Digital Scrapbooking

A growing number of people are skipping the paper photos and putting their entire scrapbook together online. We found a Sioux Falls mom who says for her, it's the perfect fit.

Melanie Zeman and her husband have four kids under the age of six, and she says for her, traditional scrapbooking just isn't an option. Melanie says, "Last year, a friend of mine who sells Creative Memories came to me and showed me some of her scrapbooks, and I loved them.

I fell in love with them, and I thought, this I could do." Now, Melanie does almost all of her scrapbooking online, with photos her husband downloads to the computer. She says, "There are options of pages that area already set up for you, that you can just pretty much put a picture in the different frames, or you can custom create a page, if you want to."

If you choose to have more creative input, it's a lot like traditional scrapbooking. You pick your background, borders, anything that would personalize your page. But Melanie says you have even more options than going the old-fashioned way. She says, "I can do the entire layout and decide the background paper is not the one I want, and I can change it."

Jennifer Nelson is a consultant for Creative Memories, one of the scrapbook companies that offers digital programs. Scrapbooking has been a passion of hers for more than 10 years. She says, "I thank my dad for that because he was the editor of 3 local newspapers while we were growing up and he always carried a camera with him and felt that every person had a story to tell."

Jennifer says the majority of her clients still scrapbook the traditional way, but she is seeing it catch on. Jennifer says, "If you have trouble getting those prints processed, digital scrapbooking is for you."

Melanie Zeman says one of the things she likes most about digital scrapbooking, is all she needs is her kitchen table and her computer, and she's good to go. She says, "I can just side down and I can work for 5 minutes, or an hour and if my family needs me, I can get up and it's saved and it's still all where I left it when I get back to it."

Melanie's says if anything happens to her completed scrapbooks, all she has to do is re-order a new one. It's something you can't do with a traditional scrapbook. But Jennifer Nelson likes it that way. She says, "I'll probably enjoy traditional scrapbooking for a long time."

But for busy mom Melanie Zeman, the digital way, is the best way. She says, "It's memories for my family that will last forever." Melanie says, besides digital photos, she's able to scan in older pictures, even some of her son's school work into her scrapbooks.

Taken From KSFY.com

Two Thumbs-Up For Digital Scrapbooking

Well, this is Gina Chen, Family Life editor, busting into Scrapbook Mom's blog again. This time I just have to tell you about my experience with digital scrapbooking.

I tried it for the first time a few weeks back. We had gone to California to visit my in-laws, and we were wracking our brains to come up with a gift to thank them for their hospitality. I decided a scrapbook of the trip would be a great gift, but I knew there was no way I'd have the time to do a traditional scrapbook.

So I decided to go digital. It was great.

I've been scrapbooking the traditional way -- with stickers and paper -- for about 12 years, and I've finished more than 10 albums that way. I love doing it. I love expressing my creativity, reliving our family fun and chatting with my girlfriends.

But going digital had one big draw: speed. In about three hours I had an album done.

I selected my pictures, uploaded them, added captions and headlines. I used Creative Memories free software, so I had follow the pre-determined picture format. (But it's free!)

It was simple to use. Point, click and move a picture. I could change the color of the text. I could put a picture on the cover and a title. It allowed me to do all the basics things one would want, although eventually I'd probably spring for the $59.95 program. That allows you more flexibility and choice in picture placement, size, embellishments.

A few days after I put my digital scrapbook together, I proofed it, tweaked a few things, ordered it. Less than a week later, it had arrived at my in-laws' home. They loved it. I haven't actually seen the finished copy because I sent it directly to them, but my father-in-law's thank you e-mail speaks of it being of high quality.

This doesn't mean I'm ready to turn in my page trimmer and circle cutter. I still much prefer old-fashioned scrapboooking mainly because I love the social aspects of scrapbooking. (In fact, tomorrow I'm spending the day at National Scrapbooking Day) But to do something different, scrap an album quickly or make a gift, you can't beat going digital.

