Picking a Scrapbook Theme and Color

2 July 2009

Creating a scrapbook is a good way to preserve memories, and selecting a scrapbook theme is the first step in  designing something to recall a major celebration. Here are some scrapbooking tips to get you started.

The scrapbook theme can be easy or complicated. It could be a special event such as a birthday, a baby shower, a wedding, Christmas, or Halloween. Scrapbook themes may also be personalised to the scrapbook recipient’s individual interests. Themes can include  sports, favorite television programs, music, the outdoors, or cultural influences.

What is the purpose for your scrapbook?
Who is the scrapbook for?
Who is the scrapbook regarding?

The feedback to these three questions are all elements in selecting an appropriate scrapbooking theme. For instance, the scrapbook you are giving your nephew as he graduates from medical school is probably completely different than the grandparent book you send your mom. Your nephew will often enjoy a scrapbook with photographs, poems, journals, and more masculine elaborations. The theme of the scrapbook may be medicine. You could create embellishments that looked like knifes and tweezers around various photos of your nephew during his varsity years.

Your mom, on the other hand, will adore a multitude of baby photographs fancifully embellished with flowers, ribbon, and baby fingerprints. This scrapbook theme will probably be your baby. Pictures may include baby and grandmother with the baby. A nice journal about your baby’s birth could also add a nice touch

Don’t forget to create a title for your scrapbook. Though adding a title might seem to be apparent or trivial, a title defines the entire basis of your scrapbook. The title instantly tells the spectator what the page is all about. In one word or one short phrase, the title tells the viewer the scrapbook theme and point.

Titles can be as basic as the date of an event, the name of an individual, or a particular event. They also might be more engaging and exciting. Titles can entail quotes, sayings, fillers, or straightforward phrases. The best places to go looking for title inspiration are in greeting cards, ads, and commercials.

Color choice is also critical. Color coordination and contrast will highlight and accent your scrapbook theme. A well thought out color scheme can help define the theme of a page, attract attention to explicit items, or detract away from mistakes. Poorly chosen color schemes, on the other hand, may cause your scrapbook page to look gaudy or mismatched.

Background color can either be matched, coordinated, or contrasted with the colors in your photographs, mementos, or elaborations. Matching colors augments the continuity of the color range. Coordinated colors add depth to scrapbook pages. Contrasted colors focus the eye. In this way, color may be used to create the effect you wish.

A great way to see how colors look together is to collect and check out color wheels from your neighborhood paint or hardware store. Paint wheels are generally attainable free for the taking in almost any paint office

Almost all scrapbooks will contain photographs. Even the most uninvolved reader of your scrapbook will peek at the photos. Photos truly are worth one thousand words. Therefore, it is important to select pictures that are of good quality and obviously illustrate your scrapbook theme.

Any photograph can be used in a scrapbook. Even instant photographs can be employed in scrapbooking. Just be cautious the chemicals in the picture don’t spill out on the rest of your scrapbook. Digital photographs can simply be printed right onto lignin-free and acid-free paper.

Always bear in mind that scrapbooking is permanent. Therefore, it is maybe preferable to use copies of your sole image of Great Grandma rather risk ruining the photograph forever. Simply scan the picture on your PC scanner and print the picture on lignin free and acid free paper.

Scrapbooking is satisfying and gratifying. You are creating a book of momentousmemories that is more delightful than a regular photo album. So select your scrapbook theme, get the basic scrapbooking supplies, choose some photographs, and get started.

Love Of Scrapbooking

25 June 2009

scrapbooking tools

Day-to-day life can wear anyone down. It seems that there is only time for work and family. If this describes your life, then perhaps you need to have a hobby to turn to when things are causing you undue stress. Scrapbooking is a great way to relax and enjoy fond memories as you sort through pictures to put into your album. Your spirit will be renewed and you will be able to show your pictures and memories off with a customized scrapbook.

The great thing about scrapbooking is that you do not have to have any experience and anyone over the age of five can make a scrapbook album. If you have the right scrapbook paper, an album and even the right rubber stamping equipment you can begin making your one-of-a kind creation. The most important part of the whole album will be the pictures which you already have.

You can find many pre-made scrapbook pages at a scrapbook store. If you do not have one located close to you, you can always find scrapbook supplies at your local Hobby Lobby or Michael’s Craft Store. You can also go online to Ebay and find scrapbook supplies for a very reasonable amount. The shipping and handling charges should not be much either. While you are there look for the right tools to help make the job easier.

