Scrapbook Ideas

Heritage Scrapbook Ideas: Windows Of Time.

Wednesday, January 02, 2013 | By Unknown

See the nice heritage scrapbook ideas here. What better place to fetch a family photo than at a wedding? Annette Mortensen’s clan took the opportunity to capture a portrait of their posterity while celebrating her sister’s wedded bliss last spring. Green patterned papers make a beautiful background for the photo, which is framed in creamy satin ribbon. The icing on the cake is a charming pair of classic accents, which have been crumpled and smoothed out for added texture, resulting in a simple, but sophisticated layout.

So often we regard heritage albums as preservations of long-ago generation, but Lisa Francis shows us that when a beloved husband and father is lost, preserving the present is paramount. Lisa’s husband, Darrin, died three years ago after fighting a three-year battle with meningitis, leukemia, and a brain tumor. Since then, Lisa has paid tribute to her husband and the heritage they created together in the pages of her scrapbooks.
In this layout, Lisa uses vibrant color blocks as symbols of the energy and attention Darrin poured into planning birthday parties—and into the lives of his family. The poignant narrative penned by Lisa for their daughters, Delaney and Haley, makes this layout a true legacy of love.

Ah, courting ... standing when a lady enters a room, holding a door open, and a sweet kiss goodnight (on the cheek, of course!). It may seem old-fashioned, but wooing your sweetheart—be it your first date or your 50th anniversary—is never outdated. Nichol Magouirk pays tribute to the timeless tradition of courting in this layout about her grandfather, whose romantic gestures toward her grandmother included beautiful corsages on Mother’s Day and other special occasions. Stitching together strips of cardstock and using an eclectic collection of buttons, tags and other trinkets to spell “corsage” evoke a vintage feel. “I like the look of mix-and-matched metals,” Nichol explains. “It creates a ‘shabby chic’ look, and it’s also a great way to use your leftover letters and other metal accents.”

Scraps of ribbon, old-fashioned tags, silk flowers, and strips of torn paper can make a heritage layout rich in texture without overwhelming the real jewels—the photos. In Kim McCrary’s layout featuring her husband’s parents, the antique accents gently cascade around the photograph, which is offset to add even more charm to the page. The finishing touch is a romantic quote from author Jane Austen. “Of all the layouts I’ve ever created, this is my husband’s favorite,” Kim says. “His comment when seeing it was, ‘Mom and Dad never looked so good.’” Use these heritage scrapbook ideas for fun scrapbooking.

Simple Scrapbook Layouts

Saturday, December 08, 2012 | By Unknown

Simple scrapbook layouts for you. Due to a very busy time in my life, I put scrapbooking on hold until recently. It was about two weeks ago, that I got together with a few friends and we enjoyed a wonderful time chatting, snacking and scrapbooking! What I found interesting as I sat looking through some of the pages that I had completed a few months ago, was that I was happy with all of the work I had done. There was a variety of layouts that I looked at -- some had taken me a few hours to complete, others took no more than a half of an hour, but overall, I liked them all. As I sat looking through these layouts, I came to realize I have a few simple patterns that I tend to use over and over again, yet with different photos and color combinations. I also realized that these simple, timesaving layouts look just as nice as the layouts that took me two hours to complete.

Below I have shared with you several basic scrapbook layout ideas. By incorporating these simple patterns into your scrapbooking routine, you will find that scrapbooking can become much easier and you will be able to produce more beautiful pages in less time.

Idea #1: Corners
Using two different, yet coordinating pieces of paper, choose paper #1 to be your background and paper #2 to be the corners. By cutting off the corners of paper #2, you can then glue them directly on top of paper #1's corners. This method can be used on just two opposite corners, or all four.

Idea #2: Bordered
Using two different, yet coordinating pieces of paper, choose paper #1 to be the border, and paper #2 to be the on top. With paper #2, trim away an equal amount on each edge. Apply glue to the back of paper #2 and carefully position it on top of paper #1, with equal edges showing. If you wish, you can even take a third piece of trimmed-down paper and glue it right in the center, which will give the look of a matted frame.

Idea #3: Top Bar and Bottom Bar
Using any two pieces of paper, cut approximately two inches off of the bottom of one. Line up this two inch piece on the top of the other paper so that it creates a top bar across the paper. On this bar you may wish to give your layout a title. To create a bottom bar, simply place this two inch piece along the bottom of the uncut paper.

Idea #4: Side Bar
Using any two pieces of paper, cut an approximate one inch piece of the long side of one. Line up this long, one inch piece of paper, on the either side of the other paper.

Idea #5: Center Bar
A center bar is created in basically the same way that a top or bottom bar is created, expect that you glue the piece in the middle of the paper. With a center bar, you are able to make it larger than two inches, and you will most likely place photos on top of the bar.

Idea #6: Patches
Cut squares pieces from scrapbook paper and glue it in random order on another piece of paper.

With all of the basic ideas above, you will find that all you will have left to do is add your photos and you will have your albums completed in no time!

Do you have a simple way of creating scrapbook layouts for your scrapbook? Share your ideas with other scrapbookers in comments.

Scrapbook Ideas: Variation on a Scheme

Thursday, December 06, 2012 | By Unknown

Scrapbook ideas for simplicity.
I love classical music. Did you know that Beethoven’s 5th Symphony is the most recognized piece of classical music ever composed? You know the one—I’ll bet you’re humming it in your head right now. Did you also know that the entire symphony is composed of variations on the initial theme? While classical compositions are divided into a variety of sections or movements, some fast and some slow, scrapbooks are separated into a variety of schemes. A page scheme is the way the elements on a page are arranged.

One of scrapbook ideas is to help you streamline the process of scrapbooking. By helping you get your layouts done quickly, you can focus on creating theme scrapbooks that can then become your own family “classics.”

As a long time chronological scrapbooker, I had an ideas that each scrapbook layout I created had to be completely different than any other. With all the photos I have to scrapbook, this way of thinking was eating up hours of precious scrapbooking time. As I reviewed my favorite layouts, I realized if a specific page scheme worked once, why couldn’t it work again? It certainly worked for Beethoven! I would simply vary the elements of each scheme to fit the theme and feel of each scrapbook layout.

I put my scrapbook theory to the test using the scheme from a layout I love (Figure 1a). I chose other photos with the same vertical orientation, and by changing just a few simple elements—but sticking with the same basic scheme or arrangement—I was able to complete three additional layouts in record time, each having a uniquely different feel(Figures 1b–1d). Chances are, no one will even notice the variation on the scheme because the pages will be dispersed throughout my albums.

Variety in the Scheme of Things
As you become more comfortable with varying the elements of a scheme, you can begin varying the arrangement itself. I selected a basic scheme (Figure 2) and adapted it to fit my needs. For my layout in figure 3, I had two photos I wanted to include. Notice how I used the second photo in place of the journaling block and added a tag and basic journaling block to make up for the lost journaling space? I used the original scheme with the addition of the tag from the variation, then added a larger title with letter stickers (Figure 4). From elegant to playful in three notes flat!

I play my favorite pieces of classical music over and over. They become my favorites because they are familiar and composed of elements I love. I want my scrapbook pages to be classical works of art composed of the elements I love, too. Check out a few of my favorite schemes and go play—over and over again!

How to Find Dream Schemes

So how can you find your own dream schemes? Start with simple schemes that feature fewer photos.
Find or create schemes that allow you to change the elements in a variety of ways.
Go from elegant to bright and playful by choosing the colors, papers, and accents that match the “mood” you want to create.
Select elements you enjoy using most, and create schemes that include them. (Obviously, I love tags!)
To maintain visual balance of your page, interchange accents on your layouts that are approximately the same size.
Once you’ve gathered a variety of basic schemes, organize them into categories according to the number and orientation of photos (vertical, horizontal, or a combination).
Create sketches or keep reduced copies of basic schemes together.
Want to get the most out of the process? Work with one or two schemes at a time to create several pages, exhausting the creative possibilities. This will build your confidence and help you get more scrapbook ideas and help you get more scrapbook pages done.

Figure 1a. Begin by identifying a favorite layout; use its scheme as a pattern for new layouts.
Figure 1b. Simply replace key elements to adapt your page scheme to new themes or events. With a new photos and accents, this page has a new look and feel.
Figure 1c. Here’s a Christmas variation on our theme. A black and white photo and classic colors, fonts and accents give this page a timeless feel.
Figure 1d. Here’s another completely “fresh” variation that came together in minutes with ready-made tags as accents.

