Scrapbooking with Children

Creative Kids - Scrapbooking with Children
by Nan Wood

You're never too young to learn the art of scrapbooking. In fact, teaching kids a few simple skills can help you create time in your schedule to scrapbook while still spending quality time with your family. Different ages can learn different scrapbooking techniques, but all ages should be able to help you make an album or produce albums of their own.

Toddlers

Even the youngest age group can learn beginner skills to scrapbooking. One way to get them involved is to have them try their hand at choosing colors and embellishments that they like. You may be surprised at how quickly a four-year-old picks up on concepts such as color schemes and layout design. You can also ask your child to help with the journaling. This works especially well when you create pages where your child is the main focus-ask for his or her thoughts on the day and include this in your journaling. You might be surprised at what they say, so be ready to write down some great quotes! Toddlers can also be given paper and markers to draw pictures about the event, and these can make heart-warming embellishments to your page.

School-age Children

As your child learns basic motor skills, such as how to use scissors, you can let them practice at making their own pages. Let them use the doubles of your pictures or pictures from the roll that are fuzzy or otherwise undesirable for your own album. Scrapbooking paper can be expensive, so unless your child has a genuine love for the craft, you may want to have them use construction paper, which is not acid free but will help you save money if all your child wants to do is play. At this stage, your child may be able to help you choose all the elements for a page or look through scrapbooking layout ideas to pick some of his or her favorites that you can then create. As a pre-teen, your child may have the skills to begin creating his or her own album and using real scrapbooking paper and supplies. This is an investment that will depend on your child's particular interest and skill level.

Teens

If your child continues to scrapbook at this stage, he or she probably can handle creating a beginning album. A good start is to use the school pictures your child has surely acquired over the years from friends. Encourage your child to be creative and to design pages that interest him or her. If you do digital scrapbooking, this is also a good time to introduce your child to some of the programs available online. The love of scrapbooking may continue past the teen stage and into adulthood, and soon your children may be creating albums that rival your own and teaching their own children how to scrapbook.

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The Digital Scrapbooking Option

Scrapbooking in the 21st Century - The Digital Scrapbooking Option
by Nan Wood

Scrapbooking takes three things-time, space, and dedication. Anyone interested in this craft has the dedication needed to complete an album masterpiece, but what about time and space? With the countless papers, stickers, and other supplies (not to mention photographs), scrapbooking requires room, both for creating pages and for storage. The sheer volume of supplies is part of what makes scrapbooking so time consuming; by the time you get everything out and organized, you've already wasted 15 minutes or so, and the time spent looking for that perfect stamp leaves you little time to create a page before you have to clean up. It can be frustrating, and if you're nodding your head in agreement, the perfect solution for you might be digital scrapbooking.

Don't be intimidated by this concept if you have no computer skills. Digital scrapbooking is easy to learn and can make designing pages and creating albums go more smoothly, leaving much more time for the other things in your life. By following a few simple steps, you can begin digital scrapbooking in less time than you think.

First, you need to find a way to put your pictures online. This is easily achieved with a digital camera, but hard copies of photographs can also be put onto your computer. Even if you do not know how to transfer pictures from your digital camera to your computer, you can put your pictures onto a CD at any photography center. At one of these centers, you can also scan your printed pictures and put them onto a CD as well. If you want to take it a step beyond the basics, you can register for a website on the Internet that hosts photograph sharing. You can also use photo-editing programs to change the look of your picture, but this is not necessary for beginners. In any case, once your pictures are on your computer, you can use them to create scrapbook pages.

There are many programs available that help you design and print pages. You can buy a program at the store, or you can purchase a downloadable program on the Internet. This is an especially good option if you want to share your album online. Compare prices and services on the programs before making a purchase-not all programs are made the same way, and you'll want to find one that's appropriate for your skill level. When you've chosen and purchased a scrapbooking program, take some time to go through the tutorial. Learn to use all the functions of the program from the start, and you'll save yourself a lot of time when you're trying to create pages.

Every program works differently, but after you've created pages you can print them out or post them on a website. This is not only easy, but also convenient for family members and friends who many want to print their own copy of your work or view your entire album. Having your pages online is also security-if anything ever happens to the hard copy of your album, it is simple to print the pages again. Digital scrapbooking is worth the initial cost and time to learn for beginners who have little space or time to create hand-made albums.

