Scrapbooking Tip: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

     For Haley's 4th Grade school layout this year, I decided to change things up a little bit.  I've been using the Brenda Walton Citrus Neopolitan collection up until now, but I saw the most adorable school papers by Creative Imaginations last month.  I just had to use them.  Because I didn't have a lot of photos, I copied and reduced the certificates she earned this year, and I used them instead of photos on the left side of the layout.  I focused on Science and Chorus, because those were Haley's favorite subject and activity this year.
     The music transparency is from Hambly, and I made all of the embellishments with my Cricut (Locker Talk).  I jazzed up some plain white circles that I had cut awhile ago, and they are behind the die cuts.  I colored them with Bic Mark It markers and added dots with Sakura Souffle Pens and Crystal Lacquer.  This was a lot of fun for me, because it was a big change from the other school layouts in Haley's album.
     The next time you're in a slump, or you just don't feel like doing the same-old-same-old, step out of your comfort zone and change things up a bit.  And remember to be your crafty self.  Thanks for stopping by.

Scrapbooking Tip: Make Some Lists/Charts

I am the proud owner of a Cricut Expression that I got back in August for my birthday/Christmas.  Before that, I had the original small Cricut, so I've had a Cricut for about 2 years.  That means that I have a lot of cartridges, and it's kind of hard to remember what's on which cartridge.  To keep track of this, I've printed out sample sheets that can be found at Cricut.com.  Today I went a little further.  Since the Paisley and Wild Card cartridges have a lot of words and phrases, I decided to create charts with all of the words.  I listed them by page and included all of the words and phrases, plus the keys where they can be found.  (I number all of my booklets so that I can easily find what I'm looking for on the keypad.)

Here they are in both .doc and .pdf format, in that order.  Thanks for stopping by, and Happy Crafting!

Download Paisley Words

Download Paisley-Words

Download Wild Card Words

Download Wild Card Words

Page Maps Sketch

Hi all.  It's been a crazy few weeks for me, but I was able to do a 2-page sketch for Becky Fleck's Page Mapsfor December.  You should really check out Becky's site.  There are some fabulous layouts for scrapbook pages, cards, tags, and even mini album pages.  This is a layout about Haley donating her hair to Locks of Love this past summer.  What a kid!  Have a great weekend!

A Reminder About The Importance of Customer Service

By JeannetteMG on November 18, 2009

Jeanette
Giancaspro is a consumer reader of Scrapbook Update. She joins us a
guest blogger today to share her perspective on what is really
important to her as a consumer. You can learn more about her by
visiting her blog It’s My Crafty Life.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother owned a yarn store. It
wasn’t just any yarn store. It was “Connie’s Yarn Shop,” and her
customers came from miles around to spend the day (and often the
evening) knitting and crocheting, and making all sorts of wonderful
creations. The reason for my grandmother’s success wasn’t just her wide
selection of goods and services. She also gave her customers
outstanding customer service. As soon as they walked into her store,
they felt valued, appreciated, and welcome. That is one of the keys to
operating a successful business.

Unfortunately, this is the exception rather than the norm these
days. Here’s a scenario with which I’m sure many of you can relate: I
go into a large craft store looking for a particular item. I look on
the shelf where I expect it to be, but it’s not there. I look around
for a sales associate to help me, but there is no one around. I search
the store and find someone who appears to be annoyed even before I ask
her a question. After I inquire about the product, she looks at me as
if I’m crazy and says something like, “I’ve never heard of that,” or
“If it isn’t on the shelf, we don’t have it.” I look somewhere else and
find it. After waiting in line for about 20 minutes, and trying to use
a valid coupon that the cashier refuses to accept, I leave frustrated
and angry.

I don’t think this is the way most retail store owners want us to
leave their stores. I believe that everyone who owns a store truly
wants his/her customers to be happy. The problem lies in employee
training and supervision. Sales associates, cashiers, and stock
personnel must be pleasant, helpful, and knowledgeable. No one can be
expected to know everything, but a pleasant and helpful attitude goes a
long way in customer service.

