Mothers Day Scrapbook Layout Challenge

Now that was a mouthfull!  Say that 100x. Tee Hee.

Okay. Now seriously – if you want to make something really special for mom this year (or even a very close friend, like I did) and you want to challenge your scrapbooking skills to new lengths…I’ve decided to pin some great ideas and layout challenges for your enjoyment:

Mothers Day Scrapbook Challenges and Cool Craft Ideas

Need a little more inspiration to add to your page too?

Check this long list of Mom Poems, Mom Titles, Quotes, Cards, Pages, Products and so on from Scrapbook.com

 

Mothers Day Scrapbook

That time of year is rapidly approaching now.  You have less than a month to plan and prepare for that perfect mothers day. So how are you going to treat your mom this year?

(Yes, you can plan for your own mother’s day as well… but lets focus on your mom right now.)

You could treat her to a spa day for sure.  What MOM doesn’t appreciate that.  But what if a spa day is a little out of the price range?  Or what if that’s NOT your mom’s sort of thing?

The answer is make a Mothers Day SCRAPBOOK of course.

You can make 1 page or you can make an entire album.  You have time.  Your scrapbook for mom can also be as simple or as intricate as you want it to be.  The only rule is: it must be FOR MOM!

So ask yourself the following questions before you get started:

1) What is moms main character  type?

2) Is she classy & formal in an old fashioned way? *If so, then she would probably like a very classy scrapbook page or album.  Possibly with soft and elegant floral print papers and lace, pearls or jewels for embellishments.

3) Is she corporate and business like? *If so then mom would probably like a very modern contemporary look and feel.  This mom’s scrapbook would include lots of geometric shapes, structured / neutral color blends (blacks, whites, reds, & grays or browns, beige’s, whites or blues, gray’s and whites with brown accents etc). Nothing too crazy when it comes to embellishments though, so keep it simple.  Stick with one ribbon per page, or a few simple tabs (office style or ribbon style).  She might also appreciate hidden journaling (under pictures or embellishments).  (Keep this one clean and organized).

4) Is she casual and / or down to earth? * If so, your moms scrapbook can probably include any color theme (including those above) and any embellishments can go!  This page or album can be as simple OR as cluttered as you want it to be.  Have fun; these are my favorites.

5) or…would your mom be pegged more as a WoodStock Woman or a Merrit Music Fest Kinda Gal? *If you answered WoodStock you should probably take advantage of the great psychedelic works out there.  Tie Dies, Pop Art, Wild Multi-Colored Geometrics. Etc. Lots of vibrant colors, paisleys, peace symbols, and even the more earthier elements like hand made accents.

*If your mom is a Merrit Music Fest (Country Music Festival) kinda gal…she might appreciate some of the more rugged types of Scrapbook items.  Sure she will appreciate a few flowers (wild flowers of course) and some foilage – but she will also dig the distressed, crackle, mega texturizing that you can do to the pages or accents as well.  She will probably appreciate accents like mesh, leather, suede, big buttons, brads and random objects.  Don’t be afraid to throw some charcoal and wood into the mix as well.  Let alone the old pop can and fruit tin tabs. (Those are great!!!).

Whatever Mom is like, make sure that when you make your Mothers Day Scrapbook (page or album) for her that it stays true to who she is.

Happy Scrapping~!  Happy Mother’s Day!

P.S. Don’t forget to post your finished scrapbooks for mom on our gallery.  We would LOVE to see them!

Mothers Day Digital Scrapbook Kit

Just added! MOMSDAY DIGIKIT

New Mothers Day Scrapbooking Kit (Digital).

If you are scrambling to make your mom one of the best mothers day gifts ever…scramble no more.

This kit AND bonus Title Pack contains everything you need.  Your mothers day scrapbook kit will include 6 scrapbook pages, 6 unique scrapbooking embellishments and 6 matching brads for your mothers day scrapbook pages!  It’s all ready to go.

