One of the best ways to enhance the appearance of your different scrapbook pages is by using die cutting, especially by using Cricut.  Cricut can make your scrapbook more fun by adding lettering, adding pictures, adding shapes, and by adding other decorations to your scrapbook layouts. Here are some tips that can help you create cleaner and crisper die cutting for your scrapbook layouts and embellishments when you are using Cricut to make your scrapbook more fun.
Cricut is one of the most popular die cutting machines.  You can find the entire line of their machines and their different cartridges on their website, which is just www.cricut.com.  You can purchase either a basic Cricut machine, or you can purchase Cricut Expressions for even more variations and control of your die cutting.  You can then purchase a number of different font cartridges for your die cutting, and image cartridges that also can be used with the special Cricut paper for great die cutting that will be perfect for your scrapbooks.
After you purchase your Cricut machine, purchase your die.  Purchase the die that you would like.  You can choose, for example, from an angel, from apples, from all kinds of different die cuts that you can purchase for your die cut machine.  Make sure that you only purchase dies that work with Cricut machines, because dies that go with other die cutters will not work with Cricut.
Here are some tips for using Cricut to make your scrapbook more fun.  Use your Cricut die cut machine and a die for your machine.  Make sure that you purchase acid-free adhesive for when you put your die cuts on your layout pages, because if you use adhesive that is not acid-free then eventually the adhesive will eat through your paper and your photographs and destroy your photographs.  You will also need foam dots, stickers and pens, and circle punches.  A great way to make angels that are linked together is to accordion-fold your paper and then place the paper between the blades on your die.  Then you can embellish your die-cut angels however you want them to look and be after you unfold your paper.  Then glue your angels onto your scrapbook page and enjoy the beautiful layout that you now have.
Cricut takes die cutting to a whole new level by including both font cartridges and shape cartridges.  You can use these cartridges to create any print and any shape combination that you would like.  Visit www.cricut.com for tips and tricks on how to create fantastic scrapbook layouts with Cricut.  Each cartridge will have different fonts that you can change around.  You can print in all caps, you can print in different sizes, and more!  You can create shadow effects and underlining and all of the cool stuff that you wish that you could do with more traditional die cuts, but that seemed absolutely impossible!    You can also combine shapes, such as a flower and a circle, to create a sand dollar.  All that you have to do is input the shapes, and since Cricut is a computer, then it will print them out on your special Cricut paper.  You can also use Cricut for more than just the coolest scrapbook pages you’ve ever seen; Cricut works for making place cards, gift tags, and anything else where you want something to look really awesome and really fun.  Cricut will be the best investment that you ever make for your scrapbooks.  Many craft stores and scrapbooking stores hold classes to help you learn how to get the most out of your Cricut, and Cricut also offers online support and training so that you can learn your way around this simple and effective machine.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Fri 29 Feb 2008 No Comments 

All political correctness aside, we know that boys and girls are different.  They have different likes and dislikes, different attitudes, and different overall personalities.  Of course there are some girls who enjoy hobbies or activities that may be considered "Tomboy-ish" and there are boys who enjoy activities that may be "girly."  But in general, your boys and girls are going to stick to the stereotypes that their gender mandates and that society reinforces. 

You know your boys and your girls better than anyone else and that knowledge should be your guide when it comes to choosing a scrapbooking theme and page layouts.  After all, the scrapbook is a reflection of your child.  It is most likely going to be during the first several years of your child’s life that you are using scrapbooking techniques based on whether or not your have a girl or a boy because your child has not yet developed very many hobbies on their own.  So if you are looking for scrapbooking ideas for a girl versus for a boy, here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Scrapbooking for girls

There are some things that we look at and automatically think "girl."  Colors are particularly telling of the gender of the individual whose page you are scrapbooking.  Pinks and purples scream female.  Patterns are also very telling.  Female patterns are usually softer, with edges that are free-flowing and colors that are light and soft.  Patterned paper with images on it such as purses, dolls, hearts, etc. will definitely add that feminine touch to your page. 

