Scrapper's Haven
is a division of
Memory Bound, Inc.

Phone
515-965-1102

Weekly Tips >

Previous Tips of the Week:

• Have you ever thought of weaving your pictures? You just need two copies of the same picture. Cut one in equal strips vertically, and the other horizontally. Then just weave them together, and use adhesive on the ends to secure the weaved picture to your project. You can even have one picture in color and one in black and white for a neat effect.

Play around with your pictures! You can often order them, or print them out, in different colors, which totally changes the "feel" of the picture.

Original Picture

Some different color options

• For a 3-D look, use duplicate photos. Adhere one photo to your project. Cut out elements from the duplicate photo you would like to have stand out, and adhere them to your first photo using 3-D adhesive or Pop Dots.

• Molly shows how you can make a flower using hearts as the petals and leaves.

• If you're getting snow in your area right now, be sure to take pictures of your pets or children enjoying it!

• Explore using filters with your camera to change the look of your photographs.

• You can make an interesting border for your scrapbook page by using eyelets or loopy brads, and stringing fibers between them. (Page by Linda).

• This is a great resource for quotes to include in your projects - www.quotegarden.com

Light Blue, Lavender & White are great colors to use when scrapbooking winter layouts! Layout by Veronica A. of Detroit, Michigan

• At this time of year, you may be receiving quite a few Holiday Letters included in Christmas Cards. You can put these letters along with any family photos you receive in a special holiday scrapbook album. If the letters take up a lot of space, you can scan them and then reduce them in a photo editing program. You can print out the reduced size for your layouts. Or you can reduce them on a copy machine.

• When traveling, do you have access to a computer at your hotel, or take a laptop with you? Consider sending yourself email messages outlining what you saw and did that day. When you get home, you'll have some great journaling to add to your scrapbook pages along with the pictures you took on your trip!

• If you're using punch-out dies that have little paper "nubs" on them, eliminate the nubs by sanding them slightly with sandpaper, or an emery board.

• To include clothing in your scrapbook, make color copies of items. Our retail store Memory Bound has a color copy machine that copies 12x12 images. You can even capture fabric like from a favorite quilt or afghan. You can copy a sports jersey, baby's first outfit, dance costumes, or band uniform to name a few.

• Take your idea books to a local copy shop and have them spiral bound so that they open easier and lay flat. It's also a good idea to have them add a clear cover to front and a heavy cardstock to the back for extra support. This is a very inexpensive way to extend the life of your idea books and make them easier to use.

• To remove photos that are stuck in a magnetic album, try heating slightly with a blow dryer; slide dental floss under them; or use Un-du. Undu is a clear liquid that will release the adhesive binding the photos to the pages, yet will not harm your pictures. It evaporates as it dries and leaves no residue.

• If you're decoupaging a metal tin with Mod Podge, slightly sand the tin before applying the Mod Podge. This will roughen the surface and help adhere the covering. The same applies to paint -- it will stick to the metal better if the surface is sanded.

Put those monogram leftovers to use! Once you pop out the letters and use in another project, use the chipboard squares that are left to create a unique hanging decoration for your home.

If you have a scanner and Microsoft Word, you can have all kinds of fun! I went outside and plucked a few flower petals off of pots on the porch. Then I scanned the petals.

I opened up Word Art in Microsoft Word and chose a bold font, and then typed "PINK". Then, under format, I brought in the petal image to fill the word. It's ready to print! Imagine what you could do with fabrics, fall leaves and more! You could make some really neat borders and toppers.

• If you live in a climate where the leaves change colors in the fall, try to get some pictures of family members or friends with the beautiful fall colors in the background!

• For an interesting border, place a ribbon across the top, bottom, or side of a page, and use multiple brads across the ribbon to hold the ribbon in place. This would be really pretty using crystal brads, or different color brads.

• Have some old sticker sheets lying around? You can turn these stickers into 3-D embellishments by putting them on cardstock, cutting around them, and then using Pop Up Glue Dots to adhere them to your projects. You can also add glitter glue to add even more to your new 3-D embellishment!

• There are all kinds of neat chipboard items out on the market right now. If the color of a particular chipboard piece doesn't match your project, you can cover them with patterned paper, or even paint them!

• Do you like the look of black & white photos with a hint of color (color tinting)? You can mimic this look very easily. Print or copy your photos in black & white on to white cardstock, and then use a Q-tip and chalk to subtly add color to the areas you want.

