Scrapbook Layout Ideas

Free Envelope Pattern 2"x3"

2010-05-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

I love envelopes! They are the best way to be able to add MANY photos to a single layout! And there is so much you can do with a single envelope! You can make envelopes any size you want. Adhere them on the background page any way you want. Make so many beautiful and amazing closures for the envelopes. And the list goes on.

Sometimes you have a lot of photos you'd like on a layout but can't possibly put them on on mattes and on the background page - Envelopes make it possible to put many photos on a single layout. Just make the size of envy you want and cut your photos that same size and BINGO! Slide the photos in the envelope and you got a fantastic layout with LOTS of photos!

Cut multiple sheets of cardstock the same size as the envelope and use them for journaling. You can say alot in one envelope!

Have some memorabilia or other little items you want on the layout but no way to adhere them to the background page? Slide them into an envelope!

Envelopes make for a fun, interactive feature to a scrapbook layout - it is fun and intriguing to "untie" the closure to see what's inside the envelope!

Use vellum, or cardstock, solid or pattern. Anything works! The possiblities are endless! And envelopes are so easy to make and you can make them to match any theme or style of scrapbook layout.

I found this pattern for a 2x3" envelope in my huge stock of scrapbooking supplies and things and thought I'd share it.

Also, if you look at this article, it has other options for creating and using envelopes. I have created all these myself. I love creating the closure - there is just so much you can do and so many ways to make the flap close to accomodate the layout! How To Make An Envelope

Click on the image above and it will take you to another page where you can save and print it. I tried to make it the size you could just copy onto an 8x10 sheet of paper and get actual 2x3" size of envelope, but couldn't figure out how to do that so you can just print it out as is and then make a copy and use the ENLARGE feature on the machine - or if you know how to enlarge it on your computer photo editing program, you could do it that way. This is not my original pattern. I know who is the the creator of the pattern, but I thank whoever did it!

How To Personalize your Scrapbooks Title Page

2010-05-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

We all enjoy making scrapbook layouts and albums for ourselves, but often we like to make them for others. We work hard to make the scrapbook pages and layouts tell the story of the person, to capture the memory for that person. Sometimes easy, sometimes hard, but why not just start at the beginning.... WHO is that person?

Capture the personality of the person on the very first "title page".
If you have that very first layout about what makes that person "tick", "who" they are, the memories are sure to flow for you as the creator of the album and for the person as they enjoy perusing their lifetime and reveling in the memories of "their time" and often capturing memories they have forgotten. Sometimes you can even make a new memory of an old time for them. Something you remember about them, or things you did together, or the way you saw that person and what they meant to you. Alot to include, but pretty easy to do!

Sing us a song, you're the piano man.....remember that song?

I associate that song with my brother. He was/is the piano man. He took clarinet lessons in the 5th and 6th grades at school. He then stopped and never had another music lesson in his life. Mom gave us all piano lessons once, and the teacher turned him away saying he knew more than she did! My brother can play any instrument there is - all self taught and proficiently. But the guitar was his favorite. Had he had the opportunity, he could have been right up there with some of the great guitar players. He was that good. He couldn't dance a step, but the music was in his soul.

Since he is music, I used that as his title page to his scrapbook. I used die cuts of music notes, and cut strips of black cardstock to create the music staff lines. This is a 12x12 layout. I chose photos of my brother at different stages in life, mainly just pulling the best facial shots so that you could see him the best, since these little cirlces are a bit small. But I made sure I started with a photo near birth, and ended with a current day photo.

I used a circle cutter and cut the face of each photo just slightly smaller than the music note ball so there would be a black border around the face picture, then adhered the photo to the die cut. Quick, easy and so simple, but boy the memories it captures!!

As the "title" of the album, of course, music related. Instead of just writting his name and birth date (which I did on the next page) I titled his scrapbook album "Written and composed by...." A typical, musically known phrase. And so appropriate, it just completed the layout to perfection.

And there you have it. My brother, his music and his life. The exact reason for a scrapbook. The perfect collection and tribute to his life ... and all on one page! How cool is that!!

Tools used: Although one of the most powerful scrapbook layouts of memories, this is one of the easiest and quickest layouts to create. I used a paper trimmer to cut the strips for the staff lines. I used a circle cutter to cut the photos into circles. Both of these you could do without tools, just free hand! A glue stick, a scrapbook marker pen and a letter stencil - again, you could do free hand.

A Letter From Santa Claus - Wow! What a Memory!

2009-12-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

How about a memory from Santa Claus! What a scrapbook layout that would make! And years from now, your older child, will look back and have a great memory of Santa!

I did this last year - paid someone to do it, but this year I asked around and got the "how to" to do it myself! Here is my plan for today! I have not done this this way before, but it doesn't seem to be a problem. It is a common thing for this post office to do, so I am going to give it a try!

YOU write the letter to your child or grand child "from" Santa. Find some nice stationery - google: stationery and see what free things you can find. Just make sure you use stationery that the child DOESN'T know you have! Or just go to Michael's or Joanne's and choose some 8x10 Christmas themed sheets to print on.

Create the letter from Santa's point of view. Inlcude things specific to the child that "Santa" would know. Mention family, friends, their pet, school, anything that is important to the child and would be something that "Santa" would know. Of course, include things the traditional things Santa would say like, "I know you have been good this year" or "It was very nice of you to have helped ___________this year" or "I know you had some sad times this year, but I will bring you some holiday happiness........" Anything that will relate to your child specifically.
Of course, sign it with a beautiful signature by Santa!

Choose an nice festive envelope and address the envelope to the child. Place a stamp on the envelope. Go to the PO and get some holiday or christmas themed stamps. Something the child has not seen!

NOW>>>>>>>>>>
This late in the game you might want to use USPS Priority FLAT RATE Mail - ($4.05 and 2-3 business days)

In the Priority FLAT RATE envelope (free at the Post Office) place your sealed and stamped letter(s). In this case you can write letters to many kids, place in their own envelopes and place ALL of those letters in the same Priority FLAT RATE envelope. It is $4.05 for as many as you can fit in the envelope and the envelope close properly. Great if you have a group of kids!

Mail it to:
North Pole Christmas Cancellation,
Postmaster,
5400 Mail Trail,
Fairbanks, AK 99709-9999.
The post office there is perfectly accustomed to this, and will take care of opening the Priority Mail envelope you sent the letters in and mailing the individual letters for you to the children.

On that surprise day - the little ones get a letter from Santa! I can already hear the squeals of excitment and wonder! Have your camera ready for that wonderful photo of that adorable face when they open the letter!

THEN........... after Christmas......... a scrapbook layout is created! And all you have to do is make a pocket for the letter so it can be taken out (repeatedly I am sure!) and looked at, matte the photo(s), add a title, and you are done with a most wonderful and precious memory!

10 Free Scrapbook Supply From the Christmas Holidays!

2009-12-15T04:51:00.000-08:00

Free scrapbook supplies are all around you this holiday season! There are not hard to find, you just have to be creative and look around! In a way, these are cheap scrapbook supplies! Someone else's trash is a scrap booker's treasure!

Here are 10 things that can be used as scrapbook supply that you might keep your eyes out for. Just think… you'll have some great new supplies ready and waiting to create your Christmas themed scrapbook layouts! And they will have the additional memory of "where" and "how" you found that particular scrapbook supply!

Gift tags - These are cute to use "as is" in a scrapbook layout. If you have any extras, don't throw them away or store them for a year. Use them on your Christmas themed scrapbook pages! They come in all shapes and sizes, so you could even pick up a package on the After Christmas Sales! They are perfect for the title and date. You could add fiber hangers to embellish them a bit better. Or you could just cut off the little end that has the image on it and use it as a sticker! Add a pop-dot and the sticker is now 3-D! Line several of them end to end along an edge of your background paper and create a border! Use them to "name" the photo. Often the tags say "Merry Christmas" or something so just add the person's name and you have your photo description!

Paper plates and napkins - Just cut out the design or image and use them as a sticker-style embellishment! I cut out these figures off of the napkins and used them sticker-style and they worked out great in this layout if Baby's First Birthday - a character over each photo!

You could even make your own background paper out of the napkins. They are thin and with some glue, you could cover the full page with the design and then add photos over that!

Ribbons - Those thin curly ribbons are great for making tag hangers, confetti or lines pointing to something. You can get several colors and weave them together to make a photo matte or a square embellishment for the scrapbook page. Thicker ribbons are great to make borders or frame a photo, Take a small length of a piece of ribbon and using gel pens, JOURNAL on it and place it under a photo for the photo description. Ribbon is great for tag or envelope pulls. The thick, red, velvet ribbon would be a great enhancement to a Christmas themed scrapbook layout!

Family Recipes - I would probably say that no one is going to give you their recipe card, but jot the recipe down while you are there and then check out some of these great freebie sites that offer free recipe cards. Some you can type the recipe then print it out, but others you print out the card and then use your own handwriting to write out the recipe. Not only will you always have the family recipe for that wonderful dish, but it now becomes a memory to be passed on to generations so it can stay in the family!

Wrapping paper - Cut out the designs and use them as die cuts on your scrapbook layout! You could also make envelopes out of the beautiful wrapping papers. Click here for the pattern.

Envelope Pattern

Depending on the paper, use it as the background paper. (Acid-free issue at your own preference). There are some papers that have a beautiful scene on them - like a snow scene or a fireplace scene. Cut that out (silhouette it) and use it for the embellishment on you scrapbook page. Add glitter or other "add-on's" to dress it up or make it stand out. To make additional safe guards for the acid-free issue, you could laminate the front side and then run it through a Xyron sticker machine, then stick it to cardstock and cut it out, then run it through the Xyron machine again. This covers the front and back of the wrapping paper item and if there was an acid issue, now there is not!

Christmas Cards - What a great place to find images to use as stickers! Silhouette-cut an image to use as a sticker and use pop-dots to raise it up a little bit for a wonderful 3-D effect. Cut the INSIDE of the card out creating a frame and use that frame portion to frame your photo or journaling. If you really want to keep the card for a sentimental reason, don't cut it up; just use it as the embellishment on the scrapbook page. Adhere it to the background page and put a slice in your page protector and it can be opened while admiring the page!

Tissue Paper - Tissue paper adds a bit of delicacy,and frill. Use is similar to as you would vellum. You can crinkle it up and the smooth it out and add it to a tag or other punch art item. Or just keep it crinkled for the 3-D effect. In this layout I used it to make cotton candy!

Use your imagination on this one. You can crinkle it and twist it to make a "fiber" type of thing or crumble the edges only and use it to frame a photo. Scrapbook supplies can be created out of most anything!

Window Clings: Odds are they won't hold up till next year, plus, do you really want to bother with all that packing and storage over a few little clingies? Scrapbook them! Depending on what they look like, use glue or double sides tape runner to adhere them to the scrapbook layout page. You might treat them like Vellum as far as the adhesive goes so you don’t see the glue through the clingy.

Tiny Ornaments - Seems to be a common thing now, that stores carry these little, tiny ornaments that are figurines. They come in sets of 6 or more and they are a theme and are about 1 inch tall. A cartoon character and his friends, 6 different styles of snowmen or trees or several styles of reindeer. So many to choose from! These are great embellishments for "hanging" from your scrapbook layout! Use the hanger that came with them and string them across the page. So many ways you can use these little treasures!

Other household decorations - Do you really want to store all that for next year and probably not even use it again? Take your scrap bookers eye and look at it and see what you can cut, silhouette, adjust, take part of, or whatever else you think of to do to use all or part of that decoration in your scrapbook layout.

Just have a look around and see what you can find. Remember, collect it now, and if you can't think of a use, you can always trash it later! But while you have the opportunity to collect some free scrapbook supplies that will help you create some wonderful scrapbook page layouts, why not take advantage of saving some money, while you save your memories!

45 Years of Memories - And I Organized Them Quick and Easy!

2009-08-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

After 45 years of pictures, I finally got an album of my OWN LIFE done. I had tons of photos (and slides!) and made a "My Life" album for each of my 3 siblings and one for each of my parents and one for each of my own kids, but never got to my own life. When I got the urge to do my own Life Album, I just wanted to get it done and have it before something distracted me again and I'd never get back to it.. So I gathered all my photos, black and whites too, and got started!

I started by doing a Personalized Title Page. this one is for my brother - he was a fantastic musician all his life, so I hand cut the musical staff and found pictures of him (his face only) at different ages in his life, and with a circle punch, made the face circle the circle part of the musical note.

How Did I Organize 100's Of Photos From 45 Years?Well, it was actually pretty easy. I chose to organize them according to the HOUSE we lived in. We moved around alot and I remember the house and the schools I went to for the time periods. For instance, I remember going to Sierra Vista Elementary School when I lived in Fullerton and I was in 4th and 5th grade. The year? I didn't remember. We did alot of camping and long camp trips - the year? Don't remember, but I certainly did remember the trip and things that happened. Holidays? Again, no year, but look at all of us in the photo...remember about that present or that tree or......

How Did I Manage The Memories?That is one thing that is hard to do - you go through life and think "That was so wonderful, I'll never forget that!". Well, unfortunately, you do forget over time. I looked at the photos and some I could remember and some I couldn't. We are talking 45 years ago here! So instead of trying to make a memory for each photo, and since there were alot of memories I had and some had photos and some didn't, I decided to journal ALL that I could remember about the time period of each set of photos ! By that I mean, I just sat down and brain-stormed about the "house" or "school" time. Not only things that I remember about myself, but also about my siblings, the house, the school, friends, places we went, holidays at the time - anything I could remember for that period of time. Many of these layouts are 4 page spreads with the journaling as the middle page!