There are certain scrapbooking tools that you will need to have in order to get started. You will need the right cutters, scissors and stickers to add accents to each of your pictures. You may also want to invest in some special pens that will not fade or damage the scrapbook album in any way. These pens come in a variety of colors and inks so they will look fantastic in your scrapbook album.

If you have the time to devote to scrapbooking, then it can be a very rewarding hobby. It is a fantastic way to get involved with your children and you will have something to show your family and friends when you get together. With the right scrapbook supplies you will be well on your way to creating great scrapbook albums that will be heirlooms you can pass down to your children and grandchildren. Plus, it will be a fond trip down memory lane as you sort through the pictures that you will use.

Tons of Fun, Free Scrapbooking Ideas

15 June 2009

Fun, free scrapbooking ideas are more than a bunch of pictures glued to a page, combines photos and memorabilia in one book that holds a very special importance in your life. Scrapbooking is an excellent craft to capture special memories and more often than not, is very relaxing.

Scrapbooking baby shower tokens and mementos is a fun way to save your memories in a creative way and then add more as your baby grows so you have a timeline of their achievements. Scrapbooking ideas like this become an amazing 21st birthday gift or wedding gift for your child. Granted if you keep at it, you’ll probably end up with several volumes, but the reward is definitely worth it.

Fun scrapbooking ideas can be of anything you like or have a passion for; it can even be something that a friend likes that would mean a lot as a gift. Scrapbooking occasions and special passions of friends and family like bridal showers, softball games, marathons and camping trips. You can create an album of all the special moments you shared at the yearly family vacations. Scrapbooking ideas are usually a lot more evident than you would think, take time to notice your interests everyday.

Scrapbooking is becoming an increasingly popular hobby for people of all ages and are becoming an art with all the possible embellishments. You can make scrapbooking embellishments as easy or as complex as you would like, as you get better you might go from simple stickers to silver accenting or maybe some gold leaf. Another huge scrapbook favorite is stickers, now there isn’t one perfect scrapbooking sticker; in fact, the reason scrapbooking is so fun is that its entirely individual, based on personal preferences and styles. The more comfortable you get with your scrapbooking the more you can get into more embellishments like rubber stamps, punches or even die cuts whci are becoming more and more popular.

 

Other fun, free scrapbooking ideas include using quotes, sayings or even poems along side your journaling to help bring the story of the pictures to life, and add depth to the narrative. Receiving ones memories and special moments wrapped in a nice scrapbook can open your eyes to the special power of scrapbooking.

 

Scrapbooking projects you’ll love to give away and keep, whether it’s scrapbooking your wedding, your new born baby, your favorite past time or concert tickets you can have a great deal of fun doing it and you’ll have something that will provide a lifetime of lasting memories.

The Internet is Full of No-cost Scrapbook Supplies

8 June 2009

Because there are so many Internet-savvy scrapbook paper and embellishment designers today, the Internet is full of free digital scrapbooking graphics that can be downloaded free. So if you know how to do a Web search and download files, you can have an almost endless supply of graphics to create professional-looking scrapbooks. That caused popular artist Mary Englebreit to remark recently that the Internet is so overflowing with terrific free digital scrapbooking supplies, it can provide nearly any type of images you might need. And she should know about good images; products with her designs sell like crazy!

The following are samples of some of the types of free scrapbook supplies I’ve found on the Internet:

Vintage

There seems to be an increase in the number of people looking for vintage scrapbooking supplies. Maybe that’s because antique art is so timeless and doesn’t date the final product to any particular modern era. Greeting cards from times long gone make terrific vintage scrapbooking embellishments, as do clipart images from years gone by. And if you’re fortunate enough to find vintage designs on digital scrapbooking papers, you’ll have the best of both worlds. Antique art also covers a range of subjects, which means you can find images as diverse as vintage posters, vintage flower scrapbook embellishments, tall sailing ships,  magician posters and Victorian fashion illustrations. So whatever the topic of your scrapbook, you can probably find antique art to match.

Holidays

The holidays are great subjects for scrapbooking, since those are the occasions when many of us create some of our most lasting memories. And Christmas, Easter, Halloween and Valentine’s Day aren’t the only holidays that make people want to create scrapbooks; many people are interested in the minor holidays too. You can find lots of patriotic scrapbooking papers and embellishments on the Web for holidays such as Veterans Day, Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Flag Day. There are also many images out there for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Earth Day and any other holiday you can think of; even the silly or off-beat ones.

