Scrapbooking Today

New Scrapbooking Website

2006-08-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

Our new website has launched along with many great new products!
http://www.leavingprints.myvoffice.com/shop/index.html

Birthday Chipboard Accordion

2006-02-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

NEW Birthday Chipboard Accordion Mini Album Kit
Give an intimate, handmade gift that shows how much you care with this darling Birthday Accordion Book. Perfect to place on your desk, coffee table or hearth. Can easily be assembled in only 1/2 hour.

View The New Kit

10 Tips In Better Photography

2006-02-22T21:06:00.000-08:00

Taking a good photo isn’t as hard as you may think. You don’t need the most expensive camera or years of experience, just 10 simple tips.

Enjoy!

Tip 1 - Use All Your Available Space

Don't be afraid to use all the space in your photo. If you want to take a picture of something, it's ok for it to take up the whole shot with no or very little background showing. Keep distractions out of your shot

Tip 2 - Study Forms

This is a vital aspect to photography. Understanding forms in your photos. Don't see an object, she its shape and its form and find the best angle to photograph it from. Form is all around us and I highly suggest you read as many books on it as possible.

Tip 3 - Motion In Your Photos

Never have motion in your photos if you are photographing a still object. If there is something moving while you are trying to photograph a stationery object, your photo won't turn out anywhere near as well. Also never put a horizon line in the center of your frame.

Tip 4 - Learn To Use Contrasts Between Colors.

Some of the best photos have shades of white, gray and black. You can take great shots with just one color on your subject, but the contrasts between colors in a shot is what makes you a great photographer.

Tip 5 - Get Closer To Your Subject

This is one of the biggest mistakes most photographers make, not getting close enough to their subject. Get up and personal and close the distance gap. You can always reshape and resize a good shot but you can't continue to blowup a distant object.

Tip 6 - Shutter Lag

Shooting action shots with digital camera's can be tricky due to shutter lags. What this means is, when you press the button to take the photo, it can take up to a second for the shutter to take a photo, by that time what you were photographing would have moved or changed somehow. This means you have to compensate for shutter lag by predicting what your subject is going to do and taking the photo just before it takes the action you want. More expensive digital cameras don't have this problem.

Tip 7 - Pan

If you are taking an action shot and your shutter speed is slow, pan with the object. Follow through with the subject, from start to finish and one of those shots will be a winner. You have more chance of getting a good shot if you take more then one photo.

Tip 8 - Continuous Shots

To pan like I suggested above you will need a camera that does continuous shots and doesn’t need to stop and process after every shot.

Tip 9 - How To Take Fantastic Night Time Shots

Night time shots can be spectacular, almost magical.... if done right! If not they can look horrible. Really horrible. Without adequate lighting, even good camera's can turn out crappy photos if the photographer doesn't know what he or she is doing.

Tip 10 - Study Your Manual

If your digital camera has a special night time mode, read the manual and follow their instructions on how to use it properly.

About The Author
Michael Colucci is a technical writer for http://www.photography-tips.org - A site that offers the latest tips on photography.

Coffee Filter Scrapbook Album

2006-02-14T22:36:00.000-08:00

Supplies Needed:

6 large cone coffee filters (natural color)
7 large tags (either make your own or purchased)
6 to 7 different pieces of patterned paper
4 to 5 different pieces of cardstock ( I use Bazzill)
Metal embellishments
Eyelets
Raffia by the yard
Several different fibers
Small circular tags
One flower
Brads
Stapler
Scissors
One frame (I made mine from fancy trim, you can also use a premade)
Walnut Ink (I use crystals diluted in water)
Microwave

Directions:

Take some newspaper and lay it out. Place your coffee filters on the newspaper spread out. Spray a nice coat with Walnut ink. Flip over and do the other side.

Please two of your coffee filters at a time on a papertowel and put in microwave for 20 seconds.

When all filters are dried place them together book style with all ridge sides facing together.

Staple the bottom of the book (this would be the narrowest point of the book, the opening of the filter is on top. Staple three times , evenly spaced.

Now take a filter from the bag , a piece of scrap cardstock and trace the filter onto the cardstock to make a template. When you cut it out go in about 1/4" from traced line to fit. (you may need to trim it in until you get a good fit. This template is for the background papers that are attached to the filters. Once you have the template use a corner punch to punch out corners. I had to use a sicissors for the bottom narrow part. Adhere the PP or Cardstock to backgrounds ..... embellish with fibers and metals or round tags that were walnut inked! (see photo's) I also made a smaller template to make a pocket ....just go in another 1/4" from the cut template and glue down only the edges to form a pocket add a decorative tag on top of that....

Tags.....add fibers to the ends and place them into the filter pockets! You can use the tags for photo's or journaling!

