Jun
19
New Digital Scrapbooking software
Filed Under digital scrapbook tutorials, scrapbook layout ideas, scrapbooking supplies | Leave a Comment
Today for my cascade scrapbooking newsletter I have a comment about digital scrapbooking software. The new scrapbooking rage is going digital. Basically, with digital scrapbooking, you can scrap the scraps. No glue or scissors involved, with digital scrapbooking you create the page right on your computer with your digital or scanned photos, and print it when it is complete.
While for some people who like to get their hands into their work, this can be a downfall, for others who absolutely love the look of the modern memory album, but don’t have the time, patience, or artistic drive to hand-craft it, this option is ideal.
There are a number of digital scrapbook programs that can be purchased at craft stores, computer software stores, or on the internet. With literally thousands of options for colours, patterns, fonts, and embellishments, you can still create pages that are unique, but without having to dedicate an entire closet to scrapbooking supplies.
I use two scrapbooking software programs and I absolutely love them. The first is called Arcsoft Scrapbook Creator Software
Crop and assemble digital pictures any way you want, add creative photo edges and special effects with one click. Iit is packed with beautifully designed scrapbook layout content, and you can dress up your page layouts with matching embellishments!
Click Here for Arcsoft Scrapbook Creator Software
The second scrapbooking software I love is called Hallmark Scrapbook Studio Deluxe 3.0
With the hallmark software, it contains over 1,200 scrapbook templates! In three easy step you will have a finished scrapbook.
It has a brand new interface - easier than ever to use! There are over 600 designs new to Version 3.0, over 7,000 Hallmark scrapbooking graphics, over 500 fonts, and it is featuring page designs for 12×12 inch albums.
Click Here to view the Hallmark Scrapbook Studio Deluxe 3.0
Best Regards,
Mike, owner of Cascade Scrapbooking
Jun
19
New Scrapbooking Techniques
Filed Under digital scrapbook tutorials, scrapbook layout ideas, scrapbooking supplies | Leave a Comment
New techniques to create a professional looking scrapbook brought to you by Cascade Digital Scrapbooking http://www.CascadeScrapbooking.com
Various techniques like hand photo coloring, stencil plastering, sewing your pages, embossed vellum layer, digital scrapbooking, etc helps you create a very attractive and professional looking scrapbook.
Hand photo coloring:
Spice up your photos by getting them printed in black and white, then colour them yourself. There are a number of photo colouring chalks, markers and paints on the market that you can fill in the colour right on the photo yourself for a look that is more reminiscent of portrait paintings.
Chalks will give a very subtle colouring, and paints will give bolder colours. You can colour the entire photo, or you can only fill in a few elements and make them stand out against the shades of gray. Chalks can be rubbed on with a cotton swab, as can paints if you want a more toned-down look and for the colours to blend. Use a pencil eraser before the paint dries to remove any mistakes or splatters.
Stencil plastering:
To give your pages depth and dimension, get wall plaster or spackle and some plastic or metal stencils. The stencils can be of lettering, or pictures. You can plaster directly onto the page, or you can do it on small squares or scraps of paper, and then place them on the page. In order to do this, simply clip your stencil to the paper with a paper clip to make sure it won’t move, or use a temporary adhesive.
Stir your plaster or spackle until it is of a smooth consistency, then, with a small spackle or painters knife, fill in the stencil with a thin layer. Scrape across the top of the stencil with the long edge of the knife to smooth it, or leave it bumpy for extra texture. Carefully pull the stencil off by lifting it straight up. Try not to let it smear the image.
Allow the plaster to dry. You can use a coloured plaster, or a white plaster. If you like you can add colour to white plaster after it is dry by brushing some coloured chalk on it, or painting it.
Sewing you pages:
For an interesting look, throw out your glue and sew your elements on your page. You can sew on cardstock and heavy paper the same way you sew on fabric. Choose threads in coordinating colours.
Use your sewing machine and make either a straight stitch, or fancy zigzags. This is a particularly great method for putting together a paper “quilt” layout.
Embossed Vellum layover:
Vellum embosses beautifully, and, because it is transparent, when you lay it over a page it makes a great effect. You can even emboss vellum without using any type of heat or light tables. In fact, if you don’t have a stylus, all you need is a paper clip.
