Embellishments ON Photos

On an episode of DIY Scrapbooking this week, I thought one particular segment was interesting -- putting embellishments ON your photos.

The example shown was of a bride with her bouquet:



To create this technique, simply place double-sided, strong adhesive tape over the area where the embellishment will be -- in this case, the bouquet. Then place the embellishment on the tape and voila!

Personally, I probably wouldn't do this much with photos unless an element of the photo was also something I'd be putting on my page. For example, I saved ribbon that had been on my wedding cake -- I'd possibly add that to the photo.

The full instructions are available on DIY's site at: http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_scrapbooking/article/
0,2025,DIY_13776_4170903,00.html

Best Buy Now Has Scrapbooking Supplies

I was on the Best Buy website today and was surprised to see that they have a category on their site for Scrapbooking!

To see the items on their site, go to http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=
pcmcat71300050014&type=category&
categoryRep=cat04000. I assumed it would be photo paper and the like, but there's also Making Memories products, such as scrapbook kits there.

Enjoy!

Great Idea for Preserving a Baby Blanket

I received my latest issue of Parents magazine today, and they had a great idea for how to preserve your child's baby blanket.

Personally, I don't like a lot of memorabilia that I can't organize well. That's one reason I love scrapbooking so much -- I can put most of my memorabilia in a scrapbook. But what about larger objects that won't fit into your scrapbook -- like your baby's blanket?

Instead of putting the blanket in a scrapbook, why not frame it? Parents magazine suggested using a shadow box frame and a section of the blanket, along with a photo of your child with the blanket, and framing it instead. The finished product that they showed looked great!

This idea appears in the latest issue of Parents magazine. Enjoy!

Sewing on Your Scrapbook Elements and Pages

Have you ever wanted to sew an element onto your scrapbook page? Provo Craft has a handy little tool that works great!

I purchased the Sew Crafty Mini Sewing Machine about a year ago to try out the sewing technique on my pages. I'd heard that using a regular sewing machine was too harsh for paper, so I wasn't sure what to use. Then a friend recommended the Sew Crafty after seeing it in a magazine.

It works just like a regular sewing machine, but it's very small and portable. It only costs around $10, too, so it's not very expensive. I've used it to sew paper to paper (many times vellum journaling to a background cardstock), and I think it works great! It does take some getting used to to be really good at it, but I definitely think it adds a nice touch to pages.

Amazon.com does not sell the Sew Crafty online, but here's a link to a list of vendors and prices on Froogle that sell it online:

http://froogle.google.com/froogle_cluster?q=sew+crafty+sewing+machine&
pid=4834532080218266518&oid=5200810849913460244
&btnG=Search+Froogle&scoring=p

Adding Titles to Your Scrapbook Spines

Not long ago, a friend of mine shared with me an idea she found for putting titles on the spines of her scrapbooks -- and it involves Shrink Dinks!

Using a Shrink Dinks Refill Pack, write your title on a sheet of Shrink Dinks paper. The image on the sheet will shrink to approximately half of its size when baked, so keep that in mind as you create the title. On either end of the title, punch a small hole. This hole will be used to thread ribbon or thread through to "sew" it to your scrapbook spine.

Following the directions, cut out and bake the title piece. Once it is done and has cooled, adhere it to your spine by threading ribbon or thread through the hole in the title piece and "sewing" it to your scrapbook spine.

Shrink Dinks Refill Packs are available online for $8.95 at Amazon.com and come with eight 8 1/2" x 11" plain sheets.

To purchase Shrink Dinks Refill Packs online at Amazon.com, click here.

Journaling with Quotes and Poems

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for creative new journaling techniques. Many times, I like to use quotes or poems on my pages to fill the creative journaling void.

