo, turn the tables on them. Have they heard of scrapbooking? Tell them what a wonderful, relaxing hobby it is after a day of getting yelled at and hung up upon. If you're a retailer, ask them if they live in the area and want to stop in for your "telemarketers' special." Online storeowners and product designers, just give them your Web site. Direct sales consultants, this is your chance to score another recruit (now, you know they can't be terribly happy being on the phone all day). And if they say they just have no time, custom scrapbook artists can step up to the plate and offer your services.

2. Did you know that some of the email newsletters you subscribe to could be getting marked as unsolicited email? This means that you might not ever receive some of the newsletters you love! Take a moment to remember all the e-mail newsletters you have subscribed to and really, really enjoy - like ours! Then contact your e mail provider to put us all on your "safe" list. It will be worth it - believe me!

3. Retail storeowners and event organizers, do you have a map somewhere on the flyers you give out, with detailed directions on how to get to your place from every direction? If not, put it on your "to-do" list today.

4. All business owners can benefit from this one: magnetic car signs. Cruise around town in a vehicle branding your business to the world. But don't just stop with your car! Buy a bunch, and slap them on your friends' and family members' cars as well. You might even have some customers and clients that wouldn't mind advertising your business for an incentive (a percentage off every purchase, for example).

5. Custom scrapbook artists, try using the "Step It Up" method featured in Simple Scrapbooks magazine in your demo albums. Take a few photos and make several copies of each. Then, design layouts using the same photos but with additional embellishments. Layout one can be your "basic" page, layout two more advanced (more embellishments), layout three extreme advanced (even more custom work and embellishments).

I hope these tips work for you! I wish you all the best of success, however you define it!

Sue DiFranco is the author of more than a dozen books on building and marketing a scrapbooking business. Learn how to turn your scrapbooking passion into profit! Visit http://www.funfactspublishing.com to read a library of FREE information and get started today!

Why Opt for a Work at Home Scrapbooking?

2007-12-31T22:06:00.000-08:00

Starting and growing a work at home scrapbooking business is relatively easier said than done. It entails a lot of dedication, time, and dogged determination. It's not a “get-rich-quick” idea, where many people who opted for a work-at-home businesses believed them to be.

However, work at home scrapbooking isn't hard either. It just needs proper management skills in order to keep the concepts behind work at home scrapbooking truly a success.

One of the best things about starting up a scrapbooking business at home is that it can offer more benefits and satisfactions that people who establish their scrapbooking business in the traditional market.

For those who want to know if work at home scrapbooking will work for them, here are some factors that they need to know first before deciding on it:

1. Are you still enjoying your present job?

If not, then it is high time that you divert your time to earning more income that is reasonable and still enjoy what you are doing. All of these things are incorporated in work at home scrapbooking.

One of the best things about home based scrapbooking is that you get to enjoy and spend more bonding moments with your family and at the same time earn the kind of income you have enjoyed in the past.

The fact is that the scrapbooking business is one of the fastest growing businesses in the United States. Statistical reports show that the scrapbooking business is now generating an annual income of $2.55 billion.

2. Would you like some challenges and still be creative?

If yes, then the scrapbooking business is an ultimate choice. The best thing to rekindle those fondest memories with a price is to set up a scrapbooking business right in the comforts of your own home.

The idea of work at home scrapbooking isn't restricted just to selling scrapbooking supplies. This kind of business also entails those creative works that are needed in scrapbooking. With a home based scrapbooking business, you get to share your artistic talents and earn from them.

You can easily make money by simply creating some colorful borders, creative backgrounds, or flashy embellishments.

3. Would you like an additional source of income?

Opting to earn additional income these days is not an understatement. With hard times, it is extremely important to have the means to earn extra money for your extra needs. One of the best ways is to engage in work at home scrapbooking.

With this kind of business, you can surely have fun while earning money.

Things To Consider Before Planning A Scrapbooking Retreat

2007-12-31T06:16:00.000-08:00

Pastimes or hobbies are important when people want to divert their attention form serious work to a lighter part of life. This is to encourage relaxation and repose.

From the many types of hobbies or pastimes that have been introduced into society, scrapbooking seems to be the most common method of capturing the works of history and placing them in an area were their memories can be rekindled.

The benefits of scrapbooking aren't just a fad that people experience for a certain period. The advantages of scrapbooking are more than just the value of the work done but also the value of time that pictures, words, and embellishments have been used to put all those memories together in one collection.

Scrapbooking offers many benefits that people who are heavily engaged in this kind of activity would even resort to scrapbooking retreats just to get to that certain level of achievement as far as this hobby is concerned.

Scrapbooking retreats are usually done in order to give “scrapbookers” or “scrapper” some opportunities to finish their work without having any distractions from home.

Scrapbook retreats can also be valuable additions to a scrapper’s collection of memories. Usually scrapbook retreats are organized by scrappers themselves. They do all the planning and choose the best locations for their scrapbooking.

With scrapbook retreats, scrappers can acquire more ideas to include in their scrapbooks. In fact, the retreat itself could be a good addition considering the fact the usefulness of the chosen location.

However, before you and your group decide on a scrapbooking retreat, there are some factors that you need to consider first. Here’s the list:

1. Types of retreat

When planning for a scrapbooking retreat, it is best to consider first the type of retreat that you want to pursue. Will it be a beach getaway or a nature-trip adventure?

2. Reasons for conducting the retreat

Identify the reasons why you want to conduct a scrapbooking retreat. Some locations need certain amenities in order to supply your scrapbooking. It would be better to find locations that will provide you with the kinds of amenities that you will need in your scrapbooking.

Of Course, you don't have to worry at all why you need a scrapbooking retreat. As long as it provides additional ideas on your scrapbooking and as long as it improves your hobby, then, a scrapbooking retreat is a definite must for every scrapper.

The Ideal Scrapbook Kit

2007-12-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

Years from now, the events that take place will just be a memory from the past. Historical battles sites and castles have become tourist attractions. The actions of people are recorded in history books and lectured to the young.

The life of an average Joe may not matter to the public but this is something you can look back on and smile about by flipping through the pages of a scrapbook.

A scrapbook kit can be purchased at your local bookstore. This will include a small album, some colored paper, stickers, embellishments and some instructions on how to begin.

Those who have been doing this for a long time don’t have to buy a kit but instead buy each of the items separately to add variation to the project.

The scrapbook should last for years so this should be made of strong material. The most important thing is to have an album. The bookstore has these in many different sizes and you can choose the one best for you. Magnetic albums aren't the best to use since they have been proven to cause damage to the contents in the long term.

A good pair of scissors and a cutter should always be around. This will make it easy to cut a photo or something out of a magazine. If you aren't sure about the layout on a certain page, there are two options on how to proceed. The first would be to use a dispenser and put tape on scratch paper or pin the cutouts first on a corkboard.

Making a scrapbook may take days or even weeks to finish. You can take some time to look at it before making a final decision. When a page is ready, you should use glue from the kit to put everything into place.

Scrapbooks aren't just about sticking things together. You can also make them interesting by putting some lettering on them. There are packs that hold numbers and the alphabet that are available in different colors that will also add some spice to the scrapbook.

You should also use colored pens and crayons. You can use this to add other things that come to mind later on during the creation of the scrapbook.

Is there such a thing as the ideal scrapbook? Definitely not! You can see how others do it and then add variations to make this something unique that others can also appreciate.

The Best Scrapbook Ideas Came From Popular Scrapbookers

2007-12-29T22:16:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking is more than just a hobby. It's more than just a collage. Creating scrapbooks is an art. Pictures and little things are artistically positioned to illustrate a certain theme or story.

It is a very useful therapy, to see the memories of the past relived in a beautiful journal. This is one of the many reasons to take scrapbooking seriously.

Start Doing the Scrapbook

Many beginners out there are interested in this creative expression. Many want to learn eactly how to do it. Making the decision is fairly easy. It can sometimes be overwhelming once they see what all it entails.

There are many products and choices when making a scrapbook. The best thing to get going is to narrow down the options and choose one that suits your taste the best.

The first step in making the best scrapbook the theme or a particular story. This could be your first vacation out of the country or your moments spent with a best friend.

Once the theme or the story is settled, you can take the next big step. You can now start putting that moment or story into the scrapbook.

Get scrapbook ideas.

Most scrapbookers simply explore their creativity. However, it is best to get the best tips and techniques. They often come from the popular scrapbookers.

Seeking the Popular Scrapbookers

Professional designers of scrapbooks can also give you good guidance. Popular scrapbookers can provide you many options. Aside from storing and organizing the photos, they have the basic techniques on layout, patterns and materials.

They can provide instruction books on the basics of scrapbooking. There are also videos to teach you.

It is also very easy to find a scrapbooker, especially online. Get the advice and help of popular scrapbookers on the Internet. Simply enter the keywords and you will find different sites dedicated to making scrapbooks. Choose the trusted ones and get only the best services.

