Cropping and Matting Your Scrapbook Photos

There are many different aspects of making a scrapbook. These different things are what make a scrapbook unique and what make it different from an ordinary photo album. When it comes to these things, cropping and matting are important steps that help make your photos look great in your scrapbook for many years to come.

Cropping refers to removing unneeded background from your photos so that they look better or the photo only focuses on the most important part of the scene. Matting refers to putting a border around the photo, similar to a picture frame. This is usually done with paper, cardstock or matting materials.

Both of these techniques can help your scrapbook photos look their absolute best. The images will pop from your scrapbook and it can even add to the theme and the overall appeal of the book.

Cropping can be simple such as the type of digital cropping that is often used to edit a photo or it can be done with fancy shapes and styles to make the photo more interesting for a scrapbook. There are even scrapbooking tools to help you do this.

If you want to crop your photo, you need to first select the photo that you want to use. Then you want to choose a shape that's going to flatter the photograph that you have chosen. When cropping, you want to be sure you don't remove anything important from the background. Things like cars, houses or the background of where you';re at can be just as important as the subject on the photo in many cases.

You can also find scrapbooking templates around to help you with cropping your photos. To use these templates, you just place them over your photo kind of like a stencil. 'Then you trace it lightly with a pencil and all you have to do is cut along the line you've traced.

Another way to crop is to trim around the edge of the photo to make the photo smaller but without losing the original shape of the photo. You can also use a ruler to help keep your edges straight when you crop.

When it comes to matting, you can use cardstock to make a border for your photos. This gives your scrapbook photos a border like a picture frame. You can use mats in one color, in assorted colors and in other designs and themes to match the theme of your scrapbook. You can also use different types of scissors to cut your mats to make more designs.

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Photoshop Brushes - Fun to Create and to Use

Are you new to Adobe Photoshop? The program is huge, and powerful but often scary to new users. Knowing how to create your own brushes is a handy trick; it helps you to personalize your images and other creations.

Photoshop brushes are easy to create, and if you save your new brush, you can use it in many of your projects.

1. Why Create Your Own Photoshop Brushes?

The primary reason to save something as a Photoshop brush is so that you can use the item again at a click.

The item you want to reuse could be as simple as a digital signature, or a watermark which you want to add to your images before you post them online, so that you display ownership.

Perhaps you're creating a website design, and want to create a brush from a business's stylized logo. You can use your new brush in the site design to add coherence.

You'll find lots of uses for your own brushes if you're a hobbyist. Whether you just want to add some pizazz and flair to your images, or create a complete design for stationery or a photo album.

If you're into scrapbooking, creating your own brushes lets you create outstanding original designs which will give you great pleasure and will draw lots of compliments.

2. Create a New Brush in Minutes

You can create new brushes from scratch, or you can create them from images you've already designed. (If you're using others' images, be sure that you have the rights to do this.)

To create a brush, create a new document, and create the image you want to use as a brush. Your image must be in black, on a white background.

Drag a marquee selection around the image, and choose Define Brush Preset from the Edit menu. Type a name for your new brush, and you're done. Now check your brushes palette -- your new brush will appear at the end.

Interested in digital photography? Visit the Fab Digital Photography Blog for help with photography, as well as Adobe Photoshop. Get the information to help you in your business, or with your hobby: http://www.fabdigitalphotography.com/blog/

The Art of Scrapbooking - 3 Steps to the Scrapbooking Hobby

Don't be afraid of learning the art of the scrapbook hobby. It's easy and fun, bringing you years of memories and joy.

WHAT IS A SCRAPBOOKING HOBBY?

People have been practicing the scrapbooking hobby since the 15th century when scrapbooks were regarded as commonplace books. Memorabilia, pictures or printed media are placed in a album where they are permanently stored on pages for easy viewing.

Each scrapbook is uniquely made according to the owner's own interests, a showcase of sorts, to remember events, family or favorite subjects by. The scrapbooking hobby was started in England and advanced throughout the world until the 1960s began a new era in artform by using a multitude of different materials.

CHOOSE A FAVORITE SUBJECT

Beginning the art of scrapbooking is as easy as thinking about what you love the most. It may be your family tree, a favorite area of the world, your school years or a series of pets. There are no rules in what your scrapbook hobby has to be about; only that you have a deep passion for the subject.