Figure 2. A good, basic scheme has simple lines and elements that can be easily interchanged.
Figure 3. A few simple changes produces an “appealing” new look using the same basic scheme.
Figure 4. “Play around” with varying your basic scheme to fit your needs.

I like to organize my page schemes according to the number and orientation of photos that appear on them. Here are several to get you started. Keep in mind you can mix and match individual schemes to create two page spreads and adapt 12 x 12 schemes to work with an 81/2 x 11 page format.

Scrapbook Ideas: Creating a Photo Mosaic

Sunday, October 28, 2012 | By Unknown

You have no some new scrapbook ideas? Sometimes after you have been scrapbooking a while, you might become frustrated with doing the same old things over and over. I know that this is the case with my scrapbook buddies and I! In an effort to keep our scrapbooking fun and different, we brainstormed ideas for creating new scrapbook pages and came up with one idea, which is just a variation of a project many people have done before. This scrapbook idea is called Photo Mosaics. Have you ever create a mosaic before? Well, a mosaic is traditionally created with colored glass or tile and it is usually laid in a decorative way in cement or plaster. This beautiful method is the perfect change in pace we were looking for and the more we thought about it, we realized that it could definitely be done with photos.

Creating a photo mosaic is even easier than creating a tile or glass mosaic and when you are done, you will end up with a scrapbook page that looks absolutely fantastic! Here are some basic tips to creating your own:

1) The first important step is to your mosaic is to determine which photos you will use. Depending on the actual size of your photos, you will probably want to chose about 4-8 photos, which will work well for a 12"x12" or 8.5"x11" size page.

2) After you have determined which photos you will want to use, you may wish to crop them. I prefer to leave them uncropped which allows me to discard certain squares as you will see in step # 5.

3) With your photos in hand, you are now ready to cut them into equal sized squares. The easiest way to cut your photos will with a craft knife, a ruler, and a cutting mat that had a grid on it. Cut each photo in strips from the top to the bottom. Then take each strip and cut off squares. The most important things to remember is you want your squares be equal in size, for this type of mosaic.

4) After you have cut your photos into equal sized squares, you are now ready to create your scrapbooking page. Spend sometime laying out your pieces so that you will have the look you want - before you glue. To create the actual mosaic, you want to be sure that a small amount of your background paper shows through on all edges. My preference is to use the entire page for my mosaic, while leaving a 1/2" border on the edges for some journaling.

5) If you didn't crop your photos (which is what I recommend), you will find that there may be parts of a photo (usually on the edges or corners) that you can do without. To continue with your mosaic theme, you can remove these squares, but fill them in with squares from one of the other photos, which will create an overlapping effect.

6) Glue your squares in place.

The steps above are for creating uniform squares, but if that is your not your style, you may want to try creating your mosaic with fun shapes. Using your stencils, trace the shape you wish to use (like a heart, circle, etc.). Cut out your shape and then cut it into random sizes pieces, just as if you were making a puzzle! After your pieces are all cut, glue them together just like the steps above. Voila! Good scrapbook ideas! A scrapbook page your friends are sure to admire!

How To Include Your Scrapbooking Memorabilia On Your Scrapbook.

Monday, January 02, 2012 | By Unknown

Scrappers loves to hold onto scrapbooking memorabilia and mementos. Envelopes and scrapbooking - what a beautiful union. It's no surprise that scrappers are using envelopes in their layouts. Not only are they made of paper - a main staple of scrappers - but they also hold "stuff". We scrappers like things that hold stuff. Have you ever visited an online scrapbook community or read one of the several scrapbook magazines? I have and I see two common factors: scrappers have a lot of stuff and scrappers want ways to hold their stuff.
These little pieces of our lives help us to remember a certain time, place, and feeling. There are many ways of storing all that stuff in your layouts. Read on to find some great ways of using and creating envelopes in your scrapbooking.
As you probably know, there are dozens of varieties of envelopes. I enjoy using envelopes in my layouts, but I usually prefer to make my own. To make my own envelopes, I take an existing envelope - even one that was sent in the mail to me - and I carefully open it up. I then take the envelope and trace it on pattern paper or cardstock that fits the design of my layout. I cut out my new envelope and fold it in the same manner as the one you traced. Glue flaps as necessary.
Most of the envelopes I use in my scrapbooking are smaller than what is usually sent through the mail. Luckily, taking a standard mailing envelope and reducing it in size is easy with the use of a copy machine or scanner and printer. This way, you are able to create just about any size of envelope you wish.
My favorite paper for creating envelopes is vellum. I like the look of vellum and have made envelopes from just about every color there is. Another favorite is any paper that is double-sided. If a paper is double-sided, it will show both patterns or colors once I finish folding my envelope. Almost any paper will work for creating envelopes; choose one that will work best for your page.
Over time, I have accumulated several different envelope templates. If you keep your eyes open, you can also find a variety of envelopes to use. I have found that envelopes from friends in other countries and greeting card envelopes tend to provide you with the most variety. The next time you are sorting your mail, look at it with a new perspective - could that envelope look charming on one of your layouts?
Envelopes hold just about anything you want them to hold. Here are just a few ideas:
-Journaling that you wish to have slightly hidden
-Journaling that you want to dress up a bit
-A tag - either as an accent or with journaling on it
-Lock of hair
-Jewelry
-An actual letter someone sent you
-Important documents
-Notes to be opened at a later date
-A card you received
-Photos
-Money, such as a child's first dollar
-Any page accent
Here are some great ways to use envelopes and how you can make yours unique.
    Create an envelope and let only the very top of your journaling show. This method is best when you aren't hiding the journaling.
    Create a clear (white) vellum envelope and place your journaling inside, so that it shows through the envelope, without your reader having to pull out the paper.
    Don't feel limited to just one envelope. Add several small ones to a page, with each holding different items.
    Rather than gluing your envelope together, sew it.
    Don't glue your envelope together - trace it, cut it, and fold it. Unfold it and add your journaling to the "inside" of the envelope. Fold it back up and secure with ribbon, a paper clip, or other closure.
    Be on the lookout for other materials that you can make envelopes with such as tissue paper, old greeting cards and calendars, fabric, and more.
    Create an envelope and mat your photo directly on it. The envelope behind the photo now saves space on your page.
    Envelopes don't have to hold stuff -- create an envelope and embellish it for a stunning page accent.
    Creating a unique look - once you've assembled your envelope, tear off a top or side portion of the envelope. Then use the envelope to hold a tag or scrapbook journaling.
    To give your envelope an aged look, chalk or ink the edges before folding and gluing it.
I hope these ideas will help you to create your own ways to store your scrapbooking memorabilia.
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Your Personal Scrapbook Ideas: How to Create.

Friday, December 23, 2011 | By Unknown

If you are looking for a creative scrapbook ideas you should read this article. If "a picture's worth a thousand words", then imagine the power of a thousand pictured words. Sometimes pictures keep secrets. They don't always tell the whole story. Complementing pictures with the written word can shed some light on these secrets, a light unique to you and your experience. The lens of a camera can't catch everything. Wielding words can add feeling and flavor to your scrapbook like nothing else.

Once you have an experience to scrapbook, picture it in your mind. What do you see? What ideas come in? Now picture it with words. What words best describe the experience? What aspects need embellishing? What hidden things do you wish to expose? What words will help others to see your subject and ideas the way you see it? Try this exercise, even if that other person is just you.

Start the flow to generate some scrapbook ideas .

Give yourself one minute. On a sheet of paper begin writing about your subject. Write down anything and everything about it that pops into your head. Don't stop until the minute is up. You may be surprised at the outcome.
Consider the photographs you will use. Use words which state the obvious to embellish certain features.

Go beyond the picture and reveal the rest of the story. Details only you know. Your story. Your scrapbook ideas.
It may take only a few vivid words. Sometimes concise phrases can express your train of thought better than a long series of sentences with correct grammar. However, your story might require such lengthy descriptions, or journaling.
Explore the parts of speech.

