The craft of scrapbooking is a fun and creative way to store and share your family photos. There are so many different creative and unique features, designs and styles that be can be used when you are scrapbooking. The possibilities are endless. Here are some great scrapbooking tips that may save you time and money, and may also give you more ideas to use when creating a scrapbook.

1. Always mat your focal-point photo, but you do not have to mat all your single photos on your scrapbook layout, unless you want it to stand out.
2. To create a pretty looking page accent, lace a strip of ribbon through punched holes along one side of the border.
3. If you want to create page accents quickly, just cut out designs from patterned papers. Paste these cut accents to your page and you are finished.
4. To add more emphasis to a photo, wrap ribbons around the focal-point photo.
5. Cut out letters from patterned paper for a great page title. This is fast and easy.
6. You can accent a page quickly by writing a favorite quote on a strip of cardstock and then adhere it to your page.
7. If you do not have an inking stamp to add emphasis to your page edges, try using a fine tip black pen and draw lightly on the edges. This will create an inked look.
8. Cut out tall triangles from patterned paper, ink the edges of the cut triangles to add emphasis. Then paste these triangles to your cardstock. You now have a great background with an edgy-look.
9. Try pairing colored photos with black and white photos for an interesting contrast to your page.
10. If you are using journaling strips on your page, ink around the edges of the journaling strips to add more emphasis.
11. Use staples to fasten journaling blocks, page titles or page accents. This will give your layout a casual look, maybe even more of an edgy-look.
12. Try being bold with fonts. Try mixing fonts in your page title to create a fun, but random look to your layout.
13. If you want to add decorative elements to your photo mat, keep the mat thick, at least ½" so that the mat won’t have a cluttered look.
14. You can use ribbons or buttons as page accents. Buttons offer more of a fun, cute look, while ribbon is more of a sweet and pretty look for your layouts.
15. When choosing a pen, pick a bolder pen for a more casual look and a fine-tipped pen for a more simple look. Experiment with a few different sizes to help you determine the right pen for the project.
16. If you want a more energetic look on your scrapbook page, tilt your photos slightly to create a movement-look on your page.
17. You can easily make your own hand-made accents by using ordinary cut-out shapes such as hearts, flowers, stars, suns, and trees to decorate your layout.
18. If the background of your page is competing with your photos, lay a piece of vellum over the background to mute the strong background colors.
19. If you love the look of matted letters but do not have the time to do a whole bunch of cutting, trace around each letter with fine-tipped pen, be sure to leave some space along the edges so you can color the edges in.
20. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different colors, patterns, and other decorative items used in scrapbooking. Use designs and colors that you like to create a scrapbook that you are think is absolutely perfect.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Fri 30 Nov 2007 No Comments 

The craft of scrapbooking is a fun and creative way to store and share your family photos. There are so many different creative and unique features, designs and styles that be can be used when you are scrapbooking. The possibilities are endless. Here are some great scrapbooking tips that may save you time and money, and may also give you more ideas to use when creating a scrapbook.