Titles can also give away a female feel.  Page titles are used to describe the contents of the page and when these titles are short and sweet, when you look at the page you will be thinking of the title.  Using key words that are uniquely female can make a page seem more girly even if the patterns and the colors that you used on the page do not scream that you were scrapbooking for a girl.

Certain embellishment materials are more commonly used when scrapbooking for a girl versus a boy.  Lace and more ornate ribbons are typically reserved for a female page.  Various shaped brads and stickers can also add to the overall tone of the page as these objects add more dimension to the page and the eye is drawn to the embellishments first.

Scrapbooking for boys

Just as there are some cues that automatically make us think of girls, there are also cues that make us think of things that we consider as uniquely masculine.  Again color can be a big indicator but not nearly as powerful as for girls.  Sure the color blue is generally associated with boys but some shades of blue can look feminine.  In order to leave no doubt in the mind of the individual looking at your page as to whether or not you are scrapbooking for a boy or for a girl, you had best stick with masculine embellishments and strong titles. 

Embellishments may be more important to use to emphasize a masculine feel that to express a feminine feeling.  Embellishments for a boy’s scrapbook pages are usually large and widely spaced or small and minimal in detail.  You do not want to make a boy’s scrapbooking page overly ornate.  Large sports balls, bold titles and less fluff, typically make a page look more suited for a boy.  Speaking of titles, just as with the girl’s page, a carefully thought out and clearly places title can really make a world of difference in setting the tone of the page. 

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Fri 29 Feb 2008 No Comments 

Two great ways to create a 3D effect on each of your scrapbook layout pages is by creating peek-a-boo pages and by making paper patches and piecing.  While both of these different techniques are rather recent, they are incredibly popular and are a lot of fun for you to make and for people to look at in your scrapbook.  Don’t be scared of 3D effects!
Peek-A-Boo pages
You can use these peek-a-boo pages for any title page in your scrapbooks or for a multiple page layout inside your scrapbook.
Materials needed for peek-a-boo pages:
– album pages or cardstock
– a ruler
– a circle cutter
– a circle cutter template
– an exacto knife
– a pencil
A peek-a-boo title page will use 2 album pages or 2 pieces of cardstock.  Design your layout on page 2 with the pages that you have decided you want to show through the title page (be the peek of the peek-a-boo).  Decide on the shape that you want the hole for your peek-a-boo to be.  Use either a window or a light box and your pencil in order to determine where your holes will be in the first page.  Trace the shape of your hole onto the page with your pencil.  Then use either a circle cutter or regular scissors to cut away the paper where the hole will be so that the picture behind can peek through the top page.  Then add the title and any journalizing to your pages and add a page protector.
Paper piecing and patches
Paper piecing has been gaining popularity for quite a while now.  You can either purchase commercial patterns or you can use your own patterns from coloring books or any pictures that you find and that you particularly like.  The company that is primarily responsible for the growth in popularity of paper piecing in Windows of Time, which publishes a number of great books of patterns, along with individual patterns.
Whether you purchase a commercial pattern or use your own pattern, you can always enlarge or reduce that pattern using either a scanner or your copying machine.  This is especially important if your pages are 12 x 12, but you are using a pattern that was intended for an 8 ½ by 1 page.
Use ZIG 2 way glue as a tack in order to keep the pattern stuck to the cardstock.  Before you use the pattern, let the glue dry all of the way.  The glue will then be clear when it is dry.   You can then use ZIG memory pencils in order to start making your outline.  If you don’t want to draw your patterns freehand, then you can use the pattern in order to draw all of the lines of the pattern.  Make sure that when you are looking at patterns to choose, if you are just a beginner, you will want to ensure that your patterns do not have pieces that are too small.  Otherwise it will be too complicated for you to cut out the patterns and you will have a hard time cutting out all of the pieces and tracing them.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Thu 28 Feb 2008 No Comments 

Scrapbooks come in all shapes and sizes.  Part of the fun of making a scrapbook is that you do not have to abide by any set list of rules.  You are free to create whatever your imagination is capable of.  Some people create scrapbooks out of recycled albums while others use scrap pieces like brown paper bags or envelopes to make their books.   If you can make it work then that is the only criteria. 

