Maybe it’s the time of year, or perhaps, it’s because I saw them used in a prize-winning layout. Regardless of the reason, I’ve been adding garlands, banners and borders on nearly all of my page designs this fall. The fun embellishments are an easy way to spice up an otherwise boring layout. What’s more, scrapbooking manufacturers are making it easier to add them to page designs by rolling out banners and borders in every theme imaginable. Festive holiday banners are readily available online and in stores, as are colorful borders featuring everything from baby to zoo themes. Making Memories has … Continue reading →

Scrapbooking is not a cheap hobby. However, there are ways you can reduce the price of creating elaborate memory albums. The key to keeping costs down is to round up as many free items as possible. These days that task is becoming increasingly easy, as more and more scrapbook supply manufacturers are offering freebies online. While many die hard scrappers shy away from digital elements, it’s possible to save hundreds of dollars turning online supplies into hard copy materials that can be used in traditional albums. For example, I am not a huge digital scrapbooking enthusiastic, but I will frequent … Continue reading →

I’m waiting for TLC’s Extreme Couponing to take on the world of scrapbooking. With places like Michaels and Hobby Lobby constantly offering coupons on their respective websites for as much as 40 to 50 percent off store items–including scrapbooking supplies–you’d think there would be a super saver episode in the works. Then again, with there being so many opportunities to obtain free materials online, coupon cutting is not really needed to save big when creating memory albums. Sites such as Free Digital Scrapbooking feature thousands of scrapbooking elements to crafters at no charge. I am especially partial to their collection … Continue reading →

I can often be found drooling over the elaborate layouts displayed by the owner of my local scrapbook shop. Her page designs are beyond phenomenal. They are crammed with unique embellishments, creative photo arrangements and memorabilia that I’d never consider placing on a scrapbook page. The purpose of the shop owner making these grand masterpieces is two-fold. First, she features as much of the shop’s new merchandise in her monthly page designs to show customers how they too can incorporate the items in a variety of ways in their own memory albums. This not only gets one’s creative juices flowing, … Continue reading →

Before you head to your local scrapbook shop to load up on materials to design themed layouts, consult your personal computer. In most cases you can save big bucks by surfing the net rather than strolling the aisles of a craft store. The Internet is teeming with free scrapbook elements, from paper to stickers and just about everything in between. What’s more, the free items can be used in digital projects or they can be printed out and used in traditional scrapbook layouts. I recently helped a friend of mine craft a baby scrapbook for her newborn son. We ended … Continue reading →

There is a fallacy that scrapbooking is a rich person’s hobby. Interestingly, some of the most amazing layouts I’ve ever laid eyes on were not crafted from expensive materials. Rather, the page designs were pieced together with a few affordable supplies and a lot of creativity. These tough economic times have forced many scrappers to employ money-saving tricks in order to keep their books full. Some have turned to buying in bulk, especially for basic materials, such as cardstock, stickers and patterned paper. However, instead of forking over a ton of money for a large amount of the standard supplies, … Continue reading →

In a previous post I encouraged you to take advantage of post-Easter sales at your favorite scrapbooking or craft store. My local scrapbooking supply shop slashed seasonal merchandise by 50 percent yesterday. Whereas I was able to score a bunch of bunny-themed products on clearance, I also gained some items I can use in generic layouts as well. One of the buys that allowed me to get the most bang for my buck was a package of double-sided cardstock. While the specialty scrapbooking paper features a solid pastel color on one side and a patterned pastel shade on the other, … Continue reading →

I’ve already discussed the advantages of buying scrapbook paper and other materials in bulk, but once you’ve committed to the process, then what? For starters you’ll need to find a reputable vendor to purchase your bulk items. I live in a rural area with very few scrapbook stores, which means I have to rely on online sources for wholesale merchandise. Of course, going that route opens up an entirely different can of worms, as the Internet can be a sketchy place to do business if you are not familiar with the companies offering bulk materials. Visiting scrapbook forums is a … Continue reading →