Butterflies and Flowers

I’ve definitely noticed that people who scrapbook love flowers, and why not? They’re appropriate for almost any occasion. Butterflies attract a large audience too, because they bring to mind so many things we love: freedom, summertime and other happy things. Butterfly and flower images are also diverse, because you can find them in both illustration and photographic form, and in modern and vintage forms. You can even find  butterfly scrapbooking papers that have coordinating modern and vintage designs available in the same collections.

Wedding Images

Scrapbooks and weddings are a natural combination, because couples usually have at least one photo wedding album. But if you can make it a wedding scrapbook instead, you can preserve your memories in an even more creative way. There is a surprisingly good selection of wedding scrapbooking images on the Web that will allow you to create a lasting memento for little or no cost. And if you can’t find any specifically for weddings, flower images can also give you a pretty look.

Baby

As is the case with wedding ceremonies, the birth and growth years of a baby often generate a lot of pictures. And, of course, scrapbookers love to use those photos to create family keepsakes. Fortunately, you can find a huge selection of scrapbook materials for babies. If you’re not up on baby images, however, you might be surprised to learn that the colors are less traditional than they used to be. Chocolate brown, burnt orange and red are popular, as are various shades of green. Of course, you can still find lots of blue and pink, but these days there are many bold color choices too.

So the next time you go looking for scrapbook graphics, check out what’s available online. You might be pleasantly surprised at the free images you’ll find.

How to Use Free Clip Art and Scrapbooking Embellishments to Create Fun Baby Shower Graphics

31 May 2009

Even though the current economic conditions are strained, people still want to throw distinctive baby showers. The key to doing this in a down economy is to cut corners on aspects that won’t be noticeable. That can begin with the baby shower invitations and include the decorations and any scrapbooks created to commemorate the event.

One way to do that is to use good baby shower clipart. Often you can find stylish free images online. Just search for “free baby shower clip art,” plus the type of image you want. For instance, if you’d like pink baby girl clip art, type those words or some variation. That will work with almost any baby shower theme you can think of, although the more obscure the concept, the less likely it will be that you’ll get enough good search results. If when you search you can locate images that have high resolution, you’ll be able to use the images in a variety of ways. That’s because print projects such as invitations or decorations require high resolution images. You certainly wouldn’t want to use low-resolution clip art images because the end result won’t be clear. That would never do for a baby shower invitation, thank you card or decorations.

Baby shower clipart isn’t the only free resource you can find online. There are also many sites that present baby scrapbook pages. Many scrapbooking paper and embellishment designers give away free versions of their baby scrapbooking layouts to promote paid products or their pages that have advertising. Use of either model means they have financial incentive to offer free scrapbooking papers and embellishments. Either way, you win! There are almost as many baby scrapbook themes as there are stars in the universe, so they can be used instead of or in addition to clip art to make shower invitations and decorations. Themes range from silly and fun to retro to luxurious and classy. In case you didn’t know, vintage is particularly popular right now, so you might want to do a search for free vintage baby scrapbook embellishments. A mom-to-be who is into that kind of art would probably be thrilled to have that as her baby shower theme!

Remember, these free baby shower clip art images, scrapbook papers and embellishments can obviously also be used to document the baby shower in a baby shower scrapbook that would make an excellent gift for the mother-to-be. That means any image searching you do will pay off in more ways than one, and give the mom a baby shower with memories she’ll treasure.

Scrapbook Layouts for Less

19 May 2009

Scrapbooking can be a very expensive hobby.  However, there are several ways that you can start scrapbooking on a budget today.Regular household items can be used, including things that you normally would throw out.  Here are a few ideas that will keep more money in your pocketbook, as well as help you recycle items that would otherwise end up in the landfill.

1.  Food Containers and Boxes

If you have a die cut machine that can cut chipboard, such as the Cricut Cutter, don’t waste your money on expensive chipboard.  Instead, use food containers, such as cereal boxes.After you cover them in colorful scrapbook paper, you will never know that it came from your pantry!  If you do not have a die cut machine, you can use cookie cutters instead, to cut the box and paper into the desired shapes.

2.  Wallpaper Scraps

In many respects, wallpaper remnants are as beautiful as expensive scrapbooking papers.Make friends with the folks at your neighborhood paint and wallpaper stores, and request that they hold discontinued sample books for you.  Keep in mind, however, that the adhesive on these samples may not be acid-free.  Although they may not be suitable for your pictures, they can be used for other projects, such as making cards.

