Scrapbooking Plan

Scrapbook layout ideas

2007-11-04T00:21:00.000-07:00

Almost everyone likes to save reminders special places and special times, but what most of us end up with is a box filled with odds and ends that never see the light of day. A scrapbook or memory album is the perfect way to give those mementos the attention they deserve. By following these steps, all you’ll need is a little bit of imagination to build a scrapbook that you’ll be proud to display.

Gather some goodies--this is the fun part. You can use anything that reminds you of your special occasions. Keepsakes like postcards, newspaper clippings, pictures, ticket stubs, bottle caps, napkins, matchbooks, flowers and foreign currency make wonderful visual interest. Think of telling a story with objects. This is the key to making your scrapbook a hit.

Choose a book. Find a blank book that suits your personality and conveys the image you would like to present. You can pick up a bound blank book that’s designed to grow as your collection grows at your local art and stationery stores. If you’re feeling particularly creative, you can even make your own with some construction paper, ribbon and a hole punch.

Get your memories in order. Organize the trinkets you have collected in a logical fashion. Chronological order is sometimes easiest, but you can also use more creative techniques like grouping vacations, family gatherings, theater shows and other activities or events.

Stay focused. Each page or section should reflect some sort of theme. Staying focused should be easy if you have organized your souvenirs well. Lay out your special items and secure them with double-sided tape, then emphasize your theme with additional items like stickers or sketches.

Frame your layout. A good way to make a great presentation is to use a ruler to make a fine border about ½-inch to one inch from the edge of the page. It’s okay if the border is broken up by your layout. This will enhance focus and help make the objects jump off each page. Use a single pen for all your work to create continuity from page to page. Grosgrain ribbon also works well for this technique. Cut the ribbon at an angle and use fabric glue to prevent fraying edges.

Label displays. Dates, explanations of unusual items, and poetry are fantastic way to add more interest to your collection. This will help you, your family and friends remember those special days when they are long passed. Hand-written entries add a personal touch, but if you don’t feel comfortable with your penmanship you can get a little help from your printer.

Don’t be afraid to show your book off. Scrapbooks are works in progress. You’ll get a better idea of what works and what doesn’t when it’s on display. Part of the fun of scrap booking is watching your presentation skills improve as new pages are added to your book.

So tuck your new treasure under your coffee table and don’t forget to haul it out on holidays and special evenings with special friends. This anthology is the kind of entertainment everyone will enjoy for many years to come.

Scrapbooking on a budget

2007-11-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

Scrapbooking is a popular craft, but all scrapbookers know that it can be expensive. Most hobbies in which you participate will require some monetary investment, the same applies to scrapping. But you can enjoy scrapbooking without spending a lot of money if you learn a few budget saving tips. There is no need to buy every scrapbooking tool, magazine and new gadget on the market. Just start with a few basic supplies, a good scrapbooking buddy and a few creative ideas.

One of the most economical things you can do is to find a scrapbooking partner. You can share supplies and tools, which will help you both and save you both money. Your friend probably has different templates and gadgets than you do. You can get together and share your supplies, giving each of you twice as many. Plus, you can share great layout ideas.

If you have extra Christmas decorations and your friend has left over birthday decorations, don't let them sit around and gather dust, trade! The same thing applies to scrapbooking magazines and books. If you each buy a different magazine and swap when you have finished reading them, you can save money on magazine and book subscriptions. Sharing is also a great way to try new items. Make an agreement for each of you to buy one new item each month and try them out when you get together. You will each get to try two new items instead of one.

Don't spend a lot of money on stickers, die-cuts and page toppers. Save those for special page layouts. For the majority of your layouts, try various matting techniques to add variety to your pages. Instead of buying page toppers, you can easily create your own. You can print out phrases and sayings on acid free paper. Buy one die-cut that you could use in several different layouts and trace it. Lay it on a piece of cardstock, trace it lightly with a pencil and then cut it out. It is much more economical to use several sheets of cardstock and do your own creating that to buy several die-cuts and packages of stickers.

You can also purchase stamps or punches that could be used in many different layouts. You can find them in just about every imaginable image. If you do a lot of layouts with children, consider purchasing stamps or punches of teddy bears, butterflies and balloons. You can add the stamps or punches to a variety of layouts, creating many unique looks.

Don't buy a lot of fancy gadgets. When you are just getting started, buy a few necessities, one or two decorative cut scissors that can be used frequently will suffice. The deckle cut, stamp cut and pinking cut are a few that work well in many layouts. Don't waste money on circle and oval cutters. Find items around the house that you can trace and then cut. It works just as well. You can also trace cookie cutters and pages out of coloring books for some cute ideas.

The more you work on your scrapbooks, you will find many other ways to save money. Scrapbooking doesn't have to cost a lot to be fun!

Assembling a book that traces family history

2007-11-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

Family trees and genealogy searches are a great way to track your families past. If you would like to assemble a true record though, you want to assemble a ‘family history book’. This takes the whole idea of genealogy searches and record keeping one important step further by also documenting memories. There are several ways to go about this and we are going to discuss a few options to make your personal history book more complete and valuable as a keepsake for generations to come. As I refer to this as a book, be warned that as you do your research, you will be amazed at how fast you will gather enough information to fill much more than one book. You will also most likely gather other items along the way that can accompany your personal history book for future viewing.