Now, without stealing too much of your creative fire, there are some significant advantages to conforming to a more traditional scrapbook size.  You can more easily find the materials that you will need in these standard sizes.   It just saves you a lot of time and effort (and in some cases money) to stick to scrapbooks sizes that are most popular.  After all, you can still let your creativity blossom even if your paper is a more standard size.

Below you will find a list of some options for sizes of scrapbooks ranging from the most common sizes to the more difficult to find sizes.  Also keep in mind that it is possible to create custom sizes but you’ll probably have to pay a higher price. 

12 X 12 - The 12 inch by 12 inch size scrapbook is typically the most popular.  You can find albums, paper, and page protectors in the 12×12 inch size at virtually any scrapbooking store or craft store that sells scrapbooking supplies.  Being larger than the standard paper size is a feature that 12×12 inch album users see as a significant advantage.  Having a larger page size allows for more photos to be placed on a page and for larger photos to fit appropriately on the page.  Additionally, a larger paper size makes it easier to scrapbook more quickly as you make fewer cuts and find fewer coordinating pieces in order to complete a page.

8 X 10 - This standard size of scrapbook album has a loyal following.  When scrapbooking as a hobby was still relatively new, the 8×10 book was really the only option.  Paper was not really manufactured in the larger or smaller sizes 10 years ago.  Plus, almost everything can be found to suit the 8×10 size simply because so much of our other work centers on the standard sheet of paper.  Some scrapbookers are of the opinion that the 8×10 scrapbook is easier to use because you do not have to put as many photos, as much text or as many embellishments on the page in order to complete the page.  Some see this size as more versatile because even if the scrapbooker was limited to buying only the larger 12×12 paper, they could always cut the paper down to size and use the left over scraps for another project.

6 X 6 - Not nearly as popular as the 8×10 or 12×12 album the 6×6 album is significantly smaller but perfect for beginners and those buying pre-made scrapbooks.  6×6 scrapbooks are great for beginners because they present the scrapbooker with only so many options (in other words it is less intimidating to someone just starting out).  A 6×6 page can typically hold only one photo taking a lot of the guess work out of positioning, cropping and designing the remaining layout of the page.   A 6×6 scrapbook is perfect for small scrapbooking projects or for scrapbooks that are intended to serve as gifts.  Scrapbook pages take a lot less time to create, they are less expensive and require fewer supplies when created with this page size.  One disadvantage is that page protectors may be difficult to find if you are making your own book so it may be best to buy a 6×6 pre-made album.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Thu 28 Feb 2008 No Comments 

It is incredibly important to preserve memories through scrapbooking.  Millions upon millions of people have discovered the joys of scrapbooking.  People always scrapbook for a number of different reasons, but many people share the same types of reasons for creating scrapbooks.  If you have been considering taking up scrapbooking, but you just aren’t sure whether or not you want to take the plunge, make sure that you read through these top ten reasons to scrapbook.  There are so many different and so many personal reasons to scrapbook, but here are some reasons that may help convince you that scrapbooking is something that you should do for yourself and for your family and friends so that you can preserve all of these important memories.
Top ten reasons to scrapbook
1.  You will leave behind a legacy
There will be people in the future who will never had had a chance to meet you or any of the members or your family or your friends.  To be honest, you never know what will happen to you, and by making a scrapbook, you will ensure that those to come will know who you are and who your family and friends members are, and will understand your life and what you love.  It is important to know those people who are part of our lives, whether we ever knew them or not.
2.  Show yourself as an individual
A scrapbook is a fantastic way to demonstrate your own life and the lives of your family members and your friends.  We are all curious about how our grandparents or parents looked when they were younger, and we all wonder about what they loved to do and what their personalities were like.  Fulfill the curiosity and interest of those to come by creating scrapbooks that show who you are as an individual, so that you can satisfy those different questions.
3.  Reveal who you really are
A scrapbook is a great way to let people know who you really are and what you really love.  You can use journaling and pictures to demonstrate and to portray your own thoughts, feelings, fears, joys, and more.  A scrapbook, especially the journaling component, is a wonderful way to immortalize who you are and who your family members and friends are.
4.  Pass on beliefs and values
A scrapbook is a great way to make sure that your beliefs and values are passed on.
5.  To help yourself
Putting a scrapbook together during a time in your life where you are unsure of what your life is about and where you want it to go is a great way to decide what your priorities are and what you really care about, and can help you determine your future.
6.  Capture the moment
A scrapbook is a fantastic way to capture not only what happened during the moment, but also how you felt about it.  Include different mementos, but also make sure that you include the journaling element that can help you remember why it was important to you to keep those things and why they meant a lot to you.
7.  A chance to revisit your photographs
A scrapbook gives you the time to look at your photographs and reflect on them.
8.  A creative outlet
A scrapbook is a fantastic creative outlet that can let you really express your creative voice and give outlet to all of those creative juices that have nowhere to go.
9.  Make friends
Scrapbooking is actually a great way to make friends and to connect with people.  Many craft stores have special nights where people come and work on their scrapbooks; scrapbooking is a great way to meet friends, have adult conversations, and more.
10.  Leave a lasting legacy