PLUS if you purchase today – you also get 8 free scrapbook titles for mothers day as well.

Note: As with all digital supplies, you can use them exclusively for digital scrapbook pages and print when completed – import to an online photo album, publish them to a print on demand album OR you can also print the supplies as is and incorporate them into your PAPER Scrapbook Pages.  There are a ton of options.  This is just one more dimension to add to the mix.

Get these beautiful scrapbook elements and quotes / title today! Only $6.99 USD.

Easier Die Cutting with Cricut and Cara Miller

Today’s blog post is from Guest Blogger and Die Cutting Expert Cara Miller.

Her goal is to help you make your Cricut die cutting easier! ScrapbookingDirections.com is very excited to have her share her “laser sharp” expertise and we do hope to have her contribute more in the future.

BTW: Your comments below will help both of us know that you want to hear more from her too.

Here’s what Cara has to say about today’s share Step Up Your Die Cuts:

“Hi Cara Miller here. I am a scrapbooking teacher, plain and simple. I love helping folks fall in love with their Cricut in particular.

I teach classes online and in person and I have created Whispers too! A Whisper? Yes, a whisper in the scrapbooking world is set of “cheat” cards that help you use your Cricut easier…With my Whisper cards, you will feel like  I am sitting next to you “Whisper-ing” the instructions your ear.  It’s my hope that this one will help you experience Easier Die Cutting with your Cricut!

But before I get to that, let me ask you something?

Have you ever struggled with your Cricut …trying desperately to make it cut things the way you want them cut but got so frustrated you wanted to pull your hair out?   If so, you should know that you are not alone!  We’ve all been there. Did you know that you can ALSO step up your Critic cutting experience and the projects you create by combining images (if you can just get your Cricut to cut the image the size you want)?  This is where the Cricut becomes your best friend in Scrapbooking!  The more unique your projects are the more people will love what you make!  Afterall that’s why we do this right?

So how do you get there?  Well, many times the images that you see on your Cricut cartridges are a bit too simple to make your combinations conceivable and they don’t show you all of your options in the booklet…that in and of itself is the problem. Too little keys, too many functions, not enough guidance (at least not all the time).  The bad news is, this won’t necessarily change because the Cricut is built to have multiple functions for each key and there are too many options for them to share everything they can in their basic package!  It’s quite a brilliant machine really, but complex.  And I get that.

The good news is , there is a simple fix and I am going to help you get through it RIGHT NOW! You just have to think outside the box that’s all. If you are ready for it, I have the perfect whisper to help you do that!

This video Whisper I am about to share is the next best thing to having me email or post mail my own personal whisper cards to you so that  you can create the most wonderful expressions with your Cricut and take your die cutting to the next level.  With this Whipser you will fee like I am sitting right next to you whispering in your ear while you Cricut!

You just have to see for yourself what I mean.
But first things first, gather your supplies: You will need your Cricut ( The Original, Expression, Create or E2 or Imagine), your card stock, your choice adhesive(s), a mat and ruler and your favorite cartridge.

BTW:   For this video I used the Walk in My Garden cartridge but you can use any cartridge with a card creative feature. Also, I was cutting a daffodil card so I used green and yellow cardstock and my favorite inks for edging. One more thing:  I love foam dots to add dimension to my cards too – so these were also used in this video.
Step Up Your Die Cuts

Step up your Cricut Die Cuts from Cara Miller on Vimeo.

Please comment below to let me know what you think?

Easter Scrapbooking Idea – Mini Albums & Egg Capsules

Your HUNT is over!  We have the perfect Easter Scrapbook Ideas right here!

I want to keep this post short if I can…I know you are very busy – but also very interested in getting great Easter Scrapbook Album ideas that you can run with and make your own.  So here is my latest and greatest suggestion on this topic.


You know those GIANT plastic Easter egg’s you can purchase from craft stores like Michaels or even Amazon?

