Tuesday Tip #17

Journaling is writing down the who, what, where, when, and why that goes with your photos. Journaling is an important part of scrapbooking that is often never done for fear of ruining a page with bad handwriting or a mistake . . . or putting it off for later which never comes. Journaling in your scrapbook should always be done using permanent, fade proof, and water proof writing tools.

Tuesday Tip #16

Has attaching wire to your pages been a problem? A few ways you can attach wired art to your pages are: (1) by sewing your wire down with clear thread, (2) by placing very tiny holes beneath your wired art and create a little "staple" with another small piece of wire. Place "staple" over your wire and thread into the small hole beneath spreading the legs of the "staple" on the back apart, and (3) by using photo mounting tape to adhere the wire on the back side of your project. Whichever way you choose, you're sure to get "wired"!

Tuesday Tip #15

Get Inspiration from a Jar

Make a list of techniques, both tried & true and new to you. Cut them into individual strips and place them in a jar. When you need inspiration, pull 2 or 3 techniques out of the jar & use them on a layout or card project.

Write a list of your supplies and tools. Again, cut them into individual strips and place them in a jar. Some items to include in this list, would be patterned paper, eyelets, brads, ribbons, die cuts, beads, and so on. This will also help use up your stash if you tend to hoard your supplies.

Tuesday Tip #14

Have you ever had the problem of sticky adhesive from tapes, photo squares, and stickers "gumming" up your scissors, tweezers, craft knives, and punches? Well, undo it with Un-Du! Un-Du safely removes the sticky residue that can be left behind from these products. Just apply a few drops and wipe away with a soft cloth. Before you know it your tools will be as good as new!

Tuesday Tip #13

Give stickers a rustic look by pulling out your sandpaper and sanding the stickers slightly.

Tuesday Tip #12

When you journal, are you at a loss for words? Ddo you sometimes repeat the same words over and over again? Keeping a small Thesaurus handy near your workspace is a great way to make your writing more eloquent. Just look up the word you want to use, find its synonym, and soon your journaling will flow like poetry!

Tuesday Tip #11

The best way to journal right onto your background paper is to write it lightly in pencil first. This way if you make any mistakes you can fix them before committing to pen. Use a writing pen to trace over your pencil markings. When the ink is completely dry, erase the pencil marks with a white eraser.

Tuesday Tip #10

No matter what size your work space is or where it is, put something in that area/room that inspires you to be creative. A family picture, a favorite knick-knack, a radio, whatever will get you motivated and feeling creative. Small or large, it doesn't matter, just let it be an inspiration to you.

Tuesday Tip #9

Do you ever find that once you have placed your lumpy pages in your scrapbook -- that no matter how hard you try to keep your embellishments from pressing into the other pages -- the pages often get damaged? For a quick, cheap, and easy way to keep your scrapbook pages unharmed, pick up a sheet of foam paper. Available at all major crafting stores.

Cut approximately 8-16 strips (1/2 inch-1 inch) lengthwise out of an 8x10 sheet of foam paper. Punch holes in the strips and then place them in between every 5 or so pages of your scrapbook (replacing those flimsy cardboard strips that come with your page refills). This will create an extra space between all your pages and will eliminate damage due to lumpy embellishments.

Foam paper will cost you just pennies for a sheet . . . and will save you so much by keeping your treasured layouts dent and damage free!

Tuesday Tip #8

Do you have problems tearing the paper when you dry emboss? Don't push down too hard on the stylus while dry embossing and try rubbing the area you want to emboss with wax paper first. The wax paper helps to "lubricate" the cardstock so that the stylus will flow easily over it and therefore avoid tearing.

Tuesday Tip #7

A great way to hand tint Sepia or Black & White photos printed from an inkjet printer is to print your photos on Matte Photo Paper and then color them with Decorating Chalks. You'll have a beautiful hand tinted photo in no time!

Tuesday Tip #6

To incorporate signatures into your scrapbook journaling, it is a good idea to have people sign on a separate piece of card stock. Make sure they sign with an archival pen. This form of art journaling can be used in a variety of ways. Mat the signature(s) like a photograph, as another way to embellish your page. This is a great way to scrapbook the cast of a school play or sports team.

Tuesday Tip #5

Keep some of the candy wrappers from Valentine's Day, Easter, &/or Halloween. You can scan them and print them onto cardstock. These can make the perfect embellishment to go along with your trick or treating photos.

Tuesday Tip #4

A great way to use up those old border sticker strips is to cut them apart and make frames for your photos.

Tuesday Tip #3

Looking to add interest to scrapbook journaling? Pick up post cards of scenic views or famous landmarks on your trip. Then write something on the back and mail it to yourself. This will get great shots into your album that you may not be able to capture with your camera . . . plus, on the spot journaling. Mount using scrapbook photo mounting corners so you can read the back or transfer the journaling to your page before adhering to your page.

Tuesday Tip #2

Kids scrapbooking projects offer a unique opportunity to include your child in the memory making process. Your child's drawing is more valuable, beautiful, and personalized then standard dies cuts, stickers, or other embellishments you can buy. Let your children's imagination run wild and allow them to use your cardstock and pens on a regular basis. You may reap some wonderful, yet inexpensive page enhancements. You can just cut around the image and adhere it to their pages. Just make sure you use an appropriate scrapbooking adhesive so you don't ruin your kids scrapbooking pages.

Tuesday Tip

Looking for a creative journaling idea? You can write to the White House to request a special greeting from the President for:
the birth of a child,
anyone celebrating an 80th or older birthday,
anyone celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary.

The address is:
White House Greetings Office Room 39
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500