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Beginner Scrapbooking

Beginner Scrapbooking

By: Wes Waddell

Beginner Scrapbooking - Scrapbooking for Beginners

You may come across various definitions of what a scrapbook is and you may even have come up with one for yourself. But you see, of all those meanings associated with scrapbooks, there will always be one thing central to it - keeping and preserving memories.

Just like photos, scrapbooks are keepers of treasured moments in time that you would always wish to revisit from time-to-time. The moments that you have captured in photos and the stories that go with them are deeply embedded in every page, note, caption and journaling page within your scrapbook.

One day, you’ll take a look at the scrapbooks you have created and they will safely deliver you back in time… back to the very moment the memory was created so that you can experience the emotions all over again.

Not all of us are avid scrapbookers. Indeed, many of you reading this may not even have tried starting one yet. However, we all have an inherent need and an idea of how to preserve our past. Well, scrapbooking is like that, only you would have to add in just a little creativity and planning.

The hardest part of scrapbooking might be to start from scratch. Scrapbooking may look simple for some (and it really can be for almost anyone…) yet the hours and the ideas you have to invest on old fashioned traditional hand scrapping are so enormous that many find themselves initially frustrated. Or possibly, on wits end before a single page is finished. Of course, digital or computer scrapbooking has almost none of these heartaches, but that will have to wait for another time.

To make sure this doesn’t happen for you, we have prepared some guidelines in here that you may modify and apply in your own personal way. Basically, this is just a collection of ideas that will help shed light on the thoughts stirring around in your mind.

Somehow you have to find your own style.

Get comfortable with your personality. After all, it will show in your craft. If you are not confident with what truly is your style or preference when coming up with the design of the layout of your scrapbook, it is best that you step back and analyze your self first. Knowing your own personal tastes and refraining from following the hypes and fads designed by the scrapbooking industry just to take your money… is one sure way to empty your pocketbook while detracting from what is really important. Your MEMORY! By concentrating on capturing the emotions and preserving the memory, in this way you will be more likely to produced original and personal ideas that will work best for what’s important to you without breaking the bank.

Sometimes, we have to find outlets for our personalities to show through. Some people do writing and journals, some delve into less serious practices such as drawing or cartoons. Scrapbooking may just be what you are looking for to fill the gaps between both.

If it is really that difficult for you to produce an original idea, that’s perfectly alright. Not everyone is born with built in creativity and artistic abilities. Just search the internet for digital scrapbook templates and scrapbook kits and bits.

Many find great uses in other pre-made scrapbook page designs. Sometimes, they even bring out the best from adapting a concept into a customized design of their own. This technique is called scraplifting.

Other people may not choose to follow this concept. However, for beginners it is always easiest to start by following page ideas and scrapbook designs that have worked for others. Eventually, along the way, you will find your own methods and way of doing things.

As a beginner, it won’t harm if you check out some great scrapbook pages created by others. That’s how we naturally learn… by imitating others and Then modifying the designs using your own elements, embellishments, photos and personal touches. Then, once the inspiration and creativity breaks to the surface, the beginning scrapbooker will soon find themselves immersed in the confidence of doing things their own way.

Create your own mood board.

Mood boards are commonly used in the fashion industry as testing grounds for new fashion lines and ideas. These are simply cork or white boards wherein cutouts, drafts of designs and fabric swatches are tacked up to provide initial impressions of the new trend. For the beginning scrapbook creator, anything that will help you to see the direction and concepts of the designs you are looking to create, is an avenue you should explore.

By making use of mood boards, a scrapper may easily find their own style. Placing concepts into more tangible mediums will simply construct foundations for your future layouts and intentions.

One quick note here… don’t be too critical in this process. While flipping through magazines and scrapbook websites, you need not know why a picture or an image attracts you. If it produces a positive emotional reaction then go ahead and tear it out. You’ll soon find that this is a good test to determine your overall style as simple patterns in your tastes emerge.

Finally, you will want to check on color combinations. For some of us, we have already set definite grounds on what our favorite color is and what patterns we may most likely not want to use. Using a single group of shades, such as pastels, is good so long as you can manipulate and mix them into varying combinations.

Just watch out as most people sometimes find it hard to detract themselves from a single concept or color theme. As the saying goes… “too much of anything is not good.” It won’t be a bad idea if you will get into the habit of experimenting on some other hues and styles. If all else fails when inspiration turns bad and there seems to be no color you like available for you… just look to the butterflies for inspiration.

