Scrapbooking Paper

There is a new trend using clear acrylic rubber stamps in scrapbooking and card making. It’s a great idea and one I’m surprised has not caught on sooner. When you use regular wood based rubber stamps it is difficult to see where your image is going on the page. You run the risk of having things overlap or not line up. Plus, if you don’t get enough ink on your rubber stamp, it’s virtually impossible to line things up and get things lined up.

With new clear acrylic rubber stamps you can get things lined up because you can see right through the stamp onto your page. The new stamps are also interchangeable, and removable, so you can switch up your stamping easily. You simply take the stamp you want and stick it to the clear acrylic plate (they automatically attach without any adhesive. So you only need one set of blocks for all of your stamps. It’s a great space saver because you can store hundreds of stamps in one binder.

My scrapbooking website provides the latest scrapbooking news, and information about scrapbooking online. Check it out and let me know what you think. If you have any scrapbooking news to share, let me know.

“That which I do not in some way record will be lost at my death, and that which I do not pass on to my posterity, they will never have. The work of gathering and sharing eternal family keepsakes is a personal responsibility. It cannot be passed off or given to another.”

– Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander (1999, May), Bridges and eternal keepsakes, Ensign, 29(5), 83-85.

Here are some great digital scrapbooking tips I’ve been learning since I started doing digital scrapbooks.

First, there are many software packages out there which allow you to create great digital scrapbooking pages. I personally like to use Photoshop, but there is a $99 package of software called Photoshop Elements which is easy to use, inexpensive, and does everything you could want it to do.

Second, if you have great stamps, or tags you have created for scrapbooks that are not digital, you can scan those images in and use them over and over (changing colors, adding other embellishments, etc.

Third, collect textures, and items you would want to incorporate into your pages, and then either scan them, or take photos of the items, then crop them and make the background transparent — so you can use them in your digital scrapbooking.

My favorite digital scrapbooking tips are about experimenting. Just experiment as much as you can. Change colors, convert to sepia tone or black and white, add ribbons, add texture. Do as much or as little as you want. If you don’t like how it turns out, the best thing about digital scrapbooking is that it’s very easy to change!

For all of you who have digital cameras, and don’t have a good photo printer, there are several great ways to print photos online. You simply upload your photos, select which ones you want printed and what size, they print them out on photo paper and mail them to you. It’s quick. It’s easy. And, it’s cheap! (My 3 favorite things.)

Anyway, I just found out that Shutterfly.com is having a huge sale right now — I’ve used their service many times and their quality is really great! (As long as your photos are taken at high resolution on your camera, you can’t tell they are digital.)

Shutterfly also will print your family Calendars (a great Christmas gift idea), photos onto mugs and greeting cards and more. I really love their Photo Books too — they are great ways to give personalized gifts.

For new members if you order $25 or more you get 5 free personalized photo greeting cards. (Expires Nov 20, 2005).

Save 20% on personalized holiday photo cards.
Use coupon code: AF11-CARD (Expires 11-30-05)

I love being able to print photos online especially at sale prices. I hope you can take advantage of these offers from Shutterfly. (Plus I think if you’re a new customer you get 15 free prints just for trying out their services.)

There is a sale at ComputerScrapbook.com this week. Get 10% off everything in the store. The sale ends Friday, Nov. 4, 2005 at midnight. Use the coupon code EV27F to get the discount.

I’m all about things being simple. Simple scrapbooks focus mostly on the photograph or journaling — it’s not necessarily about how great you are at being creative, or finding new uses for paperclips and wire, or about spending $15 and 10 hours to make one layout. For me, simple scrapbooks are easy, nice looking ways of replacing photo albums.

I do like seeing all of the new techniques, and visualizing how I would create new layouts, but because my time is so limited, I end up trying to make things simple and quick.

One of the companies I have done some work for is Julia Rembrandt. They make scrapbook layouts for you — pre-designed papers — and all you do is add your photos. They do include die-cut embellishments and stickers if you want to add them, plus instructions on how to create the layout. It’s a great way for beginners, those who are too busy to scrapbook, and for those who get overwhelmed by the thousands of options. I love the concept! Simple scrapbooks for those of us who want things to be simple!

Here are some tips on making baby scrapbooks. There are many aspects of your baby’s life you can include in your baby scrapbook, but here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. Pregnancy — you can include ultrasound photos and various stages of your pregnancy.

2. Nursery — if you’ve created the perfect nursery — document it! Take photos of building the crib, painting, etc.

3. Family History — include a little about your family, parents, grandparents, etc.

4. Birth Day — ID bracelets, baby with parents/grandparents/brothers/sisters, footprints, etc.

5. Homecoming Day — Baby being carried into the house, any signs or decorations.

6. Sleeping Baby — with mommy, daddy, or alone.

7. Bathtime

8. Moods — first smile, grouchy, content, etc.

9. Body Parts — hands, eyes, long eyelashes, feet, close-up of face.

10. Holidays — make sure you get their reactions to firsts — such as seeing Christmas lights, hearing jingle bells, the touch of a soft Easter bunny, etc.

This is just a start for your baby scrapbook — if you don’t have a digital camera already, this is a perfect time to get one. You are going to want to take lots of photos of everything, but this way you only print the ones which turn out perfectly. Baby scrapbooks are so important because the time goes by so quickly, and it’s easy to forget little things.

One of my favorite online resources is Scrapbook.com! They have thousands of items on sale every day. Great prices. Easy to purchase. Reliable and a trustworthy company. Highly recommended.

There are many who have asked about my scrapbook paper designs — and since I have not had time to personally put up my own website with samples of my papers — I’ll direct you to Rocky Mountain Scrapbook.

I created all of the overlays on the site right now, and the following papers:

Rocky Mountain Camping/Hunting, Fishing, 4th of July
Sports: Football, Soccer, Rugby, Golf, Volleyball
Back to School: not the first 2 listed but I did the rest.
Grunge
Travel/Vacation
Military
Celebration (not the Halloween ones)
Winter

As soon as I get time to put my portfolio online, I’ll blog about it and let you know.