Digital Scrapbook In Photoshop How-To-Video
How-to for digital fusion scrapbook in Photoshop
This is a 6.17 minutes 'Behind the scenes' video from www.digiscrap101.com
www.digiscrap101.com
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Showing posts with label Scrapbook Journaling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scrapbook Journaling. Show all posts
November 10, 2008
Digital Scrapbook In Photoshop How-To-Video
July 11, 2008
Brown Paper Bag Scrapbook Album. Basic Brown Paper Bag Scrapbook
Brown Paper Bag Scrapbook Album. Basic Brown Paper Bag Scrapbook
This brown paper bag scrapbook album is a great recycled look for your scrapbook albums and shows you how to make a basic brown paper scrapbook bag album as a base for your own designed scrapbooks.
This brown paper bag scrapbook album uses non gusseted lunch bags which can be found in supermarkets in the food packaging sections.
Brown paper bags without gussets are quite lightweight which means your album will not have the same Bulk as a traditional gusseted brown paper bag album.
Start by folding each of your bags 1 inch (2.5cm) in from the bottom. This will create a strong spine for your album.
Stack all your bags together to form the album, making sure they are aligned together.
Next mark out your holes for punching. If you use a metal hole punch that requires you to hit it with a hammer you can punch multiple bags at one time, making the process much faster.
If you want your scrapbook album to be more durable and stable you can include a cardboard front cover and back cover.
Binding your scrapbook album -
There are many different ways to bind a brown paper bag album, you can use ribbons and tie bows, cords and tie knots or you can bind it in a more traditional book binding way as we have done here.
Take your string or cord and thread it through the holes , looping under each hole to form a blanket stitch style.
To finish off the binding we simply threaded it back through each of the loops.
You can bind your scrapbook album however you want, it really is a simple method and there are no rules as such, just make sure it is loose enough to turn your pages.
Once your brown paper bag scrapbook album is bound you can begin creating your scrapbook.
While the majority of scrapbook supplies and papers are considered acid and lignin free, paper bags are not. So please make sure you use duplicate photos when making this project. Non-digital photos can easily be color copied or scanned and printed in a copy store or photo lab.
Scrapbook Brown Paper Bag Materials
Non Gusseted Lunch Bags or Brown paper bags
String or Cord
Hole Punch
Hammer
Scrapbooking As Easy As Cut and Paste
Scrapbooking As Easy As Cut and Paste
Remember back in elementary school making cut-and-paste Mother's Day cards scribbled with crayon flowers and hearts? Or using bright-colored construction paper to build anything from hats to snowflakes?
The possibilities were endless, and it always felt great to finish a one-of-a-kind art project for someone special.
It might be a distant memory for many adults. But for some, those childhood crafts turned into a sophisticated hobby. They call themselves croppers, and there is no formula for their art. Just like when they were kids, they take time to assemble colorful, textured works no one can replicate.
"Forms of scrapbooking have been around for a long time," says consultant Annette Green of Close to My Heart, a direct sales company for scrapbooking materials. "Today, it's a family hobby."
It's such a big family hobby that people spend $2.6 billion on it each year, according to the Craft and Hobby Association, making it the most popular segment of the craft industry.
Green of Melbourne, Fla., says she has at least a dozen completed scrapbooks filled with pictures, cardstock, brads and other objects helping to preserve her family memories.
"I have a room to myself," she says. "It's such a good feeling to sit, remember and go through those old photos. It's an art. I try to make the prettiest pages I can, and I truly enjoy it."
Finding time
"A lot of the feedback I get is, I don't have enough time to scrapbook,' " Green says. "Everybody's busy."
To help free up time, many craft stores sell scrapbooking kits, complete with color-coordinated paper and all the materials needed to make a book.
"If you get a 12-by-12 album kit, you could literally finish it in a day," Green says.
Some scrapbookers add personal touches after the kits are complete.
"People have gone as far as the toolbox and pulled out washers to use for embellishments," Green says. "They use paper clips, ribbon. I use coasters as picture mats."
