Crop Corner

Fall is upon us and that can only mean one thing: It's back to school time! Remember how exciting it was to go back to school every year? Shopping for school supplies and new clothes, meeting your new teacher and seeing which friends would be in your classes-all in anticipation of that exciting first day! Or do you remember not wanting to leave home, being afraid that you won't find your classes or that you won't have anyone to sit with at lunch? Back to school brings up so many different memories for each individual, so now is the perfect time to scrap your old memories or your child's new memories with great school-themed pages!

I’ve been a Creative Memories scrapper since I started scrapbooking in 1996. I’m now to the point where I want to switch to a top-loading album for my 2006 album.

I’ve been really debating as to what is the right brand of album to use. I really want to have the flexibility to move pages around (like you get with a top loading album). I also end up blanketing the all white pages of the Creative Memories albums with a background paper. This adds to the weight of each page, not to mention the cost. The Creative Memories albums are quite expensive, as are the page refill packs. It just seems like a waste when I don’t really use them…

Anyways - if anyone has any thoughts/ideas - please post them as comments or send me an email!

Erin Lincoln of Creating Keepsakes wrote,

Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated with the tumbling block action of a Jacob’s Ladder toy. I was raised during the heyday of Legos, My Little Pony, and Simon Says, but none of them seem to hold my fascination like a simple stack of wooden blocks linked together with three ribbons. As an adult, I continue to be enamored by them. Only this time, I spend several minutes puzzling over how a flip of my wrist can set the blocks in motion. I’ve got a college education and should be able to figure it out, and yet, I’m still bewildered.

After this lead-in, she then went on to describe how to make a Jacob’s Ladder mini album. It is just too cute. I have to try this!

When deciding on colors for layouts - I often try to compliment the colors in my photographs. You can also use color to convey a mood.

Here’s an interesting article from ScrapJazz about how to make scrapbooking color choices.

Each time you use your Design Runner utilize the maintenance feature by pressing the wrench button on the lower right portion of the key pad. A black screen will show up on the LCD, press the green print button and hold then glide the Design Runner across a piece of scrap paper. If the ink did not print out completely use a slightly damp paper towel and wipe off the ink head. Repeat the maintenance feature sequence until the ink cartridge is clean and printing the maintenance feature properly.

Today I went the the CKC in Valley Forge. Due to a bunch of factors, I arrived with only 1 hour and 45 minutes to visit the Vendor Fair. I also had my almost-3 year old with me. Not the best circumstance for shopping, right?

Well - LOL - I somehow managed to spend a LOT in that short time.

Maybe it was the excitement of seeing full lines from some of my favorite brands like Rusty Pickle, or maybe it was because of the crush of other shoppers making it difficult to ponder what you wanted, or maybe it was that I knew I had to HURRY to make it through…

Let’s just say that I bought a LOT!

I think going back tomorrow would be a very bad idea at this point!

Our beloved cat died in 2002. Last night I could finally bring myself to begin working on the layout that I wanted to create about him.

It all started when I was digging under my desk to untangle the mess of wires that seems to have a life of its own. When I was underneath my desk on my hands and knees (nice visual, I know), I found a tablet that I had written down some of my favorite memories of my cat the week he died.

I’ve been using that missing tablet as an excuse for not working on the layout for years. Now that I had the tablet - my excuse evaporated.

Why is it so difficut to scrapbook the moments in our life that are painful? Even when there are things I want to say, and want to record, I still procrastinate.

The layout is now started - the photos have been chosen, the list of memories typed in… I’m sure I’ll be glad I did it when it’s complete…

Like most people who are addicted to this hobby - I have more paper than I can ever possibly use!

Does that stop me from buying more? Unfortunately, no.

The past few times I’ve been to a crop at a LSS, I’ve really tried to use the supplies I already own. It is just too difficult! I usually end up giving up on ths approach halfway through the crop!

One of the questions when purchasing paper is whether you should buy the entire pack or not. This article gives some things to consider.

Last night, while I was flipping through some old scrapbooks, my husband, who was looking over my shoulder, remarked that I’ve gotten much better over time.

It is amazing to look back at some early scrapbooking pages and realize just how much my style has evolved. I still am trying to improve - but am happy that my improvements are noticable.

I’ve always been the type to take a long time to finish art projects. In fact, I can remember as a kid in gradeschool, that I was always one of the last to finish projects in art class. I seem to lack that just jump in and do it approach. I tend to analyze, obsess over spacing, and attempt to find just the right color combinations that work together with the photos.

The downside of all this is I don’t really think the extra time and effort necessarily mean that the final product is better. Lately I’ve been really examining layouts I like online, in magazines, and in books. I’ve been trying to distill what I can learn from them to hopefully, progress more directly to a creative process that is going to give me the results I want.

Love the products we featured in our Show & Tell column? Check out these pages for some great ways to use them. Layered patterns from the Paisley and Petals collection from SEI show off the richly colored designs that reverse to solids. Blocks of distressed patterned paper from the We R Memory Keepers Diner Collection frame a focal point and show off the spunky collection. Lightweight and flexible, Credit Card accessories from Heidi Swapp anchor a photo and journaling block with style. Transparency Letters from Chatterbox let patterned paper strips peek through and clearly make a statement as initials for each of the boys.