1..2..3 Scrapbooking

Free Scrapbooking Idea's

2008-09-24T21:30:00.001-07:00

Free Scrapbooking Idea's

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Free Scrapbooking Ideas (and Where to Get Them)

Ideas are valuable. Somehow, it seems that people are always underestimating the power of ideas. However, the world today is slowly realizing the importance of ideas and now thrives on trying to turn those ideas into money. That is just the reason why entrepreneurs are the richest people in the world.

A good idea, however, can be hard to come by. You need ideas to fuel creativity. In scrapbooking, ideas can be crucial factors on whether or not you are able to create a viable scrapbook. It is actually best that you come up with your own idea in creating a scrapbook. However, to give you a bit of help, there are free scrapbooking ideas out there.

Here are some places where you can get free scrapbooking ideas:

1) Other people - of course, we all know that all ideas come from people. What this article is trying to point out, however, is the fact that you can try to ask people directly in conversations for some free scrapbooking ideas. In doing so, you can have a brainstorming session and really get good scrapbooking ideas.

2) The internet - the internet is one big resource for all kinds of free scrapbooking ideas. In the internet, there are a lot of different sites which give you free scrapbooking ideas for your use. By checking out the internet, you access the world. This means you not only have access to ideas per se, but you also get to access different types of inspiration boosters. This means that you can actually produce an idea of your own through the internet.

The internet can also provide you with what other people think of this or that idea. Because of this, you can actually gleam what free scrapbooking ideas can work for you. You also get a lot of advice as to how to implement a certain free scrapbooking idea. Because of this, you will have an easier time designing your scrapbook.

3) Craft magazines - different magazines specialize in crafts and may offer you free scrapbooking ideas. By buying magazines like these, you actually gain access not only to free scrapbooking ideas, but also to ideas for other crafts. Also, these magazines can give you various tips on what to do and what not to do when creating your own scrapbook.

Craft magazines also sometimes come with supplements and materials that you can use in implementing different ideas. This means that you not only have access to the "what?", but also to the "how?" of scrapbooking.

What are the advantages of free scrapbooking ideas?

1) You save money - of course, the word "free" should clue you in to the fact that you do not have to spend anything in order to avail of free scrapbooking ideas. By availing of free scrapbooking ideas, you could even actually make money. Ideas today, especially good ones, can give lead to a very lucrative business venture.

2) You save on your effort - By availing of free scrapbooking ideas, you rid yourself of the hassle of thinking up a theme or a design of the scrapbook. If you have some free scrapbooking ideas, you can actually just get on with the stage of making the scrapbook itself. This saves you a lot of effort, especially if you are the type of person who changes his or her mind constantly.

3) You save time - by availing of free scrapbooking ideas, you can actually skip the whole thinking process and just start getting creative. This advantage is ideal in a world where time equals money and money equals survival.

Disadvantages:

1) Lack of individuality - By availing of free scrapbooking ideas, your scrapbook will lack a certain quality of your personality. By availing of another's idea, you rob yourself of the fulfillment that comes with creating a scrapbook straight from your head.

2) No guarantees of satisfaction - By availing of a free scrapbooking idea, you really have no guarantee that you will be satisfied with the final outcome. Although there really are no guarantees about how a creation will turn out, having your own idea means you know the details as to how to make slight changes to your satisfaction. Remember that knowing more about something can help you succeed in perfecting it.

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Scrapbooking Materials

2008-09-22T21:30:00.001-07:00

Scrapbooking Materials: Know What to Buy

Originally, it was quite hard to find suppliers and retail stores that would sell you scrapbooking materials. But with enthusiasts settling their own local scrapbooking stores and with online vendors that would sell you everything and anything in between, the hard part becomes the choosing.

Many beginners find it confusing to choose the basic materials once they get into the store. This is of course due to the fact that there simply are too many choices. Add to it the excitement of seeing various colors and designs, samples and layouts and concepts and ideas that will overpower your initial choice of materials.

This is a common mistake. However it must be understood that for beginners, there are only several things that you must buy. In fact, you need not buy them all at once. It is best to check several pieces and test the grounds if scrapbooking lifestyle would work for you.

Planning what must be bought and what must be reserved for other days usually work well when shopping for scrapbooking materials. Many times, the beginner's excitement plus the array of overwhelming choices without enough knowledge on them overshadow a scraper's best judgement in the selection of materials. And later, this would be dealt with regret.

Even veterans fall into this common mistake. And many of us, at one time or another have found ourselves in situations when we were faced with a good sale. We might not need the stuff for the present or might not use them at all yet the urge to buy is harder than our willingness to subdue the impulse.

To help lessen this possibility, it is best to have a definite plan of what materials to buy. In this article, we will tackle about the major scrapbooking material that will prove useful even to the end of your activity.

Album
The most important scrapbooking material and the one that completes the stuff is the album. For album alone, you may already find hundreds of various designs, formats and sizes that would lead you to deciding which would best fit you. We would not discuss the many types of albums here, we'll just provide an overview for some of the basic choices.

Conventional albums appear in 8½×11" or 12"×12" pages. However, smaller albums have become more popular with the integration of newer scrapbooking formats. Other smaller sizes appear in 6"×6" to 8"×8".

Page protectors
The main function that page protectors serve is to help lessen the susceptibility of your photos, memorabilia and the pages, as a whole to damages and tears. And the added value of holding them inn place to avoid stick-on from falling out. There are basically two choices when it comes to protectors; a) clear protectors that let you retain the normal hues of the layout and, b) non-glare protectors that appeal easier to the onlookers.

