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This week's new feature article is the step-by-step instructions for making scrapbook pages on pieces of free-standing wood. These stylish, home decorating pieces also make fabulous Christmas gifts for family and friends. This project, however, is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things that you can do with your scrapbook techniques and supplies to make gifts for the holidays. Some other ideas include:
1) Scrapbooked Canvas Wall Clock - This clock that I made at the Quick Quotes Private Reserve event would be a fantastic Christmas gift. You can recreate with a canvas from your local craft store and supplies that you have at home.
2) Wooden Block Scrapbook Page Puzzle - I love this project. The finished gift would look perfect on Dad's desk. It would also make a great gift for your child's teacher.
3) More Out-of-the-Scrapbook Gift Ideas - In the past, About.com Scrapbooking readers have shared ideas for making scrapbook gifts out of everything from wooden clothes pins to an old ski. Check out this gallery for ideas.
4) Share Your Ideas - We would love to see what you have made that uses your scrapbooking supplies and techniques in a unique way. Maybe you created a home decoration, a party supply, or a great gift. We want to see. Come share your ideas by clicking on this link.
Ideas are very valuable. Yet somehow it seems that people have always underestimated the true power of ideas. However, the world today is finally starting to realize the importance of ideas and now thrives on taking action on those ideas and turning them into something.
We need ideas to fuel creativity. In scrapbooking, ideas can be crucial factors on whether or not you are able to create that perfect scrapbook. It is usually best for you come up with your own ideas when creating a scrapbook. But we all need help sometimes and to give you a bit of help there are places where you can find free scrapbooking ideas.
Here are a few places where you look to find free scrapbooking ideas...
1) Other people - We all know that all ideas come from people. What this article is trying to point out, however, is the fact that you should ask other scrapbookers for some free scrapbooking ideas. By doing so, you might just brew up a good brainstorming session and get some really useful scrapbooking ideas. You will probably even think up a few ideas to share as well.
2) The internet - The internet is a huge resource for all kinds of scrapbooking ideas. On the internet, there are numerous sites that give free scrapbooking ideas you can use. By searching around the internet you will find many free scrapbooking ideas, and you also get to access many different types of inspirational boosters. This will actually help you produce scrapbooking ideas of your own.
The internet can also provide you lots of resources to find what other people think of a certain scrapbooking idea. By getting these opinions you can get a better glimpse of what free scrapbooking ideas might work for you. You also get a lot of advice as to how to implement a certain scrapbooking idea. Because of this, you will have an easier time designing your scrapbook.
3) Craft magazines - Different magazines specialize in crafts and may offer you free scrapbooking ideas. By reading magazines like these, you actually gain access not only to free scrapbooking ideas, but also to ideas for other crafts. Also, these magazines can give you various tips on what to do and what not to do when creating your own scrapbook.
Craft magazines also sometimes come with supplements and materials that you can use in implementing different scrapbooking ideas. This means that you have access to the "what" and the "how" of scrapbooking.
What are some advantages of free scrapbooking ideas?
1) You save money - Of course, the word "free" should clue you in to the fact that you do not have to spend anything in order to get free scrapbooking ideas. By finding free scrapbooking ideas, it's possible to actually make money. Scrapbooking ideas today, especially good ones, can lead to a very lucrative business venture if you want to pursue that route.
2) Less effort - By using free scrapbooking ideas, you save yourself the hassles of thinking up a theme or a design of the scrapbook. If you have some free scrapbooking ideas, you can just move on with the stage of making the scrapbook itself. This saves you a lot of effort, especially if you are the type of person who changes his or her mind constantly.
3) Save you time - When you use free scrapbooking ideas, you can actually skip the whole thinking process and just start getting creative. This is a big advantage in today's world where none of us seem to have enough time.
What are some disadvantages of free scrapbooking ideas?
1) Lack of individuality - If you use free scrapbooking ideas, your scrapbook will lack a certain quality of your personality. When you use someone else's idea, you strip yourself of the fulfillment that comes with creating a scrapbook straight from your own creativity.
2) Less satisfaction - Using free scrapbooking ideas from someone else usually leaves you less satisfied with the final outcome. Although there really are no guarantees about how a creation will turn out, using your own ideas means you know more about what changes to make in order to bring the scrapbook up to your satisfaction. Remember the more you know about your scrapbook, the easier it will be for you to perfect it.
To summarize, there are many places where you can get free scrapbooking ideas to help you create your perfect scrapbook. There are advantages to using these free ideas but there are also disadvantages. I suggest using a combination of your own scrapbooking ideas and the ideas of others, at least until you build up enough of your own ideas to easily create scrapbook pages.
About the author:
Trisha Browning has helped hundreds of people create amazing scrapbooks. She is also the writer of the Ultimate Scrapbooking Guide. You can get her free scrapbooking ecourse at http://ultimatescrapbookguide.com
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This month's technique challenge is based on the banner step by step tutorials. Banners were everywhere at the latest scrapbooking and hobby tradeshow. Manufacturers are making banner stickers, rub-on's, chipboard stickers, and punch outs. This week, I have two ways for your to make your own banners for your next scrapbook page. So give banners a try on your next layout. You can purchase any banner products or use one of these two techniques to make your own: Pennant Style Banners or Scalloped Punches Banners. Then, send in a digital photo of your layout to share you page with About.com Scrapbooking readers. Be sure to read "Submitting Pages to About.com Scrapbooking" so that you have all the details. I can't wait to see your pages!
The challenges of a large scrapbook can be daunting if you are new to the craft. There sits that large album, filled with blank pages. You will need a theme for the album and a theme for each page. You will need to add background paper, photos, frames, journaling, and embellishments. You don't know where to begin!
Even if you aren't new to scrapbooking, there are times when a mini scrapbook is just more appropriate than a large one.
Start Small and KISS
A mini scrapbook allows you to start small and "keep-it-simple-sweetie" (KISS). You needn't spend as much time on a mini scrapbook, since a small page will hold much less. The KISS point is that, being small, a mini scrapbook will look cluttered if you get too many items on a page.
An album as small as 6" x 6" can be used for a mini scrapbook. The pages are large enough to hold a photo up to the standard 4" x 6". The extra 2" can be used for a note or caption.
DIY Cardstock Album
You need not use a purchased album for your mini scrapbook. Simply cut regular letter-size cardstock sheets in half, creating pages that measure five and a half inches by eight and a half inches. Or purchase blank cards in that size at an office supply store. When you are ready to bind your mini scrapbook, purchase cover stock in colors, and have it spiral bound.
Another good way to make a cardstock mini scrapbook follows.
1. First, create your mini scrapbook pages, allowing a one half inch border at one end of each page. This is where your scrapbook will be bound, so the border should alternate from page to page.
2. Create a cover for your mini scrapbook, leaving the same border for binding.
3. At an office supply store, printer, or copy service store, have each page copied in color - double-sided - on your chosen size of cardstock. Have the cover copied on cover stock.
4. Ask to have your mini scrapbook spiral bound after it is copied. You will have a choice of spiral binding or comb binding. They come in colors, so you can coordinate the cover stock and plastic binding.
Long-lived Mini Scrapbooks
Keep your mini scrapbooks clean and strong, especially those that will be handled by young children. Instead of having your pages copied double-sided, choose single-sided copies. Then laminate pages together in pairs, back to back. Laminate your cover, and bind the mini scrapbook.
What Else?
Keeping it simple, here are a few themes you may want to consider for your mini scrapbook.
1. YOUNG CHILD: If it's for a young child, your mini scrapbook theme will be that child's life. Page themes might include: birth, first step, first tooth, and other firsts. Include pages showing the child with his or her family. Show "my house", "my room", "my favorite toys", "the books I love", etc. You might include the child's favorite foods, favorite games, and favorite places to visit, like the park. Remember the family pet, too.
2. WEDDING: A mini scrapbook of your wedding would make a lovely thank you gift for family members and the wedding party. You would want to plan it out before the wedding, so it was ready for adding photos soon after your honeymoon. Elegance and simplicity make the job easier and more beautiful. You could make one scrapbook, and then have pages color copied on cardstock. These could readily be cut, collated, and spiral-bound at an office supply store.
