As a frugal mother, Sharon had to admit that she never got into scrap booking over the years because one visit to a scrap book supply shop sent her into sticker shock. With three kids and a limited budget, she knew she couldn’t afford all of the supplies and tools that she would want to use. So her children’s photos remained in shoeboxes.

In 2005 she discovered digital scrap booking, the practice of creating scrap book layouts on a computer using digital images. Sharon pulled out her shoeboxes and spent weeks at the computer scanning in every memory. The kids started to think Mom was going a bit mad though when she started to scan everything else she could get her hands on.

She scanned all kinds of fabric, curtains, blankets and scarves. She scanned greeting cards, calendars, wall paper and macaroni and cheese boxes. If it fit onto her scanner, she added it to her digital image library.

Then, with a simple image program, she went to work.

Without scissors or glue or double sided tape, she created page after digital page. With every new layout she thought up she felt like she was getting away with something sneaky. Surely she should have to pay someone something for all of the fun that she was having?

Digital scrap booking has matured to the point where you don’t have to find out own digital crafting elements, you can find some online for free and other image sets you can pay for.

As to be expected, digital image sets are far less costly when compared to purchasing paper and fabric and accessories. It really is an attractive alternative to someone scrap booking on a budget.

Sharon keeps her digital projects strictly on her computer, using the layouts as a screen saver slide show. Many others choose to share their creations online or even to print out their layouts and bind them together in a book.

If you would like to try your hand at digital scrapping you’ll want to check and see what kind of image manipulation software you have on your computer. If you don’t find something appropriate you can download a copy of the free public license graphic software named Gimp.

Learning to work with digital images will take some practice, but you’ll have fun in the process and soon be creating fun layouts for your memories.

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Vera Raposo is the Scrapper’s Business Coach. Sign up for her personal mailing list at www.VeraRaposo.com and get tips and resources to help all of your scrap ventures

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Film is so expensive now days! With digital cameras, you can take as many baby photos as you want and delete the ones you don’t.

You can save all the ones you like but only print out the ones you need, therefore you don’t waste any cash.

If you do not have a digital camera yet and are planning to get one, I suggest you buy a larger memory as well.

When you buy one, it will come with a very small memory but you will realize that fifty pictures can be gone at a drop of a hat, so I suggest you buy one to save you the trouble of coming back.

Since we are preserving time and memories, you might want to try the aged look. Sepia is a good one to use.

If you don’t know, sepia is like black and white but with tans or beiges. You might just like the way your baby photos turn out!

If you have a digital camera, you have the choice of turning the pictures black and white or sepia within the camera.

If you do not have a digital camera, you can just drop off your film and ask them to print them off as sepia.

Looking back on the pages you have finished, it probably brings you back to the time when the pictures were taken.

Enjoy preserving your baby’s time with pictures!

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Vera Raposo has been scrapbooking since her oldest child was 5. With tons of scrapbooking tips and ideas, Vera is now sharing some of her best scrapbooking ideas for your new baby in her newsletter www.baby-scrapbooking.com

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Digital photography has made scrapbooking easier than ever before.
Digital cameras allow you to view your pictures immediately instead of
waiting hours or days for film to be developed.

You will also know if you have captured the perfect shot as soon as you take it and you can discard unwanted pictures right away instead of wasting time and money having your film developed only to discover that half your pictures did not turn out the way you had intended.

Digital photographs can be uploaded to your computer immediately and
most photo editing software includes various borders, cropping tools, and
the ability to include captions.

Digital photos can be stored indefinitely and you may choose to have them made into a CD Rom as an extra measure of safety. You will be able to edit, touch up, and alter your photos as you see fit in just minutes thanks to the convenience of photo editing software.

Digital cameras have become inexpensive and some brands even offer disposable digital cameras that can be used once and developed into pictures or a CD Rom at your local retailers.

Having access to your photos in digital form will allow you to be as
creative as you wish in creating unique scrapbooks.

You may print your photos from your computer using special photo printing paper or create online scrapbooks that you can share with the world in an instant. You will only be limited by your imagination when you use digital photos in your scrapbooks.

For those who have never owned or used a digital camera, have no fear. You can take digital photos with the same ease as a conventional camera, and you will be delighted to see your pictures displayed immediately on your camera screen.

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Vera Raposo has been scrapbooking since her oldest child was 5. With tons of scrapbooking tips and ideas, Vera is now sharing some of her best scrapbooking ideas for your new baby in her newsletter www.baby-scrapbooking.com

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You can create more scrapbooks in less time of you take a few moments
to organize your thoughts and supplies. Before starting your newest
scrapbooking project, plan out everything you will need and have it close
at hand.

