You can choose from single and multi-packs or chalk that comes in pencil form or wafers. Chalking is versatile, inexpensive, easy, fun and sometimes messy medium to give your album a professional look. Acid free chalk can be used on die cuts, stamping, cardstock, patterned papers and vellum.

There are no specific tools to apply chalk. You can use the applicator that comes with the set or you can use Q-Tips, cotton balls, make-up brushes or even your fingers.

Experiment with what works best for you. A good thing to have is a chalk eraser to fix your mistakes. This should be done as soon as possible because chalk sets quickly.

Wipe off excess dust by turning your page over on a paper towel and rubbing the back of your page. It is best if you have a specific area when working with chalk. It can be dusty and very hard to clean up if dropped on flooring such as carpet.

You can use chalk to fill in or outline a stencil template or create just the right color for photo mats, embellishments and ribbons. Chalking also adds soft colors and shading to borders and backgrounds.

When chalking large areas it is a good idea to prep the area by choosing a color chalk that closely matches the color of your paper. This way there are no obvious lines and your colors will blend easily. Prepping will lighten the detail layers so you might want to use darker colors than the ones you want. Add finishing touches with pen work. Experiment and have fun!

Scrapbook For Your Child

Start a scrapbook for your child and get him or her involved in creating the pages. You can create a new book each year together with your child. Include artwork, homework as well as current pictures of your child and friends. Ask your child to help in creating layouts, choosing embellishments and adding descriptive titles and text. Depending on your child’s age, you may even want to let her do most of the scrapbooking and writing with a little assistance from your of course. You’ll be surprised how much you will learn about your child’s life outside of your home. The two of you will get to spend some quality time together and create a memento to remember it for years to come.

Scrapbook Your Family History

Record your family history in a scrapbook. Put your family’s story on paper for future generations. Create a special generation scrapbook that tells the story of your own childhood, teenage years, or how you and your spouse met. When your children are grown, they will appreciate being able to get a glimpse of what your life was like back then. Keep adding to the scrapbook over the years and get everyone in the family involved in deciding what should be added. You will create a book that everyone in the family will cherish and pass on for years, maybe even generations to come.

Share Old Photo Albums

Go through old photo albums that have been in your family for decades. Spend some time with older family members to look through these albums. You will gain an appreciation for your family history and the life your family members lived long before you were born. You may also want to discuss options to preserve these old pictures.
If you would like to incorporate some of these pictures in your current scrapbooks, have copies made, or scan the pictures in your computer, edit them and then print. You can correct faded color and even some small tears and nicks with modern photo editing software. Plus you will have a digital version of the picture that will last long after the original photo deteriorates.

Grab that fabulous scrapbook that you bought months ago and saved for a special occasion and start generation scrapbooking today about yourself and your family. You will enjoy the process of creating that special book just as much as being able to share it with family members once it is finished.

The items that are manufactured these days are incorporating the main principle that your scrapbooks are meant to be enjoyed and preserved.

The quality of the items that are produced today have such a high standard that you can pretty much relax that your photos & memorabilia are safe.

That being said, there are companies out there that just produce paper and stickers without them being acid free, lignin free, & buffered. This article is to help you learn what you need to know so you only buy the items that will preserve your albums and prevent aging.

Don’t be fooled that all scrapbooking supplies are created acid & lignin free. Here’s what to look for when buying paper.

• An easy way to find good quality products is to look at items only that say “acid free,” “lignin free,” & “buffered.”
• Look for archival paper, this kind of paper goes through strict laboratory testing and has to stand up to a certain standard. This paper is more likely to last for one hundred years or more.
• Ask any scrapbook store for help while you’re shopping. Most reputable places will already have only the best scrapbook supplies available to you.

Buying your paper is one of the most important things you can do for your photographs, so be aware of the different products out there that are just not safe for your albums.

What I suggest (if you do not already have one) is getting a digital camera; you sure do save a lot of money this way.

Film is so expensive now days! With digital cameras, you can take as many baby photos as you want and delete the ones you don’t.

You can save all the ones you like but only print out the ones you need, therefore you don’t waste any cash.

If you do not have a digital camera yet and are planning to get one, I suggest you buy a larger memory as well.

