Scrapping by Design

This project is a combination anniversary scrapbook and guest book. I made it on request of a woman who is planning an anniversary party for someone’s 20th anniversary. She intends to pass the book around so guests can view the pictures in the scrapbook, then sign and leave a comment in the empty pages at the back.

I chose a ring-bound 8 inch by 8 inch album with a cover of black felt with silver threads running through. The ring bindings made it relatively easy to add the Guestbook pages at the back.

My instructions were to put a picture on the album’s front cover, and to use a simple design. With that in mind, this is the project I came up with:

I have attempted to make the facing pages complement each other, picking up colors and using similar scrapbook paper, card stock and embellishments. The entire book leans heavily to a red, white and black color theme. Those colors seem to match with almost of all of the photographs, and I’m told red is the wife’s favorite color.

Not all pages have headings, but those that do are cut with the Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter using the Jasmine Font Cartridge

I’ve used a considerable number of quotations set in journaling blocks, since I know the people involved are fond of that approach.

I hope the Anniversary Scrapbook and Guest Book is a hit.

This Sweet 16 birthday album is a scrapbook made for my granddaughter’s 16th birthday.

The layouts contain photographs arranged chronologically, starting at age six months and ending with a blank layout with a space for a picture taken on her sixteenth birthday, or at some point during that year.

I have also added an envelope for small keepsakes and journalling tags so the young woman can write about various interests that she has.

Most of the materials, including the album, came from the Bo Bunny collections.  I went for pink, bling, glitter, ribbon and frills — to me, that seems fitting for a Sweet Sixteen memory book.

The chipboard mini album is the Bo Bunny My Edgy Chipboard Album With 6 Cascading Pages 6″X12″ Blush MWC-B854, 2 Item(s)/Order

All photographs were digitally edited in Adobe Photoshop CS5
For some years of her life, I created collages in Photoshop and printed out the collages using my inkjet printer.

This video shows the complete scrapbook with all layouts.

This Sweet 16 scrapbook album required a substantial amount of work, including participation  from my daughter-in-law, who painstakingly scanned and emailed the photographs to use. Thanks go to her for all the help.

This HAPPY word book is a chipboard album from S.E.I. Beginnings.

Joann.com
sells some word books. A search for “word book” turned up three — but not HAPPY. Amazon also carries chipboard albums and has various word books available.

My HAPPY word book is a gift for an eight year old boy. I found some “boy” scrapbook papers and cut them to cover the alphabet pages. I inked around the edges of the pages with distress inks.

The decoration is simple. I used Bazzill brads and stickers, ribbon, and a few chipboard frames that I found at the scrapbook store.

Here is the video tutorial for my  HAPPY chipboard album.

These little books are fun to do You can use up those scraps of paper and other bits and pieces of supplies that you have buried in your stash.

Thanks to Making Memories Scrapbook Store in Vancouver for this winter mini-album that is bound with the Zutter Bind It All.  I made it at a make and take that I attended a few days ago. Let me tell you, it was a great break for me to go to this little event. I had been struggling with a particularly nasty computer virus that took several days to fix and I really needed to focus on something more pleasurable than computer trouble shooting.

Anyway, back to the winter mini album. As you can see, its wire bound, designed with a blue monochromatic color scheme and decorated with punched shapes and scrapbook paper.

Here is a video demonstration showing the inside pages.

I love the Zutter Bind It All. I just wish I had waited and bought the new version that came out awhile ago. The new one can cut through more layers of paper or card stock at once, and can make wider rows of binding without having to stop and measure. Also, as they keep point out, its PINK!

Amazon carries the ZUTTER BIND IT ALL PINK VER 2 SCRAPBOOK & PAPER CRAFT TOOL

The Fun Times Guide to Scrapbooking and Stamping has a fascinating article called How to Use Feng Shui in your Scrapbooking.

It’s an interesting concept. I had never considered this before. I know very little about Feng Shui. It’s one of those things that I have heard  of and planned to learn more about “some day.”   According to the article, the five elements of Feng Shui are earth, water, fire, air, metal, and wood. All of them are represented by certain substances and shapes. Therefore, to Feng Shui a layout, you would incorporate colors and embellishments that reflect these elements.

I realize I am using Feng Shui as a verb  Probably this is incorrect, but it does seem to communicate the message, doesn’t it? LOL

My first thought is, “Good grief. It’s difficult enough to create a layout that works well without adding the additional challenge of a Feng Shui approach.  By the time you think about page balance, the rule of thirds, the color wheel, using odd numbers of items, etc. — then after that, you  consider what supplies you have on hand and whether you want to use what’s in your stash or make a trip to the craft store  — and after considering all that,  you then add the additional decision that everything has to be Feng Shui’d (if that’s a word)! It sounds a bit overwhelming.

However, just because it could be a challenge doesn’t mean its not a worthwhile concept. As we all know, some of the best things in life come as a result of facing a challenge.

It might be worth trying. First , I would have to learn about Feng Shui.

