Friday, June 30, 2006

Ghost Letters

Ghost letters are basically a clear set of letters which let your background show through them.  They can look really cool but like vellum, how do you apply them without the adhesive showing through? 
There are a number of ways to do this and here are some of the top picks:
 
Brads
Staples
Xyron
Spray Adhesive (my favorite)
Sewing
Eyelets
 
This is one of those areas where you have to remember that scrapbooks are personal and your own creations.  Use whatever product will fit in with your page and that you like. 
 
 
 

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Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Tips and Ideas for scrapbooking

Here are some great tips I found in an old email about scrapbooking.  I would love to give credit to the author but it wasn't included in the email.  If you know who the author is let me know so I can give them credit please! 
 
Tips For Great Scrapbooking!

1) Use only archival quality papers and material. Items should
be acid free and papers should be acid and lignin free.

2) Work backwards. Start with current photographs and work your
way backward in time. Start with what you know before you forget!

3) Journal! Journal! Journal! A lot of times, other people don’t
know the story associated with your photographs. Be sure to
include the Who, What, When, Where and Why in each layout. Avoid
saying things like "we had a great time". Instead include
specifics such as "It poured on our wedding day but we never
noticed with everyone dancing and partying".

4) Focus on your photos, not your backdrop. Don’t put so much
into your pages that it washes out your photos. After all, you
want people to see your photos. Backgrounds should compliment and
stay just that: a background!

5) As you get your film developed, sort your film according to
event, date or any other category. Date your photos on the back
with a photo safe pen if you don’t have a date stamp feature on
your camera. If you cannot remember the actual date, include
notes such as "Spring, 1999" or "TJ, age 2".

6) Have several albums/projects going at one time. This avoids
boredom and allows you to switch back and forth between themes.
For instance, work on your wedding album while you work on a
vacation album.

7) Don’t necessarily scrap in order of event. Work on what you
are in the mood for. Don’t do a layout just because it is
chronologically the next one to do. Use albums that you can
change around your layouts if necessary.

8) Whenever possible, handwrite your journaling. I know, I know,
you hate your handwriting, right? But it’s a part of you and your
legacy to future generations. Which is better to have: A
handwritten letter from your great grandmother or a typed up
letter? Need I say more? For larger stories it’s ok to use
computer generated fonts to write your story.

9) Don’t fret about creativity. We ALL have creativity and
individual personality. Let your personality shine in your
albums. Do what YOU like. Anything goes in Scrapbooking, nothing
you do is "wrong".

10) If you are stumped for ideas, take a look at a friend’s
scrapbook, utilize idea books/magazines or better yet, take one
of my classes! I’d love to help you "Scraplift" an idea. It’s the
best form of flattery, believe me!
 
 

FREE list of paid survey sites:  www.katieshugs.com

 

FREE information on government grants, auctions, and more!  www.freefromscams.com

 

All new all scrapbooking website!  www.scrapbooking4us.com

 

 

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Tuesday, June 27, 2006

How to use hinges in scrapbooks

Hinges are one of my very favorite things to add to a scrapbook.  The first time I tried to use one though it was very frustrating because I didn't have a clue how to use hinges and get them on the page and still look good. 
Here is the easy way to do it:
If you want to use hinge to hide a picture or journaling:
Place the hinge flat on the spot you want it to go.  Place a long brad or eyelet through the holes and secure them as usual.  Then just attach the "hider" cardstock to the other end.  You can secure the hinge with additional glue if you want but make sure you don't glue down the movable center piece. 
 
You can also use hinges as part of an embellishment.  Attach both sides to wings for a butterfly or attach both sides to little stainglassed windows made of cardstock and vellum with a stained glass look.
 
Another way to make your hinges standout is to embellish them with paint.  Use a little acrylic paint around the edges and rub some off with a piece of sand paper for an old fashioned look. 
 
Most of all, as always, get creative and have fun!
 
 

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All new all scrapbooking website!  www.scrapbooking4us.com

 
 
 
 
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Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Weaving

Here is a simple and fun way to make your pages a little different.  Using a razor blade cut slits through your paper in a design.  Maybe around the edge as a border or just along to the top or bottom.  Take ribbon in a coordinating color and weave it through the slits in the paper.  This makes a beautiful page look even better!

 
 
 
 
 
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Friday, June 16, 2006

Break the rules!

 

Beginning scrapbookers and some of us who have been at it awhile at some point or another will fall into the trap of reading articles and believing that there are "rules" to scrapbooking. 

