The Archival rubber stamping inks are generally one of the most distributed brands of acid free ink. It is noted significantly for its strong quality that it is said to withstand from any wear and tear associated with the art. Several claims have it that of the available inks on the market, the Archival rubber stamping inks are the ones that aren’t capable of destroying the quality of any stamping material, be it a photograph or an ordinary paper.

There is more to be said about the Archival rubber stamping inks. To further give you idea about this ink brand, note that the Archival ink line is one option that tends not to bleed when painted. It will not also bleed even if it is brayered over a water based coloring medium, like a watercolor, water based inks, pearl pigments, and markers.

The Archival rubber stamping inks are now marketed in different categories. Most suppliers of rubber stamping materials and tools have been offering this product in three types. The first includes the set of ordinary inks; the second is for the bright inks; and the third is for the jumbo types of Archival inks which simply include about six neutral ink colors.

In the line of the original Archival inks, the colors included range from cobalt, coffee, crimson, grape, jet black, library green, maroon, mustard, olive, sepia, plum, russet, and teal. For those who are thinking of the Archival brights, what you may find are colors of aqua, banana, emerald, tangerine, carnation, berry purple, and true blue. While on the Jumbo type, the Archival rubber stamping inks are but all neutral. All of these shades are highly valued in the market today knowing that they are crafted from high quality materials, and that they are highly capable of transforming even just a very simple rubber stamp into something attractive and interesting.

Note that all of the colors included in the Archival line of rubber stamping inks are said to withstand from any test associated with the stamping art. They can stay permanent on any glossy paper provided that you’ve set the inks to dry for about 20 minutes. And, perhaps what’s nicer about them is that the Archival rubber stamping inks are pretty capable of creating a raised look on your art work.

Before I discovered the world of scrapbooking, I was inexplicably drawn to my local office supply store. I loved to stand in an aisle surrounded by the different colors of copy paper. And the pens! At the time, I thought this was really strange. (So did my family). And then I discovered that there are a lot of people who share this fascination.

I realized that there is an entire industry that caters to my obsession with patterned paper and coordinating embellishments.

Then I discovered that these people also form clubs where they get together, share ideas, and eat chocolate. What could be better? Scrapbooking clubs are the quilting bees of the modern era. When you join or form a scrapbook group, you create a regular time to meet with creative, loving, and family-centered friends. Carving out a regular time to meet is an ideal way to create and maintain these meaningful friendships. 

Plus, as everyone gets together to work with family photographs and poignant memories, conversations tend to be deep and meaningful, too. You can start your own scrapbooking club by asking yourself these questions: ; How often do you want to meet? How frequently do you want to hold group meetings (or crops)? Weekly, twice-monthly, monthly? It's best to get a consensus from group members as to which day works best, as well as which time of day. Will you need child care? and how many people will be pitching in for the sitter? How many people do you want in your scrapbook club? The group dynamic varies greatly if you have 12 people, versus 30 or more. Decide in advance how many people you think will comprise an ideal group. Do you want an intimate gathering of friends. Or do you have the energy for a larger collaboration? Where do you want to host the crop? You can start out at your home, if you have the space.

Or you can ask if the scrapbookers in your club would like to rotate houses. For larger groups, consider churches, community centers, or conference rooms. Often churches and businesses will be very receptive to providing space for this type of gathering. Scrapbooking is a fun, family-oriented activity, which places of worship and community centers generally love to embrace. Do you want to charge membership dues? If you have to pay for your scrapbooking space, you'll probably want to recoup those costs.

If you are going to provide instruction (or food or a babysitter) - simply charge reasonable dues from each member to cover your costs. Many scrapbookers are accustomed to paying for this type of scrap space. What will you serve? You can serve food - or not. I like to keep things really simple. I have a simple basket of cold Evian bottles - which I stock up on when there's a sale.