Tapping Your Elders for Information

A family tree documents ancestors. However, how did they come to be part of your family? Are there any fascinating stories to go along with all the photographs gathered throughout the years? How about tidbits of information on some of your past family members, or even current ones? This can be anything from how Aunt Zelda met Uncle Ralph at a social during the depression. Or how Aunt Zelda ‘almost’ married another man, a dashing salesman who came late to the dance. It should also include any family member’s time in service to our country or other countries. My point here is that ‘all’ memories have value. The more you gather and document the better picture you will have to look back on. Gather up these memories and put them into a permanent form, so that future generations can enjoy these stories long after the people involved are no longer with us.

The first thing you will need to do is contact every elderly member of your family. Discuss with them what you are doing and why. Explain that you are documenting this for family use of future generations, so they can better understand where they came from. This can be done one on one or in a group situation. A friend of mine took advantage of her annual family reunion and with video recorder in hand, went around to everyone asking questions she had decided on ahead of time and a few more that came up from information she gathered that day. Manning the video camera is a perfect job for a teenager, as many elderly people love the idea that they can share this history with a new generation of their making, and it will also allow you to focus more on the questions themselves.

How to Document

Documentation can be done in several ways. A notebook for questions you have thought out beforehand is necessary. Video cameras are a perfect and exact way to document. If you go this route, each subject should give their own name and relationship to the family before starting in with the actual questions. Be warned, even in today’s modern world, there are people that are extremely camera shy. If this is the case, put away the camera for those individuals and use a notebook or my second choice… a cassette recorder. For a one on one interview, where you can keep the flow of questions somewhat in order, cassette recorders will also let you gather every bit of information without worrying that you missed some important piece of info in your note taking. When using this tactic, also have each person identify him or herself before starting with the questions. A notebook with good note taking is also acceptable. However you choose to do the actual documentation, make sure to copy everything. There truly is not much more in life as valuable as our own history.

Another way to add to the documentation is to ask each family member to write down his or her memories. You would be surprised at how much more information can be gathered this way, even after an interview. Also a perfect way to include family members that live too far away to include in your personal interviews. Telephone calls and email can be utilized for interviewing of those that do not live close by also.

Assembling

Once you have assembled photographs, traced out the family tree, and gathered memories from everyone you can think of in the family, you need to put all this information together so it is accessible and usable to future generations. Family history books that have outlines of information and items to be gathered are available on the market. Boxes for this purpose are also popular. Making your own is just as easy. Look for a box that will hold and protect all of the above. A large plastic box that will protect from water and dampness through the years is ideal. Everything you have gathered is probably substantial, but think ahead and try to leave room for additional items to be added by future generations.

Additional Memories

In addition to all the basic things one would imagine finding in a box documenting ones history, imagine the fun a future family member would have if it also contained some personal items. Wedding certificates, service papers, medals, a cookbook that was passed from grandmother down to great grandchild. Postcards that were sent from one family member to another are a great addition, immigration records, college records, work history, or even a piece of jewelry or other special item that has great sentimental value with historical value to the family. Whatever you choose to include in your book and additionally in your ‘Box of History’, know that future generations will thank you for many years to come!

Creative scrapbooking ideas: make unique scrapbooks to preserve your memories

2007-11-03T23:57:00.000-07:00

I recently went through those old shoe boxes filled with family photos and decided that it was finally time to do something with them. Like most parents I must have hundreds of pictures of my kids dating from the day that they were born to the present. All of my photo albums too were filled. These pictures I tried to put in some semblance of order but they didn't tell the stories that I wanted to convey. I decided to try my hand at scrapbooking. I purchased a large, plain white binder - one that can be decorated with a cover and finished off any way I saw fit - along with some inexpensive scrapbook kits and set to work. I realized that it was really a simple, inexpensive way to preserve not only the pictures but the memories and stories that go with each photo as well. Try getting a three ring type of photo binder that you can add future pages to and move your pages around. The possibilities are endless as to what you can do with some basic supplies and some ingenuity and imagination.

While almost everyone has pictures of their children growing up there are also other ways to capture precious once in a lifetime memories. You can't capture your child's first words in a photo - but you can on a cassette tape. From the time our children were very young we started tape recording them. We recorded their coos and cries of infancy, their first utterances of "Mama" and "Dada", right up to where we are now - their recitations of the alphabet. It is amazing to not only see in pictures but also to hear how they've grown so.

Of course, there is also a way to have the best of both worlds. If you have a video cassette recorder or a chance to borrow one on occasion your can capture true to life memories. Purchase a high quality blank video cassette tape and title it with your child's name and begin filming. Using the same tape, pull it out on special occasions - holidays, summer vacation, the first day of school - or just whenever the mood hits you. Every time you record start where you left off the previous time. You'll be amazed when you watch it at how your child has changed each time you record.

There are so many ways to preserve precious memories and to watch your child grow. Even small, simple things that can be so much fun to do together as a family.