Scrap trends
Mark Twain and Thomas Jefferson often are cited as early scrapbookers, and some say the craft dates back even further. It's easy to wonder what scrapbooking pioneers would think of today's pages, which are full of glitz and glamour.
One technique that's become popular in recent years is stamping, which is exactly as it sounds. The stamps and inks are much more advanced than they used to be.
Another scrapbooking trend, says Close to My Heart consultant Laura Irsfeld, is adding lots of embellishments.
Candy Forbes, co-owner of the Craft Boutique in Indian Habour Beach, Fla., recently started designing her own line of scrapbooking materials. She says what's hot in scrapbooking depends on the time of year.
"Right now, we're doing all different kinds of flowers with leaves, balloons and ribbons," Forbes says.
Stress relief
Scrapbooking shouldn't fail to spark inner creativity, but if it does, there's another plus side to it - it's an excuse to get out of the house. At scrapbooking events, it's not really about what you're making, it's about the conversation that happens while making it.
"On an open crop night, we sit down and work on our own projects and socialize," Irsfeld says. "It's kind of like a quilting bee."
And it's not just for women. Irsfeld says scrapbooking is starting to attract men, particularly retirees.
If nothing else, scrapbooking is an avenue for escaping the day-to-day.
"It's where I find relief of stress," Irsfeld says.
Source: http://www.azcentral.com/
The possibilities were endless, and it always felt great to finish a one-of-a-kind art project for someone special.
It might be a distant memory for many adults. But for some, those childhood crafts turned into a sophisticated hobby. They call themselves croppers, and there is no formula for their art. Just like when they were kids, they take time to assemble colorful, textured works no one can replicate.
"Forms of scrapbooking have been around for a long time," says consultant Annette Green of Close to My Heart, a direct sales company for scrapbooking materials. "Today, it's a family hobby."
It's such a big family hobby that people spend $2.6 billion on it each year, according to the Craft and Hobby Association, making it the most popular segment of the craft industry.
Green of Melbourne, Fla., says she has at least a dozen completed scrapbooks filled with pictures, cardstock, brads and other objects helping to preserve her family memories.
"I have a room to myself," she says. "It's such a good feeling to sit, remember and go through those old photos. It's an art. I try to make the prettiest pages I can, and I truly enjoy it."
Finding time
"A lot of the feedback I get is, I don't have enough time to scrapbook,' " Green says. "Everybody's busy."
To help free up time, many craft stores sell scrapbooking kits, complete with color-coordinated paper and all the materials needed to make a book.
"If you get a 12-by-12 album kit, you could literally finish it in a day," Green says.
Some scrapbookers add personal touches after the kits are complete.
"People have gone as far as the toolbox and pulled out washers to use for embellishments," Green says. "They use paper clips, ribbon. I use coasters as picture mats."
Scrap trends
Mark Twain and Thomas Jefferson often are cited as early scrapbookers, and some say the craft dates back even further. It's easy to wonder what scrapbooking pioneers would think of today's pages, which are full of glitz and glamour.
One technique that's become popular in recent years is stamping, which is exactly as it sounds. The stamps and inks are much more advanced than they used to be.
Another scrapbooking trend, says Close to My Heart consultant Laura Irsfeld, is adding lots of embellishments.
Candy Forbes, co-owner of the Craft Boutique in Indian Habour Beach, Fla., recently started designing her own line of scrapbooking materials. She says what's hot in scrapbooking depends on the time of year.
"Right now, we're doing all different kinds of flowers with leaves, balloons and ribbons," Forbes says.
Stress relief
Scrapbooking shouldn't fail to spark inner creativity, but if it does, there's another plus side to it - it's an excuse to get out of the house. At scrapbooking events, it's not really about what you're making, it's about the conversation that happens while making it.
"On an open crop night, we sit down and work on our own projects and socialize," Irsfeld says. "It's kind of like a quilting bee."
And it's not just for women. Irsfeld says scrapbooking is starting to attract men, particularly retirees.