3. VACATION: Adult and children alike can make their own mini scrapbooks of a vacation trip. Our two children did this at age 5 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Again, the small size of the pages allows them to maintain interest, and complete a book without becoming discouraged. Our children's books included such things as: tickets to amusement parks; photos clipped from the hotel's free brochures; photos of our son riding a mini car; of our daughter riding a 2-humped camel; and little comments (journaling) in the children's own writing.
Digital Mini Scrapbook Pages
Yes, you can produce your mini scrapbook on a computer. Design each page, leaving a one half each border at the top. Print to cardstock, punch holes in the top border, and insert rings for a cute flipbook. Or size your mini scrapbook pages to fit a flip desk frame.
Great Uses for Mini Scrapbooks
1. A small child will enjoy a mini scrapbook more than a large one, since each page will be simple and easy to enjoy. A small child can handle mini scrapbooks better, too. Laminated pages will remain clean, and the book can be enjoyed everyday - even carried in the car.
2. Mini scrapbooks make great "yearbooks" for parting high school or college friends. Work together on the original, and then have copies made and bound for each member of the group.
3. Grandma's "Brag Book" goes to the office as a mini scrapbook mounted on a desk frame. Flip a page each day to have a gallery of photos, each on a cleverly themed page.
4. Mini scrapbooks are a great alternative to an annual letter sharing the past year with family and friends. Pages would include high points of your year: a birth, graduation, new job, new home, etc.
A few minutes alone with your imagination, and you will think of many more uses, many more ideas. Mini scrapbooking is an economical, quick way to gather a few memories for posterity.
?2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about scrapbooking at http://www.scrapbooking-for-fun.com Anna is posting new articles every week on that site, each one dealing with a scrapbooking topic. If you decide to do a digital mini scrapbook, you won?t want to miss her recent article on the subject.
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Scrapbooking is a wonderful hobby! Besides being relaxing and fun, it also allows you to be creative and to spend quality time with your family and friends. Plus, it results in a storybook of lifelong memories.
One very important element of scrapbooking is getting it all organized. This includes, but is not limited to:
Photos for your scrapbooks can be extra nice if you take a little bit of time to learn some basic photography. Visit http://www.kodak.com for a quick photography tutorial. Getting organized has a lot to do with preparation and this site is filled with helpful tips and ideas.
Organized documentation is important for the serious scrapbooker. The main goal is to eliminate future questions such as "Who or what is that?", "Where and when was this photo taken?", and so on. Document photos as you're taking them, so you'll know exactly what is on each roll of film. That way you'll be prepared when you're ready to organize the photos in your scrapbooks.
If you find rolls of film around your house that are ready to go to the developer, bring them today. You may consider mailing all of your film to a supplier such as http://www.mysticcolorlab.com so you don't have to spend time dropping off film or picking up photos. Simply mail your film out, and you'll get your photos back in the mail a week later. From now on, always get your film developed as soon as you take the used rolls out of your camera.
Once your photos are developed, you need a place to store them until you're ready to put them in your scrapbook. Keep them separated by year or event, in Ziplock bags. Label each bag with a number, and put a corresponding number on your Documentation Form. Then, store them in a photo box. Keep the box in a dry, cool place to protect your photos until you're ready to put the photos into your scrapbook.
If you have boxes of photos that span from the beginning of the 1900's to now, it's time to start getting them organized. Schedule a day and time to begin sorting through them and stick with your appointment when the day rolls around. Get your kids, or friends, to help out. Begin by making piles, categorized by event or year. If you don't know the exact year, at least sort them by decade. This may take a little while, but once everything is separated, scrapbooking your photos will be much easier and more pleasant. Once they're all sorted, store your photographs as mentioned above.
If you're planning to scrapbook lots of photos from way back, start with the most recent photos you have, and work backwards. Chances are, you have a journal describing recent photos, and even if you don't, you can probably recall the details more easily. Older photos--the ones that you don't have a journal for--will take a little more thinking.
If your scrapbooking hobby seems like a colossal job to you, it's not going to be fun. Don't feel like you have to put ALL of your photos into scrapbooks. You can always put the majority of your photos in acid-free photo albums or photo boxes where they will be safe. Choose a small set of photos to begin scrapbooking. Once you're done with this small set, you can then decide whether you want to dig into your photo albums or photo boxes and continue scrapbooking them, or leave those photos where they are, and simply scrapbook any new photos in the future.
Double prints will do you no good if they're just sitting in your photo box taking up space. Do something with them. Perhaps send them to someone who is in the photograph. It's a great way to keep in touch. Or, pass the doubles onto your young children who may like to create their own scrapbooks. It's a great way for them to learn your beloved hobby and decide if they would like it to be a hobby of their own.
Sometimes, for the purpose of creatively decorating your scrapbook, you may wish to keep tickets, brochures, maps, postcards, and so on, that are related to a particular trip or event. Use manila file folders or catalog envelopes for this purpose. Label the folder/envelope so that you know which photos/Documentation Form it corresponds to. File these until they're ready to be used.
Already have a pretty good idea of stickers, diecuts, etc. that you're planning to use with a particular set of photographs? Keep them in the same Ziplock bag with the photos until you're ready to put them into your scrapbook. This way, everything will be in one place and ready to use.
Stickers and punched shapes can be kept in acid-free sheet protectors, plastic baseball card sheets, business card sheets, or even Ziplock bags that are 3-hole punched. Each sheet should be categorized and labeled by theme: birthday, Christmas, Halloween, wedding, springtime, etc. Insert these sheets into a 3-ring binder. If you have a large number of stickers and shapes, you may want to use index dividers labeled with general categories. For example, a general HOLIDAY category, may hold Easter, Christmas/Hanukkah, Halloween, etc., a general SEASONS category, may hold Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring, and so on.
For very tiny diecuts and other small items, consider storing then in empty film canisters. The clear ones are best, but if you only have opaque ones, simply stick a label--or the actual diecut attached with a piece of tape-- on the canister indicating what is inside. Baby food jars serve the same purpose well.
Where do you keep all of that cool paper until you're ready to use it? You can get a plastic, portable filing container--research its composition to assure archival safety--that holds hanging file folders. Label the hanging files by theme or color. You may want to place a manila file folder into each hanging file folder, to keep your papers from curling. Or, you may buy file folder pockets or sheet protectors that fit into a 3-ring binder and store your papers inside each pocket, categorized and labeled. By the way, be very careful not to store acid-free paper with other paper.
Do a little bit of research and purchase a scrapbooking organizer, which will hold papers, supplies, etc. There are many products on the market that can help you keep it all together. Many office supply stores carry six-drawer organization stations. They're vertical and have 6 see-through drawers of equal size. Each drawer can be designated for a different purpose--papers, templates/diecuts, stickers, etc. Plus, they have wheels, which makes them very easy to transport from one room to another. Or, if you often bring your scrapbooking supplies outside of your home, such as to a friend's house, use a portable system that isn't too heavy or cumbersome, and comes with a handle.
Put your stencils/templates into sheet protectors that can be purchased at any office supplies store. Then insert them into a 3-ring binder for easy access. By the way, you can store two templates in one sheet protector with a piece of paper in between each--white or colored depending on the color of your template. This will make it easier to see the designs and eliminate them from catching onto each other.
If you always scrapbook at home, use a kitchen utensil caddy with a number of divided compartments, like those you normally keep tall kitchen spoons, ladles, and spatulas in. The ones that spin will keep everything you need at your fingertips.
If you're lucky enough to have a room specifically designated for your scrapbooking hobby, hang a large pegboard above your work area. You can then attach scissors, templates, crimpers, rulers, stencils and more, all within easy sight and reach. In addition, you might hang a small ledge or shelf nearby, to store all of your corner rounders, photo corners, and so on. If you prefer everything out in the open, this system will work like a charm.
Store rubber stamps in shallow, plastic containers, a rubber stamping organizer, or a plastic organizer with shallow drawers. Don't stack stamps. They should be stored in a single layer, so that you can always see the top of the stamp showing the design.
Fishing tackle boxes--with compartments and levels that expand and collapse--are wonderful for storing scrapbooking supplies and tools. Plastic tool boxes, with many see-through drawers are also great for this purpose.