Create a handprint book. Every few months have your child dip his or her hands in paint and stamp a page in the book.

Make a growth chart. On a wall mark your child's height every birthday and label with the date and your child's age.

Save locks of our child's hair every time they get a hair cut and include them in your scrapbook. You'll be surprised by how the color and texture has changed over the years.

Use your imagination. There are so many ways to create permanent logs of your child's growth and development. Preserve those memories and show your children just how much you love them.

Creative scrapbooking ideas: unique tips to preserve your memories

2007-11-03T23:54:00.000-07:00

Children bring home numerous papers in their school years that parents just can's bear to toss out. Why not save them in a scrapbook? They are fun to make and allow a great opporunity to spend quality time with your child.

Creativity is the key to all. What you will need are scissors, construcion paper, a notebook, markers, and glue. Additional items could include pinking sheers (or craft scissors), Laminating paper or clear contact paper, pictures, stickers, etc.

Start out by taking a three-ring notebook and decorating the outside. Some ideas for this may include stickers, pictures from a favorite magazine, or pictures of you child cut into fun designs such as a heart or flower. Old scraps of wallpaper add a great effect. Just cut out the pattern and glue on.

If you have a school age child, be sure and preserve any papers you choose to keep such as a first test, awards, or artwork by laminating them. This can be done using laminating sheets or clear contact paper. Both protect from tears, while contact paper tends to be a lesser expense. You can either laminate the paper seperately, or glue it onto a piece of construction paper. After laminating, punch three holes to match up with the binder and add in as a page.

Pictures are a great addition. If you don't want to worry about keeping up with awards, then just take a picture of your child holding the award. Cut the picture out into any shape of your choice. You can use craft scissors for a special effect. Pinking sheers also give it the same effect at a lesser cost. Glue to construction paper, laminate, and you have a beautiful page. Consider letting your child write a description of the event. This makes it a personalized addition. You can add several pictures to one page. Add stickers, stamps, or cutouts to make it even more colorful.

Another good idea is to add an autograph page. This can be done by taking a class or team picture and have it copied onto a piece of paper. This allows your child to take it to school and have it signed by his/her school friends, team mates, coach, or teacher. A best friend page is also very cute.

Pocket pages are great for those items you wish to keep that may not be large enough to add as a page. Cut a piece of poster board the same size as the back cover. Cut the opening into a design (ie. the top of a heart) and glue the bottoms and sides to the cover leaving the top open. Be sure and cut the opening low enough to allow papers to go into, but not so low that they fall out. This is great for holding awards that children tend to take out often. Just slide them into the slot and you are done. You can decorate the pocket with yarn, sequins, markers, etc. The more creative the better. Let your child decorate it with you. This allows you to spend quality time together while accomplishing a task as well.

If you are not good at freehand writing, then cut labels off of canned goods, pop bottles, cereal boxes, or anything else that may contain a word or letter you feel you could use. Material and wallpaper are great for cutting patterns out of. Use old magazines and catalogs for pictures of the current styles. The options are limitless. You may find you come up with more creative ideas the longer you spend working on it.

Making a video scrapbook

2007-11-03T23:48:00.000-07:00

Time passes quickly and most people are aware that if scenes aren’t captured on film, a precious opportunity will be lost forever. Besides, it’s lots of fun to look over photographs and watch films and videotapes catching family members during important events. It can be tricky, however. The videotape may be shaky, full of stops and starts, and otherwise hard to watch. The person behind the camera may be so busy preserving the event on tape that he misses out on the fun of the event. Here are some tips to make a video memory for the future without sacrificing your own enjoyment of the present.

For major events such as weddings, graduations, ceremonies, or even births, it may be worthwhile to hire a professional videographer or at least enlist the help of a friend whose sole responsibility is to videotape the event. This should be a person who is unlikely to care about not being directly involved in the event itself. If you do hire a friend, of course he should be familiar with the video camera, but he should also be worthy of trust so he doesn’t get sidetracked in the process. Whether you hire a pro or trusted friend, meet with him beforehand to discuss which scenes he should focus on, the length to be taped of certain parts, and which elements are unimportant to you.

If you will be videotaping the event yourself, the first requirement is to become very familiar with the camera. Know which buttons to press for effects such as fading out at the end of scenes, panning in and out, and adjusting light levels. If most of the action will take place in a specific area, you may consider installing the camera on a tripod. This ensures a steady picture, and can help you tape the event while participating as well. Many video cameras come with remote controls for added freedom.

When videotaping, keep in mind how the tape will look when viewed. Many sudden stops and starts are annoying to the viewer. Videotape is cheap, and can be re-used if needed, so keep the camera running at least five minutes per scene. Avoid taping while walking unless your camera has special features to keep the picture steady. When moving the camera to focus on different areas, go very slowly or pause taping until the new area is found. Effects such as fades can be helpful if not used excessively.