The best foods to serve don't leave anything behind, so stay away from anything that would make it necessary for guests to wash their hands with each bite. If you're going to serve finger food, use toothpicks. And for the chocolate fix - M&Ms are wonderful because they really do melt in your mouth and not in your hand. How structured would you like your meetings to be? Some scrapbooking clubs will invite Instructors to teach a variety of more advanced techniques. Check with your local scrapbooking store and direct sales consultants to see which classes might be available.

Tip: You or one of your club members might want to consider becoming a consultant yourself in order to supply the group with product and training in the latest techniques (direct sales consulants often receive this training from their teams and from the company themselves, ie. http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/business.htm ) Then you can earn a profit and the club can earn and share the free hostess rewards. Free scrapbooking goodies for all! Or you can schedule your crop around a monthly scrapbooking club kit, ie.: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/scrapbook-club It's fun to see the different projects that each club member comes up with, using the same supplies. Plus, some monthly club kits(like the one cited above) come with idea sheets and an artist/designer gallery of club creations. What is the best way to set up the meeting space? Make sure the lighting is adequate and that each guest has enough table space.

You can set everyone up on your dining room table, or if you have the space, create a more elaborate configuration. One idea I found on the Two Peas in a Bucket (http://www.twopeasinabucket.com) message board is to create a square from 2 8-foot tables and 2 6-foot tables. This configuration will comfortably accommodate 8 scrapbookers. It?s fun to have some community tools on one table, too. I have the basics: trimmers, Coluzzle, Silent Eyelet Setter, a mini sewing machine, etc.

I also like to bring a selection of my favorite idea books and scrapbooking magazines, especially those that feature seasonal project ideas. And place a small gift bag or paper lunch sack in the center of each table for little scraps. This goes a long way in helping to keep each workspace organized and clutter-free. You can also set a relaxing (or energizing) mood with your choice of soft background music. How will you find club members? If you don?t already have a group of scrapbooking friends (or you want to find more), simply announce your group in the community.

Word of mouth is the best way to do this. Ask your scrapbooking friends to bring their scrapbooking friends to the club meetings. You can also post flyers and announcements on community bulletin boards in libraries, grocery stores, community centers, etc. Check to see if your local newspaper will run a free ad in the Community Notes section before each scheduled crop. For example: Free Scrapbooking Crop.

All levels of experience welcome. Instructor/designer on hand to answer questions and provide instruction. Come have fun and meet new friends. Time and location. Your contact info. You can also send email invites to all your friends.

Evite.com (http://www.evite.com) is a great tool for keeping track of invitees. Simply pitch your crop night as a girl's night out (or mom's night out) where you'll get important things done (and it never hurts to let them know you'll have chocolate on hand.) Have a great time meeting new scrapbooking friends and inspiring one another to complete cards, layouts, and gifts-from-the-heart in your new scrapbooking club. 

Are you looking for wedding anniversary scrapbooking ideas to help you create a unique gift for a special couple for their anniversary? This article has many simple ideas that you can use to create a wonderful and lasting wedding anniversary gift.One of the most important wedding anniversary scrapbooking ideas you can use for an anniversary scrapbook is to have the couple?s wedding picture on either the first or last page of the scrapbook.

A copy of the wedding invitation makes a really great introduction to the scrapbook. A scrapbook makes a creative anniversary gift for any anniversary year, but it is particularly effective for milestones such as the first anniversary, silver, diamond or golden anniversaries. For the 25th, 50th or 60th wedding anniversaries, you can start the scrapbook with the wedding photo.Other scrapbooking ideas you can use are:Photos of the couple during each year of their marriagePhotos of the couple?s family at various stages of growthPhotos of memorable occasions, such as weddings of the childrenPhotos of the couple with their grandchildrenPhotos of trips and vacationsWedding scrapbooking ideas, for the first year of marriage could include:Photos of the planning done for the weddingCopy of the wedding servicePlace cardsBridal registryList of gifts receivedRibbons to represent colors used in the weddingWedding favors that was usedNotes about planning mishapsYou can also include the following in the Wedding anniversary scrapbook:Pressed flowersNapkins Christmas pictures of the couple togetherLetters and notes that the couple has written funny scenes from their lives togetherInvitation to the anniversary partyPhotos of the partyThe colors you choose for embellishing the scrapbook should represent the year of the anniversary. For example, 25th anniversary is silver, 50th is gold and 60th is diamond. 