Is your closet full of scrapbooking magazines? There are a few things to do about this dilemma. 1) You can go through your magazines, find the articles you wish to keep and organize them into file folders by category. In other words, keep the article, toss the magazine. 2) Or you can keep the magazines in cardboard magazine boxes. If you do this, you should always keep a list of the title/issue of the magazine, the pages that interest you, and a few words describing why they interested you. This way, you can just scan your list, instead of going through the entire magazine to find what you're looking for. You can even use your computer and create the list in a word processing file. Then using the Find feature, you can simply search for key words in your document.
Rather than keeping all those great scrapbooking ideas and tips in your head--you know, the ones you pick up from magazines, web sites, etc.-- keep a 3-ring binder with some notepaper inside for all your thoughts and ideas. Plus, when you see something in a magazine, you can simply tear the page out of the magazine, 3-hold punch it, and place it in your binder. The same goes if you see something on a web site that you wish to refer to later; just print it out and insert it into your binder. You can even separate the binder into a few different sections, such as page layout ideas, organizing ideas, neat tools/supplies, etc.
Scrapbooking is more fun and less of a chore, when everything is in one place and in close, accessible proximity to your working area. Designate a room, or a portion of a room, in your home for this activity. You should be able to retrieve your supplies, photos, etc. in seconds, without having to walk into another room, or rummage through a closet.
Use an organized shopping system so you remember what you want to pick up for your hobby --scissors, crimpers, papers, etc. This will also eliminate purchasing items that you already have. When you think of something you need, immediately put it on a SCRAPBOOKING PICK UP list, and bring this list with you when you go shopping. Using 3 inch x 5 inch index cards, make examples of your cuts and punches on them. Label and keep them in your day timer, or a tiny 3-ring binder. Bring these cards with you when shopping for scrapbooking items, and you'll never buy duplicates. This also works great for remembering what color pens/pencils you have. Just draw a line on your index cards and label them.
Resist the urge to buy a million new papers, punches, and so on, until you've used some of the craft supplies you already have. Unless you're planning on opening a scrapbooking warehouse, it's best to be choosy before emptying your wallet on new items, when you already have items you could use in your current supply.
You'll save a lot of time running back and forth to the store, if you commit instead to making your purchases online.
If you have something that you haven't used in a year or more, such as craft scissors, stickers, etc., swap them with a friend. Who knows? Perhaps your friend will find immediate use for this item, and you will get something you can use right now in return.
Always set goals for your scrapbooking hobby, perhaps one to two pages a week. This is especially necessary if you're creating a scrapbook for an upcoming special occasion.
Before you start working on your pages, plan ahead. Arrange your photos in chronological order and gather stickers, diecuts, etc. that correspond with your photos. Think about your layout and how you plan to document each photo. This will ensure you're going to be happy with the final results, and will reduce the need to redo things.
Step One: Assemble your pages with your photos, documentation and critical diecuts.
Step Two: Decorate with stickers, stamps, etc. The two-step process will help you get the critical part (step one) done faster, and then you can continue with the second step (less important) later on.
Although you may really feel the need for creating a work of art on occasion, if your goal is to get a scrapbook done as quickly as possible, keep it simple. Getting photos and documentation in the album is the main goal. Save your really creative moments for extra special scrapbooking projects. And remember, too much stuff on any one page, takes away from the photos.
Quickly, organize your scrapbooks with colors that compliment each other, by referencing a good color harmony book. You can pick one up at your local bookstore. They include hundreds of color combination examples. Color Harmony, by Hideaki Chijiiwa, is an excellent book for this purpose.
Looking for a few minutes here or there to catch up on your scrapbooking? Take and make all your phone calls in the same room as your designated scrapbooking work area. Then, while you're on the phone with your friends or family, you can crop, frame or mount at the same time. Or, instead of making punches when you need them, make a bunch of punches at once while you're watching television, or are on the telephone, or when you're waiting for a pot of water to boil. This will save time later because your punches will be ready when you need them.
Many people like to get their kids involved with the actual project, such as arranging stickers, applying diecuts, etc. If you would rather your kids were not involved with the actual project, give them a project of their own. You can always find a few photos that you're not going to use in your scrapbook, some inexpensive paper, kid scissors, etc. Then have each child make their very own scrapbook. Either way, the kids will be occupied, which will give you time to enjoy your hobby.
If you have more than one child that is involved with a scrapbooking activity, get them each their own plastic storage box and/or accordion files to keep their own supplies in. This way, when they want to work on their scrapbook, all of their supplies will already be separated. You may even color code their supplies, plastic boxes, etc. so they always know which stuff belongs to them. For example, blue container, blue scissors and markers labeled in blue for Billy, and all pink for Sally.
Scrapbooking is a great way to spend some time with your family. Get the whole family involved and around the table at the same time. It's a great time to share ideas and dreams with each other. Can't seem to get the male family members involved? Perhaps they can sit at the table while the females are scrapbooking, and they could do something they enjoy at the same time. At least everyone will be together and having fun.
Scrapbooking is a great way to spend time with your friends and catch up with each other. Start a scrapbooking club and meet at each other's homes one day every few weeks. Make a party of it!
The next time you get together with friends, or a scrapbooking club, put a little piece of colored tape on your scissors' handles, the sides of your punch tools, pens, etc. Then, everyone could share, but you'll be sure to get your tools back when it's time to go home.
If you're going to be scrapbooking at a friend's home, take a few minutes to plan what you want to work on. By doing this, you will only have to carry those supplies you're going to use. In other words, if you're going to be working on a wedding theme, there's no reason to be carrying all of your holiday items with you.
If you are spending too much time looking for supplies, background papers, photos, frames, that great rubber stamp and so on, then, it's time to organize your work station. Declutter and toss out or trade those items you don't need, you don't like, etc. Organize your supplies into binders and storage containers. You should always be working on a clear surface, with only the current project in front of you.
If there is a wastepaper basket right near your work station, all of the scraps that you're not planning on using can be tossed immediately. Don't leave trash on your work surface. If you visit a friend's home, you may want to carry along an empty tissue box so that all scraps can be discarded immediately, and make clean-up for your host quick and easy.
Always have a home for your supplies, and when you're finished using them, take a few moments to put everything away. You should be able to start fresh with a clear mind and a clear surface.
Never place a big item over a smaller item, because if you do, it will be out of sight, and difficult to find quickly.
Organize your work area for increased productivity. Make sure it's well lit. Have a comfortable chair to sit on. Your supplies and tools should be within arms reach.
Organize your scrapbooking with safety in mind. Use a protective covering for your table. Craft mats are great for cutting on. Scissors and other sharp tools should be face down in a holder, and out of a young child's reach.
Different personality styles require different organization systems. Make sure you use an organization system you can live with--one that works with your style and that allows you to find things without delay. If you find things easier when they're alphabetized, then use that type of system. Perhaps you're better at finding things by color. Then use that system. Your organization system must work in harmony with your personality.
Finding the time for your scrapbooking and/or rubberstamping hobby can be difficult if you have too many things going on in your life. Reduce or eliminate the activities you don't truly enjoy. Reduce the activities of your children. Get on an organized cleaning schedule, so you're not wasting the entire weekend cleaning up. Make easier dinners that are healthy, but take half the time to prepare. Get your family to help out with household chores and obligations.
Those spare minutes that we all have can be put to good use. Have to wait at the doctor's office for your appointment? Sketch out a quick layout idea. Waiting for the wash cycle to finish? Sort out some photos, or gather supplies for tomorrow's scrapbooking project.
Don't ever leave your home without a small notebook in hand. You're bound to come up with a thought, or a cute caption, for your scrapbook. If you don't write it down right away, you may forget about it. You may also want to keep a small pad and a pen right near your bedside, in case you have a bright idea in the middle of the night.
Plan, organize and schedule some time to enjoy your creations with family and friends. Scrapbooking is all about fun, laughter, memories, and touching moments!
Scrapbooking, like any visual art, goes through trends in colors, design ideas, embellishments, and details. As you flip through the Top Ten Scrapbook Pages from CHA Summer 2010, what do you see as a common thread in two or more scrapbook page layouts? What trends do you see developing in these new products and designs? Next week, I will share with you the trends that I noticed, but I would love to hear from you about what you see as you peruse these 10 fabulous scrapbook pages. Click on "Comments" below to add your thoughts and we will see how many different trends we can all pick out in these ten layouts.