Once your tape is complete, depending on its intended purpose, you may wish to edit it. If your video camera uses VHS-C or other smaller tape cassettes, you may wish to transfer them onto a regular VHS tape. This can be done either by setting up two VCR’s to play and record, with a special adapter to play the smaller tape, or by a connection from the video camera to the VCR. You simply rewind the tape in the video camera and play it back. Video cameras usually have VCR type controls so you can stop, start, and pause. It can be tricky, but you can edit out parts you don’t want to keep this way and re-use the tapes in the camera. Don’t forget to label and date the VCR tape for storage.

Preserving events on film has come a long way since I was a child, when home movie cameras captured only silent motion pictures and were edited using a light table with reels, cutters, and splicers. Video cameras offer a tremendous opportunity to exercise creativity in preserving important scenes from our lives and provide immediate gratification. By following a few simple guidelines and suggestions, your videos from these momentous occasions can be thorough and lots of fun to watch, and you’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing you were there instead of being trapped behind the camera.

by Pamela Kock

How to make a memory scrapbook

2007-11-03T23:43:00.000-07:00

When my daughter was born, I went to a craft store looking for the perfect book to record memories of her birth and the happy years that were to come. What I found instead were high priced books that had your basic memory pages but nothing that reflected what I wanted to cherish of my daughter's years and the many memories.

I gave up the quest and bought a simple book to record the memories in text. Dates of her first tooth, first step and other special events were written in the book, but there were no photos of these memories, just words. It was also not a fun way to look back at your early years, especially when my daughter, now five, wanted to see her baby pictures and they were all in a series of labeled shoe boxes.

My journey in memory book making continued, until I realized that since I hadn't found something in the stores to suit my needs, I would need to create something on my own. I needed something practical, affordable and fun.

I purchased a variety of large sized photo albums, all of different colors and materials. Each book was under ten dollars and contained fifty pages which could easily be doubled or tripled since the photo albums were setup as three ring binders. Over the years I had collected stickers sent in various sample magazine offers, mailings and other free sources. My parenting and children magazines provided even more pictures, letters and borders, and these were prepaid subscriptions or gift subscriptions. So, for just the cost of the photo albums I was on my way to memory book making.

The key to making the book is having fun. You don't have to become a master at the craft, but you should have fun. Sorting through four years of pictures was not an easy task, but it proved interesting and fun when done with my daughter. We were able to look back at memories, events and family over the last few years. Two days later, the rainy weekend over, I had endless piles of pictures that needed to be put into memory books. We sorted the pictures first by year and then by category. Each photo album represented a year, so the only thing left to do was put the pictures in and have fun.

I used a separate page for a different event. Sometimes there were so many pictures I needed to use two or more pages. Cutting the pictures into different shapes and cutting out the empty area around the people or objects in the pictures allowed more pictures to be put on a page.

I created the theme of the page around the people or events in the memories. For example, a day at Atlantic City was bordered with various cut out magazine pictures of seashells, beach balls and casino clips. Pictures were cut into shapes of starfish, boats and waves. When done, the page was fun and told a story with no words.

Memory pages of my daughter's first few years have been just as fun to create. The pictures can speak for themselves, but with the added stickers and magazine clips, it creates a fun environment and a different way to display favorite and memorable photos.

The use of expensive memory book making pages, stencils and other accessories can assist in making your book professional in appearance. The use of magazines, stickers and other odds and ends will not only save you money, but it is something you can do with your children. When you do this, the memories will not only be the pictures in the book, but in the making of the book itself.

Memory album ideas

2007-11-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

There's no time like the present, so grab your supplies and start sorting your photos.

It is easy to let photographs pile up over time. Who has enough free time to cut and paste and organize pages. Well, a little a day can go a long way, so get started now.

If you don't already have some supplies, head to your nearest discount retail store and start shopping. For basics, find some decorative paper made just for scrapbooking, so it must be acid-free and archival quality. Then look for scissors which cut different shapes and patterns. Archival, acid-free tape and/or glue is necessary as well so you can afix your pictures to each page. And cardstock that is acid-free will provide the backing you need for each page in your album.

At home, decide how you want to arrange your album or just start picking pictures at random. Since you will be leaving the back side of each page blank and ready for additonal information or pictures later, don't worry too much about oranization if you don't want to.

Once you have picked out 5-6 pictures, look at each one and see what the central focus is. Then you want to cut out background images on the picture so when people flip through your album all they will see is what is important to see. A face. A body. Or a scenic background.

You can cut a matching background of plain colored paper to put behind your picture or you can just afix it directly to the designer paper you have purchased.

Then you can head to your computer and set out to add a story to go with your pictures. That is what separates a memory album from a photo album. The memory albums tell a story and take the viewer into the life being lived. You can add brief information like names and dates or you can get into great detail about an event or someone's life.

No matter how you decide to go about it, doing one page of pictures a day will add up to an entire memory album down the road. So get started.

Hosting a scrapbooking party

2007-11-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

Hosting a scrapbooking party can be a fun option for a girls' get-together. Clear off the dining room table, grab those countless envelopes of pictures you haven't looked at in ages and some simple supplies, and you're ready to go!

What exactly is scrapbooking?

Scrapbooking is exactly what it sounds like--putting scraps such as photos, ticket stubs, invitations, announcements, etc. decoratively onto a blank page of a book. It's up to you how you want to arrange it, whether each page is a separate theme or event, or if a whole book is dedicated to a given year. There are no rules!