If nothing else, scrapbooking is an avenue for escaping the day-to-day.
"It's where I find relief of stress," Irsfeld says.
Source: http://www.azcentral.com/
June 26, 2008
Scrapbooking Page Layout Beginners Tips
Scrapbooking Page Layout Beginners Tips
If you are creating a scrapbook page for a magazine cover, then that's one thing, but, if you are interested in organizing a bunch of photos into meaningful scrapbook pages keep this in mind:
KISS--Keep It Simple Sweetie--KISS
The scrapbooking magazines are full of scrapbook layouts that look great and take several hours each to complete. And if you'll notice, they often have only one or two photos per page. Most of us have way too many photos we want to include to take that approach.
So here is a compromise; why not make an elaborate 'cover' page that only has one or two photos & describes the events and behind it include several very simple pages of many more photos and maybe a sticker or two. If you use the same colored background for all these pages it would 'group' them nicely. Or just include plastic sleeves of photos after the cover page if it is a big trip and you have lots of photos.
Scrapbook Layouts
Generally, I find that I can cut (crop) alot of boring or repetitive background off of photos without loosing any of the impact of the picture. In fact, it is just the opposite. Good cropping makes a photo look better. This also lets me get more photos on my page. Generally photos look best with straight edges and a narrow colored mat that 'picks up' one of the colors in the photo. Save the fancy edged scissors for decorative borders or the mat around the photo.
I find rectangular photos lend themselves to a page arrangement with the corners of some pictures overlapping another photo. I can hide clutter or unsightly background and give a movement to the layout with a path for the eye to follow.
Scrapbook Page Titles
I find it easiest to make my title cut-out letters or title box a separate piece of paper that I attach to my layout. That way, I can move it around and see where it looks and fits best and if I goof-up, it is easier to fix. If I'm using alphabet letters I printed from my sets, and it looks a bit too big, I can print another sheet at 75% size. You can use my Free Instant Scrapbook Page Title Maker.
Scrapbook Journaling
This is 'scrapbook talk' for the text or writing that you put on the page to describe the event. It is easiest by far to do this on a separate piece of paper and attach to the layout than writing directly onto the page. You can draw light lines to guide you or use a light-box with a piece of lined paper underneath. I love using a glass topped table with a lamp sitting on the floor underneath for a BIG light-box. A sunny window works too but you'll have to write upright like a teacher on a blackboard !! Many of my sets include text boxes made especially for journaling with light lines on them. Remember that you can print them in different sizes to suit your page. One of our sets is all journaling boxes in lots of colors and sizes. Remember you can always print them in pastels by using your printer's 'draft' or 'economy' setting.
You can also do your journaling on a computer or typewriter and cut out the text to attach to your layout. There are a gazillion free fonts on the internet that you can download & install on your computer, just go to www.Google.com and do a search for 'free fonts' and spend 5 days looking at the results!! Your computer probably already has fonts that would be fine.
Scrapbook Ideas for Your Baby Album
Scrapbook Ideas for Your Baby Album
A scrapbook album of your babys first year is one of the most special albums youll ever complete. There are so many magical memories, beginning with the pregnancy itself and continuing right through your babys first birthday. Below are a number of scrapbook page ideas to help you capture those precious moments.
Title Page
A great way to start the album is by matting a 5x7 or 8x10 of your babys hospital photo on the first page. Then add the babys name and birthdate as the title and subtitle respectively. This makes a very simple yet very beautiful page.
Baby on the Way
How did you celebrate the news that your baby was on the way? Maybe it was a quiet dinner just for you and your husband or a gathering with family and friends. Either way, remember to include some pictures of the celebration. Capture peoples reactions to the annoucement in photos. In addition, you may even want to take a picture of the pregnancy test showing the positive results.
The Ultrasound
If you had multiple ultrasounds during your pregnancy, include pictures from different points in time so you can see how your baby was growing. You may also want to include one that shows the graph of the heartbeat. In addition to journaling about the ultrasound pictures, this is a great place to journal about any nicknames you may have had for your baby before it was born.