These are ones who have been known for their good services. They are famous for their creative layout. Check out how many people are in the network of a particular scrapbooker. See if there are many satisfied clients.

It is best to look at the past works of the scrapbooker you find. This will give you a good idea if the skills and creativity of the scrapbooker suit your taste.

So, go ahead. Learn tips and techniques from talented people. Have fun with the activities. Happy scrapbooking!

Supplies You Need For Scrapbooking

2007-12-28T08:47:00.001-08:00

You can create your own design of a scrapbook. First, you should be decided on what kind of scrapbook you would like to make. There are different sizes that are available in bookstores. The most common sizes are the 8x12 and the 12x12 inch formats. These formats are a little expensive but they have good qualities and can store a large amount of collections.

The 8x11 format works best since it can fit the inkjet printers that are generally of the same size. You can also use three ring binders even if the pages are in the process of printing. You may even place the pages similar to the format of a post type binder where you can create a double outline. The pages are attached closely so that they can be used as one outline. You may produce photographs on that format even if they aren't separately placed on the printer.

There are more inexpensive scads that you can get in the 8x12 format. They can be used as school supplies, art, and office supplies as well. You can have more space from the pages if your option is to use three ring binders for your scrapbook. However, it is better to have high quality binders to help you compile the collections on the pages before arranging them in a post type binder.

It isn't advisable to use a spiral non-removable scrapbook because you will be limited on one particular page and you may want to rearrange the pages. Some people are still buying this kind of format because they specialize on a specific compilation. This allows them to categorize the collections from each page.

There are also themed books that can exhibit those fun memories. Your children may enjoy looking at the pictures so they can see how styles and trends looked back then. Neighbors and friend who visit your home may have fun flipping through the pages rather than just looking at old photo albums.

It is always enjoyable to remember the moments in your life by looking at your scrapbook. Making a scrapbook with different themes is easy to organize especially if you use inexpensive supplies. Each page can be themed differently. In fact, you can save more time and money when you apply the same color on the background. Create a cover page in every event that you have visited to ensure that they will be kept safely.

Starting A Scrapbooking Career

2007-12-27T00:46:00.000-08:00

Starting a scrapbooking career is easier than most people think. In fact, starting a scrapbooking career does not entail a big investment. Many people that have started a career in scrapbooking were once simple hobbyists that indulged in their passion at home.

But as the popularity and reputation of scrapbooking increased many people have opted to begin a scrapbooking career that is indeed quite profitable. At the same time, starting a scrapbooking career is a great way to get the lifestyle every person deserves. Scrappers can have the benefit of having the free time they need to spend more time with the family.

Plus, the continuous rise of living costs has prompted many people to seek alternative sources of income. Many people who have taken up scrapbooking as a hobby have also realized the potential of their pastime as a profitable business. Although some may only play at scrapbooking as a career, others have gone head on into it as a permanent line of business.

As a bonus, many scrapbooking businesses offer substantial discounts for individuals who have decided to embark on a scrapbooking career. People interested in starting a scrapbooking career can get help and advise from various scrapbooking companies. Different companies also offer various forms of support for people starting a scrapbooking career such as step-by-step training to build the business.

There are a wide variety of career choices in the scrapbooking industry. A dedicated scrapper interested in starting a scrapbooking career can either be a scrapbooking instructor, a direct sales consultant, an event organizer, a product manufacturer or designer.

In fact, many people who have started a scrapbooking career have gone on to become scrapbooking experts and professional artists who have even developed into scrapbook retailers. Many of these scarpbooking experts often have online retail sites that not only sell scrapbooking materials but also feature project ideas and tips on scrapbooking.

Tools Needed to Start a Scrapbooking Career

Any scrapper can easily start a scrapbooking career with just the basic tools and materials. Creativity is the main key that any scrapper would need to start a scrapbooking career. To start a scrapbooking career, you will need to have an album to work with along with refills for the album. A good pair of sharp scissors is essential in having a scrapbooking career.

In addition, having the right adhesives are also important as well as a variety of printed papers and cardstock. A scrapper will also need to have an assortment of journal pens to help add an artistic touch to any scrapbook project. Additional items that may be included are a paper trimmer and die cut machine.

Scrapbooking Techniques You Can Easily Learn

2007-12-26T04:52:00.000-08:00

A scrapbook should be made with creativity and presentation in mind. There are many ways on how you can bring life and color to the themes you display on your pages. You may consider applying these techniques to ensure that your scrapbook will be admired throughout the years.

1.Make sure that the pages contain specific titles. You may think of simple but catchy titles for each theme on your scrapbook. Many believe that it's better to have shorter titles. They can stand out better than other themes when they are presented with different approach.

2.Decide on the theme you would like to use for the pages. The theme you use is very important to ensure a presentable compilation. Most of the time, the theme you use may create an interest to people who want to look at your scrapbook.

3.You have to specify the details you have noted on the pages. Detailed information can add life to the pictures displayed. You can create a simple date and location format to ensure that your viewers aren't guessing and arguing about the place and time of the places that you have visited.

4.Try to follow the trends used nowadays on most scrapbooks. Colors like pink and black are the most common colors seen on pages and themes. They create a colorful combination that makes your scrapbook more attractive and alive.

5.Apply neutral colors using a black background to complement the vintage theme that you place on the pages. This color is best for those who have classic tastes.

6.The color blocking technique can help you create a portrait-like design by attaching the layout to your design. You may print the design using a cardstock made of ivory and spicing up the entire background with a copper inkpad.

7.Combine black backgrounds with luminous colors. Use rich yellow colors in theme layouts with dark gray and black backgrounds for a great combination. You may sand all the background edges before coloring them with vibrant elements such as red, orange, and mint green.

Using these techniques can bring life and creativity in your scrapbook. Always think of new ideas that you can apply in your themes and titles. Always be up to date with the latest trends and colors that are commonly used. You may even try to experiment with new combinations of colors to creat a unique approach on your scrapbook.

Scrapbooking Skills To Master

2007-12-25T01:31:00.000-08:00

It has long been accepted that hobbies don't just form one kind of diversion but they also provide means of enhancing the personality of the hobbyist as well as his or her personal improvement. This is because hobbies don't just entertain but they also motivate people to develop their talents and hone in on their skills.

Take for example scrapbooking. Scrapbooking doesn't just motivate people to become creative and resourceful. This particular hobby also motivates people to improve their skills and to instigate ways on how to develop them further.

However, it's also important to note that scrapbooking also takes some skills in order to do the job well. Therefore, for those who wish to engage in scrapbooking, here is a list of some of the skills that every budding scrapper needs to develop:

1. Motor skills

In scrapbooking, it is extremely important to develop one’s motor skills. This is because scrapbooking mostly entails the use of scissors, because there will be plenty of cutting activities. The delicate cutting of mini flowers and ribbons that are perfectly detailed from the loops down to the twirls should be finely cut in order to create a more artistic impression.

2. Logical skills

Mixing designs and matching colors don't just involve creativity. It is more on the logical capacity of the brain to rationally harmonize colors, shapes, and designs, thereby creating a well-balanced appearance. It is important to cultivate your logical skills if you really want to succeed in making quality scrapbooks.

3. Confidence

Building confidence is considered to be one of the most important skills children and adults alike need to develop. With scrapbooking, you can simply master this skill by creating a masterpiece of your own. That simple work is enough to build confidence because it makes a person realize that he or she can do something really well if they just put their heart and mind to it.

Building scrapbooks is a special ability that can truly make somebody proud of themselves, because most of the ideas incorporated in scrapbooking are all originals.

The bottom line is that people just have to develop these skills in order to succeed in the scrapbooking activity. With these skills, you can simply surmise that anything is, indeed, possible as long as you develop your talents and hone in on your skills.

Scrapbooking Ideas

2007-12-23T23:31:00.000-08:00

Even if you don't have a creative bone in your body, you can still come up with something which is pleasing to the eye when making a scrapbook.

Just go with whatever it is that you feel like doing, have fun or do it with somebody else – a friend or a younger member of the family.

You can look at samples online or have a scrapbooking enthusiast show you his or her work. Then you can gather concepts to apply when you make your own.

Here are some great ideas for you to use when making the ultimate scrapbook:

1. Album

You can buy these online or at a local crafts store. The album that you choose will dictate the overall design of the album so take your time in picking one.

Look at the material used in the paper. If you plan to make a collage and include heavier materials, look for a thicker paper. The regular thickness of craft paper will do if you just want to stick many different photos in your scrapbook.

There are various sizes to choose from, beginning from a letter-size album which is 8 ½” x 11” or the smaller square-sized paper of 6” or 8”.

For a smaller format, you can use just one or two pictures to showcase on each page and just add on embellishments.

2. Themes

Look around you and you will surely find an inspiration when it comes to the theme of your scrapbook.

The weather is one example, look for a bright-orange or yellow-based color. Then, you could cut out photos of sunflowers and loop a yellow yarn and glue it on to represent the sun.

Next, paste the pictures on the pages of your scrapbook and finish up with writing a personalized quote or paste a clipping from a newspaper. Glue on additional memorabilia of a different medium then your scrapbook is as good as gold.