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Journalling on Wed 27 Feb 2008 No Comments 

Scrapbook embellishments can be some of the most creative additions to your scrapbook.  Embellishments are intended to marry the photo and the text and to bring the whole page together in a way that shows one cohesive theme.  Embellishments can be just about anything that you can imagine and stick to a scrapbook page.  Below are some of the most widely available and popular embellishment options available:

 Themed embellishments - Because embellishments are such an important part of your scrapbook, craft and scrapbook material manufacturers have it in their best interest to come up with embellishments that portray a popular theme or that can all be used in a coordinated fashion on a scrapbook layout.  Popular themes may include such things as Disney characters, barnyard animals, baby, family, holidays, movies, boys and girls, sports, etc.  If you are just starting out as a scrapbooker and are not quite sure how to use embellishments in a way that will look good, simply follow a theme.

 Stickers - Stickers have come a long way from the tacky graphics that we saw stuck to our grade school assignments.  Stickers come in virtually any shape, size and image.  A sticker feature that is now much more widely available and extremely popular is custom vellum lettering.  Special machines can print out stickers that you choose the font, size and color of.  You can use these stickers for anything from a scrapbook to a wall decoration!  Another example of how far stickers have come can be seen in the multi-dimensional and layered stickers that are available.  Some of these stickers jump out at you visually as they are not flush with the page and have dimensions that make them look more like figures than flat pictures. 

 Brads (all shapes) - Brads are tacks that you attach to your paper through inserting the pull-apart portion through a small hole and bending the metal pieces on the other side to secure the brad into place.  Brads are usually made out of metal or plastic.  Brads come in all shapes and sizes and can be used solely for decoration or for keeping papers in one place by securing them with the brad.

 Ribbon - Ribbon embellishments are popular for many reasons.  They add an elegant and up-scale texture to your page.  In addition, they are easy to use and adhere so long as you have the right materials.  Ribbons can be used as a form of matting or just as a decorative piece.

 Paper - Perhaps the ultimate embellishment, the paper that you choose for your scrapbook page can really set the theme for the whole page.  You may not realize it, but the background patterns and colors found on the paper that you use may be some of the first things that others see when they look at your page.

 Buttons - Buttons are currently a popular embellishment to use on almost any kind of page layout.  The flatness, colorful options and availability of buttons make them a practical embellishment that you may already have in your home.

 Scraps/mementos - Of course a scrapbook would not be a proper scrapbook unless you used some of your scraps and mementos from trips, events, or activities to enhance the look of your layout. 

 Eyelets - Similar to brads, eyelets actually puncture the paper and secure on the back side of the paper.  Eyelets are typically circular but they can certainly be found in a variety of simple shapes and colors.  Eyelets are typically hollow or simply the outline of a shape.

