Scrapbooking provides a means to beautifully preserve our memories. Rather than tossing our treasured photos into a shoebox or randomly storing them in a photo album, scrapbooking gives a way to display them with the beauty true treasures deserve. There’s no time like the present to try something new if you have never tried scrapbooking.

Start simple with a memory page. It’s a page with a specific theme, such as a family reunion, a sport that your child participated in, the prom or any other special event. Memory pages are often framed, but they can also be added to a scrapbook. The basic elements of a memory page are pretty simple:

Title – A title should be somewhat descriptive so someone who hasn’t seen it before will have an idea what it is all about. It’s usually best to keep it short and to the point.

Photos – The photographs, of course, are a very important element for a memory page. It’s like the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words! Choose one favorite picture and make it the focus of the page. This can be done by making it larger than the rest, or use special matting, embellishments, or a unique shape to make it stand out a bit. The photos can be of people, but it’s also good to include shots of objects that are relevant to the theme as accents. This helps to tell the story. But photos aren’t the only way to tell a story. In fact, scrappers sometimes create pages with no photos at all, opting to use objects instead.

Objects – Include objects such as ticket stubs, newspaper clippings, or dried flowers from the occasion thus adding a nostalgic touch to your memory page.

Journaling – Journaling is a great aspect to memory pages. Journalizing is notes written by you or someone who is featured on the page or it can be a cut out from cards that you’ve received for the occasion featured. It isn’t vital that you journaling be handwritten it can be typed, but it is vital that it always be extremely relevant to the photos and any other objects on the page.

Embellishments – Remember, embellisments are accents to your photos, objects and journaling, don’t allow them to take over your page. Just a few items you may want to try as embellishments are ribbons, tags, stickers or lace.

Memory pages are wonderful to give as gifts, include in scrapbooks, or frame and put on the wall. By combining these basic elements, you can create beautiful memory pages that will be treasured for years to come.

Want to get your kids’ creative juices flowing? The IlluStory Make Your Own Story Kit winner of multiple awards, including Family Life’s Best Learning Toy Award and the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award is sure to do it!

This kit is sure to bring out the best of your child’s creativity even if they aren’t fond of writing or drawing. The kit includes instructions, creative writing tips, paper and markers for adding illustrations adding up to one great story. But the fun doesn’t stop there, the best part is that your child can send his completed story to the company, and he can become a “published” author as the company will put his words into professional typesetting, bind the book in a hard cover, and return it to him. Imagine the look on your child’s face when he sees his completed published literature! What a great way to encourage literacy.

These books not only look quite authentic they also include an “About the Author” page, title and a dedication page. Your child’s cover art is laminated on the front, along with the title of his book and his name. It’s pretty safe to assume he’ll be showing his masterpiece off to friends and family for quite some time.

The kit sells for $19.95 which includes publishing one copy of your child’s book. More copies of his book can be purchased at an additional fee for grandparents, other relatives or friends. Only one book can be created from a single kit. Refills are not available. So don’t be surprised if your child wants to write another boo. If he does you’ll have to purchase another kit.

For young ones, the IlluStory Make Your Own Story Kit is a great tool for encouraging writing and art skills. For parents and grandparents, it gives you a beautiful keepsake to treasure for years to come.

A quick online search for “scrapbooking scissors” will give you a picture of how many different types of scissors and cutting tools there are for scrapbookers. Knowing the basics of these tools will help you know which scissors are the best choice for your needs. This can help you save time by not struggling with the wrong scissors, and save you money because you won’t buy anything you won’t use.

Exacto knife. Sure exacto knives aren’t exactly scissors, but they can be helpful when it comes to setting up your layouts. Exacto knives are useful for cutting thicker materials with more precision than scissors and getting sharp corners for shapes and lettering. Just be sure you have a cutting pad to protect your surfaces.

Edgers. We’ve all seen pinking shears and know they can add a fun touch to your scrapbooks, but now edgers do so much more. You can make waves, scallops, and zigzags. There are even special edgers made just for corners.