Embellish your book to your liking add photo's !

Using eyelets put one in the front center top and one in the back center top.....using fiber or Raffia to create ties to hold book closed.

Scrapbooking Business $1 Sign Up LAST DAY

2006-01-31T05:03:00.000-08:00

If you have been thinking about starting your own scrapbooking business, See what Leaving Prints can offer you!

Today is the last day of our $1 sign up promotion! If you want to get started with your own business or want to be able to purchase our products at wholesale, get started now before the $1 sign up is over!

Click Here to get started!

Love Scrapbook Poem- All You Need

2006-01-26T08:16:00.000-08:00

Here is an awesome poem that can be used for any love realted scrapbook layouts! This poem was found online with the author unknown.

All You Need

My eyes are here to see you
through times of doubt or strife
My legs are here to leap you
over obstacles in life
My hands are here to push you
a little further toward your dreams
My voice is here to teach you
life's not always what it seems
My arms are here to hold you
when you feel you're going to fall
My finger's here to point you up
when your confidence grows small
My heels are here to stomp you down
when you fail to hide your pride
My elbow's here to shove you
toward the truth when you have lied.
My tongue is here to talk you through
solutions you may seek
My fists are here to fight for you
whenever you're too weak
My shoulder's here to lean on
when your innocence is at stake
My lips are here to kiss you
down those paths you'd never take
My tears are here to flood you
with more grace than you can bear
My feet are here to walk you past
the times when life's not fair
My mouth is here to answer
to your every desperate plea
And my heart is here to love you
if my love is all you need.

Baby Scrapbook Page Ideas

2006-01-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking baby is so much fun! There are literally hundreds of page themes that would be prefect for any little prince or princess! Here are just a few of my favorite baby theme page ideas!

My Birth Story, The Story Of .....
Labor Of Love (for hospital and labor layouts)
Welcome Home Baby, 1st Day Home
Baby Feet, Baby Parts, Tiny Fingers and Tiny Toes
Pretty In Pink
Love At 1st Sign
So Small And Sweet
Sleeping Baby, SHHH Baby Sleeping
First Foods, Yummy Fruits, My First Foods
Bath Time, Tub Time, Squeeky Clean

Tag Book Project

2006-01-19T17:38:00.000-08:00

Materials:

6 Manilla Shipping Tags - 4 3/4 x 2 3/8"
Walnut Ink Spray Antiquing Solution
Pictures from Heartwarming Vintage Booklet - Seasonal
Striped paper from Life's Journey Map 6x6 paper pad
Dark Brown Shoe Polish
Red, Burgundy, green, mustard & brown cardstock scraps
Miscellaneous embellishments
Gold raffia
Scissors/paper trimmer
Adhesives

Instructions:

- To prepare tags, spray each with walnut ink spray antiquing solution and let dry.
- Using a brush, outline each with dark brown shoe polish.
- Select and cut out images from Seasonal Heartwarming Vintage booklet, layer on coordinating cardstock and affix to tags.
- Add embellishments as desired.
- Cut pieces of lined paper from Life's Journey Paper pad to cover back of tags.
- Add mustard cardstock to create joiners (each is 1" wide and 4 1/4" long scored at 1/2" wide mark).
- Add gold raffia to holes in tags.

Tag Book Designed by Heather Robinson. From www.CanadianCountryGifts.com - folk art, candles, handmade soaps, scrapbooking supplies, Email Parties, weekly specials, a free newsletter, and more free project ideas.

New Chipboard Mini Album Kit

2006-01-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

We have just launched a brand new mini chipboard album kit! Make 3 fun and easy chipboard mini books!

View Now

Making Chipboard Letters

2006-01-13T09:36:00.000-08:00

When you want chipboard letters that coordinate with your layout use this guide to make your own!

What You Need:

Glue
Chipboard
Pattern Paper
Sandpaper
Sticker Letters or Rub-On Letters
Clear Paint

Instructions:

1. Glue two layers of chipboard together and top with patterned paper. Use sandpaper to finish the edges

2. Add a sticker or rub-on letter on top of the patterned paper. Seal the design with a coat of clear paint.

3. Let the piece dry completely before adding it to your layout. Make a full alphabet at once so you have letters on hand.

That's it! You know have your own Chipboard Letters to match your scrapbook layout!

New Valentines Day Scrapbook Supplies

2006-01-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

We are excited to announce the launch of our brand new Valentines Day scrapbook supplies! We have added tons of new products just for Valentines Day!

Scrapbooking Step-by-Step

2006-01-10T06:14:00.000-08:00

Interested in learning how to scrapbook, but not quite sure how to begin? The following guide will help you get started with this fun and rewarding hobby. The guide explains how to organize your scrapbook photos, plan your scrapbook project, select your scrapbook album, create your album pages and store your scrapbook supplies.

