Don't Ignore the Signs!

Ever since I started to scrapbook digitally, it has changed the way I take pictures. I take a lot more pictures now that I can use as a background or "sticker" of sorts. I like to take pictures of all kinds of things and add them to my traditional scrapbooks, too. The above picture is of my husband and daughter in a restraunt. I took a pic of the sign outside the restraunt and adhered it to the picture.

Below: I used the "Celebrate Today" picture as a decoration for my journaling box. Believe it or not, this was a napkin that I took a photo of!

Another sign is used on this page as a title sticker of sorts.

I have been a scrapbooking fiend lately. My goal is to complete 7 pages a day and I have been pretty close to meeting that goal. I am so tired some days because I scrapbook mainly after I put the kids to bed and I can spend an hour on a page design easily. I'm working on Disney pages. I have created a lot of pages that I like. Coming soon: Scrapbooking Ideas Specifically for Disney Parks, Tips on Hiding your Imperfections and Making your Photos and Pages Blend Together.

Scrap Happy! I am!

Beach Layouts

I know it might be a little early for beach pictures, but I am this far behind in my daughter's album, and this is what I'm working on now. So be prepared for more layouts over the next few weeks. Catch a Wave! This page has room for journaling which I'll add later. I used the paisley punch to imitate water droplets. I don't use the paisley punch very often, as it's hard to know what to do with it sometimes!

To the Beach! This is the opening page, which is always a big deal for me. I like to capture my kid's expression when they see the beach for the first time.

Fot this page, I chose to sepia the picture of my daughter looking down. I have no idea why I did this, I just knew it would look better. I also had the photo of her walking to the waves enlarged. I took a whole bunch of pictures and then chose my favorites. Of course I have another page from the same day, but it is only 2 photos. I wanted to have a lot of room to write the story of our getting to the beach.

My embellishments are actually modified Christmas stickers! I really wanted flip flops, but I wanted them to match my page. I also wanted them to have some texture, or look like they had some texture. These flip flops were easy enough to make. I cut the sticker below out because the bird didn't fit on the page where I wanted it when it was in a circle of blue. Using the left over blue, I made the flip flops. I folded the blue together and cut out the flip flop shape. Then I cut little slivers of yellow, stuck them on and folded the ends around the back. Ta Da! They are a little asian looking, but I loved them! Asian works for us anyway!

Here is a close up of the bird. I made the title by doing the outline in blue and filling in the inside with copper. The paper is from a jewel summer paper pack.

The second best thing to being at the beach, is scrapping about the beach!

Scrap happy!

Celebrating one!

Celebrating one for me means my little boy's birthday! All year, I took his picture once a month in his crib. I made sure to have the same sheet on the bed, and put his little beanie baby next to him. It really helps to show how much he grew in a year! (photo above)

I also had his picture taken once a month and ordered wallets of his professional photos. (as well as the 4 months I took his monthday pictures myself) I knew I wanted to do some kind of page layout that showcased all of his months. Here is the finished product. It's amazing how much they change in one year, isn't it?! (below) I was rusty from only scrapbooking digitally, but once I did a page or two, I was back! It was fun doing these page layouts for my son's birthday photos.

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!

This one is so fun! The photographer made him mad when she put his hand in the icing and then put it to his mouth, She was frozen when he started crying, but I yelled, "Take a picture! Take a picture!" Above was the result. I used a 8x10 paper for the mat/background and used just a few party embellishments. I really wanted the title to stand out, so I used white letters and went around each one with a pen. I cut out the paper from beind the photo, since you won't see it anyway, and punched out squares to finish off the page.

Birthday Boy

This page is very much like a page I could do online in a digital album. I love it because it's crisp and clean. All I used were letter stickers of various sizes and a paper background. I just layered the "Birthday" on top of the lighter colored "Boy" letters.

One

I love this page, too! It's so simple. A simple yellow background matched the yellow in his shirt. I used 2 sizes of circle punches to make the open circles and put letter stickers inside. There is one cupcake sticker under the O. This page changed as I designed it, as so often happens. I like the way the word "one" is here because it goes with the jersey look of the shirt he's wearing. This just shows you that you don't need a whole lot to make a page. You just want it to all go together. The less you put on a page, the more likely it is that that will happen.

Happy Birthday puzzle.