Use action verbs to give your experience hands and feet and heart.
Vary them in tense, past or present. embarked - pushed - climbing - flying
Use adjectives to describe. bright - breezy - fresh - exciting - exhausting

Adjectives can also illustrate emotion. eager - driven - free - fulfilled
Use adverbs to embellish action. They can tell how things happened. Your picture may show a girl swinging. How did she swing? high - far - gently - independently - alone

Phrases can also act as adjectives (describing things) and adverbs (describing action). with a gentle push - all by herself - into the air - toward the shining clouds - giggling all the way down
Keep in mind the importance of nouns. Nouns tell who is pictured and how they are related to others. niece - seven-year-old - second grader - future aviator
Common nouns name a thing. swing - girl - park - trees - sunshine - springtime

You may want to get more specific with proper nouns. Erica - Uncle John's Face Plant Park - Monday, March 8, 2011
Pronouns rename the noun. These words can be vaguely personal. she - herself - I - someone - many
Prepositions can be the springboard for phrases. up - above - with - toward - into

Conjunctions connect and may prove especially significant to your experience. she and I - so close yet so far away - not only my niece, but also a mirror of me
Interject expressions or exclamations. Wheeee! - hee-hee-he-he
Take this farther to include a soundbyte of the experience. Shwoooosh! - Errrreek, errrreek.
Use the list of prepositions, pronouns, interjections, and verbs. Use them as springboards.
Write the spoken word.

As you picture your experience, don't forget to write down what you've heard as well as what you've seen.
What sounds fill the background? bird chirping - children yelling and playing - breeze rustling the leaves in the trees
What things were said? Look how high I'm going! - I see over the trees! - Can you give me another push?

You don't necessarily need to record the whole conversation. The parts of it you remember are probably the most important. In fact, sprinkling only bits of the conversation throughout your writing can be very effective.
Who said it? Erica: Can you take me to the park to swing? Pleeeease? - Me: (smiling) Oh, all right!
The only words you use may be an entire conversation in script form (like above).
How did they say it? "I just felt my tummy jump!" She shouted down to me, between the giggles.

What potential words of wisdom can you glean? Everything looks better when you're swinging above it. -- Erica
Dig through a dictionary or thesaurus. Once you find a word, define it.
Make up your own definitions of real words or words that may not even be found in a dictionary: inside jokes, made up words, mispronunciations, names, etc.

Be redundant and say the same thing several different ways. carefree - lighthearted - blithe - untroubled - content
Utilize on-line dictionaries and thesauruses.
Utilize your ABC's for scrapbook ideas.

Find a word for each letter of the alphabet that define you or the experience you're scrapping. This is a good exercise whether or not you incorporate each word.
Go farther and define each word you choose.
Go even farther and journal about why that word fits.

Incorporate these words into your journaling and accentuate them (in bold, italics, bigger font, etc.). For an added challenge, incorporate them in alphabetical order.
Don't forget your 123's. Try Roman numerals and spelling them out.
Incorporate time. Not only the 24 hours in a day. Go beyond into the minutes and seconds that were lived.

Be poetic (even if you can't rhyme).
Summarize your experience in one word. Then create an acrostic.
Acrostics can be composed in practically limitless ways...
Each line can contain one word (Jaunts / Outings / Yesterdays) related or unrelated to the others.
You can include the word's definition on each line.

They can express one thought, or many, each thought begun with the appropriate letter of your main word.
Create phrase poetry. The only rule is that the words beginning each line have the same endings.
Try haikus to create anusual scrapbook ideas.
Pick descriptive words that rhyme. Can't rhyme? Make WriteExpress Online Rhyming Dictionary your new best friend.
Go beyond yourself and delve into another's related experience.

Glean quotes from scrapbook sites.
Incorporate related Bible verses or proverbs. Look up Bible verses from several different translations at BibleGateway.com.
Excerpt a part of a book: your favorite, travel books, magazines, how-to's, used, outdated, etc.

Use lyrics from your favorite song, or lines from your favorite movie or TV show.
Try saying the same thing in another language. Use translation tool. Works well as backgrounds or hidden journaling. Don't forget to archive an original translation as well.
Interview those who shared the experience with you.

When scrapbook an ideal, like faith or joy, get your friend's and family's view.
Pass on the things your mother always told you.
Record things that you or those you know say often.
Archive family anecdotes (like the ones your uncle always told whenever the family would get together).

Write down things other people have told you that have impacted your life.
File notes you've taken at an event.
Write what's significant to you. Once you have, set the photos aside for a moment and re-read your own words to savor the picture you have painted.

Now that you've added words to your picture, think of in terms of your scrapbook layout idea or design. Which words should be featured in the foreground? Which ones will you fade into the background? Will you snap a close-up (a few accentuated words) or go for a landscape shot (words tied together with journaling)? What do you wish to expose? What aspects do you want to keep hidden? Choose your angle and get your pictured words ready for exposure.

Cast the characters. It's can be a great source for new scrapbook ideas.

The way you picture your words depends on how they relate to your experience.
What parts of the picture are most important to you?
Which words best describe those parts?
What is characteristic about those words?
Do they stand out? Or do they play more like background music?
Can you sum it all up on a few significant words? Or do you need to elaborate through journaling?

Set the scene.

Once you've picked your words, consider how you will picture them. What scrapbook ideas you can realise? You may already have a picture in your mind - how do those words fit into it? Words, having their own definitions, almost design themselves, based on the font you choose.
What design comes to mind when consider the meaning of those words in light of your experience?
Say your words out loud. They way they sound can contribute to the design.
What do you have to work with? What materials do you still need?
And most importantly ...what font will you use? Haven't a clue? Check out web-sites.

The best cure for design block is to surround yourself with designs. Peruse design galleries and see how others have pictured their words. Think of ways you could incorporate their scrapbook ideas.
Your picture is set. You've found your angle and your focus. Everything looks perfect through the "viewfinder". All that's left is to snap the shot. The words you've fashioned wait to be designed and incorporated into your layout. Expose your scrapbook to your pictured words.
Other scrapbook ideas include:

Handwrite your own journaling, to make it personal.
Design your own style of lettering and use it in your layouts.
Visit your local scrapbooking or craft store and you'll discover a variety of pens, pencils, and markers: classic colors, fluorescent, metallic, thin, thick, super-thick, paint, gel, watercolor, and so much more.

Every scrapbooker loves their fonts, so design your words on the computer. You can print your words on all different colors and patterns of paper, cardstock, vellum, transparencies, and even fabric.
Once printed, cut out whole words to use as headers or embellishments, or take some more time to cut out each letter and adhere in place on your page.
Print your words on your background, pre-designed to fit your layout, and leave the page as is.

If you look hard enough you'll find word stamps for any scrapbook layout. Stamped words can be heat embossed. Words fresh from your printer can also be heat embossed.
Incorporate die cut words or cut outs.
You can find stickers with all kinds of alphabet fonts and design.

Try hidden journaling.
Add your words to tags.
Visit a used bookstore and purchase some old books and sheet music. Use their pages as backgrounds.
Explore resale shops for old clothes with logos, labels, and fabric you can use.

Purchase a spare dictionary and thesaurus and clip out definitions or synonyms for more ideas.
When writing about a location, add a map of the place to the picture. Search Internet for several different kinds of maps you can print off for your word pictures.
Incorporate scanned or photocopied pages from a family Bible, your diary, or other documents.
Rub your words onto bottlecaps, metal tags, and mica.

Frame your words with bookplates, slide mounts, and specimen slides.
Visit scrapbooking manufacturers' websites and you'll find dozens more products and ideas to help you picture your words.
What ideas and experiences in your life are waiting to be exposed? Capture them in your scrapbook. The scrapbook ideas are endless when it comes to picturing your words.

Scrapbook Ideas for a Themed Scrapbook.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011 | By Unknown

A themed scrapbook can be created with one theme. This scrapbooks can be dedicated to a specific event or occasion, such as:

Trips: vacations, cruises, camping, skiing

School: first day, graduation, prom night

Birthdays: each birthday in a different color

Weddings and anniversaries

Baby: first year, christening, baptism

Reunions: family, school

Family history: each member of the family can contribute a page or section

Annual events: Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, New Year's

Clubs and organizations: historical societies, gourmet groups, adventure clubs, scouts, theatrical, Little League, soccer, football, swimming, gymnastics, dance

Other: building or remodeling a home, photo of the month, grandparent's album, recipe book, poetry and thoughts, inspiration, business promotion

Scrapbook Materials:

Scissors
Punches
Paper cutters
Glue sticks
Double-stick tape
Pens
Acid-free paper
Laminate
Envelopes
Calligraphy or other stylized writing instruments
Photographs
Optional: alphabet stamp sets, embossing inks and powders, stamps, stickers, computer images

Tips for a themed scrapbook:

Begin with the result in mind. Tell a story with the photos you take, and keep notes and souvenirs to add to the book.

