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/

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

Digital Scrapbook Pages from Scratch

How to Create a Digital Scrapbook Pages from Scratch

Creating your own digital scrapbooking page from scratch doesn’t have to be difficult. Computer scrapbooking is cost-effective and mess-free. Just follow this simple step-by-step process and you will be on your way to designing your own digital scrapbook layouts in no time.

First, open the digital scrapbook program you will be using and set your page size. Traditionally 12 x 12, 9 x 9 and 6 x 6 sizes are used for scrapbook pages. If you don’t know how to run the basics of your program, be sure to use the tutorial or have the instruction manual handy while you create your digital page layout.

Second, you should select your background design and color fill for the page from your digital scrapbooking graphics. You can do this by opening the background papers and adding the desired background to your page.

The third step is to locate your photos, copy and paste them to your layout, then resize them and rotate them into the right position.

Now, use the text options to select a font and add a title to your page. Then using the text tool, insert some journaling on your layout.

You are almost finished. Next, add some embellishments to the page. You can do this by using the embellishment files in your specialty digital scrapbook software or downloading digital scrapbooking graphics from another source and dragging and dropping the embellishments on to your page.

Once your have completed your page and everything looks fabulous, save your work and get ready to print.

It’s that easy. Use your photo-friendly printer to print out the beautiful digitally-enhanced page you just created and add it to your book of memories.

Scrapbooking With Paper Bag Albums. Paper Bag Mini Scrapbooks

Paper Bag Scrapbook Albums. Paper Bag Mini Scrapbooking Technique

Paper bag albums are little books that make wonderful mini scrapbooks. They can be assembled in a limited amount of time. Did you know you could use plain brown bags to make an appealing little scrapbook album?

Typical brown or white lunch bags can be folded into a small memory book that you can use for gifts, school memories, brag books, etc.

Here is what you will need to make your Scrapbook Paper Bag Album:

Paper bags (brown or white)
Heavy-duty hole punch or eyelet punch
Stamps, stickers or die cuts
Scissors
Adhesive
Embellishments (ribbons, eyelets, brads, tags, etc)
Cardstock and background paper (variety of matching colors)

The first step is to fold your paper bags into a book shape. You can use as many bags as you would like but three to five is recommended. Lay out your bags alternating the flaps so all the thickness doesn't end up on one side. Now, put them on top of each other and fold them into an album. You might want to sew down the middle of the book in order to keep the bags in place and prevent them from shifting and tearing your binding. Next, punch holes down the folds (binding) and use ribbons or other materials to bind the book together.

Cut your papers into squares that will fit the size of your album and adhere them to your pages. Decorate your pages just like you would a typical scrapbook. Make photo mats for your pictures, use background papers, etc. You could dress up your pages with stamps, stickers; die cuts and other scrapbooking embellishments.

These books are great for kids to experiment with, too. Paper bags are not memory safe so you might want to treat the paper with an acid reducing spray in order to protect your pictures and preserve your album.

Originality in Scrapbooking. Including Quotes on Your Scrapbook Pages.

Originality in Scrapbooking. Including Quotes on Your Scrapbook Pages.

Originality in scrapbooking is essential. You can create original pages with exclusive ideas. Including journaling on your layouts is one way to tell about the photographs and help you remember what was going on during that time period.

Srapbooking quotes for your pages are a wonderful way to add some "elegance" to your page layouts. Famous quotes for your era are fun to have in your books. You can also include quotes from family members about the people in the pictures.

For baby books you can quote your child or record "first words" and funny sayings and phrases.

Including quotes in on your pages will make them unique but make them interesting for others to view.