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Scrapbooking can be a very challenging task for the beginner. For one thing, you need creativity in order to form an attractive work of art. You also need to think up a definite theme which forms the spine of the scrapbook. The things you put within the scrapbook also should be arranged in such a way that their significance is unmistakable. With all these complexities, many people would be hard-pressed to finish a scrapbook without the correct tools.
So what tools would you actually need to put a scrapbook together?
1 ) Scissors. Everybody knows what scissors are, right? Well, here's a allegory for the scissors in scrapbooking. Scissors are like bringers of order. Scissors shape the small bits of paper into forms that you may use in your scrapbook. This scrapbooking tool is very important in making pieces fit together. A few individuals may refuse to chop the bits of paper, but only thru this, can the scrapbook be finished.
In that sense, two scissors can symbolize the honest truth. Why, you ask? Well, the truth hurts [*T]. But it has got to hurt, does not it? It has to hurt if it is to set you free.
There are two specific types of scissors you can use as scrapbooking tools:
A ) Standard paper-cutting scissors. These scissors are made to chop and to chop straight. This is the type of scissors folks encounter from the start of their infancy. You have to be able to trust your scissors to chop straight, as it just looks ugly if you unintentionally use dull scissors and screw up the cut of the paper.
B ) Creative scissors. This type of scissors can be bought at different art supply shops. These scissors are markedly formed to produce different types of cuts. Using this scrapbooking tool can be a full lot more practical than trying to follow a pattern using straight-cutting scissors. You see, using conventional scissors can provide you with carpal tunnel thanks to the stress your fingers will be taking. And that's not good at all, is it?
2 ) A punch, also called a hole punch. This nifty scrapbooking tool is used typically to punch holes into paper. There are, once again, 2 types of punchers available out there:
A ) Conventional punch. This type of puncher produces round holes. Strangely enough, this type of puncher wasn't designed as a scrapbooking tool, but as an office supply. For those of today's generation, files are known as the thing you keep documents in your PC. for people, files consist of vital papers and documents which are organized together. Punchers were used to put holes into those documents to accommodate a fastener. Punchers are used today to make perfect circles on scrapbooking pages.
B ) Formed punch. This kind of puncher, just about works in the same manner as the conventional puncher. However, the edges of the punching mechanism take different shapes to accommodate your creating needs. This scrapbooking tool is used to make different shaped holes in the pages of the scrapbook.
3 ) Tweezers. Tweezers are typically used as scrapbooking tools in order to enable the crafter to put in a design or to glue in a bit of paper tidily. You see, when making a scrapbook, you'll be working with different materials together with a large amount of glue. Due to this, there's a heavy risk of you smudging the different footage of the scrapbook. Tweezers are glorious scrapbooking tools to maintain the cleanliness of your handiwork.
4 ) Computer. This can be a brilliant scrapbooking tool due to the fact that it can do a whole host of things. On the PC, you can do research on what scrapbooking theme to use. This implies you are given more resources on the types of different themes and the ways that you can incorporate them in your scrapbook. You may use the computer to get more photographs to put in your scrapbook. By utilizing the PC, you get all a benefit of modern technology and can therefore, make your scrapbook into anything you like. But, more importantly it allows you to explore digital scrapbooking software.
Scrapbooking tools permit people to have a less complicated time crafting their scrapbook pages. However, you need to remember that in some cases mistakes actually make a scrapbook more personal and make you, the scrapbooker more touchable. Mistakes show the human side of you. Like the memories you show on a scrapbook, the making of it shouldn't always be perfect, but it should be fun.
C. Gibson is a scrapbooking and photography enthusiast who loves scrapbooking for friends and family. If you are interested in digital scrapbooking software or scrapbook storage she highly recommends these places.
Using templates to create your scrapbook pages can be a great timesaver. Scrapbook templates help you be consistent in cropping your photos and in creating a more organized look. You can place them over photos, and they're good tools for all your pages. Examples of the types of templates available include templates for journaling, cropping, and layout. And many templates are available without charge. Here are some reasons to use free scrapbooking templates.
1. Save Effort. Selecting a theme for scrapbook is no simple feat. Choosing colors, designs, and layout takes time and thought. Free scrapbooking templates save you from that chore. They also save you the task of researching different ideas and finding the right ones for your scrapbook project. By using free scrapbooking templates, things are already coordinated, and the pieces fit together well without work on your part.
2. Save Time. While great fun, scrapbooking is a time-consuming activity that many of us can't afford today. Planning layout, design, and color schemes comes first. Assembling photos, mementos, and embellishments comes next. Then assembling everything into an attractive package requires a major time investment. We look everywhere for ways to save time, and free scrapbooking templates are a great time-saver. When you use free scrapbooking templates, you already have the basic page for your pictures. All you have to do is add your personal elements, and you're done!
3. Save Money. You can spend a good deal of money creating your own template. Scrapbooking supplies and materials aren't cheap, as any trip to the craft store will prove. By using free scrapbooking templates, you don't have to invest your hard-earned dollar in a quality design. And you don't have to buy new tools to create your own.
Can I find free scrapbooking templates on the Internet?
Yes. There are several websites dedicated to arts and crafts. They offer a variety of resources on home crafting projects, and they're the most likely places to find free scrapbooking templates.
* Craft and Scrapbooking Websites
In addition to free scrapbooking templates, these sites offer valuable tips and advice for some great scrapbooking ideas. Many of them include photographs they've assembled into related sets to support various themes. You can search their sites for your theme or browse the designs they display. Although this is not a complete template, it gives you free building blocks to build your own templates. Rather than tying you down to someone else's idea of what your scrapbook pages should look like, you can use these free resources and your own creativity to develop exactly what you want.
The websites offer groups of images and other elements focused on specific themes. You can browse these materials to find a theme you like. You can also search for a specific theme using a search engine like Google to find a site that may be dedicated to your theme. Many of these websites are designed specifically for people who want to use a theme for their scrapbooking project, and they may contain additional hints and information prepared by the person who created the specific template.
For scrapbookers who prefer that look of organized chaos, getting individual scrapbook components is also possible. Just remember that free scrapbooking templates help you organize your work around a single unifying theme and makes your scrapbook more attractive. After all, we usually create a scrapbook to memorialize a single event or idea, making templates ideal.
* Group Websites
Several sites provide free scrapbooking templates for their group. Members can create scrapbooks reflecting their group experience. Using these free scrapbooking templates gives you an opportunity to meet others with your interests and helps you build relationships with other group members through your scrapbooking project. You can compare each others' work and get new ideas.
These are just a few ideas about using free scrapbooking templates for your next scrapbooking project. Whether you want a complete page template or elements, you can find them at one of many websites dedicated to scrapbooking. Not only do they offer the template, most of them also offer careful instructions that show you how to use it. Adding your own touches, of course, makes the design yours and your scrapbook more interesting and unique.
Abhishek is a Scrapbooking expert and he has got some great Scrapbooking Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 73 Pages Ebook, "Scrapbooking Made Easy!" from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/821/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.
Turn your next scrapbook page into a superhero comic book themed layout using these six free speech bubble patterns. You can print these patterns in any size you need. You can use one large one to journal on any theme of scrapbook page. You can use a series of smaller ones to create a comic book type layout.
Western scrapbooking pages, free of charge, can be found on the Internet and in scrapbooking magazines. Scrapbooking is one of those hobbies in which people enjoy sharing pages they have created. Whether novice or professional, they want to help others have similar happy experiences.
Sources of Western Scrapbooking Pages
Western scrapbooking pages, free for copying, appear in many places on the Internet. You might want to try these options.
1. Galleries: Scrapbooking galleries are probably one of the best places to find western scrapbooking pages free. These galleries feature photos of successful scrapbooking pages, free for you to borrow from their creators. Scrapbook has nearly 350,000 images in their gallery, including both layouts and digital layouts of scrapbooking pages. A search there on the word "western" produced 214 western scrapbooking pages at the time this article was written. A mouse click at this gallery enlarges any photo so you can easily see the elements.
2. Forums and Chat Rooms: You may also find western scrapbooking pages free in forums and chat rooms. Sometimes, if you are cooperative, a forum member may even volunteer to create a western scrapbooking page free to meet your specific needs. Forum members are often scrapbooking "addicts" who love to share their talents.