Nan is A business writer and accountant with an interest in scrapbooking. for online information and research visit
Crafts and scrapbooking at Scrapper

What is Scrapbooking?

Scrapbooking – What is Scrapbooking?
By Nan Wood

Scrapbooking is the scrapper’s method of saving their personal life in art form. Scrappers are very creative. They use a variety of materials to create a history using photographs, printed material, memorabilia to create scrapbooks, cards, albums and a variety of beautiful objects.

Scrapbooking is a hobby that has become a favorite form of crafting. The names scrapper and Scrapbookers has become synonymous with the art of scrapbooking. Scrappers are loyal to their craft and each other. They have created online forums, groups that meat, conventions, retreats, stores and conventions. This form of hobby has become very ‘in’ recently.

While this is a new industry, it already has a variety of magazines and infomercials dedicated to selling products related to this hobby. Since the 1990s, many stores opened to cater to the scrapbooking industry. Unfortunately, many have closed. Competition from large retailers, such as Michaels, left them unable to compete.

Many major department stores carry craft supplies and offer classes which appeal to the scrapbooking community. They will order special products for their customers and have classes that appeal to the crafter such as One Stroke Painting.

Scrapbooking is a wonderful hobby with many resource areas to enhance the scrapbooking projects to create keepsakes for families whether for special occasions, weddings, gifts or part of the family tradition.

Nan is an Accountant, Real Estate professional and Business Writer with an interest in Scrapbooking. She has an information site online
Scrapbooking and craft ideas at Crafts

Scrapbooking themes - albums need flow

Give Your Album Some Flow - Scrapbook Themes
by Nan Wood

Scrapbooking starts when someone has a lot of pictures that he or she wants to organize in an eye-pleasing way. To do this, you can start creating pages on a whim and produce a random collection of photographs mounted on paper, or you can take the more effective approach and plan out a theme to your album. There are many album themes to consider when choosing the option that will best fit your needs.

The most often used theme for your album really isn’t much of a theme at all—chronological order. Most beginning scrapbookers use this method of organization because it is convenient to use if you are trying to get all of your photographs out of boxes and into acid free albums. Chronological scrapbooks also make it easy to keep up with the album as you get new pictures developed. However, this is not the only type of album that can be created, and you should weigh all options before starting to scrapbook.

Consider creating a birthday or holiday album, which work especially well for scrapbookers with children. Rather than including pages with all your pictures throughout the year, choose one holiday and start an album with one layout for each year. The result will be a book that shows the progression of a child from year to year, and these make excellent graduation gifts or can become keepsakes as your children move out of the house. These are on-going projects, so you will need to devote many years to an album before it is complete.

Another theme that makes a beautiful album is people. This works nicely with the random pictures you may have that were not used in your chronological album. To make this kind of album, create one layout for each person, and show them throughout the years. Alternatively, if you take many pictures, you can create a single album all for one person. An album themed by people makes a good gift for someone with many grandchildren or for someone moving away from a group of friends.

However you chose to theme your album, think of its function before you start. Who will be looking at the album? Are you giving this album as a gift? What kind of pictures do you have available? Scrapbooking according to theme creates well-organized albums, and by choosing a theme before you start creating pages you can make an album that works well in your collection or as a gift.

For online research on the craft and scrapbooking projects and themes, visit
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Journaling - a process of writing it all down

Jot it Down - The Importance of Journaling
by Nan Wood

Scrapbooking is a fun pastime, but don’t lose sight of the main goal any scrapbooker is trying to achieve: to produce a quality product that can be shown to friends and family and eventually passed on to future generations to provide a record of your life. Therefore, one of the most important steps to creating any page is the journaling. Unfortunately, this is also one of the most forgotten steps. Journaling is important because it is a written record of what is happening in the pictures for people who weren’t there or don’t know you.

I like to begin by creating a title for each page. This can be something simple and straightforward, such as “Mom and Dad’s 50th Anniversary” or it can be creative, heartwarming, or funny. Think of your page as a story and then name it. Use big bold letters for the title to draw attention to it, but make sure it does not overwhelm the most important elements of the page—the pictures.