 Stamps - Rubber stamps and ink provide some scrapbookers with pretty much all that they need to embellish their scrapbooks, with of course the exception of paper.  There are several national scrapbook suppliers who specialize solely in the making and selling of stamps.  With virtually any shape and color combination, stamps are truly a diverse and unique embellishment.

 Tags - Tags can wither be made or purchased and add a convenient place for journaling (or for photo descriptions) or simple decorations on your page layout. 

 Die-cuts (and personal die-cut machines) - Nowadays if you cannot find the perfect shape of paper you can cut your own with a die-cut machine such as the Cricut machine.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Wed 27 Feb 2008 No Comments 

Love to scrapbook but you don’t have a lot of time?  Who does have a lot of time?  We all of an incredibly busy schedule, but that busy schedule makes it hard to preserve memories.  One of the best ways to scrapbook with a busy schedule is to use simple and easy layouts so that you don’t spend all of your time without complicated pages.
Simple and easy scrapbook layout ideas for people with little time
The first step in creating your scrapbooking layouts is to decide on a theme for your scrapbook.  When you have come up with a good theme for your scrapbook–sailing, Christmas, holidays, summer, fall, a baby scrapbook, a heritage scrapbook about your ancestors, a family scrapbook–then you will be ready to start working out your layout.  Your layout is made up of your different photos, memorabilia, any embellishments that you include, along with journaling.
Now that you have decided on a theme, you need to gather up all of your materials.  It’s important to have all of your materials in front of you so that you don’t have to go hunting for your different materials and ideas.  Now, it is vital that you lay out your scrapbook on your work surface.  Now that you have everything laid out on your surface, choose your different photos that you want to use and that you think are important.  Then put all of the different photos on the pages in the order that you want them to be.  You can choose to group your photos and arrange them chronologically, by theme, by group of people, or whatever you want.  If you organize your photos the right way–such as in the order that the events occur–then your stories will be able to tell your story before you even start your journaling and all of the other embellishments that you want to put in your scrapbook.  
Now, after you have put all of your photos where you want them to be, it’s time to start working on your journaling element.  Write your journaling–whatever you want to have on your pages–on a piece of scrap paper.  Then put the scrap paper where you want it on the page.  Put the journaling element next to the photo to which that journaling belongs.  If you don’t have a lot of room for the journaling, then you should make the size of your scrap paper smaller so that you don’t let your words run away with you.  A smaller piece of paper will help you limit how much you write.  
Now, after you have finished up with your journaling, it’s time to move on to your embellishments.  What embellishments do you want to have in your scrapbook?  If you are going to use stickers in your pages, then cut out around the sticker.  Leave the backing on the sticker so that it doesn’t stick to the page and so that you can move the sticker around on the page until you find the perfect place for that sticker.  You can also take your rubber stamps and stamp on a piece of scrap paper, and then put the scrap paper where you want it to go on the page.  Lay out all of your different embellishments–don’t attach them to the page–and move them around until you are satisfied with how everything looks.  Once you’re happy with the way that the page looks, move on to the next page.  Make sure that you keep your pages simple, because if a page is simple, then you can focus on the pictures themselves.
If you want already planned layouts, there are many different scrapbooking books and scrapbooking sites that can give you great ideas for layouts.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Tue 26 Feb 2008 No Comments 

When you mat a photo what you are basically doing is creating a sort of frame around the photo so that it sticks out more from the background.  Some people use mats for purely decorative purposes while others mat their scrapbooked pictures in order to emphasize the photos as the most important items on the page.  Believe it or not there are dozens and dozens of different ways and techniques that you can use to mat your photos.  In fact, photos aren’t the only things that people mat!  You can mat just about anything that you want to emphasize!

Below you will find a list of different options that you have for matting with scrapbooking.  You may find that there are some methods that you have never tried before!

