Crop Corner

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.

Polly found a few 12" strips of patterned paper left to accompany her 12" photo. The rickrack "waves" enhanced the theme, and Polly carried the color scheme throughout her journaling, changing certain words from black to hues found in the papers. The fun summer colors inspired Polly to make this luggage tag for her daughter's backpack. She took her die-cutting tool to some scraps and turned them into a yummy ice cream cone. ADDITIONAL SOURCES American Typewriter (tag) off the Internet. Die-cutting tool, die cut: Sizzix. Punches: EK Success.

ScrapJazz just published a
wonderful tutorial on how to make a handmade book with a Japanese stab binding.

I would love to try out this technique. I took an introductory calligraphy class when I was in college, and some of the more advanced students/classes had absolutely amazing hand made books.

I love anything old, like antique furniture or curiosities or vintage fabrics and trimmings. My house is filled with wonderful, unique old treasures! That's probably why I love the vintage look in scrapbooking. It appeals to me: The papers that look like antique fabrics, the buttons and flower embellishments. And I love showing people how easy it is to get a vintage look on their pages! A perfect example of the vintage look, this 8"x8" layout features a contemporary photo turned black and white. Papers from 8"x8" Vintage Papers.

From backyard barbecues and camping trips to family vacations, hot weather and summer jobs, summer means something different to paper crafters everywhere. Whether you spend your days catching up with the kids while they're out of school or relaxing by the pool with your favorite magazine, pay tribute to the season with a scrapbook page that shows just what summer means to you! A soft green and aqua color scheme is a great way to cool down a hot summer layout. LeNae selected papers from new Flea Market Fabrics sarapapers(TM) and accents from the matching Flea Market Embellish-abilities(TM) kit for this refreshing outdoor page. She layered coordinating patterned papers to create the background for her summer-themed photos and journaling, then added a personal touch with hand drawn doodling around the corners of her page elements. Trendy silk flowers and unique brads embellish the doodling, adding simple, coordinating color and dimension.

If you’re like me, you have more scrapbooking supplies than you’ll ever be able to use. I have piles of cardstock, books full of stickers, etc. Often I fall in love with something in a store, buy it, and file it away. Months or even years later, I look at it, and it now looks dated.

At the last crop I went to, I forced myself to go through my pile of supplies rather than purchase even more at the store. I made a few pages that I was marginally happy with, but couldn’t help feeling like I would’ve rathered be using some new stuff.

I was delighted today when I found an article about
what to do with your out-of-style stash. I’m definately going to try some of these techniques to breathe some new life into my piles of scrapbooking supplies! I’ll let you know how it goes!

Protecting your scrapbooks, photographs, memorabilia, and negatives is important.

Here is an article about: 7 facts about what will damage your album.

For example,

Extreme temperatures damage photographs, negatives, layouts, page protectors, and albums. Store all historical items in moderate-temperatures and in locations where humidity is low.

Even if you’re a scrapbooking veteran, it’s a useful reminder of what we should and shouldn’t be doing.

Five scrapbookers from the About Scrapbooking Forum, try out brand new papers and embellishments from Lil Davis. The results are five completely different, gorgeous scrapbook page layouts. These layouts feature stitching, a ribbon flower, a 70's theme, and much more. Creative Memories AlbumsDarling Three-Dimensional Detailed Embellishments: Fishing P...More Border IdeasQuilling Tips for Scrapbooking - Ideas and InspirationBack to School Scrapbook Pages: Scrapbooking Ideas for Schoo...

Veronica Johnson challenged About Scrapbooking readers to use their patterned papers. This gallery is a collection of pages that were submitted for the challenge. These pages will inspire you to use more patterned paper on your next scrapbook page!

What a great idea from Creating Keepsakes magazine for those of us who are particular about wanting to have their scrapbooks in chronological order:

You don’t have to use a favorite picture from your vacation for your title pagestart with a photo from the airport instead.
Record your thoughts as you embarked on the vacation, then let it serve as the springboard for the rest of your vacation activities. If you didnt fly, photograph your jam-packed car before you pull out of the driveway and use that picture for your layout.

Read the full article here