3. Borders

You can use the same theme for the borders as the page itself or the borders of the photos.

Pasting a picture on top of a paper which will serve as your border will add depth to your scrapbook layout.

You can also cut a big shape then inscribe another shape or pattern – like a square inscribed in a circle, then place the photo underneath the border.

4. Design and Layout

You can either go with the theme and coordinate it with the design or make a completely different design altogether.

Within the layout, you can go with the standard photos or memorabilia items in the middle or you can put them on either side of the page.

Scrap Booking Heritage

2007-12-22T17:59:00.000-08:00

More than 200 years ago, many different people migrated to the New World. These individuals were pioneers who have made what America is today which is a country with much diversity.

People hardly remember their ancestors. Their memory is only limited to their great grand parents. This doesn’t have to be the case anymore since there is a way to trace one’s family history. All you have to do is conduct a little research, get all the clippings and photos then make a scrap book about the family heritage.

The first thing that needs to be done is go to the attic. There are surely tons of boxes filled with memorabilia, photos and letters. Each of these highlight a moment in the person’s life and by arranging these in chronological order, a story can be formed.

Do people have to be in the photos? Not really. Some of the most important moments in a person’s life could be the picture of the first car ever owned, the home that was built by hand or the first paycheck the individual got after graduation.

Not everybody will get to appreciate this but those in the family should understand that this was the beginning of something big which later on will contribute to the history of the family.

Another important item for the scrapbook could be a marriage or a birth certificate, newspaper or magazine clippings, pieces of cloth or a strand of hair. These symbolize the character and the accomplishments of the person which is also worth sharing with the next generation.

The scrapbook shouldn't have these simply compiled in an album. You can be creative by adding colorful layouts using different kinds of paper. Stickers and encryptions on the side can add an explanation to that special event.

People who have a hard time finding good backgrounds can go high tech by searching through the web. You just scan this photo with the image then paste this together before printing it.

The scrapbook portraying generations of the family heritage will take a long time to finish. You can get the help of relatives and siblings to piece everything together before showing the final result to everyone.

The album should be made of a durable material so that this can be shared with the next generation.

Everyone has a story to tell so no one in the family will ever forget them when put in a family scrapbook.

Scrap Booking By Page

2007-12-22T02:19:00.000-08:00

The art of scrapbooking has changed. People no longer have to think about making the same layout or different one per page. This is because templates found on the internet can take care of that for you.

The template for the scrapbook is very similar to the kind used in PowerPoint. You select a certain page then just add different details per page.

Is this free? On most websites yes but there are others who will require a small fee to become a member. This works well for those who make scrapbooks often because discounts and special promos are given to those who join the group.

If the you don't know where to find these sites, the best thing to do will be to use the popular search engines. Within a few seconds, the various sites will be shown then you can start checking each out.

The page you want may not be available on just one site but there is no need to worry. Some of these websites have links which makes its easy to be directed.

After finding the right template, it is just a matter of downloading this into the computer then adding the picture or clipping for the scrapbook. Most of the material is on .pdf for malt so if the person doesn’t have it, then it should be downloaded immediately.

Another important item is a scanner. These machines are very affordable and uploading this into the template should not be a problem. When everything is ready, you can start printing them out and adding them to the scrapbook.

An important part of making pages for the scrapbook is the type of paper used. You can use bond paper which is so dull or trying those that have color. The ideal one should be acid and lignin free. This will preserve the contents for a long time so it can be shown years later to younger generations.

Scrapbooking is a hobby that takes time, dedication and imagination to be able to make the idea come to life. You can ask others for help or read up on how to make them and then create one that is totally unique.

You can get the special paper from the bookstore which is available in different sizes then just get some ideas from the internet for pages that will look good in the scrapbook.

Printable Scrap Booking For Free

2007-12-21T00:03:00.000-08:00

There are many creative and talented people in the world and this talent can be used in making sentimental scrapbooks.

A scrapbook is a moment captured in time. The you can use a variety of things such as old Christmas cards, photos, magazines or newspaper clippings and much more. There are many ways to do this and if you don't have the time to look for layouts and backgrounds there is a place you can get them for free.

Did someone say free? Oh yes. This is all thanks to modern technology which has made all of these resources available via the internet. This can save time and money buy getting the necessary things to put this all together by simply downloading them off the computer.

Are there a lot of websites? Yes again. Programmers have provide more than 100,000 images to choose from that cater to any occasion from Graduation, to the birth of a baby, Easter and Christmas.

A single site may not provide everything you need which is why most of these sites have links to others on a variety of topics such as arts, crafts and sports. They cater to all ages regardless of gender even if you are just a beginner or someone who has been making scrapbooks for a long time.

The images on the web simply provide a guide. This will only be complete by attaching a photo into it and for this, a scanner must be needed. When the photo has been combined with the selected image, you can start printing this onto paper then compiling it into the scrapbook.

Most of the pictures are in .pdf format which means this can only be printed by opening this in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If the you don’t have this program yet in the computer, this would be a good time to get this and start enjoying the benefits of free printable scrapbook images.

Has this made the traditional way of making a scrapbook obsolete? Certainly not. This has merely provided you with the means of finding better layouts from the existing ones that are available from the bookstore.

There are individuals who combine the old and new methods to create scrapbooks and these are still regarded as works of art. There is no harm in checking the websites out especially since it can be printed for free.

Paper For The Scrapbook

2007-12-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

Making a scrapbook is an art. This is because it takes more than just photos and newspaper clippings to express the personality of the person. If none of these are present, then it's just an album.

One of the most important things that the scrapbook needs is paper. This can be made of different material so you can stick photos or clippings and also a good background to match the layout on each page.

The paper used for scrapbooks are acid and lignin free. This means this they can accept writing using pens, chalk, pastel and crayon. This is also used for other things such as the background for picture framing.

Where can you get them? The best place which has more than just paper and pens is the bookstore. These are often sold in packs that may come in different designs and colors. Another good source is the internet,this is because of the increasing popularity of making scrapbooks that has prompted people to sell some of these items inexpensively online.

Scrapbook paper is not only available in plain prints. There are also some designs available that have floral and striped prints. There are also seasonal designs that are launched in the summer or in the winter which may depict special events in a given year.

The scrapbook can be done in different sizes which has also prompted manufacturers to also have this available in a variety of sizes and shapes. You can cut them to fit in saving time to be able to do other things.

The paper used doesn’t always have to serve as a background to feature those special moments. You can also print some great layouts from the internet. After finding the right layout then scanning a picture which will be inserted on it. When this has been completed, this can also be added to the scrapbook.

There are many ways to make a scrapbook. There is no ideal or proper way to do it. Some prefer to make a story like those seen in a comic book. There are others who start from end then go back to the beginning.

The paper used plays a big role in making the scrapbook complete. You should first think of what is needed then buy them either from the bookstore or off the web. After a few weeks, the final design can be shown to the public where friends and family will praise you for a job well done.

Online Material For Scrap Booking

2007-12-18T05:52:00.000-08:00

The scrapbook is like an encyclopedia. This highlights the special events in the life of a person. Though some may think it is similar to an album, the contents inside prove this to be different.

The scrapbook is made up of different materials while an album is just made up of pictures. You can start by buying these from the bookstore, getting cutouts from magazines and other sources then adding pictures on the page.

The growing popularity of making a scrapbook has finally reached the web. This means you can buy things, download templates and even post them on the internet.

One of the most important things to make the scrapbook is the template. This is the background on each page. There are two ways how this can be done. The first is to do each manually which will take time and will be very difficult to replicate.

This gives way to the second option which is to get this from the internet then just change the layout per page. There are many websites on the internet that have more than 100,000 templates to choose from that suit any occasion.

These websites also sell pens, paper, stickers and other decorative things to make the scrapbook look good. You will notice that some of those available online cannot be purchased from the bookstore and vice versa. In such a situation, you should compare the prices then choose which one is the best to use for the scrapbook.

There are many techniques to make a scrapbook and online sites may provide helpful tips for the beginner. This can be from the kind of material used to what product is best. This also works for those who have been doing this for a long time but have somehow got stuck somewhere along the way.

Online sites have open forums where people can post questions, share problems and discuss different ways of working on a scrapbook.

You should find some time to explore this avenue and be open to the ideas presented to be able to improve one’s skill in making a scrapbooking that people will appreciate later on when it's finished.

Scrapbooking can be done by people of all ages. The information and the products offered by such online sites merely serve as a guide and not the solution to getting the task done. This also does not replace the traditional way of making a scrapbook.

Making Memories More Memorable With Creative Scrapbooking

2007-12-17T06:33:00.000-08:00

People are such nostalgic creatures. Keeping souvenirs of important, and even not-so-important events in life is a universal past time. Who doesn't have a mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandma, or a grandpa who keeps on lugging a camera around to take pictures of practically any occasion whether it be as significant as a graduation or as mundane as one’s 234th Quarter Pounder? People like keeping as many memories as they can.