Don't spend much money on the album. Buy plain, inexpensive albums, then dress up the insides and outsides with decorated laminated sheets.

Keep photos in an acid-free file. These become the master photos. Make copies of photos to put in memory books. That way, you can have copies enlarged or reduced so the photos are different sizes.

Copy several photos on one large sheet, and cut them apart to save money rather than copy each photo individually.

Old yellowed letters and papers can be copied so they turn out white.

To make photos look old, photocopy colored photos in black and white, then deckle the edge with scissors or a deckle cutter.

Use acid-free paper, and laminate each page so your album will last a lifetime.

Western Scrapbook

Materials:

Photos
Copies of photos
Denim jeans
Inexpensive acid-free three-ring binder
Flag-patterned fabric
Laminating sheets
Paper punches
Decorative-edged scissors

1. Have photos copied in various sizes. Place several photos on one sheet, and cut the copies apart.

2. Copy the seat of a pair of denim jeans with back pockets for background. Copy the leg of the jeans for a plain denim background.

3. If you want to introduce a Fourth of July theme, so you can copy a piece of flag-patterned fabric.

4. Laminate the copy of the flag fabric, and stick it to the cover of an acid-free three-ring binder with acid-free double-stick tape.

5. Laminate the copy of the denim fabric. Place copies of photos on the background, and decorate with cutouts that fit the theme - in this case, a blue ribbon, star punches and written messages. Cut the edges of the photos with decorative-edged scissors.

Old-Fashioned Scrapbook

Materials:

Black-and-white photos that have been copied
Acid-free black paper
Acid-free pen with white ink
Decorative-edged scissors
Hibiscus-patterned rubber stamp
Acid-free white inkpad
Embossing powder
Heat tool for embossing

1. Cut the edges of copied black-and-white photos with decorative-edged scissors. Stick the photo onto black acid-free paper with acid-free double-stick tape. Outline the photo, following the decorative-edged design, with an acid-free pen that has white ink.

2. Load a hibiscus-patterned rubber stamp with white ink. Stamp the image on the black paper near the photo. Apply embossing powder to the image, and heat to emboss with a heat tool.

A themed scrapbook lets you bring back the emotions of the event or occasion and make it fun to look in the future.

Heritage Scrapbook Ideas With Or Without Photos.

Monday, August 29, 2011 | By Unknown

Here are some heritage scrapbook ideas to honor your heritage. Scrapbooking your family heritage is a wonderful way to document for future generations everything you know about your ancestors. When family photographs are available, and are in good enough condition to use, it's fairly simple to use them in scrapbook layouts. However, if photography is hard to come by or non-existant, it's still possible to include the information you have about your family members by thinking creatively. Consider all the different items you have available that can be included in your heritage albums.

Photocopies

Good laser-printed copies of photographs can often be easier to scrapbook than the originals. They can be resized and color-corrected, and some areas of damage can be mended with the right graphics software. Best of all, these copies can often be saved to a disk or CD for later use or sharing among family members.

Documents

Whether you have originals or photocopies, documents can be included in scrapbooks, and are a delightful addition in many cases. Look for:

Birth certificates
Birth announcements
Christening invitations
Graduation announcements
Marriage announcements or certificates
Wedding invitations
Military records
Bible record pages
Newspaper articles
Census records

All of these documents can tell about a portion of your family's history. Combine them in layouts with journalling telling what you know about the particular event. If you are using original documents, be sure you de-acidify them and mount them non-permanently on acid-free papers. Often, it is simpler and safer to use high-quality laser-printed copies.

Memorabilia and Ephemera

Medals
Jewelry
Buttons
Pins
Ticket Stubs
Greeting Cards
Postcards
Maps

Basically, any items that have been passed along in the family, are found in your attic, or even those that have been aquired at thrift and antique stores can be used in your scrapbook layouts. As long as the item helps you tell the story of your family and the times in which they lived, it can be incorporated into your heritage album. If the items are small enough, use them directly on your pages, or incorporate small pockets into your layouts to hold them. If you're not a fan of dimensional pages, put the items on a scanner or photocopier and use those flat images instead. Include any information about the items you've chosen and how they relate to your family members.

Other scrapbook ideas for items to use in heritage layouts include copies of census pages, historical photos from the area in which your family lived and newspaper clippings of historical events. All of these items can be used to give a feeling of the appropriate time period when actual photos of your family are unavailable.
These heritage scrapbook ideas can give your family a peek into their ancestors' lives.

A Random Scrapbook Ideas.

Friday, March 18, 2011 | By Unknown

Travel scrapbook ideas. Buy at least one postcard each place you travel (even if it just to a nearby city) and write the date, events of the trip, and who was there. Write quick notes about fun experiences on the trip and then mail it to your home. For long trips try to write yourself a postcard each day.
When you return home put these postcards with your travel photos and memorabilia. Later when you scrapbook the events, not only will you have a great collection of postcards to add to your scrapbook layouts but you will have the details needed to get your journaling done!

I literally, picked up an old shutter at the side of the road and now use it for a photo/memorabilia/reminder board in my scrapbook "area". After salvaging, I sanded, painted and glued strips of thick cardstock to the back and bottom of each slat. This created a hidden ledge to rest a photo, card, or list on. I love it and it is a great conversation starter. (And helps my scrapbook table clutter free when not in use)

If I ever get stumped while scrapping, I sit down with my little boy and a watch a video. It really helps to get the creative juices flowing. Fantasia is nice too. I think it's the combination of classical music and art that helps to inspire me. Scrapbooking really is an art.

Journaling scrapbook ideas. The best way to get past writer's block when journaling is to do what writers do: keep writing. Feel free to jot down drivel on your scrap pad; you have the freedom to write drivel every now and then! The important thing is that by keeping on writing, you will eventually get back on track. You can't write anything good if you're not writing at all!

Cure ho-hum journaling by focussing on action words, a.k.a. verbs. After you've drafted a paragraph, re-read it and replace the blah phrases such as "we went" or "we enjoyed" with more interesting and specific phrases such as "we ambled" or "we giggled." By focussing on strong verbs, you'll infuse your journaling with energy and interest. Verbs rule!

Vacation scrapbook ideas. When my family is on vacation I always mail a post card home addressed to my 3yr. old daughter. I also buy a duplicate post card which I pack away in my luggage. I write about where we went and what my daughter did for fun while on our trip. When we arrive home my daughter has a post card that I put in her scrapbook. I take the duplicate card and have one for the front showing the picture and one with the journaling that has been post marked.

When I go on vacation, I keep a daily journal. At the end of the day, when my husband and son go to sleep, I sit in the hotel room and write myself a letter about our daily excitement. When I get home, my journaling is done! For my last Disney trip, I created my scrapbook pages, numbering each one on a paper punched Mickey head. When the book was completed, I typed up my journaling, referencing the pages showcasing photos on the subject. To "read" my travelogue, you take the journaling booklet, read along, and turn the pages of the scrapbook as indicated. This has enabled me to create the scrapbook without worrying about pulling the correct journaling sections for inclusion on the actual page, and enables me to include journaling without the worry of fitting it on my pages.

Before going on vacation with my husband and boys I purchased three spiral bound notebooks. I gave one to each of the boys and I kept one for myself. We journaled about what we did everyday (what we did, how we liked it, anything of importance about it, etc). This will make it so much easier to scrapbook our vacation and will also allow me to include my sons' (and occasionally husband's) perspective about our trip.
Use these scrapbook ideas if you need a new creative outlet.

Scrapbook Ideas to Add Style to Your Scrapbook.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 | By Unknown

Scrapbook ideas to add style with serendipity squares - small collage pieces that can be used on virtually any layout. The variety of colors helps pull out the colors in your photos, and the squares serve as visual "bridges" when you're combining two different-colored photo mats.

I make a full sheet of serendipity squares at a time, mat them, then attach them to layouts as needed. Depending on your personal tastes, you can add as much torn paper or rubber stamping as desired.

Scrapbook Supplies. To create serendipity squares, you'll need: solid-colored cardstock, patterned paper that includes colors from your photos that you want to emphasize, adhesive, archival pigment inks (pinwheel pads and rainbow pads that pull apart work the best), rubber stamps, embossing powder and a tool for heat embossing (optional).

Steps. Once you've got the scrapbook supplies needed, follow these steps:
1 Choose the solid cardstock that will serve as the background for your squares.

2 If you plan to emboss any of your stamped images, stamp randomly on your solid paper with pigment ink. (If you don't plan to emboss your images, skip to Step 8.) Sprinkle the stamped images with embossing powder, then melt it with a tool for heat embossing.

