Scrapbook My Life

A continuation of yesterday’s post, with more frugal scrapbooking ideas….

• When you purchase a top-loading album, save the white paper for matting photos or printing journaling instead of purchasing white cardstock at the scrapbook store.  Removing this paper from the album’s page protectors will also make your finished scrapbook less bulky.
• Larger paper scraps can be used to mat photos or print journaling, but even the smallest scraps can still find a home on your layout.  Turn tiny patterned paper and cardstock scraps into unique handmade paper.  You can find instructions online or at your local library.  Making your own paper adds a custom touch to your layouts, especially if you add leaves and flowers from your garden to the paper pulp.  Another good way to use up your scraps is by creating custom collage photo corners or serendipity squares. 
•   Use up leftover alphabet stickers in various fonts by creating a ransom note title for your layout.  Coat the stickers with gesso, then paint with acrylic paints in colors to coordinate with your page.
• When you’re finished with a sheet of stickers, use the background as adhesive to adhere fibers and ribbons to back of your layout.  It might not look as pretty as purchased adhesive products, but you won’t be able to see it anyway once your layout is inside the page protector.

Surprisingly, you don’t need to spend a fortune to create scrapbooks future generations will cherish! Stick to your budget and make the most of the supplies you’ve got.

• You don’t need to mat every photo on a layout; matting photos will quickly use up your supply of cardstock. For a cheaper alternative to matting, outline photos with chalk. Using a pencil, lightly trace the outline of your photo onto the paper. Use a sponge applicator to apply chalk over the traced lines in a rapid up and down motion. You can also create the illusion of photo mats by placing multiple photos close to one another.
• When you are matting a large photo for a layout, cut away the inside of the mat and save the extra paper for another project. You won’t be able to see the cut after the picture is place on top and your album will be less bulky.
• Stop using so much adhesive on your pages! For example, you can snip your Hermafix tabs in half and use just one half on each corner of your photo. It will stick just as well and you’ll have more money left to spend on other supplies. Remember, your plastic page protectors will also help keep items attached to your page.

For some reason, I always associate summer with babies. Even though my son was born in November and I have a fall birthday myself, it seems like everyone is busy attending baby showers during June, July, and August.

If you’re getting ready to scrapbook baby memories, here are some photo ideas:

• Mother’s growing belly during each month of pregnancy
• Decorating the nursery
• Baby showers including invitations, cards, etc.
• Outside view of hospital
• Clock showing time you arrived
• Labor and delivery room nurses
• Dad and Mom together
• The star of the show - the newborn baby
• Clock showing time of birth
• The doctor or nurses holding baby
• Cutting the cord
• Baby on the scale (try to include the weight)
• Close up of leg/arm with name bracelet
• Little hands curled around Mom or Dad’s finger
• Phoning relatives and friends to share the news
• Visitors holding the baby
• Getting the baby dressed in his/her first outfit
• Mom and baby being wheeled out the front door
• Dad carrying out flowers and balloons
• First ride in the carseat
• Greetings upon returning home (signs on door or lawn, excited grandparents, siblings, etc.)
• Reactions of siblings, pets, etc.
• Sleeping on Dad’s chest
• Feeding time
• Generation photos with proud new grandparents
• Visitors holding baby
• The father’s “firsts” - diaper change, bath, nap, etc.
• Baby’s favorite toys, sleeping positions, blanket, etc.
• First visit to pediatrician

On a related note, here are my two all time favorite quotes for baby scrapbook pages:

• “Babies are such a nice way to start people.” Don Herold
• “A baby is God’s opinion the world should go on.” Carl Sandburg

In continuation of yesterday’s post, here are a few more ideas to consider when creating frugal scrapbook embellishments:

• Save ribbon from gift baskets and presents you’ve received to use as a pretty page borders.
• Make your own patterned paper by scanning interesting bits of fabric or flat objects and printing onto white cardstock or the back side of unwanted patterned paper. Just remember that even though it might seem like a great money saving tip, it’s a violation of copyright law to scan and reuse copies of purchased patterned papers.
• Create your own textured cardstock by folding your paper and letting the creases add texture and dimension to your layout. Add chalk or ink to enhance the look. Another easy way to add texture to a sheet of cardstock is to dry emboss a background with a stencil and stylus.
• Pull buttons from old shirts to use as the centers of silk flowers.
• Create a simple geometric background by layering various sized circles or squares cut from scrap paper over your cardstock. Although it’s a bit more expensive than other types of adhesives, a Xyron 150 is especially handy for this technique because it will let you turn small punched or die cut shapes into your own stickers.
• Break out your sewing machine to embellish your layouts. Use different types of stitches to create photo mats and page borders. If you don’t have access to a sewing machine, hand stitching will work just as well.

Remember that scrapbooking is about preserving memories, not decorating pages with overpriced embellishments!  When you keep your focus on the photos and journaling, you’ll only need a few simple embellishments to create stunning family keepsakes.