This page was born out of my desire to mat these pictures in blue. However, I don't have any more blue paper, so I used the green and kind of made a puzzle mat. That's when I realized that I had a puzzle punch that I had never used! When using a new punch, know that the first couple of punches will have oil on the edges. Do some practice punches that you can toss. Once again, all I have on this page is a small amount of paper, some letter stickers and one party diecut. I want everyone to notice the photos, another reason to keep it simple.

Just for fun: I put a number one or the word one on each page of my son's birthday pages. I started doing this for my daughter a few years ago, and she and others who look at the album, really have fun looking for the birthday numbers.

I'm currently working on my daughter's album when I can sneak away for a few minutes. I am enjoying scrapbooking and trying not to get caught up on the fact that I am so far behind. It's a hobby for crying out loud! If I was all caught up, what would I do with my time? Ha Ha! That's a joke, I always have at least one event being planned, project ideas I want to try, and a room or 2 that need cleaned. Not to mention...the laundry!



Scrap Happy!

Everybody loves school pictures!

Actually, I am embarrassed by most of my school pictures. But my daughter's school pics so far have been so cute! I haven't gotten to scrap this year's yet. We had fun bringing props! She wanted her pink poodle and it ended up being an adorable addition.

I bring props for several reasons. The ones that the studio provides are often worn and tacky. I'm sure they're covered in germs as well. Yuck! But really, I like my props to be realistic. Bring things they like, such as their favorite pen or pencil. I always bring my daughter's bookbag, and the books she really uses that year. Another plus to bringing your own props is that you can compliment what your kid is wearing.

As always when bringing props, remember that you are there to get pictures of your kiddo, so don't get hung up on having to order a picture just because it has that prop you lugged in. I brought a manger scene and Christmas cookies along with a mug (among other things) to my daughter's Christmas pictures last year. But I just wasn't loving the pictures that they were in, so I opted not to get them. I'll bring them again this year.

Kindergarten was the first year I could add school pictures to the list of professional pictures I get taken throughout the year. Since we homeschool, my daughter isn't getting her picture taken at school, so I can take her anywhere. I was so happy with these pictures, that I had to buy most of the poses! When it came time to design the pages for these precious photos, I chose a soft pink backround. As you know, I'm a think outside the box person, or I try to be, so this backround paper is actually from a baby girl kit . It's the back of pages with prompts on them for journalling baby's first year. I bought the paper pack because I use a lot of pink, and I liked the colors in this pack. I have also bought the "I Do" paper pack for the same reason, I knew the pastels would look good in my daughter's book, and I figured I'd eventually find a use for the stickers. I actually have already used some of them on my cruise pages. But... I digress!

I want a memory of how she writes her name each year, so I have her write her name on a tag to include with her school pictures. ( I had her do this before I stuck the tag in the book in order to be sure she didn't accidently write on the page!) My mom did this with me when I was little, and it is amazing to watch handwriting change from year to year. Be sure to include the name of their school and their grade. You might also want to add their age. I also used letter stickers to personalize a tag sticker with the school year. The close up of my daughter's hands clasped in front of her was taken by me in the parking lot as soon as we left the studio. The photographer had taken this shot, and I loved it, but no way was I going to pay for a sheet of this picture. I bought them by the sheet, so I had to figure out how many wallets and other sizes I needed to send to all the relatives and I couldn't think of anyone but myself that would want a picture of a close up of my daughter's hands!

Scrap happy!

Amusement Park Pictures

Tis the season for amusement parks! We went this week, and I have some picture tips and ideas here for you! I always like to get a family picture. This means I have to ask a random stranger to take it. First, I have us stand in the area where I want the picture taken. If you have time to be picky, look for one with a huge camera. This shows you that they must know what they are doing. I like to get a picture either right as you enter, full of excitement and hair that is not yet windblown, or towards the end of the day, when it's still pretty light out but the lights have just been turned on. This makes for a festive picture.

I like to play with my camera in lines. This picture was taken while in line, by my husband.

Here's an action shot of my little girl, hanging on tight! I took this shot almost every time she came around to make sure I'd get a keeper.

Here's a posed shot. The lighting was favorable and she looked so cute!

I zoomed in on my husband and baby boy for this one. I was in line to ride with my daughter. I don't even think they knew I was getting their picture. I liked how they were interacting.

