New Supplies on Scrapbook for Box Tops!

I have some new scrapbook supplies posted on the Scrapbook For Box Tops site for you to swap box tops for scrapbook supplies. Come on over and take a look!

Swap Box Tops for Free Scrapbook Embellishments!




Thanks for collecting and helping my grand daughter with her school project! Join the Mailing list over there and you'll be among the first to hear of new supplies posted!

Scrapbook The History In Your Life - No Photos Required!

While we are all taking photos of everything in our lives to preserve the memories in our scrapbooks, there is alot of lifes memories that we don't bother to document, but boy the memories that are there! So while making your own memories, don't forget to document the HISTORY in you life! You really don't want to forget "what it was like back then" or "what was going on back then". That's all part of memories for your scrapbooks.

So how do you scrapbook history that doesn't have any photos? JOURNAL! Journal what life was about "back then". Journal what happened in your life time. It didn't happen directly to you, but it was going on in the world, made a difference in the world, was was hot, a fad or quirky for the times and especially the things that changed your life or made history that year.

Find things that happened in the year you were born, or the year you graduated from high school or the year your first child was born. Just type it up on cardstock, matte it and mount it! No photos required!

This layout is of June 1982. It is a 12x12, double page spread. I used white cardstock and double matte on a shade to match the date. I used 3 inch stencils for the letters and date.

Things I included:

Who was President/Vice President that year
Top 10 Songs of that year
What happened that month in past years (June 1752 Ben Franklin's kite is struck by lightening!)
What happened during that month and year. (June 4, 1982 - The Wrath of Khan premiers)
The price of different things: loaf of bread, gallon of gas, milk, house price, price of a car
Hot/popular toys of that year
Top movies and TV shows of that year.

To get things that happened in a specific year, try Scopes Systems. Here you can input your month and year, and it will give you all kinds of great things that happened that month and year. Pick and choose which ones meant/mean something to you or changed your life (or the world) or had special meaning to you.

Another way to "remember the years" with no photos, is to document things that happened in Hollywood! Remember your favorite movie that year? Favorite actor? You can get some things from American Film Institute about TV, celebrities and movies in past years. They partiularly have a category called "Top 100 Years..." for movies and TV shows that were rated 1-100 in the last Century in different categories, like:

AFI's Top 100 MOVIE QUOTES (a no brainer on #1)
AFI's Top 100 PASSIONS (romance movies)
AFI's Top 100 SONGS
AFI's 100 THRILLS

You're going to have a blast from the past as you go here to find your scrapping information. Better bookmark it - you're going to want to go back!

This is a layout using the Top 100 Thriller Movies of the Century. I just typed them out on 2, 8x10 pieces of cardstock and printed the list out on the computer. (I am only showing one side, but this is a 12x12, double page spread) Then used a film strip die cut and a die cut of a movie camera. Quick, easy and oh, the memories!! And not a picture was needed.

Another layout I did was one I called Top (50) TV Shows of All Time. How Seinfeld made #1 over I Love Lucy, is a total fluke in my book, but what happens, happens! On this layout I copied from
TV Guide the covers of the ones that had my favorite shows and inserted this small "photo" into the film strip die cut. See- there's I Love Lucy right at the top like she should be!

I just added a few paper strips (from scrap paper) and the layout is done in minutes...quick, easy, and inexpensively!

So scrapbook the history in your life time. There are lots of memories there that you will want to remember in years to come.

Scrapbook Titles That Include a Forgotten Memory!

Life is so full of things that make memories. You have memories from places you never thought of or possibly even forgot about. That's where scrapbooking comes in! It helps you remember even the little things some times.

Everyone watches TV. We all have our favorite shows from the past and present. But what about the phrases that came from a show and made it big in the real world? Think about how many of those you say - just because it is the current buzz phrase!! And often even if you didn't watch the show, you heard and even said the phrase. I never watched Hawaii 5-0 but knew the phrase "Book 'em, Danno" (Steve McGarrett, "Hawaii Five-O"). I seldom watched Friends, but heard alot of "How you doin'?" (Joey Tribbiani, "Friends") But of course since I was a Star Trek/Captain Kirk fan, I loved the phrase "Space...the final frontier."

Where are you memories of these times? Use these TV catch phrases as TITLEs for you scrapbook layouts! You might not have a photo to remember the actual phrase, but things happen to day that you want to scrapbook and to use these phrases as the titles, would not only give you the memory of the current layout, but an additional memory from the title!

Is your little guy into space? Were you a Star Trek fan? Use Captain Kirks phase as the title and photos of your little guy in his "space suit" or playing with his space toys. Double the memories!

Got a little one that loves to bake/cook? How about "Bam!" (Emeril Lagasse, "Emeril Live").
How about "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" (Alka Seltzer ad) next time your photos are of a huge family dinner!

Here's TV Land's Top 100 Catch Phrases - in alphabeticaly order. They will be doing a count down for Number 1, but look and find your favorite memory phrase and create your title and layout!

Top 100 TV Catch Phrases from TV Land

And even if you dont' use these as titles, how many do you remember? How many did you USE!!! Have a good laugh, a fun memory and watch to find out which is #1!

FREE Envelope Pattern and Directions

To make an envelope pattern, just take any envelope and gently, tear it apart where it was constructed, and you have an envelope pattern! Here is a pattern that I made using this procedure - you can just print it out!

Just print it out and start folding! Dash lines are fold lines.

Step #1. Fold side flaps in
Step #2. Fold bottom flap up
Step #3. Glue bottom flap to side flaps
Step #4. Fold top flap down

And there you have it! Decorate as you like! You can use pattern paper or solid cardstock. Just watch how your printer prints out to know if you put your pattern paper pattern side up or down in your printer. The lines will print our, so you don't want them visable on your "good" side of the paper you are using. Solid paper it won't matter - just turn the paper over. This size works well for an 8x10 layout. Fits nicely right in the middle to lower bottom of the page, and still has plenty of space all around for embellishment.

A good tool to have for this is a bone folder or plastic ruler to make creases instead of your fingers! It makes a much neater and specific fold. Also, a ruler and an embossing stylist are great for making sure your fold lines are straight and the top and bottom line up properly.

And watch the Christmas cards you get this year. Often they are odd or different sizes and shapes and you can use those for a pattern - just pull them apart where they are constructed!

Envelope Pattern

This particular pattern is slightly smaller to hold 4x6 inch photos. I had a horrible time trying to get it that size, and this the best I could get. However, to make it larger, after you cut the envelope out, cut it right down the middle and then right across the center. Place it on another sheet of paper and lay the pieces out with 1 inch in between the pieces (use your ruler) and glue/tape the pieces down. Now draw around that "pattern" and cut it out. This will add an inch all the way around, and allow it to accomodate 4x6 photos without having to crop them.

Free Scrapbook Supplies for Box Tops!

I believe in a good education and I want that for my grand daughter. So I am doing this on a volunteer basis to help my grand daughter collect the boxtops for her school.

I am collecting the pink "box tops for education" squares on participating brands. Participating Brands are Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Old El Paso, Bisquick, Hefty, Ziplock,Cottonelle, Kleenex, Scott, Yoplait, Saran Wrap, Hamburger Helper and Cheerios. And there is a variety of styles of each brand so you have a selection to choose from and still get the box tops. Here is what a "box top" looks like:

Just snip off the pink BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION square from the top, side, back or bottom of the product and save them until you collect enough for your choice of free scrapbooking supplies. I will have categories to offer you a selection: 10, 15, 20 or 25 box tops and redeemable for free scrapbook supplies for you to choose from.