Organize your scrapbook photos

If you are new to scrapbooking, the thought of organizing your photos might be somewhat overwhelming. Breaking the task down into the following four parts will help you get the job done:
1) Gather your photos from your drawers, closets, shoe boxes, etc. and bring them to a large workspace such as a dining room table,
2) Sort your photos chronologically and by event
3) Label the backs of some of your photos so that it's easy to identify what a particular group of photos is about, and
4) Store your photos in photo-safe products until you're ready to put them into scrapbook albums; products should say “photo-safe” and/or “acid-free and lignin-free.”

Plan your scrapbook project

Once your photos are organized, it is time to plan your scrapbook project. There are three things to keep in mind when deciding what your first project will be. First, use recent photos – work with photos that are less than one year old so that it will be easy for you to remember what they are about. Second, keep it small – choose a specific event (e.g., wedding, vacation) to start with rather than tackling a whole year’s worth of photos. Third, make it personal – use photos of an event that you were part of; this helps when it comes to journaling.

Select your scrapbook album

After you have decided what your first scrapbook project will be, it is time to select a scrapbook album. You will need to choose the style, size and design of the album. If you need help with your layout ideas, try our scrapbook page kits.

Style: There are two album styles – strap-hinge and post-bound; the names of the styles refer to how the pages are secured in the album. A strap-hinge album lies flat when you open it so that you can work on your page while it is in the album and then slip a protective sleeve over the page when it is done. With a post-bound album you work on your page outside of the album and then insert the page into a protective sleeve in the album when it’s done.

Size: Scrapbook albums come in a variety of sizes. The 12"x12" album is the most popular size, but there are a number of other sizes including 11”x8.5”, 8”x8”, 6"x6”, and more. The albums are usually expandable and vary as to the maximum number of pages they can hold.

Design: Scrapbook albums are available in many different colors, patterns and textures. You'll want to choose an album that fits with the theme of your photos - a white album for wedding photos, a pink album for baby girl photos, a festive-colored album for birthday photos and so on.
As long as you make sure the album is labeled as “photo-safe” and/or “acid-free and lignin-free”, it's fine to use any style, size or design.

Create your album pages

Once you have selected your scrapbook album, the fun really begins as you create your album pages. There are four components to an album page.

Photos: Select 4-6 related photos and crop (i.e., trim) each one so that it focuses on the most important part of the picture. Then arrange the photos on your album page; try a number of different layouts to see what looks best.

Border/Background: Use scrapbook paper, stickers and other embellishments to create a border/background that reflects the theme of your page. Mount your border/background and your photos on your page.

Journaling: Write about the who, what, when, where and why of your photos. You can have captions for each photo, write in paragraph format about the whole page, or use bulleted text to list the highlights.

Enhancements: Add scrapbook stickers, die-cuts or other embellishments to your page. Use just a few enhancements so that they compliment your photos rather than overwhelm them.

Store your scrapbook supplies

The proper storage and organization of your scrapbook albums and supplies is very important. Photos and certain scrapbook supplies can be damaged by heat, humidity, light, acid and lignin. Use storage products that are photo-safe and keep your albums and supplies in a temperature and humidity controlled room (i.e., not in an attic, garage or unfinished basement). In addition to keeping your scrapbook supplies safe, you will also want to keep them organized so that they are easy to find whenever you are ready to work on your albums. There are scrapbook organization products designed for storing your photos, pages in progress, albums, enhancements, paper, tools and more.

Using Fabric In Your Scrapbook Layouts

2006-01-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

The use of fabris in scrapbooking is pretty popular! Here are some good tips for using fabric in your layouts!

Tips & Tricks
~Run fabric through your Xyron for the easiest way to adhere to layouts.
~Use sheets or strips to tacky tape to adhere the fabric.
~Use sharp scissors when cutting fabric to prevent uneven cuts.
~After running fabric through a Xyron, use your punches or die-cut machine to make shapes from fabric.

Ideas
~Use as the background of your title.
~Use small squares of diffrent fabrics to add texture.
~Cut shapes from patterned fabrics to adhere to pages.
~Loosely weave strips of fabric for background or title
~Cut out letters for title.
~Use varying sizes and colors of circle shaped fabric for a background or border.
~Hand stitch fabric to a layout to create a pocket.
~Stitch tiny pillow and stuff with batting to create a 3-D object for your layout.

Don't Toss Your Scraps!

2006-01-06T19:24:00.000-08:00

You've finished the layout you've been working on for a couple of days, but somehow instead of all of the paper being ON your layout, you're left with a pile of extra paper that you've cut photo mats, titles, journaling blocks and embellishments from. It's a mixture of cardstock, patterned paper and vellum. You could just toss it all and start fresh with every layout, but let me give you some reasons why you shouldn't toss those "scraps".