• For all you poets out there, this is for you! If you are having a hard time coming up with rhyming words, try this website: www.rhymezone.com .

• Before sewing a button on to your project, place the button where you want it to be. Use a pencil and mark where the buttons holes are, and then you can sew the button on just where you want it!

• If you are having a hard time coming up with journaling for a scrapbook page, consider adding a poem instead. You can search on the internet for poetry sites, or look in poetry books for scrapbookers like these: A Taste of Paste, Letters To Heaven, and The Ultimate Guide to Celebrating Kids!
  

• You can create the look of rubber stamping without using stamps! Using your printer, just print out words, titles, clipart, pictures, etc....on vellum. Then cover the image with embossing powder as soon at it comes out of the printer, and then heat using your embossing gun.

• Fun with Microsoft Word! You can make your own page toppers using Word Art and your own pictures. In Word Art, choose a bold font and type your word. Then, under format, instead of filling the letters with color, you can bring in one of your own pictures to fill the word. Size the word to whatever size you need, and print. Easy and fun!

• Scraps of patterned paper can be cut into ribbon shapes (long, thin, with tapered ends) and used as such on a page. Great way to use up scraps!

• Journaling can be intimidating and many of us develop writer's block when it comes to telling the story of our memories. But most of us can speak what we want to say. If you have a hard time putting words on paper, think about how you would verbally tell someone what you're trying to write. Then "write" what you just "said."

• It's easy to journal on your computer using Word. Measure the approximate space left on your layout for journaling. Using Word, insert a text box and then size it to the size of your available space. As you type your journaling, it will fill the text box. You can make the font smaller or larger to fit the text box. Print on acid-free paper, cut it out, and adhere to layout. It will fit perfectly!

• Have your school aged child write his/her name in their scrapbook at the beginning and at the end of each school year. It's fun to track how much they improve in just one school year and from grade to grade.

• Prima flowers make great accents for layouts, cards, and other projects. Just like with cardstock, you can add a little ink around the edges to enhance color and texture. White Prima flowers can be inked to match your layout.

• This is a great time of year to take pictures of flowers. You can die cut letters from the pictures for a floral title, or cut the pictures into squares for pretty, floral accents for your projects.

• Create a unique frame around a picture by using pieces of ribbon that coordinate with the colors in your picture!

• Want to use up some of your number stickers? Purchase a simple round wall clock, pop off the front, and have fun using your patterned papers and photos to decorate the face of the clock. Then use your number stickers for the clock numbers. Makes a great gift for someone, or something to keep for yourself! Here is a link to an article about altering clocks: Altered Clocks.

• Bonnie from our Ankeny, Iowa store showed us something neat she did for a layout. Her daughter was doing a project for a class on fashion, and made a dress out of aluminum foil. The dress turned out really neat! Bonnie wanted to make a layout with all of the great pictures she took, and wanted a shiny title to go along with the shiny dress. She put aluminum foil on top of textured Bazzill cardstock and used her QuicKutz to cut out letters for her title. The letters turned out really cool, and the aluminum foil took on the texture of the cardstock underneath!

• Want to make a fun looking title? Cut cardstock into squares. Using eyelets for holes, thread your ribbon through the eyelets to create a letter on each cardstock square for your title. You can get really creative with colors and patterns of ribbon!

• If you use a digital camera for your photography, try sketching out your scrapbooking layout ahead of time. This will help you determine the sizes to print your pictures to fit your layout, and also how many pictures to print.

• After using alphabet stickers, cut or punch out the area around the letters you've used in a square or circle shape. You now have a alphabet sticker that looks like a stencil! This is a good way to make double-use of your alphabet stickers.

• Looking for a different way to add a title to your page? Using a lettering template, outline the letters needed with pen, and then fill in the letters using chalk and a cotton ball. It's quick, and gives a different look to your page then using die cut letters or letter stickers.

Do you love ribbon, and are looking for new ways to use it in your projects? You can make your scrapbook page look like a bulletin board! Just criss-cross your ribbons and put brads where the ribbons cross, and secure your pictures and memorabilia like you would tuck them into a bulletin board. (Sample provided by CKC Creations showcasing their Year Information Pages.)

• Copy machines can be a big help with scrapbooking. If you only have one picture from an event, you can enlarge your picture to fill your page better. Or if you have a lot of pictures you'd like to include in a layout, you can reduce them to fit on your page or pages.