1. Always mat your focal-point photo, but you do not have to mat all your single photos on your scrapbook layout, unless you want it to stand out.
2. To create a pretty looking page accent, lace a strip of ribbon through punched holes along one side of the border.
3. If you want to create page accents quickly, just cut out designs from patterned papers. Paste these cut accents to your page and you are finished.
4. To add more emphasis to a photo, wrap ribbons around the focal-point photo.
5. Cut out letters from patterned paper for a great page title. This is fast and easy.
6. You can accent a page quickly by writing a favorite quote on a strip of cardstock and then adhere it to your page.
7. If you do not have an inking stamp to add emphasis to your page edges, try using a fine tip black pen and draw lightly on the edges. This will create an inked look.
8. Cut out tall triangles from patterned paper, ink the edges of the cut triangles to add emphasis. Then paste these triangles to your cardstock. You now have a great background with an edgy-look.
9. Try pairing colored photos with black and white photos for an interesting contrast to your page.
10. If you are using journaling strips on your page, ink around the edges of the journaling strips to add more emphasis.
11. Use staples to fasten journaling blocks, page titles or page accents. This will give your layout a casual look, maybe even more of an edgy-look.
12. Try being bold with fonts. Try mixing fonts in your page title to create a fun, but random look to your layout.
13. If you want to add decorative elements to your photo mat, keep the mat thick, at least ½" so that the mat won’t have a cluttered look.
14. You can use ribbons or buttons as page accents. Buttons offer more of a fun, cute look, while ribbon is more of a sweet and pretty look for your layouts.
15. When choosing a pen, pick a bolder pen for a more casual look and a fine-tipped pen for a more simple look. Experiment with a few different sizes to help you determine the right pen for the project.
16. If you want a more energetic look on your scrapbook page, tilt your photos slightly to create a movement-look on your page.
17. You can easily make your own hand-made accents by using ordinary cut-out shapes such as hearts, flowers, stars, suns, and trees to decorate your layout.
18. If the background of your page is competing with your photos, lay a piece of vellum over the background to mute the strong background colors.
19. If you love the look of matted letters but do not have the time to do a whole bunch of cutting, trace around each letter with fine-tipped pen, be sure to leave some space along the edges so you can color the edges in.
20. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different colors, patterns, and other decorative items used in scrapbooking. Use designs and colors that you like to create a scrapbook that you are think is absolutely perfect.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Thu 29 Nov 2007 No Comments 

When you are mounting keepsake photos, you need to be especially careful with your mounting techniques and the quality of your mounting materials so that you can ensure that you do not damage and ruin priceless heritage photos of your ancestors and your children.

Mounting tips for keepsake photos

The simplest way to display a photo in a scrapbook is by mounting the photo.  The simplest definition for mounting a photo is by placing the photo on something else so that you can display the photo.  You can make your keepsake photo mounting as creative as you want it to be, or you can make your keepsake photo mounting as simple as you would like it to be. 

When you are mounting your keepsake photos for scrapbooking purposes, you can dedicate an entire page to just one photo, or you can place a number of different photos on one page to create a particular effect.  When you are mounting your keepsake photos, you can coordinate the papers on the page, you can use special card stocks that are archival quality, and you can embellish the rest of the page with any sort of decorative item that you would like to, such as with ribbons, stickers, or other mementos such as train tickets, college graduation programs, and more.

When you are mounting keepsake photos for your scrapbook, the very first thing that you need to do is choose the proper materials for mounting the keepsake photo.  If you use certain mounting materials that are not archival quality, then you will end up ruining your keepsake photos and losing those priceless memories.  Make sure that you use acid-free paper and/or acid-free cardstock.  Also ensure that whatever sticky substance you are going to use to attach the keepsake photo to the material is also acid free, whether you end up using glue, tape, or anything else that will attach the keepsake photo to the material.  Make sure that you do not use regular old scotch tape or masking tape, because these materials will ruin the photo over time.

You can also use creative mounting techniques for your keepsake photos.  You can embellish the corners of your keepsake photos and you can also use more than one background paper on which to mount your keepsake photos.
 
If you are wanting to mount a keepsake photo that is larger than 8 x 10, then it may be difficult for you to find materials that are large enough for you to mount the photo.  You might need to go to a professional artist supply store so that you can find archival-quality mounting materials for larger keepsake photos.  Also look at your local scrapbook supply store for information on classes geared precisely towards mounting keepsake photos.

Remember that when you are mounting a keepsake photo for your scrapbook, you are really framing the photo for your scrapbook.  Use different combinations of paper on which to mount the keepsake photo.  Use several shades of the same color, or use contrasting colors on which to mount your photos.

Another great idea for mounting your keepsake photos is to use a patterned paper for mounting, and then put the mounted patterned paper on solid cardstock.  This effect can be fantastic.  If you are only going to have one picture on the page, then you can use three or four colors in order to mount one photo. 