Anyone else have experience with digital scrapping? Please share.

Taken From Syracuse.com

Scrapbooking Catalog Request

The scrap book catalog is a pamphlet that gives you information on the many types of scrapbooking activities that you can be engaged in . It has lots of colorful features that you can easily make use of to enhance the general outlook of your scrap book. It contains about 500 stamp designs and card ideas that you can borrow from as you endeavor to improve your scrapbooking.

One thing to note is that the scrapbooking catalog request is available online and you can download it from one of the many web site that specialize in this memory-preserving activity.

The stamp designs on the catalogue are quite interesting varying in shape, size, color and theme and they include flowers, birds, horses, babies all of which can be attached to different pots with different messages.

The scrapbooking catalogue request also allows you to receive some working tools like scissors, knifes, paper trimmers and many more items like the acrylic block set.Apart from the tools you also stand a chance of receiving rubber images worth $ 30 for free.

You will find that the themes that come along with these scrapbooking catalogs will include greetings, in-laws, parents, siblings and other themes that you can think of.

The scrapbooking catalogue requests assists you in knowing exactly what it is that you want and eventually as you make you order you find that you are better placed for having the information at hand well in advance. You can request for the catalogue free of charge by filling in a subscription form and sending it online to the relevant people.

Peter Gitundu Researches and Reports on Scrapbooking. For More Information on Scrapbooking Catalog Request, Visit His Site at SCRAPBOOKING CATALOG REQUEST

Creative Wedding Invitation Ideas - Add Some Creativity To Your Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations are one of things couples begin to think about as they plan their wedding. Here are some creative wedding invitation ideas that can add some flair and creativity to your wedding invitations.

Using technology for your wedding invitations is a good creative idea. For instance, you can use technology to create CDs with pictures of you and your special someone. Then, simply insert a title page in the CD case with the wedding information.

A similar idea is to put your favorite love songs on the CD. You can also add the music to a slideshow of your pictures. Some couples totally get away from traditional invitations by emailing their invitations. With this method, you can also share pictures and music. As an added bonus, it will be easy for your guests to reply.

If you want to go the more traditional route but still have a touch of creativity, you can add pressed and dried flowers into your wedding invitations. With this idea, you could have flowers pressed that will be echoed in some of the later bouquets or arrangements at your wedding so your guests can have a preview of your wedding style.

Many of today's brides take a cue from the popular hobby of scrapbooking when trying to come up with a new and original wedding invitation idea. By using the same principles of scrapbooking (minus the cheesy stickers), you can layer patterned and textured papers under the text of your invitation for a personalized invitation that will be 100 percent unique for your wedding.

Altering pictures through photo-editing software can get you a professional look for photos that you want to include on your invitation and will allow for a beautiful style to come across with your own creative flair.

You could also include items related to nature or even a type of chain to symbolize the binding of two lives that occurs within the marriage ceremony. Thinking about items and ideas that matter to you and your fiancé and incorporating them into the invitations is the key to coming up with the perfect creative wedding invitations.

Are you looking for beautiful wedding centerpieces that will impress your guests?

Visit http://WedGuide.info and learn some creative wedding centerpiece ideas.

Also, learn how to add that creative touch to your wedding favors. Here are some unique wedding favor ideas that your guests will enjoy - even the male guests!

Scrapbooking Websites - Some Of The Best Ideas Can Be Grabbed Online

Looking at your marriage album? Found good snaps that tend to bring back fond memories? Retaining the photos in the same album doesn't distinguish itself from the others. Such pictures need a special place. Scrapbooking these photos can make it exceptional. Worthy!

When scrapbooking strikes you, you are automatically attracted to provenances such as journals, websites, magazines, newspapers, print ads etc... Such provenances are always reliable as they portray very well what the determined product exactly brings out!!

Details regarding the start of a project, required materials-that are worthy and how to proceed with scrapbooking are elaborated well.

