Pregnancy Photos
By: Vera Raposo

During my pregancy I didn’t really have the desire to have my pregnancy-photos taken, I really wish I would have made more time to get them done.

If you’re anything like me, you’re usually the one holding the camera. Make sure to give the camera to hubbie so he can get the shots you can’t.

Here is what I believe are the best pregnancy-photos that you need to have done. Ok, some may sound a little strange, but believe me you will love looking back on even the silly ones!

Read my list of must have pictures!

Photo #1 Of course the day you found out you were pregnant! There are lots of women who keep the actual pregnancy test… why not take a picture of it and that can go into your pregnancy album?

Photo #2 If you have children…. take a picture of their reaction to the news.

Photo #3 Don’t forget the picture of the surprised daddy!

Photo #4 Get hubbie to take a picture of you calling your family & friends. If you’re having a dinner party to announce the wonderful news, be sure to click away that night.

Photo #5 Get a picture of yourself infront of the doctor’s office on your first visit, even get one with your doctor.

Photo #6 The next time I would bring the camera is when you get to hear the heartbeat for the first time. What a moment to capture! That’s the best moment there is for a mom to be.

Photo #7 Time for some mugshots! Get a nice front shot of yourself, then turn to your side for a profile shot. Do this every month as your pregnancy progresses. Easy to do.

Photo #8 Do you know a friend who can take some pictures of you and your husband? Get some nice shots of your husband with his head on your tummy….putting the music to your tummy…. kissing your tummy…. I could go on and on. Very cute and loving pictures.

Photo #9 Repeat Photo #8, but insert your older children.

Photo #10 Did your older children make something for your baby? Take pictures of them with their proud creations.

Photo #11 Get at least one picture of your doctor measure your belly. This is something that us women do every month with the doctor and it’s so comforting that the baby is growing properly.

Photo #12 Waiting around for an ultrasound? Bring the camera, get a picture of you infront of the hospital. You know they will make you drink a ton of water, so you’re doing the dance anyhow. Bring the camera to keep yourself busy. If there’s no one there with you……you’re in your gown right? Get a nice shot of those swollen feet.

Have fun with your pregnancy-photos! Create your pregnancy album during pregnancy is alot of fun.

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Vera Raposo has been scrapbooking since her oldest child was 5. With tons of scrapbooking tips and ideas, Vera is now sharing some of her best scrapbooking ideas for your new baby in her newsletter www.baby-scrapbooking.com

Simple Solutions for Avoiding Scrappers Block

Have you ever sat staring at a pile of photos and scrapbooking supplies and wondered what now? If so, you could be suffering from scrapper’s block. Don’t worry! It happens to all of us, but there are some ways to overcome this. I have put together some simple solutions for avoiding scrapper’s block.

One cause of scrapper’s block is too many photos. You are feeling overwhelmed because you have a stack of photos, you are so far behind you just don’t know where to start. One way to overcome this, is to sort through your photos. Divide them into events, people, themes or however you like to scrap. Store in a photo safe box in their divided sections. Now concentrate on one set of photos. From this set, choose the ones you want to work with first. Whether you want to highlight one or work with several. Don’t worry about the stack you have stored away. Concentrate on the ones right in front of you and start chipping away at this one event. If you tend to use the same papers and embellishments for each event then you are ahead of the game. Finish your first layout from your selected photos and quickly move on to the next while the supplies are already out and ready to use.

Tools for organizing your photos:

Crop in Style XXL Tote – Black
Scrapbook.com

Cropper Hopper Photo Case
Scrapbook.com

Another form of scrapper’s block comes from poor quality photos. You have some photos that are out of focus, too far away, over/under developed or perhaps a busy background. However, you want to scrap them because it is all you have of that event/memory and you want to remember it. Stop complaining about the poor quality photo! Remember why you are scrapping to begin with. Do you scrap to showcase your professional photography skills? (if so, you are on your own here) Highlight the journaling and really tell the story there. You can also crop the photo and make the best use of it you can. Perhaps play around with the photo in your photo editing program, crop and enlarge and concentrate on a facial feature. Try sepia tones or black and white, you never know what might happen to that otherwise “bad” photo.

Ok, so now you have great photos but the wrong supplies. The colors and styles of paper you have on hand are just not right. Well, you can take your photos with you to the scrapbook store and buy what you need, shop online in the comfort of your home, or how about creating it. Do you have some old outdated paper lying around? Try sanding it down, then rub an ink pad over it and give it a new look. You now have a new distressed look, the color you need and some new supplies on hand. You can also try painting brads, label holders and other embellishments to get the color you need. Cover slide mounts, mini frames, chipboard with patterned paper to coordinate with your layout and supplies on hand. These are just a few ideas, get creative! Of course you can always set the photos aside until you have the funds needed to go shopping.

