Scrapbook Page Ideas-Jump Start With Starter Kits

When I find I am having a slow start to developing a new scrapbook page idea I use smatterings of other ideas. What happens is I am unable to come up with a fresh idea so I take little parts of an idea and I place them together in a box or large envelope. What this becomes is a little kit of starter ideas. What I am doing is developing what I call a scrapbook starter kit.

No this is not kit that I am recommnending that you purchase. What I am talking about is a kit that you personally assemble as a way to get you started. Let me explain what I am talking about. It is a matter of getting your thought juices going. When you have made the decision to create and maintain a scrapbook it is important to set aside a 10 to 20 minute slot of time everyday for that purpose. But what happens is that some of those days you don't have any solid ideas. However, if you decide that you will still fill that time with scrapbooking then if you have no ideas that you feel you can act on you can still prepare for another day of scrapbooking. 

What happens when you do this approach of building your own scrapbooking kit? While you are focusing on the kit because you don't have anything that seems tangible at the moment, there are still ideas. These ideas start to flow into the kit. That is how our minds work. You have told yourself that even if I don't have an idea for a scrapbook page I will still perform a scrapbooking task. In turn, your mind will start focusing and opening up for new ideas. It is sort of the way mind-mapping works. That is another subject for anther day. But the point is that when you tell yourself that even though I don't have an idea I will still work on scrapbooking. This act jump starts the creative scrapbooking juices which at the very least will produce a concept out of things that you prepare for the kit.

Kit contents should contain things like paper quills that will embelish your page. Maybe it is a quill technique you were thinking about but have not tried it. This quill that you prepare for your new scrapbook page idea will now serve to help you think of ideas. Or perhaps a new background that you have seen in a catolog for the page you purchase and put in the kit. 

So what I am talking about are kits of all kinds. Not just one but several that you will prepare for those times you don't seem to have ideas. Try making a kit when you don't think you have any ideas. Then when you are getting are struggling for an scrapbook page idea on another day check through any kits that you have started to build and see if one of them pushes an idea out at you. Have fun!

Scrapbooking Page Ideas Coming From Fabric and Empty Cereal Boxes

One of the newest scrapbook page ideas is to use fabric as a page base. It is not really all that new but it has recently taken on more meaning and become more popular. And the best part is that you can get these fabrics at a fraction of the cost because they only need to be small amounts. That is part of the reason it has once again become more popular. But what that means is that you will be buying fabric remains. Remains are just left over scraps of fabrics. Sometimes they will just give them to you as samplers. These fabrics are so different and so beautiful and luxurious and yet you pay almost nothing. But the most important thing is that the variety of these fabric designs which present you with a fresh look and feel facilitates scrapbook page ideas.

How do you make a page using fabric. Several simple steps are involved. To begin you will need only a few tools most of which are around the house. Otherwise you can buy some of the new little kits coming on the market for under $15. These kits have some of the more professional tools that make it easier to construct pages of fabric but even household tools can do the trick and you won't need to buy anything. 

Here is the list of tools and when to use them:

Table top covered with newspapers. An important step. This is so when you use glue you won't get you counter top covered with the glues and such. The table provides a stable place to mount fabric to the card board or thick paper stock. Thick paper or cardboard is preferred. You can purchase the cardboard if you want but here is yet another idea. Why not take that empty cereal box and cut pages out of that box. You accomplish two things doing this. First, you get the page foundation you need to mount the fabric. Second, you are re-purposing that cereal box instead of creating more trash with it. So in a sense you are going green with your scrapbooking efforts. How cool is that?

Other tools will be something that allows you to smooth out the fabric onto the cardboard. This can be done in several ways but one simple way I have found is to start with one side and attach the fabric and then stretch over to the other side and attach. The glue used to apply the fabric is moist so expect a little curling of the cardboard. Solve this problem of curling by placing something heavy over the entire surface of the page and let it sit for several hours.