Hearing your friend's talks on what they actually do with their scrapbooks, you must have imagined more on how to explore it yourself. Your interests may be boosted with the photographer's ideas of preserving the pictures in a impressive manner.

Don't be afraid if you are new to scrapbooking. One does not require professionalism in photography for this. There are ample quantities of websites that provide you with scrapbooks. So what improves the quality of your scrapbook? What makes the photos prominent? What are the steps to be followed to create a scrapbook?

Basic Thoughts:

Wondering how your start can stay for days? In the end, the difficult thing in scrapbooking is the optimization of the design and the preferred design. You can then move on to think about the products that can be utilized for scrapbooks after the opinions are recognized. With all these confusions, the required help and guidance can be sought from the websites that you consult.

Behind every remarkable scrapbook are highly refined supplies for it that has been mixed and matched artistically. Nothing would cherish in a scrapbook when the supplies are not considered. You can get amazed when you look at scrapbook supplies that online stores sell.

They are available in many colors and designs. They come in different shapes and sizes too. So when you are ready for scrapbooking, what you have to do is just choose and conclude which scrapbook supply to put in use.

Now your caption for your scrapbook is your wedding day. Select the colors that perfectly suit your theme. Take special care that it should also match with the garments in the photo (worn on that day). The color combinations of the material should correlate the colors in the picture.

Some colors that would fit a wedding album are gold, silver and white. But you can have it as per your wish. Dealing with the content you can start the first page with the wedding invitation narrating the story to give it a good start followed by the remaining pictures.

Decorate the borders and male it attractive. You can choose your favorites and leave the remaining. Exceptions arise when you would like to have your scrapbook, a worthy of remembrance.

Scrapbooking websites-in the round:

People often surf the internet for scrapbooking websites. On visiting them, you can come across loads of ready-made designs and contents you need for your scrapbook. Some websites allow you to print them. Some do not. If you can utilize the internet to its maximum then you can extract very good ideas from such websites. In the end, it's their service for our purposes.

Scrapbooking websites teach the beginners on how to use its supplies to bring out an outstanding product. It also teaches the steps to be followed, and designs to make it stylish. In short they can be merely called tutorial websites.

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

How Can Scrapbooking Quotes Brighten Up Your Scrapbooks?

Scrapbooking Quotes. Scrapbooking isn't just merely keeping fond memories and maintaining the freshness of events right in the pages of your scrapbook. It is more than just remembrance. It is history itself.

Moreover, nothing could be better in your scrapbook than to have quality quotes to enliven the sprit and rekindle the thoughts that were once part of the memories.

Indeed, scrapbooking quotes are necessary in any kind of scrapbook. Scrapbooking quotes are devices that can take your scrapbooks to new-fangled and creative altitude.

For so many years now, scrapbooking has been an all-time favorite hobby, and creativity has made it more attractive than ever. Thanks to the wonderful additions of scrapbooking quotes that continue to perk up different scrapbooks.

It has been a well-known fact that pictures can speak for themselves. However, there are so many instances where words are still the most powerful means of communication. When pictures can't convey the message, words are important to express the total meaning of the image in the picture.

In scrapbooking, pictures aren't the only main attractions. Quotations are also considered as one of the most important parts in scrapbooks. This is because even if there are many photographs, magazine articles, news clippings, etc., that are worth remembering, there are also some statements or words that are worth cherishing. These words don't merely explain the material but can also add drama to the subject in focus.

Most scrapbooking experts contend that scrapbooking quotes are actually words that speak from the heart. These are the sentiments of the hobbyist who would like to express his or her feelings through words as much as he or she would like to express them through images or any other scrapbooking materials.

The very essence of scrapbooking quotes is that they intensify the beauty that hobbyist forms and establishes on every page that captures every single moment as history itself unfolds. The beauty that it creates is something that is priceless.

For those who are interested in getting fresh ideas for quotations, they can easily acquire beautiful quotes to live by on the Internet. All they have to do is browse the web, look for quality scrapbooking quotes, add them into their scrapbooks, and rekindle the memories once more.