Be careful not to go overboard though. While that 30 piece edging set might seem great at the time, it’s a lot of money to spend when you can make patterns yourself by tracing. If you really must have all the different patterns, why not ask several friends to split the cost with you and share the scissors? This works even better if you live near each other or have scrapbooking parties.

Circle cutters. These are just what they sound like; they can cut a perfect circle every time. While many people prefer to just find something circular in their house and trace, these can save you time. Plus, depending on your cutting skills, you may have problems getting that circle looking just right. It may also be a challenge to find an object that’s the size you’re looking for. Circle cutters are an easy way to save you time and energy.

Trimmers. If you’re like me, you can’t cut a straight line to save your life. That’s why you need to get some kind of trimmer with a straight edge on it. They’re usually pretty easy to use, and once you get going, you’ll be able to precisely cut a straight edge every time.

Scissors. With all the fancy products out there, you will still be glad you have your good old regular scissors. No matter what great products you have, nothing will ever replace them. You should be sure to buy some quality scissors to keep only for scrapbooking. Other uses could damage or dull the scissors and ruin your results. It’s also best to buy specific scissors for paper and sewing scissors if you use fabrics. These will make sure you get the perfect cut every time.

If you aren’t really sure what scissors you want or need, just start small. Start with several good pairs of scissors, and a trimmer. Work your way up as you learn more and gain skill.

There are numerous crafts done with a needle, cloth and some type of thread. It can be very confusing trying to figure out which is which if you are new to crafting with thread. Here is a quick overview on the most popular terms: Embroidery, Cross Stitch and Needlepoint.

Embroidery goes back a long way, and it continues to evolve to this day.

Embroidery

The term “embroidery” actually encompasses several different fabric crafts. Both needlepoint and cross stitch are types of embroidery. Embroidery’s roots are uncertain, but there is evidence that it goes back at least as far as the Iron Age. Elaborate embroidery designs in clothing were a sign of status in ancient and medieval times. Various forms of embroidery have been passed down through the generations in many cultures.

Its basic definition is the decorating of fabric and other materials by stitching designs onto it. This can be done with thread, yarn, or ribbon. Embroidery also encompasses several subcategories:

Machine embroidery is done with a sewing machine, or with a specialized embroidery machine.

Free embroidery is done without taking the weave of the fabric into account.

Counted thread embroidery uses patterns that are meastured byt he number of threads in the fabric.

Surface embroidery is done on top of the fabric.

Canvas work requires stitching over the entire fabric, in effect making a new fabric.

Cross Stitch

Cross stitch is a type of counted thread surface embroidery. Mostly using X-shaped stitches to create a picture or pattern. Backstitches are used for creating outlines and small details while partial stitches are used for shaping and texture. Materials used in cross stitching include embroidery floss and canvas or aida cloth. Today, cross stitching is most often used in creating pictures for framing.

It has historically been done on household items such as dishtowels and linens, and although not as prevalent, it is still frequently used for those purposes.

Needlepoint

Needlepoint is a surface embroidery technique. Its basic stitch is like a half-stitch in cross stitching. Usually worked on very fine canvas. Needlepoint is used to create upholstery, wall hangings, purses, rugs and more. It creates a look similar to that of tapestry, but instead of being woven on a loom, it is hand stitched.

Needlepoint is most often done with yarn, but sometimes several strands of embroidery floss are used to achieve a different look. Canvas types include mono, penelope and interlock. The canvas is stretched on a frame to keep it pulled tight while working.

Cross stitch and needlepoint are two of the most popular types, but they are not the only ones. There are a wide variety of embroidery techniques out there to try.

You have parties for birthdays, anniversaries, or even to check out the latest jewelry or other products. Why not get your friends together for a scrapbooking party? Besides having an excuse to have a party, there are some real benefits to having scrapbooking get-togethers with your friends.

New ideas. No matter how many sample layouts you look at or books you read, sometimes you just hit a wall and can’t come up with anything else. Having a scrapbooking party with your friends will let you see their ideas, and they can see what you’re working on and give you pointers. Sometimes a fresh perspective is enough to get you out of that slump and get you moving again.