Well, my theory is that if you were to create your own mini scrapbook album – out of recipe cards, chipboard (int the shape of rectangles or eggs), paper bag minis or even large gift tags and place it inside this easter egg it would make for a great presentation capsule that you can enjoy for years to come!  Cool right?

Furthermore if you took the time to decoupage (with patterned scrapbook paper or even tissue paper), bling or ribbon wrap the exterior of the egg  - it would continue to enhance the overall presentation of this album casing.  For example, I personally envision my album capsule looking like a Faberge Egg.  You know those wonderfully jeweled eggs that are so beautiful to look at and always so rare!

Another thought I had was a Pysansky Egg.  These are beautiful as well!

You could even stuff the egg with that fun Easter basket crepe paper / grass (or whatever), build a stand for it (like those for real Faberge Eggs) or simply drill a small hole at the top for a ribbon to hang the egg shaped scrapbook album capsule on display somewhere.

But what about the internal album?

If you keep in your mind that this album WILL be a Mini Scrapbook album, you can make it from scratch from all sorts of things (including toilet paper rolls if you like)!  You can piece your internal scrapbook album together with rings and/or ribbon’s and it will be just perfect!  Rings are better because they give your pages room to move but ribbons are wonderful at Easter time!  The bigger, the silkier, the better too! So don’t forget those.  There are plenty of great ways to ribbon tie your scrapbook albums or even your rings…

What goes on the pages?

Again, another theory of mine is that because this is an easter scrapbook album – it should be full of wonder and excitement (just like the capsule).  In my mind, there is nothing more exciting about easter than the HUNT!  That’s why mini pocket albums, accordion albums, pullouts, waterfalls, mini envelopes and similar page elements would make for the PERFECT focal points on each scrapbook page!

Here are just a few examples of these types of  hidden content scrapbook pages that I consider perfect for this project!

If YOU have any other ideas you would like to share, by all means post them in the comments below.

Be A Guest Blogger Get Free Marketing!

If you have a great Scrapbooking or Card Making Project that you have done and you want to share it with the world, we are more than excited to help you do just that.

As of Nov 2011, Scrapbooking Directions is offering FREE promotion on our site to Scrapbookers, Card Makers, Photographers and Paper Crafters.  If you have a business OR you are trying to promote a portfolio of your work, we want to help you.

When you become a guest blogger here on Scrapbooking Directions, you can have your scrapbooking articles, scrapbooking video’s, scrapbooking instructions, scrapbooking tips and cool paper craft techniques posted here and you can even LINK that content out to your live site or gallery.

This is FREE Marketing for Scrapbookers and similar artists!

All you have to do is  contact Cijaye DePradine (site owner) – via email at cijaye @ scrapbookingdirections.com and she will guide you through the process.

 

NOTE: All users and their content will be held in moderation until approved. ScrapbookingDirections.com reserves the right to refuse/ remove any and all content from our website.  We will not accept submissions from irrelevant sources. **Please do not submit if your content is not in some way beneficial to paper crafters or digital artists.

 

 

Scrapbook Wedding Album Gifts

Is a family member or close friend getting married soon?  Are you hoping to give them a scrapbook wedding album as their gift? Are you in the same boat that so many others have been in as well… i.e. having difficulty finding the perfect album to gift to them?

We know how you feel.  It’s tough finding that perfect album.  Weddings are so incredibly “personalized” to the couple. And your typical scrapbook albums found in stores – aren’t always a good match.  Sure – there are solid color albums that might do the trick – but even those are few and far between!  Then, they may be made of materials that are hard to embellish as well.  Therefore your front cover is plain and boring.  Who want’s that.

These are tough considerations.  This wedding scrapbook album has to be perfect.

PLUS since you are not the bride nor the groom – your wedding scrapbook album might be best if it were a mini album of sorts.   It’s tough to come up with wedding scrapbook albums to fill a 50 page 12×12 album right.  Especially since you may only have a 10 great photo’s in your collection of the couple (before or after the wedding day).   You could get an album started for them…leaving pages blank near the back – but if they are not scrapbookers themselves – the likelihood that they will know how to create their own wedding scrapbook pages to complete the album and get it finished is slim.