Try turning the square of paper so that it looks like a diamond.  You can also use several diamonds on top of each other, each one in a different color.  Or use three colors, cut them into squares, and then each turned a different way.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Wed 28 Nov 2007 No Comments 

Scrapbooking has got to be one of the most fun and energizing crafts that lets you show your creativity at it’s best and it is also a hobby that many people pursue for many years without losing interest. It seems that most activities in life that are the most fun are also the messiest, and scrapbooking is no exception. If you are just starting to scrapbook or if you are an old pro, you know exactly what I am talking about. Keeping your scrapbook work area clean can be quite a challenge. Scrapbooking pros know this all to well. Over the years they have probably come up with several different solutions and ideas to try and keep their work area neat and tidy. And with an enormous amount of supplies they have accumulated over the years, neat and tidy is not always what they get. And those just beginning to scrapbook may not have quite as many supplies to deal with, but only for a short time. This is because scrapbooking is one hobby that requires a lot of supplies, whether you use them or not.

Whether you are a beginner looking for ideas to help keep your scrapbook work area clean or an old pro looking for a new and more effective way to maintain your work area, a proper storage system is a key factor in keeping a neat, clean and organized work space. There are several different types of storage containers currently on the market today. Some storage systems are more of a drawer design, while others are clear, plastic stackable bins. There are even storage units that are tailored specifically to particular supplies; from scissor cases to binders for stickers, to bins for paper. You also have the option of a storage system that is completely portable, this type of system is great for anyone who attends a lot of scrapbooking parties and/or events. The best storage system is one that meets all of your storage needs; it must be an adequate size and functional.

When you are trying to choose the best type of storage system for your scrapbooking supplies, don’t run out and buy anything until you have organized and know exactly how much storage you are going to need. Begin by sorting through all your scrapbooking papers. Make separate piles for patterned paper, solid paper and so on. Then sort through other supplies such as stickers, dye cuts, ribbons, buttons, glitters, glues, pens, scissors and the list goes on. This will help you determine what storage needs you have and give you a good idea what may work best for you.

The size of your work area is another factor that may play a part in choosing the right type of storage system for your scrapbooking supplies. If you have a large area that is dedicated solely to scrapbooking you will probably not have a problem but if your scrapbook work area is on the smaller side, this may be a challenge. It is best to have a tape measure handy and take measurements of areas in your work space that may be suitable for placing storage units. Some of your options may include areas such as under your work table, in shelving and cupboards. A filing cabinet can be a good storage system for scrapbooking papers, books and magazines. You can also place storage units containing other scrapbook supplies on top of a filing cabinet. Plastic bins and drawers are also a great option for storing scrapbook supplies under your work table.

However, no matter what type of storage you use, make it a habit to always clean up your work area after a scrapbooking session. And you will always have a clean area to begin another scrapbooking session.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Tue 27 Nov 2007 No Comments 

One of the best and most exciting and creative things that you can do with your scrapbooks is to incorporate ticket stubs, brochures, and other memorabilia into your scrapbook.  Having just photos in your scrapbook is no way to really document special events and to preserve important memories from your life.  Ticket stubs, brochures, and other memorabilia can help portray the stories of your life and your family history much better than just photos.  Putting ticket stubs, hospital bracelets, cards, letters, money from foreign countries, lacks of hair, obituaries, newspaper clippings, and more in your scrapbooks can really help flesh out memories and can tell the complete story better than just a picture that doesn’t have any surrounding history.

There are a number of different ways that you can incorporate brochures, various memorabilia, and ticket stubs into your different scrapbooks, whether they are heritage scrapbooks or scrapbooks of last year’s family vacation.  Here are some tips to help you incorporate different mementos into your different scrapbooks.

Tips for incorporating various memorabilia into your scrapbooks

1.  Make and/or buy pockets and envelopes for your scrapbook pages

A great way to incorporate various memorabilia into your scrapbooks is to put those different mementos into see-through envelopes.  You can actually buy keepsake envelopes that already have adhesive on the back of the envelope from different scrapbooking stores, both in your local community and online, such as Scrapbook Adhesives.  You can buy either vellum envelopes or transparent envelopes.  It’s also easy to make pockets out of paper yourself that you can keep birthday cards or Christmas cards in.  All that you have to do is make a pocket out of paper and then glue down the three sides.  Or, you can cut a pocket out of an old pair of jeans or a sentimentally valuable shirt, and then sew that actual pocket onto your scrapbook page.  You might also be able to buy old library pockets from old library books to glue onto your scrapbook pages.