3.  Wrapping Paper

Think of all the beautiful wrapping paper you have thrown out over the years.  Recycle it by using it for your scrapbook projects.When you know someone will be unwrapping a gift, have a bag handy to collect it before it is thrown away..

4.  Fabric and Ribbon Scraps

Fabric and ribbon scraps are another perfect way to embellish your paper crafting projects.  Many of these fabric and ribbon scraps are too small for sewing, yet are the perfect size for accenting handmade cards and more.If you know any seamstresses, ask them to collect their fabric and ribbon scraps for you. 

5.  School Supplies

Many of the products in the scrapbooking aisle are simply embellished school supplies.  School supplies cost far less, though, and can be easily modified for scrapbook projects.Instead of buying expensive scrapbooking brads, purchase paper fasteners instead.You can paint them with acrylics, glue on embellishments, and jazz them up in a number of ways.

With a little imagination and creative thinking, you will surely find even more common household goods that you can use for scrapbooking on a budget.  Make sure you always have a container handy, so when you come across things you can use for your projects, you have a place to put them.

Looking for Titles for Girls Scrapbook Pages?

19 May 2009

Are you interested in finding some amusing or useful titles for girls scrapbook pages? It’s not a bad idea to add some titles and wording to any scrapbook pages you’re creating and of course when you’re making up a scrapbook for girls, some cute titles can really make the scrapbook album special.

Of course some beginning scrapbookers make the mistake of including phrases that are too girly for their girls scrapbooking titles.  This is fine if the girl you’re honoring is very girly herself but some girls are very athletic or would like to be known for their good grades rather than for their collection of dolls. Carefully select and choose your titles for girls scrapbook pages and be sure you include something that she will really love rather than what you want. Most scrapbookers intend to hand down their albums to the next generation so you definitely want something she is going to enjoy looking at for many, many years!

Here are some quick scrapbooking ideas for titles for girls scrapbook pages to get you started:

100% Cute
About a Girl
Sweet and Smart
Forever Sisters
Girls With Attitude
Girl Talk
Little Miss Sunshine
Pure Girl
Light of My Life
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Go Your Own Way
Sweet 16
That’s My Girl
13 Going on 30
Too Cute for Words
What a Girl
Isn’t She Lovely

When using titles for girls scrapbook pages make sure you don’t overwhelm the page or the memento. You might dress it up with a fancy font or make one particular word larger than the others to have it stand out. Don’t make all the words and letters too large or fancy. This will make the page look cluttered and crowded and can really detract from everything else you’ve added.

You will want to get your daughter or whomever you are making the page for involved in creating and adding titles for girls scrapbook pages. Ask her what she would like and would appreciate. She may even have some suggestions of her own! She may come up with a great idea for birthday scrapbooking titles or other funny scrapbooking sayings and titles.  Maybe there’s a phrase or saying she’s known for or that all the kids are using. Including these kinds of phrases as titles for girls scrapbook pages can capture someone’s memory of that circle of friends, particular age or grade in school. Just keep these guidelines in mind when making any scrapbook page and you’re sure to create something that you truly love.

Top 7 Digital Scrapbooking Tips

15 May 2009

Digital scrapbooking is not only a popular way of saving on your scrapbooking. With digital scrapbooking, the possibilities are endless. You can print scrapbooking embellishments such as photos or a customized page layout with a special border and apply it on your scrapbooking pages.

1. Get the most from the World Wide Web – You can download scrapbooking layouts and then just drag and drop your digital photo on the scrapbook and adjust it by cropping.
2. Fix your photos – The quality of every photo can be enhanced with the help of little bit doctoring. There are many photo editing programs which allow you to make the old photos look like a new one. You can also eliminate wrinkles, resize, crop and correct lighting.
3. Keep it Organized – Keep photos you’re going to use in your digital scrapbooks together. Organize them in profound folder system.
4. Journal – After creating a scrapbook page, you should leave some place for a journaling to illustrate your photo, feelings or the inspiration for the page. This adds a character to the scrapbook page and completes the story.
5. Using the Scanner - Use a scanner for creating your own digital embellishments. This is an excellent way of increasing your embellishments without incurring any expenses. Simply scan the items you need and save them to a file. Use Adobe or other layered software to do interesting changes in them and you are already ready with brand new embellishments for future use.
6. Getting Familiar with your Software - Although the Internet today offers innumerable free downloads of digital graphics programs, your biggest investment in digital scrapbooking is the software you choose. The most recommended software for the templates is Adobe Photoshop 7.0. The others include Paint Shop Pro, Microsoft Picture, PhotoMix. Moreover, the more designs you learn, the more innovative you will be able to get with your scrapbook embellishments such as the background papers.
7. Using Appropriate Text - You don’t need to use a very gaudy text but simply select a text color that blends naturally with the background color and design of the paper. A simple and yet smart choice could be going for plain black or white text. If you are too particular about this, then you can also do a sample brushing up on a piece of scrap. Give it the color and design of your scrapbook paper and try different colored texts on it.