Paper
Many scrappers turn to papers when it comes to adding designs and choosing the background of their layouts. Patterned papers are among the main choices. For background, however, it is best to use papers with subtle colors so as to help focus the eye's attention on the photos rather than on the background.

Cardstock
A staple in the scrapbooking world, cardstocks are more like cardboards than papers. These are effective in securing the foundations when placing memorabilia, embellishments and photos.

Adhesives
Well these materials simply hold everything together. These are widely available but be careful in choosing one though. Always look for acid-free adhesives and make sure that they are photo-safe. If they are not, they are most likely to cause oxidation of the pictures, the condition when the colors of the paper, photos and other similar stuffs fade.

Paper cutter
This material normally completes scrapbooking as they tend to add the finishing touches. Many scrappers find it hard to keep away from overdecoration., this normally is the case when using paper cutters and especially true with cutting pictures. Tip: It is always nice to keep the edges of photos straight. Reserve the use of paper cutters with papers alone.

Scissors
A definite must-have. Scissors greatly help in manipulating further the designs and additions into the scrapbook. They help transform objects such as fibers, ribbons and fabrics into manageable size that will coordinate with the design you have.

Rulers
Precision, that the rule. Obviously, this material will save time when it comes to drawing clean, straight lines.

There are many other scrapbooking materials that you will find useful. Among them are the following: vellum, exacto knife, self-healing cutting mat, white plastic eraser, glue eraser, lettering and fonts, black pens, colored pens or pencils, grease pencil, photo corners and tote.

Tips on Princess Scrapbooking

2008-09-19T21:30:00.001-07:00

Are you the type who enjoys reading stories about princesses and their adventures? Perhaps you are the type who can relate to the image of the princess in the tower, waiting for a prince to rescue her? Maybe, you can relate yourself to warrior princesses and imagine yourself as the heroine of an epic.

Well then, that would explain your inclination for princess scrapbooking. Perhaps you are a parent, wanting to create a princess scrapbook for your daughter. We all know how much little girls love to identify themselves with princesses.

You may have grown into adulthood and you may have forgotten about being a princess because of the complexities of life, but hey, isn't the dream of being a princess still within you? You know that hidden within the scars created by reality, the heart that beats within you remains that of a princess.

Princess scrapbooking is one way of showing the world that part of you that deserves to be treated like a princess. But what inspiration should you use for princess scrapbooking?

Here are some tips for you:

1) In princess scrapbooking, you should try to choose a princess that fits your personality. You can't just pick an inspiration because of the color of their dress. You should choose someone that fits your ideals.

This way, you actually incorporate someone who you can relate to. When basing your scrapbooking on Princesses, you should be able to relate to other people about the reason why you chose a particular princess.

2) The first tip leads to this next tip. When princess scrapbooking, you should do some research about the particular character you intend to use. You see, many people tend to create scrapbooks based on popular figures only to find out that the figure contradicted a crucial part of their personality.

How do you research on fictional characters? You see, fictional princesses often have some background information which not many people know about. Yes, fictional characters have something more to them than what the general public can see. One tip is looking up the "canonical" traits of a character. This means looking up the "official" portrayals of the character. Whenever a writer comes up with a new character, he or she creates a whole life for that character. This is so when that character is re-used, nothing the character does will contradict what the original writer planned.

3) Balance is very important. Overdoing your use of a princess on scrapbooking can actually take the focus away from the contents of the scrapbook itself. You do not want to distract the reader from the contents of the scrapbook in order to promote the princess. Remember that large companies already make billions of dollars because of fictional characters. You don't really want to be giving them the attention you deserve for creating the scrapbook.

4) Princess scrapbooking also needs creativity. Although you already have the general theme taken care of, it is still up to you to make it work. Remember that on a scrapbook, all the little details matter. Adding other elements to your scrapbook is a must and will help you balance out if the scrapbook turns out to be "too princess-y."

5) Princess scrapbooking also involves interpretations. Remember that vague symbols can be interpreted in a thousand different ways, depending on the beholder. You need to make sure that your message comes across and not any others. If it helps, you should make sure that you do not use any themes or characters that could be very offensive to other people.

6) Symbols are just that: symbols. If you happen to choose a princess that offends someone, remind yourself that the scrapbook you made means something to you. You should not let any interpretations by "experts" confuse you into thinking you did something wrong. It is, after all, your experiences that are being chronicled in princess scrapbooking. This means that the focus should be in your life and not on the symbolic interpretations of your scrapbook.

There you go: those are just some of the tips you can use on princess scrapbooking. In order to get more information, you should try to do a little research on the internet. In princess scrapbooking, you only need to remember one thing: Have fun!

Scrapbooking Tassles

2008-09-16T13:05:00.000-07:00

Scrapbook is an essential haven for timeless memories. It can record your family history, celebrations and other gatherings. It is sometimes accompanied with journalizing. Through the same, additional memories will be recollected. A scrapbook can last a lifetime if you know what materials to use and what not to.

Parents often resort to scrap booking when they wanted to personalize their photos. Aside from that, scrap booking is also resorted by parents to keep the artworks, cards, letters and other vital stuffs that their children are giving them. Hence, they preserve the memories and materials without getting overwhelmed. With a scrapbook around, you can do away with memorabilia boxes and other hefty packages.