How I Organized ItAfter my brain storm of memories (few tears and smiles included there!) I went back and I grouped several memories about similar events or times. I put all the memories about my siblings together, then about my friends. I just organized it into a bit of EVENT sequence.

Below is a 2 page spread of "the years". With four of us, Dad always had us posing group style wherever we went... so 4 "Group" photos per each of the 2 pages... covered 18 years!

This is time spent with my grand parents and what I remember about those 2 wonderful people and that wonderful house grandpa built with his own hands! It is a 4 page spread with journaling and photos on all pages.

Then I Just Made It Look Nice!I found a fun font and use a color ink and printed it out on cardstock. Depending on how many memories I had, some pages were 8x10 fully, others were only half a page long. I decorated with stickers and put it in a page protector. The ones that were half a page long, I just cut down the page protector to match the half page. Some pages just have matted photos and journaling - quick and easy!

It might not be this great and wonderful chronologically specific scrapbook, but it does have my memories and that is what really matters. Actually the AGE or YEAR isn't the topic of the memory, it is the EVENT and what happened that you are wanting to remember, not really how old you were or what year it was. I look at this album often. It is nice to just remember.

When Journaling Captures the Memories

2009-07-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

My brother took me to Cocoa Beach one summer. It was FANTASTIC! The view of the beach from his balcony was AMAZING!!! I can still hear the waves crashing to shore and I see the cruise ships heading out to sea!!! And to relax in the silence and just hear nothing but waves... boy, what a relaxing time! Something that I have never done before!

Journaling Captures the Memories
Photos are nice but they just don't always capture the experience. A photo of the ocean is a photo of the ocean. Nothing specific to point out. But my feelings and emotions ABOUT the ocean were so strong, in this case the memories couldn't be accomodated by photos. That is when journaling became the point of memory.

The Title Page and Photo Letters

Title Page: I had seen this letter technique and decided it was time to use it. I took a photo of the ocean, and using a 3" tall by 1 inch wide stencil (got it in the art section of the craft store - no where near the scrapping section!) I turned the photo AND the stencil backwards. Now I am tracing the letter backwards on the back side of the photo. Make sure you do the word in spelling order even though you are tracing them backwards. This way, when you turn them around, the letters spell out the word and the picture scene stays correct. Now I have FLORIDA spelled out in an ocean view!!! I purchase a pattern paper of clouds and glued them on adding only a die cut of a sea gull. Quick, cute, perfect and wonderful!!!

Because the journaling was so much, I chose to use the computer to type it all out. I chose a nice "relaxing" style of font, chose ocean blue for the print color and they just started typing my memories on white cardstock. If you look at this photo - you'll see a little sea-scene at the bottom. I wanted to break up the journaling a bit, so I created this little scene with punchies. I tore the paper to make it look like "sand" against the blue water.

The opposite page, is a pattern paper of the sea shore and on top of that I just matted (with differnet matching colors) 2 photos for where I stayed so as to "start the story".

Again on this double page spread, I have included lots of computer journaling. I chose the color to match the colors in the photos and also used those same colors to create the "shadow box" of sea shells. I picked up a few crumbs of broken shells and brought them back with me. Made this shadow box out of page protector plastic and a picture frame die cut. How easy is that! And the memories!!

The weather there was so amazing! It was nice and pretty and then in minutes went to windy and then the clouds rolled in and the rain started! I couldn't believe it! And I took these pictures mainly of the sea gulls, but later noticed that if i put them all together I got that weather sequence that I remembered! And I didn't even realize it at the time that I was taking them like that. I was just taking of the birds because there were so many! But look how great it turned out! I double matted the photos, in brown and blue to match the colors in the photos and then did computer journaling talking about all the feelings I had at the time. The scan doesn't show the beautiful colors but they really are beautiful!

So remember..... journaling is so important! Don't think that you can only journal ABOUT the event. Journal your FEELINGS about the event. Often those are more important or more powerful than the event itself!

How To Find Scrapbook Supplies at a Yard Sale

2009-05-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

Scrapbooking is a huge and quickly growing cottage industry craft. I have been involved with scrapbooking for 10 years. It is amazing how it has changed. From simple to ornate, from flat to bulky. "Anything goes" in scrapbooking it seems. Acid free is a concern, but even with that issue, the embellishments and supplies currently on market are addressing that so you don't have to! New supplies come out every month, if not every week. I go to craft stores in my area and just browse the scrapbook isles and every time I go, there are new features, new items, new embellishments. Seems it is never ending. And that is great.

Scrapbooking is a fantastic craft, and in my opinion, the best way to preserve memories for generations. As usual though, expense is always an issue. Although I do admit scrapbook supplies have gotten a lot more reasonable in price today than they were 5-10 years ago, sometimes they are still to expensive and if you don't have the income to accomodate, well, the scrapper you are makes you look elsewhere so that you can still preserve your memories for generations to come and satisfy your craft bug!

So where can you find affordable scrapbooking supplies? Well, you can always shop store sales and use coupons. I have found that to be a great way to get the more expensive stuff. Coupons can also work for the less expensive items too, but sometimes they just don't have what you want. So since scrapbooking is a craft, use your crafty mind and think about how else you can conquer expense to save your memories.

Where can you find really good things at a really low price? Yard sales! Yes, that's right, yard sales...or garage sale, estate sales or rummage sales. These ales are a treasure trove for craft supplies! "One man's junk is another man's teasure" - really speaks loudly for the crafter.

What to Look for To Find Scrapbook Supplies

Clothing: One of the most popular items at any yard sale is out-grown clothing. Especially baby clothes. Those little tikes out grow the clothes faster than they wear them out which means the clothing is still in great condition. Look at the buttons. Cute little, whimsical, pastel buttons. Buttons are a great scrapbook
embellishment. Cut them off the clothing item and glue them on with glue or pop-dots - great for the "bulky" look. Also look at the pattern in the fabric and cut that pattern out - if there are little trains or ducks in the fabric pattern, cut them out and run them through a Xyron machine to put adhesive on the back and they secure neatly to the background paper! Makes the perfect fabric die cut! You can do this with any fabric pattern.

Older childrens clothing also has some finds. Jeans have those copper, western looking buttons - great for a masculine, outdoor-zy or western theme layout. Or even cut the pocket off a pair of denim jeans and use the pocket as a pocket on your layout! Look at clothes that have name brands displayed on the front - great if you have a favorite brand you want to remember. Just cut the brand name off the article of clothing and use it as a die cut. Sometimes it is a saying like "I Love Roxy". Although a clothes brand, my grand daughters dog is named Roxy so I can cut that out of the shirt, run it through my Xyron and have a fantastic title for a layout about her and her dog! Look at collars - cute fringes or lacey collars- would make a great "border" to a photo. Appliques are also a fantastic addition to a scrapbook layout.

Other craft supplies: When I started scrapbooking 10 years ago, I had no help from anyone. My spending money was literally next to nothing. I started with photo square adhesives, a circle template and a scrapbook spiral album. But since I have been a crafter all my life, I had others supplies. Ribbons, threads, embroidery floss, fibers, buttons, appliques, yarns, beads, gems stones, rhinestones, jewelery pieces and charms were just some of the items I had. Granted, as I was just starting, I didn't realize I could use all these kinds of things, but now - boy, did I have a treasure trove in my craft closet! Look at any craft supply at a yard sale through the eyes of a scrapbooker - you'll be amazed at what you will find!

Books and magazines: Books are also a standard at most yard sales. I don't approve of destroying books, but at the same time, if the book holds a wonderful memory, I see no problem in preserving it for generations to come. Plus, you don't know that it won't get thrown away if it doesn't sell. Look at the books and see the pictures. Anything remind you of a favorite memory from your life? How about your child's life right now? For 10¢ you buy the book and cut out the item related to the memory. Instant die cut! Cut several images and organize them on the layout page to create a "scene" relating to the memory. Magazines are also great for this but you have to watch for acid in the pages. You can buy an acid-free spray and spray the magazine page. What I did was just insert the magazine page into a page protector and the page protector onto the scrapbook layout page.

Post cards and stationery: Not often as common, but out there just the same. Whether you use the post card as is or cut images from it, you have instant stickers! Cut theimage out, run it through a Xyron machine use acid free glue sticks or photo adhesive squares and you have a sticker!Add pop-dots for a 3-D effect! You can do the journaling on the stationery as it is or cut the designs from the stationery to use as you need.

Board Games: Scrabble has those wonderful small wooden tiles of letters. Each letter can spell out the title or a person's name! Monopoly money is a great embellishment for layouts themed for shopping, travel and other money related scrapbook themes. Even the board could be a great addition - if it is to thick to cut, just scan parts of it to make your back ground paper or to cut parts out for die cuts!

Holiday decorations: Tinsel, christmas cards, wrapping paper, gift tags, paper wall decorations, candy wrappers, window clings, glitter, silk flowers - just take look with a scrapbookers frame of mind and the possibilities will jump out at you!

Other things you might look for: Labels from jars - just soak them off. I'd love to have a label from Knott's Berry Farm jelly jar as Knott's was my families favorite place to spend Sunday afternoons as a kid - way back before it was an amuzement park and cost admission! Nick-naks that can be disassembled to get to the brand name or the image you want. Hand made things like embroidered towels, doillies or lace pieces. Use as is or cut off the part you need. And those School work books- a great "back to school" background paper is a page of math problems from a work book; you just add the photos and journaling!

So next time you see a sign that says "Yard Sale", put your scrapbookers thinking cap on and stop and go shopping!

How to Use Vellum In Your Scrapbook Layouts

2009-05-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite materials to use is vellum. It is a thin, semi-see-through paper. And there are so many uses for this! I always liked using it for the elegance and dimension it offers a scrapbook page. You can cut it, journal on it, tear it, fold it, punch it, gel pen it... and the list goes on. It is a fun material to use on your scrapbook pages and the ideas are endless! It isn't very expensive if you shop around. I'd shop for this on sale too. You can get vellum in clear white and many colors. I prefered to use the clear mostly, so I found a place that sold in bulk about got it for about 10¢ a sheet. Here are 3 different ways I have used it.

Scrapbook Layout Description

"Best Friends"

In this layout of my daughter and her best friend, I used wallet photos and camera photos. The background paper is a pale lavender floral print. I used purple cardstock for matting the photos. The title letters are also purple cardstock. I made the purple and vellum daisys using a extra large daisy punch with a button for the flower center. Some of the photos are matted, some are not.

Use Vellum to focus in on specific images.

In this layout, I didn't want all that background in the photos, but didn't want to cut the photos so that they were really small. They would have looked kind of lost amongst the large photos. So I used a circle Coluzzle template and cut the photo out with the face in the center. I then cut a circle matte 1/4" larger that the photo from purple cardstock. I cut a circle of vellum the SAME SIZE as the photo and using a circle punch, and precise measuring, I punched a large circle out of the vellum exactly where her face was on the photo and laid it on top of the photo.

NOTE: With vellum, you can't use glue on it or the glue shows through (I believe they now have a speciality glue to use just for vellum, but its just another expense that you can do without if you choose) So to secure the vellum circle to the layout so it doesn't slip off, I took 2 small rhinestones, and glued them on the top of the vellum. I then put glue BEHIND the rhinestones on the back side of the vellum and glued it to the photo. Now, I know that you aren't suppose to use glue on photos, but this small, tiny amount, it is my decision that it won't harm anything. It is only just a tiny bit to gently hold the vellum in place. I did this on both the vellum circles.

"Flower Girl

This was my son's wedding. I did the journaling on the computer and it is in the words of his little neice as she was his flower girl, but was quite thrown by the whole thing! So I typed the journaling in her words on vellum. I attached it to the background paper simple by adding a piece of mulberry paper, crumbled it for effect and a button to bring it all together. I glued the mulberry paper to the vellum and then used photo adhesive squares on the back of the vellum UNDER the mulberry paper embellishment. You can read the journaling very nicely and the print background shows through just enough to bring it all together. A scrapbook layout to remember!

Use vellum for journaling

You can use vellum to computer journal on. I love this feature. It just gives that bit of elegance, yet not over doing it. The journaling is on the vellum and then placed on pattern background paper so that the pattern shows through the vellum for a "muted" background design, but not over-taking the journaling. The journaling blends in more with the layout instead of being the most prominent on the page.

"The Kiss"

For my son's wedding, I wanted simple elegance. I used a love song by Garth Brooks (I think it was!) that they played at the wedding and just typed it on white cardstock. I secured it to the layout with silver stickers.

Use Vellum for elegance and to highlight the theme of the layout.

I cut vellum the exact same size as the photos and then with precise measuring, I used a Coluzzle oval template to cut out the part to just focus on the kiss. One oval is horizontal the other is vertical. I secured the vellum with metallic silver heart stickers. The vellum creates 2 views of the same photo - one is focus on the kiss, what the layout is about, and then allows you to still see their attire through the sheer vellum. Now when you look at this layout, you focus on the kiss and feel its meaning. Simple elegance.

And you can use this technique on adult or children theme photos/layouts. Another good idea is to use this technique for school pictures - cut the circle out of the vellum for your child's face, but yet you can still see the rest of the class through the vellum. Or a family gathering or birthday- circle out the birthday person's face for focus, yet you can still see the rest of the family!