• Simple scrapbooking is the most cost effective style.  Simple Scrapbooks magazine is a good resource for learning how to creating stunning layouts with cardstock and minimal embellishments.
• Print out clip art or images from free digital scrapbooking kits to use as frugal scrapbook accents for your next layout.
• Use journaling as a creative and low cost page embellishment.  Repeat simple journaling such as names and dates across cardstock for a unique and meaningful text background.
• Don’t forget to incorporate memorabilia into your layouts.  Postcards, brochures, and maps add visual interest to your vacation layouts while supplementing your journaling.  Include scanned and reduced copies of your child’s handwriting and artwork in your layouts to help document his or her growth.
• Embellish your pages with clever photo treatments. Create an interesting image by cutting a photo into strips and piercing it back together, leaving thin margins between the strips. You can also try creating a photo mosaic by cutting the photo into a random pattern and piecing it back together in the same manner.
• Get in touch with your artistic side and start doodling on your pages! Stars, circles, flowers, and other simple designs are a cheap and easy way to accent any layout.

Collage is such a fun scrapbook technique. When I’m having a bad day, making a collage brings back memories of elementary school. All that cutting, pasting, and rearranging is tremendously therapeutic.

The key to making a successful collage is to choose embellishments that coordinate with your photo. If you’re planning to frame a picture from your recent European vacation, for example, a map and some stickers of popular landmarks would be great accents for your collage. On a similar note, tiny seashells are a natural thing to include when making a collage background for a layout that showcases a photo of your daughter at the beach.

Of course, collage scrapbooking is also a great frugal way to embellish your layouts. A collage background can incorporate patterned paper scraps, bits of ribbon, leftover buttons, mismatched eyelets and brads, or extra silk flowers from your last project. Just remember to adhere your collage elements from top to bottom, left to right to avoid smudges, smears, and glue spills!

I must confess that I love using templates for scrapbooking, even though I am still primarily a traditional paper scrapbooker. A template makes it easy to quickly create finished pages for your album. Simply drop your photos into the appropriate spots, add a bit of journaling, and you’re ready to insert your layout into your album! If you’re in a hurry, or just not feeling particularly creative, a template is a great way to get your photos into your album where they can be enjoyed.

Lately, I’ve being working with the CD Digital Quick Pages by Ali Edwards to get caught up on my son’s scrapbook album. The bright colors and simple geometric patterns in these scrapbook templates are a great choice for toddler pages. For our family album, I’m thinking I’ll have to try some of the Quick Page templates at A Cherry on Top .

Even though brads seem to have replaced eyelets as the “go to” embellishment choice for scrapbookers, I still have a TON of eyelets left to use in my pages. Lately, I’ve taken to randomly pounding them into my patterned paper background for an extra bit of texture and dimension. If I find I don’t have enough of the same color, I simply coat a bunch of random eyelets with the acrylic paint of my choice. It’s a time consuming process, but it feels good to use old supplies and make room for some of those cool new items I keep seeing advertised.

Here’s a few general tips for working with eyelets:

• If you’re nervous about using eyelets to adhere vellum journaling to your layout, try creating your journaling block using an extra piece of matching background paper, then attaching the block to your layout after the eyelets have been set. As an added bonus, this will sandwich the rough edges of the back of the eyelets between two layers of paper.
• If you’ve ever pounded on the back of an eyelet and turned the project over to find that the front has warped, place an old mousepad on top of your self healing mat. The extra layer of cushioning will prevent further distortions.

Buttons are excellent embellishment choices for the frugal scrapbooker. You can buy a huge bag of buttons at your local craft store or simply get in the habit of cutting off extra buttons from your family’s old clothes. Children’s clothing often has a variety of nice buttons that can be used in your scrapbook pages, for example. Flat buttons are the ideal embellishment option, but you can also purchase a button shank remover if you find a decorative button you wish to use in your project.

While I love using buttons on my scrapbook layouts, I hate to sew! Instead of sewing buttons to a page, sew thread through button and knot. Use glue dots to adhere button to page. Or, if you’re feeling really lazy, just use the glue dot and save yourself some time!

I love using acrylic paint in my scrapbook layouts! It’s a cheap, fun, and easy way to embellish your projects. You can paint your own background paper, alter the colors of purchased stickers and die cuts, or make a title with your favorite foam alphabet stamps.

Acrylic paint can be purchased from scrapbook supply stores, but you don’t need to spend extra money for paint labeled as being specifically for scrapbooking. The same acrylic paint you use for painting designs on canvas or decorating wooden furniture will work just fine for your scrapbook layouts. If you like to custom mix colors of acrylic paint, however, be sure to cover your paint tray with Saran Wrap when you’re finished. Then, if you need to do any touch up work after your paint dries, you won’t need to worry about remixing the color.