If you are not busy on a weekend, why not create a scrapbook with your children. Doing an activity like the one mentioned will make you closer to them. Aside from that, you are also honing their creativity and art potentials.

Here are the steps to do a scrapbook of your children’s keepsakes:

1. Create a reduced version of the keepsakes. Paste them on a textured paper or thin mat.
2. Use ribbons, tassles, paper clips, dried flowers, clippings and other tiny objects to embellish the album.
3. Also paste a small piece of paper beside the keepsakes and make a short note to describe them. You can also make a message board for your children to write on.
4. Cut out some letters to be used for the title of the scrapbook. After that you can show the scrapbook to the entire family and reminisce the past.

Scrap booking is not only entertaining and fun to do but also worthy and advantageous. Individuals who are exposing themselves to scrap booking are honing their artistic capabilities. In fact, their works spell sophisticated scrap booking.
Sophisticated scrap booking is doing the thing with elegance, superiority and cleverness. From color combinations, to design, layout and embellishments – everything must complement and blend.

How do you go about sophisticated scrap booking?

1. Pick materials with classic colors. Examples of which are sepia, black, white, red and navy.
2. Pile or overlap papers to draw an impact and to make elements interact.
3. Use straight lines rather than curves and circles. Straight lines make clean and classic aura. If your scrapbook appears too rigid or linear, soften the lines or make a torn edge.
4. Select photos that will blend naturally with the colors, material and feel of your scrapbook.
5. Shallow dimensions are preferred. Use embellishments that are not that bulky. Moreover, you can use charms, alphabet tiles, foam tape, laces and tassles to emphasize dimension. Nonetheless, do not overdo it so as to distract the photos.
6. If the photos have theme or motif, be sure to dress your scrapbook according to the latter.
The theme, color and embellishments must add to the beauty of the scrapbook not the contrary.
Speaking of embellishments, one of the most preferred embellishments that artists use is tassles. Tassles are ornaments consist of loose threads, embroidery floss, yarns, straw, raffia or cords. They are not only best for scrap booking but for knitting projects, scarves, bookmarks, pillows, draperies and afghans as well. You can find tassles ubiquitously. Nonetheless, if you desire to do it personally, tassle-making is pretty much easy.

Here are the simple steps in making tassles:

1. Cut a piece of cardboard based on the size of tassle you want to have.
2. Wrap a piece of yarn (or any of your desired material) around the cardboard. Cut the yarn at the untied end.
3. Wrap the long piece of yarn around the tassle. If you are satisfied with the look and style, insert its end (through a needle) to anchor said tassle.
4. Trim excess ends to give the tassle a clean look.

Now, you have your own version of tassle. You can use it in any art project you have including scrap booking. Just bear in mind that scrap booking represents the individual personality of the creators. Nonetheless, if you want your own version of several things – you can. You can bend the rules. You can even break them. Its all our bringing out the bet of you and the best of what your personality can give - your piece of idiosyncrasy!

Of course, if you REALLY want to make a profit with scrapbooking, more specific tips and techniques are included in my e-book, "How To Make Money Scrapbooking" - available for a limited time at:http://www.craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking

Scrapbooking: Weaving Photos

2008-02-02T01:18:00.000-08:00

For more dramatic results from your photographs, trying weaving two copies
of the same photograph together.

This technique creates a three-dimensional artist look. This technique would
look great on a scrapbook for a graduating art student or a scrapbook for a
friend who is quite artist and creative.

This technique might also look good on a child's scrapbook with a kid's art
background giving the whole page an abstract look.

To achieve this technique, first you need two copies of the same photo.

On one photograph, draw evenly spaced vertical lines on the back of the
picture. Cut along these lines with scissors or an exacto knife.

On the other photograph draw and cut along evenly spaced horizontal lines.

Next, using alternate strips, from photograph one and then photograph two,
weave the pieces together.

To preserve the rectangular shape of the photographs, start your weaving in
the center of the piece and work outwards.

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Scrapbooking" and get started! Available at a low price for a limited time
at:

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Free Scrapbooking Software

2008-01-31T17:59:00.000-08:00

Free Scrapbooking Software: A Guide to a basic Scrapbook

A lot of free scrapbooking software is widely available for download from the Internet. You simply have to surf for those free downloadable software and presto! You can enjoy creating the layouts for your scrapbook.

There is what we call the basic scrapbook. But don't however mistake it for something which is plain and ordinary for it is not at all what you think. A basic scrapbook is not meant for novices or the inexperienced. It is not also an album that misses out too much creativity or content that must be covered by the album. So what are they? You might be wondering.

When we say basic scrapbooks, we mean to say that it is an album which is generally smaller and which is much manageable. If you do want to keep track of the "non-event" occurrences in your life such as hopes, relationships, dreams, fantasies, beliefs, and family traditions, you can go for basic scrapbooks. Overall, basic scrapbooks do away with the very traditional thing of keeping all your photos in an album.

Elements of the Basic Scrapbook

In reality, there are five elements comprising the successful venture to a basic scrapbook. They are the framework, format, finished, fast, and freedom. Let us discuss them one by one so that you will get a grasp of its entire idea.

The Framework

Almost every little thing that we start with needs a framework or an outline. It is the overall guide structure that will let us have an overview of the finished product. In a basic scrapbook, the framework plays an utmost role. The framework is chiefly composed of the group of pages which includes the table of contents and title pages. These pages on the whole provide the structure for the output. As a basic, the framework must be first completed so that you will know the sections of the album which you need to comply with.