You also want this to be a timeless keepsake for them.  They wouldn’t know what materials to use if they added to it themselves.  They wouldn’t understand the necessity to use acid free or archival safe supplies. Only you do.

So now what are your options?

Here’s what ScrapbookingDirections would suggest you do.

1. Get a board book album from Laura Miranti (they are absolutely perfect mini-albums for customizing with any color theme and any embellishments you want PLUS they are solid and hard – making them very difficult to damage over the years – these board book albums are the perfect keepsake for your special bride and groom – and will most likely be passed down for years as a family heirloom).
2. Plan ahead. If you want to present the album on their wedding day – you might want to gather a history of the couple to include in the album – which tells their story BEFORE the wedding day.  This is a fantastic alternative to designing a wedding photo album – without the photo’s in advance.  To pull this off,  you may need to tell both the bride and groom (independently) that you are making a special gift for their spouses and that you need their stories.  You can start from birth/toddler years for them OR you can start from the day they met and follow their stories from there.  Either way – you will want to collect details that you can journal about and historical photo’s to include.  While it’s no small task – it’s going to be a rewarding one.  (Don’t forget to connect with their family members or friends on this history also – they may have some great supplies for you to use).
3. Then pre-make your pages. With or without photo’s you should be able to put 10-20 pages together in preparation.  All of the background papers, embellishments and even the journaling should be able to fall in place before the photos anyhow.  AND… This is especially true if you will be using a board book album as all of the picture windows are in the same place on every page.  There is no “guess work” necessary.  The only thing to note is that this pre-making can only happen if you have your story is mapped out in advance.  You know what goes on every page chronologically and all you have to do to finish the page off – is add the photo.  If the photo’s are digital or digital reprints – it’s going to be a lot easier to size them down accordingly.
4. Finally, you can present the album.  If you do this without the photo’s – you will need to capture the photo’s according to the story you tell on the day of and provide them later.  OR you can present the album with photo’s already in place – but not specific to the wedding day itself.

It’s entirely up to you how you plan this out – but I am certain your scrapbook wedding album will be an amazing gift of love and heart!  Your bride and groom will be incredibly pleased!

(Be sure to take photo’s and share them with us here once you are done)!  We’d love to see your finished masterpiece.

Happy Scrapping!

To order your board book wedding album today, please visit Laura’s website at www.boardbookalbums.com or call direct at 1-800-506-9683.  NOTE: Wholesale pricing is available and/or they can accommodate large orders.

Christmas Scrapbook / Card Making Mix

Are you getting ready for the Holiday Season yet? Are you looking for a really unique and creative way to share a few treasured photo’s or stories with your loved ones (when they visit; or by way of a gift to them)?

ScrapbookingDirections.com is getting ready. We’ve combined the amazing joy we have for Card Making with the admiration and pride we take in Scrapbooking.

Together – these two skills create the perfect Christmas Cover Story.

The Christmas Cover Story is a Scrapbook Page – using a HandMade Card as a cover to the “story”.  (In other words; when the card is opened; there is a Christmas Photo (usually of the kids and Santa) and there is a warm Christmas story by way of a journaling piece on the opposite side of the card as well.

This is a great way to profile the artistic side of scrapbooking and card making – - and turn the page into an interactive experience for viewers.

As alternatives to keeping this page to yourself and locking it away in your scrapbook album (behind the covers and under a protector) – you may wish to present it as a gift to someone else.

If so…you could attach 2-3 pouches of Hot Chocolate inside the card with a warm and cozey sentiment for the holidays.   OR you can turn the card into and envelope of sorts for wallet sized photo’s of the kids (as a Christmas Gift).

**If you DO exercise the alternatives – you will most probably need to adhere the page to a canvas (purchased at a local craft store) – and package it with care so that nothing falls out of it or gets ruined in transit.