This book, Crafting for Good Feng Shui: 40 Projects to Bring Harmony to Your Home may be a good place to start.

How about you?  Would you, or have you, incorporated Feng Shui principles into your projects?

I recently read an ebook called How to Make Money Scrapbooking. The author, Brad McFall  takes you through the steps of starting a scrapbooking business. At 91 pages, the ebook gives you plenty of good material. Plus in addition, you receive bonuses that cover advertising and how to write advertising copy.  McFall’s background is in advertising so he knows what he’s talking about.

If McFall’s information is correct,  scrapartists can make as much as $100 an hour.  He furthermore says that some scrapartists in the US are charging and getting paid as high as $5000 for a wedding album.

That is big money, no matter how you look at it.

I have occasionally sold commissioned scrapbook projects, but I have never really looked at scrapbooking as a business venture.  When I think of scrapbooking as a business, I picture a lot of face to face meetings and conversations trying to decide how to create the kind of scrapbook that the client wants. i don’t view that as enjoyable.

I’m the sort of crafter who wants to create according to my own whims. I want to do scrapbook albums when I want, how I want, and according to my own schedule. I want to design layouts depending on my mood at the time. I want to chose colors and embellishments and themes that fit whatever frame of mind I’m in.  If I’m in the mood for whimsical, then I’ll create whimsical. If I want a heritage look, that’s what I’ll do. I don’t want to restrict myself to creating the sort of album that a customer wants.

And, of course,  that attitude is the kiss of death to a business. Srapbooking as a business is all about pleasing the customer. That means finding out their style, their preferences, their hopes and dreams, and creating a book that speaks to them at that level.

For those scrappers who would enjoy doing that, I think scrapbooking could be a moneymaking business. This ebook would definitely be a good starting point.

The well-written ebook contains a lot of good  content, including links to sites where you can find free materials, layouts, etc.  Since this is a book about starting a scrapbooking business, the topics include how to get started, the basic materials you would need, how much to charge, how to find customers, how to promote your services, taxation issues, etc.

If I have a complaint with this product, it would be that McFall makes it sound too easy.  In my opinion, he minimizes the skills needed to create good scrapbook designs. The book seems to suggest that a totally inexperienced scrapbooker could start a scrapbook business easily.  I disagree. There are skills needed here, and a total newcomer to scrapbooking isn’t likely to learn them overnight.

However, for anyone who already has good scrapbooking skills, and wants to make money doing something they love, then How to Make Money Scrapbooking is well worth the reasonable price you’d pay.

I’m curious to know how many site visitors are like me. Would you be happy scrapbooking according to someone else’s tastes, or would you prefer to work at your projects when and how you please? Leavea comment and let me know where you stand on this topic.

Does your scrapbook layout represent fact or fiction? Has it become something like a scripted reality TV show — based on real life but heavily orchestrated to create special effects? And if it has, is this a good thing or a bad thing?

I’ve been providing tutorials lately for making things look better through photo editing and photo editing software. How much photo editing can you do before you’ve created a new reality, based more on how you wish things were than how they really are?

Sure, knocking off the five pounds that the camera added, whitening teeth a bit and removing the spot where the chocolate ice cream dribbled down on your t-shirt isn’t that big a deal.

But what about more extreme measures? Photo editing lets you make innumerable adjustments to a photo. Would that seascape look better if it had two sailboats instead of just one? It’s easy to make a duplicate. Would that new copper roof be more attractive if it had the greenish patina of aged copper? No sooner said than done with photo editing.

This raises the issue of whether we are scrapbooking to preserve memories, or whether we permit ourselves artistic license to make everything look bigger and better than the reality. If the latter, how much is too much?

I once made a scrapbook for a woman who wanted a certain person removed entirely from a group picture. Why? She didn’t like this person and didn’t want to be reminded of her each time she looked at the picture. I obliged, because that was what was asked of me.

If this were my own memory album, I would not have gone that route. I take the position that a scrapbook represents a memory of what happened and that should not be tampered with. To me, changing the odd detail like removing a blemish from the face is not a big deal. Removing an entire person distorts the truth of the event being preserved in the scrapbook.

I learned a lesson on this topic when I made my very first scrapbook, which was to be a gift for a family member. I wanted pictures of the farmlands where we grew up, but I had none. A friend living elsewhere offered to take pictures of the wheat fields in her location, pointing out that one wheat field looks much like another. I agreed, and used the bogus wheat field picture in the album. The recipient recognized the sham immediately. I was embarrassed to say the least. Through this little episode, I came to fully appreciate that scrapbooks are for preserving memories — accurate memories that reflect what actually happened in the story being depicted in a layout.

I recently received a package of heritage photos taken as early as the nineteen twenties. I love these pictures and I know they are authentic. Will future generations feel the same way when they look at pictures from this era? Or will they be left wondering how accurate the picture really is?

What’s your take on this issue? Leave me a comment and tell me where you stand on scrapbooking reality vs fantasy.

