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Category: Crafting General

Free Scrapbooking Layouts

A digital scrapbook is more like an autobiography in some sense. In an autobiography, you concentrate more on your personal life and achievements while in the case of a scrap book it can take in the whole of your family. It can contain photographs of family, baby, short notes, little incidents etc. Further, the scrap booking exercise can involve all the members of your family to make pages. In turn, this will allow each member to express his/her individual style and personalities.

Free Scrapbook layouts

To derive more fun out of your scrapbook creation/craft, you should have scrapbook layouts/kit to give you guidance in laying out your pages. Where then do you find these layouts? Friends can be one source and a good source too. Because when you use a friend’s scrap book layout, you are also using his ingenuity, skill and ideas to formulate your own layout/pattern. You can draw inspiration from your friend’s scrap book layout and discuss with him for more idea to add to your patterns. For example, you may have some specific pictures which need some ideas and themes to create an ideal layout. Your friends can really surprise you when they come up with bright ideas.

Online resources available for scrapbook layouts are endless and they are free too in most cases. Several web sites even offer you elements, layouts, ideas etc. for scrapbooking. Once you browse through web sites, your own ideas can blossom to add value to your scrap book and since no money is involved in acquiring this knowledge, you can use the money for other things too.

If you are still confused on how to proceed, just open any popular search engine like Google, or Yahoo and type in “free scrapbooking layout” and hit enter. A mind boggling number of website will come up and you can filter through the best ones.

While finding free layouts is easy, there is nothing like creating your own layout. Let your imagination run wild to give expression to your individuality and personality. Your layout created by you from scratch will have its own unique character.

Doing it right

Scrapbooking is a fun activity, and there is hardly anything as doing it right. So you need not be afraid as there is no “right” way for laying out scrapbook pages. Treat your scrap book simply as an extension of your life. Your own creativity to make your scrap book pages will be the best in the final analysis and only if for any reason you are unable to devote the time and effort, you should resort to the ready made layouts.

Remember your scrap book pages carry information about your family and yourself and friends. Therefore the more individual characteristics it can carry, the better. While several women have taken to scrapbooking as a hobby/craft, the men have not lagged behind except for the fact they have pursued this not merely as a hobby but also means of making some additional income. Start your scrapbook today and enjoy.

Using some of the free scrapbooking layouts, you are able to help others create their portfolio and you can get paid for the idea and your expertise. There are not many supplies that are needed with this either. You will need some paper, ink, some different fonts for text if and when you would want to print it out. You can also save these on CD’s and send to other people to view and enjoy. Start today to save your memories for tomorrow.

Have a Great Day and don’t forget to leave time to Craft!

There are other ways that some people will search for free scrapbooking layouts and they are some of these:
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Another article of interest is: Correcting Scrapbooking screwups

Rubber Stamping Embossing

Scrapbookers in their effort to embellish their craft are turning to rubber stamping embossing as a great tool. And, on the other side of things, more and more stampers are taking up scrapbooking as an additional hobby. Most hobbies have several things in common, don’t they? Have you ever visited a stamping store? If yes, you would be amazed by the choices and possibilities. We will now look at some of the tips on what to buy (craft supplies) to make beginning with this wonderful hobby as much fun as possible. Some of the items you will need are going to be free, because you have them laying around the house. Some of the other product you are going to have to purchase.

Rubber Stamping and Embossing, Items You Will Need

The most essential tools required for these crafts are a good paper cutter or trimmer, a good pair of scissors and a good supply of card stock. Decorative scissors too can be a very useful tool, particularly when you are looking at greeting cards or similar stamped projects. The circle and oval cutters seem to be on their way out at least from this segment of the business. Templates and the X-acto knife are the preferred replacement for these cutters now. Similarly a paper crimper is something that you may not need because most of the card stock is sold as “pre-crimper”. Another useful tool can be make up sponges to help you apply dye-based ink on to an image for a soft look. A hammer will come in handy for working with eyelets , while a variety of pliers will be useful for working with wire. To store your tools and afford easy portability, you can think of a tool box too. A mouse pad or a desktop blotter under your card stock before stamping will provide the necessary cushion for you to stamp against.

Then you will need a top quality permanent dye-based inkpad in black. The pads should allow you to color in with markers, should be fast drying and versatile. A reinker to keep your pad juicy at all times will be a top necessity. A reinker will also help you to prolong the life of your pad. If you are careful not to allow your pad to get dry, it will remain juicy and juicy pads tend to last longer.

Don’t forget your heat gun

A heat gun and a variety of rubber stamping embossing powders are the next items in the list. To melt your embossing powders you will need the heat gun. The embossed stamps provide the raised finish and an archival quality. A clear embossing powder can be preferred over most pigment inks. When using metallic inks, using a metallic colored embossing powder will be advantageous. If clear embossing powder is used over metallic inks, the sparkle will be lost. Detail embossing powder will be handy for use in very detailed stamps, particularly because they melt to a finer line.