It is easiest to emboss with a metal or plastic stencil. Take the stencil and lay it on the table. Remember that the image will come out backwards, so if you are embossing letters or images that need to face a certain way, turn the template upside-down.
Lay the vellum paper face-down over the template. You will easily be able to get it in the right place because you can see the stencil through the vellum. When it is in place, gently rub into the paper with your stylus, or the rounded edge of your paper clip, pushing it into the stencil.
For sharper edges, go over them a few times, but be careful not to tear the paper. The more you rub over the vellum, the more opaque the image will become. Pick up the vellum, turn it over, and see the image you have created.
To read more, click here to grab your free scrapbook gift- “How to create a beautiful Digital Scrapbook”, thank you and have a great day!
Mike Snyder, owner, Cascade Scrapbooking
Portland, OR
Jun
4
Free Digital Scrapbook Tutorial
Filed Under digital scrapbook tutorials, scrapbook layout ideas | Leave a Comment
My favorite aspect of creating a free digital scrapbook is the convenience. Manifesting your creativity to the maximum can be done on your scrapbook. Designing the layout, patterns, designs, etc according to the materials available can be quite a bit of fun.
Advances in technology have created an option whereby you can use that computer in your home to create magnificent scrapbook using graphics and digital images, which is also inexpensive.
Digital Scrapbooking is gaining in popularity as compared to the traditional method of scrapbooking due to its convenience. Children also love to play around with the computer and parents are not quite worried about the mess that they would have created otherwise using papers, scissors, glue, colors, etc.
Incorporating photos and pictures is a piece of cake using the computer and you can choose from a wide range of designs and techniques to create an attractive background for your scrapbook.
If you are bored with a particular layout, after a few months or years, you can even change the layout design and pattern. Themes can be created from a wide choice available on the internet.
You can print out your scrapbook if you want to create an album. One more advantage of this is in the environmental perspective whereby you can avoid wastage and using materials not very conducive to environmental safety.
A digital scrapbook can be unique to a person. In a manual scrapbook there are bound to be similarities as everyone has to use the materials available in the market.
If you are a first time user, you can make use of the templates available readymade. As you become more advanced you can create your own templates. Options range from graphics which are simple to graphics with 3 D effects.
Backgrounds can be enhanced and beautified by various attractive themes, buttons, photo frames, jewelry, diamonds; etc…
This is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of my digital scrapbooking book and audio course. To read more, click here to grab your copy of “Intro to Scrapbooking: Ideas for Getting Started with your next project”
Happy scrappin’,
Mike Snyder,
owner, Cascade Scrapbooking, Portland, OR
May
19
Scrapbook Tags and Trimmings
Filed Under digital scrapbook tutorials, scrapbook layout ideas, scrapbooking supplies | Leave a Comment
To make your scrapbook still more attractive and special you can make use of tags. These can be made from different material like fabric, pieces of furnishings, or anything that catches your fancy.
If you are not too creative, you can pick them up from shops.
Tags are very useful for highlighting some special incidents from ones life and can be in any shape, color or texture. Tags allow you to be as creative as you can get.
You can use any kind of trimmings to personalize your scrapbook. It could be the centre piece of a page, could be used as the border or just to emphasize on something interesting or some special moments captured.
You can use your own creativity and imagination to make these trimmings. They could simple ribbons to exquisite pieces of decorative items, which can be made by using odd things or small little nothings picked up at garage sales.
Trimmings can also be left over’s from other projects, you just have to use anything that catches your eye and fits into the theme. Again there is no hard and fast rule of what you can use and what you can’t. It’s entirely your wish on how you want the end result to look.
Accessories
While you are looking at the accessories make sure to pick up a marker to write in the scrapbook and to highlight letterings, and borders.
There are a variety of markers available in the market make sure to pick up the ones that will not smudge on the scrapbook pages. These are available in reputed stationary shops and are available in a variety of colors. They are acid free and do not fade over a period of time.
Making a scrapbook will not be possible without the wax pencil. These are specially made to enable you write on glass, photographs and plastic. You can also use this for coloring, making borders or for highlighting something on the pages. The ink used in these pencils is acid free and comes in many colors.