New products. Let’s face it, as much as you would love to spend all your time online or at store checking out or testing new products, you’re just too busy. Having a scrapping get together is a great way to learn about, get opinions on, and even try out new supplies and tools. It not only saves you time, it can also save you money because you’ll end up not buying a product that doesn’t work well or that you just won’t use.

Sharing supplies. There are a lot of useful tools for scrapbookers that can produce great results but often aren’t worth the price for how often you use them. You can always trade tools with your friends, but it’s a lot easier when you have time to get together. If you get together with three friends, that’s four times the number of tools at your disposal. If 4 people are going to use it, it might make those novelty edgers, stamps, and punches worth the money.

Swapping extras. One of the biggest weaknesses in scrapbooking is buying more than you need. Stepping into a scrapbooking store is a great feeling, but it usually means you buy too much of something, or something that seems great at the time, but you never end up using. Plus, you always end up having extra scraps left over from layouts. If everyone brings their extras their not going to use, you can trade. They way you get new and different materials and you’re reducing waste at the same time.

Meeting new people. If you know a few people who scrapbook, but want to expand your circle, encourage each person to bring someone who doesn’t scrapbook to your next get together. You can share your assembled books, have them help you with layouts, and you might just convince them to start their own hobby.

Pure fun. Everyone needs time to unwind and relax with friends. You can just hang out while you’re scrapbooking, or have a bit more organized fun with design challenges and scrappbooking related games. The bonus is, if you’re all having fun, you’ll probably get the creative juices flowing and come up with some fantastic new ideas.

So what are you waiting for? Call your friends and start arranging your next great gathering.

When planning a crafting project, one of the most basic yet most difficult decisions to make is what colors to use. There are just so many beautiful colors to choose from! Review these tips and ask yourself these questions to help lead you in the right direction when it comes to color scheme selecting for your projects:

* Who is the project for? If it’s a gift for someone, what is the recipients favorite color? Incorporate their favorite color along with some complimentary colors to make it special for them.

* Is this project for a special occasion? For a wedding try adding or using the color theme of the wedding, this will add a sentimental touch. For a baby shower, the standard boy (light blue), girl (pink) and gender neutral (pastel green and yellow) colors will work. Most holidays have certain colors associated with them or that come to mind which can be used.

* What is your project theme? Is it a nature item, or something in a futuristic theme? Using colors that are commonly associated with a project’s theme is a nice, safe approach.

* Are photographs being used? Sometime they present a bit of a challenge brining in colors that are beyond your control. Find a color that won’t clash with what’s in the photograph. Take hints from the photo itself. What colors stand out? Or if the photograph is just too busy looking consider reprinting in black and white.

* Where will the finished project be displayed? If it’s a personal item for your home, or for a close friend or family member home, look around the room for color suggestions. If you’re creating the item for sale, consider what common colors are most used in those rooms.

* Have you been inspired by another design? If you’ve seen something that had an interesting color scheme, try using it on a project.

* Think outside the box. If you’re going for a formal look stick with traditional colors, but if you want to make your project unique and fun, use whatever happens to strike your fancy at that moment. It’s your project, make it uniquely you.

Color is an important element of any project but there is no right or wrong color to use for a given project. Go with your instincts and use the color scheme you feel is best.

Do you draw? I had forgotten how much I love to draw till the other day when my 5 year old and I decided it was time to get out the BIG paper and draw and paint. I guess if I want my kids to flourish with their talents I need to encourage it now like my parents did with me. We have a tendency to try to live our lives through our kids, I sometimes forget I’m an individual, a woman who has her own interest, likes and dislikes. I guess, I just get so wrapped up in my kid’s lives that I forget I need to enjoy my life too. Even if it’s just a few minutes a day writing poetry or taking a few photographs outside or just scribbling a picture on a piece of paper or entering a blog post to help clear my head of the thoughts and stresses of daily life.

Well, I won’t rabble on anymore. Thanks for listening though. It’s good to just ramble sometimes don’t you think?