When you are doing embossing in your scrapbook, remember to always emboss your layouts before you attach your pictures to either side of your page. Your photographs can be damaged since the temperature of the heat gun is very high. The ideal way will be to emboss and then allow the page to cool before you put your pictures in.

When it is all said and done

In conclusion, don’t throw away scraps of paper. Stampers can find great value from the scraps of paper which can be converted into many designs. Your mistakes today can be the making of your greatest blessing tomorrow. A piece of work which you did not like today could pop up as excellent piece in a different setting tomorrow. Dare to experiment, don’t be intimidated by fancy projects and know that simple tamped cards and projects can be equally lovely. Rubber stamping embossing can give your project that extra flair that you always look for.

Have a Great Day and don’t forget to leave time to Craft!

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ORGANIZING YOUR CRAFT SUPPLIES – Part 3 of 3

Continued From Yesterday:

** Don’t Over Buy – Use what you have. Try to resist the urge to buy new papers, punches and embellishments until you’ve used the craft supplies you have. I know this is really hard to do. I can open up a store with all the papers and embellishments that I have. Take a look at your inventory before you go shopping, this will save your wallet of unnecessary items and you might just find something you forgot you had. How cool is that it’s like going shopping in your own craft room.

** Shop Online. You’ll save a lot of time running back and forth to your local craft store if you decide to shop online  for your craft supplies. Everything you need can be shipped right to your doorstep and sometimes you save money on the product and also the sales tax. Come on people we all like to save money so we can buy more.

** What to do with things you just don’t use anymore. If you have something you haven’t used in a year or more, such as craft scissors or stickers, paper, donate them to a local church or daycare facility. Some times even senior centers are looking for crafty items. This is a good way to give back to your community.

** Multitask. Looking for a few minutes here or there to catch up on your Scrapbooking or Card making? Take and make phone calls in the same room that you designated for your Craft Room for Scrapbooking or Card making. Then, while you’re on the phone with your friends or family, you can crop, frame or mount at the same time. Or, instead of making punches when you need them, make a bunch of punches at once while you’re watching television, or are on the telephone, or when you’re waiting for a pot of water to boil because where I live that takes awhile. This will save time later because your punches will be ready when you need them.

** Clean up scraps. Always keep a wastebasket near your workstation, all the scraps that you’re not planning on using can be tossed immediately. Don’t leave trash on your work surface.

** Put it away. Always have a place for your supplies, and when you’re finished using them, take a few moments to put everything away. You should be able to start fresh with a clear mind and a clear surface. Plus I am a clean freak.

** Spare time. Those spare minutes that we all have can be put to good use. Have to wait at the doctor’s office for your appointment? Sketch out a quick layout idea. Waiting for the wash cycle to finish? Sort some photos or gather supplies for tomorrow’s Scrapbooking or Card making project.

** Write it down. I am known as the list person, everyone always busts me about it, but I rarely forget anything. So don’t ever leave your home without a small notebook in hand. You’re bound to come up with a thought or cute caption for your scrapbook. Inspiration is everywhere, but if you don’t write down your ideas, they may disappear forever. You may also want to keep a small pad and a pen near your bedside, in case you have a bright idea in the middle of the night. It is amazing what your brain can think of in the weee hours of the morning.

Have a Great Day and don’t forget to leave time to Craft!

Organize Craft Supplies Part 1

Organize Scrapbooking Room Part 2

ORGANIZING YOUR CRAFT SUPPLIES – Part 2 of 3

Continued From Yesterday:

** Storage Containers. Do a little bit of research and purchase a Scrapbooking and/or Rubber Stamp organizer, which will hold papers, rubber stamps, supplies, etc. There are many products on the market that can help you keep it all together. Many office supply stores carry six-drawer organization stations. They’re vertical and have 6 see-through drawers of equal size. Each drawer can be designated for a different purpose -papers, templates/die-cuts, stickers, etc. Plus, they have wheels, which make them very easy to transport from one room to another. Or, if you often bring your Scrapbooking or Rubber Stamping supplies outside of your home when attending a crop party or to a friend’s house, use a portable system that isn’t too heavy and comes with a handle and wheels for easy transport. Again my favorite is Crop-In-Style Navigator. It holds everything that you need for a night out or weekend scrapping event. If you are a Stamper, Crop-In-Style also has a tote that has drawers inside to hold your rubber stamps and supplies called the Stamp Store that works really well.

** Try a kitchen gadget caddy. If you always Scrapbook and make Handmade Greeting Cards at home, use a kitchen utensil caddy with a number of divided compartments, like those you normally keep tall kitchen spoons, ladles, and spatulas in. They hold your markers and embossing powders in them perfectly. The ones that spin will you’re your most used supplies at your fingertips.