And there you have it! Now you have a new way to support you pursuit for new scrapbook page ideas.

Scrapbook Page Layouts Using Dies

There are many different ways to develope your scrapbook page layouts. One very interesting way is to use simple dies. I am not speaking about dyes as in dying your clothes or hair with some different colors. What I am speaking about are those little instruments that can be used to punch out a design out of paper. What these dies are, simply put, are a shape of a desgn that gets cut out of the paper. 

How do you use dies? Dies are used to make your scrapbooking pages pop out. By using these little design cut-outs you can add a lot charater and deminsion to your pages. Shapes such as flowers or others provide appeal and be what matches and ties the content of your particular page together. These designs can add tremendous impact and beauty. The best part it is they are very simple to do.

What is involved in using dies? Go to your local hobby shop such as Hobby Lobby

 

 select a design or several. Start with simple, basic designs. Then, just as an example, take a die in the form of a flower. You should use a flat type of flower such as a lily. Sometimes these dies will come as a set of three, each progressively smaller. If you use a set of 3 dies then cut out the different sizes. One large, medium and small size. Then take the large size and past on top the medium size and follow that by doing the same with the smallest size. However, be careful to only glue the center area of each size lily. The reason is you want the lily stack to provide a 3-demensional effect. 

Now, once you have several cut and pasted together you are ready to start developing your scrapbook page layouts. Balance is what provides the artistic appeal. The effect you want is to draw the eye into the center of the page using the lilies. The way this works is understanding how we are trained from birth to look at things. First, we look at the upper left corner of a page. Then we start to look down towards the right of the page. And finally we work our way down to the bottom right of the page. So, the way to naturally work with the eye-brain training is to place 3 lilies at top left and then progress fewer and fewer from left-to-right in clockwise fashion. 

I will revisit this at another time. For now, just enjoy the experience!

Scrapbooking Page Ideas and Project Management Skills

I have found that much of my work of project management lends itself to scrapbooking page ideas. When I find myself scrapbooking or thinking of what to do a page on I end up using some of the same mind-set I use in project management. How do I make this connection? When you are trying to devise the various tasks within a project it is the same as when I am gathering my thoughts about what my scrapbook page should be about. For example, when you are developing a project timeline it is all about envisioning the relationships of all of the steps and tasks that are in the project. It is the same when you are scrapbooking page ideas. When doing this you are seeking to find those relationships between life's expereinces. You look at what your life has been both good and bad times and you start to relate to those.

Other ways that I find the project management mind-set is helpful are when I am visioning the page factors and elements. How can I nicely tie the facts of the day together in such a way that I can look back on my page of life and get the most joy and benefit from that day's experiences. Yet another way that my work plays a key role in my scrapbooking efforts. 

Here is another example. Sequencing my artifacts, photos and memorabilia is much like when I am building a PDM to express project logic and task relationships. PDM is a project analysis approach defined as Precidence Diagram Method. PDM is a way to recognize from how the tasks in your project must be sequenced (placed in a path) to reach the final goal of the project. This process helps you to recognize which tasks must come first, second, third and so forth. I find it is the same when I am devloping my scarpbooking page ideas. I think in terms of how the page will setup and the message it ultimately delivers to me. 

So, never loose site of the fact that your life experiences become preserved for you and those you choose to share them with. These pages you develop should serve you now and in the future. They can set your day on a new journey knowing that you will soon capture those experiences into your scrapbook. So there is nothing wrong with taking methodical approaches to the design and development of your scrapbooking page idea experience.

The Technique of Quilling-Scrapbook Page Idea

Quilling is a technque I just learned about that is a way to take ordinary paper and turn it into decretive, 3 diminsional works of art. Why this is of interest is the fact that these pieces of art can be placed on your scrapbook pages for embelishment. You create your own embellishments which makes your scrapbook page ideas completely custom and unique. It makes your scrapbook your own personal book. Rather than others that use prefabricated scrapbooks, your's will be completely unique.

