Digital Scrapbooking For the Ages

For most kids who have grown up with the internet, mastering the art of the digital scrapbook can be easily accomplished with a little assistance. That idea can be a difficult idea to fathom for adults, considering some of us are still learning how to properly save a JPEG.

For kids, working on computers and with the internet is nothing new - in fact, it's practically ingrained within their DNA. Helping them create fun digital scrapbooks on the computer is an excellent way for your child to continue to master the internet and to create some fun art projects to boot.

Get Focused

Help your child understand why he is creating a digital scrapbook in the first place to help him want to see the project through. Create a list of questions for your child such as Who, Where and Why? These questions can help the child start thinking about the purpose behind the digital scrapbook.

Who? Who is going in the scrapbook? Grandma? Daddy? Friends from school?

Where? Where should the scrapbook be located in time and space? Is it in a magical forest? New York City? At the North Pole? These ideas can help your child start categorizing to create the...

Why? Why are you making the digital scrapbook? Is it to show to friends, bring to show and tell? Give as a present to Daddy? Once your child understands the why, it will be easier for him to focus and not get overwhelmed by the hundreds of digital scrapbooking ideas and colorful digital scrapbooking layouts.

Shop Around

Once you know your child's theme, go through the paid and free scrapbooking sites on your own and pick out the scrapbook pages that match up with the theme your child has picked. Bookmark several of these pages and let your child pick out one to three choices, depending on the aptitude of your child.

Searching for these types of pieces ahead of time solves many common problems. Typically, when confronted with the hundreds of websites and pieces to choose from, a child will get overwhelmed or too excited, wanting to download and purchase everything. Then the project becomes about fighting over downloads rather than making the project you were planning on.

Find Tutorials

Depending on the age of your child, pull up some of the easy to understand tutorials found on many of the digital scrapbooking sites. These can help guide your child through simple to understand activities, such as cropping a photo to fit into a layout.

However, use your teaching wisely. Boring your child to tears will defeat the fun. Sometimes, the best way to teach is to talk your child through where to click on the keyboard and let him pick it up as he goes.

As with anything, patience is key. When you work on a digital scrapbook with your child, start small and be encouraging. Don't be surprised if he has a knack for it and ultimately, ends up teaching you new tricks.

Marie Perrow is a scrapbooking queen extraordinaire. She has been scrapbooking since she was 5. Her scrapbooking are gaining immense Find out more about her scrapbook layout, scrapbooking tools and scrapbook here.

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.

Win a free cricut cartridge.

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.

Different Types Of Scrapbooking

Overall, there are many methods of scrapbooking that a person can utilize to document their memories. Each depends upon how creative or organized the scrapbook maker wants to be. It really doesn’t matter if you are creative or ‘artsy’, anyone can create a scrapbook of memories. Each scrapbook is reflective of the personality of the person who created it.

1. Standard Scrapbooking – Creating pages and placing them in a scrapbook album with page protectors. Scrapbooks used to only come in two sizes 8x10 and 12x12. Check out your local scrapbook store to see the many different sizes of scrapbooks available now.

2. Book-making Scrapbooking – Using a binding system, creating covers and pages with cardboard and embellishing the pages with paper, ribbons, stickers, pictures and other keepsakes. The binding can be done using a three ring binder, binding rings, ribbons, brackets, staples or spiral binders. Really the options for binding are only limited by the creativity of the scrapbooker.

3. Digital Scrapbooking – Creating pages online using digital images and software rather than purchasing individual embellishments. Many people use these to create pages to upload to their blogs or to print and place in a book. Many software packages are also compatible with online websites like Shutterfly.com and Snapfish.com and allow you to upload your pages and create a printed book of your creations.

4. Creating Picture Books Online – There are many different websites that allow you to use their templates to create a picture book of memories. You upload your pictures to their website, paste them into the prepared templates available based on the number of pictures you would like on the page and then add text to your page to personalize. There are many different photo and self-publishing websites available that offer this service.

5. Blogging or Scrapblogging – There are many people who utilize web logs to maintain a journal or to document the happenings of their family. These blogs are highly personalized. Starting out you can use a standardized template, but once you are comfortable with the services provided, you can upload your own creation to make your blog more personal.

6. Creating presentations – Using presentation software to create personal presentations on the computer is very easy. You can use templates included with the software or go online and find more individualized templates for creating presentations. The nice thing about using presentation software is you can add videos, and you can add sound and transitions between your pages. You can even automate a presentation to scroll through the entire presentation ‘hands-free’ once the file is accessed. When choosing a presentation software, be sure to choose one that creates presentations that don’t require those viewing to necessarily own the software you used to create it.

7. Picture slide shows – There are websites online that allow you upload your pictures and organize them into slide shows. Many of these sites provide the service free of charge and provide links so that you can post your slide shows to your blog or even to post them on social networking websites.

See the links I have provided here on my web page to find your local store, and also to find online web sites that allow you to scrapbook online.

Taken From Examiner.com

What I Do: Creative Coach For Scrapbook Enthusiasts

By JILL CARLSON
For the State Journal

jillcarlson1957@gmail.com

Name: Shirley Merker

Occupation: Scrapbooking teacher for Stampin’ Up, Sun Prairie

Web site: www.sjsinks.stampinup.net

Years on the job: five

I’m a creative coach and offer fresh project ideas and encouragement to my customers who want to make scrapbook pages, greeting cards or gift items.

Helping someone create that perfect project for a special occasion is the best feeling in the world. Creating cards, scrapbook pages and gift items is about more than just stamps and ink; it’s about sharing a part of yourself with the people you love.

I started scrapbooking 12 years ago and my first project was a scrapbook calendar for my grandma with pages of family photos and fun memories.