Try something new. Try a new technique, buy some new supplies, just play for awhile with no real “end” in mind. Use it on a small project such as a card. Get out the “cobwebs” and get the creativity flowing, then perhaps you will be inspired and ready to scrap.

Do you become intimidated by browsing through online galleries or flipping through magazines by the gorgeous talent out there? Don’t let this block you! First of all, it is your scrapbook. Express yourself, your style, your family-that is what needs to be remembered. Besides who says you can’t scraplift? If you see a layout you really like, scraplift it! It may not be exact anyway if you don’t have the exact supplies, but it will get you started on something you like. Just don’t use the layout in a contest. And I would suggest giving credit where credit is due if posting in a public venue.

Perfectionism-do you get caught up in creating the perfect layout? You want your layout to look like you spent hours on it, perfecting it, the colors blend, the design flows. But it doesn’t have to be perfect. Remember your why. Why do you scrapbook? Focus on that. We can easily get caught up in the “perfect layout” and forget why we scrapbook to begin with. Remember your whys. By remembering why you scrapbook the problem with scrapper’s block will vanish and your new layout is now perfect. Enjoy preserving your memories!

About author:

Dawn Stegall is a homeschooling mom of four girls and owner of www.FaithfullyYours.net a site dedicated to scrapbooking your faith!

Scrapbooking with Chipboard

What exactly is chipboard? Chipboard is a cardboard-like material. It is thinner than most cardboard and thicker than cardstock. Not all chipboard is acid-free and thus safe for scrapbooks. Check the packaging and/or test with a ph testing pen. Chipboard sold for the purpose of scrapbooking embellishments are more than likely acid-free.

Where can I find chipboard? Chipboard can be found in a variety of places. The backing of a pad of paper is chipboard. Often scrapbook paper comes packaged with a sheet of chipboard for stability. Chipboard can be purchased by the sheet in some arts and crafts supply stores. And finally, chipboard is available as shapes and alphabets by various scrapbook manufacturers.

Why would I want to use chipboard in my layouts? You mean besides it being one of the hottest trends in scrapbooking? Chipboard is light-weight, inexpensive and very versatile. There are so many uses and possibilities with chipboard that you are only limited by your imagination. Let’s explore a few creative possibilities…

American Crafts – Fieldhouse – Backyard – Patterned Chipboard Pieces, BRAND NEW
Scrapbook.com

The easiest is purchasing pre-made chipboard pieces already embellished and ready to go! Simply adhere to your layout. But if you want to create your own custom chipboard pieces, let’s see what we can do. Let’s start with a shape that comes ready to embellish. Here a few ideas on how to embellish this chipboard piece.

* Paint them. You can use any acrylic paint. Paint made especially for scrapbooking is a little thicker, which may be better for chipboard. Sand the edges for a finished look.
* Cover with patterned paper. Simply trace, cut and adhere. Recommended for adhering paper to chipboard include xyron, spray adhesive, hermafix, scrappy glue and modge podge. Sanding or inking the edges provide a finished look.
* Embellish with stickers, flowers, glitter and other embellishments.

You can create your own shapes and alphabets with chipboard sheets.

* Some die cut machines like Sizzix and QuicKutz will cut through the chipboard.
* You can also use decorative punches with chipboard.
* And finally, hand cut your desired shape.

Once you have your shape/alphabet cut or punched, then cover and embellish as mentioned above.

Recommended Chipboard Resources:
* Bazzill Basics -Alphabets, Chips, Flowers
* Basic Grey -Hardware, Tags, Alphabets, Elements, Monograms and more…
* Cosmo Cricket -Cigar Box with 101 Chipboard pieces
* Fancy Pants -Big Chipboard Brackets/Labels/Tags and more…
* Heidi Swapp -Chipboard alphabets, ornaments, tags and more…
* K and Company -Tin box chipboard To Go
* KI Memories -chipboard stickers fully decorated
* Rusty Pickle -Chipboard alphabets and many small albums
* Scenic Route -Chipboard in many shapes and sizes

I have mentioned that I am a scrapbook magazine junkie. I love flipping through scrapbook magazines looking for the latest and greatest ideas and inspiration. I don’t think I have ever completely copied a layout or project simply because I did not have all the materials necessary on hand. I tend to start with someone else’s idea and then expand upon it or change it to suit my style, needs and supplies. I wonder about proper scraplift etiquette. I’m honestly not sure if there are any rules, but here are some thoughts for you to think about.