3 Starting with the lightest color of ink, daub randomly onto the paper to make small, irregular shapes of color. This type of application is called "direct-to-paper." Don't worry if you cover an embossed image—the ink will wipe off. Cover 10-20% of the page with your first color.

4 With the next lightest color of ink, use the direct-to-paper technique again, making small irregular, color shapes. Partially overlap your second color of ink over your first to make a third color.

5 Use this scrapbook technique with as many colors as you'd like to add. Work from light to dark and add metallic inks last. Leave some areas of your background paper uncolored.

6 If you embossed, use a tissue to wipe off excess pigment ink from those areas.

7 Blot your paper and set it aside to dry. Give it adequate time to dry to avoid smearing.

8 Select your rubber stamps. Good choices include large background stamps that can cover several squares and small images that can fit easily into a single square. I like to choose 4-5 stamps that fit a theme, plus a large background stamp of script.

9 Using permanent black ink, stamp your larger images randomly on your background paper.

10 Rip your patterned paper into strips that are approximately ½" to 1" wide and 6-8" long. Adhere strips randomly all over your background.

11 Restamp if necessary. With black ink, stamp smaller images in any unfilled space. Don't worry about overall composition of the full sheet, but try to have at least one element (ink, stamp, paper) on every square inch of the paper.

12 Use a paper trimmer to cut your large sheet into uniform-sized squares. I like them in 1¼" or 1½" sizes. You'll end up with dozens of delightfully unique squares.

13 Mat each square onto a metallic- or solid-colored background layer that's ¼" larger than the square.

Want to know one of the best scrapbook ideas you can do with chalk? After stamping images with an untinted or slightly tinted ink pad, use chalk to add color to the images. This gives you great versatility with color and a beautifully soft, pastel look.

To create a 3-D sticker, first find a plastic surface that will let you easily remove the sticker once it's assembled. Select three stickers with the same symmetrical design. Sticky side out, fold the first sticker in half and place it on the plastic surface. Fold the second sticker the same way and align the folded edge with the first sticker. Take the third sticker and place it sticky side down on the folded back halves of the first two stickers. Remove the 3-D sticker from the plastic surface and adhere it to your page. Apply chalk to a stamped image with beautiful results.
Use these scrapbook ideas to enjoy your scrapbook creations.

Organizing Scrapbook Ideas.

Thursday, March 03, 2011 | By Unknown

Here are a great tips for organizing scrapbook ideas. I have the paper carriers, and use those when I am going to a friend's house to scrap. Other than that, I keep my papers (because I have a ton) in a wicker trunk. It came in a pack of 2. Inside of the larger basked I placed two regular letter sized metal file hangers and I put my 12 x 12 papers into letter sized hanging file folders by color scheme. I probably have over 1000 pieces of paper in there. I liked using the regular sized hanging files because the top of the paper sticks out and I can easily see the color and/or pattern I want. Because it has a lid, and the lid is high enough, the papers do not bend (of course, it's completely full so they are supported by each other as well). This did not hold all of my paper so I purchased the flexible plastic 12 x 12 folders for my special papers (i.e., mulberry, themed). Christmas has its own folder, sports has its own, etc... Then I can quickly go through those. The smaller wicker basket is too small for a metal hanging file folder frame so I just keep other items that I don't use that often in there. We had actually purchased these baskets to store my sweaters in our bedroom (not a lot of closet space), but when I found out they fit the file hangers side by side, they quickly found another home in our family room. What makes it great is that the baskets sit in our family room all of the time, and look like decorations.

Scrapbook ideas to organize your stickers, die cuts, etc. I found that I was spending far too much time and energy looking through my stickers and die cuts for each layout. I decided to recycle my old magnetic and pocket page albums by using them as storage. Now, I can easily see everything I have but I don't have to touch it all. Plus - I can organize them by type, holiday or time of year so that I can draw inspiration rather than just trying to fill space.

I subscribe to 2 scrapbooking magazines and have other scrapbook ideas books as well. It is hard for me to remember where I saw pages I want to make or ideas I want to use. I started keeping a notebook topic pages. If I find a page or ideas I want to use, I list the magazine date and page number and maybe a quick sketch of the page in my notebook. When I start a new layout, I look under that topic in my notebook so I can see if there are any pages or magazine ideas to apply to my new layout. For example, if I am making a swimming page, I open my notebook to the swimming topic, I then know where I saw a page I liked. Then I grab my magazine and can easily make a layout from the idea.

I discovered that cleaned, used baby food jars make a great place to store all my little scrapping embellishments. The jars are see-through, stack nicely, and are the perfect size to store eyelet, clips, bead and all sorts of little things.

I often use my scrapbook ideas books and mags for inspiration; but it took up to much desk space and I was always rearranging to see my LO. I purchased a clear acrylic cookbook holder (very inexpensive) and now place the mag or ideas book in the holder and place the book holder at the far end of the desk. It holds the book in place and doesn’t interfere with my desk space, but I can clearly see the book for reference purposes without a cluttered desktop.

I was always frustrated with the ever-growing pile of photos and momentos to scrapbook that I kept filed away in a box. Now I enjoy them by keeping them in a regular photo album until I get to scrapbook them. I slide them into the slots (of course I don't use the sticky magnetic paged album!!) and then put a post-it note on the outside with the details (date, place, memories). I also sketch a possible layout idea or put possible titles while the topic is still fresh in my mind. This is also a great way to pull out photos for a specific topic that cover a wide time span (i.e. my son's personality, my daughter's smile). Now I can enjoy the pictures as they wait to be scrapbooked and easily pull out my next project! So when you need an idea for a page layout just turn to these scrapbook ideas for fun scrapbooking.

Paper Piecing Scrapbook Ideas.

Tuesday, March 01, 2011 | By Unknown

Here are scrapbook ideas for using paper. Use a tiny amount of clear embossing powder to add dimension to the buttons, stitches, and lace-holes of your paper dolls, and to give life to your dolls' eyes! When adding detail to little paper piecing parts, I use a temporary adhesive to hold the piece to a scrap piece of paper so it doesn't move around, then peel it up and place it where it belongs.

Class pictures scrapbook ideas. Create a fun, interactive layout for your child's class photo by placing it behind the doors of a paper-pieced schoolhouse design.

If you want to have the right color to accent your latest page you can use your computer to print out a swatch of the color you require on any light-colored sheet of cardstock, such as white or ivory. This is perfect for those paper piecing that require only a little piece of a particular color. It works great with vellum, too, and saves you from having to purchase each vellum color. Then you can punch or cut out the shape you need. Another helpful scrapbook idea – use your computer to print out textures, too. I used a wood grain pattern to print out a fence that I used in a backyard paper piecing. I added a little chalk for dimension, and it looked quite realistic.

I have made quilt templates for years and the material sold to make these with is great for making a copy of the pieces. It doesn't fray and you can place it on top of the pattern and trace it and cut it out. Then you have a permanent pattern that can be put in a bag and loaned without worry. I also make a copy of the uncut pattern (just in case). You can also make a copy of the colored finished picture (just in case). It’s a nice scrapbook idea.

When paper piecing, instead of cutting out your pattern pieces two times (once from the original, then transferred on your paper), cut out the original in a chunky square, adhere with glue dots, place the pattern on your cardstock or whatever you are piecing together, and then cut in the details. This eliminates having to detail cut twice and makes the final cut easier because there is an edge to follow instead of a black line.

For quick paper-piecing patterns, check your children's clothing. I scanned one of my baby's shirt designs into the computer, then printed the scan as a pattern. After cutting out each animal in the design, I pieced them together and adhered them to my layout. I included two photos of my baby in the same shirt and added a title to finish the layout. I ended up with a great page without the cost of buying a paper-piecing pattern.

I used to cut up my paper piecing patterns and inevitably lose some pieces. So I started tracing my patterns with my embossing stylus right on to the desired color/pattern of paper. I kept my pattern in one piece and only cut out the finished product. Best of all, I scanned all of my patterns onto my computer, so if they become too ragged, I can just print out another. It's easy and saves time and money.

Inexpensive paper piecing scrapbook ideas. For my son's Birthday, he wanted a Dalmatian themed party. While we were shopping for party supplies, I came across a coloring book full of pictures of dalmatians. I made copies of the pages and transferred the images onto white acid free cardstock. I cut out the images and pasted them onto the Birthday Party pages of my son. It is the perfect accent and cost only pennies.