The pages that make up the framework are the title page, the introduction or dedication page, the table of contents page, the section pages, the filler pages, the closing page, and the materials to be put on file.

The Format

There should be a format that must be desired for in a scrapbook. The format comprises the physical attributes which must be borne by the album itself. Among the considerations in the format are the size of the scrapbook, the organization of all of the contents, the design to be employed which includes the colors and materials to be used, the arrangement of the elements, and many more. Such scheme to be followed in the elements of the design allows the continuity of the flow of thought all throughout the album.

The Finished

When you plan to start on something, make sure that you will be able to finish it. Do not simply go on with a project and later on abandon it. It is not a good practice at all. When we talk about basic scrapbooks, we know for a fact that it is an album which can be finished in due time. The advantage that you can lean on is that a basic scrapbook has a framework so you know exactly what to work with. Overall, scrapbooking is an enjoyable experience. So, savor it!

It is Fast

Generally, a basic scrapbook is easy and hassle-free. Therefore, it is fast to finish! As soon as you've thought of the format and design to employ for your album, you are now ready to start and finish it all the way down. You just simply have to place your pictures where they should be!

There is Freedom

One of the most thrilling elements of the basic scrapbook is that is allows you to express yourself. It gives you freedom to explore what you have in mind, what you want to create, and how you want them to look in the end. With basic scrapbooks, you know that you will be able to come up with something that satifies your taste when it comes to style and trend.

So are you ready? Then go and get the free scrapbooking software that comes your way! After all, it is all fun and easy!

More fantastic tips like this are included with my e-book, "How To Make
Mo~ney Scrapbooking" and get started! Available at a low price for a limited
time at:

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Protect Scrapbooking Pages

2008-01-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

G`day
For 3 weeks now I've been posting truly great tips on starting and promoting your scrapbooking business. Have they been valuable to you?

They haven't cost you a thing. Yet they could literally have made you hundreds of dollars at least if you applied them.
Now, what if you had my e-book, ""How To Make Money Scrapbooking" that goes into even more detail? Wouldn't you have a powerful advantage over your competitors?

What if you had my 12 bonus reports on how to market like a pro?

What if you had the other bonus that comes with it: "101 Scrapbooking Ideas?"

Or the other bonus ... the "Scrapbooking Sketch Pad" for working out your layout ideas BEFORE you do them.

And if you already have the course, then good for you. But if you don't, what are you waiting for? Simply go here now to grab your copy:
http://www.craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking

------------------------------------------

Back to more quick tips:
You put a great deal of time, thought, and effort into your scrapbook pages. Therefore, you should try to protect and preserve your work.

The most important way to protect your pages is by using lignin free and acid free products. Lignin free and acid free protects will reduce yellowing and crumbling.
Also, use colored paper or ink that is resistant to fading due to age, exposure to light, heat, and other unfavorable conditions.

To protect your page from the outside world, use Mylar or page protectors. Special page protectors for three- dimensional pages are also available at most craft stores.
These protection pages not only protect your objects but also reduce indentations caused by three-dimensional objects.

Of course, if you REALLY want to make a profit with scrapbooking, more specific tips and techniques are included in my e-book, "How To Make Money Scrapbooking" - available for a limited time at:
http://www.craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking

Scrapbooking Paper

2008-01-27T18:13:00.000-08:00

If there were one common denominator aside from their passion to scrapbooking, you would immediately know that theirs is the weakness on papers. From patterned and plain papers to unique cardstocks, we normally make use of the logic "buy the paper now and the inspiration will come after". And for the moment, your scrapbooking will lay scrap by scrap or page by page, waiting to be used.

If you don't have a photographic memory (which most of us don't have) it is best that you store you scrapbooking papers in more organized manners. Or else, you might find yourself lost with "out of sight, outs of mind" brain. You might already have a huge collection of paper stacks but not knowing it. A waste of an investment. And besides, it is always a good practice to get organized to really know what your resources are.

We can't forever buy papers and store them in disarray. And buy another set and go on with that same process. Somehow, clutter must stop.
We cannot exactly provide you with strict guidelines of storage. In scrapbooking, so long as the methods fits you, it will work. Let's move out from the box and do our own things in our own ways.

We have covered some general techniques here, which you may apply. Only you have to fill in the gaps if you require some modifications.
Most scrappers find it hard to know their organizing style. In general, you have two options. One, that is horizontal stacking and the other, vertical. It ill always be your preference to choose. There is no best way for everyone and you can do whatever fits your case.
Most stores keep their papers in horizontal stacking, either by racks or by shelves. This is largely because they are equipped with much space to work with. Unfortunately, most of us don't have that enough space so the best solution would be to furnish snap top cases for better organization. Not only are these cases great for paper stacking, they also work well for storing other scrapbooking materials that you normally or presently use.

If you have no other option but to store your papers in horizontal formats, you may always try using vertical solutions. Storing papers vertically works best for cardstocks and for papers that you often use. Storage papers for vertical positioning normally comes with dividers, thus the capacity to store multiple files all at the same place. Just be reminded though that this method will require you tall shelves.
Second, you must know what kind of scrapbooker are you when it comes to shopping papers. There are again, two types. One, the organized people and the other are those that adhere with any-thing-goes principles.

