In order to make your scrapbook to standout from the rest, you need to tap into your imagination. One thing that comes to mind is making a collage with paper scraps. Take a lot of one type of paper, say construction paper or paper with designs printed on it, and cut it into small pieces. It could be cut into geometric shapes or circles or strips. Whatever shape you use, make sure you have consistency in the size and shape of all the pieces. Get some glue and lightly spread the scraps with the glue on the back and spread it over the page. Make sure that all the scraps overlap each other across the page. It should almost look like the whole page has this geometric design actually "printed" on it.
Or, you could paste these geometric shapes around photos or around embellishments to form a pleasing patern. You could also paste larger pieces of like scraps to form larger background shapes to complement all the elements on the page.
In either case, "set your mind free" and try anything with paper shapes. The more you use different elements and arrange them in different ways, the more your scrapbook will be original!
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Different types of paper can make a dramatic difference in the appearance of your scrapbook. Most often, paper is used as a background for mounting photos within the scrapbook binder. As mentioned before, having a contrasting color of paper behind the photo can bring out the image of the photo. You can also use paper for a frame with an opening for the photo to show through. Another use of paper is to fold it in 3-D shapes and make it an embellishment. If you fold a small brightly colored piece of construction paper like an accordian, you can add it as an embellishment that helps bring out the memory or journal story that is presented.
We have found a great source to purchase paper for your next scrapbook. The website is called "PaperAddict." This site has many different types and designs of paper specially made for scrapbooks. There are over 100 different groupings of specialty paper offered.
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If you have a hard time finding a theme for your next scrapbook, how about picking a theme on national or international holidays and celebrations? As we start October, we think of Halloween (USA celebration) and the popularity especially among children. As mentioned in previous posts, scrapbooking should be a home hobbie that is family friendly. The kids will enjoy working on the scrapbook with the grown ups.
This theme is a great one for embellishments. Imagine, candy corn, wax pumpkins, yellow and black construction paper, pictures with the kids in their Halloween costumes, silhouettes of witches and goblins, and many more items you could insert with a nice 3-D effect.
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Color coordination and contrast will highlight and accent your scrapbook. A well thought out color scheme can help define the theme of a page, attract attention to specific items, or detract away from mistakes. Poorly chosen color schemes, on the other hand, can cause your scrapbook page to look gaudy or mismatched.
Background colors can either be matched, coordinated, or contrasted with the colors in your photographs, mementos, or embellishments. Matching colors add to the continuity of the color scheme. Coordinated colors add depth to scrapbook pages. Contrasted colors focus the eye. In this way, color can be used to create the effect you desire.
A great way to see how colors look together is to collect and compare color wheels from your local paint or hardware store. Paint wheels are usually available free for the taking in nearly any paint department. If you do not have access to a color wheel, use your best judgement on what colors contrast the best. It is recommended to have either a bright color or dark pastel color behind photographs
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well a picture with a scrapbook quote with it is worth many more than a thousand words! Scrapooks are based on enhancing the "story" of what a picture depicts. What a wonderful change if you were to put above or below, a "quote" that refers to the picture with it. It can be in the form of humor, a description of a once in a lifetime event, a specific memory, or a thought generated by yourself that conjures up a specific feeling you had inside.
It is like a comic book. Remember when you would see the "dialog bubble" near the mouth of the people talking to each other. It further depicts what is said along with the drawings of the people who are interacting with each other. Comic artists also draw a "cotton ball" bubble to represent what a person is thinking as opposed to what is said. You can paste a white piece of construction paper in the form of a dialog bubble or cotton bubble to make some comments from the people in your picture.
Either way, whether you have dialog boxes or a quote above or below your pictures, it is a great way to make your design more interesting!
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For more pizazz, you might want to add more of a 3-D effect to your scrapbook.
If you want to create pages that pop up, consider creating your own pages with 3-D embellishments. Collect the items that you will need to create your embellishments. You will want to have plenty of scraps of fabric and felt, as well as wire, felt flowers, small wooden rods, fiber, yarn, die cuts, cotton, and anything else you can think of to create with. Start by thinking of the color scheme you wish to use to create your item. Then think about the page it is going to be displayed on, and choose an item to create that is in line with the page theme.