One of my favorite sources for quotes is a little book called Quote Unquote that I picked up from my local scrapbooking store. It’s got many quotes organized by theme, and I’ve found them to be generally good quotes for scrapbooking use. This book is unfortunately not sold on Amazon.com, but I did find it at some online shops by searching on Froogle. Here’s a page of several online stores that offer it:

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2005-06,GGLD:en&q=quote+unquote+volume

Another place I generally go to find some good quotes and poems is to websites. Some good sources I’ve used include:

• Creating Keepsakes Quotes and Poems Online
  
• The Quotations Page
  
• Quoteland
  
• List of Quotes on About.com
  

So right about now, you’re probably saying – Janet, I’m a busy mom! I don’t have time to look up a bunch of quotes!

In that case, there’s another good alternative. The makers of Mat Stacks (see previous post) make a product called Quote Stacks. These are quotes printed on vellum sheets, ready to put directly into your scrapbook. You can purchase these at Amazon.com or at your local hobby or scrapbook store.

Happy journaling!

New Ribbon Storage Product

Recently I ran a story on storage options, and I mentioned my ideas for ribbon storage. Well, today I ran across a Creating Keepsakes approved product that looks like it would be a great way to store ribbon!

It's a product from Craft Locker for ribbon storage:



It is a bit pricy, however, at $39.95. I only found it available online via the Craft Locker website at:

http://www.craftlocker.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=1

They also have other storage products that look pretty neat, but I may have to improvise -- I think $39.95 might be out of my budget! Still, all in all, a cool idea.

Great Tip for Beach Pages

I saw a rerun of the Scrapbooking show on DIY today that had a great tip that I've actually used for some of my beach-themed scrapbook pages.

For an attractive titling feature or background for your page, why not incorporate sand? In the past, I found sand messy and hard to work with. When trying to glue it to the page, the glue was lumpy, no matter what I tried, and so the sand didn't have even coverage. It was frustrating!

I never thought of trying this before, but you can use Xyron refills or a Xyron machine to create a sticky surface for your sand to adhere to your page or element. Just run the item through the Xyron machine or, using the refill, remove the clear covering and place the white backing on top of the area you want to make sticky, then press the white area down well and then peel back. Sprinkle the sticky area with sand and shake off the excess onto a spare sheet of paper. Voila!

This technique also works well with glitter.

To see the example on the DIY website, go to: http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/sc_materials/article/
0,2025,DIY_14228_2277496,00.html

Creating a Design on Your Album Cover

Today I saw a great piece on the Scrapbooking show on the DIY network -- how to create a design on the cover of your album.

I've always wanted to add some pizzazz to my album covers, but how to do it in a way that will be durable over time? Since album covers are designed to be durable, how can I add elements to it and ensure that they will stay in place?

The guest was Joy Macdonnell from EK Success. The complete instructions can be found in PDF format here: http://images.scrippsweb.com/DIY/2005/09/28/scb515Macdonnell.pdf"

First, Joy created a page that was smaller than a normal scrapbook page for that album. She then put the smaller scrapbook page into a regular sized protector. She then used a sewing machine to sew around the edges of the scrapbook page to adhere the protector to the page. This will then create a more durable cover for the embellished album cover. She then cut off the remaining extra page protector and removed it. Then, she took the cover off of the album and attached the page to the album at the spine. The right hand side of the embellished cover was only adhered with a strap she created, but I would recommend adhering it somehow to the inside front album cover.

Baby Book Idea: "When You Were Born..." Page

Today I received an offer in the mail that gave me a great idea for a baby book page. For about $9, you could get a piece of paper, with your child's name, and a list of all of the events that were happening on the day he/she was born. What a great idea for a baby book!

Heck, save yourself $9! This is simple to do for yourself. The topics included on the sample page were:

• Facts about baby
  
  
  
  • Day, Time of birth
    
  • Length, Weight
    
  • Hospital, City
    
  • Origin of baby's name (ex. Hebrew definition)
    
  • Baby's zodiac sign and explanation
  
  
• Information about the day baby was born
  
  
  
  • What famouns people share baby's birthday
    
  • What was in the headlines that week
    
  • Famous events in history that happened on baby's birthday
  
  
• Information about the year baby was born
  
  
  
  • Popular children's TV shows
    
  • Popular children's movies or videos
    
  • Popular children's book
    
  • Oscars - Best movie, best actor/actress
    
  • Popular TV shows
    
  • Super Bowl champs
    
  • World Series champs
    
  • NBA champs
    
  • Stanley Cup champs
    
  • Cost of common items, such as a new home, college, ticket to the movies, gallon of gasoline, postage stamp, etc.
    
