I AM GUILTY!

Creatively Carol's Q & A Corner

Today’s question comes from Illinois, and I am just as guilty!  “I have been putting off scrapbooking all my pictures for the last three years. I have so many pictures I don’t know where to begin. Any Ideas?

I am embarrassed to say I am in the same situation. I have probably scrapped less than a dozen layouts of my own in the last several years.  Recently, I started to organize my photos, I knew I had many duplicates, had already scrapped the pictures, or they were generic number names. When I began this project, I found some pictures I knew I wanted to scrap, but never got around to getting them done.  I created a folder in the downloads folder (so I could find it fast) and put any pictures I came across that I really wanted to scrap. I then go back and print the pictures, match them up with papers and embellishments so when I have 15 minute block to put it all together, everything is ready to go.

Do you have a suggestion for how you would tackle the above problem? Leave a comment below and share your ideas with us!

 

Scrapbook Sketch for March 18, 2024

I know it has been a while, but I am back to posting sketches on Mondays. I will alternate between scrapbook sketches and card sketches.  Anyone who completes the sketch AND sends me a picture to post here on the site will be entered to win a retired stamp set from me.Scrapbook sketch 03182024

You can really use the size photos you want, as there is a lot of extra room on the two pages.  I hope to have my interpretation of the sketch posted before Friday.  I can’t wait to see what you come up with!  E-mail your page to Carol@CreativelyCarol.com or text to 801-800-0884.

Women At Play

Using information compiled from surveys of both married and single American women ages 35-65, here’s how women are spending their free time (from most to least popular)

  • Horseback riding
  • Shopping for Clothes
  • Home Decorating
  • Crafts
  • Watching videos
  • Sewing and Needlework
  • Owning cats or dogs
  • Attending cultural eve
  • enjoying gourmet food/wine
  • Reading
  • Gardening
  • Bicycling
  • Camping/Hiking
  • Surfing the Net

Do you see yourself in these activities? What would be your favorite?  Leave a comment below and tell me your “play” choice.

 

Single Page Scrapbook Sketch – 3 photos

While the image to the left doesn’t have the
edges of the pages, I am sure you can figure out where the edges of the paper are.  I show three photos in this layout, how will you do yours? Do you have an opinion about the sketch? Need something else? Tell me below what kind of sketches you need, and anything else I can help with.

I Am Sick of It!

Carol Roberts Gomes

I AM Sick of It!

Do you ever have those days when you are fed up with the way things are “suppose” to be when writing to you. All the “experts” tell me I need to include this or that in my articles, but I have really had it with people telling me I need to have in my articles, so I am going back to doing things my way. I am going to share with you articles I think you will find helpful, interesting or just plain strange.

I hope that by changing the way I am writing, or thinking about writing, I will get you more information here that you can use. I am returning to sketches on Mondays, Technique Tuesdays, Throwback Thursdays, and drawings on Sunday nights.

I hope you will comment below and let me know the things you hope to learn.  I look forward to working with you again.

Sincerely and Creatively,

Carol

 

I Think I Figured it Out!

What is it? I have been scrapbooking for 25 years and selling Close to my Heart for almost 20 years, yet so many of my own photos go left not in albums or even on scrapbook pages.

I have a large stack of finished layouts that I have done with the company over the years, but my picture-taking life started 50 years ago, and my mother’s started 75 years ago. They didn’t print in 4×6″ or 4×4″ prints back then. As a result, I have a bunch of 2×3″ 3½ x 4″ photos and well, you get the idea. I also don’t have a lot that matches the titles on these pages. “Pals” for instance, isn’t something my parents spend precious money taking pictures of. Sure, I had them, but no one was taking those pictures like they do today.

I have decided I will evaluate each finished layout without photos and see if it can be reworked to fit my pictures, and if so, I will show you the before and after of my progress. If not, I will list them on my Etsy page. Perhaps they will work for someone else.

When my mind goes, I want to be able to look back on these scrapbooks and remember the good times. What are you scrapbooking for? What are you struggling with? Please share with me where you are in your scrapbook journey (if you are a cardmaker, tell me that too so I can offer tutorials and sketches that apply to you as well)

Try in these days of digital, no wasted shot photos to get yourself in some of them. Even if you don’t like looking at yourself, your grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren might wonder at some point. After all, you are the matriarch of your family.

Creatively, Carol

 

Here’s a Great Tip When Reading Crafting Magazines or Even Websites!

I was reading an old scrapbook magazine when I came across a great idea for organizing scrapbook ideas. I think it would really work for any magazine you are reading or even a website. Whenever I sit down to read a magazine or a web article, I have a stack of 4″ x 6″ index cards. I write one theme ( like babies or color suggestions) on each card. As I read through the magazine and come across a layout or article with an idea I like that I would like to use, I write down the reference on the appropriate card.