The organized group are those buyers ho take time to bring with them photos and memorabilias as reference for when buying. They browse aisles by aisle and choose specific types of papers according to their immediate needs, matching their choices with the materials that they have.
And these people will most likely gather sample die cuts and embellishments and stick-ons for each planned page. Thus, they tend to choose the right pieces together for their possible layouts. At the end, they will collect other stiffs that will match their themes.

The unorganized group though is the exact opposite. They arrive at the store with hardly an idea to focus to. They would grab random kinds of scrapbooking papers depending on what catches their eye. While tossing cool and pretty papers, they would soon realize that the cardstocks at the next eye "might" be of future use. Lastly, they'll run to the register and the whole thing is over. Once they start the project, they'll soon discover that several things are missing.

The second attitude is easier to do, however you must learn to accept the risks. The first one obviously will require you to plan prior to shopping but will create lesser chances of committing mistakes. If you are dealing with scrapbooking papers, it will always prove best to choose the latter one.

Organization of papers will require you to pay attention to details. The more chaotic your files get, the more attention you will have to invest. It is far less time consuming in the end to start organizing stuffs and keep things that way than to organize and reorganize over and over again. Besides, when your papers are arranged, you would have better pictures of what are available to you and you will be able to work on them better.

More fantastic tips like this are included with my e-book, "How To Make Money Scrapbooking" and get started!Available at a low price for a limited time at:http://www.craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking/

Fraying

2008-01-23T04:31:00.000-08:00

Fraying can create extremely interesting and artist border accents. Fraying looks especially good in children's scrapbooks, as well as pages for your more creative and imaginative friends.

Be careful, fraying does not comply well with all themes. In some more formal themes fraying creates an unprofessional appearance.Just cut your paper border about an inch larger than you need.

Then, dampen this border by dipping only the edges of the paper into a shallow dish of water. Then, the edges of the paper can then be easily pulled off.

More fantastic tips like this are included with my e-book, "How To Make Mo~ney Scrapbooking" and get started!
Available at a low price for a limited time at:

http://www.craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking/

Cheers,
Craig

SCRAPBOOKING

2008-01-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

SCRAPBOOKING BUSINESS TIP:

Hi ,

Stickers are fun and easy to stick to scrapbook pages. Stickers can be used
for captions, thought bubbles, to hide mistakes, or as embellishments.

Stickers of your child's favorite cartoon or television program can add a
personal accent to your scrapbook page.

However, not all stickers are suitable for scrapbooking.

Check to see if the stickers are lignin free and acid free. Furthermore, be
careful that the sticker adhesive does not dry out or seep around the edges.

Never place a sticker on a photograph as the adhesive may cause irreversible
damage to the photograph.

More killer tips are included with my e-book, "How To Make Mo~ney
Scrapbooking" and get started! Available at a low price for a limited time
at:

http://www.craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking/

Quilling

2008-01-13T04:09:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of quilling? It's an amazing art.

Well now virtually anyone can do it because the "how's" and "why's" have
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Have you seen this scrapbooking idea?

2008-01-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

**Urgent Scrapbooking News**

I had to let you know about this as quickly as possible. As you know I don't
normally mail you about these things.

But I know you're a scrapbooking fan, and I've just come across something by
M. Johnston that makes scrapbooking easier than ever before.

Trouble is, I don't know how much longer it's going to be available at this
low price . So you'll need to act quickly.

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This course makes scrapbooking easy. In fact, here's just some of what
you'll discover:

* The five scrapbook binding styles - and how to choose the best one for
your project

* How to design your own cover and binding - and create a truly original
scrapbook!

* 11 great scrapbook themes - these classic themes are sure to inspire and
motivate you

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If you're a scrapbooking beginner, you'll get the complete lowdown on
everything from:

* Getting Started

* Developing a Theme

* Buying Supplies

* Storing your supplies

* Practicing

* Selecting paper

* Layout and Design

* Preparing Photos

* Matting Photos

* Decorating Pages

And much, much more!

In fact, here's what else you'll discover:

* How to choose the right background color, complimentary/contrasting color
and accent color - being able to do this is essential to creating beautiful
scrapbooks

* What you should always do before buying any glue or adhesive product -
this tip could save you from a lot of frustration later on

Anyway, there's a ton of info that I know you'll love. But don't take my
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Scrapbooking Techniques

2008-01-08T04:11:00.000-08:00

Hi,

For more dramatic results from your photographs, trying weaving two copies
of the same photograph together.

This technique creates a three-dimensional artist look. This technique
would look great on a scrapbook for a graduating art student or a scrapbook
for a friend who is quite artist and creative.

This technique might also look good on a child's scrapbook with a kid's art
background giving the whole page an abstract look.

To achieve this technique, first you need two copies of the same photo.

On one photograph, draw evenly spaced vertical lines on the back of the
picture. Cut along these lines with scissors or an exacto knife.

On the other photograph draw and cut along evenly spaced horizontal lines.

Next, using alternate strips, from photograph one and then photograph two,
weave the pieces together.

To preserve the rectangular shape of the photographs, start your weaving in
the center of the piece and work outwards.

[Scrapbooking]-Part 4 of your e-course

2008-01-03T16:00:00.001-08:00

Hello,

Thank you for subscribing to my
scrapbooks ecourse! In this ecourse
you'll learn all about:

1. Part 1 - How to prepare for your
scrapbook.
2. Part 2 - Organizing your photos.
3. Part 3 - Cropping your photos.
4. Part 4 - Creating your first page.
5. Part 5 - Adding your embellishments.