Unfortunately most mementos go to waste. Photographs just keep piling up on boxes and drawers (or in the hard drive, to be digitally appropriate). Luckier pictures may end up in stacks of albums but most people rarely care to view them. As much as most people want to reminisce about important milestones in their lives, keeping tokens becomes so much of a routine that their value sometimes end up forgotten. This defeats their purpose.

Luckily, such a situation can be avoided with an emerging hobby called creative memory scrapbooking. Mementos are given back their significance, keeping the memories alive.

Creative memory scrapbooking is basically an inventive approach to keeping memories. Creative memory scrapbooks are beyond typical photo albums. They are hybrids of albums, journals, and scrapbooks. The combination of these kinds of memoirs makes personal stories and reminiscing more interesting. This makes sharing treasured moments to others or just recalling them alone more fun and exciting.

Normally people just collect pictures and souvenirs randomly. Once they pile up, they end up in the attic or the basement and then they are completely forgotten. The rare chances that they might be viewed could be just as boring as they are nothing but random clips of memory that do not tell anything.

With creative memory scrapbooks, memories come back to life when the books are viewed. Pictures make more sense as they are paired with words or laid out in an organized fashion. Reliving moments preserved in the scrapbooks could be a good way to keep family ties and strengthen bonds. Additionally, well kept books could serve as heirlooms that would keep a family’s legacy throughout the coming generations.

Making creative memory scrapbooks is quite easy. Nowadays most craft stores have creative memory sections dedicated for the making of such scrapbooks. There are also some scrapbook-making kits available in bookstores and online.

Memories are special and their preservation should be special as well. With, creative memory scrapbooking, memories can truly be more memorable.

How To Keep Your Babys Memories Forever

2007-12-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

A baby never fails to bring joy in any family. The fun and excitement the baby brings is simply priceless. Parents, especially first timers, can't help but be nostalgic about everything concerned with the new baby. Perhaps if there was a way to freeze time and keep all those memorable moments, they would gladly do it to cherish such an important milestone in life.

Unfortunately life goes on and precious moments cannot be frozen forever. Nevertheless memories can still be preserved for a long time by keeping mementos that help people reminisce life’s treasured highlights. This is commonly done by making scrapbooks.

While most people have desired at least once to keep a scrapbook, many of them simply never succeed. Admittedly, scrapbook making is quite tedious and time consuming, but those who have kept scrapbooks swear by their worth. In reality, making scrapbooks is not really that complicated. One just needs to know the things needed to make one.

For making scrapbooks of baby’s firsts, it is important to keep pictures of key events related to a baby’s development. Among the commonly treasured occasions may include simple moments like the baby’s first smile, yawn, nap, sitting up, crawling, walking, bath, hair cut and so on.

One could also take pictures of first things such its bottle, bed, chair, diaper, toy, solid food, and the like. Another important moment to catch would be the baby’s first special occasions such as Halloween, thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah, Easter, birthday, vacation, and other noted affairs.

To make the scrapbook more interesting, it would be nice to include small, mountable items in the collection. This might include a lock of hair from the first haircut. There could also be pieces of clothing such as a sock, a bonnet, a bib, or a mitten.

One common item would be birth announcements, the baby’s hospital tag, an invitation to the baby shower, and so on. Some parents can even include a dried piece of the baby’s umbilical cord. There are thousands of possibilities when one’s imagination is set free.

Those who are new to scrapbook making should not be alarmed. There are baby scrapbook kits available in bookstores and craft stores. You may also choose to do it from scratch by just fastening special paper together, or by getting a multi-purpose album, then decorating it with baby-related stuff.

Keeping a baby’s treasured moments can be so much fun with the right things and know-how at hand.

How To Create The Best Layout For Your Scrapbook

2007-12-15T08:16:00.000-08:00

Creating the individual pages of your scrapbook is definitely the most exciting about the hobby. You get to choose pictures, images, items and other paraphernalia to put onto your page. However, with all the items, papers and letters that you want to include in your page, you usually end up confused. You don’t have to worry about that now, here are simple tips that you can keep in mind while starting to layout that page for your scrapbook.

Balance

Make sure your design has balance. If you have a large picture on the left page, make sure that it doesn’t look like it's hanging when you put the other elements on your page. Also, if you would like to create a two page lay-out, evaluate the items on the pages and make sure that they compliment each other.

Items

Always make sure that you have at least one theme in your layout. Sometimes the items greatly affect the layout of your page. So be sure that they are related. Items definitely have some commonality. Always evaluate them before designing your page.

Crowding

It is best that every item on your layout is distinguishable. If you put too much on a single page, the layout will surely suffer. Be sure that items are just enough for a page. Managing the page for its layout will be easier if you only have enough items for the space.

Variations

Be sure to make variations in your layout. If you can, make a dummy set for all your layout designs and put them on a list. In that way, you can immediately distinguish the styles that you have used on your pages. A really interesting scrapbook is one that varies but maintains a general theme.

Flood yourself with samples

One of the best ways to learn a great layout style is to look for one. Busy yourself in browsing the internet and comparing your scrapbook to others. When you are flooded with samples of good layouts, you can be sure that your own style will come out naturally.

The best way that you can do this is invite your friends who have the same hobby to join you while you are making pages for your scrapbook. In this way, they can also help you out in deciding what layout to make.

Be sure to remember these things when you start your layout. It is still best to create a dummy before starting the real one. Just take a moment to look at your materials and be sure to ask for some comments before putting them on your pages.

How Can Scrapbooking Quotes Brighten Up Your Scrapbooks?

2007-12-14T05:48:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking isn't just merely keeping fond memories and maintaining the freshness of events right in the pages of your scrapbook. It is more than just remembrance. It is history itself.

Moreover, nothing could be better in your scrapbook than to have quality quotes to enliven the sprit and rekindle the thoughts that were once part of the memories.

Indeed, scrapbooking quotes are necessary in any kind of scrapbook. Scrapbooking quotes are devices that can take your scrapbooks to new-fangled and creative altitude.

For so many years now, scrapbooking has been an all-time favorite hobby, and creativity has made it more attractive than ever. Thanks to the wonderful additions of scrapbooking quotes that continue to perk up different scrapbooks.

It has been a well-known fact that pictures can speak for themselves. However, there are so many instances where words are still the most powerful means of communication. When pictures can't convey the message, words are important to express the total meaning of the image in the picture.

In scrapbooking, pictures aren't the only main attractions. Quotations are also considered as one of the most important parts in scrapbooks. This is because even if there are many photographs, magazine articles, news clippings, etc., that are worth remembering, there are also some statements or words that are worth cherishing. These words don't merely explain the material but can also add drama to the subject in focus.

Most scrapbooking experts contend that scrapbooking quotes are actually words that speak from the heart. These are the sentiments of the hobbyist who would like to express his or her feelings through words as much as he or she would like to express them through images or any other scrapbooking materials.

The very essence of scrapbooking quotes is that they intensify the beauty that hobbyist forms and establishes on every page that captures every single moment as history itself unfolds. The beauty that it creates is something that is priceless.

For those who are interested in getting fresh ideas for quotations, they can easily acquire beautiful quotes to live by on the Internet. All they have to do is browse the web, look for quality scrapbooking quotes, add them into their scrapbooks, and rekindle the memories once more.

Indeed, scrapbooks and quotations are perfect combinations to keep those memories well appreciated and full of life.

From Hobby to Multibillion Dollar Industry

2007-12-13T09:02:00.000-08:00

The scrapbooking business has come a long way since people started making scrapbooks as a hobby in their homes. No one could have guessed how big the scrapbooking industry would become over the years. The annual sales of the scrapbooking business have turned this favorite homegrown pastime into a thriving multi-billion dollar industry.

To date, there are numerous companies that are dedicated to the craft of scrapbooking. In most cases, some scrapbooking businesses even offer an extensive line of scrapbooking materials. Scrappers, short for scrapbooking enthusiasts, can easily get any type of material or equipment they need from a variety of resources.

Scrappers have their choice of paper, cardstock, embellishments, stickers along with stamps and stamp pads. In addition, beginners in the scrapbooking industry can get their first taste of the business from scrapbooking kits that contain step-by-step instructions on how to get started. Enthusiasts have their choice of special scrapbooking paper as offered by various companies like Daisy D’s, Design Originals and Hot off the Press Paper Pizzazz.

Scrapbooking paper is available in plain or patterned styles. The assortment of colors and designs will surely render any scrapper speechless with excitement. Embellishments for scrapbooking are another top seller in the business. Many scrapbooking companies like Adornaments, Brads Scrapbooking and Bo Bunny Press offer a wide variety of embellishments that are designed to make scrapbooking fun and interesting.

Tools have become big business in the scrapbooking industry but these can be quite expensive. Fortunately, scrappers can get the right tools they need from any number of companies where the values range from the reasonably priced to the most expensive. A scrapper would need to have several types of tools such as cutters, scorers, scissors, punches, paper trimmers and perforators for creating their masterpieces.