Why have a scrapbooking party?

Because scrapping is a time-consuming project, it's much more fun to embark on this with a group. It's nice to have other people's opinions on how to arrange materials and it's great to be able to share resources. If everyone is responsible for bringing one thing, then you don't have to buy everything yourself. This will also give you good reason to make this a regular event.

What do I need to host a scrapbooking party?

First off, you need some space. A good-sized dining room table will suffice for a crowd, or a smaller table with end tables, or TV tables alongside so that everyone's got plenty of room. Each person should bring their own pictures and memorabilia as well as an album to assemble their pages. A number of different albums are available at craft stores. You'll also need a few supplies which you can ask people to bring along:

sharp scissors

mini paper trimmer

sticky mount for sticking items on to pages

pens for writing captions

stickers for decorating

acid-free colored paper for matting photos, cutting shapes, etc.

bags or bins for trash

How does one start out assembling a scrapbook?

Again, there are no rules! It's a good idea to begin thinking how you want to arrange your book. Some people like to make one book for one child. Others simply create a page depending on what photos they have on hand and feel like working with. Look at your photos objectively and plan how you'd like to arrange them--thematically, chronologically, spontaneously.... it's up to you!

What next?

Once you've selected the pictures you'd want to include on you page, see if you have any accompanying memorabilia to go along with it. If you have pictures from a friend's wedding, it might be nice to include the invitation. Or if you're creating a page on your last vacation, plane tickets, hotel and meal receipts add a nice touch. Or, if you don't want to bother with anything other than the photos, that's fine too! Don't be afraid to cut up the pictures, crop out portions, etc. As long as you have the negatives, you can always get another photo. Matting photos onto colored paper before sticking them in the page adds a nice finished look. Choosing different colors, shapes, and sizes of photos will really make your page interesting, eye-catching, and fun to look at. Labeling the page with dates will create a nice story, as well as a permanent documentation of the event. Since you can find stickers to correspond with just about any theme, these are a nice addition. A page about the annual cookout would look cute with some fun BBQ stickers and picnic baskets. Take your time. The better you feel about a page you've created, the more you'll want to show it off!

How long should I expect the scrapbook party to last?

If this is a first-time event for most guests, don't plan on them going more than a few hours. It can become an overwhelming project awfully quick if you're trying to organize the last few decades of your life! Aim to complete a few pages. Don't push it so that you're sick of it. It should be a fun project, not a chore! If you establish a group that's into the scrapping thing, try getting together on a regular basis. Every few months is a good target, as that gives everyone a little time to accumulate more photos, collect new supplies, etc. Die-hards are known to have scrapbooking marathons once they get going!

What else?

Again, keep it fun. Having a camera available to document scrapbooking is an appropriate activity (but then you might have to fight over who gets to use the picture the next time!) Have snacks on hand, but nothing too messy, as it's easy to ruin work with spilled food! Think about having some prizes to keep people motivated. Award small prizes such as stickers and die-cuts to the scrapper who completes the most pages, or vote on who creates the best pages. Bottom line of scrapbooking--be creative!

A beginner's guide to scrapbooking

2007-11-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

The definition of a scrapbook has changed in the last 10 years from a dog-eared, cheap paper book we glued newspaper clippings in, to a photo-safe, well documented, creative journal that our great, great grandchildren will marvel over. You have probably heard about this hobby a lot lately and wondered what it was all about. Why are so many people doing this hobby and if it is so popular is it something I should look into too? If you have a desire to preserve your memories then you should definitely check it out!

Scrapbooking is all about photographs, journaling, experiences, day-to-day life and most importantly creativity and personal touch. If you have decided your life, and those of your loved ones, is worth remembering then scrapbooking is for you. Before I tell you how to get started it is important to know some of the scrapbooking terms.

Acid Free- Paper with acid in it will crumble and turn to dust eventually. When photo's come in contact with acid it will cause them to fade and become discolored. That's why you must use acid free paper products for mounting photo's and embellishing your albums. These are available at your local scrapbooking store.

Lignin Free- Lignin is found naturally in paper as it grows within the plant cells. If not removed during processing, it causes paper to yellow when exposed to ultra-violet light. Most everything sold for Scrapbooking is Lignin free as well.

Page protectors-These are plastic sheets that fit over your pages to protect them from finger-prints, dust, dirt, spills etc.

Now, you have to decide on the size of the album you want to create. The two main sizes to choose from are 81/2 x11 and 12x12.

The 8 1/2 x 11 papers and page protectors are cheaper but with the larger size you can fit more photo's and information on a page. Most people choose to do important events like weddings, baby's first year, Anniversary albums etc in 12x12 because there is usually more information to fill them with.

The photo albums come in four major formats.

Spiral bound-These books have a set amount of pages and are beneficial for small projects such as "Summer Vacation 1999". However they have many drawbacks. You can't change the color of the pages, you cannot use page protectors and you must plan out your albums carefully because you won't be able to insert new pages if you suddenly find more photos.

