Video Instructions

I'm so excited!!!! We are adding video instructions for some of our kits. The first kit that we are making videos for is the Summer Chipboard Album. You can buy the kit and watch the videos while you are putting it together. It will be like taking a scrapbooking class from home! The link for the instructions are included in the kit. So, get the kit, get connected, and go!

Summer Chipboard Word Album

So I'm trying something new. While I was making this month's project kit (the Summer Chipboard Word Album) , I video taped myself. This means we are going to have video instructions and written instructions for this kit. With the kit, your adhesive, and an Internet connection, you can take a scrapbooking class from home.

If word chipboard kits have ever seemed too challenging, now is your chance to try them out. You will have plenty of help since I video taped every step.

The kit is tons of fun. With Summer here already, my kids are at home running through sprinklers, begging me to take them to the pool, and making a mess eating Popsicles. This book celebrates the Summer in the best way. There are shells, sand, a hula dancing penguin, and palm trees. It is like taking a mini vacation from your home!

Recommended Tools & Supplies: X-acto knife, pliers, adhesive-pop-up, liquid,and diamond glaze or glossy accents, ink pads, scissors, ruler, tweezers, paper trimmer, hole punch, an archival pen plus all your fantastic memories complete with great photos. Get set to capture all those memories!

Dimensions: approximately 5.75x11.75” for the finished book.

What really damages scrapbooks?

I have this really beautiful sketch that was given to my grandparents as a wedding gift. Unfortunately, it was sketch on acidic paper and mounted (almost decoupaged) on a wood board. About 5 years ago, I began to see brown spots appearing on it. Over the past 5 years, these brown spots have grown exponentially. I've tried everything I can to preserve it, but the preservation company told me to just enjoy it while I can. I've hit the autocatalytic point on the sketch, and it can not be stopped.

Much like my sketch, our scrapbooks will also hit this point and begin deteriorating. While we do what we can to keep this from happening by using archival materials, the real damage to scrapbooks is often something we can't control-our environment.

The average humidity of where I live is around 62% and our average temperature is around 68 degrees. Not bad, LOL. I don't have air conditioning, and we only use the heater during the really cold months. But still, my scrapbooks will begin to break down in around 45 years unless I can change the temperature and climate in which I keep my books.

The Scrapbook Preservation Society wrote a great article on this topic. It is a must read for scrapbookers everywhere. Be sure to check it out.

http://www.scrapbookpreservationsociety.com/downloads/DBurge-sci-v2i3-A-S.pdf

What's Safe????

On one of the message boards I frequent, people were arguing about what is safe for your scrapbooks. Luckily, the Scrapbook Preservation Society printed a pamphlet on just this topic.

http://www.scrapbookpreservationsociety.com/downloads/embellishments.pdf

You can print it out and keep it next to your scrapbooking area. Then, the next time you are worried about whether or not something is safe to use, you can check your list.

But honestly, if you have photos that are really precious, and you can't get a replacement, I really recommend that you have a professional copy made. Then, you can keep the original in an archival safe enviroment (like a photo safe) and scrap the copy. I would rather be safe than sorry with really rare photos.

Another Cool Photography Tips Site

Photos and journaling make up the base for our scrapbooks. So, when I heard about this blog http://digital-photography-school.com/blog I had to stop by. Sure you might not want to shoot a picture of mushrooms or other fungi for your scrapbook, but the tips on portraits, candlelight photography, and colorizing black and white photos may come in handy.

Plus, I like the whole idea of opening up your photography into the everyday. So many of us are busy with just getting our event scrapbooking done, that we don't get our everyday moments done.

This, actually, was one of the reasons I set up the monthly scrapbook page layout kit. I hoped that if you had your event layout for the month and one other layout that was for everyday events, that you would get those scrapped.

But, even if you don't get them scrapped, you can at least get them photographed.

Good site for photo tips

I read about this website that gives you tips for taking pictures and editing them. Check it out, they have some good ideas: www.pictopix.com/podcast

Journal Journal Journal

I'm all about journaling. I know they say a picture is worth 1,000 words, but honestly when you are scrapbooking you still need to write those words! I have a picture of my great great grandmother-and it is a wonderful thing to have. BUT, my mother has her hand written will. Talk about amazing!

Think of how great it would be to have notes from your ancestors on everything from what their "average" day was like, to their tips on making a family, or even the types of parties and get togethers they had.

There is so much more to just the photos! I would love to have even a letter from my great great grandmother. Leaving a journal of your life and your children's life is a wonderful gift to the future.

P.S. Don't forget to write!