All these layouts are quick, easy and inexpensive.

Remember the decade you "grew up" in. And No Photos Required!

2009-02-08T06:31:00.000-08:00

As the years go by and times change, so do our memories. That's what scrapbooking is all about. We change, life changes, the world changes. Do you remember what happened in the world that made you who you are today? Do you remember things that changed the world as you were growing up? A scrapbook layout doesn't have to be about the memory a person. A layout can be about a time, a feeling or an event. Those kinds of nostaligia memories contributed to making each of us who we are today.

What went on in this glorious country that played a part in your past and contributed to who you are today? Do you remember? Got to admit, I don't either. I grew up in the 60's in elementary school and the 70's in high school. Wow, what a couple of nostaligia decades of change! So many new creations and inventions. Man walked on the moon and Archie Bunker changed the course of television. Talk about 2 extremes!

But what about you? Do you remember what happened in the country while you were growing up? Or maybe things happened that you don't remember or didn't experience personally but they made a huge impact on the country or world. I don't remember hearing about Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in July 1969. We didn't have a television or a radio. I assume the kids in school talked about it and the teachers probably talked about it but I have no recollection of its happening. But what an impact it had on this country!

So to help you do a scrapbook layout of contributions that impacted you and your kids, pick a decade and find out what happened during those 10 years. See how many you remember, how many you don't but wish you did or are glad they at least happened! Wow, the nostaligic memories will flood back and the tears will start to well up when you remember what you thought you forgot! And an extra added bonus to this method of memory collecting is NO PICTURES REQUIRED!

I did a layout like this for my daughter (now 28). I used her favorite colors of that time and just picked from the lists. Granted they might remember more than I do, but it was a general accumulation of nostaligia things in her decade.

I titled the list "You Know You Grew Up in the 80's If You Remember..." and a list of things that went on in the 80's from fashion to TV to fads and word phrases to toys and movies. Things like
...if you wore a ponytail on the side of your head
...watched Fraggle Rock.
...wore yellow construction boots.
...wore biker shorts and baby doll tops and felt very stylish.
...remember "I've fallen and I can't get up!"
...thought He-man and She-ra should hook up
And the list goes on. And how much fun I had doing this as I remember my daughter doing almost ALL these things!

In this 12 x 12 layout, I only wanted a single page spread, so I made a removable page where the list continued. Only supplies I used was brads and embroidery floss to attach the additional page. I typed the title "You Know You Grew Up in the 80's If You Remember...". I type the journaling in pink onto white card stock and then mounted it on black cardstock - this made the first "page", then mounted the first page onto the matching pattern background.

To make the additional movable page, I just made it smaller than the main page and did the same color scheme - pink ink on white cardstock on black cardstock. I used pink and black embroidery floss and attached it with brads. I adhesive mounted the first page on 3 of its four sides, leaving the one side open. I slide this page into the page protector and where I wanted the additional page to slide BEHIND the first page, I used a sharp craft knife and slit the page protector the length of the additional page. The additional page is now behind the main page, also protected by the page protector. It only comes out when you want it to!

An absolute ton of memories on one scrapbook layout!

Here are some links to places that can help you with this kind of memory search.

In The 70's, 80's, 90's Click the year at the top of the screen, then choose whatever category you like!

SCOPES SYSTEM - What Happened in History

AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE - Hollywood History

TV GUIDE - TV History

Acid Free - Yes or No? You decide...

2009-02-05T19:04:00.000-08:00

We all know that acid free is the absolute best for scrapbooking. It keeps the items from fading, preserves them and gives them life for generations. Yes, that is good! However....

Sometimes scrapbook products and items can get rather pricey. I have been a scrapbooker for 10 years. I have seen the prices really high.

And while the price of these neat and "I want that" things are so high, the budgets we have for scrapbooking supplies usually doesn't increase. And those that scrapbook ALOT or have several albums going ( I always had at least 4) or (like I did) scrap every single photo ever taken of you children, these extra things tend to be to expensive for our budgets. I know there is a spray can of a acid protector solution - you spray on your papers. But it is out of my budget because I do so much that I just couldn't afford to buy that stuff for every page. Granted, it you can buy a can and use it sparingly or only on certain things like newspaper clippings, but what about the rest of the scrapbook embellishments? We still want to preserve and keep our albums from damage. But you can think about what you are doing and economize and still have well preserved albums.

Always use acid free cardstock or background papers. That is a must, as we all know. You can't scrimp on this. The cardstock, back ground, pattern papers are the backbone of the layout. Somethings you just can't economize on. HOWEVER... watch for sales! I know that Walmart has several options of reams of cardstock for a reasonable price. I get the ream of 500 white cardstock for $4.97. A penny a piece - doesn't get any cheaper than that! So what if the background of every page is white - utilize the other pattern papers for the color and embellishments. Also you can color up the white cardstock with inks and chalks! But this is your foundation - you can't economize on the foundation - just find ways to make it work for you!! Joanns' Crafts OFTEN has the pattern papers on sale. STOCK UP!!! Beautiful patterns, designs, characters, pretty much, you name it, they got it! I found a 12x12 sheet for each of the Disney Pricnesses - 6 for 96¢ so I got one of each of the Princess for my grand daughters Disney scrapbook. I browsed a scrapbook store one day and saw the same papers were 75¢ EACH!!!!

Matte your photos - at least once, but 2 or 3 times also creates a wonderful layout. Lots of color, and lots of acid free!

Even if you do 8x10, buy 12x12. This gives you 2 layouts for the price of one sheet of 12x12. First, cut out the 8x10 piece. That is your background paper of the first layout that you enhance with solid paper. The piece leftover - that is now the embellishment for the second layout - which has a solid back ground! Great for double page spreads!

SAVE YOUR SCRAPS! I mean it. Save them! You will be surprised at how often you just need a small piece of something and hate to cut that 8x10 or 12x12 just to get that small piece. I have one of those 3 drawer plastic storages. The first drawer is labled SOLID, middle drawer is PATTERN and the last drawer is OTHER. Anytime I have scraps I throw them in the proper drawer. Next time I need a small piece - for like die cuts or letters, I just flip through the drawer! The OTHER drawer is for like velum, or speciality papers. This has saved me so much money!!

And since not all scraps are 2'"2" - some are larger! Take several of the larger pieces and construct them for the background and you've made your background from scraps.

The only other thing that I would suggest you absolutely HAVE TO HAVE ACID FREE is the photo adhesive. Photo squares (which are my favorite) or that cool little runner tool thing - MUST HAVES. You shouldn't glue a photo. Even if the glue stick says acid free, you shouldn't use it on photos. Use the acid free glue sticks on other paper embellishments, but NOT ON YOUR PHOTOS. Loosing the embellishment you made is one thing, but loosing that photo - there goes the memory. You can replace the embellishment, you can't replace the photo.

But you want to put other things on your layouts. Brads, buttons, washers, envelopes, anything that you think of. Are these things acid free? There is a pen that you can buy that will tell on paper, but other things, wood, metal, etc, how do you tell? I don't know. So I use this theory. WHERE on the layout am I going to be putting the item? Think about it. I have this small bottle cap with a photo in it. Is the cap acid free? I dont' know. Am I worried that it will mess things up if it is not - well, no not really. Why? Well, first because it is metal. Metal doesnt' fade. Maybe the writting on it fades. but since I am putting a photo in it, what difference does it make. It won't get wet or rust. So why worry? Remember, you can only do so much. Nothing is guarenteed even though they say "lasts for 100 years". Just use your common sense.

Where are you putting the item? I have these little envelopes I got at an office supply store, I have no idea if they are acid free. But I use them. They are laying on acid free cardstock, they are decorated with acid free papers, and the card inside is acid free, and the entire layout page is in an acid free page protector. Other than 100% guarentee, this is a close as it gets. And if the envelope does fade, what damage will it do? It will probably take several decades to fade in the first place and what have you lost? Just the envelope. Again, no 100% guarentee, but pretty darn close.

So just look at what you are doing. Think about it with your common sense, and make your decision from there.

I welcome any comments you might like to leave or if you have any suggestions about acid- free....

How To Scrapbook Your FAVORITE FOODS!

2008-11-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking is all about memories. Well, favorite foods can have some great memories! Whether the foods are yours or your kids, make a scrapbook layout about them so you'll remember in years to come! You might not think right now that there is much to remember, but in years down the road, they are guaranteed to bring a couple good laughs!

My grand daughter was 2-3 years old and she had her favorite foods and of course I had to document them! Her scrapbook would not be complete without these! This is a case when a scrapbook layout doesn't need any journaling - the memory is there, just not much to say about it but a picture holds a 1,000 memories! This way, you only have to do one scrapbook layout, instead of 1,000 words!!!

I Love My Chips!

At 2 years old, she loved sour cream and onion potatoe chips! The bag was nearly as tall as she was! I used a couple shots of her with the bag of chips. Then I cut the front portion of a bag of her favorite chips and glued it onto cardstock, then glued that onto the back ground page. I did this for the sake of protection from the acid - I have no idea if the bag is acid free or not, so I just did it this way to help the unknown. Each photo is matted on cardstock so the actual photo never touches the bag. I used 1/4:" letterpunch for the letters.

Peanut Butter Princess

She loved PB! So it was hilarous when she got ahold of the near empty jar and took her spoon and chowed-down! I used the same colors, blue and red, as in the jar label. Took the label off the jar and mounted it on cardstock and then on the background page. The letters are 1,1/4" die cut letter punches. Photos are doubled matted. The border is made with strips cut with a Coluzzle Template.

You Make 'Um, I Eat 'Um!

She didn't like the cereal by itself, but she did like the cookie bars you make from the Rice Cripsies. So one day when I was making them with her, I just let her eat off the mixing spoon! Then I cut the front out of the box, and the recipe for the cookie bars from the side. I mounted the front of the box on the layout and added the recipe (matted) by thread. I used eyelets on the recipe card and kind of "hung" it from the box front. That way she will always have that recipe! Photos are matted on cardstock.

All thses scrapbook layouts are quick, easy and inexpensive. Use your own judgement about the acid free issues of the packages you use.

Our First Pumpkin - Quick, easy and lots of color!

2008-10-16T08:59:00.000-07:00

When my son got married, they lived with us for a few months and Halloween was in there. We are not big Halloween fans, but we do like the fall and harvest-y themes of the season. I do like the carving of pumpkins and baking the pumpkin seeds!

So when I do a scrapbook layout on a theme that I am not a fan of, there's always an event or feature that is a memory other than the holiday, so I twist the layout theme to show the memory I do like about the event/holiday.

This scrapbook layout is a 12x12. It is titled " Our First Pumpkin". The kids carved it together with the help of their little 2 year old neice (my grand daughter that is "hosting" the swap of Box Tops 4 Education for Free Scrapbook supplies at Scrapbook For Box Tops

This scrapbook layout is quick, easy and few "supplies", but it still generates the theme of their first pumpking harvest/carving that they did as well as just a family function!

3 photos tell the story of the event. This is a 12x12 layout.

I cut the photos in a circle and matted them on a 1/4" larger circle die cut. The letters were purchased from Missy Made It . I added a pumpkin die cut and there you have it! Quick, easy but shows the "process" they went through from start to finish and a "family shot" at the end. Has basically nothing to do with
Halloween. That's a fantastic feature of scrapbooking - out of the box, no right/wrong way to do it! It's your memory - you create its designation!

Get Your FREE Scrapbook Embellishments Here!

2008-07-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

At Scrapbook for Box Tops - we are still collecting box tops and swaping them for free scrapbook supplies. Come on over and read about the new products offering box tops, get free printable coupons to use on the participating products and for a limited time as a back to school event...they are offering DOUBLE box tops on many items!

Scrapbook for Box Tops

So...print a coupon, save money on the product, cut the box tops and send them off for free scrapbook embellishments - all the while you are eating healthy! What a great way to scrap!!!!

Maps, Phamplets and Tickets of your Vacation!

2008-05-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

A picture might say a 1,000 words, but those words are pretty important on their own! What I am trying to say is, pictures are not the only things that hold a memory or tell the story.

On your trips this summer - look out for things that will make you remember WHERE you were and WHY!!!

In my Vacation Album scrapbook

I used "road" sticker strips. Looks just like a road and I put a little stretch on each page. This continues on each page and just offers the ammenity of "continuation" in your album.

I used the map of the area I went. This is especially good for places like National Parks or a specific location. Although I do admit I did a scrapbook layout from California to Texas - and used the map highlighting the trip on Interstate 10 East! That is what I used as the "background" paper! The actual map!! And I made other little markings for things on the way that I want to remember. This way, the map as the "background paper" not only offers the theme of "travel" but also offers memories! Cuts down on cost and thickness of the layout. If you dont have the actual map or it isn't in usable condition - scan it and print it out!

In addition...

you can use admission tickets and phamplets that you might get at a destination. I did a layout for Disneyland - a 2 page spread with5 photos of my 2 kids at different ages when we went to Disneyland- so it shows "Disneyland Through the Years". It also has admission ticket showing the price of admission and the parking ticket to see how much we had to pay to park!!! Admission is about $52 to Disneyland this year - in 1999 it was only $36!!!!

The phamplet that they hand out as you walk in - I just cut out the map of the park and it shows the whole park with all the rides - and we always look to find our favorite!

Look Out For Other Things That Hold Memories

Had I been thinking "scrapbook" when I went, I would have also kept food receipts from when we bought the Mickey Mouse pretzels and the frozen chocolate covered bananas. Or the label from the popcorn box or even a pebble from a walkway!!