Why should I save my scraps?

Scraps make great borders, decorative squares, and mosaics.
You can use them to make punchies with your large collection of punches.
You only need a little bit of paper to cut out the letters for a title.
Small pieces of paper can be used to create accents on handmade greeting cards.
Your children will love to "scrap" with you! Give them a pile of your scraps to get started.
It saves you money! (so you can buy OTHER scrapbooking things!)

How should I organize my scraps?

There are a few different ways you can organize your scraps, and whatever system works best for you is the one you should follow. My personal system includes separating your scrap paper into three categories: cardstock, patterned paper, and specialty papers. You can also get really ambitious and color code your scraps by storing them in separate file folders. I recommend a drawer or folder that is large enough to hold 12 x 12 paper, so that you don't need to cut your scraps down even more before filing them. You never know when you'll need a 12 x 12 border!

It is a good idea to clean out your scrap folders or drawers every once in a while. When my scrap supply gets out of control, I get rid of the smaller pieces of paper and hold on to the larger ones. It's actually kind of fun to go through my old scraps. Just like a quilter knows her fabrics, I can tell you how each paper scrap was used.

I've been saving my scraps since I first started scrapbooking. It's amazing how often I go to my scrap drawer and find the perfect paper to use on another layout or card. So often I find that I need just a small piece of paper in a certain color, and don't want to cut into a brand new piece. So don't toss those scraps; they can be used.

Article By: Andrea Steed is the author and creator of Scrap Tutor, a web site and CD-ROM that teaches you how to create scrapbooks and how to perform many popular techniques used in scrapbooking. For more information, visit http://www.scraptutor.com/info/mnms.

Top 10 Tips for Great Pictures

2006-01-06T08:52:00.000-08:00

Do you wish you were a better photographer? All it takes is a little know-how and experience. Keep reading for some important picture-taking tips. Then grab your camera and start shooting your way to great pictures.

1. Look your subject in the eye
2. Use a plain background
3. Use flash outdoors
4. Move in close
5. Move it from the middle
6. Lock the focus
7. Know your flash's range
8. Watch the light
9. Take some vertical pictures
10. Be a picture director

Start Your Own Scrapbooking Business In January

2006-01-04T16:06:00.000-08:00

Do you enjoy scrapbooking? Then why not turn your hobby into a business and get PAID to scrap!

The month is January is very exciting for us! This month you can join our exciting company for just $1!

That's right! Just $1 will get you started the month of January!

We have everything you need to get your business going and a compensation plan that can’t be beat! This is the perfect way to make money sharing what you love.

With this special promotion, you will receive the following:

* a copy of your Instructor Agreement form

* a copy of the Policies and Procedures section of our Instructor Training Manual,

* your own Leaving Prints™ identification number with its accompanying rights to build a team of your own as well as purchase Leaving Prints™ products at WHOLESALE prices.

This is an amazing opportunity for you to start the new year off with a fantastic new scrapbooking business! Leaving Prints™ helps you turn your love for scrapbooking into a profitable home business. We are an industry leader in showing people how to capture, cherish, and share life's most precious memories.

This promotion will only last this month! So get your foot in the door of our awesome company this month!

Want more info? Click Here or email Tara at info@designbytara.com

January Scrapbooking SALE

2006-01-02T19:07:00.000-08:00

COMPLETE Scrapbooking Kit Through the Years Kit w/ Uptown Album
over $100 worth of product! Only available at this price through January 31, 2006.

Complete 26, quick & easy pages that features a 2 page layout for each month of the year. Create in advance and add your favorite pictures each month or collect all your photos over the last year. You can easily assemble the entire album in just 2 hours!!

This is a wonderful gift to give completed to Grandparents or the perfect gift for those who are just getting started in scrapbooking.

Check It Out Now! Click Here!

Monthly Scrapbooking Club

2005-12-31T21:16:00.000-08:00

"Out Of The Box" (OOTB) is a monthly auto-delivery program. Each month a box full of new scrapbooking products, tools, and embellishments is delivered right to your doorstep. The kits feature a different theme each month, such as Spring, Mother's Day, Weddings, Family, Ancestry, Kids, and more!

Our products are beautiful and some of the best in the scrapbooking industry! If you are looking for a way to save money and keep up to date with the newest products, this is it! Join our monthly scrapbooking club and get enough products to create several layouts or cards!

Out of the Box is our playground to bring you new, innovative products. Each box contains a mixture of new products and current catalog products, along with embellishments and other fun ideas! Many times we introduce new products through Out Of The Box. Each monthly shipment includes tons of scrapbooking supplies such as papers, embellishments, stickers, fibers, and so much more!