The colors used in other wedding anniversary scrapbooking ideas could be the colors the couple chose to have at their wedding or their own favorite colors. 

Many times at auctions, or estate sales, a box of books will turn up a real treasure, like a scrapbook that was kept by someone in their youth and sometimes through their adulthood. The book could be 50 or 60 years old, and a source of great fun to look at the pictures, news clippings, and personal mementoes.The hobby of keeping such collections is enjoying a resurgence of popularity, with people of all ages finding new and inventive ways to record special events or occasions in their lives.

Scrapbooking ideas for kids can be very basic to start with, because once they catch on to the fun, they'll start developing their own sense of style and preference for decorating.A scrapbook with reasonable quality paper makes a great special occasion gift for a child, along with glue, scissors, and perhaps a simple book on creating your own special treasure trove of memories.Give them a start on their hobby by helping with the first entry, to celebrate the occasion such as a birthday. Cover a page in the gift paper that the book was wrapped in, and then tape or glue a photo of them in the center of the page. A package of 2 x 4 white labels is a handy part of any scrapbooking package, as they provide a clear area to put text, and can be stuck over top of an older label with outdated information. 

This is a handy way of adding your caption or comments to highly decorated pages.Colored pencils, crayons, markers, and other artistic tools will also contribute to their enjoyment, as they use them to enhance a page with a photo of their new puppy, by drawing bones, mailmen, balls, and other doggy subjects around the picture.Scrapbooking ideas for kids are only limited by their imagination in what they collect and use, from photos, to news clippings, souvenir programs from concerts, hair ribbons, ticket stubs from movies and more. They can even make mini scrapbooks of things like a visit to Grandma's, and give it to her as a Christmas present.

Kids grow up so fast and if you don't try to capture some of these wonderful memories through some means, they'll all slip through the fingers just in a snap. And scrapbooking is a fabulous way to preserving those memories, by combining the photos and journaling of your kids.As parents, scrapbook pages of your adorable boy or girl probably fill up many pages. But these are stories told from your perspective. How about including your child's perspective into those pages as well?Children have many stories to tell and share and through the shared scrapbooking experiences, he or she will have a mean of documenting those wonderful stories that impacted his or her life. Try scrapbooking not only about your kid, but together with your kid.

As in combined forces and powers of mommy and kid. Your child's views will certainly add a heart-rending air of innocence and specialness to those pages. Not forgetting that scrapping together with your kid is an excellent hobby to bring the two of your even closer. And you'll become a tirelessly cheerleader and supporter, to encourage your child to grow his or her art and language skills. Scrapbooking also enhances the worth and sense of uniqueness in your kid.

If your kid is still very young and hasn't mastered the art of doing a basic layout, you can always do the layout while your child dictates the journaling portion. Consider pointing out a few layouts options and let your kid do the selection. The ideas your child has of how the page should look might take you by surprise!Journaling is important even if it's just a few keywords or short sentences. This can be a fun session with your child. The creative answers generated from the little brain of your boy or girl are what make these pages special.

By supporting your kid in expressing his or her own choices and thoughts, it's a great way to inspire farther creativity in your child to want to do more scrapbook pages. You can choose a topic and then present it to your kid. "Bobby, would you like to do a page on your favorite toys??. ?Jeannie, would you like to do a page on your trip to Paige's birthday party at the McDonald's?" If your child is excited about the topic, then use a series of about five to ten prompts to get your child's answers to them. Your boy's or girl's answers would then go into the journaling boxes of your page.

If possible, it's a good idea to get your child to write out the answers in his or her handwriting. Then another piece of your child's uniqueness would be retained on the pages. The basic idea is for you to help your child scrapbooks the page, but the words would have to come from your kid. This would not only put your child's originality into the page, but would let others glimpse into your child's own perspective on the event or topic. Many times, you'll realize that though the two of you experienced the same event, but would form vastly different impressions of the same experience.

