Category Archives: Scrapbooking

Reviews of favorite scrapbooking products and tips on creating simple yet beautiful scrapbooks, cards and other paper crafts.

Scrapbook Layouts as Gifts

Earlier this summer I attended a wedding for one of my former TV news co-workers. He and his wife got married in a lovely ceremony on the shores of Lake Michigan. It was a touching vow exchange, though, I was equally impressed by the gifts the couple received from the bride’s crafty friends. Each of the gals from her weekly book group got together to design individual scrapbook layouts for the newlyweds’ wedding memory album. While this is not an entirely novel idea, what made their layouts stand-out (to me, anyway) was the fact that they all included the same … Continue reading →

Attention to Detail

What makes an ordinary layout extraordinary? For me, it’s all about the details. For example, a page design detailing a trip to the petting zoo is fine with photos of your kids interacting with bunnies, goats and chicks, plus a few stickers or die cuts depicting the same animals. However, if you really want to make your layouts pop, consider adding some fun details. For example, you could create a page border with stamped tracks. If you can’t find stamps or sticker tracks of the animals you saw at the zoo, then print your own from the Internet or draw … Continue reading →

Home Makeover Layouts

Not everyone is in a position to purchase a new home right now; however, that shouldn’t stop you from documenting any improvements you make to your current abode. Each year our neighbors spend their tax return on home improvements. Two years ago they refurbished their kitchen, last year they purchases new windows for the entire house and this summer they are giving their master bathroom a facelift. Given her passion for scrapbooking, it’s no surprise that each time my neighbor embarks on a redo the process ends up as the subject of yet another memory album. Personally, I think scrapbooking … Continue reading →

Documenting the American Dream

Summer is primetime for moving. What’s more, with the record-low interest rates currently being offered on home loans, an increasing amount of renters are taking the leap into home ownership. Purchasing a home for the first time is a major milestone in a person’s life and warrants thorough documentation. If you are a scrapbooker, then this new chapter in your life is especially momentous as you can use it to create a memory book you will treasure forever. Crafting a new home-themed scrapbook is not as challenging as it may sound. Actually, if you document the process from start to … Continue reading →

Adventures in Summer Scrapping

Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh my! Nothing says summer scrapbooking quite like a spread that showcases a family trip to the zoo. It’s memory book-making at its finest… and easiest. Think about it; unlike some summer adventures, the zoo is loaded with photo opportunities, from snaps of your kids getting up close and personal with penguins to images of Junior taking his first camel ride. An afternoon at the zoo can yield an entire scrapbook of funny and exotic layouts, especially when you pair your favorite pictures with mementos, including maps, ticket stubs, brochures and receipts. Fortunately, there is … Continue reading →

Scrapbooking Your Summer Adventures

What’s been the highlight of your summer so far? For my daughter, it’s been boogie boarding; for my friend’s son, it’s been attending band camp; and for my neighbor, the highlight has been her annual trip to Mexico. All three events are scrapbook worthy, as is just about any adventure you may experience this summer. The trick to crafting an eye-popping series of layouts that showcase your summer memories to the fullest is to plan ahead. For starters, you’ll want to snap a ton of photos of your seasonal escapades. Next, you’ll want to collect as many mementos as possible … Continue reading →

Make Your Layouts Sing

With the advent of iPads, smartphones and digital notebooks, it’s no surprise that these days technology has advanced to the point where you can make your scrapbooks sing. I recently helped a friend craft a music-themed memory album for her tweenage son upon his return from band camp. We considered adding sound to the layouts, but decided against it at the last minute. Since my pal’s son didn’t bring back audio clips from the camp, we didn’t think sticking in a random recording would be appropriate. Of course, you could easily jazz up a music-themed layout by adding a Scrapbook … Continue reading →

The Sight of Music

Despite taking five years of piano and three years of flute lessons as a child, I can’t play myself out of a paper bag. Well, that’s not entirely true. I can still play “Turkey in the Straw” and “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” on the piano from memory without messing up… too much. And I can blow out a decent rendition of the theme song from “Dallas” on the flute like an aging rock star. Do rock stars play the flute? In any event, memories of my days as a lackluster music student came flooding back recently when I was … Continue reading →

Just Beachy

I finally finished the beach-themed scrapbook I’ve been working on for more than a month. It features a ton of photos like this one: My daughter adores the sun, sand and surf. She swims like a fish; however her new passion is boogie boarding. I really tried to highlight her love of riding waves in several layouts, though the rest of the memory album is dedicated to other beach adventures. One of my most favorite page designs pays homage to our last day at a beloved beach in Hawaii. I tried to recreate the topography of Hapuna Beach by covering … Continue reading →

Photo Puzzle

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 →