There is so much that you can find that will offer you memories. Don't just rely on photos. They are great and do their part, but other momentoes are just as great.

Free Scrapbook Supplies - Make your summer work for you!

2008-05-12T12:32:00.000-07:00

School is nearly out but that doesn't mean Free Scrapbook Supplies will be gone!

Check out Scrapbook For Box Tops for some tips on how to make box tops work for you this summer!

Scrapbook for Box Tops is still "open". Collect box tops all summer long! Send them to us any time you have a bunch collected! June, July, August...we are still here. Get Free Scrapbook supplies all summer long and help Kellie with her school fund raiser as she starts 3rd grade in September!

Hurry! Don't forget!

Velcro - for Scrapping? You Bet!

2008-04-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

We all know that velcro is a wonderful invention with tons of uses. But in scrapping? Sure! You have to attached everything in your album with something - and since "interaction" and "activity" pages are kind of the "rage" nowdays, what better way to combine the two!

Buy velcro with the adhesive already on the back. I bought a package with 2 yards at a craft store for 99¢. That will last a long time since you just need a very small square. (99¢ - VERY inexpensive,long lasting and saves you money!) You just then need to cut off the length you want! The adhesive is pretty strong, at least in my experience, so no other addition is needed. Just make sure of your exact positioning as once down, you can't reposition it. Here is a photo of a 2 page layout (5x4 size) using the velcro...

Zebra Envelope Page (Click on photos to see it closer)

I used the frilly fibers and a pull tab from a can of soup (YES a PULL TAB!!)for the closure decoration on the outside of the envelope flap.

Envelope opened. The inside of the flap I decorated with another animal pattern paper.

Although you can use velcro to adhere most anything that you want to be able to be moved, I like using velcro on envelopes. Envelopes are my current favorite thing to put in my albums. They hold all kinds of stuff! At the moment I am just using them for holding additional pictures and a cardstock square for journaling. But give me time - I will think of more!!

Just take an envelope you have laying around or of a particular size you want, tear (gently!) it open at the construction of it and there is your template! How quick and easy is that! For another example......

Cut it out or print it out on the BACK of the paper you want to use for the envelope then cut out. Create the envelope. Now for the closure - VELCRO!! Cut a tiny bit off that 2 yard length (see what I mean about it lasting a LONG time!) take the cover off one side of the velcro. I usually put the fuzzy side on the envelope and the pointy side on the flap. Just seems to be the best "appearence" way to do it.

Now it is a good idea to make that flap a bit stronger. I always line the inside area of the flap with a contrasting paper. If the envelope is solid, i use a print and visa versa. This adds strength to the flap for pulling it open. All you have to do is turn the envelope over with flap open, and trace the flap and down only as far as you need to go into the envelope so that that area is covered. It doesn't have to be totally inside the envelope.

Now make sure you are SURE of where you want it as once down, it sticks really well, Most likely you wont' be able to reposition it. Remove the adhesive covering from the pointy side of the velcor. Adhere the velcor to the UNDERSIDE of the FLAP. Now, take the cover off the other side of the velcor and close the flap. Press on the top of the velcro and you are done! Envelope closed with Velcro.

Now just create a "pull" to open the envelope if you want and just glue the envelope onto your layout! You could also, instead of a "pull", just wrap ribbon or fibers around the envelope. Adhere them to the bad of the envelope but leave them loose to the front, that way you can just tie the ribbons to "close" the envelope.

Here is another 2 page layout of the envelope with velcro...

Flag layout. I just used 3 strands of fiber, adhered them to the back of the envelope and brought them around so they tie in front. This is the envelope open. I decorated the inside of the flap with the same pattern paper. I didn't use velcro on this one, just used the fibers to tie it shut, but you could use the velcro if you wanted to. Possibilities are endless!

Open Flag Envelope

Give it a try. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will get back to you!

Hope you enjoy this technique. i have found it to be one of my favorites!

Make Wonderful Quick and Easy Scrapbook Layouts

2008-02-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

Quick and easy! Sometimes that is just what we need or maybe even want, our scrapbook pages to be! Got "scrappers block"? All it takes is a few quick and easy scrapbook layouts and you're back in business! Got a "backlog" of photographs waiting for their place in your albums? Do some quick and easy layouts and get caught up and still have wonderful layouts in your memory album.

Scrapbook layouts do NOT have to be elaborate, extremely ornate, completely filling the page or use a lot of embellishments. Simple is sometimes the best embellishment you can use!

Wild Safari

In this layout I took my grand daughter to the little petting zoo at a local street festival. It was her first petting zoo experience. But since I was doing it from my point of view for her album, I just used computer journaling and typed out what I saw her do or act. How she liked the bunnies best and wanted to take one home. How she wasn't scared of any of the animals until they came to her first instead of her going to them. I used yellow cardstock for the journaling and a matching hue to matte the photo and then double matted onto a leopard fur theme print paper. I used the same print paper to punch out the letters for the title. Using different hues of the same color is a great (and easy!) way to create quick and easy layouts, that still capture those wonderful memories.

The only other embellishment or decoration was some die cut leaves. I had been to the local scrapbook store and they allowed a customer to use their die cut machines for paper purchased at their store. So I "stocked up" on leaves, thinking it would be a very common design that I'd want to use often. All I did was assemble leaves in different hues of green in a manner to resemble tree branches hanging down like they would in the jungle. The part of this layout that took the longest was typing the journaling! The rest was done in about 15 minutes! But this is one of my grand daughters favorite "memories" even though she doesn't remember it! She loves animals and just loves knowing that she was petting bunnies when she was a "little baby girl". That in itself creates an extra added memory for this scrapbook layout page!

The Zoo

I was not on this trip to the zoo with my granddaughter, but I wanted her to have the memory even though she doesn't remember being there this time. So journaling wasn't something that I could do on this layout. I just titled and dated. I used animal fur theme print paper for the matting of the photos, title card and the punched out letters. I added a few leaf and animal stickers and was done! I spent about 15 minutes on this layout.

One Item on This Layout Generates Additional Memories

Something special I add to this layout was a photo of her mom with her dad at a zoo when mom was a little girl. This creates a wonderful embellishment of a memory for mother and daughter. Daughter sees mom did same things she is doing! Plus, all those photos from the past that I didn't use in a scrapbook layout in another album - uses up the "extras" while adding another memory. Plus, I only had the 2 photographs of my grand daughter's day at the zoo, and needed something for that lower corner. I could have created a sticker scene or some other generally related embellishment, but this photo "from the past", was just the right touch to complete the layout while adding an additional memory to the page!

So, see? Quick and easy doesn't have to be frowned upon! A scrapbook layout can be created in a few minutes, using no more than one or two simple supply items and still hold an enormous amount of memories!

Make Your Own Envelope

2007-12-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

1. Find any envelope you want to use for the size. Small, long, square, whatever. Even little package name tags size are fun to work with and have on the page

2. Turn it over to the back. Look to see "how" it is constructed. Usually there is one large flap "glued" over the top of 2 side flaps

3. Starting at the top, gently start "tearing" or peeling the large front flap away from the smaller flaps on the sides. Tear slowly and gently but if it isn't perfectly torn or there are gaps, it won't matter - that is fixable. Just try as slowly and gently as possible to pull the flaps apart to make it easier on yourself!

4. Once apart open it up and now you have your pattern!

5. Open the envelope pattern you just created. flatten it out. Place it on the paper you want to make into an envelope. Sometimes a tiny bit of glue stick in the middle is a good thing to do so that it stays in place. Just make sure you put the glue where the glue residue WON'T show once the envelope is done. Trace around the pattern. Remove the pattern from the paper.

6. Now to make the fold lines: Using the "real" envelope for a guide, take your ruler and line up from side to side, where the folds should be. You will only have 4 fold lines, 2 vertically and 2 horizonaly. Draw a line for each fold. At this point you just make the fold on each line you have drawn.

7. Fold the 2 side flaps in and then fold the lower portion UP, then fold you top flap DOWN. Use your ruler or bone folder to flatten the creases. Now your envelope is created! Apply adhesive ( I use glue sticks) on the side flaps. Fold the bottom flap up and press for the glue to stick. The top flap just folds down.

To add extra embellishment: I always cover the inside of the envelope that is visable, like this

Take the envy you just made and lay it on a contrasting piece of paper. Place it open side up so you can see where to end it. Make the contrasting paper go just below the bottom flap's edge, just to make sure there is no gap showing and when you open the envy all you see is the contrasting paper.

Trace the outline of the envy - basically just the top half of the envy is what you will be tracing. Cut this piece out, and do a bit of wigglying and a small trim of the edges that go inside the envy so that it matches the closing flap. Hard to explain, but as you do this, you will see what I am talking about. Then just glue it down!

Make sure you have glue where the fold line are, and make sure you flatten this very well - use your ruler or a bone folder to smooth it out. This makes sure that there is no "bubble" of the paper in that area.

And you are done!!

Like To Chat? My Lot is the place for yoU!

2007-12-06T19:00:00.001-08:00

Do you enjoy chatting? Well, now a days it is called Social Networking and it is stil so much fun to chat with others about literally anything you can think of or like to talk about! Come join My Lot and be a part of the gang!

http://www.mylot.com/?ref=coffeebreak

Nice chatting with you!

myLot User Profile

Baby Memory Scrapbook

2007-10-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here is something I thought I'd share. It is a great way to get started scrapbooking, a great baby shower gift, a great way to go back in time and try to get caught up! A baby memory scrapbook - amazing and I can just feel those wonderful memories of your little ones emerging within your heart - start one todaY!

Unusual SCRAPBOOK Embellishments from Around the House

2007-10-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

Look around! Scrapbook embellishments and creations are often seen but not used! Find them! Use them! Embellishments for your scrapbook layouts and pages are a fun way to scrap and add alot of dimension to the layout. But you dont' have to spend alot of money for something unusual. Look in your junk drawer!

Just because it was not purchased in the scrapbook department, doesn't mean it can't end up on your scrapbook layout!! Pull out your imagination and see what one of a kind scrapping creations you can create to make your scrapbook layout and page spreads the most unique and talked about layouts in town - - - or at least in the generations to come! Just seeing what you used as in your scrapbooks and albums will create a new memory of you for those looking at your albums.

Look around the house! The craft room, sewing room, kitchen orthe work bench in the garage are all great places for finding things to use. We've all used the usual, ribbons, trims, buttons, snaps, and other "sewing" related items. Beads and jewlery makings and the like. Even clay!

BUT.......WAIT......DON'T STOP THERE!!!!

Here is a list of items I have recently heard of being used. I have not used all of them all, but some I have and it is pretty cool to create with these things.

But I would also like to hear from you guys about unusual things that you have used as emellishments in your scrapbook layouts. Especially the items that didn't cost anything, that are found around the house and such. Share your ideas as a comment here so we can all get that "Oh, cool! I never thought of that before" feeling that will throw us into scrapping mode immediately!!

Rings from soda cans (we used to call them "pop tops" as back in the old days, the ring used to pull all the way off. Now, they just fold up inside!) Anyway, these little gems make great embellishments. i have used them for a clasp on an envelope. Use them for an embellishment on a tag. As the "loop" part of a tie effect.

The square, plastic bread clips - the ones that keep the bread bag closed - these come in a variety of colors. Just add a sticker, add some glitter. Add a 3-D flower embellishment. Then you just clip it on the edge of something, or if you have a tag, clip it on to the hanging strings. Hang it from a ribbon

Party favors or cake decorations. Depending on the thickness of the item, often these items can be used in a scrapbook layout. At my daughter's baby shower, there were little ring kind of things on the cake, I used those in the layout. My DIL's baby shower there was plastic confetti decorations - little horses, bottles, pacifier, I grabbed a couple handfulls at clean up time, and added those to a shaker box in a layout. Also, they can just be glued on! I used the napkins and party hats - cut out the theme of the party and used them as die cuts.

Aluminum foil - heavy duty kind. Just crinkle it up as you want and rub ink over the crinkles to add dimension and color! Makes a great frame for a masculine scrapbook layout!

Old credit cards - yes OLD ones!! Ones that are no longer valid! Put them on a shopping theme layout. A great embellishment for a "money learning" theme for teenagers. How about an expired AAA card for a "first driving" theme or a "just got my drivers license" theme? These are all layouts that are common in scrapbooks so an expired card is a great embellishment

Washers, thin nuts, small chains, old keys, paper clips, and other "hardware" items are great embellishments! And you didn't have to go to the scrapbook store to get them!

Look around and see what you can find and then share with the rest of us! I am anxious to hear and learn some new ideas!

Halloween Paper Piecing Patterns and Stickers!

2007-10-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

Kid Printables.com is a fantastic place to play around in! Everything is free and there are so many things to do and use...the sky is the limit!

Need some Halloween paper piecing patterns?

Print these out on cardstock and cut them out, add your own detailing and presto! Paper piecing!

Cat, Hat and Bat
Arched Cat
Witch
Ghost trick or treating
Witch's face
Monster faces
Haunted House

Need some stickers?

Print these out on cardstock, run them through a Xyron and presto! Stickers!

If you don't have a Xyron, just use your glue stick!

Or...Print them out on photo paper - this will give them the glossy finish on the front and add a little extra character!