Three ring binders- My personal favorite. These albums allow you to easily add and remove pages and have ease of page turning. You can use whatever colored papers you want and you can use top loading page protectors. The only drawback is that sometimes pages can slip out the hole where the rings don't quite meet up.

Strap style-Plastic straps are woven through staples in the side of the page to bind the album together. It's benefits are that the pages lie quite flat, allowing more room in your album. They are also quite sturdy.

Post Bound- These albums have posts that you lift the pages on and off, similar to the strap style. Again the pages lie flat, making the album easy for storage.

ADHESIVE

Whatever glue you choose make sure it is acid free. There are many types of adhesives.

Double-sided tape- is great for photos as it is clean and you won't end up with glue on the front of your photos.

Glue sticks, pens and wands-these are great for any item that you may want to move on the page a little because you will have some time to move them before the glue dries.

Photo splits- These are little pull off sticky tabs. I use these on all my photos and large papers because glue is just too messy for photos.

EMBELLISHMENTS

These will add drama, flare and humor to your pages.

Stickers- not like the tacky ones we had as kids, there are thousands of stickers in every conceivable theme available for your albums.

Die Cuts- pre-cut shapes of intricate designs to add life to your pages.

Paper dolls- you can buy these or make your own using a pre-formed stencil.

Paper punches- these are individual punches that come in a wide selection of shapes such as horses, balloons, circles, squares, border designs, corner designs, etc. You insert paper into them and press down and they punch out these little shapes for you.

TOOLS

These would be scissors, pens and pencils, stencils and templates. Basically items with unlimited uses.

Scalloped scissors- Any pair of scissors with a scalloped cutting blade. Use them to make different patterns on your matting and photo edges.

Templates and Stencils- Use these to make lettering, frames, shapes and draw lines for journalling.

Pens and Colored pencils-These are special acid free pens that dry fast for writing dates, details, and coloring in your lettering or adding shading and highlights to your die-cuts.

Now that you are armed with the basic knowledge of what to look for you can go and visit your local Scrapbooking store. When you are there, be sure and sign up for instructional courses that will teach you creative ways to use the products I have mentioned here. You can always search your bookstore or the internet for idea's on putting together scrapbook pages. Very quickly you will develop your own style and find your niche. I hope you enjoy many meaningful years of recording your family's precious memories and your grandchildren will always have a treasured keepsake from you.

Pre-planning for scrapbooking photo

2007-11-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

How often have you sat down to create a scrapbook layout only to ask yourself, "Why didn't I take a picture of ---------?" Though journaling helps to fill in the missing pieces of a photo layout, creating a scrapbook of memories is like writing a book: your layouts should provide a beginning, middle, and end to the story that they tell. To avoid the scrapbooking dilemma of missing pictures, you need to pre-plan your scrapbooking photos.

For example, let's say that you and your family taking a trip to the mountains for your summer vacation. Before you leave you should be thinking about your scrapbook pages - not in detail but in general terms. What shots do you imagine you will snap? Perhaps a picnic beside a roadside lake. A day hike up the mountain. Wildlife. Canoeing down the river. These are all possibilities.

However, you also need to think about beginnings and endings to capture all the pieces of your mountain adventure. How about a snap of the family car, loaded to the rooftop with camping gear? How about a shot of Mom, the navigator, consulting the road map? Coming home shots are also important. Perhaps a photo of the kids asleep in the back seat? How about the mountain of laundry that was a result of this mountain excursion? Imagine the scrapbook page you could create with that memory!

Before snapping, remember that you need a beginning and an ending for your picture stories. Remember the picnic? Don't forget to get a couple of shots of all the glorious food before everyone digs in as well as snaps of the scene after everyone is done. Johnny might look pretty cute with blueberry pie all over his face.

What about the canoe trip? A shot with your husband and daughter carrying the canoe over their heads as they head off shouldn't be forgotten. How about their return - did your husband forget to put on sun screen?

Of course, you can't plan all of your shots. Candids are an important part of your scrapbooking photos because they capture the true expressions and reactions of the people involved. Be sure to include a snap of the chipmunk that stole your sandwich and one of your soggy husband, after he fell in the lake.

To make it easy to get both the planned shots, and the candids, I use two cameras. I keep a couple of the disposable cameras handy for quick shots. Even my six-year-old daughter can take great pictures with these. My other camera, complete with zoom lens, is reserved for more planned shots, where I can take time to line up my shots and experiment a little.

So, before your next photography session, whether it be a camping trip, a birthday party, or just some sports fun in your backyard, consider the storybook approach to snapping your photos - beginning, middle, and end - and tell the whole story, with your pictures.

Scrapbook layout ideas

2007-11-03T22:09:00.000-07:00

You have bought all of the needed supplies and have studied the latest scrapbooking magazines. You are ready to create your first scrapbook page but aren't sure how to start. Follow this step by step guide to designing a scrapbook page.

Select and Size Photos

Depending on the size of your scrapbook, select three or four photos of a related subject. It is a good idea to keep copies of the photos you place in a scrapbook or at least have the negatives available.

