Christmas Gift Ideas - A Vintage Digital Scrapbook

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

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

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

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

Scrapbooking Your Christmas Memories

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

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

Using Scrapbook Stickers

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

Holiday Scrapbooking Ideas – Making Memories for Years to Come

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

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

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

Become a Scrapbook Event Organizer

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

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

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

Using Digital Photographs in Scrapbooking Projects

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

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.