Join me over at Scrapbook For Box Tops and see how you can get FREE scrapbook supplies for your box tops!

My grand daughter and I thank you so much for your help! We look forward to helping you scrapbook, while you help us, help her school! Thank you!

Here is a brief explanation of the

Box Tops for Education Program

Participating Brands are Pillsbury,Betty Crocker, Old El Paso, Bisquick, Hefty, Ziplock,Cottonelle, Kleenex, Scott, Yoplait, Saran Wrap, Hamburger Helper, Cheerios. And there is a variety of styles of each brand so you have a selection to choose from and still get the box tops.

"Earn cash for your school through everyday activities: buying groceries, shopping online and making purchases with a credit card. All at no additional cost to you! Clip Box Tops from hundreds of participating brands. Earn up to 8% back for your school when you shop online and 1% every time you use your credit card. With your help and the dedication of your school’s volunteer Box Tops Coordinator, your school can earn up to $60,000 through Box Tops each year. That's as much as $20,000 each from clipping Box Tops, shopping at the Box Tops MarketplaceSM and using the Box Tops Visa® card."

How To Make a Masculine Themed Scrapbook Layout

Sometimes it's hard to do a masculine scrapbook layout. embellishments tend to be a bit girlie or frilly or "themey" - just not a masculine theme. So how do you do a scrapbook layout page for the men? Well, sometimes in scrapbooking, it isn't in the embellishments you use, its in the theme of the layout.

In this scrapbook layout, I didn't use any embellishments! I just matted photos and added a poem. Yes, a poem for a guy! But more importantly, I scrapped my son's dream. Find out what the man in your life's dream is and see how you can scrapbook a layout for him!

When my son was growing up, he dreamed of being a cowboy. Bull riding, rodeos, cowboy hat, horse, belt buckle - the works. Well, he got a few of those things, but life changed and he had to give up on the rest of the dream and I didn't want him to forget his dream. So I scrapped it!

This is a 12x12 scrapbook layout page. I used just a medium blue cardstock for the background page. I used matte metallic gold and silver papers for the matting and the embellishment stripes. The photo below doesn't show the silve/gold papers very well, but they are a soft muted silver/gold. A really nice touch for a masculine layout. I use vellumed to type out the picture titles and the poem. I used a corner round on the photos and the mattes.

Layout is titled, "The Hat, The Buckle, The Cowboy. " There my son is, with his pick-up truck, in his cowboy dress, with his Stetson hat and belt buckle. The buckle honors one of the PBR's most famous bulls... Bodacious...which backs up the memory of Lane Frost.



I typed the poem on vellum and cut the edges with decorative sicssors. I ran it through my Xyron for adhesive. It worked really well as far as not leaving any visable glue marks on the vellum. All the printing was done on the computer.

The poem is by Baxter Black and is called "Cowboy is His Name" which is from his book "Legend of the Rodeo Man". This is again, one of my son's most favorite scrapbook layouts.

Got Turkey? Here's A FREE Pattern!

This is a pattern for a die cut of a turkey to embellish your scrapbook page. Put your paper in the printer and print it out or print one out, cut it out and trace more from cardstock.

These's turkeys are great for journaling - leave them blank and journal away! Or use them for your layouts title. You could also use chalks, inks or colored pencils to do some embellishing and use it as a paper piece art. Got any feathers laying around? Cut some the length of the die cut turkeys feathers and glue the feathers on the diecut! You could even use patterned paper to make the feathers. Lots of things you can do - just let your imagenation go!

This die cut would also be great for place cards, name cards, gift cards, wall decorations, or whatever your children can think of to use them for! It makes for a great kids craft item.

Turkey Die Cut Pattern

Note: This pattern is not my creation. I don't remember where I got it, it has been in my pattern file for about 8 years! I just wanted to share it with you all!

Chalk Some Leaves for Your Fall Layouts! Pattern included!

Get out your chalks and a make-up sponge or cotton ball and start making leaves!

I have included 2 patterns, a small and a large leaf. You can either print them out, then cut them cut and trace the pattern onto what ever color or pattern paper you like. Or you can just put the paper you want to use in the printer. If using a print paper, make sure you have the paper so the pattern will print out on the BACK SIDE of the paper so the outline doesn't so on the patterned side. If using solid, either way, no problem.

Print/trace the leaves then cut them out. You now have a "die cut". Take the die cut of the leaf and crinkle them up in your hands. Cardstock it pretty thick, so you might have to scrunch pretty good. Use your own judgement. You want to get some good wrinkles in the leaf die cut.

Now get out your chalks! You can also use ink for this process, but I never had much luck using ink, so I stuck with chalks. But if you are good with ink, you can try that too. For an applicator, I have found make-up sponges to be the best. Q-tips are the next of my preference or a cotton ball. If you have a way you like to apply chalks, use it!

To get a mix of colors to emphasize the fall colors, start with a light color chalk- like a yellow, then a medium green. Then work a brownish/red in , and then work a dark brown last. You'll use these colors by adding another color on top of them with each layer. Use more of the lighter colors and less of the darker colors - if you use to much dark, you will cover the lighter colors. Remember, you can always add more, but if you get to much, you can't take it away.

Using the sponge and yellow chalk, rub it from side to side over the wrinkles. Then more you rub and the harder you press, the more yellow chalk will get onto the wrinkles and into the creases. How much you rub, determines how much yellow get on the leaf. You are aiming for the color to get on the wrinkles the heaviest and then gradually filter out to the rest of the leaf.

You might have to work a few until you get the technique the way you want it. But it is pretty easy. Lines don't have to be straight and exact and colors don't have to be specific and stream-line so you have alot of "play room". You can make them as dark or as light as you want. You can give alot of color, or just one or two colors.

Once you have the leaves the way you want them, place the chalked die cut face down on a piece of white scrap paper and smooth out the wrinkles a little bit, not much, just to smooth it out a bit and blend the colors a bit more. Now, turn it over and your leaf is ready to embellish your Thanksgiving Day layout! If you have a fall theme, pumpkin patch theme - it works great for that too!

And you can also use these leaves in your interior decorating - make alot of them - (the kids will love doing this!) and use them to decorate the walls, the table center piece - even use them as name place cards! Just get a black marker pen and write names on the leaf and place it on the plate so people can see where they are suppose to sit! Works great!

Small Leaf Pattern

Large Leaf Pattern

Note: These patterns are not my own creation. I don't remember where I got them, but they have been in my pattern file for about 8 years now! I just thought I'd share them with you all!

A Blink In Time - 20 years of Time!

My kids are 4 years apart. They have been close all their lives. It is really strange as I raised them both together, same values, same life style, same every thing - yet my daughter turned out to be a rock and roll girl and my son a country boy. Donny and Marie have nothing on my kids!

But the time has gone by so fast. You just don't realize it until it is gone! (sounds like the makin's of a country song!) And as a mother, it is extremely enjoyable to look back on those wonderful years and remember all those times the kids were together and there for each other. So of course, I have to scrap it!! I made 3 of these layouts - one for me, one for my son and one for my daughter.

This layout is a double page spread. It is 2, 12x12 pages. The title is "A Blink In Time" - half on the top of one page, the other half on the other page. The letters are just sticker letters. I just used black and white checked background paper. Matted the photos in black cardstock and found the most appropriately amazing poem which I printed out in two sections on white cardstock and matted it on black cardstock and put half on one layout, half on the other layout. I dated each photo. There is no journaling on this layout, the photos speak for themselves. This layout is quick and easy, cardstock and letter stickers are the only supplies used and no special tools required, but boy, is it one of my most favorite layouts! The memories are tremendous and I love every single one of them!

