Crop Corner

The phone is ringing, the dog is barking, one child needs help with algebra, another child just spilled a glass of milk on the kitchen floor,...remember the old Calgon commercials - "Calgon take me away!" This month on About Scrapbooking, we want to see your scrapbook pages that show why you need a "get-away." Have you been going through a stressful situation, do you have a lot of kids and no time for scrapbooking, or maybe you just have never had a chance to get away to scrapbook? This is your chance. Tell your story on a scrapbook page and you will have a chance to win a weekend away at Get Crafty Studios in West Virginia (USA).

Our Picture This! assignment for this month was "Wavin' Old Glory," and readers responded with a host of images that speak to the profound connection we all have with this powerful symbol. Many of the images spoke to the sacrifices of our men and women who have served in defense of our country, something that cannot but remind us of our brave troops serving here and overseas today. And how even through the sometimes partisan and venal interests of politicians there is always an overriding pride in what our country could, and should, stand for in the world now, and into the future.

Technical Info: Nikon D70, Nikkor DX 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED lens, and a Gitzo G 2220 tripod with a Manfrotto 486 head. A B+W polarizer filter was used to capture both reflections of the canyon wall and the translucent quality of the water. Exposure: 1/13 sec at f/22. Nikon's PictureProject and Corel's Paint Shop Pro Version 8.1 software were used for image editing, which was kept to a minimum. In this wondrous area of the Coyotte Buttes, Utah, there is no clear distinction between smooth rock floors and soaring canyon walls. Although the geology of this remote area is truly unique, it seemed "other worldly" on this day due to threatening weather conditions. Our party of photographers almost cut the trek short a couple of times, faced with periodic spitting rain and rather chilly wind. I walked into this placid scene after one last photo shoot of the actual "Wave," having just repacked my tripod and camera. It was a pleasant surprise to see a bit of soft light glowing in the otherwise gray threatening sky. These conditions provided just enough ambient light to create soft reflections in the shallow pool of water. I am a bit wiser after this memorable hike, understanding better the value of perseverance and openness to the unexpected.

If you're anything like me, you can still remember the name of your very first kindergarten love. Still, nothing could have prepared me for the day when my 6-year-old daughter came home from school and announced that she, too, was in love! As a mother, this moment came as a complete shock to me, but it's certainly one of those special childhood moments that I'll want to remember forever. I created this fun "First Love" layout to document the story and preserve the memories of Lauren's very own first love.

Okay, maybe you have a lot to write on your scrapbook page. Maybe you hate your handwriting. Or maybe you want perfectly spaced, perfectly spelled and perfectly tidy journaling. Whatever the case, I have the solution for you: Computer journaling. LeNae used a script font to journal her text, using a larger version of the same font for her page title. Page from Design Elements. Journaling means writing the details that accompany the photos on your scrapbook page. It's capturing more than just the names and dates behind the photos, it's recording the stories, the conversations and the memories that go with those photos. It's the difference between a scrapbook and a photo album! For more basic journaling information, please see my Journaling Tips and Journaling Recipes article on Scrapbooking101.net.

It always seems like I’m buying word rub-ons and pre-printed quote stacks. I wonder why I do this when there are so many quote collections that you can find online.

For example, here is a collection of love quotes from About.com.

These quotes are perfect for scrapbook pages that have love as a focus such as wedding, anniversary, engagement, Valentine’s Day, or everyday moments layouts. You can print them on vellum, or transparency sheets, or directly on cardstock or printed paper.

Many Valentine's Day cards have a childish feel to them. If you want to give a card to a special someone in your life with a more "grown-up" feel, this elegant Valentine's Day card will hopefully give you some inspiration. 1) Cut a piece of black cardstock to 6"x8" and fold in half. 2) Print love quotes on red patterned paper to make a unique background paper for your card. Click here for instructions on making your own printed text papers. 3) Cut the piece of printed text paper so that it is slightly smaller than the black cardstock and center it on the card.

As many of our readers know, our all-new offering: Digital Photography: The Complete Course is now available. Click here for a free catalog describing our new Course. What you may not know is that we've been barraged for the past year by e-mail from current NYI students and graduates and other visitors to our Web site asking all sorts of questions about digital photography techniques and equipment. One of the great things about the Complete Digital Photography Course is that you don't have to go it alone.

Putting your feelings on paper is a way of capturing the beautiful moments in your life - and making them unforgettable.