Indeed, scrapbooks and quotations are perfect combinations to keep those memories well appreciated and full of life.

by Scrapbooking Is Now My Business

Scrapbooking Ideas

Scrapbooking ideas. Even if you don't have a creative bone in your body, you can still come up with something which is pleasing to the eye when making a scrapbook.

Just go with whatever it is that you feel like doing, have fun or do it with somebody else – a friend or a younger member of the family.

You can look at samples online or have a scrapbooking enthusiast show you his or her work. Then you can gather concepts to apply when you make your own.

Here are some great ideas for you to use when making the ultimate scrapbook:

1. Album

You can buy these online or at a local crafts store. The album that you choose will dictate the overall design of the album so take your time in picking one.

Look at the material used in the paper. If you plan to make a collage and include heavier materials, look for a thicker paper. The regular thickness of craft paper will do if you just want to stick many different photos in your scrapbook.

There are various sizes to choose from, beginning from a letter-size album which is 8 ½” x 11” or the smaller square-sized paper of 6” or 8”.

For a smaller format, you can use just one or two pictures to showcase on each page and just add on embellishments.

2. Themes

Look around you and you will surely find an inspiration when it comes to the theme of your scrapbook.

The weather is one example, look for a bright-orange or yellow-based color. Then, you could cut out photos of sunflowers and loop a yellow yarn and glue it on to represent the sun.

Next, paste the pictures on the pages of your scrapbook and finish up with writing a personalized quote or paste a clipping from a newspaper. Glue on additional memorabilia of a different medium then your scrapbook is as good as gold.

3. Borders

You can use the same theme for the borders as the page itself or the borders of the photos.

Pasting a picture on top of a paper which will serve as your border will add depth to your scrapbook layout.

You can also cut a big shape then inscribe another shape or pattern – like a square inscribed in a circle, then place the photo underneath the border.

4. Design and Layout

You can either go with the theme and coordinate it with the design or make a completely different design altogether.

Within the layout, you can go with the standard photos or memorabilia items in the middle or you can put them on either side of the page.

by Scrapbooking Is Now My Business

Creating a Wedding Scrapbook

A scrapbook of a wedding is different than a photo album of a wedding. I believe a photo album is to showcase the photos taken at the wedding. I believe a scrapbook of the wedding is to share the story of the days/years leading up to the wedding and then share photos of the event itself.

The following suggestions are just that, suggestions. There is no right or wrong in creating a scrapbook. It is my goal to provide some thought starters to creating a wedding scrapbook.

Consider starting with a few photos of both the bride and the groom as children. Add a few photos of them as teens and then some photos of the couple during the dating process.

During the planning stages, often banquet rooms are looked at, dresses and tuxedos are looked at, and invitations are looked at. Taking a few photos of the various planning days are great additions to the scrapbook. If the bridal shop will allow it, it can be fun to take photos of the bride in each dress she tries on.

When you decide on a banquet room, take a few photos of the room empty. Take a few photos of the building housing the banquet room.

Once a menu is decided on, save a copy of the menu provided by the banquet room. One event I helped with, we actually made the menu ourselves. We wanted guests to know what was being served that night and so we included our self made menu in the scrapbook.

You’ll also want to save one copy of all of the following:

• An invitation

• An R.S.V.P. card

• A place card

• A thank you note

• A copy of the guest list

If you order candy bar wrappers, or any other wedding favor, save one for your scrapbook. If you use a D.J. or a band, save one of their business cards, or one of their brochures, to include in your scrapbook. If you hire any other type of entertainer, again, save a business card or brochure.

As you plan your wedding, it can be fun to journal the days. There will always be mishaps along the way and as you are celebrating your first anniversary, you will laugh over the mishaps and the other notes you took as you planned.