1. A single mat - A single mat is perhaps the easiest mat to create.  Simply place your photo on the paper that you would like to have serve as the mat.  Leave as much room around the edges as you would like as the frame of the mat.  Adhere the photo to the paper and cut the paper around the photo so that you have equal distances all around the photo from the edge of the photo to the edge of the mat.  Some people like to be prefect when it comes to measuring the width between the photo and the mat.  In this case, most mats should be somewhere between ¼ and ½ of an inch wide.

2. A double mat - As you may be able to guess a double mat involves the same principles as a single mat, but there is an additional mat behind the first one that you have created.  Feel free to change the papers that you will have around the various mats and to change the widths of distance between the two mats.  You can continue the trend of layering mats to create even more layers if you wish

3. Use of patterns - Solid colors are not the only options that you have for mats.  You can use patterned paper if you want your picture to tell more of a story.  Even complicated or busy patterns can look good when they are used as a mat with a thin border.

4. Mitered mat - Just as you would expect the edges of a frame to be mitered (where the corner pieces fit together at 45 degree angles) you can easily create a mat with the same look.  Do not worry about cutting the paper perfectly, you can overlap papers to ensure that your corners look perfectly aligned when they are adhered to the paper.

5. Embellished mats - Paper is not the only tool that you can use to incorporate matting into your scrapbooking.  You can create a standard mat, but then make it more interesting by embellishing it with brads or eyelets at the corners.  Stickers are also a fun way to adhere a matted picture to a page.

6. Choosing colors - When it comes to choosing colors for your mat there are several different techniques that people use.  Some people like to coordinate the color of the mat that they are using with the colors found in the picture.  Others like to match the mat with a coordinating color being used on the main paper that all of the photos will be adhered to in the page of the scrapbook.  Others want for the mat to make their pictures really stand out and so choose a color that is completely unique and in contrast to the other colors that are found on the page.  For those who are unsure about what type of mat to use or simply have difficulty deciding, black or white mats go with just about any picture and background design. 

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Tue 26 Feb 2008 No Comments 

Just because you have a limited budget, you don’t have to give up scrapbooking.  You can come up with fantastic and beautiful scrapbooks without spending a fortune. The cost is one of the major things that prevents many people from scrapbooking.  Scrapbooking can be very expensive if you feel that you have to buy all of the fancy items and the different accessories that many people use to decorate and embellish their scrapbooks.  However, with some creative thinking and some work, you can create fantastic and beautiful and meaningful scrapbooks on a limited budget.  You don’t have to have tons of money in order to preserve your precious family memories. Here are some ways to help you make your materials go further when scrapbooking.
Ideas for scrapbooking on a limited budget
1.  Make your own stickers
You can create your own stickers by using clipart that is either already on your computer or that you find online.  You can print out the pictures on special sticker paper that you can find at any craft store or scrapbooking store, or you can save even more money.  You can simply print out the pictures on regular or glossy cardstock or even regular paper.  Then just glue the pictures–with archival-quality adhesive–onto your scrapbook page.
2.  Go shopping for your scrapbook supplies in untraditional places
You don’t just have to go to expensive stores that are dedicated to nothing but scrapbook supplies when you are shopping for your scrapbooks items.  If you only shop at those stores, you’re going to be spending a fortune that you don’t have–and that you don’t need to spend.  Instead, go to a thrift store.  Look for small items that will look cute as accents on your scrapbook pages.  You can also go to a fabric remnant shop or any close-out stores to buy bags of buttons, bags of ribbons, or other trinkets for your pages.  Fabric remnant shops will also sell all kinds of cute appliques and little gemstones for dirt-cheap prices.
3.  Make use of your trash
Before you throw away that old calendar, look carefully at it.  Is there anything in it that you can use?  Are there any cool labels on any boxes and cans in your house that would look good in your scrapbook?  What about old greeting cards?  Only use patterned paper–it’s more expensive–as accents on pages, since it’s more expensive than solid paper.
4.  Save your mementos
Don’t forget to save your mementos.  You can fill your scrap with important items such as business cards, brochures, programs, tickets, and more. Some great new scrapbooking techniques that anyone can do
5.  Be creative with new techniques
Don’t forget to be creative!  Using new techniques in your scrapbooks can help you save money and will help spice up your scrapbooks without spending a ton of money.
Peek-A-Boo pages
You can use these peek-a-boo pages for any title page in your scrapbooks or for a multiple page layout inside your scrapbook.
Materials needed for peek-a-boo pages:
– album pages or cardstock
– a ruler
– a circle cutter
– a circle cutter template
– an exacto knife
– a pencil
A peek-a-boo title page will use 2 album pages or 2 pieces of cardstock.  Design your layout on page 2 with the pages that you have decided you want to show through the title page (be the peek of the peek-a-boo).  Decide on the shape that you want the hole for your peek-a-boo to be.  Use either a window or a light box and your pencil in order to determine where your holes will be in the first page.  Trace the shape of your hole onto the page with your pencil.  Then use either a circle cutter or regular scissors to cut away the paper where the hole will be so that the picture behind can peek through the top page.  Then add the title and any journalizing to your pages and add a page protector.