Each picture on your page should have a few words as a caption. Name the people and/or places photographed; although it may seem obvious to you right now, you may not be able to remember names when you look at your album 20 years from now. Others who do not know all of your friends will also benefit from these labels. Captions should be small elements on the page, and occasionally two similar pictures will not each need a caption.

Work a block of text into your page design. I like to keep this text around the same size as the smallest photograph, but of course this depends on the page layout. Many pre-made layouts will already include a space for text. Use this element of the design to record the “story” behind the pictures. Pretend you are looking at your photographs with a friend—what would you say as he or she flipped through the pictures? All of this information is readily forgotten, so it is important to jot down a few words on a piece of notebook paper and save it with your photographs if you think that you won’t get the chance to create your pages right away. Always include a date if relevant, because as time goes on, the years run together.

Occasionally you may forget your camera at an important event, lose your pictures, or not be allowed to use a camera in the space. Whatever the case may be, if you don’t have photographs of an important event in your life, you can still create a beautiful scrapbook page to document the day. These pages will be mostly journaling. Use descriptive words to take the place of the photographs.

If you have a fear of hand-writing, don’t let that stop your from journaling. Letter stickers or cutouts provide fun options for titles. For smaller letters, you may be able to trade skills with someone who had trouble with something that you can do, such as cropping. I tend to believe that personal handwriting, even if it is not perfect, give the page character. A final option is to use your computer to print out the journaling elements on your page. However you choose to do it, journaling is one step in the scrapbook process that needs to be important to help create a first-class album.

Nan is an Accountant and Business Writer with an interest in scrapbooking. Her online resources will provide you with sites for ideas and projects - Scrapper

Cutting your Photgraphs - Cropping 101

Crop Around the Clock - A Beginner’s Guide to Cutting your Photographs
by nan wood

Unless you intend to simply stick your photographs two or three to the page simply to keep them protected from acid and the environment, you’re going to have to learn how to cut your photographs to create interesting layouts. The first few times your snip into a picture with a pair of scissors you might be nervous or feel like you’re committing an awful crime, but as you practice you will become more confident in your cropping skills.

Cropping is simply the term used for cutting away parts of a photograph. Even expert photographers many times find that their pictures will look better when cropped, and this can be done by hand with a cutting tool on the computer before you make your prints. Either way, when you are actually creating a page, you probably will not want pictures that are all the same size and shape. Instead, your layout might include circles and squares, as well as a number of other non-traditional photograph shapes. If you are nervous about cutting your pictures for the first time, get double prints made. This way, you have a back up in case you make a mistake.

There are a number of tools on the market to help you crop your pictures. My personal favorite is the paper slicer. Paper slicers do the same job as straight scissors, but you don’t have to worry about an unsteady hand—simply line up your photograph and pull the blade along its track on the straight edge. Blades have to be replaced more often than you’ll have to buy new scissors, but the results are precision cuts. Another one of the most beneficial tools to own is a circle cutter. Achieving perfect circles without it is nearly impossible, and although these tools take a little getting used to, they are worth the time and money to buy.

Most importantly, however, how do you decide what to crop out of a picture? First, consult your layout design. You may need specific measurements to make a design work. Next, look at each photograph. Your subject matter should be the main focus, so anything in the background or foreground that distracts the eye should be cropped out. Lastly, trust your instincts. If you don’t like the look of a photograph, imagine how it would be cropped. Your first feeling is usually correct, so don’t be a afraid to jump in there with a pair of scissors or your favorite cropping tool. Even if you goof the first few times, cropping mistakes can usually be fixed, and it wont be long before your practice pays off and you acquire the skills of an expert cropper.

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Scrappers save the scraps

Scrappers - Saving the Scraps
by nan wood

Scrapbooking stores and online sites are popping up around the world, and these are places scrapbookers can visit to take classes and buy endless amounts of paper, stickers, adhesives, embellishments, and tools. Unfortunately, not everyone has an unlimited scrapbook budget for these products. Working with a small bank account to create a beautiful album can be a challenge, but with a little effort and creativity, you can scrapbook frugally and no one will know the difference.