This includes supplies such as tape, glue, and pens, photos
and memorabilia you intend to use, and an idea of how you want your
pages to flow from one to the next.

Effectively organizing your scrapbooking projects includes keeping a
written record of what worked for you in the past and what did not.

Notes of materials and fabrics that worked and those that were difficult to
maneuver, the types of paper and decorations that were the easiest to
attach, and which particular supplies were the most effective will save
you a lot of time when starting a new scrapbooking project.

Basic supplies such as scissors, paper, and page protectors should be kept in a special box or container so they will be within easy reach when you are
ready to begin your next project.

Keeping your family photos and mementos in a central location will make
it much easier to locate the ones you wish to include in your newest
scrapbook. Your calendars and journals should be kept up to date. This
will save you many hours if you don’t have to take time to remember
dates and places.

Make a special effort to keep your information current. Digital photos can be placed into directories according to the special event, the person, and the places in which the photos were taken.

Advance planning and making an effort to keep your scrapbooking items in a
central location are the best ways to keep yourself organized and make
scrapbooking a joy rather than a stressful experience.

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Vera Raposo has been scrapbooking since her oldest child was 5. With tons of scrapbooking tips and ideas, Vera is now sharing some of her best scrapbooking ideas on her radio show at www.ScrappersTalkRadio.com.

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Chalking adds highlights, dimension, color, and character to your scrapbook pages and embellishments. It is long lasting and comes in dozens of colors. You can choose from single and multi-packs or chalk that comes in pencil form or wafers. Chalking is versatile, inexpensive, easy, fun and sometimes messy medium to give your album a professional look. Acid free chalk can be used on die cuts, stamping, cardstock, patterned papers and vellum.

There are no specific tools to apply chalk. You can use the applicator that comes with the set or you can use Q-Tips, cotton balls, make-up brushes or even your fingers. Experiment with what works best for you. A good thing to have is a chalk eraser to fix your mistakes. This should be done as soon as possible because chalk sets quickly. Wipe off excess dust by turning your page over on a paper towel and rubbing the back of your page. It is best if you have a specific area when working with chalk. It can be dusty and very hard to clean up if dropped on flooring such as carpet.

You can use chalk to fill in or outline a stencil template or create just the right color for photo mats, embellishments and ribbons. Chalking also adds soft colors and shading to borders and backgrounds. When chalking large areas it is a good idea to prep the area by choosing a color chalk that closely matches the color of your paper. This way there are no obvious lines and your colors will blend easily. Prepping will lighten the detail layers so you might want to use darker colors than the ones you want. Add finishing touches with pen work. Experiment and have fun!

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Vera Raposo has been scrapbooking since her oldest child was 5. With tons of scrapbooking tips and ideas, Vera is now sharing some of her best scrapbooking ideas on her radio show at www.ScrappersTalkRadio.com.

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“We’re having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave.” No doubt you are one of many in our nation trying to get through a long hot summer. Well, take heart! There is one activity which will not only give you pleasure, but memories to last a lifetime. It’s time to take out your new scrapbook, dust it off, and add new pages of photos to it.

Summer yields a myriad of opportunities. Photograph your favorite flower, plant or tree. If you enjoy the beach or pool, flash the splash! Take different shots of children at play using color and/or black and white. Dare to be different!

If you enjoy early morning walks, take your camera with you. Whether you walk around Central Park or simply around your own block, nature has a way of revealing the minutest detail of summer to you. Capture it!

Here are some photo tips:

•Use a digital camera so that you can edit your photos on line. If a digital camera is not available to you, use a standard camera and have plenty of film and batteries on hand according to the camera’s specifications.

•Keep an account of where you took the photos so that you will be able to label them in your scrapbook.

•When taking pictures outdoors, stay away from direct sunlight as it will result in shadowed photos. Overcast days are ideal for picture-taking.

•Experiment with close-ups, i.e., zoom in – zoom out.

•Use light and dark to give your photos perspective. Indoor picture-taking also allows you to experiment with light and dark…flash on – flash off.

•When traveling to any local or foreign destination include scenic photos of waterfalls, the local streets, people, rock formations, beaches, towns, historic landmarks, etc.

•When taking a picture of a friend or loved one in front of an historic setting, stand as far back as possible so that the entire backdrop is captured. Take a picture of a sunset. The colors derived from it can never be duplicated.

•Be creative! Photography is quite subjective. Only you know what appeals to you. Enjoy the experience.

