A Scrapbooker’s Guide: Organizing your Tools and Workspace (E-Book)

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Article courtesy by Alexis Kenne

Scrapbooking may very well be one of the most creative hobbies that there is. Some people do it as a hobby while others only do it when they have extra pictures to put together. A scrapbook says so much more than a regular album.

With a scrapbook, you can add designs, memorabilia, and quotes that will help your pictures to come to life. There is not a better way to capture those cherished memories that you hold so dear to your heart. Scrapbooks themes can consist of a wedding, an anniversary, a newborn baby, a baby shower, a birthday, or a holiday party. If it is a time to be remembered, then a scrapbook can hold it.

When you first purchase your scrapbook, it is nice to have an idea of what type of pictures you are going to put inside of it. For example, if you are making a scrapbook for your baby’s birthday, then you might want to purchase a scrapbook with balloons and ribbons on it. You can find a scrapbook anywhere online, and basically anywhere else that photo albums are sold. There are shops that sell scrapbooking supplies in most every state in America. They are usually small businesses that are located either in a strip mall or on a main street somewhere locally.

One of the things you are going to need is a pair of scissors. Since scrapbooking involves creativity, scissors can come in quite handy. You can use your scissors to cut designs out of construction paper and you can also cut your pictures out into designs. Scissors are a great crafting tool when scrapbooking. Glue is another scrapbooking essential. Unless you plan to use tape, glue is best.

Your pictures are by far the most necessary item toward your scrapbook. If you cannot fill it up, then to do not worry. Scrapbooks can be quite large and hard to fill up. Just focus more on the creativity of the book if you do not have enough pictures. Every scrapbook is different and unique in it’s own way. That is what it is all about.

You might also want to consider the individuality that stickers and letters add to your scrapbook. For example, if your scrapbook theme is for a wedding, then you can buy stickers that have little grooms and brides in the package. You can also find lettering in most every size for your scrapbook. Lettering can save you the time it takes to cut your own letters out.

Are there any small items that you want to add to your scrapbook? Some people will take small things such as invitations or pieces of baby hair and glue them to their scrapbooks. It all depends on your preference. You can spice your pages up by adding buttons, feathers, glitter, paint, or anything else that adds a touch of artistic flair. The more the better!

Scrapbooking can be very time consuming. The fact that it is time consuming makes it a great hobby because you know that you will always be able to do it. The pages can take some time to make in your scrapbook, but once you are done, you will have a masterpiece that you will never forget.

Scanning Photos For Your Digital Scrapbook   by Pete Fontaine

The art of digital scrapping is soaring in popularity. A quick online search will give you an idea of how many free or low cost tools, templates, and tutorials there are for the taking. It’s easy to find design concepts, creation software, and personalized help. Online scrapbooking chat rooms and communities help with technical information and ideas. It’s never been easier to produce gorgeous custom creations.

Restricting yourself to using just your digital photographs is no longer necessary. You can add hundreds of your older photos to your digital photo gallery for as little as 5 cents each. By sending your pictures to an inexpensive scanning service you can fill in those missing decades in your digital scrapbooks.

Scanning photos for your scrapping hobby has the added advantage of preserving them from deterioration due to moisture, mold, or age. Saving your photos to a DVD also allows you to store a copy in two or more places permanently shielding them from loss or damage. Scanning services make it possible to give a complete set of all your pictures to family members.

Once you’ve gotten your photos scanned for scrapping you can use them to build photobooks online and upload them to a free photo sharing site to share with your friends. Online businesses that sell photo novelties like cards, calendars, and T-shirts are easy to find and use. With a few services you can even build a slideshow with music that you can view on a TV or on a digital picture frame.

Make sure your photo scanning service will scan at 300 dpi. No more, no less. 300 DPI is the best choice for almost all photo scanning purposes, so don’t pay for more. Also make sure that your photos are saved as a high quality jpeg. You will be using jpeg files in your scrapbooking efforts, and though high quality jpegs have bigger files, you can always use your photo editing software to reduce the file size for a copy of the original.

Automatic photo enhancement can improve many of your photos. But don’t pay a lot for this service because it won’t perform miracles, and it won’t make a difference on some photographs. Insist that your photo enhancement is performed on a copy of your master scans. Manipulation of your scans causes them to be recompressed and that, if repeated, will cause quality issues. Make sure your scanning service provides both set of master scans and a set of enhanced scans.

The web is loaded with digital scrapbooking accessories, communities, and educational materials. You can find e-books and embellishments of every kind. Put these tools together with scans from an economical photo scanning service and you’re on your way!