3. Scrapbooking Kits: Online retailers who sell scrapbooking kits often feature 2 or 3 kits, showing large pictures of scrapbooking pages within the kits. The pages are copyrighted, but the ideas can be adapted. Digital scrapbooking kits are sometimes free for the taking as an introduction to a site's digital elements. You may find just the western scrapbooking pages you want on a kit site.
4. Scrapbooking Stamp Retailers: Online retailers of stamps often show scrapbooking pages to illustrate what their stamps will add to a layout. We found lovely western scrapbooking pages free at one of these sites.
5. Scrapbooking Supplies Retailers: Internet retailers who sell an array of scrapbooking supplies follow the same practice: placing photos of samples to spark ideas, or giving 2 or 3 scrapbooking pages free as an introductory offer. Browse these retailers' sites and you will come away with many ideas for western scrapbooking pages.
Do-It-Yourself Digital Western Scrapbooking Pages
Digital western scrapbooking pages can be created at your computer if you are handy with a computer graphics program. We use Adobe PhotoShop.
Begin by creating scrapbooking paper. Make your paper 12" x 12" for now. It can be reduced later if necessary. Create digital scrapbooking paper in several themes for your scrapbooking pages. These three ideas will get you started.
1. Western Riding Scrapbooking Pages
Make the paper background medium to light brown with a sandy texture.
Place a clear layer in front of the brown, and add words to it such as "Western" or "cowboy" to carry the theme. You won't need many words. Vary the font for interest. This layer is optional on your scrapbooking page.
Find 1 or 2 clipart or photo images of cowboy hats. Then find a cowboy boot, saddle, and spurs. Add a rope if you wish. Once you have the graphics, create a pattern on your brown paper, repeating it at pleasing intervals.
2. Horseshoe Scrapbooking Pages
Make the paper background light brown, and then render clouds with light brown and ivory.
Find a clipart image of a steel gray horseshoe. Create a pattern over the clouds, repeating the horseshoe at intervals until the paper is covered.
3. Man and Beast Shoes Scrapbooking Pages
Begin by creating horseshoe scrapbooking paper. Add small clipart images of cowboy boots at wide intervals over top of the horseshoes. It's good to have 3 different pairs of cowboy boots for interest.
Completing Western Scrapbooking Pages
Once your scrapbooking paper is ready, you can make digital western scrapbooking pages on it. Place cropped, scanned photos on each page. Overlap photos, with a piece of journaling placed to one side. Add a page title in bold, western font. Half a dozen wild mustangs in ivory or off-white might be placed at a page bottom, as though dashing in from one side. Add digital stickers to your scrapbooking pages and move to the next.
Tip: Western scrapbooking pages look best when "busy" cowboy paper is used intermittently with plain, more colorful backgrounds.
?2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about scrapbooking pages at http://www.scrapbooking-for-fun.com Anna is posting new articles every week on that site. If you like free scrapbooking pages, you won?t want to miss her article on free digital scrapbooking frames.
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A digital scrapbook is an exciting project. With minimal mess, you can gather photos and memories into an electronic scrapbook. From there, you can share individual pages or the entire digital scrapbook via e-mail. You can save the digital scrapbook on CD. You can print your digital scrapbook - as many copies as you desire.
Digital scrapbook flourishes make your work look professional. Well-placed and limited in number, digital scrapbook flourishes can soften sharp corners and add feeling to any page.
Define Digital Scrapbook Flourishes
Digital scrapbook flourishes are decorative touches added to photos on the page of a digital scrapbook project.
As in writing, a flourish is an ornamental embellishment, added to make the page showier. Such embellishments appeared frequently in Victorian writing, but are now reserved for things such as certificates where calligraphy appears.
A digital scrapbook flourish might be a sweeping stem of flowers placed across the corner of a photo. It could be a circular "doodle" of intricately interwoven lines. Sometimes, digital scrapbook flourishes take a free art form, flowing loops of color or black sweeping onto the photo from opposite corners.
Brushes or Rubber Stamps
The forerunners of digital scrapbook flourishes are done with "brushes" in conventional scrapbooking. The term "brushes" can be misleading, however, as no artist's or painter's brush is involved. These decorative touches are added with rubber stamps in conventional scrapbooking.
Since digital scrapbooking is done solely on the computer, the "brushes" or "rubber stamps" may be previously created designs placed on the electronic page atop the photo. Another way of producing digital scrapbook flourishes is to use a digital brush to doodle or swirl a design onto the finished page.
Advantages of Digital Scrapbook Flourishes
Many advantages can be gained through the use of digital scrapbook flourishes. A page that is other wise little more than a simple photo album page gains interest, and tells a more complete story through the addition of flourishes. How do flourishes accomplish that?
1. Digital scrapbook flourishes give cohesiveness to a page. For example, a page that features two similar photos can look bare if the two photos sit alone on the background. Look at what a digital scrapbook flourish can do. A flourish can sweep between the photos, crossing one corner of each, and tying them together. A flourish can be echoed from one photo to the next. Place identical flourishes across matching corners to show the photos' relationship. A few small flourishes can flow between the photos, overlapping each photo slightly at one or two spots. All of these, and more, are ways to pull page elements together with digital scrapbook flourishes.
2. Digital scrapbook flourishes can also be used to convey emotion. A photo of a young girl, just home from her first dance, can become wistful and nostalgic if a spray of flowers floats across one corner. A photo of a boy's first baseball game recalls his excitement when a flourish of a trophy is added.
3. Finally, a digital scrapbook flourish can simply make a dull page showy. Think of an official royal decree. It would carry as much power on a plain piece of paper, provided it had the proper seal. But a flourish or two makes it showy - gives it importance. Digital scrapbook flourishes can do the same for your electronic page.
Sources for Digital Scrapbook Flourishes
The best source for digital scrapbook flourishes may be your own skill and a good computer graphics program. If you are comfortable with using such a program, and know your way around it, you can find many built-in flourishes, as well as tools to create your own flourishes.
If you do it yourself, you can create digital scrapbook flourishes from a bit of your digital scrapbook paper design. Simple capture the flower or design element you want for a flourish and "clean" it, removing unwanted background colors. Place the finished flourish on your page and see how well it ties in with the background. Change its color, if desired, for more contrast.
Most digital scrapbook software includes flourishes and embellishments. If you are using such a program, look for "brushes" or "stamps" to use.
Websites that retail digital scrapbook supplies will also have digital scrapbook flourishes. Look at their samples to get ideas. Purchase packages of digital scrapbook flourishes from them.
Helpful tip: When you come across a term such as "flourishes" in your digital scrapbook work, pursue it until you understand it. Understanding the "technical talk" is a big part of making a great digital scrapbook.
?2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about digital scrapbooking at http://www.scrapbooking-for-fun.com. Anna is posting new articles regularly on that site. You won?t want to miss her recent review of digital scrapbook software.
Every scrapbook is unique and inviting; as a creative scrapbooking professional, your marketing should be as eye-catching and irresistible as your creations. Even if you have only a few hundred dollars to spend, you can absolutely woo clientele using grassroots methods to showcase your creative scrapbooking acumen.
Educate Others in the Art Form of Creative Scrapbooking
One of the fastest ways to turn yourself from an unknown scrapbooker into a creative scrapbooking "expert" is to teach a class on the art of creating a fabulous, memorable scrapbook.
Though you might initially be wary that if you tell others your creative scrapbooking "secrets", they won't use your creative scrapbooking business, that usually doesn't happen. Instead, what occurs is that your students see you as a professional in the arena of scrapbook design and development. Thus, when they want an important scrapbook (e.g., for their daughter's Bar Mitzvah or husband's retirement celebration), they will immediately think of you. After all, they might enjoy creative scrapbooking, but they don't necessarily feel confident enough to construct a special scrapbook on their own.
You can work with many community centers, schools, college campuses, and libraries to offer your creative scrapbooking courses. Expect to spend a bit of money on advertising, room rental (though you can often snag a free space if you're a start-up), and creative scrapbooking paraphernalia, though it's still much less of an investment than if you paid for a full page, 4-color ad in the Sunday paper.