If there is too much unwanted background in the photo, try cropping it to a desired size or shape. There are different templates available for shaping your photos into circles, squares, stars, or other shapes. Once you decide what size and shape would best suit the photos, carefully trim away the edges. Trim a little at a time, you can always go back and take off more.

Select Color Scheme

Once all of your photos are cropped to your liking, study them to determine if they have a similar color scheme. Look for similarities in the background colors or the clothing color of the photo's subjects. The best color selection will accent and compliment your photos. To figure out which colors look the best, try laying your photos on a few different colors of cardstock paper. Choose the color that best accents the photograph. Using one color for the background page and another color for matting your photos creates a great looking layout.

Select Page Decorations

After selecting and cropping your photos and choosing the background paper, you are ready to select some page decorations. Stickers, die-cuts, punches and stamps are all great items to use as decorations on your scrapbook page. Choose embellishments that compliment your photos or the theme of your layout. If your layout consists of birthday pictures, use stickers of balloons and confetti to make a party theme.

Stickers, stamps, punches and die-cuts can be bought in many shapes and objects at a scrapbook or craft store. You can make your own accessories by tracing or drawing objects, cookie cutters make great templates. Or use your computer to print out clipart on acid free paper. Keep in mind that less is more when using embellishments, the focus should be on your photographs, not on the accessories.

Matting is a simple but elegant way to embellish your layouts. Matting is done by laying your photos on a piece of cardstock paper and cutting a 1/8 to Â½ inch border around the photograph. Matting gives the photos a finished or framed look. For added effect, try placing several mats of different colors behind your photos.

Once you have cut your mats into the desired size, simply glue or tape the photos to the mat.

Include Journaling

Journaling is one of the most important parts of a scrapbook. Journaling provides important details about the events or people in your photos. A page topper or title is one way to tie the theme of the photos together. When writing your captions, follow the theme that you chose when you were selecting embellishments.

Add a quote, a title or lyrics of a song or nursery rhyme, or the title of the occasion to reflect your page's theme. Try writing directly on the page or try matting your title as you did with the photos. Page toppers can be made with acid free markers or by printing them on your computer.

After giving your page a title, include some information about the people in the photos or details of the events. At the minimum, try to include the name of the person in the photo and the date the photo was taken. For more detail and interest, you may want to mention where the pictures were taken or a narrative of the event. As with the page topper, you can hand write the captions or use your computer to print them.

Arrange the Layout

Before you permanently glue the items to the page, experiment with the layout. Lay the photos and decorations out on the page and move them around in different positions until you find the best look. It's okay if some items overlap, overlapping can actually enhance the look of your page.

Gluing and Taping

Once the layout looks exactly as you want it, secure your items to the page. There are several types of adhesives available to scrapbookers including glue, tape, spray adhesive and photo corners. Try using a few different items to see which you like best. Glue sticks work well for die-cuts, page toppers and other embellishments, securing them firmly to the page. For photos, photo tape or photo corners are good choices since they allow the photos to be removed if need be.

Glue or tape all of your items onto your page. Allow a few minutes for any glue to dry, then slide your page into a page protector and it is ready for your album. Follow this step by step guide to create many exciting scrapbook pages.

Scrapbooking ideas: a beginner’s guide

2007-11-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

An awareness for keepsake preservation has recently emerged. "Memory books", popularly known as scrapbooks, have captured the interest of young and old alike in many parts of the world. You, too, can enjoy constructing and presenting your own easy-to-make time capsules.

Rather than let snapshots of the precious moments in your life fade away in some obscure box gathering dust in the attic, lay them out in beautifully handcrafted pages that will forever showcase your joys and history.

Here’s how to get started with scrapbooking:

1. Buy the basic supplies. Visit your nearest crafts store, stationery or cards shop, or go to an online vendor to see what scrapbooking materials are available. Starter kits come reasonably priced, complete with easy-to-follow instructions. Buy only “acid-free” supplies because the acidic ingredients in many paper and adhesive products adversely reacts with the chemicals in photographs. Here’s a list of the basic scrapbooking supplies:

* Binders or albums

* Sheet protectors – transparent plastic sleeves that should made from polypropylene, polyethylene, or polyester -- not with PVC or polyvinyl chlorides

* Acid free paper – choose a variety of colors, designs and textures

* Adhesives – choose archival quality, acid-free, and photo-safe; available as glue sticks, glue-line dispensers, double-sided adhesive tapes, and photo splits and corners

* Pens for journaling -- choose acid-free, waterproof, odorless, and photo-safe

* Sharp scissors

* Other accessories -- fancy-edged scissors, paper punches, paper trimmers, circle cutters, stickers, rubber stamps, and templates.

2. Organize your photos and embellishments. Decide on a theme that will coordinate color, shapes, and style. Choose background and accent colors and textures. Consider framing and matting.

3. Crop your photos if there are extraneous backgrounds or unwanted elements within the picture.

4. Prepare your embellishments or decorations. Cut graphics and colored paper, draw, or use stickers and rubber stamps.

5. Scribble some words. This is called journaling. Add personal notes about the pictures and events you want to remember. Include names, dates, and anything that will add interest or highlight to the page.