A memorable trip to a zoo could make a fascinating scrapbook hobby for a child, posting pictures of the event, writing personal thoughts and being able to keep as a memorable experience.

WHAT TYPE OF SCRAPBOOKING

Scrapbooks are usually thought of as consisting of bound letter sized paper (8 ½ x 11 inches) but there are several other options for your scrapbooking hobby today. 6, 7 or 8 inch square albums are picking up popularity and many manufacturers are racing to provide paper and clear page covers to accommodate these sizes.

Digital or computer scrapbooks are another area if you wish to swap your artwork on the internet with others. Digiscrappin' is a great scrapbooking hobby where you not only get to present your best work, but they can also be traded with others for their great work - sort of like a souvenir.

MATERIALS FOR YOUR SCRAPBOOK

Once only a hard cardboard cover with thick paper pages, the scrapbook hobby has taken on an entirely new look in the past ten years. Elaborate covers made of different grades of cardboard or material covered give you several options as to the cover design.

Specialized tools such as rubber stamps, craft punches, stencils, inking tools, eyelet setters, heat embossing tools and die cut templates make every page unique to its subject. Every imaginable color and type of paper and stickers can be found in craft stores and on the internet for your own personal creation.

DESIGNING AND CREATING

Now that you have a subject, a scrapbook and the materials at hand, you are free to arrange each page with the perfect background. Accents surrounding your photos, and thoughts, make the subject jump off of the page and add humor or nostalgia to your scene.

A joyful event with a loved family member could be surrounded with hearts and flowers or a mean looking tiger in a cage with scary stickers. The thoughts that you have while working on your scrapbooking hobby is what makes your book so special. Your scrapbook hobby is a special time for you and others to share... so be creative and spontaneous with your mind.

If you are interested in learning more, check out: http://www.scrapbookinghobby.org

Digital Scrapbooking Business - What's Stopping You?

A digital scrapbooking business you can run from home is appealing for lots of reasons but do you also feel you have a few hurdles to overcome? Well I don't want to be rude but they're mostly in your head you know. In fact when you look at it sensibly there's really nothing to stop you!

Do you think you don't know enough about digital scrapbooking software? Well the internet is absolutely awash with free tutorials. Many of the top sources for digital scrapbooking supplies have dozens of free lessons, even videos, to show you what to do.

Honestly, if you've never done a digital scrapbook in your life, but you're passionate about scrapbooking and you realize the advantages of doing it on your computer then learning the basics is fast and free. You'll soon find yourself capable of more and more and the big bonus is that you can build on your skills while you earn.

But what about all those digital layouts, papers and embellishments? It could take weeks to make those, couldn't it.

Well yes, and when you're starting your digital scrapbooking business you don't want to be slowed down by a lack of basic designs, but there again the same sites that have tutorials also have very cheap supplies. They start at just a dollar or two and even some of the most expensive digital scrapbooking kits, which have a huge amount of valuable content, are under ten dollars.

Bear in mind as well that these are digital scrapbook supplies that you can use over and over again. It's not like buying traditional scrapbook paper that runs out - digital paper lasts forever!

So those things aren't a cost, they're a long-term investment.

So what is stopping you, really? You can run it from home. You can fit it around existing commitments. You already have the two most important things, a computer and access to the internet. The digital scrapbooking programs are well established, fairly easy to learn and tutorials are free.

Truth is, if you really want it there's nothing to stop you, and with a global market of over 2 billion dollars a year you can build your digital scrapbooking business to whatever size you want you want!

You'll find lots more free professional information and scrapbook business help at Digital Scrapbooking Business where you can also download a valuable free report from well known scrapbooking teacher Dawn Stegall. If you're thinking about making money from scrapbooking you don't want to ignore help like this!

How to Make a Disney Scrapbook Album

Coming home from a Disney vacation doesn't have to be the end of your trip. Vacation memories can last forever in a Disney scrapbook album.

You have to preserve your vacation memories in order for them to live on. You'll always want to remember hugging Mickey Mouse and eating ice cream on Main Street USA. Your Disney scrapbooking album will be your guide to your own memories. Making an album requires taking many pictures while on vacation.

Be sure to snap shots of all of your fun activities. Try taking more candid shots than posed shots as that's where the true magic lies. Upon returning home, get all your pictures together by printing them out or having your film developed. You can then choose a theme for your Disney scrapbook album or do a random layout.