Write About Scrapbooking
Another way to become an instant creative scrapbooking "guru" is to write articles or tips about creative scrapbooking. Sometimes, smaller community papers will print such items as "filler" for their circulars. Alternately, if a local sewing center or arts and crafts store offers a newsletter to patrons, you might be able to become a "guest columnist." (Or perhaps you can offer to write your own "creative scrapbooking newsletter" gratis if they agree to pass it out to consumers.)
Will you receive a ton of creative scrapbooking business from this type of subtle "marketing"? Probably not. But you will be building your reputation as your area's premier creative scrapbooking authority. You will also be able to tell prospective customers that you've published items on the topic of creative scrapbooking, always an impressive credential to tout (and a resume booster as well.)
Start a Scrapbooking Blog and/or Web site
In today's cyber society, blogs and Web sites are fairly inexpensive, so there's no reason not to get online and start talking about your creative scrapbooking know-how and burgeoning creative scrapbooking company.
For example, you could quickly set up a blog 100% devoted to the tricks of the creative scrapbooking trade in an effort to attract persons from around the world to your site. Though most of them won't become clients, you stand to gain instant exposure. And who knows? The family down the street may wind up stopping by your creative scrapbooking Web site and hiring you to redo their three sons' baby books!
Never Stop Selling Yourself or Your Scrapbooking Abilities!
It's critical that you never stop selling yourself and your creative scrapbooking business if you are serious about succeeding in this infant industry with huge profit potential.
This may mean stepping out of your "comfort zone" and becoming a master at self-promotion. If you have an innate fear of networking, it's time to overcome your worries and learn how to shake some hands. Remember that you won't be the first entrepreneur who took a plunge into the unknown.
To become a better press generator on behalf of your creative scrapbooking business, you'll have to force yourself to try again and again. However, if the process becomes achingly difficult and hampers your desire to scrapbook, it may be time to hire someone to promote your business on your behalf. Yes, this is a "last ditch" measure, but if it keeps your dream alive, it's worth the cost to bring on a partner who isn't afraid of a good sales pitch. (And many individuals will work with start-ups on a commission basis, which is terrific news for your budget!)
A Final Note about Ethics and Your Scrapbooking Venture
Though it's imperative that you keep up standards and operate ethically and legally (the tax man will cometh whether you like it or not!), that doesn't mean you can't be innovative. Constantly seek out ways to differentiate yourself from other scrapbook artists and allow yourself to grow personally and professionally.
Love your work, and that positive attitude mingled with creative scrapbooking talent will draw customer inquiries and have you wondering why you didn't begin your creative scrapbooking company sooner.
Michele Cardello, director of marketing and creative for Life Imprints, a creative scrapbooking [http://www.lifeimprints.com] supplies company also offering contemporary picture frames, in Cleveland, Ohio, has worked in the photo packaging industry for 10 years. Cardello helps customers find creative ways to preserve and appreciate a lifetime of memories.
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Scrapbooking pages call for imagination and creativity. Sometimes, though, you feel as though you've run out of ideas. You have used your last idea and you wish there were a regular source - a "service station" where you could get a refill on ideas. You may want digital ideas, printable ideas, or layouts for a conventional scrapbooking page.
Weekly scrapbooking page ideas would be nice, wouldn't they? There are scrapbooking "service stations" that offer weekly scrapbooking page ideas. There are also ways to find weekly scrapbooking page ideas without those sites.
Websites Offer Weekly Scrapbooking Page Ideas
You can find weekly scrapbooking page ideas on the Internet. You won't always find them by typing that phrase into a search engine, though. You may need to be creative. Here are two places we found weekly scrapbooking page ideas.
* The better scrapbooking supplies websites offer weekly scrapbooking page ideas on their site. They have a page or two that change each week, showing a new layout or other scrapbooking page idea.
* Some scrapbooking sites offer a FREE newsletter with weekly scrapbooking page ideas. All they require is a name and valid e-mail address. As a bonus, they may even offer FREE scrapbooking supplies to newsletter subscribers.
Gleaning Weekly Scrapbooking Page Ideas
Another way to find weekly scrapbooking page ideas is to establish your own weekly route of "service stations" to fill up on ideas. Visit the same scrapbooking stations once a week, and see what is new. Often a new kit or other element will give you an idea. The website station may not be offering it as a scrapbooking page idea, but when you see it, you glean ideas from it. Let's look at how this can be done. Follow these 7 steps.
1. If you haven't yet learned to add "bookmarks" in your Internet browser, do it now. Go to your browser's "Help" button on the menu at the top of the page. Learn to add new folders, and to add new bookmarks to those folders.
2. Add a new folder in your bookmarks. Name it "IDEAS" or "STATIONS" or some other appropriate word.
3. Establish your route of service stations by setting aside time to locate the scrapbooking page sites you like. You can choose from hundreds. Look for sites that offer free ideas, weekly or not. Most like to add new materials to keep customers coming back. Keep your eyes open for kits, layout ideas in kits, and titles. All of these can spark ideas.
4. Be sure you include sites that offer samples of scrapbooking pages done by other scrapbookers. "Gallery" is a great sign!
5. One-by-one, bookmark the scrapbooking page sites you like. Add each bookmark to the new folder you created.
6. When you have visited, and bookmarked every scrapbooking page site you like, you will have your weekly scrapbooking page ideas route. These are your "service stations" where you can fill up your tank of ideas.
7. Now, you can routinely visit every site on your route on a weekly basis, gleaning scrapbooking page ideas. Whether your scrapbook is conventional or digital, you will find many ideas simply by seeing what is added to the different websites.
Local Weekly Scrapbooking Page Ideas
No matter where you live, there are local weekly scrapbooking page ideas, free for the taking. All you have to do is go for a walk, jog, ride a bicycle, or visit your local mall. Focus on what's happening around you. Open your eyes to the scenes and activity you've been missing.
If you visit a local park, and watch children, you may suddenly see a scene that is a perfect scrapbooking page idea. It reminded you of something your own children did, or an occasion when your family was in a park.
When you're sitting in the mall, observing people, you see a couple stop for a snack. Something about the way he treats her reminds you of your own courtship, and you jot down a new scrapbooking page idea.
As you jog or ride your bicycle along a path you've often taken, you focus on things that had become commonplace. You see that path as it used to look when you pushed your baby stroller there. A new scrapbooking page idea.
You see someone delivering newspapers, and you get an idea for your scrapbooking page about your first job - found in a classified ad.
Helpful Tip
Weekly scrapbooking page ideas are all around us, waiting for free pickup. If you establish a time for collecting them, you will soon have all you can use.
?2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about scrapbooking pages at http://www.scrapbooking-for-fun.com. Anna is posting new articles every week on that site. You won?t want to miss her article on scrapbooking page ideas for passports.
Combine this week's new?free paper piecing pattern of a sitting teddy bear with his arms out with any other free paper piecing pattern here on About.com Scrapbooking to create your own masterpiece scrapbook page embellishment. Then share your creation with the world by sending me a photo of the piece or even better, the scrapbook page along with the links to the patterns that you used that are free on About.com Scrapbooking. I will put these images into a gallery just for Teddy Bear Ideas to share them with other readers around the globe. Read more about how to send in an item to share and also about taking photos of your scrapbook pages in the Current Page Calls article.
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Scrapbooks have been a common way of preserving not only
photographs, but also newspaper clippings, pamphlets, documents,
and other assorted items. Unfortunately, the impulse to save is
frequently carried out with techniques and materials that are
both detrimental and contrary to the collector's initial
intention of long-term preservation.
Although every scrapbook is a unique collection arranged by the
compiler, scrapbooks as a group exhibit some common
characteristics. Album and scrapbook pages are almost
universally made of poor-quality paper that deteriorates rapidly
and may become stained and embrittled with time.
The binding structure of albums is usually unable to adjust to
the bulge caused by the materials the albums contain. Plastics
used in modern photograph albums and scrapbooks are often
unstable and, therefore, damaging. Items are frequently attached
to the pages of scrapbooks and albums with harmful tapes or
adhesives.
Multi- paged letters or pamphlets may be fastened only by the
last sheet; documents may be folded; and written notations may
span the pages and the enclosed artifacts. Scrapbooks often
contain a diversity of materials such as locks of hair, ribbons,
badges, pressed flowers, and other three-dimensional objects.