The Belly
Starting at three months, when the pregnancy bulge is just barely noticeable, have someone take a monthly side-view picture of you. Pose in front of the same background each time so that the pictures are consistent. Try to fit all of the photos on one page (or a two-page spread), so you can really appreciate the month-by-month progression.
The Nursery
Include photos of the nursery all ready and waiting for baby; take pictures from different angles to show everything in the room. Be sure to include pictures of anything that has special meaning such as a bassinet that has been in the family for multiple generations, a special blanket made by Grandma, etc. Also, if you have one, include a photo to show what the room was before it became a nursery.
Welcome Baby
Those first pictures taken of your baby after the birth are some of the most precious ones youll ever have. Rememer to include your baby being weighed, having his/her footprints done, being examined, getting a bath, etc. You can put memorabilia such as the footprint card, bassinet name tag and baby id bracelet on these pages. Include key information/statistics in your journaling babys full name, date, day, time, weight, length, details about your labor, name of the doctor/midwife, etc.
Mom, Dad and Baby
Its wonderful to have a page with pictures of just the three of you Mom, Dad and Baby and then include siblings, grandparents, etc. on other pages. Journal about how you felt upon meeting your baby for the first time, whether your baby resembled anyone in the family, how your baby reacted to hearing your voice, etc.
The Rest of the Clan
Once you have a page or two of Mom, Dad and Baby photos, its time to include the siblings if your baby has any. Capture how excited they are to meet their new baby brother/sister and how proud they are to be big brothers/big sisters. This is also a great page to put any little cards, drawings, etc. that siblings may have made to welcome your new baby.
Visitors at the Hospital
Your new baby is sure to have many visitors at the hospital such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and more. Include a picture of each one holding the baby and write an interesting fact and/or anecdote about each person in your journaling. Also, you may want to include pictures of the doctor/midwife who delivered your baby, the labor nurse and/or the doula.
Going Home
Going home from the hospital is a big event! On this page you can include pictures of leaving the hospital, a photo of the outside of the hospital, and the birth announcement. Journal about who took you and the baby home, what the weather was like for your babys first time ever outside, what he/she was wearing for a "going home" outfit, and what he/she did during the car ride home.
The New Family
Its nice to have a couple of pages showing the new family settling in at home over those first few days. Be sure to include a picture of everyone (Mom, Dad, siblings) with the new baby, plus a picture of the whole family. Put some of the flowers and balloons received as gifts in the background of the pictures to add a special touch. This is a great place to journal about how the family dynamic changes when the new little one joins the clan.
Visitors at Home
In addition to having photos of the visitors that came to meet your baby at the hospital, youll also want to have pictures of the visitors at your home. Again, include a picture of each one holding the baby and write an interesting fact and/or anecdote about each person in your journaling.
Siblings
If your baby has siblings, you can make a separate page for each sibling with lots of photos of the big brother/big sister with the new baby. Depending on how old the sibling is, he/she may be able to help you create the album page by arranging photos, picking out embellishments and providing input for the journaling (e.g., what is the best thing about being a big brother/big sister).
Heritage
If your baby is lucky enough to meet his/her great-grandparents, have a page or two with pictures of them holding the baby. Ask the great-grandparents to share some of their most cherished childhood memories so you can include them in your journaling. When your baby is older, he/she can read their stories to get a glimpse of childhoods long ago.
Source: Author Lisa Fleming is an avid scrapbooker and the owner of Scrapbook Town, LLC
Title Page
A great way to start the album is by matting a 5x7 or 8x10 of your babys hospital photo on the first page. Then add the babys name and birthdate as the title and subtitle respectively. This makes a very simple yet very beautiful page.
Baby on the Way
How did you celebrate the news that your baby was on the way? Maybe it was a quiet dinner just for you and your husband or a gathering with family and friends. Either way, remember to include some pictures of the celebration. Capture peoples reactions to the annoucement in photos. In addition, you may even want to take a picture of the pregnancy test showing the positive results.