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Products on Mon 25 Feb 2008 No Comments 

There are two main parts to scrapbooking and they are photos and journaling (or written descriptions).  Lettering is obviously very important when it comes to creating a scrapbook.  After all, it is the written portion of the scrapbook that really helps to tell the story behind the photos that are included on the page.  There are many different and unique ways to add your own style to your scrapbook when it comes to lettering.  Below are just a few examples of options that you have to choose from when using lettering with scrapbooking. 

 Draw and cut out your own letters - A lettering option that will always be available to you so long as you have paper and scissors is to cut out the letters that you would like to use on your scrapbooking page by hand.  Some people like to draw out the exact shape of their letters so that they have a template to follow while they cut. 

 Use a die-cut machine (i.e. Cricut machine) - Personal die-cut machines have become very popular especially among the most avid or scrapbookers.  Although these machines can be expensive, they do provide a lot of convenient options when it comes to cutting out your own custom lettering.  With a variety of font cartages available and the ability to choose the size that best suits your needs, a machine can definitely be a fun option for lettering.

 Use pre-made packages of punch out letters - Scrapbooking stores (and even the scrapbooking section of some mega marts) will typically carry packages of punch-out letter in a couple of different fonts and colors.  All that you need to do is punch out the letters that you need and adhere them to your page. 

 Stickers - Alphabet stickers come in a wide variety of fonts, sizes and colors.  Using store bought stickers for lettering is convenient and relatively affordable.  Many scrapbooking alphabet stickers also allow a small window of opportunity for you to re-adjust the letters before they become permanently stuck.  The disadvantages to this lettering option is that you may be limited as far as available styles are concerned and that you may run out of a certain letter more quickly forcing yourself to have to buy an entirely new package for just a few of the letters.

 Cut out from newspaper or magazines - You can add a really fun look to your text by cutting and pasting your lettering from newspapers or magazines.  There are all sorts of fonts, sizes and colors to choose from when using this technique.  Just keep in mind that newspapers and magazines are not designed to be included in a scrapbook that is intended to last for a long time.  These papers will eventually yellow and become brittle.  To be extra safe, cut out your lettering and make a high quality photo copy on scrapbook safe paper.  This way you can have the unique look of the lettering without compromising the longevity of the pages in your scrapbook.

 Handwriting - One way to incorporate lettering into your scrapbook that many people may forget is available to them is simple handwriting.  There are almost endless variations from block letters to calligraphy, from fine tipped pens to beefy markers or crayons.  There are so many options available to you.  It is more difficult to correct mistakes with handwriting so practice spacing and size on another page before you actually write on your intended space to make sure it looks the way you want it to. 

 Stamps - Another excellent and widely available method of lettering is stamps.  They come in a variety of sizes and fonts that can even be mixed and matched to allow for even more customization.  One drawback to using stamps is that they can only do one thing, although they do it well.  If you want a different font you have to get another set of stamps to make it for you. 

Posted by Don under Scrapbook Embellishments , Scrapbook Techniques on Mon 25 Feb 2008 No Comments