I had collected so many frame ups and other pre-made diecuts. They are darling to look at, but when it came time to use them, they were never the right color. I finally decided to change that. By using a piece of tracing paper, I paperpiece the wrong color such as the clothes on the frame up friend. I then can color co-ordinate it to match my photos. Titles and other premade embellishments can easily be covered with just the "right" color to match your layout perfectly. In the attached layout, I was able to change the frame up friends pajamas to match the ones in my photo! These ideas help you to develop new scrapbook ideas!

Looking for a New Scrapbook Ideas?

Friday, February 25, 2011 | By Unknown

If you are looking for a unique scrapbook ideas consider the next ideas.
Baby scrapbook ideas. I have written down funny things my 5 year old has said or done over the years and collected them in a small notebook. I'm creating a scrapbook of pictures and words from A-Z that describe my son. On one page of a 2 page layout, I have the word & story or quotes. The other page has pictures that support the text.

Vacation scrapbook ideas. This summer my kids are each working on a "What I did on my summer vacation" mini scrapbook. It will be a wonderful momento of what they did over the summer (not just the big events, the everyday stuff too), but it also keeps them busy on rainy days. The bonus for me is that I get some "extra" scrapbooking time and quality time with my kids too!

Wedding scrapbook ideas. I made an album for my girlfriends daughter, who was getting married. We sent a letter to a lot of our married friends, asking them to send a picture of them and their spouse (recent or old) along with a tip on how to stay married. I've gotten a lot of old wedding photos and a recent one and have complied them into a scrapbook for her and her new husband.

I plan on making a scrapbook for my future daughter-in-law for each shower, for example they are having a tool and kitchen gadget shower. So I will take a picture of each guest as they come in and let them sign a scrapbook page with a special wish for the couple or words of wisdom. I plan on having each page marketed off for a place for the picture, message and a place under the picture for the gift that they received. I'm hoping to find a small scrapbook with a slot for the couples picture on the front, but if not of course I'll start their book off with their pic on the first page. Then a picture of the hosting couple, pictures during the party and end up with a group photo with the couple and their gifts. I think they will enjoy it much more than looking back on a wedding album with just a bunch of signatures.

In the search for a "perfect" wedding gift for several friends that got married over the last year, I decided to get creative. I used a 5 x 7 scrapbook and titled it "(couples' names) first year in pictures". I use personal events throughout the year, leaving 1 page for each memory. I decorate each page to match the memory. I have used wedding day, honeymoon, birthdays, Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentine's day, St. Patrick's day (and the list goes on, depending on the couple.) This is a very personal gift that is easy for a newlywed or amateur scrapbooker to complete and it’s a good scrapbook idea.

Working in a smaller format album, I am making a 2010 "time capsule" album. It has 6 different chapters - one for each member of our family (favorite items, wishes, etc.), one for the news, one for life in 2010 (groceries, etc.), and one about our family (family rules, pets, family reading, etc.). I'm hoping that this scrapbook will cover a lot of items that would never show up in my regular scrapbook.

Travel scrapbook ideas. One of the things I remembered most ahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifs a child was taking wonderful vacations with my father and he would also pull over by the state sign as we entered into another state so that he could take a picture of us by it. So when I had children, I wanted to keep up this tradition. Each one of my children have a 8x11 album with a page for each state. As we travel during the summer we stop and have the kids get their pictures by the state signs. I then place the picture of the sign and other pictures of the things we did in the state on the states page. I also purchased from the USPS the stamps for each state. I have journaled the information about each state also(state capital, bird, flower, etc.). Now each child will have memories of what they did in each state. Our goal is to have traveled all 50 states before our oldest graduates high school.
A new scrapbook ideas are born or created every day! Just create them!

Creative Scrapbooking Ideas.

Thursday, February 24, 2011 | By Unknown

Here are some ways to come up with new and creative scrapbooking ideas for your next scrapbook.
I size fonts I want to use for titles so they fit inside of a 5/8" circle. I then print the title on cardstock and use my small circle punch to punch each letter out individually. Be sure to leave enough spacing between letters. I put a pop dot underneath each letter, or alternating letters, to make titles for my pages. It really adds a fun dimension.

Scrapbooking ideas about lettering templates. I found that I don't make enough trips to the craft store to buy plastic sheets to make my own lettering templates. I have found that as long as you are willing to trace and cut, you can cut the letters out on cardstock. This way you can make a template whenever you need to.

Next time you find yourself at a die cut machine with a set of alphabet shapes, run a sheet of shrinky-dink plastic through the dies. Not only will you have letters you can shrink in the oven and use on your layouts, you’ll create another lettering template for your collection.

When using cardstock for your lettering, type the title and establish the size on your computer and flip the lettering 90 degrees and mirror the image. Feed the construction paper into your printer then print it out. When you cut it out the ink will be on the back of the letter!

Sometimes when I'm trying to cut out a narrow or thin lettering style with my knife, I have a little trouble keeping the paper down while I cut. Especially when part of the letter is already cut out-the part I'm attempting to cut often slips on the mat from the force of my blade. I found that using scotch removable tape helps! I simply use the tape to tape the letter to my glass mat before cutting, then cut with my knife through both the tape and the paper. The tape removes easily without tearing or damaging the paper and I get a much better cut.

No money scrapbooking ideas. You can download from the web or have someone you know scan lettering templates.
1. Save them to your hard drive
2. Open in Adobe Photoshop.
3. Trim out each letter that you want to use and put in in the hold
4.Open a new page to the size that you want.
5. Pull each letter out of the hold and onto the new page
6 Merge
7. Print out the lettering
You can print it on paper to trace or you can print it right on paper and cut it out.

I recently got a set of alphabet letter punchers that are somewhat small. I found it a tedious task to glue every letter down for a title, so I thought of a substitute for when your fingers aren't up for it. Punch the letters you want in order on a sheet of cardstock to spell the words for your title and then use the cardstock with the letters punched out as your title (read: instead of using the actual letters, use the paper you punched it out of). Save the letters for a when you have more time to individually glue the letters down. Layer the punched out paper on top of another color for a bold effect. It’s a good creative scrapbooking idea.

Instead of drawing pencil lines, I've discovered that by laying down a wide post-it note, I can use it as a quick guide for hand lettering. When I'm done with one line, I just move the post-it note down a little to write the next line. For longer lines, just lay down more than one post-it note side-by-side. It sure saves me time from drawing and erasing pencil lines!
Getting new creative scrapbooking ideas for your next scrapbook pages is easy if you try and think outside of the box.

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Scrapbooking Ideas and Tips.

Sunday, February 20, 2011 | By Unknown

Scrapbooking ideas for lettering. Using Microsoft Word, I type my title and change the font style to outline. When I go to print the title, I choose "iron on transfer" in the properties as my paper type. I then put the cardstock in upside down. By using the iron on transfer feature, the printer prints the title backwards. I then use scissors to cut the image on the back side of the cardstock. This way, the letters (right side up) do not show any outlines or ragged edges and look like they were punched out or bought from the store.

I came up with this idea not long ago as I was trying to find a good way to recycle a used up sheet of sticker letters. Most sticker sheets have a printed outline of the letter left on the sheet after the letter is removed. I cut around the individual sticker outline, then adhered it onto a small piece of laminate sheeting (the kind used for photos or luggage tags). Using a pair of small cuticle scissors, I then cut all around the outside of the letter outline, and VOILA! It's a great scrapbooking idea to re-use something we'd ordinarily toos in the trash. You'll now have gotten twice the bang for your buck! An added bonus is that the laminate is see thru, and when layered over colored or patterned paper, the letters match with the rest of the layout quite nicely!

Cost saving scrapbooking ideas. To save a bit of money from always buying alphabet stickers i go to the stencil department and look for alphabet stencils. I love the look of stickers and my own handwriting but I sometimes want something a bit better so I have found that the stencil section has a nice selection of alphabets. It takes a little more time but I am usually pleased with the result.

I love the look of stamped and embossed titles and lettering, but I don't have many stamps, so I improvise: I type my lettering on the computer and change it to a wide font, then change the format to outline with no fill. After printing I color the letters in with a clear pigment ink marker and emboss immediately. The results are great and turn out looking like they were stamped!