You may be touched by the loads of affection exchanged between your daughter and her best friend. But it's how she finally had the chance to order her first Oreo cookies ice-cream cone, which left the sweetest memory on her mind that day. Having your child's stories on the pages will reinforce the self-esteem in your child. How? Your child will begin to understand that what he or she has to say means something. There are some general prompts that you can ask your kids to guide them in weaving their stories:- What are your favorite ....? What do you like about ...

the best?- What do you like to do with it?- What is so special about ... ?- What would you like to do when you ...?- Can you describe .... and what do you know about it?- What are your likes about ... ?- What are your dislikes about ... ?- What have you learned from ...

?- What have you learned about ... ?- What do you admire about ... ?- What makes a good ... ?- What's the funniest thing that happened on ... ?- Where and how did you meet ...

?- What do you do when you meet ... ? What do you talk about when you are with your...? Can you draw a picture on ... ? By combining efforts with your kid, and with little prompts, meaningful scrapbook pages can be achieved. In this way, you can capture the early growing phases of your child on those pages forever.

And these scrapbook pages are bound to light up your kid's and your faces over the years. "Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different."- Albert Szent-GyorgyiHappy scrapping with your kid.

Scrapbooking is a great hobby and a wonderful way to preserve your photos with style! The art of scrapbooking is not hard at all! All you really need is a creative mind and the urge to create masterpieces! Once you have the general idea of scrapbooking down, use these ideas to create more meaningful pages! Your Photos- The photos you use in your scrapbooking layouts will reflect the moment you want to save forever.

Instead of having everyone pose for photos, try to take pictures without poses. The pictures you catch in action, also make great photos for layouts. If you use pictures that have been professionally taken or pictures that were posed for, try to also add some pictures that capture actions and faces, instead of all posed pictures. Color Schemes- When you are selecting the color papers to use with your layouts, try to coordinate with your photos. 

This way you do not draw to much attention from the photos. When your pictures, paper, and embellishments coordinate with each other, your pages will stand out more than if everything clashes. If you have an idea for a layout and your pictures just don?t match, try to edit the pictures with any photo editor and make the pictures black and white, or sepia. These tones seem to work well with any color schemes, Journaling- Once your page is complete, make sure you add your journaling! It is important to add your thoughts on the moments that were captured in the pictures. Journaling is a great way to express your feelings and a good way to save the memories for years to come.

Journaling can be in the form of what was happening when the photos were being taken, where the photos were taken, your thoughts when you saw the pictures, or any thing that comes to mind when you think of the photos.

You can find suitable scrapbooking storage for virtually every conceivable scrapbooking item. From large carry-all wheeled totes that store a multitude of different supplies to files, boxes and holders for the smallest eyelet or embellishment and everything in-between. As you learn more about scrapbooking and really get "into" it as a hobby you will begin to try new techniques and so you will buy more varied supplies, these in turn, require more varied types of storage units.Here's a little tidbit for organizing your scrapbooking storage. It may be a simple one but it's a very good one? don't store your supplies by the manufacturer.Keep all of your templates together, your papers together, your scissors together, your punches together, your pens together, your stamps together etc, etc.This is a sensible and efficient way of using your storage space because it?s much quicker and easier for you to find what you are looking for when everything is all together in one place.It will also save you money! How? By helping prevent you from buying duplicate items, let's take templates as an example.These are available in all sorts of shapes, sizes and patterns, if they?re here, there and everywhere it's easy to loose track of what ones you have brought previously.By keeping them all stored together you can see, at a glance, exactly what templates you already own making it much less likely that you'd buy the same one again.Another advantage to storing things away inside your storage units is that it will also free up extra workspace... and we can all do with more of that!Whatever type of storage solution you use - be it pen caddys, photo holders, paper/sticker savers, stamp cases, 3 ring binders, totes or even plastic baggies - make sure you keep your supplies organized.Being organized is good ? it helps keep your supplies and tools (and the house!) tidy, they will be kept safe preventing them from getting damaged ? and ultimately, it allows you more time for actual scrapbooking.