** Hang it up. If you’re lucky enough to have a Craft Room specifically for you Scrapbooking and/or making Handmade Greeting Card, hang a large pegboard above your work area. You can then attach scissors, templates, crimpers, rulers, stencils and more, all within easy sight and reach. In addition, you might hang a small ledge or shelf nearby, to store all of your corner punches, paper trimmers, embossing powders, and so on. If you prefer everything out in the open, this system will work like a charm. Check out the new Rack system by Lisa & Becky.

** Save stickers and shapes. Stickers and punched shapes can be kept in acid-free sheet protectors, plastic baseball card sheets, business card sheets. Each sheet should be categorized and labeled by theme: birthday, Christmas, Halloween, wedding, springtime, etc. Insert these sheets into a 3-ring binder. If you have a large number of stickers and shapes, you may want to purchase a sticker binder designed just for stickers. My favorite is from Crop-In-Style sticker binder.

** Minimize and organize magazines. Are your bookcase/shelves full of Scrapbooking magazines and or Handmade Greeting Card magazines? You can go through your magazines, find the articles you wish to keep and organize them into file folders by category, or in a 3-ring binder. In other words, keep the articles, toss the magazines. There are many Special Edition Magazines that I store in a large 3 ring binder all in tact.

** Choose a designated work area. Scrapbooking is more fun and less of a chore when everything is in one place. If possible designate a room, or a portion of a room, in your home for this activity .Organize your work area for increased productivity. Make sure it’s well lit. Find a comfortable chair to sit on and keep your supplies and tools within arm’s reach.

Organizing your craft supplies Part 1

Organize Scrapbooking Room Part 3

ORGANIZING YOUR CRAFT SUPPLIES – Part 1 of 3

Organizing Your Craft Supplies:

Find the system that works for you. Different personalities require different organization systems. Just get a system that works for you and the space that you work in. Also get a system that will allow you to grow as your supplies grow. You don’t want to keep changing your system all that does is confuse you and then you have no idea where you put things (I know, it’s happened to me).

If you find things easier when they’re alphabetized, then use that type of system. Perhaps you’re better at finding things by color, or maybe you prefer to organize by manufacturer. It’s all about finding the style that makes you most productive.

** Storing photographs. Once your photos are developed (or printed), you need to store them safely until you’re ready to put them in your scrapbook. Keep them separated by year or event. There are so many different products out on the market to store your photos in, just make sure that they are acid free and archival safe. Don’t forget to Label the outside this will save you time later when looking for a specific photo or event.

** Store embellishments and other items. Sometimes, for the purpose of creatively decorating your scrapbook, you may wish to keep tickets, brochures, maps and postcards, golfing score cards that are related to a particular trip or event. Use manila file folders, and label them so you know what is inside. File them away until they’re ready to be used. Once you want to add these articles to you scrapbook page, a good idea will be to spray them with an acid free, archival quality protective coating. Again there are many different kinds on the market. I use a spray from Rogers Craft Source called Scrapbook Protectant Spray.

** Organize paper. Where do you keep all of that cool paper until you’re ready to use it? Many Scrapbookers use paper racks to organize their paper. Vertical paper storage also is a great alternative this is my choice for storing paper. It is easy to pick out your favorite colored or pattern paper quickly. You can get a plastic, portable filing container just make sure that it is archival safe. There are also hanging file folders available. Label the hanging files by theme or color. If you don’t have room for all of these racks and filing cabinets, Crop-In-Style has a portable Paper Taker tote that also works fantastic for all size papers.

You may also want to buy acid free photo boxes to hold blank Greeting Cards and Envelopes for your handmade card. You can label the outside of the box with the size of the cards and also the color of the cardstock. This helps when looking for a specific size/color blank card.

** Storing Rubber Stamps. Shallow, plastic containers work best. You shouldn’t stack rubber stamps; the reason is that it will be easier to see the top of the stamp that shows your design. In my case I have thousands of stamps so I do have some that are stacked but I also have then in plastic containers that are labeled with the theme of the stamps inside.

** Store tiny stuff. For very tiny die-cuts and other small items such as brads or eyelets, check out storage containers at your local craft store or even hardware store. They have great items for organizing. Baby food jars or any clear containers serve the same purpose.

** Keep it together. Already have a pretty good idea of stickers and die-cuts you’re planning to use with a particular set of photographs? Keep them in the same storage product that you have chosen for your photos until you’re ready to put them into your scrapbook. This way, everything will be in one place and ready to use.

Have a Great Day and don’t forget to leave time to Craft!

Organize Craft Supplies Part 2

Organize Scrapbooking Room Part 3

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