Now that your photos are ready for the scrapbook, begin to improvise on how you wish it to look. Use pastels or textured paper for summer photos. There are many scrapbook sites online that give you excellent ideas on how to set up, maintain, and enjoy the process. Memories last a lifetime. Ensure that your photos last as well. Remember, the world consists of objects and colors with which you can begin to compose the painting in your mind’s eye.

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Vera Raposo is the Scrapper’s Business Coach. Sign up for her personal mailing list at www.VeraRaposo.com and get tips and resources to help all of your scrap ventures succeed.

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One-page layouts work well for busy scrapbookers. When you do one page at a time, you will have more time to complete the scrapbook and then have plenty of time to clean up. One-page layouts also have a sense of intimacy because the pictures are placed closely together on the page, along with the journaling and embellishments. You will have an album that is full and complete bursting with color and pictures. Because the layout is smaller, this is also often an easier option for beginning layout designers or for crafters who do not have a large workspace to spread out two pages at a time.

Two-page layouts, on the other hand, create an album that is more spacious. If you have a lot of pictures then it will be almost impossible to put all the pictures on one page. You can split them up over multiple layouts; however, by creating a two-page layout, you give the pictures a sense of togetherness. You will want to spread out the pictures over three or four pages and carry a theme to each page so that there is a consistent design. Two-page layouts also work well when you have a few pictures that cannot be cropped and will therefore not fit onto one page. When you do a larger layout you will be able to place everything you want in the pictures and have plenty of room for writing or doodling.

Either way that you scrapbook, there are disadvantages. You may not want to use just one of the ways exclusively. When it comes to a one page layout you won’t have to worry about having the paper to coordinate into two pages, however, the album may seem to be disconnected as a whole. Meaning, if you have one page of something and one page of another thing, it just won’t flow. You will want to choose the best options for you so that you can make a great scrapbook. You will find that when you have some patience, you will be able to give the pictures a good way to display them so that it all look interesting and fun.

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As a homeschooling mom of 4 girls, scrapbooking for kids has been on my mind alot lately. Let me back up a bit. My 4 year old was quietly playing one day with a roll of stickers. Afraid I was going to later find a bunch of stickers caught in the carpet, I asked her what she intended to do with them. She pondered for awhile and then said, “I am going to put them in a scrapbook. Mom, can I have my own scrapbook?” For some reason, this caught me by surprise, as I thought how wonderful of an experience this could be! So, I started thinking about it more and have come up with some tips and ideas to share with you on scrapbooking for kids.

First of all, I will admit, I am cheap! I wasn’t sure how excited I would be at the thought of my 4 year old and her sisters cutting up my beautiful papers and glueing everything down in sight! I immediately thought of our local dollar store. They have albums that would be perfect for showcasing their creations in for the time being. The dollar store also offers scrapbooking supplies in the form of kits, stickers and embellishments. We have a reward system in place, where the girls can earn a trip to the dollar store to purchase their own scrapbooking supplies to do with as they please. This alleviates the desire to “mess” with my stash while instilling a sense of responsiblity to earn thier reward!

Here are a few more “scrapbooking for kids” cost saving tips:

Have too many pictures to scrap? Let the kids scrap the leftovers.
When developing photos, get double prints. Let the kids scrap with the doubles.
When you complete a project, put the leftovers and unused scraps in a container for them to use. They can create their own embellishments with the scraps. You will be amazed at what they can create!
One thing I do want to mention, when you scrap for the first time with your children, be prepared to help and guide them. Don’t expect to get much done on your own pages until they start to get a feel for what they want to do and accomplish in their own scrapbooks. Now that they are ready to scrap, what should they scrap? Here are a few scrapbooking for kids layout ideas:

Have them scrap a page all about their favorite things at that particular age. (then repeat it for each year and see how their favorites have changed or stayed the same)
Have your kids scrap about their favorite activities or sporting events they are involved in. I’m sure you have plenty of photos!
Turn it into a learning experience and have them interview the subject of the photo. This would be great for older generations.
If there aren’t enough photos, have them draw pictures of people. Then watch how their drawings progress. Each one of my girls have a specific style of how they draw family members. It is interesting and fun to look at.
What about incorporating their artwork and creations? I am very blessed to get cards, pictures and artwork on an almost daily basis from my girls. But what do you do with all of them? Here are a few ideas:

Hang on the refrigerator for all to see. Then once the fridge is full, take a picture of your child in front of their artwork and scrap the photo. You can also incorporate their artwork into the layout.
Color copy and reduce the drawings/projects and use as photos in your layout or as embellishments.
Are you near the end of a roll of film? Use up those last couple of shots of your child’s artwork.
Use pocket pages to “hold” your child’s artwork.
Create a “brag” book and give to grandparents or other family members as a special gift!
Even though I can be anal at times, I still want to incorporate my girls work into my scrapbooks as well. Afterall, they aren’t really my scrapbooks but for all to enjoy! Here are a few “scrapbooking for kids” ideas:

Use child’s drawings as a background paper.
Use their creations as embellishments. You’ll be amazed at what they can create with some paper, scissors and adhesive!
Interview them. Ask them questions about the photo, layout, their mood. This would make for some awesome journaling!
I hope the above tips will give you some ideas on scrapbooking for kids!