All of these features make scrapbooks and albums vulnerable to
damage.
ENVIRONMENT
Although museums, archives, and libraries cannot alter the
inherent characteristics of scrapbooks without conservation
treatment, they can extend their useful lives by controlling the
environment in which they are kept and the manner in which they
are stored and handled.
Conservation scientists have estimated (based on accelerated
aging tests) that the useful life span of paper doubles for
every 10°F drop in temperature. A temperature range from 65° to
70°F and a relative humidity of 45% with a daily flucuation of
only ±3% are acceptable for a wide variety of materials.
These moderate conditions facilitate preservation and are are
reasonably economical. This range inhibits mold growth but does
not encourage desiccation from an overly dry environment. Air
circulation and filtration are also important elements in the
control of the physical environment.
Scrapbooks and other archival materials must be protected from
excessive exposure to both ultraviolet (UV) and visible light,
while being stored, used, and exhibited. The most significant
source of UV radiation is natural light. Fluorescent tubes also
emit UV rays. Curtains, shades, or filters will greatly reduce
light damage. Good housekeeping practices discourage pest
infestation and establish the proper impression for visitors.
Food and drink should never be permitted in storage, processing,
exhibition, or reading areas.
All environmental conditions must be monitored on a regular
schedule so adverse conditions can be discovered and corrected.
PHYSICAL STORAGE AND SHELVING
The physical storage requirements of scrapbooks and albums vary,
depending on their size and condition. Storing small and
medium-sized volumes upright on open shelves next to volumes of
similar size will discourage warping of covers and distortion of
pages. If necessary, scrapbooks may be integrated with archival
materials in document boxes or folders but they should be
separated from direct contact with otherwise unprotected
materials. Volumes in boxes should be stored spine down,
adjacent to materials of similar size.
Scrapbooks with weak covers or those with covers attached by
strings looped through the pages should be tied together with
unbleached linen or cotton tape. The bow knot should be
positioned at the foredge to prevent interference while shelving
or indentations on the cover caused by pressure.
Better protection for scrapbooks and albums is provided by
wrapping them with acid-free paper and storing them in a
protective box. Acid-free or archival-quality paper and boxes
can be purchased in standard sizes from archival supply houses
or can be custom made. Wrapping or boxing scrapbooks also
protects against deterioration caused by airborne pollutants,
which are especially harmful to paper and photographic prints.
Slipcases are not recommended for the storage of albums because
they cause abrasion every time the album is slipped in and out
of the case and because they expose spines to light and dust
damage.
Oversize scrapbooks should be stored flat and fully supported on
open shelves; if they are allowed to extend beyond the edge of
the shelf, the books will become distorted. Flat storage for
oversize volumes also provides better protection for artifacts
that might be loosely attached to the pages. Map cases also
provide acceptable storage for scrapbooks.
HANDLING, TREATMENT, AND REFORMATTING
The reason to collect and preserve scrapbooks is to provide
readers with access to their content. The best method for
preventing damage from use is to limit use as much as possible.
If the condition of the original volume permits reformatting,
handling can be reduced by providing readers with a photocopy or
microfilm. In choosing between these options several factors
must be considered. These include the intended use of the copy
and the size, format, and condition of the scrapbook and its
content.
When handling scrapbooks carefully support the binding and the
pages. Brittle pages can break, items can easily become detached
or torn, and bindings can also break. When photocopying, avoid
applying any force that could damage mounted items or the
binding structure. It is always best to wear white cotton gloves
while handling scrapbooks, especially if they contain
photographic materials.
Although some scrapbook pages can be interleaved with
archival-quality paper, most bindings will not accommodate the
bulk added by protective sheets. If interleaving is required to
protect the contents of a scrapbook, disbinding may be required.
Loose sheets can then be boxed.
CONCLUSION
Some scrapbooks are temporary curiosities and should be
considered expendable. Technical and financial concerns must be
balanced against the value of a scrapbook for research or
exhibition purposes or both. Proper storage and handling will
extend its existence.
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What are the roots of today's digital scrapbook? A scrapbook is a visual method of storytelling to preserve a legacy of history in the form of photographs, printed media and memorabilia presented artistically in decorated albums. The digital scrapbook can be traced back to ancient Greece, where a special notebook known as a "hypomnemata" was used to record events people had heard, seen or read that they wanted to preserve and remember.
In early America, some of the most well-known scrapbookers included Thomas Jefferson and Mark Twain. An avid scrapbooker, Mark Twain devoted entire Sundays to the hobby and then sold his books through Montgomery Ward.
In the 15th century, books called commonplace books, often used by students, were used to record prayers, poems and information such as weights and medical formulas. Eventually, commonplace books also held illustrations, newspaper clippings and recipes, and proved to be a valuable way to share information.
With the advent of photography, scrapbooks began to feature mounted photos with handwritten captions. A scrapbook layout might include letters, newspaper articles and other mementos. Young women in the Victorian period created memory books, friendship albums or visitor's albums containing signatures, cards, locks of hair, poetry and pictures of their family and friends to give as gifts or preserve memories.
The Traditional Scrapbook
In the United States, Utah's Marielen Christensen is often credited with reviving interest in scrapbooking. She began designing creative pages and three-ring binders for her family's photo memories and displayed them at the World Conference on Records. She and her husband published a how-to book, Keeping Memories Alive, and opened a scrapbook store in 1981 that remains open today.
The traditional art of scrapbooking has often brought women together socially to make scrapbooks and share their work and memories. These hobbyists, known as scrapbookers or scrappers, still gather at each other's homes, local scrapbook stores, scrapbooking conventions and retreat centers. The term "crop," a reference to cropping or trimming printed photos, was coined to describe these events.
In the late 1990s, many U.S. scrappers opened stores to turn their hobby into a business. Between 2001 and 2004, the scrapbooking industry doubled in size to $2.5 billion, with more than 1,600 companies creating scrapbooking products by 2003. In America, the hobby has surpassed golf in popularity: One in four households has a golf enthusiast; one in three has a scrapbooking enthusiast!
Scrapping Goes Digital
Naturally, scrapbooking has modernized with the computer age. Creating a digital scrapbook is the process of using a scrapbook layout to create pages using photo- or image-editing software. Digital scrappers import electronic photos and scrapbooking graphics into their image-editing programs and arrange them to create digital scrapbook pages.
Digital scrapping was inspired by the methods, style and culture of traditional scrapbooking. Today's scrapbook layout and computer programs are designed to capture the look and feel of traditional scrapbooking and provide creative control over all the elements--even ones on premade templates.
And the social element remains intact in the digital scrapping world. Many digital scrappers get together to share their digital resources and knowledge about editing programs. They read blogs, attend scrapbook conventions and meet others in online digital scrapbooking chat rooms and forums. It's easier than ever to share a digital scrapbook with anyone, anywhere!
Time and money savings are among other benefits digital scrapbookers realize over glue-and-paper scrapping. In addition, while a traditional scrapbook layout and photos can fade or yellow over time, a computer-generated scrapbook layout is archived in a digital format where it's kept safe from the effects of time, heat, oxidation and other factors. A digital scrapbook layout never loses its detail or color.
Another feature people love about the digital scrapbook is that they can add small notes or embellishments to each photo in the scrapbook layout to convey the story more vividly. This allows them to add their own creativity to the scrapbook layout.
With digital photography rising quickly, many scrapbookers edit all their photos on the computer before they ever put them in an album. They remove red eyes, crop distracting backgrounds and enhance the color of images, sharpening the overall effect of their digital scrapbook and giving it a professional look.
Traditional scrappers are realizing they don't have to learn programming to create a digital scrapbook or photo collage. This part of the digital scrapbook has been catered to by professionals and is served to the scrapper on a platter in the form of a premade template and scrapbook layout, often featuring themes carrying mass appeal.
Scrapbooking has come a long way since ancient Greece, but its purpose and effects remain the same, and the digital scrapbook will only boost the popularity of this ancient art, helping preserve special memories for centuries to come!