Stickers

Make Your Recipe Bookfor FREE - Digital Scrapbooking

2007-10-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

Back when WordPerfect was the "only" word processing tool out there, I typed up all my family recipes, including personal comments about the recipe or a story the recipe created. I just used colored typing paper cut in half and a regular font and then used Italic font for the story behind the recipe and put that at the bottom. Only other thing I did was make "chapter" dividers out of the cards the kids had given me over the years..which was really nice. I still love looking at those! And then I used the colored papers for the different chapters. That's it...done and has been used for years. Nice that at least all the recipes are in my book, but not very pretty, fun or amazing.

As a scrapbooker, I have been wanting to make a scrapbook recipe book of these same recipes. Why haven't I? LACK OF TIME!!! That major pain in the neck that we all get! Just not enough to go around!

HOWEVER... I have just been saved. I stumbled across this program and am working on my pages! I am new to Digital Scrapbooking, but this is quick, easy and amazing! Part of my problem is the unlimited options scrapbooking offers. I don't know how to "tone it down". Well, Smilebox has shown me how and I am a beliver!

Smilebox

This program is free to use and recipe books are not the only option. Digital scrapbooking is apparently the up and coming thing in this computer age, so maybe I can learn something new! Well, probably not. I LOVE my hand made pages and so do my kids and I love making and creating them so I think I'll just do my recipe book digitally and the scrapbook by hand. I taught my 7 year old grand daughter how to scrap and she has gotten a life-long membership!

So I start my recipe book and this is great too as I can make multiple copies - one for me, one for each of my grand daughters and one for my daughter - who doesn't cook or bake, but I'd like for her to have it anyway!

Give it a try and see what you think! Memories are in more than photos. You kids will love making Mom's best potatoe salad or "those cookies Mom used to bake" in years to come!

Need FREE Scrapbook embellishments?

2007-09-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

Scrapbook For Box Tops is a site I started to help my grand daughter (now second grade) collect Box Tops 4 Education labels as her school fund raiser. We have had a GREAT response from so many fellow scrappers. We are glad to help you as you help us! I hope that we can keep it going!
You collect and send us BOX TOPS 4 EDUCATION labels from participating products (that you buy anyway!) and we swap for free scrapbook embellishments!

Check it out at Scrapbook For Box Tops and see what it's all about. FREE SCRAPBOOK supplies - can't get much better than that!

And remember with all the holiday baking and cooking and lots of kids lunch products you will be needing, make sure you save that Box Top label and swap them for free scrapbook supplies!

Get Some FREE Scrapbook Embellishments!

2007-06-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

I' d just like to remind everyone about the program I am working with my 7 year old grand daughter on. Scrapbook For Box Tops. The fund raiser at her school is for the kids to collect Box Tops 4 Education labels from participating brand/products.

37 NEW BRANDS JUST JOINED BOX TOPS 4 EDUCATION!

Kimberly Clark has joined the Box Tops 4 Education family! Diapers and other baby related products from Huggies and also Kotex and Depend have joined! Gotta have this stuff anyway, so check for a coupon and then watch for the box tops!

(Also, watch these particular advertisers as they often have free samples of their items that you can request.)

Plus, I now have (on the web site) the option for you to print out coupons on your own printer for products you want to buy. Print them out, take them to the store and save money! THEN..... cut off the Box Tops 4 Education squares (pink/blue and white) and go "shopping" on Scrapbook For Box Tops and choose the items you'd like and email me your "order". Send us the box tops, and I will send you the items you choose and a few extras!

I have ALOT available, not all is shown on the site. Stickers, fibers, die cuts, stickers, brads, eyelets, stickers, punch art, paper piecing and more - all acid free, and speciality made for scrapbooks.

If you don't see a theme or item you are looking for, ask me! I have lots of stuff, just have not been able to keep up the flow of posting. YTD we have collected 628! We are still collecting during the summer so Kellie can take them in when she starts 2nd grade.

Hope you'll all continue to help us out and enjoy your FREE Scrapbook embellishments!

ABC Scrapbook Album - Not the Ordinary ABC's!

2007-04-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

Whether you child is a toddler, pre-schooler, or kindergardener,an SBC album is a great educational tool (as well as alot of fun!) for them to have a book about the ABC's that they will enjoy and WANT to look at often, thereby helping them LEARN THE FUN WAY!!!

I made a scrapbook ABC album for my grand daughter and gave it to her when she was 2. Now, in 2st grade, she STILL picks out that book when she is at my house and totally enjoys looking through it, even tho she knows her ABC's. These layouts are not complicated, however you can make your ABC scrapbook as structured as you like. I used the "I Spy" collage theme.

But this isn't just a regular A is for apple, B is for boy ABC scrapbook album. I used ACTUAL things that she knows for the letters, not just the ordinary things. I also tried to incorporate a few things from her mother's life - D is for Dynamo which was the duck her mommy had when she was little. R is for Rainy Day, the rabbit we had when she was young and has now died. D is for Daddy, M is for Mommy and included a photo of each! These are memories that she will have for years, and can even hand down to HER children! Who knew the alphabet could have so many memories!

Q is for quarter and I glued a quarter on the page. N is of Nanny and I put a photo of me. M is for Mommy and Me and I put a photo of her and her mommy. U is for Uncle Michael and I put a photo of her uncle. Y is for yarn and I took a length of actual yarn and squiggled it up and glued it down! G is for goat and I used a photo of her mommy and uncle when they were little playing with a goat. Every letter a memory! What wonderful ideas can you come up with for your childs ABC album!

Educationally speaking: If you are making the scrapbook for a toddler or pre-schooler, it helps alot if they KNOW the picture they are looking at and can then relate the letter to the picture instead of learning the letter and trying to find something that relates to the letter.

In addition to some of the usual items or "normal" kind of items, I used items that meant something to her and only her. I used white cardstock for each page and those letters that have a color (p is pink, purple) i used that color to embellish - like strips across the page and then wrote "pink" or "purple" under the color. I also wrote the name next to each item in colored gel pens.

C is for California (she lives in California, die cut) cotton Candy (die cut and her and her favorite candy!) C is for Christmas (a photo of her mommy at christmas when she was 2) C is for Cinderella (stickers of Cinderella, although she now tells me that the pink dress is not Cinderella, it was Sleeping Beauty or whoever, I am bad at the names of all the princesses!) C is for coins (sticker of coins in this ATM card world)

D is for Daddy (photo of Daddy) D is for Dolphin (photo of dolphin when we took her to Sea World and she is now mezmerized wtih dolphins!) D is for Dynamo ( photo of her mommys pet)D is for Dragon fly (an unusual bug)

M is for Mommy and Me (photo of her and her mommy) M is for magician (die cut) M is for Mermaid (sticker) M is for money (stickers of dollar bills)

S is for sleeping bag (sticker, what she loves to sleep in when she spends the night at my house) S is for Strawberry Shortcake (sticker and she and her mom love this character) S is for Sylvester (sticker, she liked the cartoon cat) S is for saxaphone (die cut, she liked tooting horns!)
P is for Papa (photo of her Papa) P is for paw (die cut, from the Blue's Clue's days!) P is for Powerpuff Girls (stickers and she liked them back then!) P is for pumpkin (die cut, she loves carving pumpkins) P is for Panda (sticker, she loves animals)

So you get the idea. Create an album uniquely to your child and his/her likes, interests and family. They will enjoy them for years! Make memories in your ABC albums - education and memories - what a great combination!

What Scrapbook Supplies Do You Need?

2007-04-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Don't forget - Scrapbook for Box Tops means free scrapbook supplies! Take a look over at my blog I am doing with my 7 year old grand daughter to help her with her school fund raiser.

Need some free scrapbook embellishments? Come on over and take a look! Just save those little pink/blue/white Box Tops 4 Education labels from participating brands and go "shopping". I have lots on the site to see, but I have so much, i just can't get it all on, so tell me what you want, like, need, theme you prefer or category and I can pretty much accomodate any theme.

Stickers, die cuts, punch art, paper piecing, stickers, fibers, 3-D embellishments and more! I always give you a little more than you "order" so click on over to Scrapbook for Box Tops and take a look and start collecting for a free shopping spree for scrapbook items you can use!

Scrapbook For Box Tops

Small Envelope Pattern

2007-04-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

I found this pattern in all my inventory of scrapbooking supplies and embellishments. It is really a good pattern to use for adding an embellishment to work with journaling. Write your journaling on a piece of cardstock and slide it into the envelope. Decorate the front of the envelope.

Or, my favorite way to use this pattern is with vellum - make the envelope out of vellum and use a sticker on the front, or cut a photo the exact size of the front of the envelope and slide that in the envelope. Then you have a muted photo front to the envelope.

Click on the pattern and it will take you to a larger size to print out. You can reduce the patter to make is smaller if you like!

Scrapbook Your House to House to House....

2007-03-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

As a youngster, my family moved alot. I don't remember the specific years, but I remember the moves by the schools that I went to and what house I lived in. I wanted to preserve the memories I have of each house, but again, so much time has past. This scrapbook layout is in my album called "My Life". It is just about my life, so there are other references to the houses I lived in, but I wanted memories of each house to go along with the photos. Most of the memories listed are literally about the house itself - that cool stair case or the favorite places we played or that closet that we turned into our own "library" so we could play library!

SCRAPBOOK LAYOUT DESCRIPTION

I took the specific memories of each house and journaled about them, and then included a photo of each house. The first 3 are in California, the fourth one is in Ohio and the fifth one is back in California - a 20 year span of time on a 2 page 8x10 spread! I even remembered the address and most of the phone numbers!

SCRAPBOOK TECHNIQUES USED This scrapbook layout is called a "double page spread" as it is 2 pages for the same layout. This one is 8x10 in size and in page protectors. It is quick and easy (quick, once the memories are journaled!) I just typed the journaling on cardstock, seperated into a paragraph per house, used a corner rounder punch for the photos and the mattes and matted each photo onto cardstock. I didn't want the layout to get to "buzy" so I just added some handmade punch art flowers in the corners. I put the address and phone numbers below each photo

Another way I have done this (in my siblings albums I made them) was to create a "post card" of each photo. I put the photo on the right side of the card (in the place where you would normally write a note) and then on the address side, I put the address of the house. Turned out really cute!

SCRAPBOOK TOOLS USED

Paper trimmer, cardstock, photo adhesive, computer typing for journaling, corner rounded punch, gel pen, handmade punch art, glue stick. Quick, easy and inexpensive!

Preserve Your Memories OUTSIDE the Scrapbook Album

2007-03-18T08:18:00.001-07:00

Preserve Your Memories OUTSIDE the Scrapbook Album Box!

I have been wanting to learn about digital scrapbooking so in surfing the web, I found this site. I thought it was about digital scrapbooking as far as scanning photos and savings designs and such, organizing it all in a photo editing program and then just printing out a completed scrapbook layout page.

Boy, did I find something outside of the scrapbooking box!

*
Online Crafting at DigiKeepsakes.com using photos and scrapbook pages is another way of preserving your memories "outside the box" of traditional scrapbooking! This is the most amazing thing I've seen in relation to scrapbooking in a long time!

From your scrapbook layout (or any photo) to home decor, fashion apparel, blankets, flags, tapestries, banners, pillows, table cloths, towels, even dorm room decor and more! What a way to display your memories! You can decorate a blanket with your babies face! Talk about sweet slumber! Or how about making a banner for your college student's dorm room of them with their friends from back home? Or even a beautiful scarf around your neck with your child or grand child smiling out at you!

And Online Crafting at DigiKeepsakes.com using photos and scrapbook pages does it for you! You send them your special photo and they will create your memory on your choice of display!

I myself, am searching for the perfect photo to use for a blanket. I am thinking of Christmas gifts here. I know my daughter would love to have a blanket with her and her little girl on it! And what a way to say "I Love You"! The blankets or pillows would a make great wedding gift! Give a Gift Certificate to Online Crafting at DigiKeepsakes.com as a baby shower gift! Wow, the options are amazing...as is the product.

So I just thought I'd share my new discovery and let you all in on what I think, is one of the most wonderful ways of preserving your memories to come along since the scrapbook memory album! Take a look and see what you think!

Scrapbook 11 Photos- One Page - The Accordion Way!

2007-03-10T17:03:00.000-08:00

I was one of those scrappers that took photos upon photos upon photos of my first grand daughter. No matter what she did or where she did it, Nanny was there with that camera! Probably the most photographed kid in the country! Okay, I know I share that with every other grand mother, but the next problem was how to display all those photos! Throw away a photo? Yeah, like that's going to happen! I wanted every second to be remembered.

But again, that age old question of how many photos per scrapbook page? I use 12x12 instead of 8x10 for the main purpose of being able to have more space for memories and photos, but even a 12x12 can only take so many! So I had to figure out a way to put more photos on the 12x12 pages!

An accordion album can mean alot of things and can be created alot of ways. I was concerned about the thickness this embellishment would cause. But, where there's a will, there' s usually a way! So intead of making an "all by itself", "book in a book" kind of thing, I just did a simple technique with a couple folds and made the perfect accordion fold booklet for my scrapbook layout.

This layout was just of my grand daughter playing outside in the sprinkler. Since this layout was #2 in the sprinkler "photo layout", I didn't do any journaling on this layout as that was already on the first scrapbook layout. However, all you'd have to do if you did want journaling would be to use sections of the accordion book and journal on it instead of putting a photo on it.

In addition, this layout was not particularily to remember the event or what she was doing, but it was more to remember that FACE!! That precious little cherib, darling, princess, cute, adorable, face with its priceless and beautiful smile!!! Totally unrehearsed, just plain, pure sweetness! A picture that is saying about 5,000 words!