When you buy one, it will come with a very small memory but you will realize that fifty pictures can be gone at a drop of a hat, so I suggest you buy one to save you the trouble of coming back.

Since we are preserving time and memories, you might want to try the aged look. Sepia is a good one to use.

If you don’t know, sepia is like black and white but with tans or beiges. You might just like the way your baby photos turn out!

If you have a digital camera, you have the choice of turning the pictures black and white or sepia within the camera.

If you do not have a digital camera, you can just drop off your film and ask them to print them off as sepia.

Looking back on the pages you have finished, it probably brings you back to the time when the pictures were taken.

Enjoy preserving your baby’s time with pictures!

Summer yields a myriad of opportunities.  Photograph your favorite flower, plant or tree.  If you enjoy the beach or pool, flash the splash!  Take different shots of children at play using color and/or black and white.  Dare to be different!

If you enjoy early morning walks, take your camera with you.  Whether you walk around Central Park or simply around your own block, nature has a way of revealing the minutest detail of summer to you.  Capture it!

Here are some photo tips:

• Use a digital camera so that you can edit your photos on line.  If a digital camera is not available to you, use a standard camera and have plenty of film and batteries on hand according to the camera’s specifications.
• Keep an account of where you took the photos so that you will be able to label them in your scrapbook.
• When taking pictures outdoors, stay away from direct sunlight as it will result in shadowed photos. Overcast days are ideal for picture-taking.
• Experiment with close-ups, i.e., zoom in – zoom out.
• Use light and dark to give your photos perspective.  Indoor picture-taking also allows you to experiment with light and dark…flash on – flash off.
• When traveling to any local or foreign destination include scenic photos of waterfalls, the local streets, people, rock formations, beaches, towns, historic landmarks, etc.
• When taking a picture of a friend or loved one in front of an historic setting, stand as far back as possible so that the entire backdrop is captured.  Take a picture of a sunset.  The colors derived from it can never be duplicated.
• Be creative!  Photography is quite subjective.  Only you know what appeals to you.  Enjoy the experience.

Now that your photos are ready for the scrapbook, begin to improvise on how you wish it to look.  Use pastels or textured paper for summer photos. There are many scrapbook sites online that give you excellent ideas on how to set up, maintain, and enjoy the process. Memories last a lifetime.  Ensure that your photos last as well. Remember, the world consists of objects and colors with which you can begin to compose the painting in your mind’s eye.

Keeping Organized

STORAGE

Take your photos OUT of the envelope they came in and put them into a storage box or file folder. A great way to store your negatives is to put them into a storage sheet and into a binder. This way all your negatives are stored together, safely, and out of the way.

STAYING ORGANIZED

A great way to stay organized and up to date is to take at least 1 roll of film of the baby each month. This way the next time you go grocery shopping just drop the film in and pick it up on your way out, quick & easy. You can now sit down and do your 2 page layout. When you’re finished, put the extra pictures away in storage.

COMMIT YOURSELF

We all have such busy lives these days and usually the only time we commit to scrapbooking is when we go to a crop. If you commit to at least once a month to sit down and do your 2 page layout of your baby, you’ll be completing an album in no time. Now if you want to sit and do 2 or 3 spreads, then by all means, please do.

IF YOUR CHILD IS OLDER

If you are scrapbooking your child’s baby pictures then get them involved too! We all know that scrapbooking is an awesome time to bond and build relationships with people. Why not your own child? Get them organizing & helping you out. Focus more on what was happening in the picture to help you remember at what age your baby was. If you can’t remember, then scrapbook the pictures by the event. It doesn’t necessarily have to be on chronological order.

Follow these above steps and you will stay organized and up to date on your baby’s first year.

Step 2

First things first. I want you to go right now and get busy into your photos. Admit it, you have a chest or drawer full of photos that you’ve had developed and you just haven’t had the time to take them out to scrapbook.

Take out all those folders, loose negatives, photos lying around and sit put all your folders with pictures & negatives (you know the folders you get once they’re developed) into one BIG box. If you have more than one box worth, then grab another one until you get all your folders are in these boxes.

Next, grab anything that is loose and put it all into a BIG envelope, or box. Mark the envelope as “loose.” When you’re done this, grab all certificates, paperwork, cd’s, newspaper articles you may have saved into a box or envelope. Mark this as “paper.”