Starting an album is always going to be the most expensive part of the scrapbooking process, because you have to purchase the empty album. One way you can side step this expense is to create a digital album instead. However, for those of you who want the traditional bound album, my best advice is to watch the sales fliers at your local craft stores. Don’t skimp on quality—you want to be sure you’re getting an album that is well made and safe for your pages, but you can often find albums at up to 50% off during annual scrapbooking sales. Stock up if you are an avid scrapbooker; you’re sure to need another album before sale season comes around again.

This is a good time to buy other supplies as well, but if finding store sales is not convenient, another good way to save money during start-up is to buy online. Many discount companies offer scrapbooking kits for beginners that include an album, paper, and embellishments. Beware of poor quality since you cannot physically touch the items you are buying, but you shouldn’t have problems if you buy from reputable companies or make sure the company has a good return policy. Television channels such as QVC or catalogue companies such as Oriental Trading also periodically offer scrapbooking specials, so keep your eyes peeled.

Once you have some starting supplies, use them frugally. Save your scraps—my personal policy is to keep any piece of paper larger than a credit card. Many times, I’ve used these scraps to create mosaic-like pages, and I’ve been very happy with the results. Also save papers which are slightly damaged. You may be able to create a page at a later time to cover the mistake, or at least you can use the white back for a simple page. If you have friends who also scrapbook, you may want to organize a scrapbooking party. That way, everyone can use one another’s tools and you might be able to trade some of your unneeded supplies for things your friends no longer need but that you can use.

Lastly, stay organized and clean. Look at your supplies and albums as an investment; all of the papers, tool, and other supplies you purchase cost a lot of money, so they need to be protected from things like water spills and over-excited pets or children. Acid-free boxes placed on high shelves or in drawers work well for this. Clean your tools and your space when you are finished for the day to keep everything in good working order. By doing this, you can stay an active scrapbooker even if your budget is small.

For more online research visit Scrapper where you will find many articles and project ideas.

Conventions are a big part of Scrapbooking

Scrapbooker’s Heaven - Conventions
by Nan Wood

One of the most fun ways to network with other people who enjoy a similar hobby is to attend a convention. Scrapbooking is no exception. Every year, venues across the country hold state, national, and international conventions for scrapbookers from beginners to experts. Going to a convention can be a great way to immerse yourself in your hobby along with others who also feel passionate about the art of scrapbooking—it truly is a scrapbooker’s heaven.

A huge part of any convention is the showroom. Here, you’ll find products that are old standbys as well as stuff new on the market. Grab a bag and be prepared to purchase some supplies and tools. If you’re on a budget, go freebie hunting—many booths offer idea sheets or samples of their newest products at no cost. You also get to see these new products being demonstrated by representatives of the company. Beware—this people have been trained extensively on how to use a product, so they may be making it easier than it looks. If it’s not too crowded, don’t be shy. Ask to try the tool to see if it really is easy and effective to use.

You can also talk to companies who sponsor scrapbooking parties. There are many opportunities to become a hostess for a party, and depending on how far you are from home, you may be able to book a party during the convention. If not, they will be able to give you a phone number or website to find a local representative. You can also get information on how to start a scrapbooking business of your own. Much like Avon or Pampered Chef, scrapbooking companies train individuals to teach classes at parties, and if you have free time and want to make some extra money, this might be a good idea for you.

Another part of any large convention is classes. Here, the experts show you tricks for creating perfect pages and demonstrate new techniques or products. Sign up for classes or arrive early, because seating is often limited and classes fill fast. Some classes are taught in workshop-style. For a small fee, you receive all the supplies you need to follow along with the instructor and create a page of your own.

Scrapbooking conventions are most useful for networking purposes. You will meet many people from all walks of life who are interested in scrapbooking. By meeting some people who live in your area, you can create local clubs or discuss other scrapbooking-related issues in the community. These are good people to invite to your scrapbooking parties where the hostess can earn free products for every person invited to the party. Keep these people in mind for carpooling to more conventions in the future or for advice about new products or layout design. By attending conventions, you can make lifelong friends while learning new skills and seeing cutting-edge products being demonstrated.