Here is my daughter in line, and in her own little world.

While waiting for the ride to start, I had taken a couple pictures of my daughter and husband smiling at me. For this one, I had the brilliant idea to make it look like they were actually RIDING on the ride. They were good sports, and it made them laugh for the picture, too.

This isn't even a ride, but doesn't it look like my boy is waiting for it to start and zoom off?

The cutouts. Ok, what is the point of this? Well, last year, we took a picture of Daddy in the "Andy" cutout. Once you take a picture, my daughter thinks it's a tradition, and runs to pose as soon as she sees a familiar prop. It did turn out to be adorable!

This picture actually IS a tradition. I take this picture of my daughter every year. It's cool to look back and see how much she grew. It was so much fun to take my son to Storybook Forest and hear his excited little noises as we walked through. He liked it more than the rest of the Park.

Other tips:

When an attendant comes around to check your seat belt, don't hesitate to ask them to take a picture of you on the ride. I've never had one tell me no.

Carry your camera and extra batteries, film, memory card in a small case right on your person. Make sure it's hands free.

If you want to plan ahead, have your family wear colors that will go together and not clash. This makes it easier to scrapbook later and you all look like you belong together. One year, we wore red white and blue. This made for fun pages and amusement parks are the epitome of summertime, as are the patriotic colors!

On the other hand, I like to wear bright colors on my daughter so that she is easy to spot when she is climbing up tall nets and running across bridges and the like. These make for fun pictures, too. (especially with cotton candy in the shot!)

Scrapbooking amusement park pictures can be a challenge, since it can be hard to find stickers that match your theme. You will probably have to think outside of the box. I know for a fact that Creative Memories doesn't make amusement park stickers any more. Try to match your clothes, and remember that stars always work with amusement park pics.

Scrap Happy!

Easter pages

Last year I took so many pictures of my daughter in her Easter dress. It was special because it was the first time she had picked out her own dress. I think she is so beautiful! When it came time to do the pages, I had a lot of fun, using sticker packs from most of the power pallets on the many pages. On this page, I included shots I had taken of her dancing around in the yard. I love it!

For this page, I used my pink pen to do most of the embellishing, framing the photos with it ....

and matching it to this sticker. This was where I got all the inspiration for this page. Since I didn't have any other stickers that would match this one, I made my own flowers.

This page was probably my favorite because it screams "KID!" It's just so colorful! I used the CM primary paper from one of the power pallets and started the word "jellybeans" with one of the everyday ABC stickers. I like how the papers all match in the pallets. It makes it super easy to mat a picture. Notice that I also cut the eggs so that I could have the bottom of the picture slip underneath them. I tossed a couple of jellybean stickers up in the corner and I was all set.

All the embellishments here are Creative Memories, and no, I do not sell it or get paid to mention them. I simply like the quality!

Scrap Happy!

Taking Great Zoo Pictures

A lot of the same rules apply at the zoo, as they do in life. I took this picture of the camel, and while it's cute, scroll down and see how much better the camel looks when I took a close up of it. Rule: Close ups are the best!

I took 13 pictures of the lions and from several different angles. Once I was home, I went through and found the one I liked best. Rule: take a lot of pictures! Here is the lion roaring....

and here is my daughter roaring right back! I stuck my camera over the railing to get the picture of my daughter's face. In the picture below, you can't even tell she is roaring, and there is too much "nothing" in the picture. Boring! Rule: point of view is very important!

We move on to my favorite creatures at the zoo, and also the cutest!

This picture was taken right after my little guy had woken up from a nap. He was so happy to see us! The only problem here is the flash on glass. I had to use the flash, because there wasn't enough light inside and because it is very hard to get a good shot of my little guy without flash since he moves almost constantly as he tries to keep his head up, which makes pictures of him blurry! Rule: Make sure your kids are well rested if you want a smile.

This picture is just because we were in the right place at the right time. Rule: Have that camera ready, because you just never know when that photo opportunity will occur at the zoo!

Ok, I just liked this guy's expression! Rule: If the animals are closer than normal, take advantage of it!

And here we have my camel picture that I love so much! This was also another perfect zoo picture day because it was slightly overcast, which makes for good pictures.

Other zoo rules:

Don't take pictures through the fence. If you can see fencing or netting in the picture, it isn't going to work.