This scrapbook layout spans 20 years - from the first time my daughter (the oldest) held her baby brother for the first time, to when he held his little neice (her little girl) for the first time.

The poem is a style that seems they are saying this to each other. Perfectly fitting for the theme of the layout - brother and sister and their friendship and love.



"In a blink, it seems the years go by, but images still linger of times we shared together. We watched out for each other and share secret these days......A friendship, I hope, we'll both keep. Just who will we be, what will we become? Each step is a moment I treasure. When I blink yet again, I'll look back in time and smile at these moments together."

None of us will ever forget these years.

What's In Your Child's Space? How about a Scrapbook Layout!

I'd like to say I remember my "space" or bedrooms throughout the years. I had quite a few as we moved alot, but quite frankly, all remember is that I had to share with my sister from the day she was born till the day I got married. I remember white, French Provencial furniture and PINK PINK PINK!!!! Other than that, I don't remember any of the things I collected, any decorations, nothing. Oh, except that my sister would hide her alarm clock under the bed as it rang SO LOUD it'd startled me awake in fear! So she hide it under the bed so I couldn't find it and turn it off! Some memory!!

My son had such a collection in his bedroom of several things that really meant a great deal to him. His hopes and dreams, his heros and passions. I wanted to preserve that for him. So what better way to preserve it than in a scrapbook layout! Now married, a police officer and a new daddy - he looks at this scrapbook layout and I can tell he is remembering a wonderful time in his life.

His Dreams: Bull riding and being a cowboy. His heros: John Wayne and the Nutcracker. His hopes: Being a police officer. His passion: A proud American and American History buff.

I took pictures of each "area" of his room - the book case, the posters, pictures on the wall. Some pictures I sillouetted, some I left "as is". I titled the layout "My Room" and the date. I used just some red/white/blue sticker strips and a piece of scrap paper from a american layout in the corner. This layout shows that you can include year's of memories in just one layout and still have the full impact.

One wall was full of pictures of his hero - John Wayne. I collected them from a variety of places and the one he got in Tombstone, AZ held a very special memory on its own. Also is a full size cardboard image of John Wayne! Also on this wall is his bull riding gear. He never got to do that dream but it is a fond memory for him. But he did get a life-size, stand-up poster of Ty Murry - World Champion Bull Rider, several years in a row!




Next was his computer - he was a wiz! And the bull riding and the Alamo posters above it were his heart's dream. The Alamo posters were ones we got when we went to that sacred place in history and even visited John Wayne's reproduction of the Alamo for his 1960 movie.

The top of one dresser is full of 57 Nutcrackers - all different. When he was 5 he heard that story on cassette tape and Nutcracker became his hero and he loved collecting them. Each one is different. On the bookcase are his VHS tapes of all the Duke's movies he collected, his books and movies about WWII as he was a history buff about the subject, topped off by the American Flag.

What's in your child's "space"? What memories does your child's room have for them? These memories are ones that you don't want your child to forget, but might not be something you can make a specific layout of. Put all the memories together and what have you got? Memories galore - on one scrapbook page layout!

Also notice how quick and easy this layout is. I only used a few "left over" sticker strips and a piece of a flag pattern paper and some sticker letters. I sillouetted some of the photos, others left uncropped.

Scrapbook Page from a Comic Strip Point of View

Scrapbook layouts can be tailored, whimsical, elegant, bulky, ornate and the list goes on. But sometimes plain and simple preserves the memory every bit as good! And oh, for the simple things in life to make the memories!

When I took these photos it was because it was so cute.. my son and his new neice. Here is this big, tough man with a 9 month old little girl giving him havok - and she is winning!

Once developed, and I was deciding how to scrap the photos, I noticed that there was a progression of movement in these photos. My first thought was comic book! What a great idea! So I put them in sequence and then started thinking of captions for each photo.

It started with my son looking through the local paper to buy a truck. Little neice climbed in his lap and started "looking at the paper with him". So that is where I started. The sequence of the photos starts with them "looking" at the paper, then her taking it from him, then getting done and thowing the paper away!!

The captions read:
"Let's look through this paper, Kellie"
"Give it to me Uncle Michael, I'll find you a truck!"
"Nothing in here but junk, Uncle Michael"
"Here - throw this away!"




I doubled-matted each photo with solid yellow and solid blue. I then placed the matted photos in a square design. Using yellow/blue pattern paper, I cut strips to "frame" each photo and caption. And we are done! A quick and easy scrapbook layout and all it took was some scraps and glue! Doesn't get much easier than that! And we laugh at this one every time as, now 6 yrs old, the little girl still gets the best of the rough, tough man!

Library Pocket Pattern and Directions

Here is the Library Pocket pattern I use often. When my local library decides to discard older books, they first offer them for sale. I bought some one day and noticed this pocket for the check-out cards that they use to use in the "old days" before computers and all! I remember how cool it was to watch the librarian pull the card and stamp the return date and slide the card back into the pocket!!! My sister and I always like to "play" library and we'd collect all our books and shelf them "properly" and make them each a card. Didn't have a stamp thing, but used whatever we could figure to just get that stamp motion going!

Anyway, I peeled the pocket off the book I bought, and opened it up and used it for a pattern. I like this in my layouts as it offers me a way to have many photos on one layout without having to crop and matte and be limited on how many photos I can use.

I do 8x10 pages with one photo displayed, a few embellishments and title and then a pocket with all relating photos and a cardstock card for the journaling. These are quick, easy and a great way to get caught up or keep scrapping if you are very limited on time.

Step #1. Fold DOWN the the small flap on the top - this is the front edge of the pocket
Step #2. Fold UP the back flap (the longest flap)
Step #3. Fold IN the 2 side flaps so that they cover the back flap
Step #4. Add glue to the inside of the side flaps and secure them to the back flap.

And there you have it! Decorate as you like! You can use 8x10 pattern paper or solid cardstock. Just watch how your printer prints out to know if you put your pattern paper pattern side up or down in your printer. This will print out with the lines, so you dont' want the lines on the pattern side. Solid, doesn't matter - just turn the paper over.

Library Pocket

A good tool to have for this is a bone folder or plastic ruler to make creases instead of your fingers! It makes a much neater and specific fold. Also, a ruler and an embossing stylist are great for making sure your fold lines are straight and the top and bottom lines up properly.

ABC Christmas Scrapbook Memory Album

A fantastic way to help your kids learn their ABC's is to make an ABC scrapbook album. I recently wrote about the one that I made using pictures of items that mean something or have special meaning to the child.

But another fun way to incorporate the ABC's into a scrapbook album is with a fun holiday. Something they can learn with this year, but bring out in years to come for fun and memories!

So with the Christmas holidays approaching, start now and have your child's Christmas ABC album ready by the first of December so they have lots of time to enjoy it!

Here are some suggestions to get you started in your search for images, pictures and "things" to use in your album. Remember, look at your own photos of your family's past and try to use those in the album - For instance the B for "building a snowman" - do you have a photo of family members building a snowman in previous years? That'd be the perfect item for B!

You can use a specific item or a phrase to display the letter. When using a phrase, just make the letter a capital and the rest lower case ( sUgar rUsh for the letter U) or the letter in RED and the rest green to set the letter out.