Snowflake Shaker Box

2005-12-30T09:26:00.000-08:00

Materials Needed:

Snowflake & Text 12x12 Paper
Jolee's Snowflake Embellishment Stickers
Twinkle, Twinkle Star Stamp
White Ink Pad
Dark Blue Cardstock
White Cardstock
Double Sided Foam Tape Strips
Winter Scene picture or collage sheet image
Transparency Sheet
Confetti
Adhesives
Scissors/paper trimmer

Instructions:

Cut a rectangle of dark blue cardstock - make it large enough to matte the shaker box and and picture leaving some of the stamped blue showing outside the shaker box.
Stamp dark blue cardstock with the star stamp inked in white pigment ink.
Using double sided adhesive, tape photo centered in the middle of the dark blue cardstock. For the shaker box part of the page, measure the size of frame needed to cover the picture (also the size of the foam tape since you don't want the foam to show).
Cut out the shaker box frame from white cardstock.
Cut a piece of transparency barely smaller than your white frame.
Adhere the transparency to the back of the frame.
Attach the foam adhesive to to the back of the frame.
Place confetti in the middle of the picture and placed the frame on top of the picture.
Adhere the shaker box to the snowflake and text paper.
The final touch is to add 3 snowflake embellishments to the bottom to the page.

From www.CanadianCountryGifts.com . Sign up for their free biweekly newsletter by sending an email to ccg-request@newsletter.cndcountrygifts.com with `sub' as the subject.

Paper Bag Scrapbook Album How-To

2005-12-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

Paper bag scrapbook albums are quickly becoming a hot fad in scrapbooking! Who ever thought you could use lunch bags and grocery store bags to create totally cool scrapbook albums?

Well they do! These paper bag scrapbook albums are HOTTT and totally adorable! Here is a quick how-to guide on creating your own paper bag scrapbooks!

1- Collect four or five paper lunch bags of the same size and color.

2- Arrange the bags in a stack alternating open and closed ends.

3- Fold the bags in half and crease.

4- Bind the bags about a quarter inch out from the seam using stitching, ribbons or brads. If you are punching holes for ribbons or brads, because of the thickness of the bags, it is easiest to make a template and punch through one folded bag at a time. Using ribbons add some extra flair to your album! The albums that are put together using ribbon are very colorful and neat looking!

5- Cut cardstock papers to fit inside the bag as your pages.

6- Create coordinating tags to place inside the bags open ends. These can be used for journaling and additional photos. Use some fibers and ribbon and attach it to your tags, so they can easily be pulled out for viewing.

7- Decorate the cover and back of your paper bags. Try using stickers, paint, fibers, brads, and any other embellishments you see fit.

8- Attach your layouts to each page of the paper bag to finish the album.

Note that paper bag albums are not acid-free or lignin-free, so they should not be used for preserving one-of-a-kind photos. To help extend their life, you can spray them with an archival mist, but still use duplicate pictures or color copies.

Here is a completed Paper Bag Album!

Scrapbooking With Walnut Ink

2005-12-29T12:55:00.000-08:00

Walnut ink is very easy to use, and it can be used in many different ways. No matter how it is always has the same aged and worn effect.

To prepare the ink, mix 1 TBLSP of the walnut ink granules with 1 cup of hot water. If you want the ink to be lighter (more of a tea stain), add more water. If you want it thicker (like Indian ink), add less water. The mixture does not need to be refrigerated when you store it. Put a lid on it to keep it from evaporating, and it's good for a long time. Even if it DOES evaporate, no problem, just add some water to dissolve the residue in the bottom of your container and voila - more walnut ink.

To use it....try these different approaches:

Pour the ink into a zip lock bag, put the paper or cloth item you want to stain into the bag and let it absorb the ink until it's as dark as you like. Remove the item and lay flat on a paper towel to dry.

Sponge the walnut ink onto your paper. Use a paint brush or stipple brush to transfer the walnut ink onto your paper .

Put the walnut ink in a spray bottle, and squirt it onto your paper to get a spattered design.
Get your paper nice and wet with walnut ink, then sprinkle salt on the water paper, for another interesting effect.

Ink your paper while it's smooth; or crumple your paper before you ink it. Crumpling your paper breaks the paper fibers, and the broken fibers will absorb and hold more ink than the smooth fibers.....so your weathered look will be even more obvious.

It's a debate on whether walnut ink is archival or not. Walnut ink made from actual walnut shells is NOT acid free. However, some manufacturers are not using actual walnuts anymore to make their ink....and they claim that their product IS acid free. The trick is knowing which is which. So, unless your container expressly states that it is acid free, I would recommend that you avoid using walnut ink near photo's.