2.  Tie your various mementos to your scrapbook pages

Another great way to incorporate different memorabilia into your scrapbooks is by tying your memorabilia directly onto your scrapbook pages.  Tying the items onto your pages is a great way to incorporate different mementos such as jewelry, tickets, or other items into your scrapbooks.  A great way to tie paper items onto your scrapbook pages is to punch a hole in that item and then to tie a ribbon or a string through that hole; then you can glue that item onto your scrapbook page.  If you are worried about whether or not your paper memorabilia is acid-free, then you can buy an acid neutralizer and you can spray your different paper mementos with the neutralizer.

3.  Take a photo of your memento

A great way to preserve different memorabilia is-if you don’t really care about having the actual physical item in your scrapbook-to take a picture of that item or scan that item and then put that picture in the scrapbook.  For example, if you have very large items that you want to keep memories of, then you can photograph that item and put it in your scrapbook.

4.  Purchase page protectors

You can buy page protectors that already have memorabilia pockets attached to them.  For example, KeepFiling.com has a number of different options.  You can also purchase 12" x 12" page protectors that hold photos and memorabilia that are 4" x 6".

5.  Consider flat keepsake display boxes

You can purchase Keepsake Display Boxes from a number of different companies, such as Scotch, to display your keepsakes.  You can also make your own.  You can find directions for making a keepsake display box of your own that look like shaker boxes at http://www.stickersnfun.com/shaker01.asp.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Mon 26 Nov 2007 No Comments 

All scrapbookers know how to make use of paper scraps in pages to create cool and attractive designs on their scrapbook pages.  You can use these paper scraps from cutting paper and creating different letters and mountings.  You can use these paper scraps to create die cuts, mattes, or any other type of element that you want to create on your scrapbook pages. 

So you know how to use your paper remnants on your scrapbook pages.  But have you ever thought about using photo remnants as a great way to improve your scrapbooking and to create great and exciting scrapbook page layouts and embellishments?

Photo scraps are a great way to create customized embellishments for your scrapbook pages.  You can use photo scraps that are solid colored in order to create different embellishments, or you can use scraps that feature different aspects of nature, like grass, flowers, snow, mountains, clouds, or sky.  These different photo scraps will create the perfect die cut shape to coordinate exactly with your photos.  You can also use these scraps to create letters that match the theme of your page, or you can use them for other cool and coordinated accessorizing shapes and decorations for your scrapbooking pages.  You can even make covers for the undressed monograms on your scrapbook pages.

You can also check out the date tags from the photos that you are using, and then you can use those date tags to identify the day that is being portrayed on that particular scrapbook page.  You can also use die cuts or templates that are normally used with paper on photos instead so that you can create a unique look for your scrapbook page.

Another great way to make use of your photo remnants and photo scraps in your scrapbooks is by using those photo remnants to create a mosaic on your page.  Take your photo scraps and cut them into small shapes, completely random shapes.  Then you can assemble all of your different photo shapes together so that you can create a mosaic border, you can create a mosaic shape, or you can create a really cool looking photo matte.  Some of the best photos to use for these kinds of mosaic effects are photos of water, photos of sky, or photos of grass or different, brightly colored flowers.
 
If you have a die cut machine, such as a Wishblade, and you also have a color photo printer, then you can use both of those different tools in order to create custom die cuts by enlarging photos.  Print off your photos, and then feed the photo through your die cut machine.  Photos of fall scenes, spring photos with flowers, any photos that you take during the summer of the beach or hanging out at the pool, will all be fantastic photos to use when you are creating your custom photo remnant die cuts.

Another idea for using photo remnants is to take the scraps of different photos that you have cropped.  Then you can make either squares or rectangles out of those photo remnants.  Copy the photos in a row.  Then repeat the rows as many times and you need to create a full sized mat for a particular photo that you are putting on your photo page. 

