Scrapbooking is a great way to record your memories in an attractive and interesting way.  It is one of the most popular hobbies of people, especially women, today.  And journaling in your scrapbook is an even better way to record your memories.  If you’re interested in either one of these (journaling and scrapbooking), then you may also be interested in hearing some advice about font choices for scrapbook layouts and in your journaling.  So here are some tips on improving your scrapbooking in general, as well as advice on font choices.  

Scrapbooks are cool because instead of just a plain old boring photo album, they offer embellished pages, colorful prints, clever quotes and all sorts of other extras that making looking at old photos that much more interesting.  There are so many possibilities with a scrapbook.  Some of the best ways to make your scrapbook personable and memorable are doing as follows:

1.    Include your own handwriting.  One of the best ways to make your journaling more personal is to use your own handwriting.  Your handwriting says something about you and adds a different dimension than a computer-printed font.  There are many ways to include your handwriting in a journal or scrapbook.  You can use pockets, folded cards, matchbooks, etc to hide your handwriting on scrapbook pages (in case you don’t love your own handwriting).
2.    Write your feelings.  Yes, writing your feelings can sometimes be difficult.  But as you look through your pictures and memorabilia, think about the feelings you have for each person and event.  Use detail to describe what happened.  It will tell your readers more about you and the great kind of person that you are.
3.    Keep special keepsakes.  Including a ticket to your favorite concert, the bracelet from when your son was born, cards you received for special occasions.all of these things can add depth and personality to your journal or scrapbook.  It’s just up to you to choose which ones!
4.    Choose the proper paper.  The paper you choose for each page in your scrapbook or journal can dictate the tone of each page.  It can also make your page look cheesy or interesting, depending on your choice.  Be careful of paper that is too busy or silly for the content.  
5.    Include a range of topics.  Your journal or scrapbook will be very memorable and personal if you include pages of friends, home, family, neighbors, etc.  You might enjoy putting a few pages together as follows: a photo of the place your son was born, the neighbors you had when you lived there, the family that visited when he was born.  Your son may not remember those things but if you record them in your journal or scrapbook you will always have that information with you.

There are a lot of fonts out there to choose from.  And if you use too many on the same page, it can get a little font crazy.  Before you start downloading different fonts onto your computer, take a look at the fonts you already have.  Certain fonts are better for certain types of pages and scrapbook layouts.  For example, the fonts Kidprint, Comic, or Comic Sans are great for a fun, kid-like look.  A typewriter-style font is great on masculine pages, or when you want a simple, classic font.  Papyrus is great for travel pages or "grown-up" layouts.  A fancy script, like palace script, is excellent for weddings, anniversaries, or special occasion pages, as well as family history pages.  Just remember that the most important thing is that the font is easy to read!  You computer may already have your "must-have" font styles.  You should also have some traditional fonts in use, such as Arial, or Times New Roman that can be used on any scrapbook layout.  

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Lettering on Mon 2 Jul 2007 No Comments 

Notes and letters can be wonderful additions to any scrapbook.  Notes and letters often tell a very important story especially if there is a picture that can be placed near the writing.  Many times it is only our notes and letters that remind us of a time, even, or person that is dear to us.  Often times it is difficult to incorporate notes and letters in a scrapbook tastefully because of the issues with the size of the notes.  Many standard size letters and notes are just as big as or a few inches smaller than the scrapbook page.  This means that there is very little, if any, room at all to add embellishments, photos, explanations through journaling, etc.  Many people just choose to store their notes and letters elsewhere than to simply glue them to the scrapbook.  Notes and letters provide an interesting challenge to a scrapbooker but there are ways to get around the size and shape dilemma.  Below are some possible options that you have when you are trying to tastefully incorporate them into a scrapbook page.

Pockets

Simple pockets can be formed on the scrapbook page out of envelops or simple cut pieces of paper. These envelopes can store folded notes that can be taken out of their envelopes when someone wants to read them, and stay protected and secure on the page when you are not looking at that specific letter or note.  Another important element that you will want to include on the page if you choose to use an envelope is to make a note somewhere on the page that indicates that there is something in the envelope that can be removed, read, and then replaced to its spot. 

Separate sheet protector

For a larger note or letter that is not folded and you do not wish to fold it, consider using a standard size page protector to encase the note and then adhere the covered letter to the scrapbook page.  This is especially useful when you have notes or letters that are doubles sided.  You can easily reach in the sheet protector cover to retrieve the letter (just as above) and both sides of the paper can still be access and read.

Cut the page protector itself

If you do not want multiple sheet protectors on a page you can simply cut the main sheet protector so that readers can get to the documents to be read.  There are a number of ways to allow for a piece of your page to be handles without jeopardizing the safety of that particular scrapbook item.

Attach with a string

Some scrapbookers who worry that a piece of their scrapbook may get lost if it is mean to be removed, can attack some kind of string or twine to the note or letter to ensure that the letter and the scrapbook album do not become separated from each other.  Attaching a small piece of string should not cause too much damage or distract form the overall look of the page.

Scan and shrink

With the increased availability of high quality and resolution scanners and printers, you have a lot more options when it comes to altering the look of a document.  Many times people have very delicate and aged papers that they are afraid to handle or to have adhered to another piece of paper.  To preserve such delicate documents, you can scan and print a copy on a more durable paper.  You can still have the words of the note without worrying about the loss or damage of the original.  Scanning and printing is a great idea if you just want to save space.  An idea of how you can save space by scanning and printing size reduced pieces it to scan all of your kid’s school projects.  Over the course of 12+ years of schooling it is likely that you will accumulate quite the stack of school work that you want to have as a keepsake.  Reducing the size of these papers allows you to scrap them, file them neatly, or store them in a much more area efficient manner.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Journalling , Scrapbook Layouts , Scrapbook Lettering , Scrapbook Products , Scrapbook Techniques on Fri 22 Jun 2007 No Comments 

Alphabet stickers and rub-ons are the perfect added touch to your scrapbook layout. They are much quicker than using a die-cut machine. And with so many different alphabet stickers popping up on the scrapbook market all the time, the choices are almost endless.

Of course there is always the chance you’ll run out of matching letters…but luckily with the fun and funky looks of scrapbook pages today mixing and matching your alphabet stickers is trendy and adds a unique touch to your scrapbook pages.

Try altering the color of your alphabet stickers by sanding and embossing them, adding some acrylic paint, distressing them, adding different textural elements such as beads or mounting your rub-ons on chipboard. The possibilities are endless. You can even use some of the larger jumbo alphabet stickers as monograms on your scrapbook page.

So have fun with alphabet letters on your scrapbook pages, and if you run out of matching letters don’t fret… just mix them up!

Article by Share from BeyondPaper

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Lettering on Fri 2 Mar 2007 No Comments