| There's good reason why the scrapbooking craze is | | | | glossy photography printer paper. Alternatively, take |
| taking North America by storm. It's a creative, fun way | | | | your originals out to a service offering laser |
| to preserve memories for future generations to enjoy. | | | | photocopying .Photocopy the originals onto high quality |
| But first, understand that scrapbooking today is nothing | | | | glossy paper, and use these copies in your layouts. |
| like the scrapbooks we made in school years ago. | | | | They duplicate the originals, plus you can enlarge them |
| Contemporary scrapbooks mix and match photos and | | | | at the time of photocopying if desired. |
| prints with digitally altered effects, memorabilia of all | | | | If your snapshots are damaged and faded, technology |
| sorts, journaling and special embellishments. The | | | | has the answer. Scan your photograph into the |
| scrapbooks themselves may be beautiful, elegant | | | | computer, then use your image editing software to |
| albums or cute, pop culture albums made of decorated | | | | remove redeye, adjust the color tones and adjust |
| chipboard or clear acrylic, or even albums hand made | | | | brightness and contrast. You can also remove any |
| by the scrapbooker or scrapartist. | | | | unwanted objects that are marring the picture. If editing |
| The memorabilia is not limited to photographs, but could | | | | can't fix the color, simply convert the entire image to |
| also include such keepsake items as letters, greeting | | | | black and white, and then adjust the contrast as |
| cards, passports, travel brochures, concert programs, | | | | needed. You now have an elegant photograph that fits |
| invitations, menus, jewelry, pressed flowers from a | | | | well with any color scheme you want to use in your |
| corsage or perhaps even a small item such as a hand | | | | scrapbook layout. |
| made doily or baby bib that you would like to preserve | | | | Remember to resize and crop your photographs |
| for posterity. If it's flat enough to attach, it's suitable to | | | | digitally before printing them out. Why waste costly |
| scrapbook. | | | | photographic paper and printer inks on photos that you |
| Journaling is a key element in scrapbooking. Journaling | | | | later crop (cut and trim) by hand? |
| refers to the title, words, explanations, thoughts and | | | | To preserve the life of your photographs substantially, |
| feelings that you record about your layout. You can | | | | spray the prints with a photographic preservative, |
| journal by hand with special pens and pencils, you can | | | | available where photographic equipment is sold. |
| print from your computer, you can stamp messages | | | | Journaling |
| using alphabet stamps and inks, or you can use die | | | | Traditionalists argue that journaling should be done by |
| cuts or stickers to put words together to form your | | | | hand, since your hand writing and hand written |
| message. | | | | message is a significant aspect of the scrapbook |
| Embellishments are the items you use to decorate | | | | project. Others say that digital journaling is a good |
| your page. Aesthetic rather than functional, they | | | | solution for those whose handwriting is less than |
| contribute to the page's beauty or mood that you are | | | | flowery. It's an individual choice. |
| trying to achieve. Typical embellishments include | | | | Layouts |
| eyelets and brads, fabric, ribbon, beads, lace, stickers, | | | | Whether your design your layouts personally, or |
| die cuts, paper flowers, metal hardware or frames, | | | | whether you "scrap lift" ideas from scrapbooking |
| glitter, decorative objects created by techniques like | | | | magazines or blogs, your layout represents the |
| quilling or iris folding, or any array of ready made | | | | scrapbook page and how you have chosen to |
| embellishments available for purchase at any craft | | | | incorporate the elements. |
| store. | | | | Unlike a photo album that contains miscellaneous |
| Scrapbookers today tend to be a versatile bunch, | | | | photographs on a page, a typical scrapbook layout has |
| choosing among traditional, paper scrapbooks, | | | | a theme or focus. Whether it is introducing the new |
| completely digital scrapbooks, or hybrid scrapbooks | | | | puppy or memories of your summer barbecue, the |
| which combine both traditional and digital elements. | | | | layout tells a story. The theme could also represent |
| Preserving Your Photographs | | | | changes over time - such as Halloween costumes of |
| Heats, humidity, light, smoke and time are natural | | | | the nineties, etc. |
| enemies of photographs. Although the black and white | | | | Your color choices play a key role in setting the mood |
| photos that our grandparents produced had great | | | | of your layout. Scrapbook artists select papers, |
| lasting power, the colored photos popular today are | | | | cardstocks and embellishments that compliment the |
| less likely to survive the test of time. | | | | colors in the photograph or alternatively, that represent |
| The best solution is digital storage. So long as your | | | | the theme, such as using purple and yellow for an |
| storage media doesn't crash, burn or become obsolete, | | | | Easter layout. Another possibility involves converting |
| digital is forever. Even if you are using a film camera, | | | | the photos to black and white or sepia, then using any |
| most development services offer a digital disk along | | | | color selection desired, since these neutral colors work |
| with your pictures. Storing digital photos has never | | | | with everything |
| been easier. Remember to backup and keep a spare | | | | And finally, after scrapbooking your page, digitize it so |
| copy. | | | | you always have a record. If your scanner doesn't |
| If you have heritage photos, save the originals in a | | | | accommodate the layout size you've chosen, try |
| dark, dry storage area, and work with copies. Simply | | | | taking a picture with your camera or web cam. |
| scan the original into the computer then print it out on | | | | Remember, digital is forever. |