Whenever I experience “scrapbooker’s block and can’t think of a creative idea for a page, I simply pull out my index card file. I look up the appropriate theme and have a selection of ideas to choose from.  This will work great if you save all the issues of the magazine. But, what if you are like me and can’t handle years of magazines? I make a few more notes on the card. If I feel I need the particular page the idea is on, I scan that page and title it the same way the card is titled, along with the issue and date of the magazine. This may seem like extra work, but not having 5 years of back magazines gives me space for something else and the computer file is easy to find.

If you have a great organizing tip, leave it below along with your comments. If I can offer you any assistance, please reach out at Carol@CreativelyCarol.com

Problems Cropping Photos

Creatively Carol's Q & A CornerQ. I always seem to cut my pictures too much. I plan how I am going to cut them, but I always get carried away. Do you have any suggestions to help me?

A. You are not alone! Here are a few ideas that might help

  • Your paper trimmer is your friend. The most important tool I have in my scrapbook room is my paper trimmer. So important that I actually have 3 I use regularly: The sure-cut deluxe paper trimmer by Fiskars, The Aluminum Rail Trimmer, and a photo trimmer. Most professionally printed pictures come in 4 x 6 size so when you are planning your layout you can decide on the size, then use your paper trimmer to stick to the size you have pre-determined.  Most photos I scrapbook are either 4 x 6, 4 x 4 or sometimes 2 x 2 but if you stick to just the measurement you decide on before choosing your photos, that may help you to not cut too small.
  • Use a template. At one time they made templates that had openings of various sizes so you could plan where you wanted to cut. I don’t know if those are still around, but it is something you could try if you want to look around for them.

Unless the background carries significance – for example, the background has a historical value, like cars or homes that will be interesting to look at in 50 years or that vacation in the Grand Canyon, you can usually cut away some of the background in a photo and not hurt anything. But again, I hesitate unless it is a blank wall because I love looking at my grandmother’s photos with old cars. I even found one of my 82-year-old mother at age 4 sitting on a 1940 Packard! You might even catch someone smoking who quit 30 years ago 🙂

A word of warning about cropping photos:  If you are working with a “one of a kind” photo that has no negative, consider making a copy of the photo before using adhesive on the back or cropping the photo. Cutting a photo is permanent… have a copy or better yet, scan it to your computer BEFORE you make any changes you may regret later!

If you have a question you would like to see answered, please e-mail me at Carol@CreativelyCarol.com

Creatively,

Carol

Preserving Memorabilia

Creatively Carol's Q & A CornerQ.   As a child, my grandparents traveled regularly and brought back money for us kids from all sorts of countries. I would love to include them with their travel photos in the scrapbook but am not sure how. Any suggestions?

A.   As a kid, we used Elmer’s to glue things into our scrapbooks or to anything else we wanted to keep. Now we know Elmer’s ruins a scrapbook page because it dries bulky, pages rip and things are easily lost.  There are some products that are specifically advertised for this type of thing but I have another idea. Make a shaker box to put those momentoes in. If they are flat, like a feather you find on your walk, you can put it in a clear envelope and mount it with a frame covering the edges. With coins, I would use something like a slide mount, the negative part of a chipboard square, or actually make a shaker box with acetate and foam squares to give it the depth, and keep things where they belong.  I will try to do a video about this in the coming weeks and actually show you how to do it.

If you have any questions you would like answered, please send an e-mail to Carol@CreativelyCarol.com and I will be sure to answer it!

Printer Ink… Is it Acid Free?

Creatively Carol's Q & A CornerQ .   Is it ok to print clip art and fonts on a laser or color ink jet printer, then use them  in my scrapbooks? DoI need to worry about acid or lignin?

A.  I hear this question often and to be perfectly honest, we really don’t know. Computer scrapbooking hasn’t been around long enough to truly know.
We can pull out our grandparent’s scrapbooks and see how materials 50 years ago are treating the photos, but there is no scrapbooks that have been around that long that we can refer to now. What I can tell you is the acidity of the ink isn’t the issue, but how fade-proof the ink may be. Lignin is only a by-product of paper making and isn’t found in any type of ink. If you want to use clip art from your computer, attach it to the page so it doesn’t touch anything else then there is no damage to the photographs. As far as fading, you don’t keep your scrapbooks in the direct sunshine, so I think you are safe there, but I am no expert in this field. I usually stamp images either in color, or color them in. I hope this helps. If you have a question you would like to have answered here, please e-mail it to Carol@CreativelyCarol.com Creatively, Carol

Adding Designs to Cricut Design Space

A feature of Cricut Design Space is the ability to upload unlimited SVG files for free and it is easy to do. The reason an SVG is easy to cut in Cricut Design Studio and other machines is that it is mathematically designed with points and lines unlike JPG or PNG files that are created using pixels.