Paper Shapers Corner offers punch tools with intricate designs while Cutterpede and Cutterbee offer a variety of cutters and straight edge trimmers for the perfect crop. Fiskars® is a recognized brand name in the scrapbooking business. Fiskars® offers everything from mini-craft scissors, decorative blades and rotary cutters.

The Latest Trends in the Scrapbooking Business

The Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show featured the latest trends to hit the scrapbooking business in 2006. These include the newest embellishments for chipboard as well as fashion paper colors. The colors of these papers are inspired by the latest colors used in the fashion industry. In addition, the show also showed how the scrapbooking business has invaded the home décor industry by presenting various ideas on how to display scrapbooking projects at home.

Starting a Successful Creative Creative scrapbooking Business, Part III

2007-12-12T02:18:00.000-08:00

Every scrapbook is unique and inviting; as a creative scrapbooking professional, your marketing should be as eye-catching and irresistible as your creations. Even if you have only a few hundred dollars to spend, you can absolutely woo clientele using grassroots methods to showcase your creative scrapbooking acumen.

Educate Others in the Art Form of Creative Scrapbooking

One of the fastest ways to turn yourself from an unknown scrapbooker into a creative scrapbooking “expert” is to teach a class on the art of creating a fabulous, memorable scrapbook.

Though you might initially be wary that if you tell others your creative scrapbooking “secrets”, they won’t use your creative scrapbooking business, that usually doesn’t happen. Instead, what occurs is that your students see you as a professional in the arena of scrapbook design and development. Thus, when they want an important scrapbook (e.g., for their daughter’s Bar Mitzvah or husband’s retirement celebration), they will immediately think of you. After all, they might enjoy creative scrapbooking, but they don’t necessarily feel confident enough to construct a special scrapbook on their own.

You can work with many community centers, schools, college campuses, and libraries to offer your creative scrapbooking courses. Expect to spend a bit of money on advertising, room rental (though you can often snag a free space if you’re a start-up), and creative scrapbooking paraphernalia, though it’s still much less of an investment than if you paid for a full page, 4-color ad in the Sunday paper.

Write About Scrapbooking

Another way to become an instant creative scrapbooking “guru” is to write articles or tips about creative scrapbooking. Sometimes, smaller community papers will print such items as “filler” for their circulars. Alternately, if a local sewing center or arts and crafts store offers a newsletter to patrons, you might be able to become a “guest columnist.” (Or perhaps you can offer to write your own “creative scrapbooking newsletter” gratis if they agree to pass it out to consumers.)

Will you receive a ton of creative scrapbooking business from this type of subtle “marketing”? Probably not. But you will be building your reputation as your area’s premier creative scrapbooking authority. You will also be able to tell prospective customers that you’ve published items on the topic of creative scrapbooking, always an impressive credential to tout (and a resume booster as well.)

Start a Scrapbooking Blog and/or Web site

In today’s cyber society, blogs and Web sites are fairly inexpensive, so there’s no reason not to get online and start talking about your creative scrapbooking know-how and burgeoning creative scrapbooking company.

For example, you could quickly set up a blog 100% devoted to the tricks of the creative scrapbooking trade in an effort to attract persons from around the world to your site. Though most of them won’t become clients, you stand to gain instant exposure. And who knows? The family down the street may wind up stopping by your creative scrapbooking Web site and hiring you to redo their three sons’ baby books!

Never Stop Selling Yourself or Your Scrapbooking Abilities!

It’s critical that you never stop selling yourself and your creative scrapbooking business if you are serious about succeeding in this infant industry with huge profit potential.

This may mean stepping out of your “comfort zone” and becoming a master at self-promotion. If you have an innate fear of networking, it’s time to overcome your worries and learn how to shake some hands. Remember that you won’t be the first entrepreneur who took a plunge into the unknown.

To become a better press generator on behalf of your creative scrapbooking business, you’ll have to force yourself to try again and again. However, if the process becomes achingly difficult and hampers your desire to scrapbook, it may be time to hire someone to promote your business on your behalf. Yes, this is a “last ditch” measure, but if it keeps your dream alive, it’s worth the cost to bring on a partner who isn’t afraid of a good sales pitch. (And many individuals will work with start-ups on a commission basis, which is terrific news for your budget!)

A Final Note about Ethics and Your Scrapbooking Venture

Though it’s imperative that you keep up standards and operate ethically and legally (the tax man will cometh whether you like it or not!), that doesn’t mean you can’t be innovative. Constantly seek out ways to differentiate yourself from other scrapbook artists and allow yourself to grow personally and professionally.

Love your work, and that positive attitude mingled with creative scrapbooking talent will draw customer inquiries and have you wondering why you didn’t begin your creative scrapbooking company sooner.

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.

Starting a Successful Creative Scrapbooking Business, Part II

2007-12-12T02:02:00.000-08:00

It’s ironic; what makes a creative scrapbooking business unique attractive to entrepreneurs seeking a work-at-home venture is also what makes it so incredibly challenging. After all, there are no definitive “rules” when it comes to pricing your scrapbook creations or determining where and how to advertise your services.

However, there are general business planning techniques you can use as a starting point to give your creative scrapbooking company the best chance of long-term success.

Setting Your Creative Scrapbooking Price Rates

Whether you specialize in wedding scrapbooks, memory scrapbooks, award/honor scrapbooks, or other creative scrapbooking creations, you’ll need to develop a price guideline. Otherwise, it will be difficult to negotiate with clientele.

Determining your creative scrapbooking business price guideline may seem daunting at first blush, but it’s actually not that complicated when broken down into “bite sized” pieces.

Hourly Rates or Standard Price per Scrapbook?

First, you’ll need to determine whether you want to set prices per project or per hour.

One huge advantage to charging per creative scrapbooking project is that consumers are accustomed to paying for products this way. After all, people don’t purchase a pair of shoes based on how long it took a cobbler to make them; they simply look at the price tag or retail value and decide if they feel it’s a worthwhile investment.

That being said, setting a price per creative scrapbooking project may not always be beneficial for you. If you discover you’re spending inordinate amounts of time on each scrapbook you create, your originally quoted price might not match your efforts. (Remember the old adage: Time is Money.)

Essentially, you can expect to experiment with your creative scrapbooking cost methods at first. Perhaps with some clients, you could offer a “per project” rate, but with others, you might try an hourly approach. There’s no “right or wrong” process–you simply want to find the best one for your creative scrapbooking business.

Remember to Consider “Hidden Costs”

Before “going public” with your scrapbook price structure, make sure you’ve accounted for the many costs (both direct and indirect) associated with owning a creative scrapbooking business. Be certain to include the amount you expect to spend on basic creative scrapbooking supplies such as specialty paper, a scrapbook, adhesives, stickers, markers, and fabrics.

Add into your creative scrapbooking price figures telephone calls, mileage (if you’ll travel for consultations), babysitting costs, and any overhead.

At this point, your initial price estimates may seem too high or low. Consequently, you can modify them accordingly, although you should never underestimate what people will pay for a one-of-a-kind scrapbook.

Selling Your Creative Scrapbooking Services

You’ve determined your basic scrapbook price. Creative scrapbooking supplies are on hand and on order. You’re organized, primed, and ready to go. But wait! You still need to attract that first key customer.

Advertising and marketing are stumbling blocks for many creative scrapbooking business start-ups; consequently, plenty of scrapbook enthusiasts shy away from becoming entrepreneurs because they assume they’ll never be able to publicize their talents. However, if you approach the selling of your creative scrapbooking services pragmatically, you’ll have an excellent chance of attracting clientele.

Initially, you may want to try a technique that has worked for many other creative scrapbooking aficionados – scrapbook “parties”. These get-togethers are akin to the “tupperware” gatherings made famous in the 70s. Put simply, a friend offers to host a scrapbook party at his or her residence for several persons interested in the world of creative scrapbooking.

Your role at the scrapbook party will be to introduce them to creative scrapbooking and to talk about what you can do for them. Obviously, it will be crucial to bring along business cards (why not design handmade “mini scrapbook cards” for the occasion?) as well as sample scrapbooks you’ve created. Coupons for discount scrapbook services make nice add-ons and will encourage scrapbook party guests to hire you. From this party, you can expect to get a few “nibbles” and perhaps one or two customers.

Naturally, it’s essential to do a fabulous job on your first scrapbook assignment. You must give it “your all”; that way, your client will have a reason to brag about and show off your customized (and exceptional) creative scrapbooking services to friends, family, and coworkers. You can also use your satisfied customer (if he or she agrees) as a “spokesperson” for your creative scrapbooking business in future advertising campaigns.

Next … Beyond Marketing 101

In the final article of our three-part creative scrapbooking business piece, we’ll examine particularly creative scrapbooking business marketing ideas and provide hints on running your creative scrapbooking company wisely, ethically, and efficiently.

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.