Bring extra batteries! We all know why and some of us have had to learn from experience. But if your batteries do run out, you may be able to get at least one more shot by shutting your camera off for a bit and even removing the batteries and then putting them back in.

Don't use a flash when taking pictures through the glass.

Sometimes it's nice to take picture of your kids from behind, looking at the animals. I like to do this but point something out to my daughter that is off to the side and causes her to look that way. Then I get a side view of her face, and it's really cute.

The Pittsburgh zoo has footprints of some animals in the cement, (I particularly like the polar bear) which you can have your kids put their feet next to. This makes an adorable picture.

Scrapbooking zoo pages is fun. Please take pictures of your kids at the zoo, and not just the animals. Then, when you scrapbook, you can put several pictures of animals on a page with at least one picture of your kids.

I like to get a picture of my daughter with the "Kid's Kingdom" sign at the zoo. You can see her grow through the years.

Getting pictures at the monkey house is tricky for me. Usually, I just enjoy the stinky little beasts and give up the idea of taking pictures there. I did get a cute one of my daughter looking at the gibbon this last time. It looks like he is looking back at her and they are both resting their heads. It's funny. To take it, I focused on her and didn't stand too close.

I hope you enjoyed my pictures and maybe learned something, I don't know! Are there any places or events you would like to take pictures, and would like ideas or tips? I'll try to help! Just leave me a comment and let me know. I'll do my best to answer your questions in one of my future blogs.

Scrap Happy!

capturing the little things

My daughter learned to tie her shoes last year, but since she didn't HAVE shoes that have laces, she had to learn on a shoe that was too small to wear. This is fine, but it really would have been strange if I had taken a picture of her tying a shoe that wasn't even on her foot. This soccer season, when she pulled out her cleats and started tying, I had to run in and grab the camera! I am impressed with all of the little things. When she learns to snap, does math in her head, suddenly shoots up an inch and 1/2 seemingly overnight, and says her classic sayings, the most recent one being, "way six" meaning that this is something that is perfect for 6 year olds.
A lot of these things are impossible to capture in a picture, so I write them down, and make mention of them in her album. But when I remember to capture the little things that I can take a picture of, I'll hold on to those memories forever. So, by all means capture the high school graduation in meaningful pictures, but don't forget to take a picture of that first lost tooth as well. One last thing; just as I didn't get a picture of the first time she tied her shoe, it's OK to get a picture a little late, even months later. It's still just as exciting!

Soften that picture

I was talking with a wedding photographer 10 years ago and I learned something interesting that I didn't try until last year! He said if you put a little tulle in front of your picture, it will soften it just enough. The picture below was taken this way.Another year passed, and my cousin came to visit. I don't know what you do to entertain your out of state company, but we spent a good bit of our visit playing with our cameras! I showed him the tulle and he thought it was the greatest thing.
He took several pictures of me with the tulle in front of his lens, and they pretty much turned out like this.
He has a nicer camera, so that could be why they were so cloudy. Actually, the one above is one of the best he was able to get.
Here he is showing my daughter the pictures. I took some as well, and you can see the tulle in the one below. It was blowing in the wind and is doubled in that corner.

I love the way it softens pictures and just thought I'd share my hint with all of you. Wouldn't this be a nice touch for baby pictures?

Scrap happy!

Scrapping and loving it!

This page design came to me as I looked closely at the border of the picture on the upper right hand corner. It took awhile to punch all of those mickey shapes out, and then I even cut some of them because I wanted them to go right up to the border of the page. I adhered these with the regular tape runner as well as the CM glue pen. I even put 3 silver Mickeys on the page, and those are actual confetti from Disney World. Here's a close up:

I started scrapping again, and I really have been booking! I completed my Disney World trip last night, and now I need to find my notes so that I can go back and journal all 8 days. I still have the cruise to do as well. I feel so far behind. Having the room set up so that I can scrap anytime has been just what I needed. I also have had to cut way back on the anount of things I do around the house, since I get backaches or lower abdomen pain if I do too much house or yardwork! I have to spread my work out now, and that gives me time to scrapbook.

This is probably one of my favorite pages (above) from this trip. I love using punches and you can use different colored paper to match any page you're doing! I have used some of these punches for years! I have 4 slightly different Mickey punches.

Scrap Happy!