As a consumer, I feel from my experience that retail store owners
need to pay more attention to training and supervising their employees
so that their stores can compete in these difficult economic times.
They must hold their employees to higher standards and train them more
effectively in customer relations. They should also monitor employees
to ensure that customers are leaving their stores on a positive note.
Can every store be a Connie’s Yarn Shop? Of course not. Can every store
make me feel valued, appreciated, and welcome? Absolutely!

Scrapbooking Tip: Odd-Sized Layouts

A few years ago for Mother's Day, my husband bought me a beautiful Hallmark scrapbook album.  It's an odd size, approximately 9 x 12, and this presented a challenge to me.  I've never seen layouts in this size, so I had to come up with some ideas to work with the pages in the book. 

I decided to approach the layouts from an 8 1/2 x 11 perspective.  This worked very well at first, because I even had a little extra room to spread things out if necessary.  After awhile, though, it became a little boring, doing the same basic layout over and over.  Then it hit me.  Why not turn the layouts and make them horizontal?  I had seen this done with 8 1/2 x 11 layouts many times, and I really liked the way they looked.  So I tried it.  Here is one of the layouts, which I think turned out great.  It also adapted it for a 2-page sketch challenge on If It's Groovy this month. 

So, the next time you're faced with an odd-sized layout, try looking at things from a different angle!  Happy scrapping!

 

Scrapbooking Tip: Using Patterned Papers

As a scrapbooker of more than 8 years, I know how confusing patterned papers can be to work with.  It's so easy to fall in love with all those delicious colors, patterns, and textures.  What does one do when trying to use more than one pattern on a layout?  Well, here are a few tips.

1.  Use coordinating papers made by the same company.  On this layout, for example, I used K & Company's Girl Scouts paper line.  (This is the original line.  K & Co. has replaced it with a new line of GS papers.)

2.  If you have the option, choose double-sided papers so that you have more choices of designs that coordinate nicely. 

3.  Use plain cardstock as a background/base paper, and add patterned paper effectively.  In this case, I used the patterned papers to draw attention to my photos and move the viewer's eye from the top of my layout to the bottom. 

4.  Choose coordinating embellishments that pick up a few of the colors in your layout.  Try not to over-do the embellishments when you're using patterned papers.  You don't want to take the focus away from your photos.

5.  Another idea for incorporating patterned papers into your scrapbook pages is to use them for your titles.  For this layout, I used one of the patterned papers for the letters and a coordinating solid paper to mat the letters.

Try using some of these ideas, and you'll see how even the busiest papers can be incorporated into your layout to create a very eye-catching effect.  Happy scrapping!

 

Fun Titles

When I first started scrapbooking, my titles were pretty simple.  OK, boring.  As I improved my skills and style, I began to create titles that were more interesting; but they were still missing something.  Then I discovered how to really make them come alive.  One way to accomplish this is to use different fonts for different words in my title.  In the layout here, "Play Date" and "Rebecca" are 2 different styles of a Cricut font,  (I think I used  All Mixed Up, but I'm not sure.)

Another technique I use to jazz up my titles is doodling on and around them.  Here I used Souffle Pens, made by Marvy Uchida, to draw little polka dots on and around the letters.  Finally, I wrote in  the word "with" using the same pens.  I don't know if the scan picked up the colors, but they are bright and fun - just the right addition to this page all about Haley and her friend Rebecca.

Try spicing up the title on your next layout using these techniques.  It's easy and fun.  Happy scrapping!  Remember to check out my Etsy Shop for one-of-a-kind creations for scrapbooking and cardmaking!

Paper Crafting Tip#13: Start your holiday cards now!