In the world of scrapbooking, imitation can be the sincerest form of flattery or a big no-no depending on the circumstances. Scraplifting, or borrowing ideas from another person’s layout, is inevitable as we all search for inspiration for our scrapbooks. There has developed a fine line between being motivated by another person’s color choice and copying outright.

In the “old days,” it seemed perfectly logical to completely copy a layout from a magazine. After all, who was going to see it? However, now that the scrapbooking has gone digital, people have more access to each other’s layouts. It’s not so easy to “get away with” a complete scrap lift if you are posting your final page on an Internet forum. The advent of scrapbooking contests has also made scraplifting an important issue in the community.

What are the Scraplifting Rules of Etiquette? Use the following Do’s and Don’ts as your guide when you draw inspiration from the works of others.

1. Do use layouts in magazines and online galleries to expand your scrapbooking horizons. I know for a fact that there are certain color combinations or picture taking techniques that I would never have tried on my own if I hadn’t seen them in use elsewhere. Scrapbooking is a creative activity, and sometimes we just need to be inspired by others. Seeing different techniques, arrangements and creative ideas can help you stretch your wings a bit and work outside of your comfort zone. And when you do that, you’ll be surprised at what you can create!

2. Don’t copy outright, especially if you are entering a contest. This is the scrapbooking equivalent of cheating. Use a simple rule…if you are borrowing more than three elements directly, then you are in danger of being seen as a copycat. If you like the title font, color use and cropping of the pictures, try using a different layout arrangement and title. If the paper catches your eye, do something completely new and different with it. This may not seem like a big deal if you don’t plan on entering a layout in a contest or displaying it online, but practicing adaptations like these will make you a more creative (and more confident) scrapbooker.

3. Do give credit where credit is due. If you are posting your page on an online forum, and were inspired by another person’s layout, let the community know! As long as you haven’t outright copied, the original person is sure to be flattered. Who doesn’t like a little celebrity?

4. Don’t scraplift until you’ve asked yourself a few questions. Analyze the layout and ask yourself what you really like about it. What draws your attention to the page? Is it the contrast between the size of the photo and the title? Is it the additional touches like rivets and ribbon? If you can identify what elements are speaking to you, you might not need to copy at all. In the past, when I’ve taken the time to analyze why I’m drawn to a particular layout, I’ve discovered a way to make that same element totally me and totally original. It’s worth a shot!

Scrapbooking for kids

As a homeschooling mom of 4 girls, scrapbooking for kids has been on my mind alot lately.  Let me back up a bit.  My 4 year old was quietly playing one day with a roll of stickers.  Afraid I was going to later find a bunch of stickers caught in the carpet, I asked her what she intended to do with them.  She pondered for awhile and then said, “I am going to put them in a scrapbook.  Mom, can I have my own scrapbook?”  For some reason, this caught me by surprise, as I thought how wonderful of an experience this could be!  So, I started thinking about it more and have come up with some tips and ideas to share with you on scrapbooking for kids.

First of all, I will admit, I am cheap!  I wasn’t sure how excited I would be at the thought of my 4 year old and her sisters cutting up my beautiful papers and glueing everything down in sight!  I immediately thought of our local dollar store.  They have albums that would be perfect for showcasing their creations in for the time being.  The dollar store also offers scrapbooking supplies in the form of kits, stickers and embellishments.  We have a reward system in place, where the girls can earn a trip to the dollar store to purchase their own scrapbooking supplies to do with as they please.  This alleviates the desire to “mess” with my stash while instilling a sense of responsiblity to earn their reward!

Here are a few more “scrapbooking for kids” cost saving tips:

• Have too many pictures to scrap?  Let the kids scrap the leftovers.
• When developing photos, get double prints.  Let the kids scrap with the doubles.
• When you complete a project, put the leftovers and unused scraps in a container for them to use.  They can create their own embellishments with the scraps.  You will be amazed at what they can create!

One thing I do want to mention, when you scrap for the first time with your children, be prepared to help and guide them.  Don’t expect to get much done on your own pages until they start to get a feel for what they want to do and accomplish in their own scrapbooks.  Now that they are ready to scrap, what should they scrap?  Here are a few scrapbooking for kids layout ideas:

• Have them scrap a page all about their favorite things at that particular age.  (then repeat it for each year and see how their favorites have changed or stayed the same)
• Have your kids scrap about their favorite activities or sporting events they are involved in.  I’m sure you have plenty of photos!
• Turn it into a learning experience and have them interview the subject of the photo.  This would be great for older generations.
• If there aren’t enough photos, have them draw pictures of people.  Then watch how their drawings progress.  Each one of my girls have a specific style of how they draw family members.  It is interesting and fun to look at.

