Archive for March, 2011
Pens reveal the character of your writing. The thinner pen point transfers your personality directly onto the scrapbook page and adds to the value of your album.
A pen is better for scrapbook journaling than a marker, but not just any old pen. You need to use a journaling pen that’s made with the long-lasting, pigment-based ink that meets industry standards.
Album options today are expanding at an accelerated rate. Scrapbooking manufacturers are very sensitive to the demands of creative scrapbookers and produce a wide variety of album types and styles for shoppers everywhere.
Reading labels is the most important thing you can do while you’re shopping for an album. Search promotional materials for more-technical descriptions such as “lignin-free” and “acid-free,” because those more specific terms indicate when a product’s manufacturer is meeting the scrapbook industry’s current archival standards.
You’ve probably noticed them popping up on supply lists and creeping into samples all over magazines and catalogs. Punches are everywhere! And for a good reason. They’re easy to use and can be used in a variety of ways to enhance a theme or focal point.
In addition to using punches to create a focal point, you can use them to bring attention to other stamped images on your art. Punches may be used by themselves or with other punches. You can use a hole reinforcer by punching out a circle with a 1/4″ circle punch, then punching out a larger circle with a 1/2″ circle punch on a tag. You can make reinforcers in any coordinating colors to provide a simple accent for any piece.
Use a die-cut, cricut machine and create a fun monogram matchbox. With a turn of the handle of a cricut machine, you’ll have a die-cut box ready to assemble. Personalize your box with a bit of ribbon, a cute label, and a monogram chipboard letter. Then fill your matchbox with teeny cards, perfect for thank-you notes.
The box can also be used for holding keepsakes, jewelry, paperclips, candy, or any other small items. The versatility of a cricut machine!
Creating paper snowflakes is a great holiday craft for kids. All you need are scissors, white paper, a few instructions, and a great imagination. Start by folding a square piece of white paper diagonally, creating a large triangle. Then fold the triangle in half again so the pointy corners meet. Finally, fold your triangle into thirds. Your children may need help with this step.
Adjust the paper into the proper shape before you give the edges a good crease. Cut across the bottom so you now have one pointy triangle. Cut shapes, squiggly, and zigzag lines into the triangle. When you’re all done open up your snow flakes to reveal wonderful holiday crafts!
If you haven’t already found your style, it’s time to start experimenting. Look through some magazines or galleries to find several scrapbook pages that really stand out to you. Once you’ve found a few, you’re ready to start!
Look for similarities and differences in the projects. Try to distill what it is you like about the projects individually and as a group. How would you do these projects differently? Try creating a few projects in this style. Notice what comes easily and what’s challenging with the style. These are often clues to finding your natural style.
My favorite color, orange, is often overlooked, dismissed, or outright detested! The color reminds me of autumn and Halloween–two of my favorite things–it simply makes me happy! In the psychology of color, it’s said that the vibrant color of orange emanates energy and joy.
Often people don’t know what to do with orange–how to work it into their crafting, scrapbooking, and card making. Paired with the right colors, orange can be incredibly versatile. Besides being a traditional fall color, it is also a fantastic spring or summer color and, depending on the shade, you can use it all the way from April through November. The right shade of orange paired with pinks and greens creates a refreshing blend of modern and retro. Orange can easily be paired with different shades of orange to create a beautiful page or card.
Art is one of the most eloquent expressions of who we truly are inside. When we make our own card creations, especially by hand, we do much more than just create something for others to admire, we create a reflection of ourselves.
You can make a handcrafted card when you use rub-ons for both the greeting and the image, use a flower inside a scalloped edge punch used to outline a rectangular frame. A hobby blade can be used in a unique way to create a window.
What inspiring things do you see through the window of your card? Open the windows, get your crafting supplies out, and let the creativity in.
Have you asked yourself this question after you’ve spent a lot of time purchasing supplies, money, and hours of mental labor over a few scrap pages? As with all human pursuits, scrapbooking has its ups and downs. There are days when I don’t feel like scrapping and want to garden or partake of equine events. It’s just the way life is. But I’ve fallen in love with this hobby, it’s a nice way to spend time; a lifestyle of sorts. For me, scrapbooking is about the very act of creating, documenting a story, spending time doing what I enjoy, and the love that I feel for my family that comes from my eyes, hands, and heart and is sprinkled all over my scrapbook pages.
Do you feel this commitment like I do?
There’s a reason that the phrase “less is more” has been around so long—it’s true. You can create unforgettable scrapbooks without spending hours on each page and incorporating a ton of products. All that you need are a few basic design principles and a minimalist approach to your scrapbooking.
Color repetition is a stress-free way to create great minimalist pages. When including a photo on your page, use repeated color to tie the photo to the page. Frame the outside of your page with the same color that you use to frame your photo. Use ink colors for the page that are found from the colors in the photo.