Happy Scrappin’

Kathy and Wes

www.MyPrincessCrafts.com
www.EZScrapbookGuide.com
www.PrincessCrafts.com

Popularity: 2% [?]

Hugz For Scrapbooking

Just a quick note before we get into the Scrapbook Training Article.

Kathy just added 6 new FREE Wedding stationeryies to the www.FREE-Stationery.com website.

Now, back to our Scrapbook Training Article:

Hugz For Scrapbooking

Author: Wes Waddell

Let’s cover the right qualities that determine the right Hugz (XOXO) embellishments for Scrapbooking.

Scrapbooking these days involves so many different materials. In the past, old fashioned hand scrapbooking took on a distinctive look as each person imparted his or her own personal resourcefulness to finding materials in order to get the right look and the proper details that fit into his or her scrapbook preferances and personality. Nowadays, however, there are not only different add-ons or elements for sale, but different, more cost effective digital techniques and printable downloads that help the scrapbooker achieve a truely distinct look and feel with their scrapbooks. In fact, with todays digital scrapbook capabilities, personal “real” hardbound books and full motion video presentations with music and sound to help set the mood have never been easier.

Hugz for scrapbooking is one type of the little kits, bits and pieces that companies sell as embellishments meant to help make your personal scrapbook creations more attractive. Our difinition of a Hugz element is simply any small element or embellishment that helps give your scrapbook pages a warm or loving feeling. Digital Hugz such as hearts, kisses, warm frienly teddybears along with the traditional X’s and O’s can even be found by looking for digital Scrapbook Kits -n- Bits. Hugz elements for scrapbooks aren’t really necessary, but they do tend to add a distinctive look that lends itself into making your scrapbook into something very unique and special.

What determines the right Hugz Embellishment for scrapbooking?

1) Color – People sometimes choose the right hugz based on their color theme. But how do these people determine the right color of hugz for their own special scrapbooking pages?

a) Theme - Going with the overall theme or template of the scrapbook can be a pretty crucial factor. Depending on what color, object, event, person, place, time line or even the emotion you choose to base your scrapbook on, you need hugz for the special loving and warm scrapbooking that will either complement the color of the theme or contrast it for a brilliant offset effect.

b) Emotion – The color of your hugz for scrapbooking can also be used to reflect the loving emotion of the memory being portrayed. Remember that there are different interpretations and feelings for different colors. Here are some of the different interpretations we have for colors.

b.1) Red – This color can stand for courage, honor and loyalty to family. It’s also the perfect color for representing a deep pasionate love. The red is the color of blood which also lends its meaning to represent passion and violence. Red is also often associated with patriotizm and/or revolution.

b.2) Black – This is often associated with mystery and inner peace. Black is perfect for non-conformism, evil, the dark of night and loss or death. Black is for sorrow and pain and you can use this color for your hugz when you are putting together a loved one’s memory book or when you are scrapbooking pages of a very sorrowful time in your life.

b.3) Purple – This most often stands for royalty and wisdom. The emotions commonly associated with purple is of nobility or upper class. Purple hugz for your scrapbooking can be used on pages you wish to signify victory over the odds and hard fought goals that you have attained.

b.4) Pink – The color pink most often stands for innocence and love. Not very well known, but in truth, this is because in much of eastern philosophy, pink is used as the visualized color of the love energy which flows from one of the chakras of the human body. A person with a pink aura is often seen as covered in the power of love.

b.5) White – White stands for purity, glory and peace. We also commonly use it to signify a new beginning. This means you can also use it on scrapbook pages where you want to show a rebirth in your life or the lives of your loved ones.

2) Size – Scrapbook Hugz or elements of love and warmth also come in different sizes. These sizes can actually signify a lot of things depending on how you put them together. However, it is always up to the crafter to choose their own specific meaning. Small scrapbook hugz are often used for memories and pictures with significance usually only known to the crafter. Small hugz are also often used to mark special events and memories that have a particular sweetness to the crafter of the scrapbook. Just be careful as this may not always be readily apparent or understood by any other readers of your scrapbook. This is where the right journaling can help greatly.

Medium sized scrapbook hugz elements may be used to mark any significant objects or images which only a few closely related people may be able to understand at a glance. These scrapbook hugz may be used to mark certain events in a family’s life that bears a certain joy to the different people involved.