  • Top news stories
    
  • What was in for fun and fashion
  
  

20% Off Deal from Snapfish

Today I received an offer in the mail I'd like to share with everyone. As a new mom, I get many offers everyday from folks like Snapfish, an online photo development company (now owned by HP). I'd like to share this offer with you, in case you're interested. You must be a new Snapfish member to take advantage of this offer.

Today's offer is for 20% off 4" x 8" photo cards, for such events as baby announcements, party invitations, birthdays, and more! To take advantage of this offer (which I believe is only good until 12/31/05), go to http://www.snapfish.com/ababy1. When you're ready to checkout, enter the code AMBABY to receive the discount on your purchase.

Other additional offers include:

• Get 25 digital camera prints free
  
• Get 2 rolls of film developed free
  

Both offers can also be accessed through: http://www.snapfish.com/ababy1

I've not used Snapfish before, but I've used their rival company, Ofoto, which is now owned by Kodak. I will tell you that I've had excellent results, and I've found that enlargements are especially well done.

If you take advantage of this offer, let me know how you like Snapfish!

Organization Tips

Last night I was watching a show called "Neat" -- it's a show where a personal organizer comes into a clutter-filled home and organizes it. Last night's show featured a woman who had a scrapbook area, and I thought I'd share some highlights of the organization.

Sticker Organization
Sticker organization can truly be tough. On "Neat," the organizer used three-ring binders with divider tabs and page protectors to organize stickers by subject and make them easily visible.

Similar to this method, I use the Crop in Style PSB-- which is similar to a three ring binder organizer.

Magazines
If you're like me, you probably have tons of magazines about scrapbooking, full of ideas with different themes. Like the sticker method from "Neat," I created an "Idea File" for layout ideas. I used a three ring binder with dividers and page protectors to organize the ideas, and I just took the pages from the magazines with layouts I liked. It saved me lots of space and time when trying to find a good layout.

Paper
Always a challenge, where do you store paper so that it does not get damaged? If you're a 12x12 size scrapbooker like me, regular folders just won't do! I use the Cropper Hopper paper holder with dividers. It holds 12x12 paper and the dividers separate colors or themes. Then my paper is always right at arm's length and easy to access quickly.

Embellishments
These can be small and easy to lose, so I use the Cropper Hopper Embellishment Organizer. This case is ideal for small embellishments, but it isn't great for larger pieces. However, brads, snaps and more will organize well in this holder.

Ribbon
Ribbon is becoming more and more popular these days on scrapbook pages, but it can be challenging to store on spools. One option is a ribbon organizer box, like this one at The Container Store:




But I generally keep a lot more ribbon than that on hand, so I use acrylic canisters to store my ribbon spools.

Happy organizing!

Timesaving Tip: Mat Stacks

You may have seen these in your local craft store, but I discovered these about two years ago, and they save me so much time cutting!

Mat Stacksare pads composed of different styles and colors of cardstock, already cut down to 4"x6" or 5"x7" to add a nice color background to your photos. It's great -- you just peel it off and mount it! These also save you from cutting up a whole sheet of paper.

The folks that make Mat Stacksalso make several other timesaving products the I've used:

• Cardstock Stacks
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Quote Stacks
  
  
  
  
  
• Border Punch Strips
  

To see all of the selections available from this company (different colors, patterns, etc.) Click Here.