Five facts every scrapbooker needs to know! Copyright laws can be really confusing and complicated for the scrapbooker and the myths and falsehoods about what is okay and what is not only makes matters worse. I'm not a lawyer and I don't even play one on TV, but I've been reading and studying copyright law (especially how it applies to scrapbookers) for many years now. I became interested in copyright law when I started creating Paper Piecings to sell on eBay. I wanted to make sure that the sets that I was making weren't breaking the rules. I also wanted to know the rules about my original designs and how others can and cannot use them.

Here are five basic things that EVERY scrapbooker should know about copyright: #1--When you create an original scrapbook layout, card or other project (not from a sketch, scraplift or idea book) you AUTOMATICALLY own the copyright. No, you don't have to add a copyright notice. No, you don't have to register your layout design with the government. Tip: Adding a copyright notice or watermark image to your original designs is a good idea if you plan to share them online. It helps to remind everyone that your artwork is yours.

#2--In order for a work to be protected it must be original and created by the designer or artist. The work can be similar to existing works but not an exact copy. Chances are if you see a project in an online gallery, in an idea book or hanging in the store, that project has copyright protection. Tip: It is always better to assume that the project is protected and ask for permission to use the design than to assume it is just okay to use it. #3--Since you own the copyright, only YOU can reproduce, distribute and adapt the design.

Did you know that copying an image from the internet to your computer is considered "reproducing" the design and is violation of copyright protection laws? No, just because the image is posted on the internet doesn't mean it is "fair use". Tip: If you really want a copy of another person's layout or project, just email and ask them...don't assume it is okay because it is the same thing as stealing! #4-- Scraplifting is a term used to describe seeing ideas online, in idea books or at stores and making projects based on those ideas. The resulting layout can look a lot like the original or may end up being just loosely based on the original. This is not violating any copyright laws. Tip: These projects are in the stores, magazines, and galleries to give youinspiration for your own personal scrapbooking, but not to sell or profitfrom in any way.

#5--Some of the ways that scrapbookers and scrapbooking companies violate copyright protection laws (knowingly or unknowingly) are: Making copies of patterns for friends to use. Right-clicking or saving images from galleries to their computers. Scanning printed design fabrics to print and use on layouts. Using another?s words on their projects or in articles they write. Using a protected font to create alphabet letters, stamps or other items to share and/or sell.

Remember to think about copyright laws the next time you are ready to create a new project, layout or article. Keep in mind that violating another person's rights is not only illegal but also unethical. Always remember the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you! Helpful links: This link provides easy-to-understand copyright information for knitters, but also applies to other crafts, including scrapbooking. http://www.girlfromauntie.com/copyright/index-lite.asp This link is the be-all, end-all of copyright information! Be sure to read the question and answer sections! www.nolo.com www.about.com gives some great, helpful advice for copyright protection and some other links. http://scrapbooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa032701a.htm

It is true to say that a lot of people begin to get the scrappin' bug after their child/children are born and usually their first attempt at scrapbooking is making a baby album.
Having a child is one of the most important events in our lives and baby's first year is a busy, lively, ever changing journey of discovery. It is full of important milestones.
No wonder then, as parents we want to capture and record all those many memorable moments - preserving them in scrapbooks is a great way to safely keep and cherish those memories for years to come.
One timeless and extremely popular baby scrapbooking idea is to make an album that consists of firsts.
This is a relatively easy and flexible theme to follow, especially for someone new to scrapbooking and is a great way to create enchanting baby scrapbooks.
This kind of album usually consists of a scrapbook arranged in chronological order with individual layouts showing special and notable moments in your baby's life.
New babies are so photogenic it's hard to resist capturing all the big and little things that make up their day-to-day lives.
No doubt you will have lots of pictures to sort through ? so here?s a small list of firsts to give you some ideas for organizing your photos:

• sleep/nap
• bottle/breast feed
• diaper change
• dressed in their first outfit
• ride in a car seat
• smiles
• bath
• trip out in the buggy
• solid food
• teeth
• sitting up
• drinking from a cup
• feeding him/herself
• crawling
• walking with the furniture
• steps/walking on their own
• hair cut
• halloween
• Christmas

To add a little more interest to your album try and vary the layouts, for instance make some events into double page spreads. Such as coming home from the hospital or bath-time, which always presents an opportunity for some great photos!
Give your pages a personal touch by adding some memorabilia, using a pocket envelope, to your layouts - like the birth announcement or maybe a lock of hair from their first hair cut.
If you are new to scrapbooking and you?re unsure about starting out on your new album then a good choice would be to buy yourself a baby scrapbook kit.

These kits contain everything you will need to begin scrapbooking and are a great shortcut to creating super layouts that you can be proud of.
You can also enhance your pages with some of the many baby-related products that are available on the market. Decorate your layout with an adorable or cute baby scrapbook paper.
Then, embellish your page with some charming baby scrapbook stickers like rattles, booties, bibs, bottles etc and when they?re done display all of your beautiful pages in a lovely baby scrapbook album.
Go on? give it a go. Make yourself a baby scrapbook to savor and keep all those incredible memories.

You'll find it's much more than just a scrapbook, it will become a precious family keepsake that you'll treasure forever. 

Some mama's I know are all over the mama get-together idea from the day they deliver their little bundle of joy. Scrapbooking, girls night out, dinner and drinks, shopping, even a movie are all perfect and deserving breaks. Other mothers, however, especially new mom's find that the idea of a regular get together with her girlfriends can be just another added stress. How do I find the time or energy? Can I leave the baby? Do I deserve time away?
Please don't stress. It doesn't take a late night out on the town to recharge your battery.

Think baby steps! Can you get a one or two hour slot of time in the following month that can be just for you? Of course you can! Just think, it could be a Saturday or Sunday morning or a Friday afternoon lunch. There are no right ways or wrong ways to have fun and reconnect with the special women in your life.
Some quick, easy, get your feet wet ideas -- coffee, paint pottery, lunch at a fancy restaurant, a walking date, a scrapbooking party, Barnes and Noble for coffee and swapping book ideas, brunch on Sunday...the list is endless. Just remember these simple rules:
You must make it a priority at least once a month
No kids! Plan ahead of time for stress free day care and plan for at least two hours of time.
I guarantee after three or four months of these mini get togethers you will see the benefits. You'll then be ready for the late night out on the town! Remember Mama -- Baby Steps! 

Scrapbooking is one of the fastest growing craft activities. Everyone has photographs and bits and pieces of their lives that they would like to preserve. Scrapbooking is an excellent way to do this. You will not have to look far to pinpoint which parts of your life you would like to treasure in a scrapbook.

To begin scrapbooking, choose a theme or group of themes on which to base your material. There are many possibilities on which you could base your scrapbooks, but a good rule of thumb is to scrapbook things which are of importance and have sentimental value to you.

Many people begin their scrapbooking by chronicling their wedding day photos and small mementos such as wedding invitations, guests lists, and perhaps dried flowers. Another excellent topic for a scrapbook would be an activity or club that a person cherishes. Sports and similar activities are great scrapbook ideas.

The birth of a child is a time that is precious to all parents. Scrapbooking ideas for a new baby include baby shower photos and invitations, ultrasound pictures, and perhaps even ribbons and balloons. Any items of sentimental value can easily be incorporated into your scrapbook. Most parents like to continue this theme with scrapbooks that follow the growth and development of their child.

A collection of team photos, rosters, and team memorabilia would create a permanent record of these special times in a person's life. You could even consider having teammates or club members 'autograph' your scrapbook beside team or individual photos.

Possible scrapbooking themes do not end with weddings or sports activities.

