Scrapbooking Layouts

I want to start off by saying, that I never thought something like scrapbooking layouts could be SO life changing! You always think that it's some tragedy or some unexpected miracle that changes a person's life... But, for me, it was scrapbooking layouts!

Before I tell you how scrapbooking layouts changed my life, I should tell you that I have a memory problem, that is to say, when I was a teenager I had an accident which lead to random memory loss. Like anybody, I have countless precious memories of family members and occasions. As I struggled in my frustration to remember the details of those fond memories, I took as many pictures as I possibly could(boxes of them) and scribbled down random notes and dates in notebooks and on the backs of pictures.

But the boxes of pictures and notebooks seemed to be as jumbled up as my mind was. I was bewildered...

Then one day, while I was visiting my Aunt, I told her of my frustrations and how I had tried in vain to piece my memories together. I could never find a picture when I wanted it. Or, even worse, sometimes I couldn't remember having the picture to even try to look for it! That's when it happened. She placed her hand on my shoulder with a smile and told me she had the solution to my problem... SCRAPBOOKING LAYOUTS!

It turns out that she too had boxes of pictures she never knew what to do with and always told herself she'd organize one day. (Boy, does that sound familiar!) One day she met a lady while she was meeting up with her craft group who showed her the wonder of scrapbooking layouts and she tells me she's been addicted ever since! She told me doing the scrapbooking layouts was so much fun, she seemed to do one right after the other! She even showed me the empty boxes she use to have her pictures in... I could pack my whole living room in those boxes!

Of course, I was excited! Especially after she showed me her beautiful scrapbooks! I wanted her to show me how to do scrapbooking layouts too!

I have to tell you, learning how to do scrapbooking layouts really did change my life forever! Now, not only are all of my pictures beautifully organized and displayed, but I also have all of the details about what happened for each picture in my scrapbook right there. So, I don't have to struggle to remember anything, including having the picture. It's all laid out for me to stroll down memory lane any time I want to! And it's really fun to share with friends and family!

I don't think I have to tell you that I'm addicted to scrapbooking layouts now too! I've spent hours upon hours looking through scrapbooking sites. There are so many wonderfully creative techniques, it's hard to know where to start! But, I've found this really awesome site on scrapbooking and it is by far the best scrapbooking site I have come across so far. I can't believe how much I've learned already(and how much I still have left to learn for that matter!) You really should click here to check out My Scrapbooking Secrets for yourself!

See how amazing scrapbooking layouts really can be?!

From one scrapper to another, we both know the most important part of our scrapbooking layouts are the pictures! Therefore it's very important to make sure that these parts of your scrapbooking layouts stand out the most and are properly complimented.

So, being the newly dedicated scrapper that I am, I just want to take a moment to share a few simple tips that may help anyone who may be new to scrapbooking(or, who knows, maybe there'll be something you more experienced scrappers could find useful too.)

One quick and simple way to frame your photos is to place a piece of colored paper behind your picture. This opens up a great starting point which, in itself can be done a variety of ways. You can choose the thickness of your photo's frame by making the piece of paper larger or smaller in comparrison to the picture. You may also choose to cut a design into your frame, giving it a unique flare of creativity.

Choosing the color of the paper you'll use behind your picture is important. Color not only sets the mood of a page, it can also be used as a way to bring attention to the focal point in your scrapbooking layout. (Your pictures!)

One way to test which color is best to use for your picture is to place it against many different colors of paper and taking a moment to ask yourself how well the color compliments the picture... How well does it fit into the over all design you may have planned out for your scrapbooking layout? Does this color draw attention to your picture? Does it acsent the page as well as your picture?

And, also keep in mind, paper isn't the only thing you could use for framing your photos, there are literally countless things you could use for this in your scrapbooking layouts... Fabric is another great example! I'm particularlly fond of velvet. I love the richness of the color of the material, I think it's wonderful for adding a spash of vivid color with a touch of softness around a photo.

Adding glitter or rinestone jewels to your frame is another fun and easy way to add creativity to your scrapbooking layouts. Another great way to add character to the frames in your scrapbooking layouts is to glue tiny flowers along your picture frames and then draw in some whispy vines around them!

Just take a moment to look at your pictures and let your mind wander... You never know what you might create! The possibilities are endless and waiting to be explored... What special moment will you recreate with your scrapbooking layouts? I hope these simple tips helped to spark a few ideas for you!

Another sticky situation I found myself in when putting together my scrapbooking layouts was what to use to stick my design together... I didn't want to ruin my pictures by pasting them to a piece of paper(what if I changed my mind and wanted to move my pictures?)

Well, good news for me(and anyone else with those concerns) you don't have to ruin your pictures to include them in your scrapbooking layouts! In fact, I discovered that there are quite a few options when it comes to selecting an adhesive for all of the different elements of your scrapbooking layouts!

So, I thought I'd inlcude this short little guide on some of the best ones I came across. I hope they help make your scrapbooking experience a more pleasurable one!

Photo Stickers & Mounting Tabs - Great to use on your photos since you won't have to worry about getting any glue on them... AND, if you change your mind and decide you want to move your pictures around, photo stickers and mounting tabs come in a repositionable form, so moving them any time you want to is quick, easy, and causes no distress to your pictures!

Glue Sticks - Acid free glue sticks are a great all purpose adhesive, especially when it comes to paper!

Adhesive Dots - These are great for all kinds of things, like sticking jewels, beads, and fabrics to your scrapbooking layouts. Plus, they come in all sorts of sizes and there are even some that can pop-out to give your scrapbooking layouts some dimention.

These are the best options I've come across so far when it comes to finding a good solution to adding the various elements into scrapbooking layouts. Again, I hope these simple tips will help you when you're putting your scrapbooking layouts together... Happy scrapping!