ScrappinWAHM’s Journal

I wanted to post my review of a new Scrapbooking ebook - the Scrap Facts Guide. My friend Val Selby has put together an incredible resource that scrapbookers, both novices and more practiced, will find helpful and inspiring whether creating maybe their first, or their 100th layout.

The ebook has a great glossary of scrapbooking terms at the beginning - so you don’t have to keep flipping/scrolling to the back of the book to look something up. Review it ahead of time, and know the “lingo” as you read. AND there is a Table of Contents! Yes, this is a big deal to me, and worth mentioning. It saved me having to scroll through the whole ebook to find what I was looking for.

The Scrap Facts Guide provides a nice list of the basic supplies needed to start out scrapbooking. Plus, some tips that will save the beginner from going out and busting their budget buying unnecessary supplies. Though they could also be suggestions for more advanced tools for those with more intermediate scrapbooking skills. ie. For beginner’s cookie cutters, or other household items might make good basic shape templates, yet for those with more skill (or money) there are templates available in your local scrapbook supply aisle.

Val has also included many techniques within her layout descriptions when offering layout ideas. I like that she’s given me ideas for techniques to use within my pages - not just ideas for layouts. Some fresh Layout ideas! Love the Thanksgiving layout idea using the family contributions. pg. 50.

I found some very useful ideas for scrapbooking with kids, and helping them create their own scrapbook that will definitely fit into my summer plans for spending some of the hotter days in our basement (where my scrapbook area is ). It’ll be a great way to engage the kids! Val gives some great ideas for creating background papers with them too. My boys will definitely be willing to contribute!

The sales page has a lot more information about what all is included in the ebook, obviously more than I can get into here. Check out the Scrap Facts Guide to see what all you will learn for this incredible scrapbooking resource.

Right now, Val is offering an introductory price of $9.95, plus a RARE 30-day, 100% money back guarantee! You hardly ever see that with digital products, yet I myself can pretty much guarantee that you are not going to want your money back! This ebook is a very useful tool - not only for beginners, but even for us “seasoned vets” - this old Scrapper learned some new tricks! LOL!

5 Tips for Scrapbooking Space Organization

Your scrapbooking space may vary from a dedicated room to a corner of the dining room table, but how you have your supplies organized will make all the difference in making the most out of the your scrapping time.

• Have separate cups or storage containers for smaller supplies, pens, eyelets, adhesives, etc. and keep them there so they don’t get spread around your work surface, under the desk or lost in a drawer somewhere. Putting like objects together in a container frees up loads of work space too.
• Paper storage helps you find what you need, when you need it. Store this horizontally - either in racks or flat boxes (I’ve even heard a tip about using pizza boxes!), or in vertical files. By theme or by color - whichever works best for you.
• Make project pouches - as ideas come to mind, gather papers, photos and other things for layouts and keep them all together in one pouch. Then when you find yourself with 15 minutes (because sometimes that’s all the time we have) you can pull out a project pouch to create a quick layout!
• Have a place for your leftover scraps. Throw snippets of ribbon or floss into a baggie, or clear plastic container, and toss paper scraps into a flat box, or clear envelope to get a quick look at what you have.
• If you don’t need it, do not toss it - donate it, or better yet put it aside for the next crop you go to. One scrapper’s trash can be another scrapper’s treasure. LOL!

Be creative, scrapbooking space organization doesn’t have to be boring. You can use creative and crafty ways to consolidate your supplies, leaving you more time and space for scrapbooking.

One of the most unique scrapbooking products from Top Line Creations most recent launch is the new Kleer Keeperz Acrylic Scrapbook Album. The picture above is a completed “Happy Times” album that is the featured project for March’s Artist Choice kit. (Click on the picture to see a larger image)

These albums are sold by themselves though in the online store. Each 6″ x 6″ album has five “kleer” pages and comes with two metal rings for the closure. Embellish Kleer Keeperz with your choice of patterned papers, rub-ons, die cuts, chips, ribbons and photos.

I’m going to get the kit, because I am very curious to see how this clear acrylic scrapbook album can be used. I’m coming up with some ideas, but until I play with them awhile myself, I can’t make any firm suggestions. But I’m thinking layered look, taking advantage of two sided papers, and the backside to show through. Hmm…I will post more ideas as they come to me. I’d love to hear any you might come up with too!