When the R.S.V.P. cards come in, often times folks will write personal messages. Save those. Just like a high school yearbook, it’s fun to go back and read what others wrote, several years later. And now, the day of the wedding has arrived. It’s time to take those photos that you’ll want for both your wedding photo album and also your wedding scrapbook.

Audrey Okaneko has been scrapbooking for several years. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com

by Audrey Okaneko

Wedding Scrapbook Albums - They're Not Just For Brides and Grooms

These life changing, always memorable events are frequently the catalysts for nuptial-themed scrapbook albums. But true creative scrapbooking artisans have come to realize that only one wedding scrapbook might not be enough!

Here Comes the Bride... Her Dad... Your Cousin... The Neighbors...

Take a moment to consider how many people are in attendance at the typical wedding. Aside from the bride and groom, there are usually bridesmaids, groomsmen, attendants, flower girls and ring bearers. Add to that the plethora of family members and friends-fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, former roommates, school chums, grandparents-and you have a bounty of people for whom scrapbook albums would be perfect mementoes.

Of course, this is great news to the professional scrapper who desires to make a partial living off her creative scrapbooking abilities, selling her innovative scrapbook albums by the dozen.

It's also terrific for the recreational scrapbooking fan (and new bride!) who wants to test her skills at arranging wedding scrapbook albums as a "thank you" for everyone who attended her special day.

But no matter who is putting together the scrapbook (seasoned scrapper or newbie artist), it's critical to have a plan in place before setting off on this exciting adventure. Otherwise, you could find yourself with tons of scrapbooking embellishments and few finished projects.

The Wedding (scrapbook album) Planner

The key to arranging phenomenal wedding scrapbook albums is to develop a strategy before ever lifting a gel pen or unpeeling a sticker. This game plan can be as intricate as you need. Some scrappers prefer to simply write down the names of recipients for whom they'd like to make albums and then jump right in to their work. For them, a simple list is enough of a guideline.

Other scrapbooking gurus prefer to establish a more comprehensive blueprint, describing their intended scrapbook albums in greater detail (e.g. including approximate number of pages, size of album, theme of album, anticipated scrapbook products.)

Regardless of your organizational style, once you've written down at least a general idea of how you want to create your wedding scrapbook albums, it's time to check your scrapbook accessories. (Nothing's worse than finding out you've run out of card stock in the middle of a fun project!)

Evaluate your inventory, then decide whether you need to purchase scrapbook supplies online or if you have enough items in your scrapbooking kit. If you're unsure as to whether you need more, know that it's always better to have a little too much.

Making Memories Come Alive Again

Your next step will be to sort applicable photos and nostalgic items for inclusion in the wedding scrapbook albums. Simple enough, but don't breeze through the process.

For instance, if you're creating an 8-page scrapbook for your six-year-old niece who served as your flower girl, you'll want to create a very special scrapbook using photos of her (don't forget about those silly candids that make such delightful creative scrapbooking items!) If you have dried flowers, pictures of flowers or even flower-themed scrapbook products, you could add them, too.

Taking this hypothetical creative scrapbooking scenario a step further, you could also choose card stock that mirrors the colors (and perhaps fabrics) of both your wedding and your flower girl's dress. Remember-there's no "right" or "wrong" way to arrange scrapbook albums, but they should have a strong sense of originality and personality.

I Do... Thank You

Once your scrapbook albums are completed, the method of transporting them is entirely up to you.

Sent in the mail to friends and relatives who took part in your marriage ceremony, wedding scrapbook albums make a lovely surprise. Of course, a face-to-face delivery is a powerful way to say, "Thanks for being a part of our marriage", too.

In the end, your creative scrapbooking generosity will not go unnoticed, and the thoughtful scrapbook albums you've produced will be treasured for generations to come.

Michele Cardello, director of marketing and creative for Life Imprints, a creative scrapbooking supplies company also offering contemporary picture frames, in Cleveland, Ohio, has worked in the photo packaging industry for 10 years. Cardello helps customers find creative ways to preserve and appreciate a lifetime of memories.

by Michele Cardello