There are three types of stamping events: the club, the in-home workshop and the class. At each event, I teach and share rubber-stamping tips and techniques so that guests can go home and create additional projects.

I keep events under two hours so that guests can stamp, shop, crop and then get back to their lives. I provide a little quality time where husbands, children, pets and cell phones are not allowed.

The club meets four times in six months. The club members create three scrapbook pages per meeting and I provide the samples and precut materials. The in-home workshop is held at the hostess’ home.

I provide two free make-n-takes and the hostess provides light refreshments. The goal of the in-home workshop is to expose new stampers to this hobby, teach a fun technique and educate guests on what Stampin’ Up has to offer.

Classes are usually held at my home and the guests create a set number of cards or scrapbook pages for a fee. I provide samples of the projects and the supplies to create them. New stampers are helped out by the more experienced stampers and we all go home with some nice projects and a smile on our face.

I teach that projects look better with two coordinating colors and neutral colored paper selections along with using non-paper embellishments like ribbon, eyelets, brads or pearls.

What I Do invites people to tell in their own words what they do to earn a living. The column runs every Tuesday. To suggest someone to feature, contact Jill Carlson at jillcarlson1957@gmail.com.

Taken From Madison.com

Scrapbooking Table - How You Can Benefit From It

Scrapbooking is one among the hobbies which has brought the entire United States in frenzy. From mere putting the ribbons and cutting of pictures, the scrapbooking craze has gone to cover more sophisticated depth.

People now buy blank and readily made scrapbooks to start with their hobby. They pick good decorations and stickers from the nearby craft store and follow up the craze. Most of them come up with great looking scrapbooks in this manner.

One would then think about snapshots and pictures to be used along with the scraps to enhance every page for the story.

Great care is often taken when the hobbyist selects the materials which would be required. For example, acid free materials are used in the structuring of a scrapbook so that the memories and stories in the scrapbook would remain safe and intact throughout the time.

After all the materials related to scrapbooking is accumulated including the binder, scrapbook paper, stickers and other embellishments along with pictures and snapshots for enhancing every page, the hobbyist would begin with his creative touch for the desired scrapbook.

In the project of scrapbooking, seldom do people realize the importance of having a craft or a scrapbooking table. One could of course have any surface for that matter; however, you would have a neat output when you make use of a scrapbooking table as you start.

You would have a dedicated set for your television, a table for your computer and so on. It would be a good idea to have a table dedicated to your hobby of scrapbooking so that every work devoted to scrapbooking could be done on its dedicated table.

A scrapbooking table would have the right ergonomics designed for every movement of scrapbooking. This attribute would make the scrapbooking table different from a regular one, ensuring comfort while you work.

A scrapbooking table would have divisions so that all the scrapbooking knick knacks could be stored in a single place making sure they don't get lost or damaged. These tables would have provisions to have lamps fitted, so that the hobbyist could have better vision towards the work at night.

A visible benefit of a scrapbooking table is that you would not be disturbed by anything else as the table is meant for the purpose. For example, if you use the dining table for your work, you may have to put your stuff aside to make room for dishes and the like.

Similarly, if you plan to work on the floor, you would have to ensure room for the passersby. Such disheveling of things would be constant unless you have your very own dedicated table for scrapbooking.

It is never difficult to get hold of a scrapbooking table and that is the best part. They are always available in general craft stores. Scrapbooking tables are often multifaceted helping you to use them for multiple forms of crafts.

Whatsoever is the case, a scrapbooking table would definitely benefit your project to be worked upon. All scrapbooking work is linked to memories and is valuable. They would no doubt need a table to work up on ensuring that the hobbyist is comfortable every time he starts.

Abhishek is a Scrapbooking expert and he has got some great Scrapbooking Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 73 Pages Ebook, "Scrapbooking Made Easy!" from his website http://www.Fun-Galore.com/821/index.htm. Only limited Free Copies available.

5 Quick Ways to Get Free Ideas for Your Scrapbooking

There are thousands of free resources and ideas of scrapbooking in the internet or in the retail market such as the book store, or craft shop. But before you purchase anything, do you want to get some free ideas before you really decide to buy it ? If yes, here I share some of my experience and methods I am using now.

Method #1 Source from Internet.

Internet is the wonderful source for everything. The search engine is helping our daily life easier. Type something like scrapbooking free layout, or similar meaning of words, you can find many good sites that come with free layout downloadable for your scrapbooking needs.

Method #2 Scrapbooking forum.

Scrapbooking forum is another interesting place for you. I love to join forum and read all the scrapbooker guru comment and ideas sharing. Sometime, the forum members share their design free too!

Method #3 Library.

Yes! Library is a place of free treasure for us. If you are book worm, library is a good place for free ideas. Simply borrow craft books or scrapbooking reference books, you can find wonderful creative idea from all the craft books from the library.

Method #4 Visit Art Exhibition.

Artist are very creative with their idea. I enjoy visiting art museum whenever I am free to go. Be inspiring by all the art work and they are really good to spark an idea in your personal scrapbooking theme.

Method #5 Craft store.

I love and enjoy shopping in craft store, even I do not have anything in mind to buy yet! Craft store is a free source for my scrapbooking ideas. In my recent visit, I have an idea of creating batik scrapbooking!

Well that's all the quick ways, hope you like it!

And now I would like to offer you free access to 3 of my Instant Scrapbooking Guide Templates when you subscribe to my free Instant Scrapbooking Guide, you will get my scrapbooking guide report plus free printable design on Scrapbooking that you can use as embelishment or layout.

You can get your instant access at http://www.InstantScrapbookingGuide.com From Jas Circle of Scrapbooking Craz.

by Jasmine N