Scrapbooking:

Tie onto a tag, photo mat, border, or photo as an accent.
Use with a hole punch to make a booklet.
Tie onto clips attached to paper.
Use to secure a fold open photo frame.
Staple along the edge of a photo for a border.
Place behind a photo to use as a mat.
Tie in a knot and adhere with a glue dot.
Attach a ribbon charm and use as a long border.
Thread through eyelets and tie as an accent.
Tie onto a slide holder for a small picture frame.
Tie onto each end of a metal label holder.
Tie small bits of ribbon onto a larger piece of ribbon for a unique border.
Attach diagonally along the corner(s) of a photo.
Stamp words and sayings onto ribbons for titles.

Crafting:

Tie numerous ribbons around the lid of a gift box.
Tie small bits of ribbon along the handle of a gift bag.
Tie small bits of ribbon on each piece of a spiral notebook.
Fold and staple along the top of a gift bag.
Tie around a sketchbook, journal or diary.
Tie ribbons through buttonholes and attach with glue dots.
Weave ribbons to use as placements, wallhangings, etc.
Use fabric stiffener to make ribbon bookmarks.
Make a french ribbon board to hold notes and photos.
Tie around the handle of a mug and fill with candy for a gift.
Use a hoop and long ribbons to make a mobile for breezy summer days.

Home Decor:

Use long/wide ribbons to store and display barrettes and pins.
Overlap and hang various ribbon styles/lengths on a bathroom window.
Tie around glass jars in the kitchen and bathroom.
Tie onto candle holders (away from the heat/flame, please!).
Decorate old wooden cigar boxes with ribbon and glue dots.
Wrap around an old or damage photo frame.
Sew ribbon to your plain dishtowels.
Tie large ribbons to the backs of chairs for a fun lunch or dinner.
Tie ribbons onto napkin holders.
Tie beads onto ribbon and then attach to a lampshade.
Use ribbons and painted clothespins to make a card/artwork wall display.
Tie to the tops of curtains for a festive display.
Make ribbon tassels to hang in your home.
Sew ribbons onto the edges of your sheets, pillowcases and curtains.
Decorate a flower pot with ribbons.

Fashion:

Tie ribbons onto your hangers, drawer pulls and shower curtain.
Tie a ribbon onto any zipper pulls you have!
Tie bits of ribbon onto a large safety pin for a quick accessory.
Use your ribbons as hair bows.
Tie around your neck for a quick accent.
Use wide ribbon alone or weave smaller ribbons to make a belt.
Use for a watch band.
Tie bits of ribbon around the handles of your pocketbook.
Sew/attach ribbon onto hats, clothing, socks, shoes and belts.
Use slide holders, ribbons and photos to make jewelry.

Copyright 2005 Antuanette Wheeler www.misstonigifts.com

A note for store owners, list owners, website owners or others: You may use this article on your website, store newsletter or any other media as long as you allow the article to be printed or show in its entirety and include any links that are within the article. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions or ideas, feel free to contact me at misstonigiftsnet@aol.com. Thanks!

Miss Toni Gifts started out as a small pin sales site and blossomed over the last few years into a pin/bookmark combo design business. We are three women who have known each other forever. We have all been involved in scouting, scrapbooking and general arts and crafts for a LONG time. This is really a family affair because Glenda is the Mom, Toni is the daughter, and Missy is a friend for over 20 years!

For many people, photos are at the heart of their scrapbooks and for a very good reason. We all treasure photographs of friends and loved ones, and many of us carry some with us wherever we go in a wallet or locket or keep photos on our desk at work. And if disaster were to strike and you had to evacuate your house, many people say they would save their photo albums before any other possessions!

So most scrapbooks will contain photographs. Even the most disinterested reader of your scrapbook will look at them. A picture really is worth a thousand words. Therefore, it is important to choose photographs that are of good quality and clearly illustrate your scrapbook theme.

Any photograph can be used in a scrapbook. Even instant photographs can be used in scrapbooking. Just be careful that the chemicals within the photograph do not spill out on the rest of your scrapbook. Digital pictures can easily be printed right onto lightin-free and acid -free paper.

Always bear in mind that scrapbooking is permanent. For this reason, it is probably better to use copies of your only picture of Great Aunt Betsy rather than risk ruining the original photograph forever. So just scan the picture on your computer scanner and print the image on lignin free and acid free paper.

Everybody loves looking at photos of family, friends and special places. That’s why they have such a special place in any scrapbook. It can be a lot of fun to use photos in imaginative layouts and for abstract effects — don’t feel confined just to mounting your photos as you would in a traditional photo album.

You can find inspiration for new scrapbooking ideas from magazines and visits to art museums. Just keep your eyes open and let your imagination run free!