Starting a Successful Creative Scrapbooking Business, Part I

2007-12-12T01:42:00.000-08:00

Creative scrapbooking has taken the world by storm. It’s relaxing, fun, social… and, let’s face it, incredibly addictive! After all, what scrapbooker doesn’t smile with pride when she or he finishes a decorative project?

If you have the talent to create eye-catching, creative scrapbooks, you can actually turn your hobby into a lucrative creative scrapbooking career. In this three-part series, we’ll show you some of the secrets to running a home-based creative scrapbooking company that regularly adds extra coins to your coffers!

Why Creative Scrapbooking?

People from all walks of life have photos and mementoes cluttering their homes. They’d love to organize and arrange them, but don’t have the time (or, in some cases, the ability.) That’s where you, as a professional scrapbooker, can step in!Through creative scrapbooking, you can create delightful, entertaining, and touching memory books that will be certain to have a very long shelf life. Imagine… your scrapbook creations could someday become precious family heirlooms passed down from generation to generation!

What Types of Scrapbooks Sell?

Creative scrapbooking is an incredibly versatile field because you have virtually no boundaries. Graduation scrapbooks, family tree scrapbooks, baby scrapbooks, wedding scrapbooks, and achievement scrapbooks are only a few of the countless styles of creative scrapbooking inventions you can market.Use your imagination; anything that’s relatively flat can go into a scrapbook, so the sky’s the limit.

Can Scrapbooking Really Be Profitable?

Creative scrapbooking, as with any legitimate business, won’t make you rich overnight. But if you’re determined and plan your creative scrapbooking operation pragmatically, you can absolutely make money from this burgeoning industry.Best of all, creative scrapbooking is a low overhead industry. You’ll need to start with a modest amount of scrapbooking supplies, but you can build your stock over time thanks to fast shipping and wholesale prices offered at Internet scrapbooking supply stores.

How Can I Start Professionally Scrapbooking?

Obviously, the first step to starting a creative scrapbooking company (even one with a single employee, aka “you”) is to develop a business plan. This document should include an overview, financial information (including income and expense projections, marketing ideas, local competition statistics, and realistic growth rates. Though you may not be able to find exact data to work into your creative scrapbooking business plan, try to be as complete as possible. The more information you include, the better your chances of success.

Do I Need Any Formal Training?

Though there are no credentials needed to call yourself a creative scrapbooking pro, you may want to take a few community courses on scrapbooking design. Doing so will keep you “in the know” as far as the latest products and trends are concerned; it will also provide you with fresh ideas to propose when working with clientele.

What Do I Need in Terms of Stock?

One of the most essential items you’ll need to start a creative scrapbooking venture is scrapbooking paraphernalia. Chances are, you already have some supplies around your home, but if they aren’t organized, it’s time do so.Invest in some bins (dollar stores have a plethora of options) and label them according to scrapbooking supplies, such as stickers, papers, backgrounds, adhesives, albums, markers, scrapbooking magazines (for inspiration), and borders. This way, you’ll always know exactly how much of each scrapbooking necessity you have and can order more before you run out.

Do I Need to Rent a Space for My Scrapbooking Business?

Though it would certainly be wonderful to have an “offsite” locale for your creative scrapbooking enterprise, it’s more likely that you’ll need to make due with your current digs.Anything from a corner of your family room to a renovated closet can serve as your creative scrapbooking “headquarters”. Just make certain that you have enough space and light to work your magic and store your scrapbooking supplies!

What Will I Tell My Family?

If you’re worried about “breaking” the news to your family that you’re setting off on an entrepreneurial scrapbooking journey, you’re not alone. Many first-time business owners are reticent to reveal their plans to loved ones for fear that their significant others will not be supportive.With that said, it’s critical to the long-term success of your creative scrapbooking business that you have the “buy in” of your kin. So take a deep breath, muster up all your courage, and boldly state, “I’m going to become a professional scrapbooker! And when the money starts coming in, the first dinner out is on me!”

The Next Step

are you eager to start your creative scrapbooking adventure? in our next article, we’ll explore how to set your prices and market and advertise your home-based scrapbooking services…

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.

Free Ideas For Your Scrapbook Design

2007-12-11T16:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's easy to create a scrapbook out of existing materials. You need to consider the season and occasion when designing a scrapbook. Most scrapbooking supplies stores even sell stickers and die-cut items with a specific theme such as Halloween, Christmas, or Thanksgiving.

But what about for other events like a child's first step, or one's trip to an exotic country? What colors should you consider when designing scrapbook pages? What should you consider in creating a scrapbook design?

Ideas for scrapbook are easily available on the internet, if you have the patience to surf hundreds of thousands of web pages showing themes and designs. Some scrappers choose to go it alone and rely on on their imagination to create their pages.

If you have selected the above mentioned method, it will be important to take note of some do's and don't's in designing scrapbook pages.

1. Gather all items

By selecting the photos and other material to be used, you can get an idea of how the pages will look. Some items may need to be prepared before mounting, so it will be best to gather everything first for more organization.

2. Create a layout

You can lay the materials on the mounting page, to make sure that everything will fit. There may be a need to get several copies of a particular item, such as a map or brochure, so you can cut it up and paste it on the scrapbook page.

3. Decide on what colors to use

The colors of the page can come from the colors of the photo, or they could complement the photo to make it stand out. The color wheel is used to create a color-combination. There are several tried and tested combinations that you can use to enhance the page's design. You can use a combination of blue and orange, for example, to highlight a photo, because these two colors complement each other.

One tip is to put dark colors against white, or light colors against black, for easier visibility.

4. If all else fails, there is always help online

As mentioned, you can go online to search for different designs for your scrapbook. There are several websites that offer free downloadable designs that you can just print out and cut.

There are several magazines that you can purchase or read also, to get more ideas regarding page presentation and design.

Finding The Best Scrapbook Materials

2007-12-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking is one of the newest hobbies sweeping the country. One out of four people in the average household is involved in golf, one out of three is involved in scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is a great hobby; it releases the creative side of your personality and lets you keep memories at the same time.

Choosing the materials to use in your scrapbook is also one of the exciting parts in making one.

Here are some tips that you can consider in making sure that the materials you have are perfect.

Experiment and expand your creativity

The best thing about scrapbooking is its personalization. There are no limits if you have a creative mind, even old tattered jeans can be used in your design. Just make sure that you have a general theme. Don't dispel items that most scrapbookers aren't using, who knows you might be the one to start a trend?

Significance

Since you are making a personal scrapbook, the best materials that you can use are the ones that have significance in your life. Remember the first ticket concert that your husband bought for you? Putting it in your scrapbook adds some romance and memory. If you’re making one for your child, you can even put some of the hair from his or her first haircut. The options are endless.

Preservation

Ensure your materials can be preserved for many years to come. Most people make scrapbooks to remember events and people, so it’s definitely a plus if you make sure that the materials you will use can be preserved. Make sure inks don't fade easily and your papers are acid free. Read about ways you can improve the preservation of materials to ensure they will last long.

Shop

Scrapbooking has become so popular that most stores have it in a seperate section. Visit a local store and you can be sure that there will be plenty of material to choose from. They are also releasing designs and materials in kits. All you have to do is buy one design kit, and your scrapbook will all be set for production.

Browse

Browsing the internet for tips on materials is also one of the best ways to get quick information. There are many sites that give instructions on how you can create your own materials. Some of them even offer products that are definitely useful for your scrapbooking.

There are tons of materials that you can use on your scrapbook. There are no cardinal rules that will stop you from choosing almost anything. Just be sure that the materials will last over time and it agrees with your whole concept. Enjoy designing!

Far Out Tips For The Scrapbook Fanatic

2007-12-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking is one of the most popular hobbies around the world. People like doing scrapbooks because it enables them to explore their creativity and store precious mementos that have become part of their lives.

Any scrapbook fan already knows the basics of making the books. This article will provide additional tips that they might have not discovered yet.

These will help enormously in making scrapbooks even more creative and special.

1. Using the computer for writing journals or page titles

Handwriting has always been the method commonly used to create headings, but many users nowadays turn to the computer for the task. To make it more special, use other colors available in Microsoft Word to write the fonts, instead of using the standard black ink. Present editions of Word offer a huge variety of fonts, colors, and special effects that can make texts much more attractive.

2. Creative use for paper scraps

Think twice before throwing out those bits and scraps of leftover paper. They can still be used to make decorative titles by cutting them up into odd shapes and use them as mats. These scraps can also be used as great-looking page accents, confettis, photo corners, collages and so much more.

3. Neat way in lettering page titles and journal layouts

This is a good tip to make sure that there are no pencil outlines visible after the letters are cut out from the paper. Do it in reverse! Put the paper on its right side, so that you can draw the letters backwards.

4. Make use of photo mosaics

This technique will add a funky look to the pages of the book. Cut a photograph into different shapes and sizes, then mat a photograph on a cardboard, putting even spaces around each piece as you paste them. Just make sure to keep a copy of the photo that you've cut up.

5. Safe way of removing old photos

Everyone knows that it's hard to take out pictures from those magnetic albums. To ace this, try using dental floss for the removal.