Looking for ways to use up some of your patterned paper? Darci shows us how to use coordinating strips of patterned paper to create a unique look on her layout.

• Many crafters have caught on to the ease of using clear acrylic stamps but are not sure how to store them. One easy way is to keep them in clear CD cases. The spine can be labeled and you can see through the case to select the stamps you need. You can even store your stamp cases in a holder made for CDs.

• Use a wooden silverware drawer divider to hold wood-mounted rubber stamps. Stand it on end and the sections become shelves. Hang it on the wall in your craft area and your stamps will be easily accessible.

• If your Hermafix/Dotto dispenser gets gunked up, remove the adhesive and run the wheels across an adhesive pick up. It will clean up any adhesive residue and help keep your dispenser running smoothly. Clean your dispenser each time you put in a new refill.

• When you are using foam stamps or brushes with acrylic paints, keep a bowl of water on hand. As soon as you finish using a stamp or brush, drop it in the bowl of water until you are ready for clean-up. This will keep the paint from drying onto the stamps or brush.

• A tip for using Rub-ons: To keep your rub-ons from rubbing off where you don't want them, leave them in the package. You can then cut through the packaging to cut out the portion of the rub-on sheet you want to use.

• Always store your pens and markers flat to keep them from drying out. And keep them in a visible place so you'll use them.

• Use complimentary colors for a sharp looking layout (i.e. orange & blue). A color wheel is a very handy tool to help with color selection.

• When you are finished with a scrapbook page, use your leftover supplies to make a quick card while you have all of your coordinating products out. You can never have too many Birthday or Thank You cards!

• Give a disposable camera to your kids now and then so they can take photos from their perspective of things that interest them. It's always fun to see their pictures and put them in scrapbooks!

• If you like to include a lot of pictures on your scrapbook pages, but not a lot of journaling, consider adding a letter to the beginning or end of your scrapbook to describe events, thoughts, feelings, people....in that scrapbook. Your words will mean a lot to those viewing your scrapbook in future years.

• For some great tips on photographing people & animals, visit the Kodak website by clicking here.

• Sometimes older heritage photos are fragile and have deteriorated quite a bit. You may want to color copy the original and scrapbook the copy.

• We all have treasures we have been given, or have found ourselves. Maybe it's something your Grandma handed down to you, or just the right picture frame you found, or the perfect comforter for your bedroom. Take pictures of these items around your home and do a layout telling why these things are important to you.

• Need a unique idea for a scrapbooking layout? Consider making a layout for your children, spouse, friends, or yourself showcasing the nicknames you use for each other.

• Ribbon makes colorful flower stems on layouts and cards. Just top the ribbon stems with coordinating fabric flowers or flower punches, add brads or buttons for the center, and you have created some beautiful embellishments.

• There are many fun cardmaking books on the market now. Did you know that you can use ideas from these books for your layouts? Many of the card layouts can be adapted to create a page layout. Also, the fancy fronts of cards can make great embellishments on scrapbook pages! You can also get great color ideas for your scrapbook pages from cards.

• With school starting, those of you with younger children will soon be admiring your child's artwork they bring home from school. It's hard to keep everything they do, but you can take pictures of their creations and scrapbook them for great memories.

• Be sure to include your own handwriting in your scrapbooks. Many people like to use computer journaling for their projects because they don't like their own handwriting. However, it would be nice to sometimes include your own handwriting, since it is a part of who YOU are.

• Consider grouping your papers, stickers and embellishments by theme to help you quickly find what you need for your current project. Themes to consider are Christmas, Baby, Vacation, Summer Fun, Sports, School, Girl, Boy, Easter, Halloween....

• Want to make the most of your scraps? Sort and file them by color. That way if you need just a small amount of paper or cardstock for a tag, journal box, mosaic border, mat, etc....it will be easy to locate the color piece you need.

• Make sure to get in front of the camera occasionally! As the family photographer and scrapbooker, sometimes it's easy to forget to include yourself in pictures.

• When on vacation or a road trip, take along a tripod and learn how to use your camera's timer so you can get shots of the whole group.

• When on vacation or a road trip, take photos of your surroundings (desert sand, sky, lake, forest) - they can be used to cut letters for titles, borders & embellishments.

• When on vacation, bring along a journal to record activities & events so you can have all the detail to go along with your photos when you scrapbook them later.