There are lots of places you can download SVG files. and when I find good ones, I will post them here. I hope to also create new SVGs for you. Most cutting files come with several different versions of the file. To cut an SVG file I Cricut Design Space, you first have to unzip the downloaded file.

Start by opening a new, blank canvas in Cricut Design Space. Upload the SVG file by clicking the upload button on the left side design panel and click save. The image will then show in your “recently uploaded images. Select the image and click on “insert images” and your chosen SVG will import onto your canvas.

If your design file is large, you may need to reduce the size of the image. If you change the X & Y positions to 1 it will make it easier to see. You can then hit the “Make it” and cut the image out on your machine.

 

Scrapbook Trends

Using texture in your scrapbooking pagesOne of the biggest trends in contemporary scrapbooking is the use of mixed media. This involves combining different materials and techniques, such as paint, stamps, stencils, and washi tape, to create dynamic and visually interesting layouts. The result is a scrapbook page that is both artistic and personal.  There are lots of ways to achieve the mixed media effect in your scrapbooking and I hope to showcase many of these techniques on the new Technique Tuesdays feature here on the blog.

Texture is a big part of scrapbooking today. Whether you use texture in your background, in a border or even an embellishment you bring a layer of dimension into your scrapbook pages. In the layout to the left, we will ignore  the fact that I mounted the masked section upside down, on the wrong side!) you can see a section that was painted with a thick coat of black craft paint over a mask of bats. This was done on a separate piece of cardstock so the paint wouldn’t affect the photograph. An added benefit of this being done on a separate piece of cardstock is that it creates a pocket for hidden journaling if wanted.

There is also added dimension by using painted chipboard letters for my title. At the time I created this layout, lots of blank space was NOT the trend. The class was also on the cutting edge of painting and masking techniques.  This is one of those layouts that, when I look back at it, I definitely feel the pull to re-do the layout, correcting the mat, straightening the letters in candy and moving the journaling so it wasn’t hidden, however, if you read my previous blog post, you understand why I don’t do it. I can see the progression in my own scrapbooking and I still have a mountain of photos to scrap… I will never get done in my lifetime, and that is if I live to be 100 and take no more pictures!

Please come back on Tuesday for my new Technique Tuesday feature and give the new and old techniques a try. I am excited to share more with you about current scrapbook trends, and maybe bring back a few…maybe

 

11 Lessons I Wish I Learned When I Started Scrapbooking

If you read my newsletter this week, you read about the evolution of your personal scrapbook style. I found an old list that I thought you would find interesting. You will see you are not that different from the published scrapbookers you idolize.
” Here are some of the things I know now that I wish I knew then”

  1. Decide what is most important to leave for your posterity. You’ll know which subject matter to include, and you’ll put more heart and soul into the journaling.
  2. Good, strong photographs are the start of any great scrapbook page.
  3. A clean and organized layout is a timeless design.
  4. Color is essential. It will make or break the overall feel of your layout.
  5. Being creative and experimental with techniques and products is great if it helps to enhance the pictures or theme.
  6. Be choosy with your photos. Every photo you take does not need to be scrapbooked
  7. Events and themes that carry on to more than one layout flow nicely together if they look similar in design or color.
  8. Include a title- even if it is a small one – on every layout to announce and clarify the theme of the page.
  9. Don’t forget the everyday stuff. Life is made up of more than birthdays holidays and vacations.
  10. Even if it’s small and insignificant, include the date somewhere on every layout.
  11. This lesson is from the genealogist in me… if you don’t name everyone in the photo in your journaling, take a moment and write the names on the back of the page where it doesn’t affect the design. Somebody looking at your scrapbook 50 years from now most likely won’t know who is in the picture. Journaling often just has 1st names, put the last names on the back if your can.

Bring Bohemian Rhapsody into Scrapbook Pages

As autumn approaches, the fashion runway embraces a fusion of medieval opulence, Renaissance aesthetics, and a bohemian twist. Rich jewel tones and intricate organic patterns dominate, showcased through sumptuous fabrics such as velvet, lace, and jacquard. Scrapbook papers will mimic these fabrics and can be layered for beautiful pages. Garments are adorned with delightful vintage-inspired details, exuding an effortless and carefree vibe and your scrapbook pages can be too! Envision an enchanting scrapbook page featuring a black crushed-velvet paper adorned with satin bows, a ethereal French vanilla cardstock enhanced with ruching and embroidery, a garnet red lace embellished with ribbon roses and cascading fringe, or a tapestry handbag adorned with buckles and beads. By following the color, texture, pattern, and accessory choices of fashion designers, you can effortlessly incorporate this trend into your scrapbook pages.