Start with a die cut and build your embellishment around it. If you are using a die cut of an animal or person, consider adding googgly eyes to it to start the process. Use fabric to add texture and bounce to the design. Be as creative as you possibly can! And do not forget about foam squares to add layers to your creation.
One of the easiest ways to create texture and depth in your scrapbook is to add fibers to the pages. Purchase fun and lively fibers for your pages. One cute idea is to use the fibers to create a look where the pictures look like they are actually in frames and hanging from the wall. The fibers create the string that the picture is "hanging from" and the background paper creates the frame. Use a brad as the "nail."
As you are designing your 3-D pages, keep in mind the safety of your pictures. You want to make sure that there is nothing that will poke or fold your photos, and you don’t want photos rubbing too hard against the facing page. Store your scrapbooks upright, as you don’t want to put too much pressure on the contents. After all, you did so much work to create those 3D embellishments that it would be a shame to squash them flat!
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The latest trend to hit the scrapbook world is digital scrapbooking. With the arrival of the photo editing software programs such as: Photoshop Elements, MicroSoft Publisher, JASC Photo/Paint, and Corel Paint Shop, there is the capability to now work with digital photos that you have on your hard drive of your computer. With these programs, you simply insert a photo into a premade scrapbook page template. Although you can get a very slick looking image, by making "virtual" scrapbook pages, I prefer the "real live" look of a binder that you can actually hold in your hands and share sitting with loved ones and flipping the pages together.
In my opinion, the digital scrapbooks are more for computer and photo editing literate people. There is nothing like laying everything out on the dining room table and going over the photos taken out of the family momento box and "dreaming" of how you are going to assemble all the elements of the binder or album!
For more information on beginning with digital scrapbooking, go to:
http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/digitalscrapbooking/ss/beginnerintro.htm
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I am pleased to announce our very first book on scrapbooking will be released on the first of October. It will have many start up tips and tricks as well as some advanced information on how to begin scrapbooking. It seems we have been getting a lot of email with questions on how much to spend, what embellishments to get, what size scrapbook is goo to start with, and so many more. So, what we decided is to write our first ever scrapbook guide.
Some of the things you will find in this booklet are: tools to use, how to pick photos, how to pick a place in your home to scrapbook, kinds of scrapbook binders, theme ideas, and so much more.
Unfortunately, right now, we are only publishing the book in english but soon to have it translated into many languages.
Come back and visit our site as we are going to go over new scrapbooking themes.
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As mentioned in the previous post. scrapbooking is growing by leaps and bounds as the hobbie to do around the world. There is yet another trend that is developing in the world of scrapbooking…the business of scrapbooking. There are 4 ways you can make money on your favorite hobbie.
- Scrapbook consultant - This is where you represent selling products for a scrapbook store or wholesaler to the public at large.
- Scrapbook teacher - This is probably the most popular. With the skills you already have as a scrapper, you can set up classes either online or in a home and sign up students who would like to learn, from scratch, how to make their own scrapbooks
- Create scrapbooks for others - Here is where you cash in on someone who needs a scrapbook in a short amount of time but has no previous skills in how to make one.
- Online scrapbooking store - This may be a little more involved, but not impossible! This involves lining up suppliers and wholesalers and setting up your own website to sell everything scrapbooking. You could work as an affiliate for other materials manufacturers or suppliers.
So hone your scrapbooking skils and you may soon discover that you can make a decent supplemental income from your love of bringing memories alive!
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After getting some emails from our visitors to this blog, I find that scrapbooking is truly growing around the world! I welcome everyone and will promise to keep you updated on the best tips and news on scrapbooking. To all of our worldly visitors, please make a comment on any post we have here to help us make it a better place to visit!
For those of you in different countries, please send in your pictures of your scrapbook creations. We would love to publish it here on the scrapbook submissions part of our blog. If you have an interesting story that goes with a scrapbook page, please attach a message with it. We will gladly add it to our collection of submissions
Soon, we are going to publish our very first scrapbooking ebook for everything scrapbooking.
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