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

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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 [email protected]

Problems Cropping Photos

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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 [email protected]

Creatively,

Carol

Preserving Memorabilia

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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 [email protected] and I will be sure to answer it!

Printer Ink… Is it Acid Free?

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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 [email protected] Creatively, Carol

Adding Designs to Cricut Design Space

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

What Are You Waiting For?

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Print your photos before you forget what they represent
Old man scratches his head that something forgotten

My husband has been having headaches and major pain in his head for quite some time. We keep going for tests, but only after a PET scan did I learn that my husband has Frontotemporal dementia. Why am I sharing this with you, you are wondering. One very concerning part of this dementia is that he is loosing his memory. While we wish it would affect his long-term memory (all the stuff that has happened in your life you WANT to forget) it has a more pronounced affect on his short term memory. Suddenly, memory keeping sounds much more important that just a hobby of scrapbooking.

Here is a quote I read recently, (author unknown) “Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose”. I thought it was rather profound considering at 65, I catch little blips on my memory scale.

The truth is, we never know what life is going to deal us. Scrapbooking the memories we are making today is important. I know what you are thinking, as so many people do, “the photos are in my phone.” You think they are safe, you would never delete them, at least now on purpose. Let me share with you a sad story my sister-in-law experienced. We had a big family reunion in Moab, Utah. There was a day that 5 families with their jeeps took to the trails. This included my brother and his wife, my son-in-law and his boys, and my two sons with their kids. Never before had all of them done something together like this and lots of pictures and videos were taken. They had a ball. That night, my son was telling Josie how she could share them on google photos, (Josie has an Iphone, while the rest of us are android users. So Josie uploaded all the photos in her phone to the google cloud. Then, because she didn’t realize she could just share the photos she wanted to share, she started deleting photos that were not of the trip… 8 years worth the photos were now deleted from both her Icloud AND Google Cloud. She was devastated, cried for days. Pictures going back to my nephew playing high school baseball, then for UNR, my niece’s graduation and so many family get togethers and personal vacations.

Take the time to print your photos, even if you don’t feel you have the time to scrapbook them. I will show you ways to keep those photos using instant pages that just require you slip the photo in, and a card with the details. I will also give you easy layouts you can do in less than an hour if you want something a bit more details. Just don’t let what happened to Josie happen to you. If you are an Amazon Prime member, you can back up automatically an unlimited number of photos.

I would rather sort through multiples of the same photo (which I often do) rather than try to collect from others what I have lost.

Do you have a story to tell about your photos? Leave a comment below and share your story.

Intense Black or Archival Black ?

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You would think Intense and Archival black ink were the same thing when you look at the packages. they both say permanant, solvent based ink and acid free. Both are waterproof, but the main difference is the Intense Black is fast drying which essentially means you can start coloring just after you stamp it. If you were to use the Archival Black, you would want to wait until it dries.

Close to my Heart states their recommendations as:

Intense Black: Recommended for use with watercolors or alcohol markers.

Archival Black: Recommended for scrapbook pages and stamping on vellum.

The Black Close to my Heart Ink is waterbased, and only recommended when you are NOT using anything with it.

 

If you have any questions, please leave them below in the comment section.

Creatively,

Carol

 

 

A Simple Card Sketch for a Quick and Easy Card

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Simple Card SketchIt’s Monday, since my focus has been on scrapbook pages, I thought today was a good day to do a card sketch.Happy Birthday, Make a wish! If you missed sending out a card for Mother’s Day, you can knock this out pretty quickly and stick it in the mail today! My example is themed Happy Birthay because my son will be 41 at the end of the week…

The card base is not outlined in this sketch, so I wanted to point out that the first two strips going from the left cover the card base completely, the third is a little shorter and is set just a bit below the base of the card. As I look at the finished card, I think edge distressing the card would have added a bit more dimension, and would point out the edge better.  See, I make errors in judgement too, often seein what I “should have done.” But you have to remember, there are no “shoulds” in papercrafting, unless you are following scoring lines to put something together. In this case, you could alter any part of this card and it would still be fine.

Here is my finished card. Please leave a comment below and tell me your thoughts on this card sketch and card.

 

Creatively, Carol

 

How to Care for your Acrylic Stamps

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I get this question alot, especially from new stampers so I wanted to share with you what Close to my Heart’s answer to this question is…

  • Although our stamps are very durable, care must be taken when removing them from the carrier sheet, especially for the first time. To avoid tearing your stamps, gently loosen the edges of each stamp before peeling them off the carrier sheet or your block.
  • Before using your stamps, condition them so ink will transfer evenly. To do so, rub the stamp a stamp pad, and then stamp onto scra paper, twisting while you stamp. Repeat until the inktransfers evenly across the entire surface of the stamp.
  • Each stamp comes with a foam insert. This insert not only helps to protect your stamps but can also be used as a tool while stamping. By placing it under the paper you are stamping on, you will achieve a cleaner, crisper image.
  • Clean your stamps immediately after use and let them air dry. Store stamps on the carrier sheets that come with the envelope (rather than on the block) and keep them out of direct sunlight. Discoloration from inks is normal and does not affect stamp performance. I use the Stamp Shammy for most inks, but for Intense Black or Archival Black, I use the staz-on stamp cleaner.
  • Close to my Heart guarentees its stamps and products to be free from manufacturing defects for a period of 90 days from the date of purchase, and will repair or replace any defective products within that period free of charge. Please inspect your stamps and products immediately upon receipt.