If you're like me, everyone on my Christmas Card List expects a hand-made card from me.  That adds up to a lot of cards,  which I am sure many of you can relate to.  The only way I can keep up with this is to make my cards in batches.  I make 4 or 5 designs, and then I make the cards in groups, assembly line fashion.  It's fun to get together with friends, too.  I've already made 2 groups of cards, and I have 2 other designs in my sketchbook. 

Now, you don't have to make so many designs, of course, but I find that I get kind of bored if I try to make them all the same.  If you'd like to share your cards, please email them to me, and I'll include them in my Blogs for November and December.  I can't wait to see what you come up with!

You might have noticed that now I have changed the title of these posts to Paper Crafting Tips.  I've decided to include tips for all types of paper crafting, since most of us are involved in more than one type of crafting.

Happy crafting!

Scrapbooking Tip #12: Ironing Ribbon

I've seen all the cute little craft irons on the market, and I even own one of them. (I got it on sale.)  They're OK; but I'm impatient, and I don't like to wait for them to heat up.  Besides, they never get quite hot enough to be very effective.  But did you know that you don't need an iron to "iron" your ribbons?  If you've got a lightbulb, you're good to go.  First, make sure that your lightbulb is clean and dust-free.  (Of course, you need to do that while it's cool. Don't ask me how I know that.)  Then just pull your ribbon tight, and rub it slowly across the hot bulb, being very careful not to rub your fingers along the bulb as well. (Don't ask me how I know that, either.)  It works great!  And you can save your money for the really essential things, like more paper, more chipboard, more dies for your cutting machine, and - yes, you guessed it - MORE RIBBON!  Have a great week, and thanks for stopping by!

Scrapbooking Tip #11: Add a Little "Bling"!

I love glitter and rhinestones!  I use them wherever I can:  on my layouts, on my cards, and on any other craft project on which I can get away with it.   Sometimes it's difficult to know when to stop, though.  I don't want my projects to look too gaudy, so I try to use the "bling" in moderation. 

Using glitter does have one drawback, though.  I'm constantly "sparkling."  No matter how hard I try, I never can seem to get all that glitter off me.  In fact, when I was working in a very upscale paper store in SoHo a few years ago, one of the "younger" associates complimented me on my "cool nose ring."  Just as I started to tell her that I didn't have a nose ring, she corrected herself and said, "Oh, no, wait; that's glitter."  I even find glitter on the cat!  And my kids!  Oh, well, I guess it's an occupational hazard.  Here's to the BLING!

Below is the most recent Disney layout I've done.  I used a lot of glitter and rhinestones for the title, but I felt that the layout warranted a lot of shiny stuff.

Scrapbooking Tip #10: Organizing by Color

I know that this is a day late, but yesterday I went to see that gorgeous great-nephew of mine!  He's smaller in person, but also even cuter.  Pictures will be following very soon!

This week's tip is on organization.  I stamp a lot, and I had been pretty dissatisfied with the way I organized my inkpads for awhile.  I had all my dye-based pads in one drawer, all my pigments in another, and all my SU/TAC in another.  I even kept all my mini inkpads separate.  I didn't know what colors I had anymore!  Then it hit me.  I had an AHA! moment!  Why not organize my inkpads the same way I organize my paper?  I had to try it, right then and there.

You see, I'm a COLOR person.  Just about everything I do in scrapbooking and card making begins with color.  My papers are organized by color, and it works really well for me, so I decided that I needed to do this for my inkpads as well.  It's wonderful!  I combined some colors, and I still have 3 drawers, but now I can see what colors I have and what colors I need.

I haven't found a need to organize all my embellishments this way yet, but my ribbons and buttons have been that way for quite awhile now.  Like I said, I'm a COLOR person.  You can be a COLOR person, too!

Enjoy your crafting this week!

Scrapbooking Tip #9: Use your scraps to make a card.