Let's go ahead & get started today with
"Creating your first page".

Part 4 - Creating your first page
============================
Your first page will also be known as
your introduction page. It is the
beginning of your story. This is the
page where your title should be placed.
You can also display a large photo of
the subject here. In this chapter you
will learn how to place your photos onto
the cardstock, as well as some other
tips.

• To start, you will need to think of a
title. It could be as simple as, Our
Wedding Day. You can also think of a
personal title, such as, The Day I
Married My Best Friend. This page
should contain the subject or subjects
and some information about them. The
journaling around the page can tell a
story about the scrapbook if it is an
all occasion's album. If the scrapbook
is about one person this page should
tell us the name, birthday, and other
important facts.

• The title should be stenciled in
pencil first, and aligned with a ruler.
Remember, after you are done stenciling,
clear away any residue left from your
pencil.

• You may want to choose different
styles to write the title. It depends
on what technique would go with the
page. The title can be in sticker
lettering or handwritten without the use
of the ruler. Don't stress on trying to
get it perfect every time. Add your own
style and design to achieve a personal
touch.

• You can use left over background
scraps for title letters. Trace the
letters onto the scraps from a stencil
and cut with scissors or decorative
shears. This will eliminate spending
money on extra paper.

• Next, you will place the pictures in
the order you want them to be viewed.
This will be the layout you want the eye
to follow. Try to be creative and give
each page a different type of layout.
You can construct several designs for
the layouts.

• For a basic layout, many scrapbookers
use a "Z" format. This means the flow
of the page follows the letter Z.

Next time we'll be discussing alittle
about "Adding your embellishments".

For more information about this part of
Creating your first page, please refer
to my definitive guide to scrapbooking
at

http://craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking

Take Care,
Craig McPherson
http://craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking

If you wish to cancel your
subscription, simply click once on the
link below.
http://craigmcpherson.info/friends/unsubscribe.php?id=c37a21223db1cda645af1264df751f7f

[Scrapbooking]-Part 3 of your e-course

2008-01-01T16:00:00.001-08:00

Hello,

Thank you for subscribing to my
scrapbooks ecourse! In this ecourse
you'll learn all about:

1. Part 1 - How to prepare for your
scrapbook.
2. Part 2 - Organizing your photos.
3. Part 3 - Cropping your photos.
4. Part 4 - Creating your first page.
5. Part 5 - Adding your embellishments.

Let's go ahead & get started today with
"Cropping your photos".

Part 3 - Cropping your photos
============================
Cropping is simply cutting away the
distracting elements in your photos.
There are several techniques to achieve
this look. Listed below are some tips
to do so.

• Some of your photos you may want to
use can have distracting backgrounds.
You will need to crop out the elements
that take the attention away from your
subject.

• Some pictures may contain backgrounds
of personal meaning. Look over your
photos carefully before you crop them.
Perhaps the photo contained a home where
you grew up or a landmark from your
childhood. You may want to leave these
in your photo for your memories.
• The quickest and easiest way to crop
photo is to use a straight edge. You
can accomplish this by using a ruler,
pencil and scissors. After you are done
tracing the line with your pencil, be
sure to clear off any residue left
behind. You do not want to harm your
photos in any way. If your budget
allows, you can purchase a small paper
cutter. This technique is the safest
crop to use. If you use different
shapes to crop photos, you may regret it
later. Too many shapes can often make a
page look busy and cluttered.

• Another way to save time and money is
to over lap your photos. This can also
add different styles to your pages.

• To add a little creativeness to your
scrapbook you can crop your pages with
decorative sheers. Cropping your
cardstock with the same sheers will give
the photo a defined space on your page.

• To add a different touch to your page
you can get color copies made of your
photos. Then crop the photos in a
variety of sizes and styles. It does
not have to be perfectly cropped; you
can do this free hand with ordinary
scissors.

• If you have a photo and want to
display several elements you can make
copies of the photo and crop them
different ways. This technique is good
to use if there are several persons in
the photo or to capture a landmark in
the background.

• To make a silhouette, crop close to
your subject in your photo. Adding
black or another dark color of cardstock
will help with this design. You can use
the dark color cardstock to accentuate a
black and white photo.

Next time we'll be discussing alittle
about "Creating your first page".

For more information about this part of
Cropping your photos, please refer to my
definitive guide to scrapbooking at

http://craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking

Take Care,
Craig McPherson
http://craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking

If you wish to cancel your
subscription, simply click once on the
link below.
http://craigmcpherson.info/friends/unsubscribe.php?id=c37a21223db1cda645af1264df751f7f

[Scrapbooking]-Part 2 of your e-course

2007-12-30T16:00:00.001-08:00

Hello,

Thank you for subscribing to my
scrapbooks ecourse! In this ecourse
you'll learn all about:

1. Part 1 - How to prepare for your
scrapbook.
2. Part 2 - Organizing your photos.
3. Part 3 - Cropping your photos
4. Part 4 - Creating your first page.
5. Part 5 - Adding your embellishments.

Let's go ahead & get started today with
"Organizing your photos".

Part 2 - Organizing your photos
============================
The biggest challenge to starting your
scrapbook is organizing your photos.
This may seem overwhelming to many, but
can be done in a minimal amount of time
using these helpful tips.