• Do you ever find yourself using the same layout format and techniques when scrapbooking? Step outside the box and try new things. Write a list of products & techniques to try, and refer to this sheet when you need a creative boost. Some ideas to get started: tearing, use eyelets, color block, make a braided fiber border, use a lettering template for a title or monogram, add a tag, use leftover letters from different alphabet stickers to make a title, use monochromatic colors, make a vellum title, stamp on cardstock to make a background paper, etc. Brainstorm for ideas by visiting our Creativersity page and other idea galleries available on the internet.

• Visit the Canvas Concepts website to see all of the neat ways you can use canvas in both your scrapbooking and home decor: www.canvasconcepts.com/ideas/.

• Want to include more pictures on your scrapbook pages? Use a square punch (1" to 1.5") or a circle punch (1" to 1.5") to punch out key parts of your pictures and arrange on your page. Much easier to make room for the smaller square or circle picture pieces, than a full size 4"x6" picture.

• Try using the index print(s) you often receive when you develop your pictures by cutting out the smaller index pictures and using them in your project!

• White sticker letters are the most versatile because you can color them whatever color you need to match your project. Just be sure to let the ink dry before using them so they don't smudge.

To make the subject of your photo stand out, choose a background paper that is close to the background of your picture.

• Be sure to store your pens laying on their sides to prevent them from drying out.

• Need new layout ideas? New ideas are all around - the front of greeting cards, magazine ads, product packaging, catalogs, fabrics, clothing designs.... See what you can come up with just by changing the color scheme to match your pictures!

• Keep hand wipes available for quick clean up of stamps, tools, your work area and your hands.

• Consider cleaning out your supplies and donating anything you won't use to an organization that can use it for a good cause. Some places to consider are the Picture Me Foundation (www.pictureme.org), local schools & preschools, daycare centers, senior citizen centers, boy scouts & girl scouts, charities and more. You'll feel more organized, and you'll help others at the same time!

• Use leftover stickers to fasten fibers or ribbon on the back of your layouts.

• Here is an easy way to place and insert a brad on your project: Make a light pencil dot to mark the location you'd like your brad to go. Then use a pushpin or paper piercer to poke a hole in your cardstock or paper before inserting the brad. This prevents you from bending your brad or denting your paper!

Got scraps? Cut them into triangles and arrange on cardstock to create an interesting mosaic border. You can use whatever color combinations you'd like to match your pictures.

• When sewing on cardstock or vellum, pre-poke your holes with a needle or paper piercer first, then go back and add stitches. This gives you more control and ensures you have holes where you want them.

• Use small punches to make confetti to decorate a party table. You can choose a punch design to match your theme, and by punching out of cardstock or patterned paper, your confetti can coordinate perfectly with your party decorations! AND you can keep your punchies after the party to decorate your scrapbook pages of the event!

• Keep an inventory of your rubber stamps and/or punches by stamping an image, or punching a single shape, and placing it in a small notebook. This will eliminate duplicate purchases and help you keep track of what you already own. Very handy when shopping!

• It's easy to run die-cuts, ribbon, vellum, mulberry and acetate through your printer. First print out what you would like to say on regular printer paper, then use repositionable adhesive (especially in the corners) to position your ribbon, vellum, etc....over the printed words and run the paper through again. Be careful about using thick items so you don't jam your printer.

Try cutting up a picture into 1" squares, or 1" strips, and matte with a coordinating cardstock to add some pizzazz to your project!

• Looking for the perfect quote for your scrapbook page or card? The Quote Garden website - www.quotegarden.com - is full of great quotes to help you out!

• Wish your pictures turned out better? The Kodak website has a Top 10 Tips for Great Pictures section with some helpful suggestions!

• Picture Taking during the Holidays: Consider doing something a little different this year and take pictures beyond the traditional pictures you usually take. For instance, take individual pictures of your favorite ornaments to make a scrapbook page showcasing your ornaments and the special meanings they hold for you. Take a picture of a holiday heirloom that has been handed down to you. Take a picture of your holiday dinner at the table right before everyone digs in! Take a picture of your children putting out cookies and milk for Santa. Take a picture of the wrapping paper mess after presents are unwrapped. Take a group picture in front of a clock at midnight on New Year's Eve. And....make sure you hand the camera to someone else so that you can be in some pictures too!

• Try using a color copier to copy your holiday wrapping paper pattern on to acid-free white cardstock to use as a background for a layout! Works for other themes such as birthday and baby too.