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Dawn Stegall is a homeschooling mom of 4 girls and owns www.FaithfullyYours.net a site dedicated to scrapbooking your faith!

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Generation scrapbooking is a wonderful way for different generations of your family to bond and share your family history. Spend some time to get everyone in the family involved in creating scrapbooks. Not only will you share pictures and stories, it will be a wonderful bonding experience as well.

Scrapbook For Your Child
Start a scrapbook for your child and get him or her involved in creating the pages. You can create a new book each year together with your child. Include artwork, homework as well as current pictures of your child and friends. Ask your child to help in creating layouts, choosing embellishments and adding descriptive titles and text. Depending on your child’s age, you may even want to let her do most of the scrapbooking and writing with a little assistance from your of course. You’ll be surprised how much you will learn about your child’s life outside of your home. The two of you will get to spend some quality time together and create a memento to remember it for years to come.

Scrapbook Your Family History
Record your family history in a scrapbook. Put your family’s story on paper for future generations. Create a special generation scrapbook that tells the story of your own childhood, teenage years, or how you and your spouse met. When your children are grown, they will appreciate being able to get a glimpse of what your life was like back then. Keep adding to the scrapbook over the years and get everyone in the family involved in deciding what should be added. You will create a book that everyone in the family will cherish and pass on for years, maybe even generations to come.

Share Old Photo Albums
Go through old photo albums that have been in your family for decades. Spend some time with older family members to look through these albums. You will gain an appreciation for your family history and the life your family members lived long before you were born. You may also want to discuss options to preserve these old pictures.
If you would like to incorporate some of these pictures in your current scrapbooks, have copies made, or scan the pictures in your computer, edit them and then print. You can correct faded color and even some small tears and nicks with modern photo editing software. Plus you will have a digital version of the picture that will last long after the original photo deteriorates.

Grab that fabulous scrapbook that you bought months ago and saved for a special occasion and start generation scrapbooking today about yourself and your family. You will enjoy the process of creating that special book just as much as being able to share it with family members once it is finished.

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Vera Raposo has been scrapbooking since her oldest child was 5. With tons of scrapbooking tips and ideas, Vera is now sharing some of her best scrapbooking ideas on her radio show at www.ScrappersTalkRadio.com.

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Unless someone has experienced the entire adoption process firsthand, no one can truly appreciate what is involved in this long haul. Some couples know right from the start that they will adopt. Others however don’t begin the application process until after years of disappointment. Either way, the end result – a beautiful child – makes the journey all worthwhile.

The gift of a loving family is an immeasurable reward to treasure; but can you think of a more precious material gift to give you child than the entire “birth process” documented in the form of a scrapbook? Once he/she is old enough to appreciate it, this scrap book will be examined time and time again. Start with a heart-felt letter of how much you deeply desired to grow your family; write about the anticipation and the prayers as you waited, and waited some more.

Detail accounts of the application process, the background check, and the home visit. Mark your shopping trips for bedroom furniture and a new wardrobe with photos of the occasions. If it’s an international adoption, do a section in your scrapbook on the country of origin. You may want to celebrate the heritage of your child so add thorough detail about the birth country.

An adoption scrapbook is similar to a baby brag book, only it reflects more on the journey, not the end result. It is much like a pregnancy scrapbook. You want to include milestones, victories and disappointments. Any parent of adult children knows the timeline from diapers to graduation goes far too quickly. And while you are convinced you’ll remember every detail about the adoption process, the truth is you simply can’t remember it all.

The homecoming will be the most memorable event in the entire adoption process. The day you’ve been waiting for – in many cases, waiting for years, will finally come to fruition. It will be a banner celebration – marked by friends and family, balloons and signage and most of all – lots of joy. Be sure to capture this joyous occasion with countless photos. Not that I needed to tell any proud parent to remember to take photos!

The welcome home celebration will be the final chapter to your Adoption Scrapbook. What may have started out as anticipation filled frustration will be completed with pure bliss. Memorialize this event!

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Vera Raposo is the Scrapper’s Business Coach. Sign up for her personal mailing list at www.VeraRaposo.com and get tips and resources to help all of your scrap ventures succeed.

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