What do toilet paper, a rubber stamp and a scrapbook layout have in common?  Well, believe it or not, you can create unusual, attractive, and extremely economical scrapbook embellishments using a rubber stamp and a few squares of toilet paper.

The pictures show a toilet paper casting I made using a mushroom stamp. I have used it as a focal point in a hand made mini album.

How to Make a Toilet Paper Casting

1. Locate a deeply cut rubber stamp. This will not work well with a fine cut stamp.

2. Optionally, tap your stamp with an ink. Depending on how your ink reacts with water, this will give you various tints and shades of color.  This is arguably the cheapest embellishment you will ever make, so live it up. Experiment with lots of inks and colors. Alternatively, you can omit inking your stamp and opt for a pure white casting. (Or use colored toilet paper).

3. Tear or cut several squares of toilet paper. The squares should be larger than the stamp. You could also use tissue or perhaps even serviettes or napkins. I have not tried the latter, but I see no reason why they would not work.

4. Get a small bowl of water. Dip one toilet paper square into the water so you have a wet spot in the middle.   Place this wet paper in the stamp. Pat it down with your fingers or use a Q Tip.

5. Repeat with additional squares of toilet tissue. Continue layering until you have five or six layers. You will get differing results depending on the ply used.

6. Using a paper towel, squeeze down over the layers of toilet paper, blotting away excess water.

7.  Remove your wet casting from the stamp. Move carefully.

8. Allow to partially dry, then tear away excess toilet paper, leaving as wide a border as you wish.  Avoid tearing into the casting itself, as this is likely to cause it to pull apart.

9. When fully dry, color your casting or decorate in any way that comes to mind.  Attach to your scrapbook page or or project using a glue or adhesive.

Please understand that these toilet paper castings are not acid free or lignon free. Avoid using them in any proeject that you wantto be archival.

Other than that, have fun with these unique scrapbook embellishments made with rubber stamps.  I’d love to hear your experiences with this technique.

Formica chip art, which is another example of altered art, can appear as stand alone small pieces of art, or you can use it to embellish your scrapbook and paper crafting projects.

Formica chips are the counter top samples you can pick up at many hardware stores or home improvement depots.  Grab some craft paint, some stamping ink, some UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel), a few rubber stamps or acrylic stamps, some scrapbook paper, some stickers, some ribbon and get ready to create these small and beautiful collages.

The video below demonstrates four samples of Formica chip art, all suitable for scrapbooking purposes. It also gives a demonstration of  using UTEE, Versamark waterproof ink and a heat tool to create interesting surfaces.  You can get most,or all of these items at Joann.com

Formica chip art also makes a great tag, key chain, magnet, pendant or other item of altered art.

What can you do with UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel), assorted micro beads, a rubber stamp and a Formica chip?  You can make your own unique embellishment for your scrapbook or other paper craft project, that’s what.

In case you are new to this, UTEE (otherwise known as Suze Weinberg Melt Art Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) is an embossing enamel with extra large crystals. When applied to a sticky surface, then hit with a heat gun, it melts to form a glossy or pebbled surface. When several coats are applied, you can add items such as small beads or marbles while the enamel is hot. When it cools, the beads are stuck in place.  UTEE is available as a clear, transparent enamel, plus it also comes in  various colors. There are tons of things you can do with UTEE, and I plan on making a video or two demonstrating this product soon.

Formica chips are those countertop samples that you can pick up in home improvement centers.  The pictures shows one that I made for a scrapbook layout. There are various ways you can create Formica Chip Art.

This is how I made this particular one:

1. Paint the formica chip with craft paint. Use as many coats as you need to cover the underlying design — or allow the design to show through if you like it that way.

2. When the paint is dry, stamp an image on the painted surface. Use any color you want.

3. When the stamped image is dry, smear a product like  VersaMark all over the painted surface. VersaMark is a watermark stamping ink. It’s a must-have product in any stamper’s toolbox. The VersaMark creates a sticky surface to hold the first coat of UTEE.

4.  Sprinkle UTEE generously over the sticky surface. Shake the chip to remove the excess, UTEE,  then heat with your heating tool or heat gun.  (A hair dryer does not work). Heat until the UTEE melts. The first coat of UTEE will be bubbly and pebbled, which is an interesting look. You may choose to leave it this way. However, you will need more than one coat if you want to attach micro beads or marbles.  To add a second coat, sprinkle more UTEE over the hot, melted surface. No additional Versamark is needed. If the first coat has already set, you can melt it again with the heat gun, then add additional UTEE. Melt again. The second and any additional coats will be mirror smooth.

5. While your second (or third) coat of UTEE is still hot, sprinkle with small microbeads or marbles. You may need to push these down gently using a toothpick or wire.

6  Tie a ribbon, fiber, lace, cord or string through the hole.

And that’s it. Add this to your layout, matting and blocking as you wish.  In the picture shown, I added a small sticker reading “PEACE” to the finished project.

There is an intersting tutorial on making an Egyptian keychain from a formica chip at this link.