The only other embellishment is four, 1 inch square punchies with a water splat sticker .

To Make the Accordion Folder

To make the folder, just choose the size of photos you want to use. I cropped these to the size of just the main picture and very little background. I wanted to see the baby, not the background. This folder is about 4x4 in size. I used 12x12 size cardstock and cut 2, 4 inch by 12 inch lengths. I scored them every 4 inches, and then made the folds. Then I glued the 2 lengths together and folded the total length into 4" pages. One 4" section is glued to the background cardstock. To add the photos, there are 4 photos and one "cover" on the one side of the folder, and then 4 photos on the other side. A little tab pull made from a piece of folded cardstock and adhered as the "pull" of the book. I decorated the cover with matching squares as I used on the page embellishment.

So quick and easy and you have 11 photos on one scrapbook layout page!

To Put In a Page Protector...

To put this scrapbook layout in a page protector, just slide the layout into the page protector with the accordion folder closed. On the right side edge of the accordion folder, take your craft knife and make a slice down the length of the back edge. Start about 1/4" above the folder's spine and slice to about 1/4" below the spine. This allows for the accordion folder to open without pulling on the page protector. Now, gently, work it until you pull the length of the accordion folder out through the sliced opening in the page protector. Now you have the accordion folder on the outside of the page protector, and the layout is inside the page protector.

MILITARY THEME SCRAPBOOK SUPPLIES

2007-02-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

I found a site that is all about military themed scrapbooking! I took a look at it has a good selection of all themed papers and embellishments. Looks like a great site if you need military themed cardstock and scrapbook supplies. This site has some freebies you might be interested in too.

Creating Military Memories

This site has free Military printables to help Military whether their Military Love Ones are stationed here or away. For example many of the free military cards are in jpg image format which can be opened in any in any image editor and personalized before printing. Featured free military printables offers are Military Guardian Angel for printable stationery and cards, Yellow Ribbon Candy Wrappers.

Military free printables

Both sites are also great for passing on to those that have military friends and family but don't scrapbook! Cards, stationery and other things that have nothing to do with scrapping, but will be a welcomed by loved ones.

God Bless Our Troops

Before and After, Ears and Years and Time Travel!

2007-02-22T12:01:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite themes to scrapbook is a "then and now" theme. I have lots of "extra" photos of when my kids were little and can't bear to throw them away. I have found that this style of scrapbooking a layout is just perfect. Uses up the extra photos, but more importantly, creates even more memories and wonderful feelings for everyone!

Also, are you behind? Well, that is a common place to be in scrapbooking, so don't be hard on yourself! This style of scrapbooking is absolutely fantastic way to get caught up while you create and preserve memories for all involved!

In this layout I used shiney, gold paper and my letter punch and punched out the letters for the title. My intention was to have "Disney Years" because the layout is of my grand daughter's first trip to Disneyland when she was about 3 years old. I also had extra photos of when her mother (my daughter) was at Disneyland when she was little. I wanted to incorporate both girls at the same place, at similar ages, but in different times! Move over time travel! Then and now, before and after! Oh, the memories!

The Perfect Title

I didn't notice it until I layed the letters out, that I was short a Y. But, there before my eyes, was the perfect title! Disneyears! Why? What is the first thing you think of when you think Disneyland? Mickey Mouse and of course, his EARS! And what is the point I am trying to convey? YEARS of time span between mother and daughter doing the same thing! Ears and years, take away a Y and you have it - Disneyears! It was perfect!

Do You See Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse? Look Closely!

Well, you won't find them in the photos, but since you just can't have a Disneyland scrapbook layout without these two entities, I included them......

in theory!

The background paper I used was a red with white dots... which is what? Minnie Mouse's dress pattern! I double matted the photos with red and black cardstock which is .... Mickey Mouse's colors! I used a black die cut of a Mickey Mouse head and used white gel pen for the journaling. I also found Mickey's white-gloved "hands" die cuts and used those to kind of "hold" one of the photos as often Mickey Mouse is holding his hands out to welcome you to his kingdom.

This layout started with a mistake. Had I not made a simple mistake, it probably would have just been your usual "Trip to Disneyland" layout. But thanks to that mistake, the memories are of Disneyland with my daughter - about 20 years ago, Disneyland with my grand daughter about 3 years ago and once that far, I can't help but remember my amazing trips to Disneyland when I was a kid - 30 years ago! Wow! Talk about time travel!!

Look "Outside the Box" for Scrapbook Memories

2007-02-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

There is so much available in the scrapbooking world these days, that it seems there is no limit. There is something for every event, theme, happening, time, era, person, place, thing and then some. Scrapbooking is all about using different items to preserve a memory. And you have those items! You don't always have to get your embellishments at a store!

Some memories are so personal and deeply felt, that a purchased embellishment and a photo, just don't convey the memory. So what do you do? All you have to do is look "outside of the box". You have things you could use, you just don't know it as you don't think "scrapbooking" when you look at them.

The Baby T-Shirt

This is a scrapbook layout that is very dear to me. It is the t-shirt my son got in the hospital when he was born. Because it is the actual shirt he wore is a memory in itself - "my little boy, who is now 24, wore that shirt!" This is a memory a photo couldn't give. It also reminds me of how small he was and how I loved to hold him and rock him to sleep. The T-shirt is a tiny little thing, fits perfectly on a 12x12 scrapbook layout page! A black background page, the shirt, a title and a few stickers. Quick and easy, but holds the most precious memories for me. (the glare is from the camera flash)

Now, back in the "old-days", baby formula stained. Hard as I tried, I couldn't get that stain out. However, now that I am day-caring HIS baby girl, I notice how far things have come - baby formula no longer stains! A new memory created - cheesey, but a memory nevertheless! I adhered the t-shirt to the back ground cardstock with the photo adhesive squares. Some on the back of the shirt and some on the inside to hold the two layers together. Once in a page protector, there is no sliding. Everything is secure and protected.

The Title is a Memory Too!

The title is also quite a memory. "Baby of Mine" is the name of a song in the Disney movie, "Dumbo" - the song that Mrs. Jumbo sang to her baby, Dumbo. This movie was my son's most favorite movie when he was in pre-school and kindergarten. MANY mornings I couldn't get him out of bed unless I turned this movie on. Once he heard the movie, he was up and ready to go! I use metallic silver scrapbooking paper and a letter punch to make the letters. You could use any alphabet template if you don't have a punch system.

Other Embellishments

This layout is quick and easy. The only other embellishments I used were some color matching, floral stickers and some thin strips of the silver metallic paper, which I cut using a paper trimmer. It just needed a little "something" extra to compliment the layout since the t-shirt was so large and filled the layout page.

So take a look around at what you have. Memories are everywhere. There is more to scrapping than what's in the stores! Just think "Scrapbook" as you look around and see what memories you can find!

How To Basket Weave Your Scrapbook Layout!

2007-02-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

Basket weaving is not just for baskets! What a fantastic and unusual embellishment for your scrapbook layout! It adds color, depth and dimension and just brings the page layout all together. And if you want to use it for the upcoming Easter theme layouts - how perfect is that going to be!!!

"Catching Balloons"

I was making the layout for my grand daughter's memory album. She was at a wedding shower and she was amazed at the balloons and enjoyed reaching up to grab the strings and then hand them out to the guests. That is what I wanted her to remember. This is a 12x12 layout page

To Make The Basket Weave Embellishment

This is not has hard as it might seem. All you need is a paper cutter and some glue. Choose your colors for the entire layout. Choose which 2 colors you want for the basket weave. I choose purple and yellow. I cut strips from12x12 cardstock at about 1/4" in thick, making 12x1/4" strips. I started with the yellow strips and layed them across the top, with equal spacing between them for the purple ones to slide through. I glued them down to the cardstock back ground paper only as far over until I wanted the weaving to start. This makes for easy weaving. The ends are glued down so they don't move while you weave. Photos on top of the strips break up the weaving a bit so it doesn't get overwhelming.

Next, I weaved the purple strips in through the yellow ones. My weave area size guide was the photo at the bottom. Notice I made the purple strips portion of the weave only as wide as that photo at the bottom. The weave area of the yellow strips was just slightly less that the height of the pictures. It looked "over done" to have them the same "size" as the height of the photos. This is something you have to do and consider for your self. Since you aren't glueing anything yet, you can easily play around and find that perfect fit for your layout. The photos kind of hide the ends of the strips and tie the weave all together.

Once you have the weave the way you like, just add glue in a few places inside the weaved area and then glue down all the ends of the strips. Sounds more complicated and time consuming but it really is quick and easy. Hardest part is probably deciding how much area you want to cover with the weave.

In addition, I cut 3 photos of just the toddler catching or holding the balloons and cut them into thinner sizes - these are about 2 inches wide, 4 inches long. I matted them on contrasting cardstock and layed them over the yellow basket weave strips. The last photo, I cropped it to match the purple strip area size.

To Compliment the Basket Weave Area

Now you have an open space in the lower left corner of the scrapbook page. This is where I wanted my title to go. I didn't want to use more basket weaving as that would have been to much. So I just took small pieces of the cardstock I had used and with a 2 inch square punch, I punched out squares, and just layed them out into a nice catchy sploch of color. I used vellum and printed the title "Catching Balloons" via computer. Then I tore the vellum into a nice odd shape and laid it over the colored squares. I used yellow eyelets to hold the vellum in place. Again, quick and easy.

No Journaling, But the Story Is Still Told

This scrapbook layout has no journaling. It "shows" that my grand daughter liked catching the balloons and other than that, there was nothing else to say. The title tells the action and the photos tell the story. I always "signed" my scrapbook layouts with a stamp that said "I Love You" and my initial (N for Nanny to my GD or M for mom for my kids) I always used gold ink for the stamping of my signature. Just that extra added feature that holds on to a wonderful memory!

Enhance Your Scrapbook Layout with Photo Stamping!

2007-01-28T07:15:00.000-08:00

Just because a photograph is not "good" to use as a main point of interest on a scrapbook page, doesn't mean it is unusable! Just the opposite! Take another look at that photograph... the face of the person may be blurred, the main point of interest might be to dark, but there are images there that you can see and use!

Look at the background. Maybe there is something in the background of the photo behind the main point of interest, that is good quality and tells a story. The signage of a store, an animal, an object that can "say" where the photo was taken or offer you a memory of that place. Look at the background...there is a memory there! But what can you do with it?

What about when you have a photo of alot of people. If the image of the person you are focusing on is not good, and sometimes even it if is, you also want to remember the others in the shot. But how?

I call this technique Photo Stamping (directions below) simply because I used a punch that has
serrated edges that look like the edges of a real postage stamp. I punched out some squares and they looked like postage stamps, so I named it that.

With this technique, you can create a variety of wonderful creations using these small "photo stamps" and they will tell the story in themselves as well as adding that memory to your layout and offering a great decorative feature! In this 12x12 layout page, not only have I included a bunch of specific things, but lined the photo stamps down the middle of the page as a seperation feature so the layout wasn't just a common 4 photos on a page structure. Took very little space, created a seperation, added a focal point and includes numerous memories - all that with one little photo stamp!

Enhance Landscape Views

In addition to faces, I used this technique to create an ambiance effect with the landscape. Using the stamp punch, I punched the landscape in the photo evenly across. Then just lay the little photo stamps side by side with just a bit of space between them. The background page color shows through just enough to give the scene a bit of that "stand out" effect, but because the photo stamps were all punched exactly in conjunction, the actual view is not much effected.

On this layout, I just wanted the view of the trolley car. I didn't want the rest of the busy background that was in that photo. Putting the trolley car photo as is, just didn't "do it". So I took another photo that had sky in it, used my photo stamping technique and created a full scene. The seperation makes it look as though this was one picture. The trolly car view is just a long rectangle, while the sky is the photo stamping technique.

People, Places and Things

In these sets of photo stampings, I just wanted the face of the person or a specific item and not all the background or rest of the scenery that was in the photo. I photo stamped each specific item or face and then just layed all the stamps out on the layout and did some juggling until I got the scrapbook layout organized as I liked! This is also a great way to fill in the small spaces that are to small for a photo, but if the space is left blank, it looks unfinished. In addition, you can use this technique as a space filler but still in sync with the layout. Some of these "stamps" I used were not particularly of anything, just an object or design. I used them as space fillers, but was still able to keep in theme of the layout while adding a fancy embellishment to the layout.

Check out your photos - do you really want all that busy background? Do you want the expressions and personalities that a face close-up offers! Take a look - see what you can find in your photographs that can offer you more memories while adding a wonderful feature to your scrapbook layout.

How To Photo Stamp:

Take the stamp punch, or you can really use any similar punch - circle, square, heart - just so it has a large center area to accomodate the close-up you are wanting.

Turn the punch UPSIDE DOWN. Slide your photo, facing up, into the punch. Because the punch is upside down, you can see the photo through the opening that will be punched out. Place the photo over the area you want to punch. Then just punch! It's that easy! If you are doing a landscape, just start from one side and make sure you line up the additional punch areas very near to the previous punched area so that the landscape horizon stays in order. Don't punch one with half the tree, and then the next punch shows no tree at all. Don't cut one that has mountain in it and the next one has a tree. Just line it up as near to the edge of the previous punch and make the next punch. Do this across the photograph or for how ever many photo stamps you want.

FREE Paper Dolls - Great Scrapbook Embellishments

2007-01-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid I LOVED paper dolls! We traveled alot for vacations and my sister and I always got a new "book" of paper dolls for eac trip. We loved them!