A: Advent calendars, advent candles, angesl, anticipation, apple pie,
B: Baking, baby's first Christmas, building a snowman, bundled up to go, "better be good!", bye-bye
C: cutting the tree, chimney with care, Christmas cookies, candlelight, cards, hot coco, christmas cheer
D: decorating the tree or mantle, Daddy, dinner, new dresses for the holidays, dreams, decorations
E: enjoying, Christmas Eve, eggnog, elves, eating together, everyone around the table, everyone is here!
F: fun with family, family, friends, fresh snowfall, fireplace, building a fire in the fireplace, fresh holly
G: guests, gingerbread cookies or houses, Grandpa, Grandma, grand kids, great fun, family gathering, gifts
H: Home for the holidays,hanging the decorations, helping mom/grandma, holly berrys, hope, happy, hugs
I: ice skating, ice fishing, icicles on the tree, indoor fun, no room at the Inn, in line for Santa
J: jolly old St. Nick, Joseph & Mary, Joy, Jesus birthday, just the best day, just having fun, joking around
K: kitchen capers, kisses, kids, the three Kings, keeping the Christmas spirit, kettle of cookies
L: lights on the tree/house, light in the neighborhood, laughter, lots of snow/fun/food, laying down to sleep
M: making memories, making crafts, christmas morning, Mommy, mistletoe, midnight mass, Mr. Claus,
N: nativity scene, nutcracker, nieces, nephews, naughty or nice, nuts, new toys, Night Before Christmas
O: ornaments, opening gifts, outdoor fun/decorations, "oh's and ah's", "Oh my goodness!", off to sleep
P: presents, christmas program, popcorn to string, parents, pair of turtledoves, partridge in a pear tree
Q: quilts to snuggle, questions ("Can I open it yet?") quizzical looks, quite a show!, quiet and sleepy
R: relaxing, resting, relatives, reading the Christmas story, rambuncious kids, ready to go to Grandmas
S: snowball fights, snowfall, sliding, skiing, skating, stockings were hung, special surprise, secret Santa
T: tree trimming, time for_____, taking it easy, a trip to _____, traditions, "take a cookie time out!", trust
U: under the tree, unforgettable, unbelievable, under the eaves, unsuspecting eyes, sugar cookies, sugar rush V: visits, holiday visitors, vacation time, very ______(delicious, etc), very special,
W: wraping the gifts, waiting for Santa, watching for reindeer, winter wonderland, wishing for ___,
X: x-tra special, x-traordinary, x-tra gifts, x-tra food, x-tra cookies, x-tra kisses and hugs
Y: yearly chirstmas letter, yule log, year end memories, best time of the year
Z: zipping up to keep warm, catching some z-z-z-z-z's, zest, zealous, zip the lips to keep the secret!

The list is endless, of course! Once you get started, you are sure to find your own ideas and things to use. Just try to look for unusual things, that are not so common. This will help the kids not only to learn the alphabet, and new words, but learn that there are are other things about christmas besides just gifts, toys and cookies!

Happy early holidays to all!

If you have a word or phrase you'd like to add to the list, just click below on "COMMENT" below and share it with us! Some of these word suggestions are my own, some are from a collection I did few years ago when I made this kind of album.

More FREE Printable stickers

A favorite magazine of mine has an online site too. It is the perfect magazine for moms, kids, teachers, scout leaders, grand parents - anyone that wants to have fun with kids and/or their families. It is the best family related magazine I have ever seen. It is called Family Fun. I have had a subscription for 3 years now and just renewed it for another 2 years! I was just there changing my mailing address and noticed a lot of things offered online that aren't in the magazine! So I did some "shopping". Got some great ideas for my grand daughters crafts, some interesting recipes, but saw this for us scrappers!

Printable stickers!

You downloand them (for free!) and print them out on your printer. Use glossy photo paper for a shiney sticker or regular card stock for that matte look, which is great if you are going for a more traditional/heritage style look. Use chalks to "shade" the sticker edges for a heritage look. Use your markers to outline or give detail within the sticker. You can cut out the exact image instead of just cutting a circle or a square. For instance, if there is a little dog image on a circle background, cut out just the little dog! There is a large variety of themes - pick and choose and then save the site to your favorites so you can go back when you need stickers!

Once printed, you can either use adhseive squares, glue stick or run them through your Xyron machine and
TA-DA!! You have some great stickers and didn't even have to leave the house and spend a ton of money! And give the site a second when you click on the stickers you choose, it uses .pdf and has to pull that up and all, but it does pop up just fine and you just click and print!

And these are also great for just giving to the kids to play with...... while you scrapbook! Even if you don't make the as stickers - just print them out on cardstock and have them create a game or a story board or something! Or help them learn to scrapbook by making their own layouts! And the stickers could be a great way to make gift tags for Christmas gifts! Have the kids work on that!

Check them out here. There is a list of them so click around to see them all!
http://familyfun.go.com/printables/craft-templates/specialfeature/printable-stickers

This magazine is absolutely wonderful in my opinion, so I'd like to mention that if you are interested - You can get this magazine for only $9.95 for 1 year, plus you get a FREE $5 gift certificate for every subscription you buy from
More Magazines, Please! It's a great bargain! I know the owner of this site and I know that you will get great service.

Please Note: I receive NOTHING from this magazine or the web site selling it, for making this "promotion". I just think the magazine is wonderful and wanted to pass it along - and give you a place to get free stickers!

Using Portraits in Your Scrapbooks

Enter into the world of scrapping your 8x10's!

You can use this method for 8x10's of adults or children, individuals or partners, groups or events - even your pets!

Any 8x10 or 5x7 will do!

Using portraits in your scrapbooks is not the first thing you think of when you scrap. You always think of snap shots. But how many of those 8x10 or 5x7 memories can you frame and put on the wall? I admit, I have a hallway with nothing but 8x10's and 5x7's covering both sides of the walls - a shrine to my kids! Helps me not to miss them so much and I smile every time I walk down that hallway! But even I have to call it quits on framing them!

So I went back and took the ones that I had not framed and was keeping in page protectors in a notebook. Deciding how to scrap them was my next delima. At that point in time, I had not heard of anyone scrapping larger than 4x6 so I didn't have anything to refer to for help.

In looking at the ones I had, it suddenly became clear. I had 2 kids and it only made scrapbooking-memory-sense to scrap them together at the same age, even though they are 4 years apart.

Scrapbook Layout Description

I choose 2 8x10's of them together. I picked out a nice print background paper that matched the colors in the portraits. Then I matted the 8x10's on contrasting cardstock 2 times with 1/4 inch borders. I then cut out a large star die cut and put in their ages using small sticker letters. I placed them facing each other in the scrapbook. I can now see them both together, but with their 4 years age seperation

I then took 2, 8x10's of each of them at the same age. I used white cardstock for the background. I matted each 8x10, 3 times with contrasting cardstock leaving a 1/4 inch border on each matte. Then I used 1 inch square die cuts and placed a 3/4" sticker letter to spell their names down the side of the layout. I added a simple 1/4" strip of the same cardstock I used for the squares to seperate the names from the portrait. In the lower right hand corner, I used a 1 inch square and put their age. Again, these are facing each other in my album. It is so great to see them at the same age!

We are talking about literally only minutes to create these wonderful layouts! How easy is that!

And it is a great way to scrap any 8x10 of anyone or anything you might have!

And if you don't have sticker letters, you can use ink stamps, chalks, stencils or just free-hand it!
Quick, easy and oh,so inexpensive!

Scrapbook Techniques Used

No specific technique used. Just basic matting and dating.

Scrapbook Tools Used

Paper Trimmer, square punch, letter stickers, photo square adhesive, star die cut.

Quick, easy and oh, so inexpensive! Doesn't get much better than that!

A one page layout for 6 years of High School!

With all that goes on in high school, graduation seems to be the main topic everyone scraps. But there is more to the high school years, than just graduation! Ever thought of making a scrapbook layout to show ALL 6 years in high school? Every high schooler has to get a Student ID card the first of every year. In 7th and 8th grade that is so cool as it is their first form of ID! And kids usually save their Student ID's year after year. But what do you do with them when all is said and done? How can you throw something like your last 6 years of ID away!!

