Search Results for: blog journaling special occasions

Journaling Special Occasions

It’s Homecoming week at a number of high schools in our area. I know this because earlier tonight I saw my neighbor’s daughter standing outside in her full-length ball gown posing with her date and a group of other friends. That was a few hours ago. I’ll bet $500 that her mom already cropped and printed the photos and has them featured in at least four or five scrapbook layouts. The woman is a machine when it comes to scrapping and I know she didn’t waste a minute getting her daughter’s Homecoming pictures in place in what are probably eye-popping … Continue reading →

Document the Day

It’s a snow day around here.  And by snow day I mean, schools are closed, highways are blocked, and I am praying that the electricity stays on so that I can post this without incident. Snow and cold are nothing new in northern Wisconsin, especially in January.  However, when we get hit with a storm as massive as this one, even I venture out to document the aftermath.  Then, I do what any self-respecting scrapbook fanatic does; create a layout employing as many techniques as possible. You don’t need to wait for a major milestone to craft an eye-popping page … Continue reading →

Thanks for Giving

In the chaos that surrounds the holiday season, it’s easy to lose sight of the true meaning behind the special occasions. Thanksgiving is filled with food, food and more food. The sumptuous spread can tempt people to focus more on what’s sitting on the table rather than who they are sitting next to at the table. When you are designing layouts for your Thanksgiving scrapbook, don’t forget to include memories that illustrate the true meaning of the holiday. Look for photos that speak volumes for the type of relationships your family members share with one other. You can further enhance … Continue reading →

Capturing the Spirit of Thanksgiving

This is peak season for scrapbooking. Once Halloween hits and we roll into Thanksgiving and Christmas, avid scrappers shift into marathon mode. With so many special occasions at hand, it’s often hard to keep everything straight. There are photos to take, edit and file; embellishments to buy or make; and journaling to write and proof. With Thanksgiving just a week away, now is the time to focus on the first step in creating a memorable scrapbook—-documenting. In order to fully capture the spirit of the holiday, it’s important to snap pictures that tell the story of your celebrations, and then … Continue reading →

Storing Memorabilia

Forget about the “Bag Lady,” if I had to pick a scrapbook nickname for myself it would be “Envelope Lady.” You should see all of the envelopes I have sitting on my craft table. Dozens and dozens of plain, white business size envelopes filled with items I am planning to add to future scrapbook layouts. I store everything in those envelopes, from ticket stubs to copies of my daughter’s Girl Scout badges, coins, award ribbons, postcards, newspaper clippings, greeting cards, journaling notes, photos, even strands of my nephew’s hair from his first “big boy” cut. Envelopes are a cheap and … Continue reading →

The Importance of Preserving Precious Memories

This month marks the 10th anniversary of my grandfather’s death. He was an incredible man who made a huge difference in our family’s life. Fortunately, he was a collector and an even more enthusiastic photographer. He actually ran his own professional photo studio for a while before getting into real estate. He didn’t live long enough to meet his great-grandchildren, but his memory lives on in the scrapbooks my mom and I have made over the years. However, without all of the photos he took and the ones that were snapped of him, we could never have crafted the memory … Continue reading →

Incorporating Other People’s Words Into Your Layouts

In a previous blog I shared some of the poems I plan to use in my Thanksgiving layouts. If you are like me, and struggle to express your innermost thoughts in a journaling block, then it helps to know that there are places you can visit for inspiration. Fortunately, the Internet is teeming with easy to navigate sites, which feature poems that are appropriate for scrapbooking. One of my favorites is PoemSource.com. It is loaded with warm words that are a welcome addition to any Thanksgiving-themed page design. Another site worth visiting if you have writer’s block is AbundantFun.com. The … Continue reading →

Why Journal?

If it weren’t for journaling blocks how could you explain why the scrapbook layout featuring your daughter’s first birthday includes a huge lopsided cake with no candles? Ah, the power of journaling. You can have the most elaborate paper, stickers, stamps and die cuts, but if you don’t include some type of context to your layouts, then all the hard work you put into preserving memories for future generations will be for naught. On the most basic level, journaling blocks provide information, such as names, dates and a bit of background. For example, if you are featuring a shot of … Continue reading →

Scrapbook Challenges

What is the most difficult part of putting together a scrapbook layout? For some it’s finding just the right photos to tell a story. Others struggle to keep embellishments from taking over a design, while still others find it challenging to mix and match different scrapbook paper. For me, one of the toughest parts of creating a memorable page design is coming up with a really amazing title. In my opinion, page titles are an essential part of a layout. While some opt to skip titles all together, I think they make layouts so much easier to understand. After all, … Continue reading →

The Merry Month of May

I don’t remember Easter ever taking place so late in the year. May is just around the corner. In just a short period of time we’ll be celebrating Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, all scrap worthy occasions. If you are looking to create a scrapbook as a Mother’s Day gift, then you need to get started right away. Select a theme for your book and round up some photos and embellishments. For example, if you are designing a Mother’s Day layout that showcases all of the gifts your special mom got, then consider creating a flip-open present … Continue reading →