If you're planning a surprise party for someone special, here's a tip that will make the event unforgettable for them. Create a scrapbook! Ask each guest to write a letter, or bring a copy of a photograph that will have special meaning to the guest of honor. Include a copy of the invitation, pictures of the planning process and before party preparations, as well as a list of the food, guests, etc. This will become a treasured memento of the day. Don't forget to ask someone to be the "designated photographer" or buy several disposable cameras and let guests take pictures during the party. These can be developed and added to the scrapbook later.

Family reunions and activities are fantastic themes for scrapbooks. Family photos, amusing happenings or anecdotes, and a schedule of events are great ways to remember the treasured times spent with family. Bringing your scrapbooks to each year's reunion is sure to spark conversation and fond memories. You could even create a scrapbook to be given away to the family member who brings the oldest family photo or as a prize for the oldest or youngest family member present.

There are numerous scrapbooking ideas based on various aspects of your life. Office parties, job promotions, and starting your own business are fun scrapbooking concepts. Work related scrapbooks give you an opportunity to introduce a bit of light-heartedness into what is normally a professional, routine atmosphere. Caricatures of staff members, business cards, photos, and humorous quotes from coworkers are excellent ideas for a work related scrapbook. Your coworkers will surely be impressed and appreciate your efforts.

The possible themes for scrapbooks based on your life are almost endless. The only requirement for scrapbooking is that you base them on the people and activities that are important in your life. Over time, your scrapbooks can become an important tradition to you and your family. Scrapbooks can invoke laughter, tears, and most importantly, create quality time spent with your friends and family reminiscing about the precious moments in your lives.

About the Author: Learn the secrets http://www.101-scrapbooking-tips.com of the pros in 101 Scrapbooking Tips!, a new ebook also featuring layouts, materials and unique tips not seen anywhere else. -Tim Robinson

Source: www.isnare.com

There are so many reasons out there to scrapbook! For one, it’s history, right? And it’s important for us to remember and cherish these memories, especially for our generations to follow. I would have been so thrilled had my mother saved stories to go along with all her photos. She still keeps my baby photos and photos of her and her family in shoeboxes. Awful thought isn’t it?

Well, we all have those tons of photos of our ancestors, at least most of us do, but there are so many other memories to cherish besides family trees. How about a baby’s first year? You can document month-by-month how your baby is growing and all the things he or she is learning. This makes a great present come wedding time.

Apropo wedding, of course you’ll want to save your precious wedding memories. Not only the professional photos, but also those of the reception, the church, maybe even your engagement party. There are subthemes such as the ring, the dress, the bride, the groom, the kiss, etc. There are entire lists!

What about your vacations! You don’t want to just slap these photos in a regular album! That would be a waste! You’ll want to share your story about where you went, what you saw and did, right? Names, places, dates are all very important for scrapbooking. That is the reason we scrapbook, to tell our story! The same goes for holidays, such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, etc.

Do you have any pets? There are so many cute ideas and embellishments for pet pages out there. It is incredible! I’ve scrapped my big red tabby cat Pooky and made really adorable memory pages. To some people, pets are like children!

Ever remodeled an old house and have shot before and after pictures? Now, there’s a super scrapping idea. You can journal in all of the work you’ve done to restore the house, how long it took, and any blunders that occurred along the way!

Scrap your feelings about something. There doesn’t even have to be a picture on the page, just use your imagination and create a nice layout using just your words and emotions. It’s kind of like writing in your diary, except it might be something you’ll want to show someone else. So keep it clean! What about your hobbies? I’ve made scrapbook pages about scrapbooking!

Just a few more to get you going: graduation/school years and your job (in case it’s worth scrapping). Have FUN scrapping!!!

About the Author: Jackie Schimmel is a Professional Scrapbook Designer and the name of her business is Memories Artwork located at http://www.memoriesartwork.com.

Source: www.isnare.com

For free scrapbooking ideas the Internet is a great place to look. There are some excellent sites full of creative tips and suggestions to help you make your own unique scrapbooks. If you’re looking for an original way to organize your favorite photos, arranging them in special scrapbook albums could be the solution. Scrapping is a very popular hobby, and offers a wonderful way to preserve your treasured memories for posterity. It’s an enjoyable and addictive pastime that allows you to use your imagination and add your personal touches to your pages.