You don't! You make a layout!

Scrapbook Layout Description

This layout is of my son's 6 years of high school - which includes 2 years of Junior High. He was going to throw the ID's away when he moved out, but he knew he'd better check with mom first, so he asked me if I wanted them. Need I tell you whether I said yes or no?!

I wanted to use the cards in chronological order with his graduation announcement the final "step" through his high school years.

Scrapbook Techniques Used

I layed the ID cards out on the page in the year formation I liked. I used jute twine as my form of "continuation" or the path to follow "through the years". I then used a hole punch and punched a hole in a corner of each card in different corners, so that I could loop and twist the jute through each hole and wind it around and down the page, connecting each card and ending at the announcement. I used adhesive photo squares to secure the cards to the background page. The jute is not secured, excepet on the back of each card near the hole to keep the jute in place.

The announcement is a tri-fold style. I glued the back (middle section) to the layout background page. Then I slide the layout into the page protector. Using a craft knife, I carefully make a slit at the top fold and one at the bottom fold of the announcement so that the top and bottom of the announcement could slide through, thereby being able to be opened once in the album.

A few "back to school" theme stickers completed the layout.

When I gave the layout to my son, he was amazed and stared at it for the longest time and every time he gets the album out he spends time looking at this layout. I can only imagen the memories going through his head about those years of his life!

Scrapbook Tools Used

Cardstock, hole punch, adhesive photo squares, jute twine, stickers, Student ID cards, Graduation announcement,

Do You Know How To Smudge? It's FUN!!!

Have you ever "smudged" your ink? Or your chalks? It is fun, easy and a great way to make letters for your scrapbook titles!

Supplies needed: Letter Stencil, ink pad, makeup sponge, writting tip marker

Step 1: Place the stencil down onthe background page (or whatever paper you are using) where you want the letters to go and hold it down firmly and stable - don't let it move while you work or your letters will be crooked. Tape it to the table if you can.

Step 2: Dab the makeup sponge into the ink. Don't saturate the sponge, just get enough to "dab around" the paper. You can always go back and get dab more ink on the sponge.

Step 3: Starting from the edge of the stencil and going "into" the letter area, just "smudge" the ink around the edges of the stencil - partically on the stencil and partically on the paper. You'll have to do some testing first to learn how to get the various effects - heavy smudging makes for a darker color and more specific letter shading. Lighter smudging gives a lighter color and more blending shading.

A good way to start is to make the edge closest to the stencil a bit darker and then the inside of the letter lighter - this gives great dimension to the letter. You can play alot with this technique and create alot of beautiful lettering for your layout.

Step 4: With the stencil STILL IN PLACE, take a writting marker with a medium to thick tip and outline the letter. When the stencil is removed, the letter has 3 dimensions - the specific of the maker outline, the dark outside edge, and the lighter, fluffier inside - all blended together.

NOTES:
- You can use chalk the same way - you just have to "drag" more than "dab"
- You can use the same color or different colors. Outline in black, use red for the darker outside edge of the letter and a yellow for the fluffier inside of the letter. Just mix the colors to match the colors in your layout.
- This looks particularily good when using pastel colors. They seem to blend better than darker colors.
- Chalks will also blend better than inks, at least in my experience. Once ink is set, it is there. But the chalks will merge together more.
- Ink is more specific. Chalk is more "fluffy". Keep in mind for the effect you want.
- Once finished with the stencils, wash them with warm soapy water to get the ink and chalk off (or Windex).

Give it a try and see what creations you can make just a-smudgin'!

The Most Fantastic (and FREE) Scrapbook Printout Site I've Ever Seen!

Oh My Gosh!! This is the most FANTASTIC site for FREE scrapbook pages I HAVE EVER SEEN!!

TONS of themes and ideas and categories! So much you can do here! Pages, letters, stickers, die cuts, banners, journaling themes, and SO MUCH MORE and probably every theme you can imagen!

A friend shared this site with me and I am thrilled to be able to pass it on!

I'd venture to say "name it and it is here". There is just so much available! AND ITS FREE!!!!! Says so right there on the main page! You download them to .pdf files and print them out on your printer!

If you like digital scrapbooking, then this is also the place for you! I don't do digital, so I can't comment on that part of it, but it says that is what you can use it for so take a look and see what you think!

I am going to be using the themes and pages for a recipe book for my personal favorites recipes to give to my kids - pass on the flavor as they say!

Print Your Own Scrapbook & Cardmaking Supplies

A tip for printing out on printer but still making the die cuts look really nice is to use shiney or matte photo paper - like you use to print out photos. That way when you cut the die cuts out, they are on a thicker paper and a nicer finish to them (besides just regular typing paper) and they will look nicer.

If you have any tips for using thi site for digital scrapping, leave a tip! Lots of us would like to learn about that!

Shared with me by AudreyO. Thanks for this goldmine, Audrey!

Using Magic Mesh in your Scrapbook Layouts

Have you ever tried Magic Mesh in your scrapbook layouts? It is a great embellishment and not very expensive. It makes for a wonderful dimensional feature on your scrapbook page.

Magic Mesh is a strip of "netting", although it is fabric. Usually it is about 3 feet by 2" wide. It is sticky on one side, so you just cut your length and stick it down! Quick and easy!! You can lay it on cardstock, over a photo or anywhere you like. It is a speciality scrapbook made item, so it is acid free. It gives dimension to your layouts in a soft, easy kind of way. Magic Mesh is a good embellishment to achieve that "old fashioned" look or "antique look". The darker colors are good to get that effect. Use the brighter colors for a "funky" look.

I used to buy it often (until I got stocked up!) and it is not to expensive, at least the way I bought it. I used to shop the online scrapbook stores - I kept a BUNCH of them in my Favorite Places and usually at the end of the month, I would surfed them all and check out their sales. I never paid full price for anything. When I'd find it on sale, I'd buy a couple colors. I was paying about $1.89 or less for a 3 foot length. It goes quite far - you can use it 2" wide or cut it in half and have 6 feet of 1"! But usually because of the short lengths you use, you will still get several layouts out of it.

Scrapbook Layout Description - 12 x 12 layout

In this first layout, "The Proper Way To Eat an Oreo Cookie", I used 2 different sizes of Magic Mesh. The large "square" at the top of the layout is 2" by about 4 inches. The other smaller piece is 1" x3". This just shows that you can use any size you like. It was when my son taught his little neice how to twist the cookie apart, eat off the white icing and then throw away the cookie!! We had a talk about that!

I used purple as that was the color my grand daughter was wearing so I pulled that color from the photos and used it as the main color. The background page is a patten print in purple. I added a larger piece of black cardstock - about 10"x10" to the middle of the page. I then added a piece of white cardstock, about 9"x9" to the center of the black cardstock. I double matted the photos on purple and black. The Magic Mesh is placed as shown and then I added tiny buttons and a thin strip of the black and purple cardstocks for embellishment.

The title is typed on computer onto white cardstock and matted. Notice that it is placed crooked instead of straight. That is something that is good to do, to keep the layout from getting monotonous since I used so many squares. This layout is a case where the Title holds the memory. There wasn't really anything to journal about. They ate cookies. What's to say about that? But I look at it now and remember how funny they were together. It's just a funny memory.

This second layout - THANKSGIVING, I used the Magic Mesh as a title strip across the middle of the page and then with my letter punch, punched out 1,1/4" letters using a pattern paper of fall leaves. The colors just added to the "fall, thanksgiving" theme. I used several leaf punches that I have and punched a variety of leaves in the fall colors and just "sprinkled" them around the layout. The background paper is just white 12x12 cardstock.