Another great idea for using your photo remnants is to use those photo remnants to create the titles that you put on your scrapbook pages.  Cut out the letters from your photos and title each page with those letters.  Then you’ll be able to have more photos on your page, and the pages will look even better and more interesting.  You can also even have people create letters in the photos so that you can then cut those letters out and use them as titles or as words to put on your page.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Sun 25 Nov 2007 No Comments 

The first year of a baby’s life is without a doubt the most momentous.  Taking their first steps; saying their first words, and doing so many things that will never be a "first" again.  Preserving all these first time moments is important so creating a scrapbook is just the way to keep all those first time keepsakes safe and accessible.  Here are some tips on first year scrapbooks and what should always be included.

Step 1
Undoubtedly you have too many pictures to even count if it is your first child so let’s begin with the birth.  Find your favorite picture of your baby when they were first born.  It may be the picture they take in the hospital, or one you have taken with your own camera.  Whichever it may be, try to find one where you get a good look at the baby’s face.  This will always be something you want to remember and have for your child.  After you have found that one perfect picture then go through the rest of your stack and pick from some important first.  You might want a picture of their first bath, or their first shot, or pictures of the baby right after he or she was born as they weigh and take their measurements.  Pick about four or five that get a few of those important first moments.  Also include a picture with mom and dad, and a picture of the hospital.  The next most important thing in making these pages come alive is journaling.  Make sure you write down your thoughts, and of course all the baby information such as weight, height, hair color, eye color, given name, and the name of the Hospital and city where they were born.  As you put these first pages together remember to keep things simple.  If you add embellishments make them small and very few.  You want the baby to be the center of the page, not the background, or embellishments.  This step will be the very beginning of your album so take your time and make it look the way you want it to.  This is the section that you may also want to include birth announcements, cards from family and friends, baby’s tiny footprints, 

Step 2
Now that you have begun your scrapbook, go through the rest of your pictures.  You may want to divide your album into sections for each month or every few months during the first year.  You may think this is too much, but during the first year of your baby’s life there are so many things that happen and so much you want to remember.  You will also be surprised at how much growth occurs during these time.  As you divide your scrapbook into sections you will want to also go through your pictures and place them into some separate piles.  Here are some examples of things that you might include:

1 month- picture of baby opening their eyes; picture of baby sleeping; picture of baby taking their first bath at home; picture of baby’s belly button falling off.  Remember as you put these pictures into your scrapbook to journal everything.  You want to tell a story, so talk about how your baby reacted to their first bath at home, or whether they let you sleep at night or kept you up.

3 months- A lot of things change between 1 month and 3 months but it depends largely on your baby as to what stage of development they are at.  Some babies are very alert at even 3 months of age and some are still sleep a lot and like to rest more than they like to be awake.  You may want to just have one great picture of them at three months old and then talk about things such as if they are doing well with eating, or if they have been sleeping through the night.  Some fun things to mention are also some of the popular kids shows that are on TV, or who was President of the country during this time. 

6-12 months- There can be a lot of firsts during this month.  Some babies sit up, and some roll over, and some may have a mouth full of teeth by now.  It all depends on your baby.  Be sure to take a lot of pictures during these next few months so you can document them in your scrapbook.  Journaling is really the key to successful scrapbooking.  Tell your babies story through your thoughts and feelings.  You can also include some of the same things in these pages as you did for previous months like popular TV shows, and what fashion styles were popular.  Kids get a kick out of stuff like that when they grow up.  Be sure to also have pictures with mom and dad, grandma and grandpa, and other special people. 

Here are some other first time moments you in your first year scrapbooks you will definitely want to include:

Baby’s first tooth
Baby’s first trip
Baby’s first Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc.
Baby’s first snowfall

And to finish the book off try finding some of those cute stocking hats they wore when they were first born.  If you can get it on their head now without the taking it off, grab your camera and snap a picture.  Then journal that page and talk about all of the great things that happened during the past year.  Have fun creating your first year masterpiece. 