• First, start in an open area of your
home to allow space for several piles of
photos. Preferably a part of your home
that is not a common meeting area, such
as a spare bedroom or office.

• Next, discard of any photos that are
out of focus or damaged. You will also
want to place Polaroid pictures in a
separate pile. You do not want these
pictures to leak onto your good photos.
Polaroid pictures may contain a certain
acid that will permanently damage your
photos. Save any copies of photos you
may want to use in your scrapbook.
Copies will come in handy if you make a
mistake and need to replace a photo.
You may also want to use them in another
scrapbook.

• Start putting photos into piles by
chronological order. This task does not
have to be exact. You may start with
photos from certain decades, such as,
70's, 80's, etc. You can also organize
them through the years, for example,
early eighties, mid eighties, and late
eighties. If you are making a scrapbook
for your child, it would be best to
start from birth to present. If you are
creating a scrapbook with a holiday
theme, then start with the holiday
closest to the beginning of the year.

• Now you can organize the piles into
different events or special moments.
This could include; birthdays,
graduations, sporting events, and
vacations. Create a system that works
well for you.

• For a wedding album you should
organize the photos of each partner from
childhood to adult. Adding pictures of
the couple together in a separate pile.
If the couple has children from a
previous marriage you would place their
photos in a separate pile as well.

• If you are creating a family tree
scrapbook start with each side of the
family members relatives. Sometimes it
is easier to start with the most current
members of the family. This would could
be grandchildren or great-grand children
and then work backwards from there.

Next time we'll be discussing alittle
about "Cropping your photos".

For more information about this part of
Organizing your photos, please refer to
my definitive guide to scrapbooking at

http://craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking

Take Care,
Craig McPherson
http://craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking

If you wish to cancel your
subscription, simply click once on the
link below.
http://craigmcpherson.info/friends/unsubscribe.php?id=c37a21223db1cda645af1264df751f7f

[Scrapbooking]-Here's how you go about creating beautiful scrapbooks with little effort ...

2007-12-28T10:51:00.001-08:00

Hello,

Thank you for subscribing to my scrapbooks ecourse! In this ecourse you'll learn all about:

1. Part 1 - How to prepare for your
scrapbook.
2. Part 2 - Organizing your photos.
3. Part 3 - Cropping your photos
4. Part 4 - Creating your first page.
5. Part 5 - Adding your embellishments.

Let's go ahead & get started today with
"How to prepare for your scrapbook".

Part 1 - How to prepare for your scrapbook
============================
Creating your first scrapbook can seem very overwhelming; however, with these helpful tips it can become a very rewarding experience. When you decide to start on your scrapbook you will have to ask yourself a few questions.

• What is the purpose of this album? For who or what am I creating this for?

• How will I choose the size and style of the album that is the easiest for me to create my scrapbook?

• What are the basic supplies I will need to complete my album?

• How many photos will I need to fill my album? Do I have copies available of the photos I am going to use?

• What is the easiest and least expensive way to design a theme for my
album?

• How much time will I have to spend on my scrapbook? What shortcuts can I take to save time and money?

Deciding on the album that is right for you is the first step towards preserving your memories. Albums come in many sizes, themes, and styles. The most common size albums are 12x12 and 9x9.
If you feel the larger albums would be time consuming you can chose an 8x10 scrapbook. This would be a good selection if you feel you will not have enough photos to display in a 12x12
album. Many people prefer the 12x12 album, due to the fact that many stores carry ready to make pages is this size.

There is also a 6x6 album that is perfect for a brag book. This size is convenient to take with you to display outside of the home.

Once the album size is decided, you can choose the type of album that will best suit your individual needs. There are many styles to choose from. Popular albums for many first time scrapbookers are themed albums. They come in several different options. The albums could be
portrait themed, baby books, ABC albums, or wedding albums. You can choose an
album for any theme you are creating a scrapbook for.

You will also need to decide on the style of album you would like to work with. There are three main types.

Next time we'll be discussing a little about "Organizing your photos".

For more information about this part of How to prepare for your scrapbook, please refer to my definitive guide to scrapbooking at
http://craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking

Take Care,
Craig McPherson
http://craigmcpherson.info/scrapbooking

Different Scrapbooking Tools You Need

2007-12-28T00:08:00.000-08:00

Scrapbooking can be a very challenging task for the beginner. For one thing, you need creativity in order to create a beautiful work of art. You also need to think up a distinct theme which forms the backbone of the scrapbook. The items you put inside the scrapbook should also be arranged in such a manner that their significance is unmistakable. With all these complexities, many people would be hard-pressed to complete a scrapbook without the proper tools.

So what tools would you actually need to put a scrapbook together?

1) Scissors – Everyone knows what scissors are, right? Well, here is a metaphor for the scissors in scrapbooking. Scissors are like bringers of order. Scissors shape the little bits of paper into forms that you can use in your scrapbook. This scrapbooking tool is very important in making pieces fit together. Some people may refuse to cut the pieces of paper, but only through this, can the scrapbook be completed.

In that sense, a pair of scissors can symbolize the truth. Why, you ask? Well, the truth hurts. But it has to hurt, doesn’t it? It has to hurt if it is to set you free.