Creating Your Pages

Create a lavish layout base by adhering rows of gold-shot jacquard ribbons to paper with strong double-sided tape. Use a palette of garnet, ruby and copper in conjunction with buckles, pearl buttons and tiny beads to construct a dreamy medieval mood to complement the photos and page theme. Burgundy velvet works with copper crushed paper and paint to balance the intricate ribbons.

Bohemian Rhapsody Defined

Whether you prefer simple or intricate layouts, you can apply bohemian rhapsody style to your pages. Mix the style’s characteristic elements of color, texture, pattern and accessories to express your own bohemian soul.

Color:  Start by picking a color palette. Choose gemstone hues in vibrant combinations with black , chocolate brown and matte metallics as base neutrals. Pick deep shades-ruby and garnet reds, carnelian orange, topaz yellow, emerald and peridot greens, sapphire blues, and amethyst and iolite purples.

Texture: Tactile and tempting describe the textures that work together to create this lux look. Visit a fabric store to touch and feel the materials in the dressy section and ribbon aisle. Look for ingredients such as velvet, lace, satin, beaded and woven trims, tassels , tulle, appliques, tapestry florals, ornate buttons and upholstery gimping.

Pattern:  Envision historical patterns from medieval, Renaissance and Victorian eras such as paisley; fleur-de-lis, soft geometrics and robust florals. Juxtapose and layer patterns to create sumptuous backdrops. Add polish to the layers with stitching or beading, embossing the edges or distressing with sandpaper or ink.

Accessories: To finish your design in grand style, add the dimension and shine of well chosen embel­ lishments. Ribbons of all kinds are the perfect match, so·use them generously as borders and fringe and for corset lacing. Matte metals add a timeless touch in the form of charms, frames, buckles, photo comers, clips, hinges and decorative brads. Add a bit of spar­ kle with beads and buttons. Other appropriate pieces include skeleton and velvet leaves, enameled frames and plaques, silk or paper florals, and ephemera.

If you are a beginner, keep it simple by combining ready-made products like metal frames, photo comers and vintage-style buttons with velvet papers and woven rose ribbon for texture and dimension. Use a die-cut script alphabet to cut letters from red velvet for a fast yet elegant title.

If you are an intermediate scrapper, build upon the simple version by adding distinctive details. Create a faux wax seal, a vignette of collaged ephemera and an embossed title. Cover a large slide mount with velvet paper for a custom frame.

If you are an advanced scrapper, make a deluxe version by creating unique handmade accents. Use rl.1bber stamps and platinum extra thick embossing enamel to create faux metal embellishments. Finish the page with a title hand cut from red velvet.

Leave a comment below and let me know what you think of the bohemian style. I would love to see how you incorporate the bohemian style into YOUR scrapbooks!

 

10 Suggestions to Scrapbook the Everyday Life you Lead

I have heard and read many times you should scrapbook your everyday life as well as all those events, vacations and gatherings.  When I hear this I think “how boring, I don’t do anything special”. When you think about it, you have about 16 hours in a day, IF you are lucky enough to get 8 hours of sleep a night.  One way to do this would be to do a 3 x 3 box across the top, and bottom of a 2 page layout.  That would give you 16 blocks in which to put photos, using the center for more detail.  You might have to get some help with the picture taking (great time to show your oved one what you do all day) or use the timer setting on your phone.

Do you do specific things on specific days? Depending on your age, you remember the dishtowels our grandmother’s had that had every day of the week. You could put 7 boxes across the middle of the page and title each box for the day of the week and put a picture of what it is you do.  Here are some ideas for days of the week photos:

  1. Sunday – church, football, or whatever consumes your Sundays
  2. Monday – laundry… you can take a picture of the dirty mountain of laundry or the basket of folded clothes. You could even add a bit extra by mounting the photo on a 6″ x 3″ piece of cardstock folded in half. Inside you might put if kids do their own laundry or if you have a special sock sorter 🙂
  3. Tuesday – do I dare say ironing these days? Not this girl, so what do you do on Tuesday, perhaps you vaccume the house after a busy weekend.
  4. Wedensday – grocery shopping, take a picture of your favorite grocery isle.
  5. Thursday – Do people still dust regularly? maybe this is something you have one of the kids do… take their picture doing it.
  6. Friday – If you are lucky, Friday is date night. Take a picture on your next date. What else do you do on Friday so you have your weekend free?
  7. Saturday – hopefully you are not stuck doing housework, but the kids have Saturday morning chores. If you have several children, get a picture of all of them working and put together as a book for this block.

Now that I have shared this idea with you, I am going to have to do a page like this myself.  Since my husband and I live with my daughter and her family, I may have to get a bit creative…. check back often to see what I may have come up with!

What are your daily/weekly things you do? Leave a comment below and share with us!