6. Baby footprints

A cute and adorable way to design a book. Just apply washable ink to baby's foot and firmly press on the paper. Just make sure to wash the ink off the baby! For another twist, handprints can be used.

Easy Tips For Scrapbooking

2007-12-09T01:30:00.000-08:00

A scrapbook can store your collection of pictures, notes, postcards, and special moments of your visited places and events. You may cherish those moments by looking at your scrapbook while remembering those times where you have experienced lots of fun with your family or friends.

Here are some useful tips on how you can start a scrapbook.

1.You should write down anything enjoyable and funny that you have experienced during the trip.

2.You should make a list of photographs you take. It is important to cherish special moments and places you enjoyed the most. You can take some shots with the whole group in front of the hotel or in the lobby. Some people also take shots of significant images like the plane and their favorite attractions.

3.You should always keep receipts from your meals. There are restaurants that issue receipts with special characters on your orders. You may attach them to the pictures taken from the restaurant. Your grandchildren would be amazed looking at them especially the prices during the time they were issued.

4.You should keep all your character autographs. You may acquire each autograph on different pages, since they will be cut from the book to separate those significant autographs.

5.Before you go, you should store all the papers you used as information to prepare your trip. Brochures, pamphlets, and details from the travel agency can be used to start your scrapbook.

6.Be sure to keep at least four good copies of guide maps and park maps. Guide maps and park maps are very good attractions on your scrapbook. You may cut them out into two separate pieces where you may place one on the front page and the other on the last.

7.You may also purchase postcards displaying the landmarks and most favorite attractions. Don't forget the best souvenirs are the quality shots taken from the places you visit.

8.Make a rough outline of your adventures from the trip. You can create simple stories and a few notes that are meaningful. Make sure to highlight those significant events on your reservation letters and ticket receipts.

Scrapbooks may contain those moments that you treasure most during your trips. Many believe that when they look at your scrapbook, you bring back the fun and adventure you have experienced during those times.

Do-It-Yourself Scrapbooking Tips

2007-12-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

Vacations and out-of-town trips provide opportunities to take photos. Aside from these, everyone has to deal with birthday celebrations, wedding anniversaries, Halloween parties and Thanksgiving get togethers. After all the festivities, most people are left with stacks of photographs and memories tucked away in the attic to be organized later.

Due to the popularity of scrapbooking, many people have taken up the hobby as a way to preserve their memories. While some go order ready-made custom designs from the internet, most have taken the DIY or do-it-yourself route, which is more fulfilling.

There are thousands of websites that offer ready-made materials for your scrapbook. DIY scrapbook enthusiasts prefer creating decorations from scratch. This way, they are sure that the designs for their scrapbooks are unique and personal.

While some DIY-ers create designs from normal colored paper, tape and markers, some take it a step further by using natural material such as leaves, dried and pressed flowers, rocks, wire, egg shells, and the like.

Though you are only limited by your creativity when designing your personal diary, there are some considerations for the diarist who prefers to preserve his memories using photographs.

1. Use acid-free, PVC-free and photo-safe paper

Many companies put "acid-free" on the label to indicate that it can be used to for a scrapbook. Paper that is not acid-free fade fast, and may not be safe to be used with photographs. Acid can lead to the yellowing and deterioration of photographs.

2. You can print straight from the computer

Those who are not too confident of their designing skills can use their PCs to design their layouts, but it is important to note that not all printers can be used to print the designs. Non-laser printers use ink that is water-soluble, which may bleed into the paper. It is therefore advised that you use laser or ink-jet printers in printing custom designs, or to use printers sparingly to minimize deterioration of scrapbook pages.

3. Use of materials which are not photo-safe

Again, while there is no cut-and-dried rule regarding the use of materials which aren't photo-safe, it is advised that they be used sparingly. There is an invention called an Archival Spray, though, that will let anyone create photo-safe and acid-free decorations for scrapbooks. It is inexpensive and works like a spray laminate. The Archival Spray is useful if you wants to include brochues, menus, and tickets in the layout.

Font-free scrapbooking

A font is described as a digital typeface. Therefore it follows that font-free scrapbooking is creating a scrapbook without the use of a computer.

It is relatively easy to create a scrapbook page using downloaded and printed fonts, but it would be more personal and unique to write journal-style entries for your scrapbook. There are some who aren't confident with their penmanship, though, but with the popularity of scrapbooking, they can now choose from wide selection of templates and stickers to create great-looking pages.

There are four basic items that a scrapbooker can use if he or she wishes to do a font-free scrapbook.

1. Templates

You can choose from several variations of alphabet templates. They are available in different sizes, and you just need to select the most appropriate template for your scrapbook. Once you have selected a theme, you can layout the page first and trace the letters from the template using a pencil. After making sure that you have created a good layout, you can then use a marker with archival quality ink to trace the letters permanently.

2. Stickers

There are several companies that produce letter stickers that you can use for the scrapbook. Some companies create sets of words for theme pages, such as "It's my birthday," or "Graduation day," for the more common themes. All you have to do is select the design to match the theme in mind and stick the labels in the appropriate places. It should be mentioned though that not all companies produce acid-free stickers, so you should check the label for "acid-free."

3. Stamps

Stamps are created in a variety of designs. Most stamps also use archival-quality ink in different colors. You need to make sure that you are using acid-free paper for the photos and the stamp designs, because even if you are using scrapbook-safe ink, the paper may easily deteriorate and become brittle if it is not photo-safe or acid-free.

4. Die-cut designs

Similar to stickers, die-cut designs are glued onto the scrapbook page. There are several die-cut designs available online. The designs are printed on thin sheets of paper, plastic, or thin rubber matting, and you only need to cut the design and paste it onto the scrapbook page.

While these materials are easily available online and at various arts & crafts stores nationwide, you can also "go commando" and write your entries using markers or special pens to make your scrapbooks more special.

Digital Scrapbooking

2007-12-08T05:02:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking has remained a popular craft thoughout many generations all over the world. The desire to preserve precious moments has urged people to collect mementos such as pictures and small souvenirs, and then arrange them in a creative manner to help reminisce about memorable times. While several scrapbookers prefer traditional methods of memory preservation by using good old paper, scissors and glue, a lot have ventured out into the hi-tech world by making digital scrapbooks.

The popularity of digital scrapbooking is growing steadily. In fact, many of the traditional scrapbooking magazines have released special issues featuring the making of scrapbooks with computers. Some hobbyists have introduced themselves into the digital art by just making parts of their scrapbooks on computers and then printing them out to attach to their normal albums. However, others have ventured into hardcore scrapbooking, i.e. making scrapbooks entirely on the computer, as it saves time and materials, plus it provides many more capabilities not available with traditional methods.

Many digital scrapbookers are photographers who use digital cameras and have their pictures stored in their computers. The beauty of their work would go to waste if they are just stored there in folders, so they came up with interesting ways to showcase their photos. Not only are digital scrapbooks quick to make, they can also easily be distributed and used as portfolios. Otherwise they can be quickly shared to just about anyone who has a computer.

Digital scrapbooking is quite simple. There are few things needed to make digital scrapbooks. First of all, you need a computer with a decent graphics card. Next, you need digital imaging software such as Adobe Photoshop. Such software is not only designed to edit pictures but also to make layouts such as scrapbooks. Obviously, you need photos. You may also use scrapbook templates such as Simply Digital, which helps beginners with design ideas. For those who want to print their work, a good quality photo printer and photo paper is needed.

With these materials, digital scrapbooking can be easy. Like traditional scrapbook making methods, it basically involves designing backgrounds, adding pictures, inserting accent designs, adding texts and titles, and so on. The good thing about digital scrapbooking is everything can be easily edited and mistakes can be easily removed.

With digital scrapbooking, you can be nostalgic without being passé. Memories can be easily preserved and cherished with digital scrapbooking.

Choosing The Best Scrapbooking Company

2007-12-07T22:25:00.000-08:00

Along with increasing popularity of scrapbooking is the establishment of numerous companies offering scrapbook material all over the world. They are offering different patterned and color papers, punches, magazines, embellishments, decorative scissors, adhesives, albums, stickers, and scrapbook pens.

These scrapbooking companies provide products made from quality materials to ensure that photos and other special items are preserved. They also make themed scrapbooks perfect for birthdays, weddings, and holidays.

In choosing the best scrapbooking company, it is a must to do a thorough research to get the best deals. With hundreds of companies attracting scrappers, prices and quality couldn't get any better. Below are some tips on how to choose the company for scrapbooking.

1.Determine the theme of the scrapbook. Most people create these mini-albums for weddings, babies, sports, holidays, travel, and friends. There are scrapbooking companies online that offers discounts for these themes. Anyone can order a complete package to finish a themed scrapbook.

2.When buying scrapbook supplies, know the brands that offer quality materials and find the companies that are selling them.

3.Choose companies that offer idea books that include proven techniques in creating scrapbooks.