Here is how it is basically done: First, you take strips of paper and you form them by rolling, shaping and then glueing them together. A quill is used to create a basic quilled shape. What this quilled shape means is that it is paper wound in a continuous series of loops around an instrument. Thus, the name quilling. This wrapped, spun paper is then glued to the tip of the coiled shape and arranged as flowers and leaves and other ornamental designs.

These designs are then flattened and attached to your scrapbook page. This is great for children's scrapbook page ideas. You can make interesting animal shapes and designs such as a lion or deriaff or other animals and paste them onto the pages. This is a great scrapbook page idea for a day at the zoo or some other day trip to remember.

This is great for kids for other reasons as well. One good purpose is these scrapbook page ideas can be used for those rainy days when young ones are confined to the house. Just bring out that zoo day scrapbook pages and declare the day to be an "add to scrapbook day" and make it a project day. So all the enjoyment of the zoo day or days comes back and the enjoyment is back.

There are many ways to perform quilling and many designs, so more to come on this technique. Quilling for your scrpabook page embellishments.

Funny Scrapbook Page Idea Theme Pages

One scrapbook page idea can be based on a funny saying and expression you heard. Listen as you pass through the experience of your day to those around you for those funny sayings. When you catch one write it down and then build a page for that day around that funny expression. Recall why it came up, who was there and what was the result. Think of how it made you feel at the moment and how you felt later. Write down what reactions others had at the time. The point is to retain the joy of that moment that you and others had. This will give you one of those fond memories. You will have captured that moment and be able to bring back to mind that whole funny situation.

Why bring back to mind those funny experiences?

By bringing back to mind that fun time you once again introduce another day of joy back into your life. Too often our days are filled with the stress and anxieties of life. These pages will turn that around. These pages become a meaningful way to take that stress away and turn it into happiness. Life is moving faster than ever. If we don't take those moments and capture them then we lose them. Therefore, look for those funny sayings and expressions that came out spontaneously and build those experiences into your life by capturing them into your scrapbook. Scrapbooks are not just for remembering our lives but are also for improving our lives. One powerful way to introduce joy into a day is to capture the fun, spontaneous things we experience into our scrapbook and make time to review those experiences.

Personality Based Scrapbook Page Ideas

Sometimes we don't feel our scrapbook page ideas have a sense of diretion. There is an interesting way to counter this by thinking about someone either you know or would want to know to wrap your ideas around. What I mean by this is that sometimes we need an additional reason to push forward and live the day for those experiences. Sometimes if we image how it would be if a person we admire were with us on our daily adventures how would we act and what things would we do. This is how we can be inspired not only to do different and exciting things during a day but gives us an interesting slant or approach to our pages.

Start by thinking about someone you admire whether they are living or someone in history. Learn some things about this person. Make it a research project. Understand how they viewed and thought about things. Try and understand their feelings. Get a sense of who the person was or is in daily life. Then imagine them by your side as you go on your day of journey. Think about how they would react to what you are doing as your pursue your daily activity. Think of their qualities that you admire. Since you admire those qualities how can you think and feel the way they would. How would they have reacted? Soon you will find yourself reacting much the same. You will start to adopt that as a habit.

What is the value of wrapping a scrapbook page idea around someone you admire? For one thing you take those good thoughts into your day. You are imagining how he or she would pursue the day and you will start to think and feel that way yourself. You are managing into your life for that day qualities that you believe are valuable and meaningful. And when we find ourselves doing or performing in a way that we respect we begin to have respect for our own actions. Why not add strength to your day? Why not feel good about what you have done?

Your scrapbook page ideas can have an assortment of people you respect and are inspried by. You will have an adventure just in learning about people who have been meaningful in history or even in current affairs. Each page could sponsor a different persaonlaity or historical character. Their lives and accomplishments can move you in ways that will bring you into your own successful daily outcomes. You can benefit yourself and introduce another great day into your life of experiences just by introducing those people you respect into your scrapbook pages.