My daughter is an avid scrapper. She attends several convetions a year, including one at the Marriott Seaview in Absecon. I have enjoyed visiting her there and meeting {networking} with other scrappers.

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Picking a Pack of Paper

Pick a Pack of Paper
by Nan Wood

The most overwhelming and beautiful isle in your scrapbooking supply store is probably the paper isle. Scrapbooking paper comes in all colors of the rainbow and in too many designs to count. If there is an occasion to scrapbook, there is most certainly a paper to match your theme, but with all the choices, it is easy to leave the store with papers you will never use and without the kind you really need the most.

To prevent having to take out a second mortgage to buy paper, first decide what size album you will be making. Papers come in two standard sizes—8 ½ x 11 and 12 x 12. You can also make albums in smaller sizes as well. Larger paper can be cut to size and smaller papers can be used for embellishments and matting, but you will need the most paper in the size of your album. Also, check out the different types of paper available. Scrapbooking safe paper comes in everything from thick cardstock to light velum and each type of paper has a specific use. You will probably use most of the medium-thickness paper.

Next, take stock of the solid colors you own. On most pages, you will use at least one solid color for the background, for mats, for journaling, or for embellishments, so you will probably run out of plain colors first. As a rule, you will need more black and white than other colors, but you can find rainbow packs at an inexpensive price and then buy single sheets of black and white, as you need them.

You can also buy packs of designer papers. These packs are a good investment, because they are usually color coordinated. This gives you a good starting point if you are a beginning layout designer. Another good place to start if you don’t have a lot of experience with layout design is with papers that suggest a layout already. For example, some papers come pre-printed with frames or other layout elements, so all you have to do is crop your photographs and add embellishments. You can also buy books of papers. These books are usually set around a theme, such as “vacation” or “Christmas.” At the end of the book, there are guidelines and ideas for creating layouts with these papers.

Buying paper can get expensive, but if you wait for the sales, you can often get 50% or more off. Another good way to make the most of your money is to trade papers with other scrapbookers. When you buy a kit or a book, there will always be a few papers you don’t like or can’t use. One of your fellow scrapbookers might have a perfect use for this paper, and will trade you for a paper that they don’t want but that you could use. By taking advantage of these resources and buying only the paper that you need, you won’t end up with too much unwanted paper. When in doubt, leave it at the store—you can always go back for it if you create the perfect layout for that paper.

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Scrappers do one and two page layouts

Two versus One - A Fair Fight between Types of Layouts

Some scrapbookers prefer to create entire albums page by page. Others work solely with two pages at a time. Still a third category of scrapbookers makes albums that are a mixture of one- and two-page layouts. Both types of layouts have clear advantages and disadvantages when compared side-by-side, so the last set of scrapbookers probably has the right idea—take advantage of both types of layouts to create your album.

One-page layouts work well for busy scrapbookers. With one page to complete at a time, you can finish more quickly and have time to clean up. One-page layouts also have a sense of intimacy because the pictures are placed closely together on the page, along with the journaling and embellishments. This creates a very rich and full album, seeming to burst at the seams with color and pictures. Because the layout is smaller, this is also often an easier option for beginning layout designers or for crafters who do not have a large workspace to spread out two pages at a time.

Two-page layouts, on the other hand, create an album that is more spacious. If you have many photographs of a single event, it is almost impossible to put them all on one page. You can split them up over multiple layouts; however, by creating a two-page layout, you give the pictures a sense of togetherness. You can even spread the layout over three or more pages by using the same colors and design concepts to carry a theme throughout your pages. Two-page layouts also work well when you have a few pictures that cannot be cropped and will therefore not fit onto one page. With the larger layout, you can be sure to have enough room for journaling and design.

Both kinds of layouts have disadvantages as well, so you should not use one or the other in every situation. With a one-page layout, you don’t have to worry about having enough paper to coordinate two pages. However, albums made of entire one-page layouts may seem choppy and disconnected. Choose the best option for your situation, but be sure to consider both types of layouts and to include both in your album to make the most of your space. With a little practice and inspiration, you will find that one-and two-page layouts are each easy and fun to create and give your photographs a good backdrop for display.