Now, as a scrapbooker, I can not only keep my memory of paper dolls alive, but use them as embellishments to my scrapbook layout pages! I stumbled on this site and although many are not my "style", it is still great to use the ones that are (I Love Lucy to mention my favorite!) and use them on a scrapbook page! Just print them out on white cardstock!

Free Paper Dolls

Print them out for your little girls to play with and no one will say a word if you want to print some out for yourself to play with! Reliving memories is what scrapbooking is all about!!

There is an option to purchase a set of paper dolls using YOUR OWN photo of the person's face. Apparently you send her a photo of your person and she makes the face of that person on a paper doll. Might be something interesting for a gift idea!

Have fun!

Interactive Scrapbook Page - Moving Tags

2007-01-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

I just love making my scrapbook layout pages interactive. Not only does it give a wonderful, playful substance to the layout, but it also offers inquisitive lookers a fun way to remember. A memory doesn't stop at the subject person. There are lots of other things that contributed to making that memory and I wanted to capture it all!

What Is A Moving Tag?

I created Moving Tags to accommodate smaller photos. These "smaller photos" I am talking about are "photos" that are cut from a regular size photograph, but just a smaller part of the main photo that I wanted to capture, not any background. Multiple tags are punched and stacked together to spin individually

When my son graduated from the police academy, it was a time in his life that he had been dreaming of since he was in the 4th grade. He even wrote an essay in the 4th grade about what he wanted to be when he grew up and he wrote "be a cop". And he was able to make his dream come true. Of course I put that essay on his layout! But back to the tags. He was so proud of what he had accomplished. And what mother wouldn't want to remember her son on the most wonderful day of his life....at least to that point in his life! And that is what I wanted to capture on this scrapbook layout for myself.

Since I was in "tag" mode, I used my tag punches to punch out the his face-only. Tag punches come in all sizes - small to gargantuan! Take your pick! You can do this technique with as many photos you want. Of course you could also use a circle, square or heart punch. You can use any style of punch as long as it has a large middle area for the face or other image you are working with.

This is a 12x12 layout. I used a police man die cut and blue, print background paper. I used red, white and blue cardstock to matte the photos and create the tag bases. One tag had the title and is secured with a star brad. The other tag is a red base and secured with a star brad. A photo cut with the next smaller tag punch size is on the red tag base, appearing to be framed with the red tag, but take a closer look.................

How To Create Moving Tags

I took 4 close-up photos of my son's face, showing his pride and commitment and used a tag punch to punch out just his face. I put a hole at the top of each tag with a hole punch and stacked them together, securing them with a round brad so that they can be turned/rotated individually. From his point-blank face while being sworn in, to his huge smile once he realized it was for real - it's all there!

How To Accommodate a Page Protector

To make the stack of tags accommodate a page protector, just slide the layout into the page protector BEFORE securing the rotating tag photos to the red tag base. Once the layout is in the page protector, mark on the plastic where the hole needs to be to for the tags to be centered on top of the red tag base. Using the brad itself, I wiggled a hole into the plastic. Then put the brad through the stack of photo tags and then through the hole in the plastic page protector and through the background paper. Pull the prongs apart on the back of the background page and there you have it! A wonderful, interactive addition to your scrapbook layout page preserving some most amazing memories!

How to Put More Photos on a Scrapbook Layout

2007-01-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

A very common question asked in scrapbooking is..."How do I get more photos on a single page layout?". The answer....Book it! This is very easy to do, and you can put as many photographs as you like in the book! Look at this 12x12 scrapbook layout...see the book?

Let's start at the beginning. Notice there is no title on this scrapbook layout page. Well, there is, it is just not an "added" feature. It is on the photograph at the top of the layout - Pier 39 and with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background of another photo, no other title is needed. San Francisco is a given. This photo has the title in it as well as the "who" of the layout. But take a closer look.... this photograph is also the cover of the book of extra photos and journaling! This one embellishment covers 3 scrapbook layout features... the title, extra photographs and journaling. How cool is that! Let's open the book......

Open the book and there are the extra photos - mounted on white cardstock and a caption for each. I was not on this trip, but made this layout for my daughter so I left 2 blank "pages" in the back of book for her journal her own memorys on.

The First Page

The first page is another photograph of the whole group of people she was with. However, check out that beautiful candy bar wrapper on the facing page. One of her favorite places she visited was the Ghirardelli chocolate factory/store. What better memory inducer than a beautiful, shiney, colorful, chocolate bar wrapper! I just folded it back up like it was with the bar in it, and adhered it to the inside cover page!

Turn the Next Page

Look closely, you can see how I mounted the 4x6 photos to white cardstock with photo adhesieve squares and then using a red gel pen, wrote the captions on the upper or lower edges of the white cardstock page. No cutting, cropping or sizing! I have these two "pages" and 2 more in this book. It is not to thick, but just enough to hold the extra photos and not be to bulky.

Want to Make This Book?

Book was made by just matting photos to cardstock. How easy is that! First, I used 4x6 inch as my main measurement and then took white cardstock and cut "pages" with an additional border of 1/4" on the sides and 1/2" on the top and bottom (of the white cardstock). The extra 1/2 added to the top will be what is put in the "binding" and the bottom will be space for the captions. The writing space will alternate as you turn the "pages".

Next, take a piece of matching background cardstock (in this layout case it was red) and cut a piece the same size as the white cardstock pages. This will be the front cover of the book. Add the photo and it now looks like any other photo on a scrapbook page because the border area is the same color as the background.

Next, take another piece of the matching (red) background cardstock and cut it the size of the pages PLUS another 1/2 inch to the top edge. This 1/2 inch is then folded down OVER all of the white photo pages to create a "spine". I then used 3 gold brads to secure all pages, pressing them through the "spine", including all pages and to the back of the book and folding the prongs outward. The back of the book is then glued to the background page.

And the "book" is done! Pretty easy! Even a beginner can do this book. Just measure and cut. If you don't want to secure the book to the background page, make a pocket for it to slip into!

Give it a try! If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I will help you out.

Scrapbook for Box Tops - new items to choose from!

2007-01-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

New Items at Scrapbook for Box Tops - free SB supplies for Box Tops swap!

I have some new items posted in the 10 Box Tops and 15 Box Tops categories if you'd care to take a look! Some handmade punch art kids and some metal button stickers. More on the way!

Scrapbook For Box Tops

We have had a really great response for this swap for free scrapbooking supplies and Kellie and I are very thankful to all those that have swapped box tops with us to help her school. She enjoys including a thank you note with every swap and is anxious to see where you "are" on the United States map!

The "Surprise Me!" category is a popular request. You tell me what you like or want and that is what I will send you!

Hope your layouts are coming along great and keep collecting box tops! There are more items are on the way!

Thanks to everyone!

How to Expand a Photo - Horizontally or Veritcally

2007-01-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

We are always talking about "cropping" a photo to fit a scrapbook layout, but sometimes we need to expand a photo - whether it is to accommodate more space on the layout page or to add an interesting aesthetic feature to the layout. Expanding a photo is quick and easy to do and it is one of my favorite ways to accentuate a scrapbook layout.

All you have to do is take your photo and cut it into even sized pieces! Sounds a bit shaky, but take a look at this scrapbook layout and the close up of the expanded photos.

The Layout

This is a layout I did for my daughter when she went to San Francisco, CA for the first time. The photo itself was a 4x6 size photo. It is of the coast line with fishing boats. Just the photo alone, was too plain. I wanted to add something to it.

Cut and Seperate (cringing at this point is acceptable, but stick with it!)

After measuring, I cut the photograph into sections. They are all equal sections except for the last one, slightly smaller because I ran out of background space! Each section is 1 inch wide. I didn't matte the photo, just layed it out on the background page. Make even spaces between each photo piece and voila! An expanded photo, fills the required space on the layout and adds quite the charm to the theme of the layout.

The Aesthetic Issues

This method of scrapbooking accomplishes 2 aesthetic issues. First, the photo takes up a lot of space, while keeping the theme and streamline of the layout, without making it look cluttered. Secondly, it makes the photo "appear" to be matted, when it is not. Both of these additions make for a very interesting, eye-catching scrapbook layout page!

Do It Vertically, too!

You can also do this method using vertical photographs! This photo, I cut into 1/2 inch strips and placed them evenly spaced on a contrasting color cardstock matte and then placed that whole ensemble onto the layout. Again, quite an aesthetic eye catcher! Now as for the color of cardstock you use, that is your decision. I didn't use a color from the photo as I thought that would just blend to much and you wouldn't be able to see the continuity of the photo. I chose the blue as that was main color in the other photos - the blue sky - so I stayed with that shade and just used a different hue. The blue I used is soft, suttle and blends very well with the images and colors of the photo. You can still plainly see the full photo but it has the little bit of expression in there. So just pick and choose, trial and error which color cardstock that would look best on your layout.

I would venture to say that expanding photos would be best if kept to scenery or objects, but if you have extras or can make copies, give it a try on any subject. You never know what you might come up with!

New Supplies on Scrapbook for Box Tops!

2006-12-12T18:12:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-11-29T17:37:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-11-28T06:57:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-27T09:55:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-11-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-11-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-11-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-11-14T18:09:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-11-11T06:38:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-08T11:16:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-04T18:04:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-10-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2006-10-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-10-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-09-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-09-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-09-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-09-15T23:46:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-09-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

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!)

Scrapbook Your Age at Your Child's Age!

2006-08-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

A great idea for a scrapbook layout overflowing with memories, is to show what you did as a child and what your child is doing now - at the same age! It is really amazing the same and differences between the generation ages. This is great for the back to school going right now - start some layouts and have them ready to add those wonderful papers that will be coming home!

Scrapbook Layout Description

The first layout is a spelling test I took when I was in the 6th grade - 1968. I got a B!!! Later, in 1994 when my son was in the 6th grade, he took a spelling test and got a 100%! I had to scrapbook our tests! Our handwritting is similar, the words are similar - and you can't see it very well, but the tests were taken about 26 years apart, NEARLY TO THE DAY!!

Now granted, you might not have tests or papers from your school days, but scrapbook the kids papers anyway. You'll have that memory plus you'll be preparing for the memory you can give your grandkids when they bring home a paper to match the one mommy or daddy did when they were "their age" back in the olden days!!

Scrapbooking Techniques Used

I used the same background paper (12x12) and I matted the tests on acid free cardstock and used die cut letters on one to show it was the 6th grade for both of us. Then I added a bit of journaling on the PC and matted 3 times for that school/primary color theme and used the decorative scissors to cut some deckle edges to the mattes.

Quick, easy, inexpensive, yet oh, so full of memories!

The Hopes Before and Pride After - Remember it!

2006-08-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

While growing up, kids have goals, dreams and hopes for their life in the future. Scrapbook pages are a great way to not only remember those hopes and dreams, but also, once they have been accomplished, they can look back and have pride in themselves for keeping their eye on the prize!

My son, when in the 4th grade, had to write a paragraph what his goals were for his life. He said he wants to be a cowboy, ride bulls and be a police officer on a motocycle. I wanted his young dreams to be remembered in conjunction with his accomplishments in his life and that is the creation behind this layout.

I included a kindergarden photo of him on a pony, the paragraph he wrote and lyrics to a song he loved at the time of making the layout. A little older, he spent a summer on a farm with the hourses, then he started getting into bull riding, but then when he got accepted into the Police Academy, he had to stop that. He is now a Police Officer. Not on a cycle yet, but in his plans!

I took the words to a song by Garth Brooks "Cowboy Was His Name"- my sons favorite song - and did a journal block and then I added the little paragraph he had written in the 4th grade. Past, present, future - - - all in the same layout. I did this layout before he was accepted to the police academy, but it shows his goals and he knows he achieved them.

*******The goal and the dream.....accomplished******

And also look at the layout - simple, quick, easy and inexpensive. A quick strip border and matted photos and journal blocks. That's it, but this is one of my most favorite memory layouts as well as my son's. We remember it so vividly and marvel that he carried through another 10 years to met his goal in life from the 4th grade!

What are your children's goals and dream? Scrap them well - don't forget them. I am a grand mother, so take my word for it - - You will treasure these memories as much as the person they are about. Just saying them is one thing, but seeing them in print/photos - just make them so much more precious and rememorable

Sillouette Your Photos for a Great Scrapbook Layout!

2006-08-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

I learned about silhouetting photos and just love that technique. What's involved? All you do is cut out the object or person you want to use! Just cut it out of the photo and you have a silhouette for your scrapbook layout! Quick, easy and very eye-catching! A scrapbook layout just won't be the same!!!!

You can do so many things with this little silhouette for your scrapbook layout.
1. Place it "behind" something or "holding" something, or something holding it
2. Add it to another photo - just lay it on top!
3. Use it instead of a letter in the title-like if the silhouette is a person just standing straight, make the silhouette the I or L in a title.
4. Have it sticking out of a title letter - like an O - have it come through the middle or BE the middle!
5. Make a "flip book" kind of thing - several of the same silhouettes "walking" across that bottom of the page.
6. Just use it as an embellishment without a reason!
7. Look closely at the layout I show here - see how she is sitting on the "H" and the "E" and standing with her foot "through" the "P"! Lots of little extras you can create!
8. Play around with the styling of it - you can create depth and dimension depending on how and where you put the sillouette figure.
9. Another favorite - add pop-dots to the back of the sillouette figure! makes great dimension and depth. You can even add the pop-dot figure to another photo to make for a special addition.