Digital scrapbooking diva Sasha Byers explores the world of documenting memories digitally, providing insight and ideas on how to create digital photo collages and scrapbooks. She offers tips on scrapbooking important events, travels and major life periods such as childhood, school athletics and a child's transition out of the nest. She also debunks common myths about digital scrapbooking and addresses frequent questions on this popular new hobby. Sasha's blogs provide answers, tips and digital scrapbooking ideas to help you create sharper, more attractive scrapbooks in half the time
Learn more about our photo collage maker at the Artopia Photo Collage Maker Community
Connect with others and share your scrapbook layouts at the Artopia Photo Collage Maker Community
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Scrapbooking can be addictive. Creative individuals, browsing a scrapbooking supply store, often find themselves purchasing items for which they have no present use or future plan. A particular pack of paper is too pretty to resist. A certain embellishment is new and exciting. A kit would be just right if a friend has a baby sometime. Eventually, the scrapbooking supplies begin to overflow a box. Then they overflow two boxes. Papers become dog-eared or torn. It's time to organize.
Such people eventually reach a point where they begin to despair, and question how to organize a scrapbook room. They don't want to give up the craft, but it takes so much space.
Perhaps you find yourself in the same predicament. Maybe you are wondering how to organize your scrapbook room.
How to Organize a Scrapbook Room
Wondering how to organize a scrapbook room, you may have started sorting supplies into separate boxes. That kept them organized, but not readily accessible. Also, the scrapbooking tools weren't in boxes.
Perhaps these suggestions will help.
Divide a scrapbook room into two areas. The first area will be for working on scrapbooks. The second will be for storage.
1. Work Area: This area will need a scrapbooking table or desk. The scrapbooking work area should be large enough to hold a large album, papers, photos, other elements, and tools. If you enjoy working with other family members or friends, select a scrapbooking table that provides space for 3 or 4 workers. Provide comfortable chairs for your scrapbook room so that your back is supported while working. Good lighting is also essential in a scrapbooking work area. Add a big wastebasket!
2. Storage Area: Adequate, organized storage in a scrapbook room will make your work easier and keep your supplies fresh and clean. There are many ways to store scrapbooking supplies. You can purchase furniture made especially for scrapbook rooms. Scrapbooking desks offer drawers of various sizes to fit the most common supplies. Scrapbooking paper storage units are often similar to those used in large offices. Clear plastic bins that stack are very useful. You will need different kinds of storage for different products so they will stay organized.
Once you have divided your scrapbook room and acquired the necessary furnishings, it is time to organize things.
Scrapbooking albums are probably your largest items. Keep them on a bookshelf where you can easily select the one on which you want to work. If you have more than one size, arrange them by height to give your scrapbook room an organized look to go with your organizational efforts. If you have idea books or instructional books on scrapbooking, put them on the bookshelf. Magazines can be stored there, too. Magazine holders from am office supply store will keep them tidy.
Scrapbooking papers and cardstock are the next largest items. These can be organized in a Paper Station such as scrapbooking stores use. Or store them in clear stacking plastic bins. Sort all of your papers and get them safely out of the way before moving to another scrapbooking element.
Sort your paper and cardstock in a way that fits your creativity. Some people sort by color, placing all blues in one location, yellows in another, etc. Others prefer to sort according to occasion. Papers related to nostalgic themes go together. Papers that fit a sports theme go in another storage bin. Baby scrapbooking paper goes in a third.
Once papers are sorted and put in storage bins or drawers, label the bins so that you will know at a glance what is in each.
Kits should be stored separately from your paper and cardstock. Your scrapbook room might have a dedicated box or drawer just for kits. Keep them in their wrappers if you want to be sure you have all the pieces when you are ready to use them. Label your kit box or drawer.
Ribbons can tangle and fray if not stored properly. Invest in a ribbon holder for your scrapbook room - more than one if you have a lot of ribbons. Make sure each roll is tidy, and store them on the ribbon holders. You may want to organize these by color also. If you are putting them in a box or drawer, attach a label.
Your scrapbook room is probably looking better by now. The small things are left, though, and they can cause clutter. Take time to sort through all of the stickers, embellishments, eyelets, brads, and other items. Once they are sorted, place each in an appropriate drawer or box, and label them. A scrapbooking desk is especially convenient for these small items. Its many drawers and nooks will soon have the scrapbook room well organized.
One essential in a scrapbook room is a place for tools. If they are on your table or desk, you may not have space to work. Put them away.
Helpful Tip
Still wonder how to organize a scrapbook room? Remember the old maxim: A place for everything and everything in its place. Put things away when you're done and it will stay organized.
?2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about scrapbooking at http://www.scrapbooking-for-fun.com. Anna is posting new articles regularly on that site. You won?t want to miss her recent article on scrapbooking with a designer's eye.
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Scrapbooking paper forms the background for every page of your scrapbook. If you begin to do many scrapbooks, it can be a major cost. To save that cost, many people look for free scrapbooking paper to print from their computers. Below, we will tell you how to find free scrapbooking paper to print. We will also discuss important things to remember about your scrapbooking paper.
Why Special Scrapbooking Paper
At first, you may be tempted to use plain construction paper for your scrapbooks - or colored paper for your printer. Scrapbooking paper is higher priced than either of those, and it doesn't seem that special!
Preservation: Scrapbooking paper is special because it is intended for the best preservation of your photos and memorabilia. Scrapbooking paper is acid-free and lignin-free. What does that mean for you?
* Acid-free: Scrapbooking paper that is acid-free has a neutral pH. At most, the pH should be between 6 and the neutral 7. The wood pulp of which scrapbooking paper is made contains natural acids. These are neutralized in production by treating the paper with a substance such as calcium. The paper may be buffered also to keep additional acids from forming.
Acid-free scrapbooking paper is used because scrapbooks are intended to last a long time. Acid-free paper will not yellow and deteriorate as regular paper will. In addition, acid-free scrapbooking paper will not harm your photos, or cause them to deteriorate.
* Lignin-free: Lignin is another substance found in wood pulp. Lignin makes acidity even worse. It intensifies acidity. Scrapbooking paper that is acid-free, but not lignin-free, will not remain acid-free as long. Lignin can be removed in the pulping process, but adds to the cost of scrapbooking paper.
You may have a newspaper that has turned brown over time. That brownness is caused by the lignin, which makes acid form inside the paper fibers. Scrapbooking paper that is lignin-free is not as likely to turn brown.
Problems with Free Scrapbooking Paper to Print
Free scrapbooking paper to print on your own machine may have drawbacks that will make you reconsider.
1. Scrapbooking paper you print will not be acid-free and lignin-free unless you purchase special paper for your printer. Such paper is available, of course. You simply need to check before you purchase.
Acid-free possibilities at office supply stores online include: regular multiuse and copy paper; color copy paper; inkjet paper; laser paper; and business stationery.
2. If you decide to find free scrapbooking paper to print, you will probably have to settle for a smaller size. Scrapbooking paper is often 12" x 12" and few printers are capable of handling that size. Even if you use 8.5" x 11" paper, your printer's margins may prevent you from printing the next convenient size of 8" x 8".
3. Free scrapbooking paper to print at home is not likely to offer as many patterns and colors. You may want to look for digital scrapbooking paper, enhance it in a graphics program such as Adobe PhotoShop, and then print it.
How to Find Free Scrapbooking Paper to Print
Scrapbooking paper found online is sometimes totally FREE - no strings attached. At other websites, you may be asked to take a survey, or sign up for a newsletter before gaining access to free scrapbooking paper.
Begin a Google search by typing the search phrase "free scrapbooking paper to print" without quotation marks. You should find several websites at the top of Google's results. Usually, what you want will be in the first 10 or 20 sites only.
When you have finished looking at those sites, type the phrase "free digital papers" or "free digital scrapbooking" without quotation marks. You should get additional websites that offer free scrapbooking paper to print.
For even more choices, simply visit scrapbooking sites. Many offer several free items to lure customers to their store.
Finally, look on your computer software for free scrapbooking paper to print. Software programs often have patterned stationery templates that make good scrapbooking paper. If you are working with Adobe Photoshop or a similar program, create your own scrapbooking paper by repeating a pattern.
Let your imagination take over, and you will soon see free scrapbooking paper in many places.
?2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart invites you to read more of her articles about scrapbooking at http://www.scrapbooking-for-fun.com Anna is posting new articles every week on that site. You won?t want to miss her recent article on free digital scrapbooking frames.
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