Scrapbook USA Expo

2005-12-28T22:23:00.000-08:00

For all of you scrappers in the Utah area, Scrapbook USA Expo is coming to your area!

When: May 5-6 2006
Where: South Towne Expo Center
9575 S. State Street
Sandy, UT 84070

You can register online at http://www.scrapbookusaexpo.com

Contest Call- Memory Makers

2005-12-28T22:15:00.000-08:00

For all of you avid scrappers, you can always submit yout finished pages to Memory Makers for possible inclusion in the magazine! You can submit your scrapbook layouts at
http://www.memorymakersmagazine.com/submit_ideas.aspx

Baby Hand Scrapbook Poem

2005-12-28T17:36:00.000-08:00

FINGERPRINTS
Sometimes you get discouraged,
because I am so small
And leave my little fingerprints
On furniture and walls.
But everyday I'm growing
And soon will be so tall
That all these little fingerprints
Will be difficult to recall.
So here's a little handprint
That you can put away
So you will know how my fingers looked
On this special day.

Scrapbook Pages Withc Magic Mesh

2005-12-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

Magic Mesh is a self-adhesive, respositionable decorative mesh that can be used to enhance many types of craft projects such as rubber stamp art, paper art, memory albums, etc. It is acid-neutral and non-toxic. It is available in a variety of colors, textures and widths.Use it to provide texture, dimension, color and excitement to your creations.

Paper Quilling

2005-12-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

Paper quilling is the art of curling strips of paper and assembling them into designs and figural representations such as flowers, butterflies and the like. Its roots are hundreds of years old.

How it's done:
You want to use paper strips that are about 1/2" wide. Roll tightly, letting the spiral roll go so there's a little space between the roll, and secure with glue. You can use a tool called a slotted quilling tool if you prefer: simply slip the paper strip into the slot and begin rolling. Once you have rolled the strip of paper, lightly pinch it together and slide the tool out. Use these rolls to create your designs, which can then be placed on your scrapbook page to add a decorative accent.

Scrapbook Photo Matting

2005-12-28T16:56:00.000-08:00

Use matting to make your photos, journaling, and memorabilia stand out on the page. Coordinate matting colors and textures with your photographs and memorabilia rather than detract from the subjects. Use a solid-color mat to blend in with the layout or a patterned mat to stand out. To create a simple photo mat, use a background paper or card stock that's slightly larger than your photo. Position the photo on the mat, and adhere it with archival-quality adhesive. Then trim the mat with straight- or decorative-edge scissors, a craft knife, or a paper trimmer.

Stamping Basics

2005-12-28T16:14:00.000-08:00

When you start out, stamping products can be confusing. Use this guide to learn the basics.

The number of stamping products on the market can seem overwhelming, but you can get off to a comfortable start with just a few basics and then build your collection over time. Choose stamps that you expect to use on multiple projects. Good early purchases include background stamps, geometric shapes, and alphabets.

Rubber stamps come in two forms: mounted and unmounted. Mounted rubber stamps come glued on wood or acrylic blocks with a cushion. They are ready to use but are often more expensive than unmounted stamps. Unmounted rubber stamps require you to cut out the images and mount them (permanently or temporarily) before use. Wood, acrylic, and even new magnetic styles of unmounted stamps are available.

Rubber stamps are easy to purchase. It’s the inks that often confuse a beginning stamper. Learning the properties of the various types of ink will help you make the correct choice for your project.

Dye Ink. General-purpose ink great for stamping on all types of paper. It has a very quick drying time, which makes it difficult to heat-emboss. It is normally permanent and waterproof. Dye ink soaks into paper and becomes more muted as it dries. It also can bleed or feather, causing the image to lose clarity.

Pigment Ink. Thick ink with a slow drying time that’s a good choice for heat-embossing. This ink does not soak into the paper but instead dries on the surface, producing a crisp stamped image. A heat tool speeds up the drying process. Pigment ink does not dry on coated glossy paper.

One versatile pigment ink is a watermark ink called VersaMark. Clear when stamped, it gives a watermark look to paper surfaces, creating subtle tone-on-tone images that vary in intensity depending on the color. VersaMark also can be used to create a resist image by stamping on glossy paper and running a brayer with dye ink over the top.

Permanent Ink. Also known as solvent ink, which dries by evaporation. The ink is designed for stamping on nonporous surfaces such as shrink plastic, glass, metal, and transparencies. Hybrid ink shares traits with both dye and pigment inks. Like a dye ink, it dries quickly, but like a pigment ink, it produces crisp images. The result is a soft, almost muted, chalklike finish, yet the colors are rich.