I cropped the photos so just the people show up, not all the background. I got alot of family members in this way. I didn't matte the photos. I used a gel pen to write everyones name and the date


Both of these layouts are quick and easy and can be used for children or all adult themes.

Journaling: How to Make the Best of It

Journaling is an absolute MUST for scrapbooking. It can be a little or alot, but you really need to have it. Journaling often often holds the memory more than the photo does. Sometimes, there are no photos for the memory so journaling makes the memory.

Journaling is all about memories. You will always have memories, but as time marches on, many of them fade.Sad, but true, you think you will always remember them all, but as life moves on, so do the memories, to make way for the new things to remember. Many times you can remember the event but it often stops there. You don't remember the specifics or the feelings or the moment.

Scrapbooks are memory holders - journaling is memory makers.

What is Journaling?

Journaling is the title, the story, the caption or description, the theme, the senario, the point of the layout - what you want to remember! It can be done by hand or computer. Some say by hand is best as your handwritting is another memory you are creating. Others say because their handwritting is not very neat, they prefer the computer with all its fonts. And then of course, if you have alot to say in the memory, the computer is often the better way to go, simply because of the needed space to get the memory down. It is your decision for your scrapbook layout. Don't stress about "how" to do it, just make sure you do it and your imagination will take it from there.

What Should You Include in the Journaling?

Family histories are so much more than pictures of birthdays or every day, usual events. Strive to capture what makes an event a special memory you want to keep and what makes your family members unique because of this memory. Everyone has birthdays, so don't just say "Happy Birthday!" Journal about why this one is so special. Why was it different from last years? What happened this year, that didn't happen last year? Why are you scrapbooking this event? Are there hopes and dreams for the next year? Who was there? And especially the person's name - this way, future generations will always know who the person is. I say that and many of you will probably say ,"Well, yeah of course the person's name", but sometimes when you are working by yourself, you get wrapped up in the production of the layout and you own personal memory of the event or person, that you tend to write based on your own time right here and now, not thinking that future generations will be looking at this scrapbook layout and might need to know a little more about the subject.

Solution: Be detailed and specific. Don't assume others will know the memory so they won't need the details surrounding it.

Journal Using Your Own Handwritting

If you want to use your own handwritting to journal in your scrapbooks, and have a problem with writting "straight" on the page, journal "around" something! That way it won't matter if you are straight or not! Use a ruler and pencil to draw faint lines where you want to journal. When your writting ink has dried, you can erase the lines. Make your journaling in "pieces". Write a few lines here and a few lines over there and a few more own there. If you keep the length of the lines you are writting short, they won't tend to get crooked. Use acid-free, archival gel pens or markers. They come in all colors and tip styles (straight, thin, thick, caligraphy,etc). On dark backgrounds, those metallic silver, white and gold pens are absolutely wonderful for the journaling!

Journal Using the Computer

With all the fonts out there today, you can pick and choose till the cows come home! You can find whimsical, funny, structured, bold, themed, script, standard, weird and the list goes on! Pick one that matches the feel or theme of your layout. If you are journaling about a wedding, a script style would be nice. If it is a child's layout, choose a silly looking one or one that resembles a child's handwritting. The possibilities are endless! You can also change the font color. Bold, underline,italic, size - so many ways to add to the flavor of the journaling to match your theme. Print it out on cardstock, and cut it to your desired size or shape. You can print on solid cardstock or pattern paper. Printing journaling on vellum is a really wonderful way to add your journaling, but also add a special embellishment to your scrapbook layouts.

Where Do You Journal on a Scrapbook Layout?

Since the journaling is about as important as the photo - journal anywhere you want!

Journal on a die cut that is the theme of your layout. If you are doing a layout for a pet, use a die cut relating to the pet and journal on the die cut! For a dog, get a bone die cut. For a cat, use a mouse die cut. If you are doing a boy layout, get a wagon or a truck die cut and journal on it. For a birthday - a birthday cake die cut or for a picnic, use a picnic table die cut and journal on the "table top". The limit is only in your imagination! Back to school - grab an apple die cut or a school bus!

Trace a child's hand or foot print on the background paper and journal inside the imprint!

Use a tag die cut and journal on one side, and place a photo on the other! With a fiber tassel, its a great embellishment!

Use stencils - Use a pencil and lightly trace the shape onto the background paper. Then just write inside the stenciled shape! When the ink dries, erase the outline. This is a great way to get journaling in a circle which can very much add to the design of the layout!

Use Line stencils: These are stencils and they are just "lines" to actually write in, like squiggly lines, or spiral lines. There are stencils that is in the shape of something - like a balloon, or an animal or a tree. These serve 2 purposes. You can use them to journal in and trace them, cut them out and you have a die cut!

Make a book embellishment and journal inside the "book" StoryBook Time

Date Your Journaling

Another important thing to include in jouranling is the time and date of the layout. If you are reading a journal item and the date is there, it will be more memorable. "In June 2003, we went to our most favorite camping place". You have set the date, the event and the memory all of which will be important in years/generations to come.

When Do You Do the Journaling?

That is kind of up to you. You find when you can do it best so that you include all the details you want to be remembered. I usually do my journaling (on the computer) first, as I almost always do it on cardstock and make a matted block of my journaling and have that ready to include when I am setting my layout. Or you could do the layout and then just journal around the items on the layout. It doesn't have to be a "set in stone" action and no matter what you decide to do, you will most likely change it many times in your scrapping ventures so don't make a big deal of the "when", just make sure you do it and don't forget anything! You can always work around things.

Paper Tearing Technique for your scrapbook layouts

This is a wonderful scrapbook technique to use and it is so simple and easy, yet it yields dimension and shadow to your scrapbook layout.

Layout Description

This 12x12 layout, was of my grand daughters first visit to the beach! She didn't like it too much! I used pale blue cardstock for the back ground page to make the sky. Then a "sandy brown" color for the sand, white for the caps on the waves and dark blue for the water/waves. Mickey Mouse stickers of Mickey and friends "at the beach" doing beachy things. A lazer die cut of "A Day at the Beach" and just 3 photos - one I sillouetted.

Scrapboking Technique Used:

One tear of cardstock and it give you 2 edge-styles to work with. Take a piece of solid cardstock. Holding it in your left hand, take a portion (however much you need) and tear downwards. You'll see that the piece in your left hand has an edge that is solid color of (the paper) but then evolves to a lighter shade. The piece in your right hand, has just that solid color edge. You can choose which edge you want to use.

I have seen alot of this technique and it looks nice as a heritage embellishment, but the only way I have used it is as WATER WAVES. I then layered several colors of the torn paper to show the different colors of waves and the sandy beach!

Layout Assembly

I started with the light blue for the sky cardstock - my back ground paper. Typically, you would think to start "building" the bottom, but since you want those "torn paper" edges to be visable for all shades, you have to start building the beach from the top instead of the bottom. I layed out where I wanted the photos to get an idea of how "high" to make the darkest waves. Then I tore a piece of dark blue cardstock and layed it in the middle of the page. Then I tore a white cardstock, and placed the torn edge overlapping the dark blue. At this point, you could add another shade of blue if you like. The rest would be the "sand" of the beach, so I tore the sandy brown cardstock, but made it longer to add the beach to the layout. Now the colors are all there, in "order" and the beach is on top with the waves in the background! When you are tearing the paper, tear it with some motion to get "valleys and mountiains" so that the torn edge is not straight across. This adds to the dimension of the waves.