6. Layout all the items on the background paper you’ve chosen, then carefully glue them in place.

7. When the glue has dried, slip the finished page into the sheet protector and bind them in the album.

There you have it – a scrapbook you can proudly show off to your friends and relatives.

Creative scrapbooking ideas for your kids: fun rainy day projects for children

2007-11-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

New parents don’t always realize just how fast the time goes by, but little ones don’t stay little for very long. It is important to find ways to preserve all the memories of milestones and important events so you and your children and grandchildren can reflect on them and enjoy them in years to come.

One current trend for capturing memories is through “scrapbooking”. However, some people may be intimidated by the amount of time involved in such a project, or by their perceived lack of artistic skills.

Another popular method is through baby books that can be found at many retail stores. These books are a bit easier to create, since the pages are already printed out and you can just fill in the blanks. However, they don’t leave as much room for creativity, and they don’t always include sections for the particular information you may want to include.

Calendars are a good way to keep track of things you want to record in a baby book or scrapbook at a later date. If you jot down the information or place a sticker on the correct date as the event occurs, it is easy to remember later when you have more time.

Simple scrapbooks purchased in retail stores are good for preserving items such as first birthday cards and party invitations. Rubber cement works well for attaching the cards to the pages since it dries without wrinkling. It is also possible to remove cards if you decide they should be placed differently. Another fun idea is to include bits of wrapping paper and tags from baby gifts, birthday presents, or Christmas gifts. Kids will enjoy having these little momentos of their early years.

Take lots of pictures. Even if you don’t have time to transfer them to albums or organize them chronologically, you’ll have them to look at later. Kids grow and change so fast, and you never get those moments back. Record big milestones, but don’t forget to photograph those little everyday things, too, like the first taste of strawberries that end up from cheek to cheek or the first time they see a flower. Also, remember that smiles aren’t always necessary. Photos of kids pouting in the corner are endearing, too.

Use that video camera! Some people don’t video often because they think it detracts from the moment. However, if the camera is used frequently, kids will be so accustomed to seeing it that it won’t be such a novelty and they’ll act naturally. Remember that it isn’t necessary to tape an entire birthday party—just record small frames of time that you find important. Again, don’t forget to tape the little everyday things, too. My favorite tapes are of my kids playing and singing when they had no idea I was there.

As your children get older and can carry on a conversation, conduct interviews with them and record their answers. This is a good way to remember what was important to them at various ages. Ask questions like, “Who is the most important person in the world?” and “How much does a pizza cost?”

Find unique ways to display outgrown baby clothes. One example is to fill a shadowbox with baby shoes. Create keepsake Christmas ornaments out of tiny socks or booties. Piece various articles of clothing together to make a quilt. Stuff T-shirts with fiberfill to create pillows, or frame a special dress or suit. Use your imagination, and the possibilities are endless here.

We all wish we could hang on to those special moments of our children’s lives. If we make a little effort, at least the memories can be around forever.

by Brenda Ruggiero

Craft a photo book for your baby

2007-11-03T21:47:00.001-07:00

Young infants and toddlers alike love to look at pictures of faces, people, and pets. There are so many books on the market right now that take advantage of this! Instead of buying a book full of strangers though, why don't you make your youngster a book of their own full of the people, pets, and things they love! Just follow the simple directions below and enjoy.

Supplies:

Scissors

Hole punch

Colored markers

General purpose paper glue

*Clear Contact Paper (available in rolls at arts and crafts stores)

8.5 by 11 card stock or heavy duty construction paper in a variety of colors

3 Small index card rings, or colored yarn (will be used to "bind" the book)

Pictures of family members, pets, or favorite images clipped from magazines

*Contact paper is a clear, plastic like paper that is sticky on one side and smooth on the other. It will be used in this craft to help protect the book pages from little hands and make them sturdier.

Directions:

1.Fold card stock or construction paper in half length-wise so you have a piece that measures 8.5 inches long by 5.5 inches wide. Cut in half at fold line. Create as many "pages" as you'd like for your book. Keep in mind that you will be putting pictures on both sides of every page except the front and back covers!

2. Create a cover page for your child's book. You can place a picture on the cover, or simple write something to the effect of "Bill's Picture Book". Cut out one extra page for the back cover of the book and leave it plain.

3. Lay out pictures in the order you wish, and glue them to your pages. It's fun and adds visual interest if you alternate page colors. You can also write simple one or two word descriptions of the picture such as "Daddy" or "Toy truck".

4. Once the glue dries, unroll a section of the contact paper large enough to cover the front and back of the page. Remove the backing paper from the contact paper revealing the sticky surface. Place the book page on the sticky side of the contact paper, then draw the contact paper completely over the other side so you make a "sandwich" out of your book page (there will be a layer of contact paper, the book page, then another layer of contact paper). Smooth out any air bubbles or ridges and make sure the edges are sealed. Trim the contact paper to 1/4 inch all the way around the book page. Repeat this step for every page of your book including the cover and back page.

5. On the left side of each book page punch three holes in even intervals. Make sure all the holes line up so your book will open and close evenly!

6. Using your index card rings, or yarn, thread through each of the holes to "bind" your book.