Ready made scrapbook kits can be really good, particularly if you are making a themed scrapbook, such as for a wedding, a vacation or the birth of a baby. Pre-packaged kits come in a huge range of themes, and contain a selection of coordinated materials such as cardstock, stencils, frames or stickers. One advantage of using a kit to create your scrapbooking layouts is that it saves you the time of having to choose your supplies separately, making it quicker and simpler to design your pages. If you’ve got a digital camera, then there are some good digital scrapbooking software packages that enable you to use your computer to try out different looks. You can play around with all kinds of things, from templates to font styles.

There are many other free scrapbook ideas online, and loads of artistic ways of adding embellishments to your pages. In addition to using stickers, there are all sorts of paper piecing patterns; die cuts and other accessories that can help add color and style to your page. As well as using photographs and other visual images, many scrappers like to use words to enhance the meaning of the pictures. Journaling is a great way to record your memories and feelings related to the events in the photos. You may want to add scrapbooking quotes or poems, where appropriate, to help bring the stories to life. This can work well in both chronological or heritage scrapbooks, as well as in other types of albums.

If you’re looking for new ways to display your photos and memorabilia in scrapbooks, the Internet can be an excellent source of inspiration!

About the Author: Caroline Smith is an author and regular contributor to http://www.free-scrapbooking-ideas.com An online resource packed with hints and tips for all scrapbooking enthusiasts.

Source: www.isnare.com

When the time comes to start a scrapbook, one thing you need to consider first is what you want the theme to be. The theme you choose dictates almost everything about your scrapbooking, including the content, photos and calligraphy you use.

The theme of your scrapbook can be simple or complex. Your theme could be a special event such as a birthday, a baby shower, a wedding, Christmas, or Halloween. Themes can also be personalized to the scrapbook recipient's special interests. Special interest themes include favorite colors, sports, favorite television programs, music, the outdoors, or cultural influences.

What is the overall purpose for your scrapbook?

Who is the scrapbook for?

Who is the scrapbook about?

The answers to these three questions are all factors in selecting an appropriate theme. For instance, the scrapbook you are giving your nephew as he graduates from medical school will be completely different to the grandparent book you send your mother. Your nephew will probably appreciate a scrapbook with photographs, poems, journals, and more masculine embellishments. Perhaps, the theme of the scrapbook could be medicine. You could create embellishments that look like scalpels and tweezers around various pictures of your nephew during his college years.

Your mother, on the other hand, will love a multitude of baby pictures fancifully embellished with flowers, ribbon, and baby fingerprints. The theme of this book will probably be your baby. Photographs could include baby as well as grandma with the baby. A journal about your baby's day could also add a nice touch.

Don't forget to create a title for your scrapbook page. Though adding a title might seem to be obvious or unimportant, a title defines the whole basis of your scrapbook. The title instantly tells the viewer what your page is all about. In one word or one short phrase, the title tells the reader the theme and purpose of your scrapbook.

Color coordination and contrast will also highlight and accent your scrapbook. A well thought out color scheme can help define the theme of a page, attract attention to specific items, or detract away from mistakes. Poorly chosen color schemes, on the other hand, can cause your scrapbook page to look gaudy or mismatched.

Most scrapbooks will contain photographs. Even the most disinterested reader of your scrapbook will glance at the photographs. Pictures really are worth a thousand words. Therefore, it is important to choose photographs that are of good quality and clearly illustrate your scrapbook theme.

By taking some time to think about the theme you want for your scrapbook, so many other decisions that follow will become a lot simpler.

About the Author: To signup for 7 Great Scrapbooking Tips for free, check out http://www.scrapbooking-is-fun.info Alternatively,  check out the book “Creating Stunning Scrapbooks – 101 Handy Tips” at http://www.scrapbooking.learnheaps.com to learn more about scrapbooking.

Source: www.isnare.com