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Sun 25 Nov 2007 No Comments 

Scrapbooking in this day and age has become much more than a favorite past time; it has become an art.  There are many different ways to scrapbook and different things you can do to create the scrapbook look that you want.  There are different tools, styles, and various techniques you can use.  Cropping is one way that you can help create a professional and custom look.  Cropping is a technique used when you want to remove distracting backgrounds, or refocus your picture.  As most pictures used in scrapbooking are not professionally taken, you may want to trim corners and/ or sides to show the most important parts of your pictures.  Cropping does take a bit of planning, but when done correctly you will achieve the layouts you want and the look you want.  Here are some cropping tips for the avid scrapbooker.

1. Choose complimentary shapes.  There are four shapes that are commonly used for picture cropping:  rectangle, square, circle, and oval.  You can use other shapes as well, but when you move away from your common four shapes the shape itself sometimes becomes the focus of your page, and not the picture.  When planning your scrapbook page you will need to figure out which shapes compliment your page.  Experimentation can be the most helpful during this process.  Opposites can often compliment each other so try using circle-cropping techniques on papers that have stripes or squares.  You may need to play with several different shapes to get the look that’s right for you.  Remember the basic scrapbooking rule as you experiment with different things; Keep it simple.  Too much of anything is never a good thing.
2. Focus and Balance.  Before you begin cropping anything you will need to decide what the focus of your picture is.  Is it the person sitting in it,or the animal,or some other element?  As you find your focus you will then be able to start cropping.  Unless you are a professional photographer, most of your photos will be taken with a lot of background showing, or from far distances that sometimes you can hardly notice what the focus is.  As you crop, keep in mind that you are trying to get rid of anything that is distracting you from your main focus.  Always consider the rule of thirds when cropping your pictures as this will help create a more professional and visually appealing look.  Balance is also important when it comes to cropping.  Your picture should be cropped in proportion with one another to create that sense of balance.
3. Cutting and Tools.  These are two words that go hand in hand.  Before you cut your pictures make sure that you have all the right tools.  Cutting pictures without the right kinds of tools will not only make your pictures look bad and unprofessional, but can be very frustrating to every scrapbooker.  When cutting, make sure to take off less than you expect you will need of; just to be safe.  You can always cut more if you need to.  It is also a good idea to make copies of pictures, such as professional, or important family photos just in case you do cut off too much; then you will have a back up.  And always hang on to your scrap paper.  You’d be surprised at what you can use when everything gets put together.  As for tools, this is crucial in your cropping success.  There are so many different products out there that it can be hard to decide what is best.  Go down to your local scrapbooking store and ask some questions about tools.  What they do; how they cut; etc.  They may even be able to show you what the results are of using specific products.  A few basic tools you will want are:  a good pair of scissors, glass or self healing mat, and a strait edge trimmer.  These are just a few basics.  There are many more tools to pick from. 

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Sat 24 Nov 2007 No Comments 

One of the most important skills to master when it comes to successful scrapbooking is cropping your photos.  While it might be a little bit terrifying to take scissors to your precious photos that portray the most important moments of your life, cropping your photos can actually enhance the image in the photo and will also help you fit more photos-and more of those important and special moments of your life-into your scrapbook page layouts.

Cropping can be tricky.  It is difficult to know how to best cut a photo so that you highlight the great parts of the photo and so that you do not end up ruining your photos.  So here are some key cropping do’s and don’t’s that will help you crop your photos so that you can use them to their best advantage in your scrapbooks.

Questions to ask before cropping your photos

So that you can crop your photos well and without ruining either the photos or your scrapbook page layout, ask yourself these important questions to help you determine how best to crop your photos:

1.  What is the main subject of this photo?  By asking yourself what the main subject of the photo is, you can then determine how much of the photo you actually need to keep in order to create the proper focus in the photo.  For example, if you are taking a photo of the Grand Canyon and some strangers wander into the very edge of the photo, then you will want to cut those individual strangers out of the photo so that you can focus on what is really important in your photograph.  Take out those elements that detract from the focus of the photo.