The Ultrasound
If you had multiple ultrasounds during your pregnancy, include pictures from different points in time so you can see how your baby was growing. You may also want to include one that shows the graph of the heartbeat. In addition to journaling about the ultrasound pictures, this is a great place to journal about any nicknames you may have had for your baby before it was born.
The Belly
Starting at three months, when the pregnancy bulge is just barely noticeable, have someone take a monthly side-view picture of you. Pose in front of the same background each time so that the pictures are consistent. Try to fit all of the photos on one page (or a two-page spread), so you can really appreciate the month-by-month progression.
The Nursery
Include photos of the nursery all ready and waiting for baby; take pictures from different angles to show everything in the room. Be sure to include pictures of anything that has special meaning such as a bassinet that has been in the family for multiple generations, a special blanket made by Grandma, etc. Also, if you have one, include a photo to show what the room was before it became a nursery.
Welcome Baby
Those first pictures taken of your baby after the birth are some of the most precious ones youll ever have. Rememer to include your baby being weighed, having his/her footprints done, being examined, getting a bath, etc. You can put memorabilia such as the footprint card, bassinet name tag and baby id bracelet on these pages. Include key information/statistics in your journaling babys full name, date, day, time, weight, length, details about your labor, name of the doctor/midwife, etc.
Mom, Dad and Baby
Its wonderful to have a page with pictures of just the three of you Mom, Dad and Baby and then include siblings, grandparents, etc. on other pages. Journal about how you felt upon meeting your baby for the first time, whether your baby resembled anyone in the family, how your baby reacted to hearing your voice, etc.
The Rest of the Clan
Once you have a page or two of Mom, Dad and Baby photos, its time to include the siblings if your baby has any. Capture how excited they are to meet their new baby brother/sister and how proud they are to be big brothers/big sisters. This is also a great page to put any little cards, drawings, etc. that siblings may have made to welcome your new baby.
Visitors at the Hospital
Your new baby is sure to have many visitors at the hospital such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and more. Include a picture of each one holding the baby and write an interesting fact and/or anecdote about each person in your journaling. Also, you may want to include pictures of the doctor/midwife who delivered your baby, the labor nurse and/or the doula.
Going Home
Going home from the hospital is a big event! On this page you can include pictures of leaving the hospital, a photo of the outside of the hospital, and the birth announcement. Journal about who took you and the baby home, what the weather was like for your babys first time ever outside, what he/she was wearing for a "going home" outfit, and what he/she did during the car ride home.
The New Family
Its nice to have a couple of pages showing the new family settling in at home over those first few days. Be sure to include a picture of everyone (Mom, Dad, siblings) with the new baby, plus a picture of the whole family. Put some of the flowers and balloons received as gifts in the background of the pictures to add a special touch. This is a great place to journal about how the family dynamic changes when the new little one joins the clan.
Visitors at Home
In addition to having photos of the visitors that came to meet your baby at the hospital, youll also want to have pictures of the visitors at your home. Again, include a picture of each one holding the baby and write an interesting fact and/or anecdote about each person in your journaling.
Siblings
If your baby has siblings, you can make a separate page for each sibling with lots of photos of the big brother/big sister with the new baby. Depending on how old the sibling is, he/she may be able to help you create the album page by arranging photos, picking out embellishments and providing input for the journaling (e.g., what is the best thing about being a big brother/big sister).
Heritage
If your baby is lucky enough to meet his/her great-grandparents, have a page or two with pictures of them holding the baby. Ask the great-grandparents to share some of their most cherished childhood memories so you can include them in your journaling. When your baby is older, he/she can read their stories to get a glimpse of childhoods long ago.
Source: Author Lisa Fleming is an avid scrapbooker and the owner of Scrapbook Town, LLC
May 1, 2008
Video Scrapbook Lessons - Scrapbook Classes at Home
Scrap Tutor - Scrapbook Classes at Home
Are You...
too busy to attend scrapbook classes?
too far from a local scrapbook store to attend classes?
too distracted in a traditional class setting?