I then just layed the photos around, added the stickers showing the characters playing in the water, but put the photos of my grand daughter on the beach for the memory, that she didn't like the beach! Then in the sky, I placed the title die cut. Name and date and the layout is done and ready for your scrapbook!

Quick, easy and inexpensive - except for the lazer diecut, your only expense is cardstock and a few stickers! If you dont have the lazer die cut, use any die cut letters, or stamp the title or chalk it!

This layout just took a little more time, but no more expense and was still pretty easy. You can do this with any landscape ... browns or greens work great!

Compare Your Children! Scrapbook The Results!

In the case of scrapbooking, it is okay to compare your children! To each other, but more important to the memory aspect - compare them to their parents at that same age.. or to their grand parents at that age! Memories and laughter will be the results! They say times change, people change but in some cases, nothing changes - the memory just gets adjusted!

Scrapbook Layout Description - 12x12 layout

While taking photos of my grand daughter, I was amazed at how many photos I ended up taking that were the same situation or posse that I took of her mother 20 years ago! It wasn't on purpose, just cute things she did and when I got to scrapping them, a memory hit and I looked back in my stock of photos and there it was...the same situation, 20 years ago, with another little girl, that could be a twin to my grand daughter! It made for a perfect scrapbook layout. Mother and daughter doing the same thing 20 years apart. Who says times change?!

And there isn't/wasn't any memory to actual journal about. What do you say about washing a truck? But in this case, just looking at the photos creates memories on its own. Remember when she was that little? Remember how cute she was? Look how much they look alike at that age! Those kinds of memories - the ones that can't be written down, but just stay in your memory banks and come forward when you see the layout. It is almost like creating new memories, now that you see them together!

"We Love Icing" - The top 2 photos are of my grand daughter "sneaking" a taste of the icing on a birthday cake. The lower photo is my daughter (her mother) "sneaking" a taste of the icing on a birthday cake 20 years earlier! Mother is a bit older than daughter in these photos, but the "sneaking" was obviously inherited!


"Helping Papa": The top 3 photos in this layout are of my grand daughter helping her Papa wash his truck. The lower photo is her mother - 20 years ago at the same age, helping her Daddy wash his truck. Although some things never change, (you know men and their trucks!), these 2 little girls are definately related! Notice the little sillouette of my grand daughter looking over the one photo at the top!

'Little Girls Don't Shave"

In this layout, my daughter at age 2(top right) is watching her daddy shave. 20 years later, my grand daughter(lower left) is watching Papa shave! Why kids are so mesmerized by that shaving trick is beyond me, but they seem to like it! And look at the two girls... not much change there - they look alike! However, there are other memories - look at the difference in the razors used and the changes in Dadd/Papa!

Scrapbook Techniques Used

These layouts are quick, easy and inexpensive. This helps for getting layouts done and staying current!

For "We Love Icing", I used a corner round on the photo's corners and didn't matte them, just adhered them to the background paper. Then using different sizes of square die cuts , I scattered them around the page - for a confetti effect since the picture was at a birthday party. On the one biggest square die cut, I used tiny letter stickers for the title "We Love Icing" and then added names and dates.

In the "Helping Papa" scrapbook page, I cut a sillouette of my grand daughter and proped it up on top of the one photo like she is looking over the photo to the layout. It was just a litte extra thing I added. I had just learned about sillouetting, and just had to use it! I also used a corner rounder on the photos, no mattes and just wrote names and dates below the photos. The only extra feature was die cut letters - I bought them for 5¢ each and used them for the title. But what I did that you can't see in the picture is, once I had the letters adhered to the page, I took a scrapbook marker and did a "dash" line around each letter - just to help them stand out a bit better.

For the "Little Girls Don't Shave" I used mulberry paper and cut it into the shapes needed to matte the photos and the title letters. Title letters are die cuts - 1,1/2" in size. To cut mulberry paper and have that frayed edge, use a Q-tip and trace the shape. Then tear where it is wet. When dried, it makes a wonderful dimensional effect. The embellishment at the top - just another square of mulbery paper and a piece of Twistel shaped to a bow and a button on top.

Scrapbook Tools Used

Corner rounder punch, die cut letters and squares, scrapbook marker, scissors, mulberry paper, button, Twistel, adhesive squares, glue stick, tiny letter stickers, white cardstock for the background paper.

Interactive Way to Scrapbook Multiple Photos on One Page

Here is a way to add many photos to your scrapbook layout using only one page. In addition, it is interactive PLUS quick, easy and inexpensive!

A few photos on the layout and then a book that holds the rest of the photos! This is a great way to get alot of photos on one layout, instead of making a layout for each photo or having to choose between several really good photos! Scrapbooking has all the answers!!!

Scrapbook Layout Description

This layout is a 12x12. In this layout I sillouetted several shots of my grand daughter holding ladybugs and rolie-polie bugs that she likes to "collect" and play with. (those are all that are allowed to be collected!) Then I created a book with additional photos. The journaling is on the front cover!

This is the layout with the book closed and the journaling showing
Open the book and there are more photos!

Scrapbook Techniques Used

I sillouetted several close-up shots of the child doing differnet things, holding the bug cage, etc. That was my main layout design.

To make the book: Take a sheet of cardstock and cut it to twice the size you want the book to be and fold it in half. This book is about 4x6 - that way I only had to trim 1/4" off the photos to have them fit on the pages. On contrasting cardstock, I used the computer to type the journaling and then just glued it to the front of the "book". I decorated the front cover with left over stickers. I took 2 more photos - these were my favorites - and cut them the size to fit in the "book" . If you'd like to make more "pages" in the book, just cut additional pieces of cardstock the same size and put them together - use a stapler to hold them together at the fold, or needle and thread and sew them together at the fold.

If you use page protectors, just slide the finished layout in the page protector with the book closed. Using a craft knife, gently slice the page protector along where the "spine" of the book is.Make the slit just about 1/8 inch longer than the spine on both ends - just a little extra space so it doesn't tear when you open the cover. Make sure you don't slice into the paper. Now, pull the page protector open and slide the book cover through the slit.

Scrapbook Tools Used

Sicissors, adhesive photo squares, cardstock, computer, left over stickers, 1 sheet of pattern paper.

Storybook Time - On Your Scrapbook Layout!

Some things that you do, you can use that same idea in your layout. I used to take my grand daughter to "Storybook Time" at the book store on Tuesday nights. She loved it! So, when I made the layout for that special time, I made a "story book" to go on the layout and put the journaling inside the story book! Turned out really cute and now - 4 years later - she looks at that layout and loves opening that little story book! And she even remembers going to "Storybook Time"! It is a favorite memory of hers!

Scrapbook Layout DescriptionThis is a 12x12 layout. I have created a "storybook" flip-open kind of "book" for the journaling. The outside of the "storybook" has the title of the layout "Story Book Time" and the date. On the inside cover of the "book" I have added another photo and the journaling (on the computer in color) is on the other side of the book. I made a "tassel" bookmark out of embroidery floss to hang in the middle of the "book" for decoration as well as being the "book mark" feature. Other photos are cut in different sizes and shapes and I did not matte them.

This shows the book closed.

This shows the book open
Scrapbook Techniques Used
This layout is on a pattern paper - big pastel stars - kind of like having the "You're a Star" theme. I did not matte the photos, just cut them all different sizes.

To make the "book", I just cut a piece of card stock to the size I wanted and then folded it in half. With white cardstock, I cut it just smaller than the cover of the "book" and glued it to the front cover. I used colorful letter stickers to create the title "Story Book Time" and the date. I cut a photo the same size as the inside cover and adhered it with adhesive squares.