2.  Is there more than one item in the photo that you want to focus on?  Is there a small item in the photo that is important for you in terms of sentimental value or historical value, and you want to highlight that item separately?  If so, then you should make a copy of the photo and then crop each photo in a different way so that you can crop each photo appropriately.

3.  Are there any distracting items in the picture?  Some common problems that occur in pictures are when people walk in front of the camera, when there is too much empty background space, when there are shadows, or other similar events.  However, remember that you might want to keep memories of certain houses in your neighborhood, or different cars, so you might want to consider keeping those items in your different photos. 

Make sure that you do not crop any Polaroid photos.  Polaroid photos have special chemicals in them.  If you cut the photo, then the chemicals will leak out the Polaroid photo.  Both the photo and your scrapbook page will be ruined.  You can hide the edges of the Polaroid photo with paper photo frames, if you want to.

A special photo cutter will help you make clean cuts and avoid any crooked lines.  If you want a clean and a sophisticated look to your photos, stick with square and rectangular shapes for your photos.  A good way to cut the photo is by outlining the part of the photo that you want to keep in wax pencil.  Then you can trim off the excess with either scissors or a paper trimmer.

If you want to create a silhouette with your photo, then you should cut very closely around the outside of the person or the item that you want to focus on in the photo. 

Make sure that you do not crop out all places references or historical references.  These references will help tell a major part of the story.

With each layout, limit the number of different photo cropping shapes.  You don’t want a layout to become too complicated or too busy.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Fri 23 Nov 2007 No Comments 

Scrapbooking is one of the most popular and fun crafts for people of all ages. Whether you are a beginner or an old pro, the craft of scrapbooking allows crafters to use their creativity in a number of ways. You will need a little creativity and imagination, and a lot of space. The perfect and most ideal space would be a room devoted solely to the craft of  scrapbooking, but for many scrapbookers this is only a dream that one day may come true. But until that day comes you will need some kind of space that can be devoted to scrapbooking.

There are two basic things you will need when it comes to creating a space for scrap booking. The first thing is you will need an area for storage and the second is you will need an area for work. It is often times more productive and convenient to have both your storage area and your work area in the same room. However, if this is not possible you may use different rooms for each of these areas.

Take a look at places and areas around your home that can be adequately used for a scrap booking space. For instance, you may want to think about using the dining room table that is mostly used for special occasions as a possible scrapbook area. The dining room table could be your work area and portable storage drawers/bins might be a way of storing your scrapbook supplies. If this is not a possibility, you may want to consider a laundry room or even a small area in the garage to use as an area to scrapbook.

When you have found an area in your home that can be devoted to scrapbooking, you will need some good lighting, a comfortable chair and a table that has plenty of room to work. A scrapbooking table does not have to be expertly crafted or cost a huge amount of money to be adequate, it only needs to be functional. Be sure your table is sturdy and has plenty of space for you to work.

You will also need some sort of storage for your scrapbook tools and supplies. The easiest way to determine the best type of storage for your needs is by figuring out the amount of storage that you will need. If you have a large amount of scrapbook supplies, you then of course will need a large type of storage system. Keep in mind the best scrapbook storage system is easy to access and allows you to keep your supplies neat and ready to use. If space is limited you may want to consider a storage system that is portable. A portable storage system can also be handy and convenient for toting your supplies easily to craft parties or other functions.

Magazine holders are a great to store your scrapbooking magazines and your favorite inspiration clips. You can store entire magazines or even just a page featuring a favorite craft idea, which can be easily organized by theme .

When storing scrapbooking papers that often times can be an enormous amount, use paper dividers to sort your collection of papers so that you will not need to worry about them becoming lost, torn or crumpled. You can also use special drawer cabinets to store your scrapbooking papers. These storage drawers are available in clear plastic and also come in stackable bins.

Once you have the proper storage for your scrapbook needs, you will be better organized and able to create and work without having to search for supplies while you wade through piles of scrapbook magazines and papers.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Thu 22 Nov 2007 No Comments