Now you can take scrapbook classes on your computer!
Scrap Tutor lets you learn at a pace and place that's comfortable for you.
Thousands of people have taken our scrapbook classes, and like them you won't find a better price—about $1 per class! Click here to learn more about online scrapbooking classes
We offer an alternative to costly classes at local scrapbook stores and conventions. Our 28 classes teach you techniques and concepts that are useful in any scrapbook.
Our Teaching Method
Scrap Tutor is a collection of lessons about scrapbooking that you take using your computer. Each lesson uses a variety of teaching methods. These methods have been combined to help you learn (and retain) the design principles we teach for life.
Video Scrapbook Lessons
These step-by-step videos show you how each technique or concept is used in your scrapbooks. You'll actually watch someone scrapbook in front of you, with the ability to watch the videos over and over again.
Example Layouts from Top Artists
These quality, larger-than-life layouts come complete with the artist's comments so you hear directly from the creator of each layout. They also provide a supply list for the layouts, tell you how they did each one.
Printable Scrapbook Lessons with Examples
We've gathered some of the best scrapbook teachers together to create extensive yet easy-to-understand lessons. You can read them using your computer or print them off for a handy reference.
Tips and Tricks
Each lesson contains helpful "tips and tricks" that will give you extra pointers beyond the core lesson.
Online Message Boards
The learning doesn't stop at home. You'll get access to the Scrap Tutor message boards. There you can ask questions directly to our teachers and other scrappers.
These lessons include:
45 Minutes of Video Instruction
125+ Layouts from Top Artists
14 Printable Step by Step Lessons
Access to the Scrap Tutor Message Boards
Chalking - Chalks are a great way to add subtle dimension to page embellishments. We'll show you how to create shadows and highlights using chalks to enhance your designs.
Color Blocking - Simple color blocking is a classic way to design your pages. Our lesson and pages examples will show how to create the many different variations of color blocking.
Dry Embossing - Discover tips and tricks for dry embossing. The subtle raised design is a fantastic way to embellish and decorate a page.
Embellishments - We'll tell you all about the different types of embellishments that are available and show you how to use them on your pages.
Eyelets - Eyelets are great fasteners and design elements. Learn how to set them and see how to use them as accents on your page.
Heat Embossing - We'll take you step by step through the process of heat embossing and tell you all about the different techniques and variations of using heat embossing on your pages.
Mats and Frames - Framing your photographs is a great way to draw attention to them. Learn some design tricks for highlighting your photos with mats and frames.
Mosaic - Mosaics add an artistic element to photos and paper designs. We'll demonstrate how to create various styles of mosaics and discuss when to use them effectively.
Paper Tearing - Paper tearing is a simple technique that adds wonderful texture to a page. We'll show you how easy it is and give some handy tips to make every tear come out just right.
Quilling - Quilling uses rolled papers strips to create wonderful and intricate designs. We'll show you the tools and the tricks to easily create quilled designs.
Shabby Chic - Learn the aging and weathering techniques associated with the Shabby Chic style.
Stitching - Stitching isn't just for fabric anymore. We'll give you ideas for using hand stitched and machine stitching in your scrapbook pages.
Template Lettering - Discover template lettering techniques and learn ways to use your templates more effectively.
Wire - Find out how to twist and bend wire to create titles and embellishments. Learn about the tools and tips that make wire-working easy.
Borders - See how a border can be an excellent design feature for your layouts. We'll demonstrate a variety of techniques used to create unique borders.
Journaling Design - We'll help make your journaling unique and exciting to read by giving multiple ideas for how to format and display your words.
Photo Corners - Whether you're creating functional or decorative photo corners, we'll give you some great ideas for designing photo corners that help to enhance and protect your photographs.
Pockets - Learn to create pockets to hold precious memorabilia. We'll show you many styles and functionalities of pockets used on scrapbook pages.
Shakers - Shakers add excitement to your pages. We'll spark your imagination with ideas to design, create and fill fantastic shaker boxes.
