Thanks to Pinterest I not only know the origins of washi tape, I also know how to incorporate it into my scrapbooking ventures. Printed washi tape is an uber-hot product offered by Queen and Co. which recently debuted a new collection of bright candy colors and prints. The slightly translucent tape adds beauty in an subtle way and truly illustrates how details can make or break a scrapbook layout. Many people think that when you get obsessed with details you lose sight of the big picture. However, you have to choose one over the other. When it comes to crafting … Continue reading →

When it comes to designing scrapbook layouts, I tend to play it safe. I am not over-the-top matchy-matchy; however, I don’t take a ton of risks either. I stick with shades that are close together on the color wheel and I don’t stray too far from traditional shapes, sizes, patterns, and paper types. My goal for this holiday season is to be a bit bolder in my page designs. My local scrapbooking supply shop maintains that orange is going to be the “hot” color for 2013. The shop’s owner just returned from a huge scrapbooking convention where gray was proclaimed … Continue reading →

This is one of nearly 150 images I snapped of my daughter during our summer trip to Six Flags Great America. Yes, 150 shots in a single day. It may seem like a ton of photos, but if you are an avid scrapbooker, it’s not unusual to snap hundreds of pictures during a special event. The upside to nearly continuous shooting is that you are almost guaranteed a plethora of phenomenal photos taken from a variety of different angles. The downside is that it’s often challenging to select just a few of your favorite picks. One of the easiest ways … Continue reading →

What happens when you try to cram too many photos on a single scrapbook layout? You either end up with a mess or a masterpiece. At least that’s been my experience. When I first got into scrapbooking I have a terrible time trying to select just a few photos to feature on a page. Back then, I wanted to showcase all of my favorite shots despite the limited space I had to work with. Sometimes I was able to configure the images so the layout looked decent, while other times the end result was a chaotic mess. Trying to squeeze … Continue reading →

I barely have enough time in the day to use the bathroom, let alone complete a few scrapbook layouts before the late news comes on. Yet, somehow, my neighbor manages to whip together amazingly detailed page designs in the time it takes me to clean-up the mess from dinner. By the end of the night, Super Scrapper has crafted at least four layouts and is busy organizing her stash for the next night’s session. When I asked her how she is able to be so productive in such a short period of time she responded: “I’m always scrapbooking.” What she … Continue reading →

I love scrapbooking; however, the hobby can suck-up a ton of time. Even if you have a few years of scrapbooking under your belt, you can easily spend multiple hours crafting a single layout. That time can double or even triple, if you are adding tiny embellishments, intricate memorabilia, or a large journaling block. The key to keeping on task is to avoid getting overwhelmed by your project. Often, I procrastinate when crafting page designs because of the time commitment. Fortunately, there are ways you can create an eye-catching layout without having to pull several all-nighters. For example, if journaling … Continue reading →

Who knew you could become more virtuous by scrapbooking? I’ve learned a lot about exercising patience since becoming a scrapbooker. In fact, I would go as far as to say that crafting memory books has taught me how to stress less and focus on having fun. Also: If at first you don’t succeed try, try again. Clearly, some scrapbooking techniques yield more opportunities to exercise patience than others. After all, you don’t really need much patience to flock or add glitter to an item. However, when it comes to paper piercing or stacking foam stickers to create your own 3D … Continue reading →

I am on a border kick right now. Whereas I’ve occasionally added patterned paper borders to select scrapbook pages in the past, lately, I’ve been going out of my way to design single and double page layouts specifically with borders in mind. I had a ton of wide ribbon leftover from the holidays and I have been mixing and matching different pieces to create whimsical borders. Of course, ribbon and scraps of fabric are not the only materials that make for eye-popping borders. I’ve had a lot of success crafting personalized borders with scrapbook stickers. For example, if you are … Continue reading →