Whether you are new or experienced in the field of computer scrapbooking, you need to constantly try out new designs and get more innovative and creative each time. Searching for new ideas in digital scrapbooking can easily make it the most addictive hobby you ever had.

Some Quick Tips on Scrapbooking for Kids

28 April 2009

Many parents are finding today that putting together scrapbooks is a great hobby that the entire family can enjoy, including young and old. But as with any other activity, it’s important to remember that scrapbooking for kids is not like scrapbooking for adults. You may need to make some adjustments in order to accommodate the attention span and abilities of the children or else they’ll get as bored as they would with any other hobby. So how can you approach scrapbooking for kids so they will love it as much as you do? Here are a few quick tips to consider.

Getting them started and allowing them to make their own selections is important when scrapbooking for kids. Let them pick the photograph or other item you’ll be using as a focal point and let them pick the colors or theme as well. You may think that soft pastels or primary colors or another design would look better on a particular page but this isn’t about doing things “right,” it’s about letting the children express themselves. Give them as many options and choices as you can and you’ll see that they’re more involved and will enjoy scrapbooking projects with kids more often, as opposed to just dictating to them what you’ll be doing or working on. Their scrapbooking techniques may improve over time but be patient with them and encourage their own creativity.

You will want to remember to keep things basic and simple when scrapbooking for kids. You might be experienced using a variety of designs and elements on your scrapbooking page layouts, but think of how coloring books for children are designed. The drawings in coloring books are very basic in their shapes, colors, designs, and so on. Keep your pages simple as well when considering scrapbooking for kids. Stay with basic shapes like rectangles, circles, hearts, diamonds, triangles and squares, and simple designs like stars, suns, flowers and boats. You can use stencils or templates or maybe just have them draw things freehand, but be sure to avoid being too critical of their work.

Scrapbooking is a great hobby for anyone and everyone. It’s creative, affordable and a great rainy day activity! But when you’re enjoying scrapbooking with kids it’s good to allow them take the lead in their scrapbooks and really express themselves so they enjoy it as much as you do!

Some Easy Tips on Creating a Scrapbook Room

26 April 2009

Scrapbook Room

If you’re lucky enough to be creating a scrapbook room then you must be serious about this hobby and serious about your space for it. Whether you are using a home office, extra bedroom or a converted basement, creating a scrapbook room can be easier than you think. Although it is somewhat different than a home office or other space.  Here are some scrapbooking ideas for setting up a scrapbook room.

For example, when designing a scrapbooking room, you might need more surface workspace then you would for a typical home office. Between large 12×12 pages and many embellishments and page elements you want to have accessible, your desk or table may need to be larger than normal. Many people use actual tables as their workspace when creating a scrapbook room and you might want to consider doing the same. A folding card table or old dining room table can work. Just make sure that it’s sturdy and will fit nicely in your new room.

Storage is of course an issue when creating a scrapbook room. You have paper, embellishments, and books that are only halfway done that you need to have within easy access. There are many small storage containers you can get from craft stores that are perfect for your embellishments. These small stacked drawers are great for your tiny embellishments that you want to have right at your fingertips. An easy tip for storing your incomplete page layouts or pages not ready to be stored in an album is to attach binder clips to the wall and then clip the pages and papers up until you are ready to use them. When designing your scrapbook room try to work this into your overall scheme. You don’t need extensive carpentry skills to put some hooks on your wall, but you do need to space them correctly so the pages stay neat and clean.

Using wall space to organize your scrapbooking room is important. Wall shelving can hold anything you need to put away, like storage containers. They can serve as storage for finished scrapbook albums as well. Shelves are easy to install, and of course they make good use of otherwise wasted space in your room. Be creative with the storage in your scrapbook room, and do not assume that you need to have everything all on your desk or table. If you do, you’ll have a beautiful and functional room.

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