Scrapbooking Layouts - Creating the Perfect Memory

One of the benefits of scrapbooking is the organized and attractive way your memories are preserved. It's important to take your time with the initial layout because that's what really makes the core of your design. A good layout will be beautiful to look at and it will preserve your memories so you and the generations to come will truly enjoy them.

Your imagination is one of the best places to start your layouts. Just take a look at the number of pictures you have and the themes you'd like to create and go from there. But, if like everybody, you find yourself stuck for ideas sometimes that's OK. There are lots of places to look for inspiration.

Scrapbooking idea books and magazines are great for getting ideas. They have lots of layouts and you can often find them centering around a theme, such as "baby's first year" or "school days." This will help jump start your own creativity.

You can also find lots of layout ideas online. Spend time browsing scrapbooking sites and looking at galleries of the pages others have put together. You'll get some excellent ideas.

Don't limit yourself to just scrapbooking resources, though. Pay attention to the layouts of your favorite web pages and magazines. You'll find a wealth of beautiful layouts to draw inspiration from.

Kits and software are excellent sources of pre-made layouts. If you're just getting started with scrapbooking they can help you create beautiful pages right away. You will find that you can come up with your own ideas more easily as you gain experience.

Start planning your layout by taking stock of what you have to work with. How many pictures are you going to be using? Do you want to add a lot of words (journaling) to this particular page or spread? Is there children's artwork to be incorporated into the layout. How about mementos such as napkins, invitations, or programs? These things will all influence how you should lay your page out.

Are you going to have one picture be the focal point, or will you have many pictures and mementos working together to build your memory? Layouts often center on details of each photograph, in which case the pictures are cropped and several smaller pictures are used together. Then there are always classic pictures that deserve to be the focal point of your entire page.

Go with simple layouts. Pictures and words will get lost on a page that's too cluttered. It also helps to have a consistent look and feel for an entire album, so consider what will be going into it. Don't forget to leave space for journaling.

Remember that themed kits can be a great way to get started with scrapbooking. They're also wonderful if you're going to be creating your scrapbook as a gift for someone else. They contain a nice selection of stencils, card stock, and embellishments that match the overall theme of the kit. You'll find kits for everything from babies, to weddings, to anniversaries, to graduations, to birthdays, and more.

Taking the time to plan out your layouts before you actually start working on your scrapbook pages will help you create the perfect memory in an attractive and organized way. So spend a little while thinking about it and trying different things to get the look you want.

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Premade Scrapbook Layouts - A Variety to Add Personalization

It cannot be denied that mothers and young people from all over the world are getting more and more engrossed with the hobby of scrapbooking. When you go to bookstores and craft stores these days, you would notice that there would always be scrapbooking kits for both the beginners and the experts. Most of these kits already include premade scrapbook layouts.

But have you ever heard of the new and more modern concept of scrapbooking? Digital scrapbooking is the term used when you plan to make scrapbook albums without having to leave your seat in front of your computer. It offers a wide range of available premade scrapbook layouts that you can use to incorporate your photos with.

To get started with this modern way of scrapbooking, all you have to do is to choose first from the many premade scrapbook layouts that you will be presented to online. Then you can start creating your very own embellishments by using graphic and photo programs along with your selected photos. Nowadays, there are many interactive websites which can give you more ideas on this new innovation in scrapbooking.

The hobby of scrapbooking has been known all over the world for encouraging majority of the female market into getting involved with it. For mothers, it has contributed to improve their lives by adding variety to their everyday routine and for some, has even become a form of additional income. This can be said true for the young female market.

Teenagers have also fallen in love with this idea of scrapbooking that they have even formed clubs and organizations that encourage everyone to be an enthusiasts as well as a member. In nursing homes for the elderly people, scrapbooking has also taken a place of its own as a form of hobby for those who have been starting to lose their capacity to remember memories in their lives.