There are two distinctive types of scissors you can use as scrapbooking tools:

a) Conventional paper-cutting scissors – These scissors are made to cut and to cut straight. This is the type of scissors people encounter from the very beginning of their childhood. You need to be able to trust your scissors to cut straight, because it just looks ugly if you unintentionally use dull scissors and mess up the cut of the paper.

b) Crafting scissors – This type of scissors can be bought at different art supply shops. These scissors are distinctively shaped in order to produce different types of cuts. Using this scrapbooking tool can be a whole lot more convenient than trying to follow a pattern using straight-cutting scissors. You see, using conventional scissors can give you carpal tunnel because of the stress your fingers will be taking. And that’s not good at all, is it?

2) Puncher – This nifty scrapbooking tool is used mainly to punch holes into paper. There are, once again, two types of punchers available out there:

a) Conventional – This type of puncher produces round holes. Funnily enough, this type of puncher was not designed as a scrapbooking tool, but as an office supply. For those of today’s generation, files are known as the thing you keep documents in your computer. However, for other people, files consist of important papers and documents which are organized together. Punchers were used to put holes into those documents in order to accommodate a fastener.

However, punchers are now used today to make perfect circles on scrapbooking pages.
b) Shaped – This type of puncher, pretty much works in the same manner as the conventional puncher. However, the edges of the punching mechanism take different shapes in order to accommodate your crafting needs. This scrapbooking tool is used to make different shaped holes in the pages of the scrapbook.

3) Tweezers – Tweezers are often used as scrapbooking tools in order to enable the crafter to put in a design or to glue in a bit of paper neatly. You see, when making a scrapbook, you will be working with different materials together with a lot of glue. Because of this, there is a high risk of you smudging the different pictures of the scrapbook. Tweezers are excellent scrapbooking tools to maintain the cleanliness of your handiwork.

4) Computer – This can be an excellent scrapbooking tool because of the fact that it can do a variety of things. On the computer, you can do research on what scrapbooking theme to use. This means you are given more resources on the varieties of different themes and the ways you can incorporate them in your scrapbook. You can also use the computer to get more images to put in your scrapbook. By using the computer, you get all the advantage of modern technology and can therefore, make your scrapbook into anything you like.

Scrapbooking tools allow people to have an easier time crafting their handiwork. However, you should remember that sometimes. Mistakes actually make a scrapbook more personal. Mistakes show the human side of you. Like the memories you show on a scrapbook, the making of it should not necessarily be perfect, but it should be fun.

Digital Scrapbooking: Is it for you?

2007-12-25T16:19:00.000-08:00

Digital artwork is making its way into the everyday now; so as the digital scrapbook. For sure, we have certain understanding about digital art, but what about digital scrapbooking? Is it the same with digital art?

The two are similar and different in many ways but we are not here to discuss deeply their differences and similarities. We are here to focus on the digital scrapbooking as an alternative to the traditional scrapbook making.

Traditional scrapbooks are make by hand with several materials such as papers, pens, letter cut outs, adhesives, and other embellishments you can think of. The main principle is; to create a wonderfully decorated page that would give better meaning on the message you want to address. Digital scrapbooking works on the same principle too. You create unique page with decorations to enhance the meaning of the massage you want to address.

What sets the two apart is the method of achieving this principle. As mentioned, traditional scrapbooking uses material such as papers, pens, letter cut outs, adhesives, and other embellishments. Digital scrapbooking on the other hand uses computer graphics that replaces these traditional materials. You may say it is harder to work on the page design on the computer than on the actual page (traditional scrapbook). But, to be honest, it is almost the same.

Take the following for example:

The traditional scrapbook will work on a background or layout (sometimes called a template), pictures, texts, and embellishments. The process goes like this: you place the pictures on the background, place some embellishments of your type, and write some texts.

The digital scrapbook will work on software with all the available digital embellishments and texts. You have scanned pictures to be placed on a chosen background. Put some texts and add more design. Then, with some more editing on the colors and borders, you have created a scrapbook page.

(Speaking of software. There are several software that would let you create digital scrapbooks. These are Microsoft® Digital Image Pro, Photoshop® Elements or Adobe® Photoshop®, Ulead PhotoImpact®, or Jasc Paint Shop Pro®, to name a few.)

Oftentimes, it is much easier to create a digital scrapbook than a traditional one. This is because software that lets you create digital scrapbook with ready to use templates for texts and backgrounds, not to mention the editing tools you need. These features make it easier to create one unique page. Downloadable templates are readily available over the internet to widen up your choices on text, embellishments, and background. This is unlike traditional scrapbook that every thing is yours to make; from the background to the cutting of the decoration.

To further illustrate how does a digital page is created, here are the steps to follow:

· Create a new image from a blank canvas

· Define the size of the page you will use.

· Enter the settings you want to adapt.

· Add the photo

Photos determine the color scheme of the layout, therefore, you may want to see first what picture will you going to use before determining the mat of the canvas.

To add a photo, you must first save one on a file. You can either scan pictures or take them from your digital cameras.

· Create the background

Now that you have a determined canvas and photo, it is time for you to select your background. Here, the choices are endless. You can download images from the internet or use your photos to be the background itself. You can edit the texture of the background to match the theme you want to achieve.

· Create the photo mat

Photo mats let the background and the photo meet on a certain point.

· Add the text and embellishments

Ready made texts and embellishments are one good feature of digital scrapbooking software. This helps you to put important touches fast and easy.

· Apply some finishing touches

Final editing is as important as placing everything in order. Make use of built in features such as shadows, emboss, effects, and others. This would help your page look more attractive as it highlights whatever you want to be highlighted.