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Adhesive to use with your Scrapbook

Sticky Situations - What Kind of Adhesive to Use in Your Scrapbook
by Nan Wood

The many adhesive options available on the scrapbooking supply market may leave you mystified as to which ones you need for your project. Not only are countless types of adhesives available, but you often are given choices between a number of brands as well. This can leave beginners frustrated and ready to go home and use a hot glue gun for the whole project. A word of caution, however—learning to use the different types of adhesives will help protect your photographs and keep your work in tact for many years.

There are three basic types of adhesives: glues, tapes, and corner mounts. The first, glue, is probably the item you are most familiar with using with your other craft projects. Hot glue and tacky glue, both common items around the house, are not good for your scrapbooking project. Although these adhesives are strong and permanent, the heat and acidity that comes with using them will ruin your photographs over time. Another common option is the glue stick. These are inexpensive, but remember that you get what you pay for—glue sticks lose their stickiness over time, and your pages will come undone. Many other glue options are available on the market especially for scrapbooking. These products will always say “acid free” and “photo safe” on the label to let you know that they are ok to use with pictures. Glue pens are popular, but one of the most innovative products in recent years has been glue dots. This product is pressure-sensitive and works very well for adhering embellishments to the page. Another helpful scrapbooking glue product comes in an aerosol can. When sprayed to an item such as vellum or tissue, you can adhere the light paper to the page without leaving marks showing through. Glue dots and aerosol sprays can be pricey, but are effective when used correctly.

When sticking your actually pictures to the page, however, glues are probably not your best option. The best way to go about adhering pictures to your page is to use a tape product. Again, be sure that the product label ensures that it is safe to use with photographs, since not all tapes are made the same. Traditional tape options, such as foam mounting tape or double sided tape are good to use in your album, but also check out the products made exclusively for scrapbooking. Mounting squares are a popular item, as are roll-on tape dispensers. Some temporary products are also available in case you don’t want to permanently attach your photographs to the page. This is also where corner mounts work well. Related to the tape family, these little triangles allow you to stick photographs to the page without commitment. Corner mounts work especially well with valuable photographs, but can only be used when you have cropped your pictures in a square or rectangular shape.

Whatever adhesive choices you make, remember that it is important to use the products correctly. Not all glues and tapes are made for the same purposes, so learning to use these products is vital. By experimenting with technique and following the usage guidelines you can create a beautiful and long-lasting album.

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Scrapbook themes

Give Your Album Some Flow - Scrapbook Themes

Scrapbooking starts when someone has a lot of pictures that he or she wants to organize in an eye-pleasing way. To do this, you can start creating pages on a whim and produce a random collection of photographs mounted on paper, or you can take the more effective approach and plan out a theme to your album. There are many album themes to consider when choosing the option that will best fit your needs.

The most often used theme for your album really isn’t much of a theme at all—chronological order. Most beginning scrapbookers use this method of organization because it is convenient to use if you are trying to get all of your photographs out of boxes and into acid free albums. Chronological scrapbooks also make it easy to keep up with the album as you get new pictures developed. However, this is not the only type of album that can be created, and you should weigh all options before starting to scrapbook.

Consider creating a birthday or holiday album, which work especially well for scrapbookers with children. Rather than including pages with all your pictures throughout the year, choose one holiday and start an album with one layout for each year. The result will be a book that shows the progression of a child from year to year, and these make excellent graduation gifts or can become keepsakes as your children move out of the house. These are on-going projects, so you will need to devote many years to an album before it is complete.

Another theme that makes a beautiful album is people. This works nicely with the random pictures you may have that were not used in your chronological album. To make this kind of album, create one layout for each person, and show them throughout the years. Alternatively, if you take many pictures, you can create a single album all for one person. An album themed by people makes a good gift for someone with many grandchildren or for someone moving away from a group of friends.

However you chose to theme your album, think of its function before you start. Who will be looking at the album? Are you giving this album as a gift? What kind of pictures do you have available? Scrapbooking according to theme creates well-organized albums, and by choosing a theme before you start creating pages you can make an album that works well in your collection or as a gift.

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Scrapbooking