Large scrapbook hugz embellishments are used to mark very significant events. These hugz can mark a certain turning point in a person’s life or defined milestones in their personal history. They may also be used to mark important events which every person that reads the scrapbook can relate to as being emotionally intense.

3) Shape – Of course, scrapbook Hugz also take the form of circles, since they originally got their name from the marks XOXO in a letters and greeting cards, signifying kisses and hugs. The circle signifies a hug and the X symbolizes a kiss. However, manufacturers and digital or computer scrapbook element designers nowadays have decided to include a variety of shapes such as the hearts, lips and teddybears we mentioned early on.

Let’s put it all together…

Scrapbook Hugz are little elements that help define warmth, love, happiness and success. They come in a varity of colors, shapes and sizes. How you put them together and use them on your page, has a large effect on how the page is viewed and the emotions it brings back. With just a little knowledge, thought and planning up front, you can use this little scrapbook element or embellishment to really help recall the memory and emotions that your scrapbook page story is trying so very hard to tell.

Wes is the co-owner of Scrapbook Kits -n- Bits. If you want more scrapbook articles or you are looking for Hi-Resolution Digital Scrapbook Kits, Elements, Embellishments and Fast Scrap (FS) pages… then get your Hugz at: www.ScrapbookKitsnBits.com. You’ll find “The Greatest FREE Digital Scrapbook Gift… EVER!” at: www.ComputerScrapbookTraining.com

Popularity: 8% [?]

Hi Scrapbook Friend,

We have a Tax Day (USA) freebie for you today.Kathy just added 6 new no cost wedding stationeries to replace the old wedding category page 1 at:

FREE Wedding Stationery Templates

You’ll find FREE Wedding Stationeries 464 thru 469 there waiting for you.Kathy also just added 3 more FREE spring stationeries: Spring 448 thru 450You’ll find them at:

FREE Spring Time Stationery Downloads

She will be adding even more free wedding stationeries later this month, so you’ll want to stay tuned for that here on the BLOG.Also, just to note:

For our Platinum and Gold Members, we just added more new sets to the 8.5×11 and 12×12 Members Areas too.

Log in and find 6 new sets of bordered papers templates and a Brand New Category: 6 new sets of mother’s day papers just in time to get your Mothers Day Scrapbooks all set to go.

No time for a full scrapbook… Not a problem!

Use one of the new Mothers Day Scrapbook Template pages and create the perfect photo layout to hand on your mom’s wall. Talk about your gifts that will be remembered and cherished for years to come…

Kathy also moved all the old mother’s day papers out of the special occasions category and put them in with the other mom or Mother’s Day category papers.

Happy Scrappin’,

Kathy and Wes

Scrapbook BLOG Widget
www.FREE-Stationery.com
www.FREE-Stationery.info (BLOG)

Popularity: 13% [?]

Hi Free Scrapbook Backgrounds Friend,

Just a quick update to let you know that Kathy has added 3 new free digital stationeries/scrapbook backgrounds for download in the spring stationery category:

Spring stationeries 445 thru 447

Find them all at: www.free-stationery.com or our mirror site at: www.1-computer-stationery.com

Look for more new downloadable stationeries and digital scrapbook backgrounds next week.

For our Platinum and Gold Members, Kathy also just added the end of month new scrapbook papers to the 8.5×11 and the 12×12 scrapbook members areas.

6 scrapbook background paper sets
4 celebrate scrapbook paper sets under the special occasions category
1 occupation scrapbooking paper set
1 travel scrapbooking paper set

Just log into your Members Home page at: www.MyPrincessCrafts.com to enter your members areas and collect your new computer digital scrapbook downloads.

Happy Scrappin’,

Kathy and Wes

PrincessCrafts
www.MyPrincessCrafts.com
www.EZScrapbookGuide.com 

5505 Whipshaw Road
Peyton, CO 80831
1-877-751-6368

Popularity: 18% [?]

Welcome Digital Scrapbook Friend,

Brfore we get to your FREE Digital Stationery Downloads (also perfect for digital scrapbook backgrounds), here’s the updates for the last two weeks on all the PrincessCrafts Sites: Kathy just added 6 new hi-res digital Scrapbook kits to www.ScrapbookKitsnBits.com:

8.5x Stripes Extras
12x Stripes
12x Stripes Extras
8.5x Sweethearts
12x Sweethearts

She also just added 4 new FastScraps there too:

8.5x Stripes
12x Stripes
8.5x Sweethearts
12x Sweethearts

For “EVERYONE”, Kathy just added 6 new FREE Digital Stationeries to the www.FREE-stationery.com downloadable stationery site:

Artistic 682 thru 684

Sports728 729 730 (Soccer stats)

These also make for perfect digital or computer scrapbook background templates. Just so you know, she also just added 3 new easter, 3 new st pats and 6 new valentines sets on 12×12 and 8.5×11 membership areas along with New Elements:

Baby Title Scraps 1
Baby Title Scraps 2

St. Pats Alphabet Letters

If you are not already a member… Check out all the benefits at: www.MyPrincessCrafts.com right now.