Make custom matching papers that coordinate with the clothing of your photo subject. Simply take a close-up picture of the fabric pattern or a design on your photo subject’s clothing. Make sure only the fabric pattern or design is in the photo. Then once you get your print developed you can cut your title letters or die cut patterns out of your custom made paper that matches perfectly! Play with the custom patterned picture by scanning the picture and playing around with it in a photo editing program. Change the picture's colors, enlarge or reduce the pattern's size, etc. You can also print the patterned picture onto various papers such as vellum, card stock, white paper, etc. for different effects. Your options and scrapbooking ideas are limitless.

I often see a cool font on my computer that I want in my scrapbook. The problem is that if I print it, then I have to reverse it or make sure I cut the black ink off. What I do is print it on vellum, then put glue on the front of the vellum, stick it to the back of the card stock etc. and then look on the vellum side and follow the lines as to where to cut. It's a quick and easy scrapbooking idea.

I print my words on a scrapbooking paper using a nice computer font. Then, word by word, I trace it onto vellum with a heavy flowing, white gel pen and quickly pour embossing powder over it. After each word I sprinkle the excess powder off and at the end, heat set it. Looks great and is much better than my own handwritting, especially if i'm writting a quote on the front of a card.

I love using handcutting letters for my scrapbooking pages, but there aren't enough lettering templates in the world to keep me happy. I use fonts from my computer a lot, but I don't print them backwards on my cardstock. I instead print my title on plain white printer paper. I then use Hermafix glue dots and apply it to the cardstock I want to cut my letters out of. I then cut the paper and cardstock. When I am finished, I tear the white paper off the cardstock and remove the glue dots with a gum eraser from the cardstock letters. It works like a charm every time and gives me a variety of fonts to use for titles!

I hope these scrapbooking ideas gives you the answer to a problem that has been bugging you for ages.

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Scrapbook Ideas for Everyone.

Friday, February 18, 2011 | By Unknown

Scrapbook ideas for special occasions. When visiting an attraction that did not allow photos of the shows I picked up several brochures of the attraction and used them to make a memory page featuring the cropped highlights from the brochure, in a collage with the show tickets. Also, it rained and was cloudy several days when we visited a National Park, so I incorporated postcards and stickers purchased at the park gift shop to highlight the areas where we could not take photos. So, we still have memories...and a record of the trip!

Sometimes when I work with a page, it takes a long time to complete. To protect my photos while moving them around on a page and working with scrapbook embellishments, I cut apart a page protector and slide each photo into a piece of protector. This prevents scratches, smudges, and glitters, etc., from ruining my photos.

Playing with pictures and combination of postcard and photograph are a great scrapbook ideas. In my very first scrapbook I had lots of fun combining pictures that I took in a "panoramic style". I combined 2 halves of a long dinner table to show our entire group at a pizza party, took 3 shots of our large group horseback riding and fitted them together almost seamlessly for a beautiful page. In my very favorite "altered photo" I used a beautiful postcard of the Rocky Mountains as the top half of the picture and cut away the sky in a photo of my family walking away down a winding path. We all look like we're walking off into the mountains. It was the perfect final page of my first scrapbook. I'm rather proud of it.

Scrapbook ideas to use those magnifying marbles. While visiting New York City, I slipped into an upscale card shop to take a look around. I came across a simple yet unique card that featured glass marbles placed over the words "I Love You." The marbles magnified the words underneath so cleverly, I knew I'd have to try the same thing in my scrapbook.
Once I started playing, it wasn't long before I had several layouts that used the glass marbles. I found I could use them over words or flat embellishments (such as stickers) to make them stand out. Marbles also look great as "drops of water" or "rain."
To create this look, you'll need glass marbles with one flat side (available in different sizes and colors at most craft stores in the floral section). You'll also need clear-drying glue.
Here's how to use the marbles:
1 Place a glass marble over the embellishment or word you want to accentuate and trace around it with a pencil.
2 Cut out the embellishment and erase any leftover pencil marks.
3 Apply a small dot of glue to the flat side of the marble. Carefully press it down over the chosen word or embellishment.
4 Mount the finished "marbled" word or embellishment on your layout with mounting adhesive.
Here are some additional tips:
• If you're using marbles to create "drops of water" or "rain," there's no need to trace and cut. Just glue them directly to your page.
• Use glue sparingly. If you use too much, it squishes out from under the marble, resulting in a sticky mess.
• For best results, place the marbles over flat embellishments. If you try to glue a marble over an object with layers (like a punch-art flower), it won't work. The layers will create air bubbles that blur the image.

Scrapbook ideas for pocket page with a view. For an elegant addition to my wedding album, I created a pocket page with a "window" to hold the wedding cards my husband and I received. Using a scrapbook template, I traced a large heart shape onto a 12" x 12" scrapbook page and cut it out (I cut a slit in the center of the heart to make cutting easy). Next, I separated the layers of a 12" x 12" sheet protector and adhered one side to the back of the scrapbook page with photo tape. I added a lacy edge to the heart with a pen and layered flower stickers to add color. Finally, I adhered the finished product to another 12" x 12" scrapbook page. Now I have a lovely way to display my wedding cards. It's great for valentines, too!
Begin to use these scrapbook ideas and you'll find the great opportunities you can come up with for your scrapbook pages.

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An Inspiring Scrapbook Ideas.

Thursday, February 17, 2011 | By Unknown

Here are a fun scrapbook ideas! Did you know that you can use regular old ordinary shoe polish to give a "too new" scrapbook that elegant "shabby chic" look? It's easy! just take a paste shoe polish and rub it into the cover of a faux leather type album and age that baby. It's a great look to go with all today's shabby chic embellishments!

Being a major "pack-rat" I kept several school papers, notes, report cards, and art work that my son has done in school. Since he will be a senior next year I decided to make a school scrapbook. For each year I chose a piece of art work that he made, scanned the piece and used this a pocket peice to hold a few of those important papers. It has really turned out to be his own personalized scrapbook pages.

When my daughter started Preschool I thought I'd be able to keep and display every single art project she made. Though I love them all, I realized that some of them were just too big! I started displaying them on a door and took photos of my daughter standing next to them and also zoomed in on the really special projects. I've started a Preschool scrapbook and it's turned out to be a great way to showcase those big projects.

Scrapbook ideas for recipe book. 5 ½ x 8 ½ 3-ring albums with sheet protectors make great recipe scrapbooks. Using half sheets of designer paper or cardstock, divide the book into sections using a particular sticker theme on each page, i.e. recipes for appetizers all have a yellow daisy sticker in the top right corner. (Put one also on the table of contents page, so you know which sticker goes with which section!)
Don't use front and back - use separate sheets so that you can slip in a special handwritten note to be handed down from generation to generation, along with a copy of the cash register receipt showing the price of the ingredients when you first made it! This makes a great gift for a new bride, whether daughter or daughter-in-law, and she can make notes on the back of the card on any changes made, etc.
Since it's in a 3-ring binder, it can easily be added to as new favorites are discovered. Also, the first time it is prepared, it can be copied and included on a scrapbook page, then popped right back in the book!

Instead of purchasing an already printed background, recycle things from the event. For example, if it's a recital page, use the program as a background. If it's a vacation, use a brochure as the background. If it's too little for your album, mount it on some cardstock to fit your sleeves. These are a creative and clever scrapbook ideas to recycle items from an event. Good luck and keep your eye opened for more ideas!

Bridal shower guests have long been asked to contribute recipes to the bride. I have used scrapbooking techniques to layout recipes, anecdotes and kitchen tips to create great recipe pages to be added to the Bride's cookbook. Guests could bring the recipes to the shower to decorate while they await the surprised bride or create their own at home and mail the recipe in advance or bring it the party for inclusion. This a great scrapbook idea to build a unique, personal recipe book, make use of spare supplies and create quick simple scrapbook pages. Or an entire scrapbook can be created by a family member as a special gift and great hand-me down.
Consider these scrapbook ideas to spark new ideas or point yourself in a new direction.

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Creative Scrapbook Ideas.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 | By Unknown

Here are a simple, versatile scrapbook ideas that can make your scrapbook more interesting and great looking.

Scrapbook ideas for your scrapbook pages – “Where are you?”
Cut out faces of family, friends, and even go through a magazine and cut out the faces of your favorite people. Tape or glue the faces side by side to make a collage of faces and then when family and friend come over, see if they can locate themselves!

