They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but if you are a scrapbooker, then you know that having a layout filled exclusively with photos can make for boring crafting and viewing. Words, whether they are in the form of journaling, titles, famous quotes or sayings, add another dimension to a page design. What’s more, the ideas shared on paper only enhance the images you are featuring on your layout. I use famous quotes, song lyrics or parts of poems to reinforce the themes of my layouts. For example, last May, I designed a Mother’s Day scrapbook and dedicated … Continue reading →

It’s the busiest time of the year for scrapbookers. At least that’s what the owner of my local scrapbooking supply shop is banking on. As we enter the holiday gift-giving season, many crafters are getting ready to design a collection of memory books to present to family members and friends. Scrapbooks are a special way to preserve life’s most memorable moments. However, the process of creating these personalized masterpieces doesn’t have to be daunting. If you are just getting into the hobby in hopes of crafting one-of-a-kind homemade gifts for Christmas, I would suggest sticking with simple designs. Fortunately, simple … Continue reading →

My local Hobby Lobby is having a sale on flocking powder. This is a good thing, unless, of course, you don’t have the ability to exercise willpower and you go hog wild stocking up on every color imaginable. Ahem, me, cough, cough. The bad news is I spent a bit more (okay, way more) than I had planned on flocking powder. The good news is that I will be able to texturize just about anything my little heart desires when designing scrapbook layouts. Fortunately, there are a myriad of ways flocking powder can be used when scrapbooking or creating getting … Continue reading →

My neighbor recently completed a 30-page scrapbook titled: “Recipes and Memories.” It features a slew of family recipes handed down from generation to generation. The layouts also include personal stories that detail why the dishes became family favorites. The book looks amazing. There is no doubt that she spent an incredible amount of time crafting it. In fact, she revealed that it took her a lot longer to put together than she had anticipated because she had to interview fellow family members in order to get the recipes and the stories behind the dishes. When I asked her what theme … Continue reading →

Vacations are all about fun, so why not continue the good times when crafting your travel scrapbook. Unlike wedding, anniversary or retirement memory albums, vacation-themed scrapbooks are a bit more informal and lend themselves to experimenting with a variety of different scrapping techniques. The following tricks and tips are simple ways to spice up a summer vacation scrapbook: Signs: Instead of purchasing postcards from all of the places you visit, consider snapping your own photos of road signs or billboards advertising local attractions. When you get home, enlarge the pictures and add them to different layouts. For example, if you … Continue reading →

My teenage cousin works at a bead shop. She’s always loved making her own jewelry, so her job couldn’t be a better fit. In addition to getting a huge discount on merchandise, she often scores overstock items for free. Last week her boss let her take home a ton of wire. My cousin is now the proud owner of five spools of craft wire ranging from 22 to 26-gauge. She is planning to make a bunch of bracelets with her wire jackpot. In addition, she offered me a couple of spools for scrapbooking. Craft and scrapbooking shops sell special wire … Continue reading →

Does anyone purchase plain photo albums any more? Besides your grandma. The boom in scrapbooking has made traditional photo filing a thing of the past. These days grandma’s photo albums have been replaced by scrapbook, scrapbooks and more scrapbooks. In fact, scrapbooks have become so embraced by photo enthusiasts, that many companies have stopped manufacturing plain albums and are now selling ready-to-fill scrapbooks. The pre-fabricated albums are perfect for beginner scrappers. In addition, they are a unique and easy way to gift themed photos to a friend or loved one. If you are looking for a gift for a new … Continue reading →

If you are a budget scrapper, then you are likely best friends with the sale buckets located at the back of scrapbook shops. The containers, housing reduced priced embellishments, are a gold mine for frugal crafters looking to stretch their scrapbooking dollar. I never miss a chance to dig through the sale buckets at my local scrapbook store. In fact, today I hit the jackpot because the bins were crammed with Fourth of July-themed embellishments which were on sale for 50 to 75 percent off. Granted, much of the materials were generic (stars, flags, flowers, etc.), but they can easily … Continue reading →

If it weren’t for journaling blocks how could you explain why the scrapbook layout featuring your daughter’s first birthday includes a huge lopsided cake with no candles? Ah, the power of journaling. You can have the most elaborate paper, stickers, stamps and die cuts, but if you don’t include some type of context to your layouts, then all the hard work you put into preserving memories for future generations will be for naught. On the most basic level, journaling blocks provide information, such as names, dates and a bit of background. For example, if you are featuring a shot of … Continue reading →

How many times have you seen a stunning scrapbook layout that takes your breath away, and then tried to recreate the same look at home with limited success? Guilty as charged. I constantly drool over fancy page designs, but don’t take the time or neglect to muster up the courage to inquire about the techniques used to create the amazing layouts. Rather, I try to guess at how it all came together, and end up frustrated and disappointed when I can’t duplicate the results on my own. I remember the first time I pressured myself to recreate a layout featuring … Continue reading →