What about incorporating their artwork and creations?  I am very blessed to get cards, pictures and artwork on an almost daily basis from my girls.  But what do you do with all of them?  Here are a few ideas:

• Hang on the refrigerator for all to see.  Then once the fridge is full, take a picture of your child in front of their artwork and scrap the photo.  You can also incorporate their artwork into the layout.
• Color copy and reduce the drawings/projects and use as photos in your layout or as embellishments.
• Are you near the end of a roll of film?  Use up those last couple of shots of your child’s artwork.
• Use pocket pages to “hold” your child’s artwork.
• Create a “brag” book and give to grandparents or other family members as a special gift!

Even though I can be anal at times, I still want to incorporate my girls work into my scrapbooks as well.  Afterall, they aren’t really my scrapbooks but for all to enjoy!  Here are a few “scrapbooking for kids” ideas:

• Use child’s drawings as a background paper.
• Use their creations as embellishments.  You’ll be amazed at what they can create with some paper, scissors and adhesive!
• Interview them.  Ask them questions about the photo, layout, their mood.  This would make for some awesome journaling!

I hope the above tips will give you some ideas on scrapbooking for kids!

About author:

Dawn Stegall is a homeschooling mom of four girls and owner of www.FaithfullyYours.net a site dedicated to scrapbooking your faith!

Sandylion – Disney Mickey Collection – 12 x 12 More Than Just Paper Pack – Funtastic Friends
Scrapbook.com

Sandylion – Disney Princess Collection – Theme Pack – Princess
Scrapbook.com

How to Make a Quick, Easy Baby Album
By: Vera Raposo

If you are creating a photo album for your baby for the first time, or
are unsure where to begin in creating a scrapbook of your baby’s first
year, here are some tips to make it quick and easy to preserve your
photos and memories:

Rather than including every photo you take of your baby, organize your
pictures according to the month they were taken and chose a few of your
favorites from each month.

You can make single page or several pages from each particular month and stage of development without having to spend a large amount of time gluing every single photo into your scrapbook.

Be sure and include birth announcements and baby shower invitations as a special touch.

Keep a notebook or calendar within easy reach to record milestones in
your child’s development. You can then coordinate the events on your
calendar with the month-by-month photos.

It is always a good idea to keep an ongoing journal of special times in your baby’s life so that you can include those moments in your scrapbook. It does not have to be elaborate or detailed, just a few special dates and events that you can include as text next to your pictures.

Include a special folder or sleeve behind each page of your scrapbook
to place the unused photos and mementos. This way you can keep them
within easy reach and add pages to your scrapbook easily at a later time.
Make sure you write the date and place the photos were taken on the
back of the picture or on the folder.

When creating each page of your scrapbook, remember that you can add
extra pages containing amusing notes or special occasions as you see fit.
There is no right or wrong way to make a scrapbook of your baby’s first
year.

Include the photos and events that are the most special to you
and keep extras handy in the event you want to add to your scrapbook
later.

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Vera Raposo has been scrapbooking since her oldest child was 5. With tons of scrapbooking tips and ideas, Vera is now sharing some of her best scrapbooking ideas on her radio show at www.ScrappersTalkRadio.com.

Organizing Your Scrapbooking Area

When it comes to thousands of different types of scrap booking papers and other accessories you will find that it can be overwhelming at the supplies place. Since you do have so many options, you will find that it can be difficult for a person to scrapbook when they are in a small apartment or dorm room, but you can get organized and keep things looking good and clean and that will help you to be able to scrapbook more efficiently.

It will take up the most space and time when it comes to getting your papers organized. A good option for this is a paper saver, as made by most of the larger scrap booking companies. These folders are made of plastic most of the time and they can be tagged and hold hundreds of papers. This will help you to categorize your papers. If you find that you do not have enough room in a paper saver, you might also find it useful to invest in a filing cabinet or one of the sets of drawers made especially for scrap booking. You can purchase these in any of the local craft stores or you can go online as well.

Once you own a tool for organization, the next step is to decide how you want to categorize your supplies. You will find that color is most often used, but you can make it into a theme like a certain day or holiday. You may also want to think about making patterns like stripes. You can also use this system to organize flat embellishments, such as die cuts or stickers.