Tags - Tags are popular page embellishments. We'll help you discover the versatility of using tags in all kinds of ways on your layouts.
Title Design - Designing an appealing title is often overlooked when creating a layout. We'll teach many variations of lettering and design ideas to help you create better titles.
Color Coordinating - Learn more about color combinations that work, how to pick the right colors for your layout, and how specific colors can evoke different moods and emotions.
Composition - Creating balance and unity in a layout isn't always easy. We'll teach you easy principles that help create balanced layouts every time.
Focal Point - A focal point tells what a page is about at a quick glance. We'll give you ideas to make the focal point shine on your scrapbook pages.
Negative Space - Even the space is empty on a layout is an important part of the overall look. Learn how to use the negative space of a page in an effective way.
Photo Cropping - We'll teach you multiple photo cropping techniques to draw focus and add artistic appeal to your photographs.
Photo Editing - Just because you don't have the perfect picture, doesn't mean you can't create it with some creative editing. Learn techniques to alter your photos to enhance and add interest to them.
Typeface - Fonts and lettering make all the difference in the look and feel of a layout. We'll show you how to pick and choose fonts, which type of fonts look best together, and how to use typeface to enhance your pages.
Click here to learn more about online scrapbooking classes
April 24, 2008
Scrapbooking Journals. Jumpstart Your Journal
A Dozen Ways to Jumpstart Your Journal Ideas to help you get writing in your journal.
Keeping a journal is a great way to gather your thoughts, capture creative ideas and also to release stress by expressing your emotions. But sometimes when keeping a journal, you can wind up coming to the page feeling like you have nothing to say at that moment. You really have a lot to say, deep inside of you, all of the time. Lots of dreams, daydreams, memories and goals that you want to achieve are inside of you - that you can put in your journal. People keep journals for different reasons, at different times in their lives. Sometimes using a "jumpstart" can help you get to a deeper issue, or to a creative brainstorm that is just waiting to happen. Whether you already keep a journal, or are interested in starting one, here are a dozen ways to "jumpstart" your journal writing.
What's in there? -- What has been catching your eye over and over? What song can't you get out of your head? We all pick up on outside images and words around us. Explore why you are focusing on something in your world at this time, what it could mean to you, or what you already are aware that it means to you.
What trend do you love? -- What new style, technology or entertainment trend appeals to you? Is there an object that you would love to own, something that you are saving up for? Is there a television show, or technology that fascinates you?
Envision your future -- What will your life be like five years from now. What will it be like a year from now? Be as descriptive as possible, using words and images to picture your family, career, hobbies and personal goals. What issues or goals does this future vision bring to your present day for you?
Childhood lessons -- Not all of our lessons come from a classroom. What did you learn as a child? Who motivated and inspired you? Who challenged you to do things differently -- and made your life better for it? What talents developed during your youth? Delve into your childhood and explore its gifts.
The season -- Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer... the seasons are always changing, always subtle shifts around us. Each has its gifts and its challenges. What has the current season brought to you? What have you treasured from other years from the same season? What do you love about this season, and what rituals do you return to each year for this season (apple picking in the fall, building a snowman in the winter, planting new bulbs in the spring, going to the beach in the summer).
Presents and Presence -- What was the best gift you were ever given? Who gave it to you and why? What was the most memorable gift you received? What gifts have you given that were special?
Home Sweet Home -- How do you feel about your home? If the rooms could speak, what would they say to you? What would you say to them? What would you like to change about your home? What is the most powerful memory that occured in your home?
Pages and Screens -- What books and movies have motivated you to think differently, or inspired you to take action? What are you reading or viewing now and how does it make you feel? What books or movies would you give a child? An adult?
Beautiful Music -- What songs did you love as a child? As a teenager - what songs remind you the most of this time? What songs have great meaning from your adult life?
Dreams -- What are your dreams telling you? Dreams are full of their own language, imagery and words and sensations. The more you practice remembering your dreams, the more you are able to remember them.