Scrapbook Paper

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Paper is the most classic scrapbooking supply you will choose. Paper comes in many styles, sizes, weights and designs and can be overwhelming especially to the beginning scrapbooker. Additionally paper can be used in so many different ways – the actual page to scrap on, mats, backgrounds and borders, punching, die cutting and more! We will begin “at the beginning” and work through a variety of types of paper and its typical uses in the art of scrapbooking.

General Guidelines

No matter what you are using the paper for, it is imperative that you use acid free paper. Acid is a byproduct of the process of making paper and while it has always been removed from high quality paper, it is not always removed from less high quality paper such as construction paper. Many everyday items – newspapers, cards, copy paper, etc. are likely not acid free. The acid causes not only the paper itself to fade and deteriorate, but the acid will also cause the photos and other items on the page to do so as well. Scrapbooking paper manufacturered specifically for the scrapbooking industry is generally acid free. If you are in doubt just ask before you purchase it!

It is also best to use lignin free paper. Lignin is a chemical naturally found in wood so it can be found in paper as well. It too can cause some of the same problems as acid, however, it is generally thought that lignin will react over a very long period of time – 100 years for example. However, most scrapbooking paper is lignin free and since paper is so often the basis of the page, it is a good idea to make sure your paper is both acid and lignin free.

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Scrapbook Sheets

Scrapbookers that choose albums that come with actual scrapbooking sheets (such as the Westrim Crafts Strap-hinge Albums ) do not need to specifially choose paper to scrap their photographs on since they will simply use the sheets that come with the album. However, if one chooses an album that uses top loading page protectors some typically come with the sheets and some do not. Only one sheet is included in each double-sided protector and not everyone wishes to scrapbook on one page back to back. Therefore, some scrapbookers choose cardstock to actual form the basis of their scrapbook page. One advantage of this system is that you can choose colored or textured cardstock for the background instead of always starting with a white page. Plus if you like to use a lot of paper in your scrapbook, your album will be less thick if you are not placing background paper on a scrapbook page. However, many scrapbookers prefer to use the strap-hinge system and there is no doubt that the scrapbook pages are generally heavier than cardstock and give the album page more support.

Scrapbooking Cardstock

Cardstock is a scrapbooking supply basic! Do not confuse cardstock with construction paper. Construction paper is not high enough quality to use in your scrapbook and will fade in a very short period of time. Cardstock can be used a variety of way for backgrounds and is also used extensively for matting photographs. It is a very simple enhancement to cut a piece of color coordinated cardstock approximately ¼” larger than your photo and put the photo on top of the colored cardstock. Cardstock is available in an unlimited number of colors. Traditional cardstock is not usually textured and is readily available in either 8 1/2 X 11 or 8 1/2 X 11 sizes. The newest scrapbooking album size – 8 x 8 – has created a new line of 8 x 8 cardstock as well. This cardstock works best for punching out shapes with a scrapbooking craft punch since it is not as thick as the textured cardstock.

One of the newest trends in scrapbooking cardstock is textured paper. Typically it has a lighter or white inside which makes tearing it produce a unique look for scrapbooking and making greeting cards or other craft projects. Bazzill Basics line of textured 12 x 12 cardstock is awesome. It is often found in monochromatic packages which give the scrapbooker a full color line of this heavy, high quality paper. Additionally Die Cuts with a View has a full line of textured paper with matching scrapbooking embellishments for a complete look.

Printed Papers

Printed scrapbooking paper is a must have for any scrapbooker’s supplies. It is available in almost any theme imaginable. While most scrapbooking paper is 12 x 12, there are also great 8 ½ x 11 printed papers. The Great Papers line from Rainbow World is a particularly nice line of 8 ½ x 11 printed paper usually available for a very reasonable prince.

Printed scrapbook paper can be used as the background for the scrapbook page. Matting pictures with solid cardstock on a printed background page is a classic look. Using the printed paper as the mat on a solid background can be effective as well.

One of the newest looks is photo real scrapbooking paper. From the ocean to seashells to grass to popcorn, there is a photo real paper for everyone! This paper can be very effective – especially in a double page layout perhaps using the photo real scrapbooking paper cut in half or torn on one side of both layouts.

Most printed papers are lighter weight which makes them easy to use as backgrounds on top of a scrapbook page or solid cardstock. However, several companies offer cardstock weight printed paper. Paper Loft has an especially nice line of printed cardstock papers as well as a photo real line.

Digital Scrapbooking

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It seems digital scrapbooking is getting a lot of attention lately! Every where I look I am finding digital scrapbooking graphics and software.

What is it all about any way?
Digital scrapbooking is a fun way to create scrapbook pages right on your computer. Many new scrappers are starting right into digital scrapbooking. Elements may be purchased that look exactly like real scrapbooking products.