Digital Scrapbooking: Where to Find Fonts

For those of us who use our computers for journaling (I'm definitely one of them), we're always looking for a great, appropriate font for titling and journaling. Here are some places I've turned to for great fonts:

• Creating Keepsakes
  
  Creating Keepsakes magazine publishes fonts on CD-ROMs, organized by theme. I have several, and there are some very elegant and fun fonts in their collection. Here are some CDs they have available:
  
  
  
  • Creative Clips and Fonts: For Girls
    
  
  
• Free Fonts
  
  
  One site I frequent for free fonts is Font Freak. They have all kinds of fun, different fonts, including some famous ones you might have seen before, like fonts from TV shows, ads, etc.
  
  Another site I like is Famous Fonts. This too has free fonts that are mostly from TV shows, ads, movies, etc. Lots of fun fonts here.
  

Enjoy!

Preserving Newsprint

How can you preserve newspaper articles and the like in your scrapbook without them yellowing? A friend turned me on to a product called Archival Mista while back. Archival Misttakes the acid out of the paper, and your newsprint won't yellow over time! It's really cool stuff.

It's available at most craft and scrapbook stores, and I've even seen it at Target. You can also order it online here: Archival Mist

Personalize Your Album Cover with Iron on Transfers

Recently I was investigating some ideas I'd had for adding titles on scrapbook spines, and I tried using iron on transfers-- and it worked very well!

I typically use Westrim strap hinge albums. These albums are covered with a heavy-duty cotton fabric, making them ideal for iron on transfers.

You can purchase iron on transfermaterial that you can use in your ink jet printer at your local office supply store. Create a design on your computer and reverse the design so that it appears backwards. Also be sure to remember that color WILL show through an iron on transfer, so make sure your design takes that into account. Print it on the iron on transferpaper. Generally, you have to let this print out dry for 24 hours.

Once the paper is dry, iron the image onto the album cover, following the ironing instructions that come with that particular paper package.

Voila! You're done!

Using Vellum with Journaling

One technique that I like to use, especially when I'm short on space for all of my photos on a page, is using vellum over a photo and journaling on the vellum.

How do I do this? Personally, I print all of my photos on my home photo printer, but you can also print them at the store and do this. If you print your photos at home, be sure to let the ink on the photo dry completely before placing any vellum over it.

First, I print the photo on my printer. I then create my journaling on the computer (can also be done by handwriting on vellum), ensuring that the journaling area is not larger than the photo I've printed. I then print out the vellum and let that dry as well. If you don't let it dry, the ink will smudge on the vellum. Once the ink is dry, cut the vellum down to the same size as the photo.

To mount the vellum over the photo, use brads or another type of adhesion method. Do not use double sided tape or any type of tape-like adhesion material! Tape-like materials tend to be more visible under the vellum and ruin the effect. After adhering the vellum and photo, you can then use tape to adhere the piece to your page.

New Trends: Mini Scrapbooks

I'm not sure if you've seen these in your local scrapbook store lately, but one of the newest trends to hit scrapbooking this year is the "mini scrapbook".

I started with my first mini scrapbook last year as a sort of birthday card for a friend. I used a mini book from Making Memories for my first attempt, and they really were the first to market with the mini scrapbook "kit". The book was so well received by my friend, that I decided to do several more.

A mini scrapbook generally is 5" x 8" or smaller and has roughly 8-12 pages. Many are tied closed with ribbon. Several months ago, I ran across a new product on the market that made my mini scrapbooks as birthday cards idea much easier to accomplish. Simple Scrapbooks magazine has a mini scrapbook that is available in most scrapbook and craft stores. These mini scrapbooks are entitled "ten things I love about" and are themed by the recipient -- husband, friend, sister, mother, etc. Inside the book, the page spreads are preprinted on the left-hand page with a space for journaling each "thing you love" about that person, and on the right-hand page is a space for a corresponding photo.

For our anniversary, I gave my husband one of these books. I was able to assemble it quickly since it was sort of "prefab", and I printed out photos and adhered them. I think he was really touched by it -- he keeps it in his bedside table.