Clothing & Jewelry -- What clothing and jewelry remind you of important times in your life? What did your mother wear for a special occasion? What did your sister wear? What was the first piece of clothing that was bought for you that meant you were "growing up"? What clothing did you like the most from your teen years?
Planes, trains and automobiles -- Write about memorable trips you have taken -- whether by car, air or rails. Where did you go? What was unexpected about the trip? What did you love/hate about travel? Where do you want to go in the future?
Source: Abigail Amy Beal is a journal writer and publishes the ezine Capture Memories Create Treasures, an ezine for scrapbooking, journal writing and memory crafts. Each monthly issue features projects and ideas to capture memories and create treasures. Contact: capturememoriescreatetreasures@yahoo.com. To subscribe: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/capturememoriescreatetreasures/
Scrapbook Journaling . Stress-Free Scrapbook Journaling Ideas
Adding journaling to your scrapbook pages doesn't have to be a cause for writer's block. Use these helpful tips.
Do you find it intimidating when you come to journal your scrapbook pages?
You are not alone! Many scrapbookers find it hard to get started when it comes to adding journaling to their scrapbooking layouts.
If you are one of those people who go blank at the thought of having to journal, don’t worry. Here are some stress-free scrapbooking journaling ideas to help you write the right words whatever your page theme.
Make a list
This is a fairly simple journaling technique that is suitable for use with any type of page theme, for example:
Doing a friendship page - list how you met, where you met, how long you have known each other, include what you like about your friend and why you are both pals.
Doing a recipe scrapbook page - then make a personal top 10 list of reasons why you like Grandma’s chocolate cake so much.
Doing a baby layout - do a list of baby’s favorite foods, you can even do one for the foods they don’t like!
A variation of this technique is to use bullet points to mark each line on your list, giving you an opportunity to empathise each item of your journaling:
Anguilla
April 2004
My first trip to the Caribbean
This is the view from my hotel balcony overlooking the cove – I can’t wait to go swimming the sea looks so nice!
Make sure you have fun experimenting with all the different kinds of embellishments that you can use as your bullet points!
Another bonus with using the list technique is that you do not need to worry about the structure of your sentences or that your journaling makes sense because the list breaks down what you want to say into it’s basic readable form.
Write a Letter
This is one of those great scrapbook journaling ideas that’s fairly simple to do and it’s also a lovely, personal way to journal your layouts too.
All you have to do is pretend you’re writing to a friend telling them what is happening in your photographs and including the “Dear ….” at the beginning of your writing will give your journaling an intimate feel.
Sent any emails lately? Like letters, emails are also a good source of journaling material that you can use for your layouts.
If you are unsure of your own journaling then doing it in a letter format could help your writing flow more easily, as you describe the people and the events taking place, letting you tell the story naturally and in your own words.
Ask a question
If you are completely stuck and cannot think of anything to write this can be a good quick fix technique to use. Just ask some simple questions like, “What was your favorite part of..?” or “Did anything funny or embarrassing happen?”.
This technique can be very effective when used for a special occasion layout, like a bridal shower, where you can ask each of the guests to tell you about their favorite memory of the bride-to-be.
Why not take it a stage further? Give each shower guest some suitable decorative paper and let them write down their own memories rather than journal all of them yourself.
For an extra special touch, you could get the guests to bring with them their favorite photo of the bride-to-be. Ask them to journal why they picked that particular picture and then do a separate layout for each individual photo.
This is an effective way to make a wonderful and unique scrapbook that is quick, simple and full of memorable pieces of journaling that add a very personal feel to the album.
If you are one of those people who find it difficult to begin the journaling process these fun scrapbook journaling ideas will provide you with some basic tips and techniques to help make it easier.
So go on, try out the scrapbook journaling ideas above for yourself and add some stress-free journaling to your pages... Once you’ve finished you’ll see that it’s been well worth the effort.
Source: Elaine Clay is the owner of Online-Scrapbooking-Guide.com - your one-stop online scrapbooking resource. Find inspiration, increase your creativity and have fun with our helpful tips, ideas, articles and much more.
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