Do you need Scrapbooking Ideas? Check out Premade Scrapbook Pages and Scrapbook Page Ideas

Scrapbook: Hannas Celebrate 75th Anniversary

ANNIVERSARY

Hanna

William Sandoe Hanna and Mildred Ruth Swarner Hanna will be celebrating their 75th anniversary at their Gilroy home with friends April 14.

Both were born and raised in Gilroy. William was born July 25, 1911 to Walter and Fannie Hanna. And Mildred was born Dec. 29, 1913 to Roy and Ruth Swarner. The high school sweethearts married April 14, 1934 and had four children - William, Sandra, Roy and Tom.

The Hannas opened a custom fabrication business in 1941. They also grew prunes, walnuts and other orchard crops.

After their children were grown, the Hannas continued to donate their time in the community.

The couple sponsored Rainbow for Gilroy and Sandoe served as a Rainbow Dad. The Hannas were part of the original Gilroy Historical Society where they were instrumental in helping to save the Old City Hall in 1966 and establishing a museum in the building.

They also assisted in saving the Mayock House, getting it moved to Gavilan College. After the 1989 earthquake, they again assisted in helping to save the Old City Hall. They also helped restore the Wheeler Hospital.

The Hannas contributed space for several of the society's large historical objects being restored. Mildred is a volunteer at the Garlic Festival.

Spence

Jack and Evelyn Spence, of Gilroy, celebrated their 50th golden wedding anniversary March 28, 2009.They enjoyed an elegant dinner with their children and grandchildren at Westside Grill followed by cake and a slide show of their 50 years of marriage.

ENGAGEMENT

Padilla-Quintero/Blythe

Tania Padilla-Quintero and Rowdy Blythe recently got engaged. They will be married Oct 16, 2010 at the Willow Creek Chapel in Abilene, Texas. They will have a sunset wedding and reception and a second reception in California.

Time and date for that reception are TBA. Tania, the daughter of Rosalio Quintero Sr. and Lillian Silva, is a homemaker and student at Penn Foster Career School in Austin, Texas, studying child psychology.

She attended Central High School in Morgan Hill. Rowdy, the son of Dale Blythe and Barbara Blythe-Harris, is a tire service technician. He attended Texas Tech and received a degree in computer graphics and animation.

BIRTH

Gonzalez

Cipriana Emily Gonzalez was born March 26, 2009 to Bertha Eugenia Hernandez and Miguel Angel Gonzalez at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital in Hollister. She was 5.5 pounds.

Taken From GilroyDispatch.com

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

Wedding Scrapbook Album

A wonderful way to start your scrapbooking tradition is with a wedding scrapbook album. It is a good idea to plan page layouts and ideas ahead of time. You can start by making a list of activities that will be taking place before the wedding. Or plan the activities around the pages you do want to include in your album. Bachelor’s or bachelorette’s parties, rehearsal dinners and even your honeymoon can offer very memorable and unique keepsakes to use in your scrapbooking.

One way to begin a wedding scrapbook album is to display both of your lives before the wedding. Make a his and her page with a photo and journalize, use photos or small items that show personal hobbies, friends, sports, interests and anything that defines characteristics or personalities. You can also have his and her pages about “how we met” and both of you can express your feelings about your first meeting.

Make some of your pages unique and pass around a page for friends and family to offer advice to the happy couple. Other memorabilia to include in your album might be an invitation, guest lists, specially made napkins or pressed flowers from your bouquet. When the wedding is behind you, a great way to close your wedding scrapbook album is for the both of you to write down your thoughts about your wedding experience.

Keep a notebook with you to keep track of ideas, thoughts or details that you might want to include in your scrapbook. Careful planning and attention to details before the big day creates a beautiful memory you can share for years to come.

Vera Raposo has been scrapbooking since her oldest child was 5. With tons of scrapbooking tips and ideas, Vera is now sharing some of her best scrapbooking ideas on her radio show at http://www.scrapperstalkradio.com

by Vera Raposo