4.Look for companies who are offering discounts and freebies. Don't forget to compare shipping and handling cost to get the actual amount when paying for the whole package to be delivered.

5.Ask the experts for recommendation. Most experienced scrappers have companies they like best. They are guaranteed to deliver good products for lower prices.

6.Take advantage of trial offers being offered by scrapbooking companies. They usually allow prospective buyers to download clipart for free for a specified number of days online.

7.If the scrapper is good at selling, he can join the company’s direct sales to get discounts for the scrapbooking supplies.

8.Check local newspapers that includes 50% coupons at craft stores. These can be used in purchasing bulk orders in order to get bigger discounts.

9.Read scrapbooking magazines that usually contain tips on how to get the best deals in town. There are some companies that run contests about scrapbook making and prizes can range from scrapbook materials and money.

10.Order from scrapbooking companies that are operating within the United States to save on shipping and handling fees.

Scrapbooking is fun and exciting. With hundreds of scrapbooking companies offering quality materials and idea books, coming up with a great scrapbook couldn't get any easier.

Benefits of joining A Scrapbooking Club

2007-12-06T05:53:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking has been long introduced to bring out the artistic skills of most people. It was formally introduced in 1826 through the publication of the first how-to create a scrapbook in Germany. Since then, it has become part of history that eventually brought people together who share the same hobby.

Scrapbooking clubs started with friends and family members who enjoy creating these mini-albums. However, as scrapbooking became more popular, several organizations and clubs were introduced worldwide. Scrappers can join these clubs by simply locating their websites and register. Once registration has been completed, a scrapper will have access to forums, projects, and other scrappers’ profiles.

In choosing the best scrapbooking club, it is recommended to pick the one closest to the scrapper’s residence. These clubs are usually organizing get-togethers to meet the other members personally. It would be convenient for any scrapper to join the club nearest them.

These clubs organize social events to keep the people interested in scrapbooking. With these clubs, scrappers stay together and form friendship that starts with the love for scrapbooks. They also make sure that activities are filled with fun by engaging members to competition against each other that aims to encourage scrappers to create fine looking and quality scrapbooks.

The best part of joining these clubs is the opportunity in getting fresh ideas and meeting people that share the same passion.

Below are some of the benefits in joining a scrapbooking club:

1.Scrapbooking clubs let its members share their resources and knowledge for free.

2.Members find new friends they can talk to, not just about scrapbooks, but anything under the sun. There are life-long friendships that were built because of this hobby and they continue to increase.

3.Members, especially moms and teenage girls are excited because these clubs provide a girls night out. They see this as a break in their daily routine, letting them unwind and enjoy what they love doing with people who share the same passion for scrapbooks.

4.Most clubs hire professional scrapbookers as guest speakers to their workshops to teach members the latest and proven techniques. Speakers often provide materials that members have to pay for a small amount of money.

5.There are also scrapbooking clubs that are established to help non-government agencies in raising funds to help other people who are in need worldwide through selling hand made scrap books online or through garage sales.

Scrapbooking clubs bring people together not just to improve their skills and learn new techniques but more importantly form friendships and help others who are in need.

Being a Professional Scrapbooker

2007-12-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking is a good pastime. More than that, making scrapbooks are also an art. To top it all off, scrapbooking can make a good business too.

Making scrapbooks used to be a thing done in the household. It is something you could be proud of, yet doesn't offer much as far as the financial aspect. Today, scrapbooking can be a moneymaking endeavor.

Professional Scrapbooking

More and more people are starting to recognize the importance of scrapbooking. They recognize the creative value of such works of art. They also want to put privacy in the special moments they spend. Yet, with so much thing going on in their lives, many busy people don't have enough time to make one.

They can only wish to have their own scrapbook. Now, they can actually have their own personal scrapbook. They can keep the memories in beautiful collages filled with artistic details. This is made possible with the help of professional scrapbooking.

Professional scrapbookers are the experts in the field. They are the ones that get published for their wonderful ideas and techniques in making a scrapbook.
There is a high demand for them, to get their advice and help. Some professional scrapbookers even have their own following.

Professional artists who make scrapbooks for others have an even higher demand.
These are certain professional scrapbookers who hire out their services. These are people considered professional organizers of precious memories. They provide creative designs and beautiful details to photographs.

Providing services this way is just like being an interior designer, just as personal and just as creative. A typical scrapbook artist can earn from $50 to $150 an hour. Just doing the craft can bring in so many opportunities.

Meet professional scrapbookers online. They can provide the best tips and techniques, from the strictly art of scrapbooking down to the business side of it.

Be a Professional Scrapbooker

Being a professional scrapbooker is a great option for many scrapbookers out there who want to earn extra money. They can work at home as well as at their own time. They can bring out their own creative juices. At the same time, they get to earn lots of money.

You may choose to be a professional scrapbooker too. Just like any craft, it requires passion, time and some good work. Just learn the craft well and join the scrapbooking industry. Look up the business resources of scrapbooking sites and take the first step to being a professional scrapbooker. Before you know it, you will be out to satisfy a happy client.

A Guide to Scrapbooking Software

2007-12-04T21:35:00.000-08:00

Making scrapbooks is definitely one of the most well-known hobbies that people engage in all over the world. There are many kinds of scrapbooks, and various ways to create them. One who is seriously interested in scrapbooking will be amazed at the amount of creative choices that can be afforded to them.

One of the tools used in scrapbooking is software that can make the process easier and make the book look more creative. Hobbyists have many software tools to choose from to aid them in making that perfect scrapbook.

Here are examples of the most popular scrapbooking software available on the market:

1. American Greetings Crafts! and Scrapbooks & More! 7.0 from Broderbund

There will be no end to creativity when you uses this software released by Broderbund, because it allows you to make crafts in 3D. You simply select a scrapbook format, then the software can personalize it all throughout, using items such as stickers, photos, backgrounds and borders.

2. Nova ScrapBook Factory Deluxe 2 from Nova

It has everything needed by a scrapbook fanatic to create books with awesome design, and can be used for other projects as well. Customization is a breeze with its extensive templates and graphics, finished with truly beautiful and unique fonts. Other projects that this software can be used for are trading cards, journals and photo frames.

3. Nova Scrapbook Plus from Nova

Another software wonder from Nova, makes it easy for scrapbookers to create and share precious albums to families and friends. It has all the tools and applications needed to produce professional looking albums. Its features include templates and custom projects, customized lettering, special effects, amazing graphics and borders and drawing tools.

4. American Greetings Crafts Version 7

Another of Broderbund's amazing products, it can create an incredible array of projects aside from the scrapbook itself, such as bags and buttons. Creativity is never a problem with all the tools available for the user-photo frames, button, pop-up cards...and more! It is a very flexible tool because it can be easily used by beginners but also serve advanced crafters well.

These are the projects that can be created using the tool:

-costumes
-bags
-home decor
-bookmarks
-ornaments
-stickers and labels
-book covers

There are many different ways that users can utilize to create their scrapbook. Aside from the usual materials, there are many software tools available that will enable the user to explore his creativity. By producing breathtaking designs, more and more people will be encouraged to get into scrapbooking.

A Guide For The Scrapbook Neophyte

2007-12-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking has become one of the most popular hobbies around. For people who are still looking for one, here are different types of scrapbook themes that will surely interest people into getting into scrapbooking.

1. Portrait photograph album

This is a modification of the good old school album theme. This is best for people who are in the habit of having portrait packages taken. Extra photos can be utilized to make the album look special. Select a large-sized album and try to keep the decorating simple. Along with basic journal entries, you only need stickers to enhance the appearance of its page. One great tip: Pocket pages can be created in the back of the album to keep duplicate pictures.

2. Recipe album

Here is a scrapbook theme for those who wish to have their recipes organized. First, go through the collection of recipes and eliminate those that aren't needed anymore. A simple way to create the scrapbook is to sort the recipes by food category, in alphabetical order, then attach them using a ring binder. To add a nice touch, index the recipes then type them using the computer, then attach it to the front or back of the book.

3. Special events scrapbook

Keep memories alive by chronicling them into a scrapbook. Weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and engagements can be the subject of the book. Aside from the photos, memorabilias used for the event such as place cards, invitations or even napkins can be included.

4. Travel scrapbook

When on a vacation, stock up on all the memorabilia available, and of course, that means lots of photos. You should snap pictures every chance available, of landmarks, signposts, and the hotel room. Past trips can still be made into a scrapbook, by simply gathering all photos that are still available and making them into a great album.

5. Heritage photo scrapbook

This book consists of old black and white or sepia photographs that are attached on some photographer's cards. Extreme care should be exercised to remove and paste the photos since they could be damaged, given their age.

6. Kids' scrapbook

This is the perfect scrapbook for doting moms and dads. Let the children have duplicates of their photos and let them work on the book, using their own design. This will enable them to explore and develop their own creativity. Later on, when they get older, they will cherish this scrapbook because of all the memories stored.

Scrapbooking is a great hobby for all people because these books holds stuff and information that is a part of a people's lives.