This will be a big job for you, if it’s not then, We all give you a hand. This is a big task. And when I say everything, I mean everything!

If you have anything else that is laying around, mark it in an envelope or box as “extra.”

Step 3

Supplies Needed: Pen, Post It Notes, Photo Box

1) Take each folder of pictures and take the pictures out.

2) Label each group of photos with a post it note with the event, date, etc.

3) Now label the negatives the same way.

4) Now have 1 photo box for each child, and 1 for the family photos.

5) Place your photos in the appropriate box and repeat.

Step 4

Let’s get going here on our organizing. Now that you have all of your photos in separate boxes, and labled; it’s time to dig into a box. You may want to start with your baby’s photos for their own album.

1) Get the photos organized by either chronological order, or by event (Christmas, Firsts, Birthday).

2) Purchase a file folder from Creative Memories or find one at a local store. It should have lots of separate compartments to store lots of photos.

3) Organize each event, holiday, or if you did it chronologically, into each compartment.

4) Repeat this with each box until you’re finished.

Step 5

Getting Ready to Crop

So we’re finished up with sorting all of our photos – Let’s get them ready for your albums now.

This Tutorial is taken from the Creative Memories “Getting Ready” Crop Talk –Adapted to fit your baby scrapbooking needs.

If you would like a copy please send me an email and I’ll put it in the mail for you.

1) Find enough photos for 30 scrapbook album pages (for a 12×12 album that’s about 150-210 photos or about 7-8 packages of photos)

2) Gather all memorabilia that is related to these photos.

3) Roughly sort this specific photos into a File Folder of it’s own (so if you don’t have one, pick one up at your local scrapbook store)

4) Gather your 2 packages of blank refill pages (About 30 refill pages)

5) Get your Cutters out (tools to crop your photos, scissors, personal trimmer, etc.)

6) Get together your enhancements (mats, paper, corners, pre-cut paper, stickers, die cuts)

7) Look in your scrapbook magazines for layout ideas & inspiration. You can start your first page by adapting the layout to your liking. Remember you’re starting your first page on the right hand side of your book.

Tips to Organize Chronologically (You can also organize by theme)

Make a timeline for the years covered in your photos. Write down any significant events for these specific photos. Events could be your pregnancy, baby’s birth, baby shower. Etc.

Start with your earliest photos and organize them into your file folder specific to these photos. Or you can put them in a container / box that you have.

When you are done sorting all of your photos back into your file folder, take them out one section at a time and crop them.

Crop = Trim To Your Liking

Rules for cropping: (KISS) Keep It Simple Silly – take a really good look at your photos, if they look perfect and are centered nicely there’s no need to crop them.

Unless you really desire to do so. When you’ve decided which photos you will crop, Simply just decide if it would look nicer in an oval or circle, or maybe just trim the edges with a corner cutter.

Putting your photos into another shape will also cut out any undesired items in the background (like a hand, dogs tail, tons of background, etc.)

When you have finished cropping all of your photos, put them back into your file folder, and get ready for the next issue of this Newsletter.

Step 6

1) Now take all of your Refill Pages from your album out.

2) Lay them all out on the floor, you’ll need a big space for this so move some furniture around.

3) Take your photos from your file folder and start placing them loose on the pages. Until they are placed.

4) Take some short cuts (small pieces of paper for mats, or corners), and place them all out with each page.

5) Now go around and mount every single photo and mat to each page.

6) Put each refill back into your album.

Step 7

Now you have all your photos mounted onto the pages, all you have to do is bring it out from time to time and do your stickers, journaling, and titles of each page. You can take your time on these now. If you want to do another album, just start with Step 1.

Group your supplies by theme. Create one general supplies container that has all your essential tools and materials in it. Then sort your stickers, special papers and accessories by category. Depending on what scrapbooks you are working on, you could organize them by particular scrapbook (i.e. wedding scrapbook, child’s scrapbook etc.), or you could organize them by season (Christmas stuff, summer themed supplies etc.) or overall theme or color scheme.

Get the pictures you are planning to use as well. I usually sort them into separate envelopes, or small boxes for each scrapbook I am working on. If you are organizing your supplies by scrapbook, it’s a good idea to keep your picture box for that scrapbook with the rest of your supplies.