Scrapbook Page Ideas to Inspire Your Day

Today is your day....

A short time ago I heard a saying that reminded me of something I had recorded about many years ago. It goes something similar to this: "The players had been defeated before they stepped onto the field." This expresses the idea that those participants had lost the match before it even beginning. What that means is they lost the game within their individual minds. They had not even started to play yet they believe they have lost already. As soon as they deem they have lost at that moment their actions trail their feelings. This is true of us in life. Over and over again we tend to  step into a situation then before we have had a chance to try and become triumphant we have sold ourselves out. Has this ever happened to you? I know it has happened to me.

Instead of giving in and up before we even make an attempt, what we need to do is to resolve to live the experience. In other words, put it out of your mind that things are about winning and losing but instead about the experience by itself. We can resolve this through just attempting this with an opened mind. Loads of people lacking instruction, experience and so forth move on to fantastic accomplishment in fields they have no actual functioning know-how or experience. These people simply don't know any better. They have not learned they could not be up to snuff or that they can not succeed concerning what they are seeking to achieve. And subsequently they just push on and achieve just what the professionals exclaim they can't be a success in. Where, countless other people with so called know-how and expertise preclude themselves from achievement through imagining why they can not be successful and dreaming up every explanation why they will not experience success. 

We choose to make our experiences good or bad

I speak to this because life is in relation to experiences we elect to become involved in, select to become a part of. How exciting life is when we get those experiences devoid of the hardship of our minds telling us we should be unsuccessful so don't do it, we persuade ourselves to not even try. What events and people we will record into our scrapbooks when we halt limiting our lives. What brilliant discussions will come as a consequence of not holding ourselves back. How magnificent it will be to gaze back on these experiences. Which leads me toward something I have been wanting to reveal to you concerning life inspirations from scrapbooking.

Scrapbooking is a lot more than just saving objects into a journal or photograph scrapbook intended for souvenir. It can be an inspiration to everyday living as well as push us into trying new and breathtaking things. It can be a dynamic force meant for meeting new and interesting people. Using your album for more than merely what you have done but more important to form within you the journey of today as a result of reminders of those historical events you had been privileged to be present for. This is a good deal more than simply remembering it is preparing you for the today's interesting events yet to happen.

Consequently as an alternative of being a player defeated before you step onto the field of life, today make use of your scrapbook pages to remind you of the experiences you have already had just by being present and not fearing the journey of each day. Doing this should supply you with emotions and feelings of accomplishment and free expression to live and carry out thrilling and notable things. You will be a genuine participant of life!

Shadow Box Scrapbook

Shadow box scrapbooking is just a matter of placing an important page taken out of your scrapbook and mounted inside a shadow box and then hung on the wall. What happens when you do this? For one thing it puts that page on display. Perhaps it was a very special celebration that brings wonderful thoughts to mind. Or maybe a vacation taken some years ago that was enjoyed by everyone. What does this do for you? Essentially it brings a piece of your scrapbook out on display. More importantly, shadow-boxing pages on display brings those wonderful thoughts and good feelings back to mind. Those thoughts and feelings have a powerful affect on how your day will turn out.

Your life is made up of days, hours and minutes. Each day has the potential to be a wonderful day of peace and pleasure or anxiety and distress. Choose a life of wonderment not bewilderment. Take a few moments the next time you are at the store, pick-up an eloquent but inexpensive shadow box, select one of your scrapbook memory pages that inspires feelings and mount it on display where you cannot miss it. Be encouraged and gain the joy from that page. Use it as a conversation starter with family and friends. More important, use it as a conversation starter with yourself and your feelings.