You also need a place to store your tools and embellishments that are not easily filed. You will find that one good way is to use baskets and a shelving system to help your to store and organize your tools and embellishments. Store cutting tools in one basket, glues in another, markers and paint in a third, and so on is a good way of approaching the art of organization. By buying baskets in bulk, you will save more money then if you use photo boxes, and the display will be uniform and attractive. Make sure that you label your baskets or shelving so that you can find everything quickly.

If you need to save space, however, a basket and shelving system may not work for you. You will want to make a kit of some of your most often sued tools and supplies so that you can keep them close and you won’t have to dig or look around. That way when you only have time to do a quick page or two, you can use your kit to complete it and then quickly clean up. However, you can use all of your time in one day and book a whole scrapbook together and also you can pull out the supplies and storage so that you can complete the album.

You will also want to keep in mind that the space that you use to scrapbook is clean and organized. This will allow you to enjoy your time scrap booking. When you learn how to label the storage containers and learn how to organize your papers, you will be able to quickly be able to pull out the tools that you need. You will find that if you really want to get into scrap booking you will take the time to label your storage containers and sort through the mess. Once you have gotten over the mess, you will be able to get comfortable with scrap booking.

Scrapbooking for Kids
By: Dawn Stegall

As a homeschooling mom of 4 girls, scrapbooking for kids has been on my mind alot lately. Let me back up a bit. My 4 year old was quietly playing one day with a roll of stickers. Afraid I was going to later find a bunch of stickers caught in the carpet, I asked her what she intended to do with them. She pondered for awhile and then said, “I am going to put them in a scrapbook. Mom, can I have my own scrapbook?” For some reason, this caught me by surprise, as I thought how wonderful of an experience this could be! So, I started thinking about it more and have come up with some tips and ideas to share with you on scrapbooking for kids.

First of all, I will admit, I am cheap! I wasn’t sure how excited I would be at the thought of my 4 year old and her sisters cutting up my beautiful papers and glueing everything down in sight! I immediately thought of our local dollar store. They have albums that would be perfect for showcasing their creations in for the time being. The dollar store also offers scrapbooking supplies in the form of kits, stickers and embellishments. We have a reward system in place, where the girls can earn a trip to the dollar store to purchase their own scrapbooking supplies to do with as they please. This alleviates the desire to “mess” with my stash while instilling a sense of responsiblity to earn thier reward!

Here are a few more “scrapbooking for kids” cost saving tips:

Have too many pictures to scrap? Let the kids scrap the leftovers.
When developing photos, get double prints. Let the kids scrap with the doubles.
When you complete a project, put the leftovers and unused scraps in a container for them to use. They can create their own embellishments with the scraps. You will be amazed at what they can create!
One thing I do want to mention, when you scrap for the first time with your children, be prepared to help and guide them. Don’t expect to get much done on your own pages until they start to get a feel for what they want to do and accomplish in their own scrapbooks. Now that they are ready to scrap, what should they scrap? Here are a few scrapbooking for kids layout ideas:

Have them scrap a page all about their favorite things at that particular age. (then repeat it for each year and see how their favorites have changed or stayed the same)
Have your kids scrap about their favorite activities or sporting events they are involved in. I’m sure you have plenty of photos!
Turn it into a learning experience and have them interview the subject of the photo. This would be great for older generations.
If there aren’t enough photos, have them draw pictures of people. Then watch how their drawings progress. Each one of my girls have a specific style of how they draw family members. It is interesting and fun to look at.
What about incorporating their artwork and creations? I am very blessed to get cards, pictures and artwork on an almost daily basis from my girls. But what do you do with all of them? Here are a few ideas:

Hang on the refrigerator for all to see. Then once the fridge is full, take a picture of your child in front of their artwork and scrap the photo. You can also incorporate their artwork into the layout.
Color copy and reduce the drawings/projects and use as photos in your layout or as embellishments.
Are you near the end of a roll of film? Use up those last couple of shots of your child’s artwork.
Use pocket pages to “hold” your child’s artwork.
Create a “brag” book and give to grandparents or other family members as a special gift!
Even though I can be anal at times, I still want to incorporate my girls work into my scrapbooks as well. Afterall, they aren’t really my scrapbooks but for all to enjoy! Here are a few “scrapbooking for kids” ideas:

Use child’s drawings as a background paper.
Use their creations as embellishments. You’ll be amazed at what they can create with some paper, scissors and adhesive!
Interview them. Ask them questions about the photo, layout, their mood. This would make for some awesome journaling!
I hope the above tips will give you some ideas on scrapbooking for kids!

Article Source: http://www.scrapventurearticles.com

Dawn Stegall is a homeschooling mom of 4 girls and owns www.FaithfullyYours.net a site dedicated to scrapbooking your faith!