There's nothing like that personal touch for a card, and I can tell you that everyone I've created a mini scrapbook for has not only saved it but has been very proud to show others. While they take more time than a traditional card, they can double as a gift and a card, and they show how much you think of the recipient.

How To: Print on Tags

If you're like me, you'd like to use those white round metal tagson your web pages, but how the heck do you print on them?

Recently, I discovered a new technique that works pretty well. Most of the white round metal tagsyou buy at a craft or scrapbook store are 1" in diameter, but you can get varying sizes and shapes. Using a 1" diameter tag, create a design on your computer (I generally use Adobe Illustratorfor this task, but any layout program, even Microsoft Word, will do). Make sure, using the rulers in your program, that the design does not exceed 1" wide by 1" tall. If you plan to use the hole in the tag, also make sure that you've left some room in the design to punch the hole in the tag.

Next, print out the image on acid free paper -- preferrably a lightweight paper, not cardstock. Using a 1" circle punch, turn the punch upside down and insert your design face up so that you can see the design in the punch area. Center the design, then punch it out.

Then, using a Xyron sticker machine, Xyron 150 sticker machineput the cut out circle in the machine, face up. Pull the circle to the other side to create a sticky back to the cut out. Pull the circle off of the sticker backing and center it on a white round metal tags. Using a 1/16" hole punch, punch out the circle on the tag. Mount to your scrapbook page using ribbon, string, or a sticky foam dot.

Tada! You're done!

Now, here's the shopping list of items you'll need for this project:

• white round metal tags
  
• acid-free paper (not cardstock)
  
• Xyron 150 sticker machine
  
• 1/16" hole punch
  

Timesaver Tip: Page Planning

If you're like me, a busy working mom, you probably find it hard to find the time to do much scrapbooking, even though you love it! So any timesaving tips help you scrapbook more pages faster.

Last year, two friends purchased some scrapbook organizing pieces for me, and there's one I can't live without. Page Plannerfolders from Cropper Hopper are a fantastic way to organize all of your page elements in one folder and include sketch ideas as well.

As you can see from the picture above, the page planner folder can hold 12x12 paper. On the front of the folder is a page planning card, which allows space for you to detail sketches and other journaling notes.

Like I said, I can't live without these folders. So that I could reuse the page planning cards, I self-laminated them with self-laminating sheets(available at office supply stores) and I use a dry-erase markeron them. That way I can just wipe off my information when I'm done with a page and reuse the same page planning cards over and over. I generally just throw all of my pieces for a page -- photos, memorabilia, paper, embellishments, etc. -- into the folder, so that when I'm ready to scrap, everything is ready to go in one folder.

Cropper Hopper Page Planners are generally available in 3-packs, and I bought a bunch to have on hand. They are available through Amazon.com at this link, or at most craft or scrapbooking stores. Enjoy!

Preserving Leaves in Your Scrapbook

With fall now upon us and the leaves getting ready to change, you may find yourself wanting to create a fall foliage page for your scrapbook. But how can you preserve the leaves you find this fall in your scrapbook without them drying out and losing their vibrant colors?

Anna Griffin of Anna Griffin, Inc. was a guest on the DIY network's Scrapbooking show today and shared a great tip. To preserve leaves for your scrapbook, use glycerin, which is available at your local drugstore. Create a mixture of water and glycerin (Anna recommends two parts water to one part glycerin) and place the leaves in the mixture. Cover the mixture and let set for several weeks, checking periodically that the leaves are still covered with mixture. Once the leaves are flexible, remove them from the mixture and allow them to dry out on paper towels or newspaper. Allow them to dry approximately one week.

Once you follow this process, your leaves will be flexible and will not dry and crumble in your scrapbook. The leaves may darken in color. To preserve their color, you can also touch them up with chalks.

To adhere the leaves to your scrapbook page, use foam adhesive (such as foam tape or foam dots).

Welcome to Super Scrapbooks!

Welcome to Super Scrapbooks! -- your online resource for scrapbooking ideas, tips and deals. Keep referring back to our blog often to learn the latest!