While making scrapbooks for children stickers can be used extensively. Stickers specially ones involving favorite cartoon figures immediately endear the book to the child and add a personal touch. They can be used to hide mistakes add a little humor and can be used as trimmings. Before using stickers, you must take care to see that the stickers are lignin free and acid free and the glue is not dried.
One more exciting trimming that can be used is a rubber stamp which when dipped in acid free ink can be used to make various trimmings. You can make charming designs on scrapbooks for children in attractive colors. Souvenir can be decorated with different rubber stamps
If the scrapbook is not a formal one you could casually tear up paper and stick it in different shapes and give your page a very informal trimming effect. These could also be used as borders and backgrounds. Great care should be taken to see that this is not used with any other theme other then casual ones. Fraying paper and using it as a border looks very nice in children’s scrapbook.
They also go well with scrapbooks being made for someone who has a great aesthetic sense. Fraying cannot be used with all themes. One must learn the art of fraying before trying to practice it.
This is an excerpt from my eBook “Intro to Scrapbooking”, I hope you enjoyed reading it! You may receive the first two chapters of this digital book at Cascade Scrapbooking.com
Click Here to receive your free copy of the scrapbooking digital book (A $19 value)
To your scrapbook success,
Mike Snyder, owner of Cascade Scrapbooking
May
11
Three Tips for Creating a Beautiful Wedding Scrapbooking Layout
The present article has been read by many of our visitors and greatly appreciated. Hopefully you will enjoy it likewise.
With the popularity of scrapbooking today, many brides are decision making to create their own wedding scrapbooking layout. With the huge smorgasbord of papers, stickers and other tools for adorning the wedding scrapbooking layout, you will not be disappointed in your results. And in addition to that, there are even scrapbooking kits specifically made for weddings that will allow you to contrive your wedding scrapbook with minimum coordination and shopping for supplies.
At any rate, even if you prefer to include a professional photographer create an album in their cost, you will in all likelihood want to have a wedding scrapbooking layout of the photographs that your family and friends take of your special day.
Once you take action and create the scrapbook layout, the rest will be fun and easy. Remember the quote, “Action is the antidote to despair. ~Joan Baez
Considerations When Assembling Your Wedding Scrapbooking Layout
The special thing about a wedding album is that you do not need to confine yourself to the photos, patterned papers and stickers that adorn most scrapbooks, although the supplies to choose from are plentiful as well as beautiful. Just imagine how you can include unparalleled mementos to the ceremony and the reception, such as a copy of the toast, a few petals from the grooms boutonnière, or a piece of sheet music from your special song.
Before this, keep in mind that if you select items to let in in your wedding scrapbooking layout that are not photo-safe, that you protect your precious pictures by matting them on acid-free papers. Of course do not let anything that is not of archival quality touch your photos, since this can handicap them by scratching or causing discoloration.
What you Should Admit in Your Wedding Album
As a matter of course there is a good chance that you will have so many wedding pictures to select from, it will be hard to determine what should go into your wedding scrapbooking layout. It will be a bit easier to make your selections if you focus on ensuring that you include scenes from all of the significant events of the day. Exchanging vows, lighting the unity candle, and that first kiss as married man and wife are all significant moments that you will want to remember.
During the reception, you will have many special parts to include, such as the toast, the first dance, and the cake cutting. Try to add a few playful pictures of the bride and groom as well as the family and wedding party. The garter and bouquet are excellent examples of these more wild situations. In summary, If you take the time to run through each special moment, it will be easier to choose your photos, and will make a more efficient scrapbooking story for your special day.
You will experience many adversities during the wedding planning process and scrapbooking design should not be one of them! Plan this well in advance and you will not experience adversary. “Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.” ~Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha
I hope this article provided you with the knowledge and understanding you were looking for. I highly recommend checking out my New scrapbooking book and audio course titled “Intro to Scrapbooking: Ideas for Getting Started on your First Project”, You will love it, I completely guarantee it or I will give you a full money back refund with no questions asked! These have been selling like hotcakes and I have not had any refunds, only glowing reviews!
Click Here for your copy of Intro to Scrapbooking
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!
Mike Snyder
Owner, Cascade Digital Scrapbooking tutorials , Portland, Oregon