Spend time focusing on what each page should look like, and then go for it. It's totally your call, so have fun. One important thing to note here is that your Disney scrapbook album won't design itself.

You have to set aside time to work on your album, and the sooner you sit down to scrap after returning from vacation, the better as your memories will still be fresh. Once you have the designs and layout ideas you want to use, then start putting the pieces together.

Be sure to journal, or write a bit, about each picture so that youll remember exactly what was happening when the picture was taken. Soon, you'll have a finished Disney scrapbook album. What a perfect souvenir! Your finished album will delight your family and friends as they re-live your vacation. Your Disney scrapbook album will allow your memories to live forever.

Learn more about making a Disney scrapbook album.

Beginner Scrapbooking Tips

Scrapbooking is one of the fastest growing and most popular hobbies around. There are so many great aspects of scrapbooking that people of all ages and all walks of life are choosing to participate.

If you are just getting started in scrapbooking, there are some important basic tools you will need. Over time you might find that you buy or collect more items for your scrapbooking kit.

However, when you first get started, there are only a few things that are really important and they can also be purchased for an affordable price so it doesn't have to cost a lot to get started in scrapbooking.

Here are some of the basic elements you're going to need to get started:

• Photos - you will need to have pictures that you have taken from the event or theme that you want to do your scrapbook on. Be sure you keep your photos in a safe place where they will be protected until you are ready to place them into your scrapbooks.
• Album/ book - You can use a photo album, a special scrapbook, a notebook or binder or any other style of album to add your pages to and create the perfect scrapbook.
• Page protectors - These are used to hold your pages into the album and to protect the pages from spills, dust and even fingerprints.
• Paper trimmers - You will want to get one that is capable of cutting cardstock since this is the most popular type of paper and these trimmers will be capable of handling anything else you want to use them for.
• Adhesive - There are many type of adhesive such as glue sticks, photo mounts or two-sided tape that you can use to keep the components of your album together. The type you choose doesn't really matter as long as you use something safe for your photos and acid-free.
• Scrapbook paper/pages - This will be important to protect your pages and make sure your photos last for a long time to come. Be sure you use cardstock, archival quality paper that is acid-free and lignin-free.
• Journaling - This is how you mark what is happening in each photo and each album. You want to use a permanent pen that won't bleed or run through the pages if it gets wet and that won't smear onto other parts of your scrapbook. Choosing pens and markers made specifically for scrapbooking is a good choice.
• Creativity - A little creativity will take you a long way when it comes to your scrapbook. The more scrapbooks you do, the more creative ideas you will come up with. You will find your creativity growing and expanding over time.

These beginner scrapbooking tips will help you get what you need to get started in scrapbooking, even if it's the first time you've ever done it.

One of the best things about keeping scrapbooks is that you can make it what you want so you don't have to worry about not following the rules or doing it right. This is your chance to preserve your memories however you choose that is special to you.

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Scrapbooking Hobby Becomes A Naperville Woman's Business

Walking down the stairs to Karen Suida's basement is like walking into a Michaels arts and crafts store.

The walls are lined with packets of colored stickers, letters and papers. There are boxes of tools and shelves of albums, stencils and pens -- in fact, everything the scrapbooker could wish for.

For Suida, scrapbooking is not just an engrossing hobby, it's a career. Six years ago she became an independent consultant for Creative Memories. She now earns a living by showing others how to do what she loves to do so much.

Suida, who has lived in Naperville for 20 years, is a 48-year-old grandmother of four. She says her 8-year-old grandson loves to scrapbook with her.

"Most people find it very relaxing," she said, still hard at work positioning photos on a page. "I put some music on and the only thing on my mind is scrapbooking."

For the past two years Suida has run an arts and crafts group at Edward Hospital for cancer patients.

"They bring in their photos and I help them to scrapbook," she said.

Speaking as someone whose only scrapbooks are volumes of her own press clippings, I wondered why people actually needed help to stick photos on a page.

"I can show people how to make it more decorative," Suida explained. "How to make a picture pop using different techniques and the right colors."

She said the hobby is probably more popular now than ever.

"People really feel the need to preserve photos for their children," she said. "You can theme them. Scrapbooking makes photos so much more interesting to look at. It's a form of journaling. When you show someone your scrapbook you don't have to explain every picture to them. They can look at it and work it out for themselves."

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