This one that I did, I look back now and think "why was I wanting to remember her slippers" for heaven sake! I still don't know why I wanted to make that a memory in my grand daughters scrapbook - they were no big deal, but I scrapped EVERYTHING. So her first pair of slippers - here they are - with silhouette photos of a cute little girl!

Interactive MatchBook "Scrapbook"

2006-08-17T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here is photos of the Mini Matchbook scrapbook that I made for on my grand daughters little album. I used this on the front cover and added a magnet to the back of it and a metal embellishment to the album so that is would stay attached.

I used the matchbook as the template and for measurements. I added an interactive photo insert strip that not only pulls out for additional photos (head shots) but also opens up to show more photos!

I used pattern paper on the front embellished with just a tad bit of ribbon. The photo insert is inside here, open it and it pulls out.....

See how this inserted piece pulls out to reveal head shot size photos? This is the baby's family. The mother and father head shots current age, but are on a tab that opens up to show them at a younger age. Click on the photo to see a larger view.

This is a closed view of the matchbook scrapbook. See how it all fits inside there? Totally cute!!!

These aren't hard, just kind of time consuming, but they are certainly worth it. This is my first one and it turned out pretty good, and I didn't have any instructions - just saw a completed one once and figured it out. It is that easy. And the errors I made on this one, won't be on the next ones! Totalaly fixable!

This is one was made with a regular size matchbook as the template, but I have done the same thing, only enlarged the template - adding about 2 inches all around. Worked out great!

Feel free to leave a comment!

Scrapbook Your "Cotton Candy" Days!

2006-08-11T19:48:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Cotton Candy!! So of course that was the first candy I introduced to my grand daughter. Of course, it is now also her favorite!! But I needed an embellishment to compliment the photos and the theme.

So I MADE cotton candy for the layout!! I took pink tissue paper and crinkled it "just right", not to crinkled and as poofy as possible and made a "circle" of the crinkled tissue paper and made a stick of COTTON CANDY!! The cone handle is just a long triangle cut from cardstock. I made another one and cut a circle out of the photo, matted it on acid free pattern paper and then again on solid cardstock and put it in the middle of the 2nd poofy candy.
This is a 12x12 layout

To finish the layout: I double-matted each photo with acid free card stock, used stickers for the title and as you can see... no journaling! Basically there is really nothing to say and "my first cotton candy" just sounded corney - even tho that is what it was - but that precious little face covered in cotton candy was just priceless. That is one of the few memories that I KNOW I will NEVER forget. Those come around occassionally and this is one of them. I added the month/year and did my signature stamp of I Love You, N (for Nanny). I do this on ALL layouts I do for my kids.

What is used in this scrapbook layout? Double-matting with prints and solids,3-D embellishments and no journaling.

Expense of the scrapbook layout? Basically nothing as you used your scraps.

What was/is your favorite candy, food or other thing that you want to introduce your grand children or your own child too? Was it corn dogs? Black Jack gum? NECCO wafers? Babe Ruth bars?

Whatever it was/is, you gotta scrapbook that special little something in your lives to share with each other!

Share what you have done to pass on your "cotton candy" days memories - leave a comment!

Free Scrapbook Stickers! Just print them out!

2006-08-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

I am currently researching this but thought I'd send it along just in case you'd like to look into it also!

We all use stickers in our scrapbooks and on the layouts so....Printable Stickers for FREE!! How cool is that!

This link is a free link and offers alot of craft things, however, the printable stickers caught my eye. You can apparently print them out on sticker sheets that go in your printer. The seem to be 8"x10" in size.

Free Printable Stickers

My thinking...I don't want to invest in those sticker sheets so am going to print them out on Glossy photo paper like you would use for printing your photos and cut them out! Use the acid free adhesive photo squares, or pop dots and INSTANT SCRAPBOOK STICKERS!

Or if you have a Xyron Sticker Maker machine, (which come in multiple sizes) - you could run the paper through that and there you go - - - STICKERS STICKERS STICKERS for your scrapbook layouts! Or just for the kids to have to play with!

Try it out, see what you like and then leave a comment and let us all know how you liked it!

Scrapbook The Past With The Present

2006-08-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

I started scrapping 10 years ago. My kids, at that time were 18 and 22. I had TONS of photos of their lives. Now they both have little girls! 6 years old and 5 month old! I had 4 scrapbooks going at once!

After the first grand daughter got here, and I started taking TONS of photos of her, I noticed something.....I was taking the same photo shot of my grand daughter that I suddenly remembered taking of my daughter (her mommy) at that same age! Yes, I guess I am a creature of habit! I noticed that I had taken the same shot/posse of my grand daughter that I did of my daughter - and not at all on purpose!

Scrapbook The Past with the Present

So of course, I have to link the past with the present. I wanted my daughter to see how she looked at the same age as her daughter. I wanted my grand daughter to be able to see herself and her mommy at the same age, and as an extra added bonus- they are doing the same thing! A Scrapbook holds more memories than you think!

This scrapbook layout is of my daughter (right photo) and her daddy in 1978 and my grand daughter (left photo)and her Grandpa in 2000! Both sitting on the counter, mesmerized by the shaving ritual! The girls look alot alike and notice the change in the razor being used in 20 years, and of course, Daddy's gain weight too! Lot of memories in one layout - and notice NO JOURNALING!! Just a title! Scrapbook layouts offer you so many options!
The Generation Non-Gap...But I didn't stop there. I also found some photos of me when I was young and made sure the if I ever took my kids or grand daughter to that same place, I'd take a photo of them at the same posse as I was! Talk about generation to generation! In this scrapbook layout, the top photo is of me and my 2 brothers and 1 sister back in the 60's at Knott's Berry Farm playing on the old train that we absolutely LOVED!(top left) So when I was able to take my grand daughter to Knott's, I made sure that I took a photo of her on that very same train - (right top). Plus, we played on the covered wagons (lower left) but since they dont' have that activity any longer at Knott's, me and grand baby just crawled into one that was on display (lower right) And to keep in the "family" theme, i added a photo of my 2 kids and the baby. This scrapbook layout shows the generations wonderfully! And notice, not to much embellishment! Just a block for journaling, photos (not even matted!) and a couple stickers

The Fashion Gap? No way!
I also kept 2 dresses of my daughter's. When the grand baby was a girl, I waited till she was the same age as her mom in the picture and took one of her in "mommy's dress". Again, a scrapbook layout with just a little bit of journaling. That title says it all!

Now if you dont' have kids right now, make a list of places you were when you were little that you will probably be able to take your kids and make a folder of the pictures. For instance, if you went to Disneyland and have a photo of you on your favorite ride, or eating your favorite food item, date the photo and just drop it in an envelope. In the future, if you are able to take your child to Disneyland, make sure you take a photo of the little one on the same ride as you or eating the same food item! Match them up on a layout and you have a winner of a memory!

When The TITLE Says The Memory

2006-07-29T18:44:00.000-07:00
Sometimes a title says it all. No journaling, just a very specific speaking title. Hard to find? No, not really. You just have to think" Outside the Scrapbook box"! I have mentioned SONG LYRICS for journaling, well, how about the title of the song for the title of your scrapbook layout?

"Make Memories With Me"
I named my daughters "Life" scrapbook after a song that Lee Anne Womack sings - "Make Memories With Me". It is a scrapbook of her life from birth to marriage. One of the titles to the layout was "when I think about where I've been, I can see how far I've come". This was the "title" on a double page layout showing photos of her at different stages of her life ending with her wedding photo. That phrase said it all -I didn't need any other journaling! (I did date the photos) Not only did that song phrase make for a beautiful layout title - no journaling needed - but now that song is "my babys" song. I think of her everytime I hear that song! A double memory!

Other Than Songs?

However, songs are not the only place to find a title or journaling replacement. There are BIBLE versus'. Popular sayings. Current sayings. Now, I'm not up on today's current sayings, but in my day it would be "GROOVEY" and a photo of me in my "best" jeans outfit or shortest skirt! ! (no laughing here!)

So when I was cleaning out my scrap room, I found the notebook that I'd been using to collect layout titles/journaling titles. I don't remember where I found them all, just that I'd jot down a good phrase when I'd hear it. So I thought I'd share the list with you. Use them as titles or in place of journaling. It isn't that hard or complicated or time consuming, either!Block TitleIf you want to, you can cut each letter (use die cuts) OR you don't have to cut individual letters for the phrase - Just make a "title block" and write the phrase on the block. I use the computer for this. Just choose your font, make it large in size, choose the color and print it out! Then matte it and use it! A title on a 6x4" paper block. How easy is that, and how fantastic it looks!

This is a scrapbook layout of my daughter and her daughter at the same age - 20 years apart! Its one of those that I didn't realize that i was taking the same posse of each child - 20 years apart!So quick and easy and yet FANTASTIC and a WONDERFUL MEMORY!!

All I did was print out the title, matte it on red then a print paper. I used punchies for embellishment. Then I double-matted the photos on white, then red and then used eyelets and jute to "hang" the photos from the title block.

Here's My List....

Love is the thread that binds us
Old friends are the beste antiques
Babies touch the world with love
Memories are stitched with love
Walk forever by my side
Home for the holidays
FOrever - is as far - as I'll go!
Through the years
Somewhere in time (used this as the title for a 4 page layout of my families generation photos - clear back to great great great great grandpa!)
Together is the best place to be
You're my soul and my inspiration (Righteous Brothers song)
Home is where you hang your heart
Friendship warms the heart
Friends are the best collectibles
Grandmas are special
Grandpas are great
Forever in Blue jeans (Neil Diamond song)
Simple pleasures are lifes treasures
Looking back at where I've been, I can see how far I've come (Lee Anne Womack song)
Make Memories with me (Lee Anne Womack song)
Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys - (Waylong Jennings song)
Keeper of my heart
Mama's got magic
He's our little cowboy till fences won't hold him and he'll ride away
The Cowboy Way
Raised on Country sunshine
There's no place like home - - except Grandmas!
Create tomorrow by what you dream today
The Best place to be when you are sad is in Grandma's lap
Papa's Little Sidekick
You may HOld my Hand today, but you hold my heart forever
A Time To Remember
P.S. I Love You
Guess it's Just The Cowboy In Me (Kenny Chesney or Brad Paisley?)
It is never ending, a blessing from above, Listen to the whispers of a child's love.
Create tomorrow, what you dream today
Don't Make me Call Grandma!
The only man a girl can trust is her Daddy!
My family is like fudge - mostley sweet with a few nuts!
If we Live to be 103, Bset friends we still shall be!
If I'm a stay at home mom - how come I never get to stay at home?

Keep your ears open for more than you can use - even every day comments can often be great. A a good way to remember today in the future is to use TODAY's word's and phrases. Trust me, 30 years from now you won't remember these little things, but when you look at that scrapbook layout, you will say "Oh, I remember that! You mean we actually SAID that?" What a treat that will be!

Using Song Lyrics as Journaling:One Page, One Layout, Multiple Memories

2006-07-17T08:23:00.000-07:00
Song lyrics are a great way to preserve a memory. Not only are you complimenting the photo memory with the song lyrics, but you are also remembering the song itself and what it meant to you! I have to compliment country and western song lyrics as some of the most meaningful things to say.

What Was Your Favorite Song?
Did (or do) you have a favorite song? Use some of the lyrics instead of journaling. Sometimes the photos just don't have something specific to remember, but just the "being" there part- The beautiful face of your little grand daughter - granted there is alot to say, but sometimes it just gets to be just that - alot to say - with no particular meaning. However, if you were to use a particular song lyric - just one verse - or even just the title of the song - it says so much about that precious little face, and then you also have that memory every time you hear that song!

My Wedding Page
Now, George Straite's song "In All The World, You'll Never Find A Love As True As Mine" came out long time AFTER I was married and I wasn't scrapping back then either. However, when I did start scrapping, my wedding was the event I started with, that song was popular then and I loved it so that was the "journaling" I used for the page. Do I remember my wedding? Yes, to a point. But 29 years ago, I admit I dont' remember all the details. But this song, just says it all. I can see where I started and know how far I have come! (by the way, those are lyrcis from a LeeAnn Womack song that is great and I titled my daughters scrapbook album with that title!)

I was also a beginner and didn't have any money to spend on "scrapping materials and supplies" when I did this (and the following) layouts so I didn't have much in the way of supplies. Amazing what a matte behind each photo will do for the appearence of the layout!

Other layout suggestions and pictures .......One Page, One Layout = Multiple stories and memories!

One page, One Layout = multiple stories and memories!

My Little Cowboy

My son was a cowboy from the start. Well, he ended up migrating to County Sheriff, but hey - there can be only one Wyatt Earp! But Waylon Jennings version of "Mama, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" was just that "journaling" I needed to accomodate all his "cowboy want-a-be" days!

This is also a good way to include pictures of the same "topic"but across several years. One page, one layout - multiple stories and memories!

Born To Ride

Again, it is a great way to capture the times "on wheels" for my family. My son, daughter and husband and their favorite "wheels". To make a layout for each person was just not worth the cost of supplies, muchless the time to do it. However, I inlcuded ALL 3 of them on their personal "favorite wheels" and it made a wonderful layout! Titled "Born To Ride" - captioned it all. I then added the years and my layout has years of memories - and only 3 words were used to "discuss" it all!

So don't think that you have to make one layout for each and every memory. Often, seeing them all together will make even more memories!