Oversized Scrapbooks

In Hanoi, Vietnam Japanese photographer Hitomi Toyama stands next to her world’s largest scrapbook It measures 4m X 3m and weighs a thousand kilograms. This picture album features more than fifty three photographs taken by Toyama. The photograph album titled “Women of Vietnam” has secured a location within the Guinness Book of World Records and requires two people to flip a page, and you almost certainly have to stand 10m away to wholly understand the beauty of the shots.

Scrapbook blogs a waste of time

Here’s how to waste a good weekend. I finally got time out of my busy schedule this last weekend to spend quality time working with my scrapbook ideas. I am disgusted about scrapbook idea blogs. Is every blog only about money? I researched 628 blogs from around the world and the only thing you will find is repetitive discussions about the same topics. It seems as if one person has written some article or book and every blog or web site  has copied and regurgitated that same information. And the only thing you see is some sort of advertisement or some product they are trying to sell. 

Well, my frustration has led me to the decision to do something about this gap of information. I have decided to discover from real people who are real scrapbook enthusiasts (those who love preserving the experiences of life) and real experts who have the skill combined with the passion and the real insights and secrets of developing meaningful scrapbook outcomes as a result great scrapbook ideas. And I am going to package those valuable bits of insights and make them available here for those of us interested so stay tuned!

Scrapbooking Ideas-How themes make the difference

Essentially, scrapbooking ideas mostly come from choosing a theme. A theme can help you to make sense of the pages you want to put in to your scrapbook, the order you want to place them in and even the colors that are appropriate for your theme. Those are good reasons to choose a theme. But another important reason for choosing a theme is that a theme can serve to inspire you and give you new and interesting for scrapbook page ideas and items to add to your scrapbook. 

Let's consider some scrapbook ideas or themes. As you examine some of these and their descriptions imagine what you might posses to support that particular theme. What artifacts you may have. What photographs you already have that can start filling out pages of life memories. 

Themes are often approached with a combination of characters and concepts. Maybe you want to make an album about the life of aunt Jane. What were her favorite colors? What were her favorite flowers? What this does is wraps the personality of the person into your scrapbook.

So think about a particular person and make an album just about that person. Thus, the theme would be their life events, their experiences, their thoughts about those experiences, what feelings they had at the time, what milestones were reached. You could do an album of chronological events within that person's life time, or highlight a particular time they had. 

I will add more to these theme concepts soon. But this will at least get you started. Think in terms of themes and strategies to work out those themes. In turn, those themes and strategies combined will lead the most interesting, personalized scrapbook page ideas you can image. And it is within those wonderful pages that hold and stores profound life memories.

Scrapbook Master

Lover's Scrapbook Quotes

How about the following ones?

I think they are beautiful and suitable, and hope you like them!

- 1. Love is the only game that is not called on account of darkness

- 2. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (Bible 1st Corinthians 13:7)

- 3. Love is a game that two can play and both win. 

- 4. Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. 

- 5. The heart that loves is always young.

- 6. Love is not what the mind thinks, but what the heart feels.

- 7. Never self-possessed, or prudent, love is all abandonment.

- 8. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.

Hope you enjoy...

Journaling: Expert Scrapbooking habit and discipline

Scrapbooks are all about your memories. Only you have lived your life and were blessed with your experiences. No one else can speak to or know what took place, what these events led to, your feelings at that time. Therefore, you need a way to track what took place, your history, your life events and experiences. The best method to do this is via journaling. Scrapbooking is all about life.

Journaling is like a diary in the sense that you record things that took place. However, a journal is more like an accounting thing whereby you record events and actions as if a transaction entry much like in an accounting journal. By making these entries you keep fresh what actually took place, when, where and those involved. So how is a journal maintained?

A scrapbook journal is maintained effectively only if it is portable and easy and quick to use. The way you use a journal then is to first have it with you at all times. Next, bring it out when you experience something or have a feeling about something. It may just be an urge to express yourself on something. Therefore, an entry does not require some special event or occasion to make an entry. It may just be something that struck a nerve in you in the moment.

Scrapbook Master