For the journaling side, I typed out my journaling on the computer, did it in a red and whimsey font. I did some measuring so that it would only print a few words per line so that it would be long and narrow like the book, then glued it to the back of the "book".

For the "bookmark" tassel: I took a few strands of embroidery floss, braided them and made tassels at the ends. The unfinished end, I folded over and glued it to the back of the book then glued the whole book to the background paper.

Tip: make the fold of the book kind of wide, so that it lays flat once the bookmark is in there - using a embossing stylis tool, use the wide ball end instead of the small ball end.


Scrapbook Tools Used
Computer, embroidery floss, embossing stylis to make folding line, glue stick, adhesive squares,corner rounder, card stock

So again, except for a bit of computer time, this layout is quick, easy and inexpensive!

"Rope" In Your Scrapbook Layout!

In looking around your house for embellishments to use in your scrapbook layouts, did you find a short piece of thin rope in your junk drawer? Hopefully, you didn't throw it away!! I found a piece and here's what I did with it.

My grand daughter learned to love horses at an early age, thanks to some rocking horses that I had. This is a memory that I like, but using just one photo - there isn't much to say and how many layouts do you do about this one memory! She is cute in each of the photos. but a different age in each photo. Don't waste your time and supplies making a scrapbook layout for each photo. Use them all in one layout.

There wasn't much to journal about the memory - just that she looked so cute. This is a case where the title says it all. Wheather whimsey or specific, the title is often the only journaling a layout needs. "Riding The Range" - the perfect title for the layout and since we are misplaced Texans, it just hit home to me!





I just took the rope and wound it around to a nice design on the background paper. Then using a glue stick, just traced the winding line that the rope laid on and pressed it down! The ends I tied into a bow. Your eye just follows the rope around the photos. Notice that I overlapped a short length of the rope onto one of the photos. It didn't "hide" anything, just added a bit of dimension to the layout. (The photo shows that the rope goes over her face. It isn't like that. It just pulled off by mistake when I slide the layout into the page protector! I have fixed that and will be more careful next time!)

Quick, easy and SO inexpensive!!!

Make Your Own Scrapbook Layout Background Papers!

This is possible! And it doesn't take much of anything. In Scrapbooking, there are so many avenues you can take to create the perfect scrapbook layout for your albums.

I never quite got into stamping - another expense that I just couldn't afford so I only minorly dabbled. I saw a fern leaf stamp that was so cool and I had a 40% off coupon at the local craft store, so I got the stamp. Then next week, when I had another 40% of coupon I got a green ink pad.

Put two and two together and what have you got? A great scrapbook layout background! Change color of inks and you can have more backgrounds! Use glitters and embossing and you have even more. And it all started with 1 stamp.

I never really knew my grand father. They lived in Ohio, we lived in California. But we did visit a few times and I remember those times dearly. So I did a scrapbook layout about Grandpa. Had a only few photos but alot of memories about the man himself and things he did or said. And I loved the house he built and lived in all his life. I lived in the same house he built for a few months! So I did a 4 page spread to use all that I had and make sure I got everything I remembered all in one place.





I have used the fern leaf stamp on the cardstock to make a "outdoor-zy" kind of background. Just stamp the leaf all over, in different ways. Then matted the photos with green cardstock. Click the image to get a larger view of the page.

That middle page is a 8x10 cut down about 1/3 of the way and in a page protector. This way I can see the photo on the 4th page, while having the journaling about those photos. Turn the page and there are more photos and journaling.

I did alot with 4 page spreads and cutting the middle page in half. I will have some more about that procedure in articles to come.

Document Time Memories in Your Scrapbook Layouts

How do you document time spans in your scrapbook layouts? You'd be surprised at how many memories you get when you combine time, people and the same setting! This is also a great way to use those "extra" photos. In this case, you are not necessarily documenting a specific memory, but more a period or time that holds the memory. In this scrapbook layout, I show my son's age's, his growing up, the memory he carried throughout the years, a place that meant alot to him and was special. You and yours often have those same kinds of places - and wonderful memories. Scrapbook them!

We spent alot of time at my parents house. Both living and visiting. The backyard had these huge boulders for decoration. My kids loved playing on those boulders. They were my son's most favorite place in the world. Those huge rocks were forts from the bad guys, huge ships afloat and secret hide-outs!

As the years went by, my son grew up and the rocks got smaller (at least they seemed to!) but the memories abounded!

Scrapbook Layout Description

Scrapbooking wasn't around then, but I still was taking pictures! I put these together and a "through the Rocks of Ages" was born. 3 picures of my son at different ages, on those same rocks. Each picture is the same rock, same kid, just years apart - just look at the memories!!



The first is both my kids sitting on the rocks reading together. My son was 3.

The second is my son's creation of "Fort Nordstrom" and his keeping the prairie safe! (the flag was a red shopping bag from Nordstroms!". My son was 10

The third is his last visit to his beloved rocks before the house was sold. He was 21. (He also had his wedding photos taken by the rocks but I had made this layout before then!)

The jouranling is my own handwritting. I wanted the theme to be a little on the rustic side. I used a pattern paper of rocks and just cut a strip out, cutting around the rocks and used them to enhance the rustic rock theme. The letters are also die cut out of this same rock paper and I just single matted the photos. A date beside each photo. Talk about a walk through the years!

Scrapbook Techniques Used : Matting, die cut letters, handwritting journaling, paper cut-outs.

Scrapbook Tools Used: Paper trimmer, corner rounder punch, scissors, glue stick, letter punches.

Scrapbook Skill Level: Beginner, easy, quick and inexpensive.

Scrapbook Photo Mattes in Minutes!

If you need to move a bit faster in your scrapbook layouts, or want something quick and easy, or just want simple and stylish scrapbook layouts, use this matting technique!

This is also great to have these mattes available for taking to crops or scrapbooking parties!

This puts a colorful border around each photo, then you just place the matted photos on the background paper, add journaling and you are done - in minutes!

Your only decision is what color to make the mattes - which is so easy! Use the color you like, the color that matches the photo, the color that brings out something in the photo, a color that brings out the theme you are working on ....

Here's how to cut cardstock into mattes - the quick and easy way! Basically you are cutting cardstock to fit a 4"x6" photo.

Making Mattes from 8,1/2"x 11" Cardstock

Step 1: Cut an 8.5x11 sheet of cardstock into four equal pieces. This will give you four pieces measuring 5,1/2" x 4,1/4" each.

Step 2: Using photos that measure 4"x6", cut 3/4" from the 6" side of the photo and
your photos now measure 5,1/4" x 4".

Step 3: Now place your photos on the mattes and each photo will have 1/8" border
around it!

Making Mattes from 12" x 12" Cardstock

Step 1: Cut a 12" x 12" piece of cardstock exactly in half. You now have 2 sheets of 6"x12".

Step 2: Cut each 6" x "12 sheet into three equal pieces, each to measure 4" x 6". You now have 6 pieces measuring 4"x6" each.

Step 3: Using 4"x6" photos, cut 1/4" from EACH side of the photo. Your photos will now measure 3, 3/4" x 5, 3/4".

Step 4: Now place your photos on the mattes and each photo will have a 1/8" border around it!

Give it a try and see how fast your scrapbook layouts get moving! These are also great for doing scrapbooks for a single situation or person. For instance, if you are doing a grandparent scrapbook - one matted photo on one page and journaling on the opposite page. Or an "About Me" scrapbook - again, one photo on one page and journaling on the opposite page. This way your color theme is continued throughout the scrapbook.

(These are directions from a craft show I saw awhile ago. I don't remember which one, but I wrote down the instructions while I was watching it and have used them many times! Hope they help you, too!)