Scrapbook ideas for using scraps. Like many I have to cut down most of my 12x12 background papers by 1/4 to 1/2 inch so they fit my scrapbook pages. I always keep the strips just in case. I use them from time to time - I'll make a stripe down one side of my backing or several on a photo backer - a plaid pattern if there is enough. My stockpile has grown after so many pages; I'm always trying to think of other ways to use them. I thought it might be cute to weave 2 or 3+ colors together (like a basket) and it was! I took a few strips of colors that matched the layout I was working on and weaved them in and out alternately, from all four sides making about a 2 x 2 square. You have to tape (I just used my mounting slits) the backside of the starting end and it's a good scrapbook idea to put some type of paper weight on that same end while you are working with it. It's a quick and easy addition if you need a little something else. It would be cute for baby scrapbook pages or almost any type family scrapbook page.

I have been bitten by the stamping bug, and have searched high and low for an ink color similar to that of walnut ink...nothing satisfied me so,I bought a blank/dry ink pad poured walnut ink in it and voila! I have walnut ink stamp pad...I can letter stamp with it, Direct to paper with it, age edges with it, just like a regular stamp pad with out the mess of walnut ink every where. The best idea is the easy clean up and the ability to take walnut ink on the go!

Scrapbook ideas for mosaic frame. When making a mosaic frame, start with a scrap piece of paper cut to the size picture you would like to frame. I always cut it a little smaller so the edges of the picture are hidden. Adhere it to the middle of a piece of cardstock with repositionable adhesive. Then run a line of the repositionable adhesive all the way around. This allows you to play with the squares of paper to make them fit. When finished with the inner layer just rub off the adhesive. Then work your way outward making as many rows as desired. When frame is complete, remove the scrap paper and use craft knife or cutter to remove inner section. Then trim cardstock around the outside edge and you have a perfect frame. Any left over squares and cardstock can be used to create embellishments for a two scrapbook page spread.

The longer you scrapbook, the more you find yourself being inspired by anything and everything you see! Ads, billboards, crafts, paintings, you name it! My new favorite place to look for inspiration is linens! Pull out the ads from your Sunday newspaper - there are always five or six stores having sales on bedding and I can usually find at least two or three bedding sets I'll clip out and add to my growing notebook of scrapbook ideas! For everything from color combinations to design elements to complete layout setups, the ideas you can get from bedding are endless! Want a treasure trove? Order catalogs! Lots of stores offer free catalogs and the ones that charge a fee are usually worth it for the extra pages of fun items to look at!

It seems that I never have the right color of cardstock. So if you are like me and can't always run to the local scrapbook store, use a white piece of cardstock and chalk to come up with the perfect color. This works great for matting photos and journaling, lettering and paper piecings. The best idea is that with my 40-piece chalk set, I always have the right color.

Put glue on your finger and spread it inside of a stencil (make sure you push the glue from the outside of the stencil, so the glue won't leak). Then, press tissue on the glue inside the stencil. Let the glue dry, and then tear the excess tissue paper away by using the edge of a paperclip, so you get the right shape. Pull the stencil off and tada!
So, try to turn these scrapbook ideas into design your scrapbook pages.

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Scrapbook Ideas for Backgrounds.

Sunday, February 13, 2011 | By Unknown

Here are a few quick and simple scrapbook ideas for backgrounds you can use on your scrapbook pages.
If you can’t find card stock or paper in the color or texture you’re looking for, check out the art papers at your local craft or art supply store. Some companies make large sheets of acid-free art paper in a variety of colors and textures. I usually find these papers near the framing department or oil canvas aisle. You can cut the paper to produce about four 12x12 sheets and have some left over for matting. If the paper does not fit your paper trimmer and you don't have a steady hand, the store may be able to cut for you.

I have made my daughters Halloween costumes over the last several years and had leftover fabric. When I started scrapbooking, I used the leftover scraps for the background of the Halloween pictures. I even used the trim from their princess dresses to "frame" the page edges one year. Not spooky but a great idea to use the leftover fabric!

Want to create a unique, batik-style scrapbook page embellishment? I've got a fun stamping solution for this scrapbook idea! You'll need:

• White or light-colored mulberry paper
• A simple, bold stamp (at least partially solid)
• Clear embossing powder
• Clear embossing ink
• Watercolor paint in two complementary colors.
• A medium-sized art paintbrush
• A spray bottle filled with water

Follow these simple steps:

1 Tear the edges of the mulberry paper to the desired size. I used an 8-1/2" x 11" sheet.

2 Randomly stamp 2-3 images with clear embossing ink on the mulberry paper. Sprinkle the images with clear embossing powder, then melt the powder with a heat-embossing tool. Continue until you've stamped the full sheet to your liking. It's best not to overcrowd the paper with images (you want the watercolors' batik look to show up well).

3 After you've embossed the stamped images, place a few drops of each watercolor into the well of your paint palette (you can also use a paper cup or an empty margarine tub).

4 Lightly spray the stamped page with water. Dip the paintbrush in one of the colors, then touch the tip to the paper at an edge. The water on the paper will pick up the pigment, and it will bleed out from where the paint was applied. The more paint on the brush, the larger the area it will spread to. If the paint doesn't spread well, add a small amount of water to the area with a spray bottle.

5 Clean the paintbrush and dip it in the second color. Add the new color to your paper. Alternate the colors, varying the size and shape of the "splotches."

6 Allow the paper to dry thoroughly before using it on your layout. A bright- or light-colored background behind the mulberry paper will let the clear embossed images show through. Because the paints will become somewhat dark (more or less depending on the colors used), a dark background won't emphasize the stamped images and batik pattern as nicely.
Create a beautiful look with mulberry paper, ink and clear embossing powder. It’s a great scrapbook idea!

If you are like me, choosing color schemes for boy scrapbook pages can be very challenging. It seems like I was using the same old color over and over again until I was given some amazing advice from my very talented sister. She said that when trying to decide what colors ideas to use for boy pages, think of NFL, NBA and other professional sport teams' color schemes. The results are very masculine scrapbook pages that are always pleasing to the eye. I hope these scrapbook ideas will inspire you.

Chef-d'oeuvre Scrapbook Ideas!

Saturday, February 12, 2011 | By Unknown

You can scrapbook if you have good ideas for scrapbooks! Here are some of them! I used some of the faux greenery from my friend's wedding to embellish a page I did for her wedding album. (Make sure you ask first!!) I used a white glue to attach them to my page - glue sticks and other adhesives that work great for paper are just to light-weight for this, mostly because of the texture of the product.

Have you ever gotten to the end of an event, only to realize you forgot to take photos? Just go back and take photos of the last crumbs of cake, the crumpled wrapping paper, an invitation, etc. You can also include journaling about who came, what happened, what the guest of honor had to say, etc.

It is hard finding time to keep up with my scrapping, let alone make pages for the grandparents. As a photo nut who has framed pictures of family all over my house, I now make a special page and frame it. Scrapbook idea is using an 11x14 frame, I use 2 pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 paper and scrap away. This last Christmas, I made a heritage scrapbook page for my father and he not only loves it, but has it proudly displayed on the wall, where he can see it everyday, rather than in a book. It has proved to be a gift worth cherishing.

Our family hosted a surprise party for my Grandma's 65th birthday. As my gift, I put together a 12X12 scrapbook.
2 months before the party, I copied the names and addresses of everyone in my Grandma's address book while she was out of the house. I also jotted down family members, etc.
I sent all these people a note with "THIS IS A SURPRISE-PLEASE DON'T TELL" across the top and bottom, asking them to send their cards to me, preferably with a photo and a story or note about a fun memory/comment about my Grandma.
Every day I'd get notes in the mail, put them in a file, and decide which ones could face each other. If necessary, I color copied the interior of a birthday card (with a message from the sender) and used that on the page so we could see the inside and outside at the same time. The scrapbooking style and ideas for scrapbooks just depended on what the cards and photos look like.
At the party, I set out a decorated lined page for guests to sign in. We also took photos, which I scrapbooked after the party and placed in the album. Also, I included a page detailing what each family member had done to make the party happen.
Gram loves the album. And a fringe benefit was that I got to know Grandma even better, through her friends and her friends were excited about the album since they had all participated in its creation!!! This scrapbook will be a keepsake forever.

As a wedding present for my girlfriend’s second marriage, I made a scrapbook of her and her fiancé and their time together. I began with "baby picture" pages of them and then added all of their first moments together these past five years. This included trips, cruises, weddings, graduations, birthdays and other scrapbook ideas.
She helped me with the information so I was able to journal quite a bit. They could not be happier with it, in fact, it is sitting on their new coffee table. It's nice when people appreciate all of the long hours it takes to put a scrapbook together.
So you get ideas for scrapbooks on how to make your own scrapbook.