I like to use clear plastic bins to store my scrapbooking supplies, so I can easily see what’s inside. Clear, descriptive labels on the outside of the box help as well. Store the boxes of supplies for scrapbooks you are currently working on close to the area where you like to scrapbook. This will keep you from running back and forth for supplies.

Store any supplies for books that you are not currently working on, or any extra supplies you may have purchased on sale, or for future projects in a dark, dry place. A closet in a spare room makes a great storage place. If you are considering storing your scrapbooking supplies in the basement or attic, make sure the area is not damp and doesn’t get too hot or cold. You don’t want to unpack your supplies in a few months and find out that everything has been ruined by mold, bleached from being exposed to light, or warped from heat.

Take a little time to set-up a scrapbooking organization process with your scrapbooking supplies. You’ll find you will enjoy scrapbooking even more when everything you need is right at your fingertips. Go out and get some boxes or plastic bins to store your supplies and start organizing your supplies this week.

• Keep all of your scrapbooking supplies, albums, photos and negatives in a cool, dry place. Humidity and liquids will destroy these sensitive scrapbook materials.
• Handle your photos carefully. Oil from your skin and fingerprints can become visible after time. Wash your hands frequently or wear thin cotton gloves.
• Store your memorabilia in acid-free envelopes or plastic sleeves to prevent scratches, tears and bending. Direct sunlight will eventually diminish the quality of your heirlooms.
• Use sheet protectors, binders, photo enclosures and photo corners that are made of acrylic or polyester. Some of these items could be made of PVC that will eventually corrode your photos and historical items.
• Remove any items that you may have in a magnetic photo album and put them in a safer place. Magnetic albums have an acidic adhesive that may be difficult to remove from your photos. High levels of acid in items like newspaper, regular paper or other memorabilia can cause a chemical reaction with your other photos. Use acid-free paper next to or behind these items.
• Portraits are not usually replaceable. Scan and save all portraits before putting them in an album. Use photo corners to mount on acid-free paper. Do not crop Polaroid photos. When the protective seal is broken the image will eventually disappear. Document and file all photos as soon as possible without writing on the back of the photos.
• And finally, for long-term album storage, do not lay albums on a flat surface and stack them. Doing this will damage the bindings and put pressure on your photos and embellishments.

Knowing how to care for your scrapbook materials can save you much time, money and effort in the end.

Have your computer and scanner set up and ready with some card stock by the printer to be able to create text headings for the individual mini scrapbook album pages or to create a title graphic for the cover if there’s a place for one.

Spread out all of your leftovers and tools and everything your friends brought with them and prepare to have a blast creating from what you have.  There isn’t a lot of room for complicated layouts on a mini scrapbook album page so you should find that you have plenty of material to work with.

It’s like a treasure hunt to explore all of the little bits that others have been saving for just the right little project.  Ask the women to share stories about the original projects these leftovers came from, this out to spark some really interesting conversation.

Creativity seems to pour out when you get together in a group to do something like this.  Watching each other’s ideas take shape is fun and inspiring.  This is also a great opportunity to introduce a friend to scrapping for the first time.  She can experience the process, get ideas and not have to have spent a lot of money on supplies in advance.

A mini scrapbook albums party lets you create some fun new memories while you celebrate older memories and friendships at the same time.

You can start by making a list of activities that will be taking place before the wedding. Or plan the activities around the pages you do want to include in your album.

Bachelor’s or bachelorette’s parties, rehearsal dinners and even your honeymoon can offer very memorable and unique keepsakes to use in your scrapbooking.

One way to begin a wedding scrapbook album is to display both of your lives before the wedding. Make a his and her page with a photo and journalize, use photos or small items that show personal hobbies, friends, sports, interests and anything that defines characteristics or personalities.

You can also have his and her pages about “how we met” and both of you can express your feelings about your first meeting.

Make some of your pages unique and pass around a page for friends and family to offer advice to the happy couple. Other memorabilia to include in your album might be an invitation, guest lists, specially made napkins or pressed flowers from your bouquet.

When the wedding is behind you, a great way to close your wedding scrapbook album is for the both of you to write down your thoughts about your wedding experience.

Keep a notebook with you to keep track of ideas, thoughts or details that you might want to include in your scrapbook. Careful planning and attention to details before the big day creates a beautiful memory you can share for years to come.