I Need Scrapbook Ideas!

Hi M.. I'm a fellow scrapbooker too. I have found three magazines and a website to be VERY helpful for ideas. They all give you a basic layout idea and then you can just go from there. The magazines are all from Creating Keepsakes and I got them from Hobby Lobby or Jo Ann's and was able to use one of their coupons. The titles are:
Creative Sketches for Scrapbooking by Becky Higgins
Creative Sketches for Scrapbooking 2 by Becky Higgins
Super Fast Pages with 4x6 photos

The website I go to is called Pagemaps.com. They have several months of archives that you can look at too.
Hopefully these will be helpful.
Have fun!
C.

Fellow scrapbooker helloooooo!!! I love to scrapbook.
I have two very good sources for recommendation. First let me say that I am NOT a consultant. Close To My Heart is a home based scrapbooking and stamping business. Their catalog is called Idea Book. They have fabulous coordinating paper packs (look at the level 2's) for $12.95. They are gorgeous and will let you snazz up any page creations. Page 13 in their catalog are two books: Cherish and Imagine. They also have computer programs that come on cd. I've been going to a monthly class where they are using these layouts to create 4 coordinating but different pages using one of the packs per month. There is always enough leftover for me to make at least 2 more pages on my own. These books provide step by step instructions and layout options.
Before starting this class, my pages were Very Plain and simple. Cardstock, pix, stickers and a little journaling. Those designer pages seemed outrageous in price and time, and way outside of my ability. Now I am making what look like designer pages for a fraction of the cost, and the coordinating papers and colors take the confusion and guess work out of it for me. I have also learned to use old buttons, ribbons, staples, and some stamping techniques to jazz up my pages.
Now my biggest obstacle is time. But you would know about that!!!LOL. Loved reading the other answers. By the way, I scrap everything, not just holidays and special occasions. I want my kids to have lots of reminders of when they were little and see how much pleasure they have given us watching them grow up. Wish there were places to scrapbook that had McDonald playlands for the kids. Scrap on my friend!

call me I can help you Kery curry ###-###-####

If you are interested in online digital scrapbooking, please check out my site at www.MyPhotobookStory.com. I am a consultant with Heritage Makers.

The templates are 100% customizable, and you can even make your products from scratch. Everything is online, so no downloading to your computer. Plus there are great webinars and youtube videos to watch to help get you started.

Watch this 5min video to give you an idea of what we are about! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Irdqtq7mF6Y

For more information, please contact me at ____@____.com.

Watch for sales at Joanns, Hobby Lobby, and Michael's ... for paper and other scrapbooking necessities. There are also scrapbooking "Clubs" that meet and can therefore utilize other's machines... AND IDEAS!!!! They're called "crops" and I know Recollections used to do them there, but then they closed. You could call other small scrapbooking stores to see if they know anyone that's holding crops. It's usually only $5 to $10 and that usually covers lunch or dinner. And you get to enjoy the company of other scrappers! (and enjoy some adult time!)

PS... I have found that Hobby Lobby has the best selection of stickers and paper, but the paper sales are definitely deals!! Hobby Lobby has a lot of 50% off sales... check their website every week and they usually have a 40% off any regular priced item online every week that you can print as many copies as you want!

Good morning,
Keep it simple. Remember, the photos are the most important part....not all the paper and embellishments. And remember to journal, journal, journal. Use their names a LOT when you journal. Journal "to" them. They will have that written record. For example, "Gary, you looked so handsome in your Easter suit," versus, "Gary, 1997, Easter." Make is personal and loving...a mother's love to her child. God bless,
M.
www.mycmsite.com/marycluley
Go to my website under the "idea gallery" section at the top middle.

I'm one who likes to crop pictures to get several(4-6) on a page because, to me, it's more important to have the pictures and journaling than the fancy, ofen expensive decorations. When I look back on these years from now, I know I will not even look much at the extra stuff. I will want to see the memories of my family. Simple paper, maybe a few stickers if they really fit the page. Sometimes a full page layout does not even need a title. You can just have a pretty paper border around each of the pictures and then get them on the page. Then, you can go and write the date and some words about the memories on the page.
I have slowly learned that I will not be able to crop even half of the pictures I actually take. I have found the most important step in the scrapping process is choosing which pictures you will use. Then, you can group them by holiday, season (a great idea someone else suggested!), event. For my daughter's first year, I grouped the pictures by month. Now that she has entered her third year, I may try the season thing.
I think if you group your pictures and decide which ones you want to use, THEN it will be a lot easier to decide what papers, stickers, etc you need once you get to the store.Good luck!!

I usually get a ton of ideas from www.twopeasinabucket.com.
Go their Gallery

I've found that less is more unless you find the perfect stickers or embellishments for an occasion. Trying to keep up with 2 traditional scrapbooks at one time might be slow-going also. You may want to consider doing a digital storybook b'c they're superfast and last forever. You might not have as much freedom for creativity with it, but I think you'll be very happy with the end result.

Or if you want to stay with the traditional scrapbook, you might just do holidays only or seasons. Seasons would definitely be fewer pages to complete and would give you the same result of age progression also. Or maybe seasons combined with special occasions like birthdays and major holidays. Let me know if you need more help with it b'c I've been scrapping for about 8 years. Happy scrapping!

Hi M.!

Are you making books for each child? That is what I do. When I work on my scrapbooks, I work on 30 pages for one, then switch. 30 pages sounds like alot, but the way that I get it done is laying out my pages before I actually scrap them. I use a Power Layout system from Creative Memories. I get my BIG stack of pics and place them on a plastic 12X12 planning sleeve (this comes in the Power Layout Box). I try to put alot of pics per page b/c I want to maximize my space. After I lay the pictures on the 30 sleeves, I move to paper. I have my paper from CM and Hobby Lobby oraganized in 12X12 sleeves by color and style. I go to my paper and just start laying paper that coordinates with my pictures. At that time if I have a brillant idea for that page, I write the idea on a post-it and place it on the plastic sleeve along with any necessary paper. For example, I have a layout of the kids climbing trees. So I decided that I would make a tree. I got the necesary paper to make a trunk and leaves for that page. After the paper, I go to my stickers and cut out or place stickers that I may use on the page. Then I stack my 30 pages in my Power Layout Box and put it away for another night or occassion when I can work. I normally do this organization process in one evening. It really does not take long. On a different evening, I get my box out and my tools and go to town! Scrapbooking this way is fast! So, if you are looking to get LOTS done, this may be an option for you.

As far as stickers, paper, etc. I would suggest laying out your pages with your pictures, then making a list of the paper and stickers that you "think" you may need for each page. I do this too when I am laying out my pages and don't have a sticker or just that right piece of paper.

Another alternative is a ready make package of stickers, paper, and an idea book. Creative Memories has these too! They are called Power Palettes. They are really great time-savers, but are not extremely decorative.

Good luck! If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me back. I also have a website with great tools and ideas that you can shop or just get ideas! Check out www.mycmsite.com/beckywalker

Look at the pictures you have and decide which ones you want in the scrapbook. When you've got that narrowed down begin chronologically starting with her 5th bday.

As for what you need, tape runner for putting pics in book, pens for journaling, and maybe some stickers. Add the pictures, do your journaling to include what and when, add some stickers to compliment the event or photos. If you want to add some other color you can get small index sized paper to use as photo mats. Put the picture on the mat then add that to the page. It's very easy to get overwhelmed and give up but do one task at a time and you'll have the scrapbook completed soon, good luck!!