So...in a nutshell, digital scrapbooking offers a new way to create beautiful scrapbook layouts without the hassle of lugging out all those scrapbooking supplies.

Scrapbook Journaling

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By journaling your pages you will transform an ordinary collection of photographs into a vibrant and visual storyboard - telling the stories behind the pictures, revealing hidden memories and emotions.

It will give your scrapbooks a unique and intimate feel, it is this personal touch that turns your albums into something very special.

That is the power of scrapbooking journaling and why it is one of the most important elements of your scrapbooks.

What to write...
When you are doing your scrapbook journaling think about the people who will read it in the future. Try and remember that they weren't there, give them as many details as you can so that they can relive your memories and stories for themselves.

One favorite scrapbook journaling technique is to write using the 5 W's method.

- Who :: who's in the photo, who took it and who else was present. It is important to name the people in the pictures you use. People change throughout their lives, especially children, so it is vital to tell readers who they are looking at.

- What :: what is the photo about? Describe what is happening.

- Where :: where is the event in your photo taking place? Give some background information.

- When :: when was the photograph taken? Give a specific date and include the year if possible.

- Why :: why did you use this photo? Does it show a special event like a wedding or a milestone birthday? Explain why it is so memorable.

Tell the story…

Don’t be afraid of scrapbook journaling. Just ask yourself, "What would I want to tell future generations about the photos on my page?" and then write it down.

A tip to remember is that all stories have a beginning, a middle and an end.

For example, a nice way to start off your scrapbooking journaling is to give your album a title page. Use one of your favorite photos and write down who or what your album is about, you can even include famous sayings, quotes or a special poem if you want.

This leads nicely onto the 'middle' part of your story, the actual scrapbook pages and when you get to the 'end' make a page about yourself. Perhaps use a picture of you working on one of the pages and explain why you have made the scrapbook

Scrapbooking Tips & Ideas

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Scrapbooking is a great hobby and a wonderful way to preserve your photos with style! The art of scrapbooking is not hard at all! All you really need is a creative mind and the urge to create masterpieces!

Once you have the general idea of scrapbooking down, use these ideas to create more meaningful pages!

Your Photos- The photos you use in your scrapbooking layouts will reflect the moment you want to save forever. Instead of having everyone pose for photos, try to take pictures without poses. The pictures you catch in action, also make great photos for layouts. If you use pictures that have been professionally taken or pictures that were posed for, try to also add some pictures that capture actions and faces, instead of all posed pictures.

Color Schemes- When you are selecting the color papers to use with your layouts, try to coordinate with your photos. This way you do not draw to much attention from the photos. When your pictures, paper, and embellishments coordinate with each other, your pages will stand out more than if everything clashes. If you have an idea for a layout and your pictures just don’t match, try to edit the pictures with any photo editor and make the pictures black and white, or sepia. These tones seem to work well with any color schemes.

Journaling- Once your page is complete, make sure you add your journaling! It is important to add your thoughts on the moments that were captured in the pictures. Journaling is a great way to express your feelings and a good way to save the memories for years to come. Journaling can be in the form of what was happening when the photos were being taken, where the photos were taken, your thoughts when you saw the pictures, or any thing that comes to mind when you think of the photos.

Simple Scrapbooking Tips

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The scrapbooks you create today will be your family's memories for many years to come. When you make your scrapbooks, remember that photos will last much longer if they are properly stored.

Here are several great tips to follow when you are creating new pages in your scrapbooks!

1.Use only acid-free, lignin-free products. Papers and stickers with a high acid content can, in time, damage your photos or cause them to turn to a yellow color.

2.Store your albums (and any photos that are not yet in albums) in a clean, dry area away from direct sunlight. Albums should not be exposed to extreme temperatures either, like those in a cellar or attic.

3.Use page protectors to avoid the smudges, oil, glue and dirt that are transferred from your hands.

4.NEVER use the sticky, magnetic page type of albums. If you have used these in the past, remove your pictures right away and store them in a photo-safe box until you are ready to mount them on acid-free album pages. If you have trouble getting the picture off of the sticky surface, try gently prying the picture up with a kitchen scraper. This type of album will ruin your photos and can damage the pictures if you ever try to remove them!

5.Make sure you always "journal" your scrapbook pages. Using your words to retell the events makes the scrapbook even more treasured, and also keeps us from forgetting the important names, dates, and places for each layout.

6.If you use memorabilia in your albums, be aware that it may be printed on acidic paper. Examples include certificates, tickets, awards, postcards, etc. Be sure that these items do not touch your photos because your photos will get damaged over time.

7.Do not ever crop your Polaroid photos. Doing so will cause the pictures to fall apart and be no good! If you have a lot of these, try using mats and frames over the photos to hide the white strip that often appears at the bottom.