This is a tough one because all of your articles are probably long text, but there is nothing wrong with creating pocket or fold over pages and storing the complete articles inside / under the visual references you might add. As for visual elements, I would definitely make each TITLE on page – the same as the TITLE of the article. Then I would add photo’s, illustrations, sketches, or memorabilia to match as well. In many creative ways you can direct the viewers to the article(s) too. You can do this with big chunky arrows (saying pull this or open this to view article etc), ribbon ties, paper clips, buttons, hinges or anything similar. I would definitely recommend smash book style for this whole project. Hope this helps.

You are in LUCK here as not only do I run this scrapbooking website but I used to be in the music industry as well. I have a couple of suggestions…

First one would be to design your background(s) like a staff sheet (and include the hook of one of your most practices class songs in notations)…but zoomed it all in across as manage pages as you need to(ie: large spaces between the lines) and either shape the pictures into the rounds of your music notes…or the upper/lower bars (if possible)…

As an alternative, you could also design a cd or even old school LP sized accordian booklet that you scrap the photo’s onto. (Of course each new page of the accordian will be a new page for the photo(s)).

Another option is to draw, paint or sketch the primary shape of a key instrument onto a vintage distressed background paper and then select creative areas within those shapes to put your photo’s and text.

Hope this helps.

Grid styles work very well for large group pages. Small name tags on each photo also work well for titling. The background could then include memorable phrases or qualities in scattered word format — or you can get really creative and use pull tabs. Each tab can then relate to certain segments of the family – - ie: aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, parents etc.

Another fun one is a colorwheel type of format – which is quite a bit more complicated and time consuming but there is a spinning wheel under cover, which then reveals a photo and corresponding story when lined up with the peekaboo within the cover. The photo’s in this case are trimmed to a pie size – as are the stories that accompany, but it’s a great way to do a lot with a little bit of space.

As we grow older and our mom’s grow older – a lot of us find that there is so much more we wish we could say to our mom’s that we never said as children. Or that we simply don’t say enough. Loving sentiments are especially included in this category. You could make each page a devotion to a sentiment you want to share with your mom. You could also have fun with it and go A-Z if you like. Or 10 important notes to mome (ie: 10 pages) etc. followed by the 10 most important sentiments you have to share.

Those sentiments would then be the page titles, that could then be accompanied by poems, famous quotes, and images that match.

Another great scrapbook for mom is a “I remember when” scrapbook. This then becomes a very descriptive scrapbook dedicated to all of the memories you have top of mind. Some could be very sentimental and others could be humorous. Perhaps a mixture of them all would work too?

Hope these ideas helped.

Thanks

D.

Because the CuttleBug is so versatile and can accept other embossing plates/dies from other manufacturers I have a sufficiently sized (ie: 10 x 14″) storage box (from IKEA; called Kassett) http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70180390 that I store my dies/envelopes in. It’s high enough that I can stand them up if needed and I have created custom recipe card tabs to separate and catalog each type of die/plate. (I do put the die’s in ziplocks though as they are much smaller than the plates).

*I can also store the acrylics when not in use here as well.

If you are just getting started, you may need a weight to keep the dies/plates upright until the box gets full…(i used to use a painted rock from my daughter).

Hope this helps.