The only real "rule" is to do what you like!  You will hear things like you can't use more than three pictures on a page, you mustn't use too many embellishments or you will draw interest away from your pictures, you must create lines, you must do this and you mustn't do that. 

Your scrapbooks are for you and your family to enjoy forever.  If you feel like you want to cover the entire page in beads and put a single picture in the upper left corner and nothing else, then go ahead and do it!  Make your scrapbooks as personal, as neat, as weird as you like.  Put YOUR personality into them.  Years and years from now when someone looks at one of your pages, it will be creativity and the memory they notice.  Not how many stickers and beads you used. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ipsos 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Thursday, June 15, 2006

Help!

Today I want to ask you for a favor.  If you have scrapbook layouts that are online or on your computer I would love to add them to www.scrapbooking4us.com  I want to get more layouts on the site for others to see and get ideas from.  If you are willing to share please leave a comment or send me an email and let me know where to find them! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ipsos 
 
 
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Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Unique and unusual scrapbook materials

It is easy to go through your local scrapbooking supply store and purchase items to add to your pages but if you are looking to save money and make your scrapbooks unique and different at the same time just look around your home!
Use some of the leftover yarn you made your daughters sweater from to attach a tag on the page showing her wearing the sweater.  Use pieces of wire and buttons you have left over to create unique designs.  Get out all of those souvenir pamplets you collected at vacation and cut out pictures to use (I always grab two or three just for this purpose) for the backgrounds.  Paint your own soda bottle caps if you like that look.  You can also paint and use little stamps on popsicle sticks for embellishment.  Take some time to just look around and be creative.  You can save a lot of money by making your own embellishments!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Organizing your photos

Unless you scrapbook as soon as you come home from the photo store you probably have a lot of pictures laying around waiting to be organized.
You can do this a number of ways but here are my favorites. 
1. Put them in order.  If you are organizing pictures of your kids for their own album for instance, you might take some pictures from each stage of their lives and put them in a folder titled: Davids scrapbook
Another example would be to put all your vacation pictures together for a vacation album, or complete a set for a year of family life.
I personally do all of the above.  I purchased an accordian file folder and labeled it with each childs name plus my own name.  I put pictures of the memories I want to use to make each childs scrapbook under their name and the ones that are very special to me I put under my name.  I can go back through the pictures for me and make a special memory scrapbook or I can further sort and organize for multiple scrapbooks. 
Once you have a set of pictures organized and in one spot it becomes easy to figure out where to start your scrapbook.  Happy Scrapping!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Thursday, June 08, 2006

Cracked Glass Technique

For the "cracked glass technique" you will need Versamark or any clear ink, clear embossing powder on a plate, a heat tool, a stamp and cardstock.

Stamp the image you want onto your pre-cut cardstock using regular colored ink.  Completely cover the paper with the clear ink or Versamark.   Push the cardstock into the embossing powder and make sure it is completely covered.   Using the heat tool, melt the embossing powder.  While the powder is still hot dip the image into the powder again.  Repeat this procedure 4 more times and then place the paper into the freezer.  When it is completely dry and the paper is hard and curled take it out and then carefully bend the paper.  This will cause the hardened powder to crack giving you the cracked glass look!


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Wax Seals

Even as a little kid I had a fascination with wax seals.  I don't know why, I just thought they were extremely cool. 
I have always had this plan in the back of my head to find and get one someday to use on all my letters. 
Imagine my delight to find out that wax seals have finally made a comeback and as a scrapbooking tool! 
You can use them on your pages, cards, anything you like!  For me, I will have to use them on the back of the envelope for any letters I send out too!  Yeah, like we actually write and send letters anymore!
Anway, wax seals are very easy to use.  You just melt the wax where you want the seal to be placed and then wait for it to cool and harden a little bit.  Then take the seal and press it down firmly into the wax to make the impression.  That's it!
You can get a set of four sticks of wax and three seals at www.7gypsies.com and start having fun!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Leftover Scrapbook Material

Yesterday while reading my new copy of Memory Makers magazine I ran across this great tip and really wanted to share it with everyone. 
The "Winning Tip" in the magazine was about how to use your leftover scrapbook supplies. 
There is a website at: www.makeachildsmile.org that lists the names, backgrounds and medical condition of some very sick little kids.  You can use your leftover scrapbook materials to make and send cards to these kids. 
I thought this was a wonderful idea and an amazing cause.  I personally will start making a few cards whenever I sit down to put some pages together and see if I can make a little childs day a bit brighter!
 
 
 
 
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