Happy World Cardmaking Day!  I'm having some friends over to celebrate, and we're going to be starting our Holiday cards.  My tip for you this week is really easy to do.  After you finish a layout, take all the scraps you have left over and create a card or two.  You'd be surprised at how many cool designs you can come up with, and you'll feel like you're really getting your money's worth out of your supplies.  Here are some examples of what I made using mostly scraps of paper.  Have a great weekend!

Scrapbooking Tip of the Week - Tip #7: Diecuts

I have to admit that I'm cheating a little bit this week.  Yesterday was my birthday, so I was a little lazy.  I'm using my Weekend Challenge idea for A Shade of Blue.  (See the sidebar for the Challenge link.)  Try using a diecut or two to embellish your scrapbook pages (or cards).  They're easy to make, and you can customize the colors to match your layouts.  I used the Sizzix Birthday Cake and Rectangle Frame dies for the card below.  The photo corners are from the frame.  I just cut the corners off!  All of the papers that I used are from my scraps. 

If you'd like me to explain how to layer diecuts, just post a comment, and I'll do that later this week.  And to all my friends who tell me they check out my Blog, I'd love to hear from you.  Thanks to everyone who pops in to check out My Crafty Life!

Scrapbooking Tip of the Week - Tip #4: Titles

Most of my pages have titles.  In fact, I think ALL of my layouts have titles.  Some are one word, and some are pretty long.  It all depends on the layout.  I find that a catchy title really makes people want to look at the page(s).  You might not want to put a title on all of your pages, and that's OK, too.

I create my titles in different ways.  Sometimes I stamp them, and other times I use my BigKick to die-cut them.  I use rub-ons, my computer, and occasionally stickers. 

Here is a layout from Halloween of last year.  The title is simple, but effective.  I used my BigKick and the Vixen set by QuicKutz.

Scrapbooking Tip of the Week - Tip #3: Journaling

I believe that journaling is what separates scrapbooks from photo albums.  Although I find journaling very easy, I realize that many people do not.  I don't think it's necessary to write paragraph after paragraph for every layout, though.  Sometimes just the 5 Ws are enough: Who, what, when, where, and why.  If you can write down just this information, you will have enough for most layouts.  Sometimes these details can spark your memory of other details, and the journaling will come more easily.  Give it a try.  Oh, and I do most of my journaling in my own handwriting, but I do occasionally use the computer.

On this layout, I relied on a nursery rhyme to inspire my journaling.  I did this one awhile ago, but it's still one of my favorites.

Scrapbooking Tip of the Week - Tip #2: Select your papers.

Now that you've chosen your photos, it's time to match your papers with the pictures.  Remember to use acid-free, lignin-free papers.  You don't want to ruin your photos over time.  I usually use 12 x 12, but this size can easily be trimmed down to a smaller size.

Look at your photos to find a common color.  If you can't find one, you can choose some neutral colors that work with the colors you do have in your photos.  Sometimes I choose theme colors.  For example, if I'm working on a Christmas layout, I'll usually choose Christmas-themed papers.

Start with the plain cardstock, and then select 1 or 2 patterned papers that match it.  Most scrapbook paper companies have papers that coordinate.  I advise that you use only 1 or 2 patterns, because your layout can become nauseatingly busy if you use too many.

In this layout, I've chosen summer-themed papers that match the colors
in my photos as well.  They are from TAC (The Angel Company).  Please
contact me for more information about this kit.

Remember to check back next week for another scrapbooking tip. 

Scrapbooking Tip of the Week - Tip #1: Choose Your Photos

Believe it or not, you don't have to scrap every photo you take!  Yes, that's right.  Give yourself permission to scrapbook only the photos that are the best, or the ones that tell the story best.  I try to select between 4 and 7 photos for each (2-page) layout.  Sometimes I choose more, and sometimes less.  And, now that I have gone digital, I have only the best photos printed and choose from those.  I put the remaining photos in an acid-free/lignin-free photo album with sleeves.  Repeat after me:  It's OK to scrap only some of my photos. It's very liberating!

Have a great week-end!