The details and step by step instructions behind this cover story will be shared in a Christmas eBook by FaveCrafts.com this year and we are very excited about the opportunity.

We will be doing a lot of external giving and sharing this year in fact.

Stay tuned for more!

Halloween Card Ideas

If you frequent this website enough you must know by now that I (Cijaye DePradine; owner of this site and the primary author) am a huge fan of all things Halloween.  I just love how UNIQUE it is.  I also love how it lends itself to creative minds across the globe.  So for this article…I wanted to feature some of those creative minds.  I am sharing some of my all time favorite Halloween Cards and Halloween Card Ideas – done by others.

That’s right – I do honor others and their fine work – wherever I can!

So here is my first – all time favorite.  It’s a Halloween Card in the Shape and Dimensions of a Coffin.

If you spend the time scrolling down on the Simple Flourishes site – you will find the details of this card.

I think Jennifer did a fantastic job with the entire project.  From the concept of course through to the  fine selection of the paper to the incredibly cool insides once it’s opened.

Way to go Jennifer; you got my attention with this Halloween Card!  Fantastic Idea!

Next in line is…this Halloween Card from Shanna at My Next 30 Years!

This card came about according to Shanna because of a Hero Arts Stamp Collection that she won!  You go girl!

But what got my attention was the insanely creative use of patterned papers here.

I love the hand made texturizing Shanna did on some but not all of the papers.  I love the 3 Dimensional effects with the tree – oh and of course breathing life into the tree with the spooky eyes!  FANTASTIC.

This halloween card is full of ideas.  In fact its awe inspiring.

I absolutely love it Shanna!  And I have that ribbon too!  I might just have to scraplift a little from you and add that ribbon to my halloween card!

You are a phenomenal designer Shanna.  Thank you for showing your work to the world!

Closely following the preceeding masterpieces is from Kim Moreno at Living the Circus Life.

What can I say – there is a common theme among these cards…they are not SIMPLE.  They are creative.  They make ME wonder “How did they come up with the idea for that”?  They make me wonder how creative I can get.

One thing to note when looking for Halloween Card Ideas of your own – and reviewing those done by others – is that many of these designers that do such a fantastic job – are designers by trade.  They know color, they know spacing, they now measurement, they know textures etc.

Some are simply born with these skills – others go through years and years of schooling for it.  These designers can provide you with plenty of Halloween Card Ideas – even if they aren’t halloween cards.

I highly recommend looking at what they do and how they do it.

Analyze every spare space on the project as well as all elements.  It appears that Kim not only cleverly selected the perfect patterned papers for this project but she also brought out the sanding block to sand the edges (perhaps) and she selected the perfect place to set her white eyelets and thread the ribbon and tied that all of with a skull charm!  Nice work Kim.  I love it!

Kim has a LOT more Halloween cards on her site – as well as some fantastic other event cards.  You have to visit!

And finally for today – we have this collection of cards from Love is In the Details

These cards are pieced together from their Midnight Fog Kit. The single card on the left was pieced together by Mel Blackburn and those 3 on the right were pieced together by Lisa Tottle!  Nice work ladies.  You have all inspired me today.

This was one of the best hours ever spent in my life (reviewing Halloween Card Ideas online and choosing my personal favorites).  I am truly beside myself in admiration of your abilities.

Love it!

Happy Halloween All.

Halloween Party Invitations and Digital Halloween Titles

Are you feeling a little anxious about your upcoming Halloween Party – or Halloween Event?  Are you in charge of all the Halloween party planning?  Do you need printable halloween cards and invitations, posters or even titles that you can apply to digital scrapbook pages for display on the projector at your party?

We have just the solution for you!  Our sister site, Halloween Games For Kids has a great supply of digital halloween scrapbook items (titles and other graphics), printable halloween cards and printable halloween invitations READY for download RIGHT NOW.

Go ahead and get yours today!

 

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