If you have any questions regarding your stamps, or taking care of them, please e-mail me  or leave a comment below.

Creatively, Carol

 

Same Subject, Different Years, A Two Page Scrapbook Sketch

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How do you scrap the same subject, but different years?  I have 4 pictures, 2 are one year, and the other two could be the same year, but I have no way of knowing. Since I tend to use more two page layouts than single ones, I decide to just do one two-page layout since I didn’t want to only have one photo on the page. After all, these are from when normal printing was 3 ½ x 5. That leaves waaay to much empty space in my mind. I put the two I knew the year, and the similarity of the child on the horse, the other two were relagated to the right side, where, if my aunt found other reunion pictures, she could add them to this page pretty easily. The journal box was attached with removable adhesive so if she did need the space, she could remove it.

The title I took from an old piece of 8½ x 11 scrapbook paper. I knew I wouldn’t use it, as I stick to 12 x 12 pages, but I thought it was perfect for the page. I used the same color to ink around the title as the background paper color to give it a softer look.  I also used the tearing technique to give a little demension to the page. I am still thinking about putting a large green tree on the right page, over the torn pieces.

If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a text at 801-800-0884. Send me a copy of your completed layout and I will put your name in the drawing for a free stamp set at the end of the month.

Did this sketch help in scraping the same subject but different years question for you? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Creatively, Carol

Color My World…

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Close to my Heart Color PalOur color preferences are often motivated by the memories we have and the reactions to the mood that color brings. My favorite color is blue. Blue brings me peace, whether it is blue sky or  blue ocean, sometimes I wonder if it is because I have blue eyes and for years I thought my eyes were my best feature.

Color is everywhere and can be very inexpensive or even free to bring into your living spaces. By having more color in your living spaces and in your clothing, it is easier to pick out the colors you want to use in your scrapbook. We often choose a color in a photograph to bring out in the form of mats or background papers. Here are 6 reasons you may be avoiding more color in  your life.

  1. I’m afraid of …Seriously, what’s the worst thing that can happen? Color can’t kill you . Stop living with boring beige and white, and as the saying goes… “put on your big girl panties” Be bold, color makes you feel good.  My daughter use to say I dressed like an old lady. I started bringing color into my wardrobe after that. Besides, you can always go back to beige, but why would you want to?
  2. It takes too much time.In the time it takes you to watch a movie, you can paint a room , make a lively scrapbook page, pick and arrange some fresh flowers or choose excit­ing accessories for your wardrobe and Add color you’ll feel more alive. Take a look at the Close to my Heart color pallette for some colors that work well together.
  3. I can’t decide on a color, so I pick nothing. Pick several colors you love, and start incorporating them in different, inexpensive ways . Buy some funky socks, pretty ribbons for your hair or colored pencils to use for doodling. Add­ing small shots of color around you will inspire you to use color more often and in larger doses. We are told so much that our homes should be painted in neutral colors, so in my last home, I painted the bathroom tomato red!  Of course when we sold the house, they wanted a “paint allowance”
  4.  I have trouble committing. Try adding tem­ porary color that can easily be changed. Wrap a throw pillow in a brightly colored scarf to liven up a room, fill a bowl with lemons or apples to create a centerpiece or tape several sheets of cardstock to a wall to help you get used to a vibrant color in a room. Once you are acclimated to bolder colors, you can make more permanent decisions.
  5. I don’t know what I like. Sometimes it’s easier to see what you like in a smaller space. Visit here and look at the scrapbook papers, find one you like and take it to the paint store and they can match the color, so you can incorporate those colors into a room by painting one wall or a small piece of furniture. Or, frame the patterned paper for a piece of instant, in­ expensive art.
  6. I tend to choose the  same  colors  over  and  over, but I’m bored with them . Always reaching for blue? Sometimes we just know what we like. Branch out and choose a variety of shades in that Try navy, Robin’s egg blue, cobalt or pale stone blue.  Experiment with many shades, tones and finishes. Seeing a variety of your favorite hue will then lead you to branch out into complementary colors.

What colors are you drawn to? Decide on your signature col­or palette(s). These should be colors that make you happy.

What colors do you associate with good or bad memories? The telephone and appliances has been gone for more than 40 years, but each time I see a particular shade of avocado green or that awful yellow, I remember the fridge my parents had in the ’70s,  now seems ugly and outdated. Colors that bring up sad memories also can easily be avoided, so you can feel happy and confident with your choices.

Are there colors do you love but are afraid to use? Choose questionable colors to in small doses until you are confident with them. Living a color-confident life will empower you and make your art more powerful.

Creatively,

Carol