Until next time, Happy Scrappin’

Kathy -n- Wes

PrincessCrafts
5505 Whipshaw Road
Peyton, CO 80831

1-877-751-6368

PS:  Have you got your own push button simple to create web site?  Want one?

Popularity: 23% [?]

FREE Printable Stationery

FREE Printable and/or downloadable Stationery is nothing more than easy to use predesigned and formatted digital stationery that is readily available at no cost online. With just a little bit of how-to information and training, also provided on the best free-stationery sites, you are able to open or create your stationery right in your favorite word processor software.

If you don’t happen to use eMail or word processing software, you can also simply use the downloadable designs (usually in PDF form) for printing through your home printer. That way, you can simply hand write your letters as if the stationery was the kind purchased at a retail or stationery store… it’s just a lot less expensive when you print it yourself.

FREE Digital Stationery is a quick simple solution to your custom stationery needs. All you need is a computer, eMail or wordprocessing software and a printer, preferably colored. The printer is optional if you will be sending your custom stationery letter by eMail or publishing it online.

A diverse range of free Printable Stationery is available with a quick search online. That includes photo calendars, letterheads, envelopes, greeting cards, wedding cards, stickers, bookmarks, labels, shopping list, recipe cards, computer scrapbook templates and even small gift-wrapping paper. There is even a special Printable Free-Stationery for children, which is based on themes like animals, birds, flower, nature, toys and cartoons.

Best of all, there is no limit to the number of sheets you can download and print and you are never out of the custom stationery page you need since you are creating it yourself.

Custom Printable Stationery is really easy to create and print. Typically most any word processing, eMail and digital scrapbook software will work. Some of these programs are even available as a free downloads, so if you do not have the right software already on your computer, you can easily procure it without much hassle.

I do need to point out that some of the websites out there are for Printable Stationery only. This type of custom digital stationery is designed to be printed as a blank page on a specific paper size only. Sometimes you even must use their propriatary online software. This is fine if you are planning on hand writing your letter or card and always have online acccess to their website, but is of no use to those that wish to publish a newsletter or use the special fonts on your computer to write your letters and cards.

If you must, you can print it, then stick it back in your printer and use your word processor to print over top the page again, but that takes extra time and effort!

My recommendation is to use the web sites that offer your custom stationery in multiple formats for download to your computer. That way you can use the free-stationery designs any way you choose. Again, the better sites will have clear instructions on how to use and print their products. The best ones will allow for these custom stationery files to be downloaded and will provide premade templates for the most common word processors as well.

By and large, there is a copyright and terms of use agreement posted on the website for you to comply with. Most will be for personal use only, but some will allow for commercial use with special permission. If you are not sure, just ask the owner.

To sum it all up…

There are a large number of sites on the Internet that are offering professional looking, beautifully designed, free custom downloadable and Printable digital stationery. On the other hand, some of the websites will charge you for using their stationery or for the add-on custom envelopes or address labels. In case you do not find the free stationery you like (doubtful that that will happen..) on the Internet, you can always go for paid designs. But, if you do need a totally custom design made for a special event or occasion, there are quite a number of designers and sites on the Internet who are more than happy to create the Printable Stationery of your dreams!

One last thought…

It’s not as hard as it sometimes looks to learn to use your own custom digital stationeries. The little bit of time that it takes to learn how to create your own one-of-a-kind letters, cards, scrapbook pages and even personal invitations will pay off in not only saved money, but in respect and lots of positive attention from family, friends and guests when they dote over your creativity and personal touches.

About the author:
Wes Waddell and FREE-Stationery.com provides 100s of FREE downloads along with detailed information on FREE Digital stationery, how-to training on creating your own personalized stationery, email stationery, free printable stationeries and more with free software. More FREE Stationery articles and information can also be found on our FREE-Stationery BLOG at: www.FREE-Stationery.info

Popularity: 39% [?]

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