Memory Scrapbooks Blog

It may seem hard to believe, but back to school season is almost here. In just a few short months, students will return to their schools, colleges, and universities to settle in for another year of busy schedules, homework, and exams. But before you start to stress over finding new school clothes, getting you textbooks together, and shopping for school supplies, remember that you can work towards getting your back to school to-do list completed well before the mad rush happens. For example, organizing your photos now before moving into your dorm can save you a lot of hassle – and packing – in the long run.

At MemoryScrapbooks.com, we offer a ton of great items to help you get your favorite photos in order for your big move into the dorms. From scrapbooks to albums, photo boxes to scrapbooking supplies, we have just about everything you need to capture those memories, organize them, and store them in a way that you can enjoy for many years to come.

Take some time out of your summer right now and work on completing some of your back to school to-do list. Organize your photos with the Photo Supplies from MemoryScrapbooks.com.

Ribbon can be used for more than just wrapping up gifts. In fact, when you use ribbon right, you can create beautiful scrapbooking details and accents that are sure to add beauty and personality to your favorite craft. But once you’ve selected your rolls, picked the colors, and chosen the sizes, what can you do with your ribbon to make your scrapbook special? Here are 5 ways to use ribbon in your next scrapbook:

1.To make a decorative spine, tie ribbons around spiral bound books.

2.Create a fun page border by cutting strips of ribbon and and using them to frame your favorite photos or pages. Use brads, staples, or glue to create fun and festive accent pieces for your pages or cover.

3.Make bows, stripes, or other patterns using ribbon on your scrapbook’s cover.

4.Accent a page or a photo using a ribbon bow , or a ribbon bow with a little charm or keepsake.

5.Create a fun scrapbook bookmark by attaching a decorated, colorful ribbon to the binding of your scrapbook and letting it sit between the pages.

Just a few weeks ago, we posted some great ideas on how to trim down your costs on scrapbooking and how to stretch your supplies. After digging a bit deeper and checking with some creative scrapbookers just like you, we’ve uncovered five more great ways for you to save on your scrapbooking hobby.

1.Repurpose your child’s school binders as scrapbooks. Fill them up with your own custom pages and decorate the covers for a fun and easy scrapbooking solution.

2.Print your own pictures instead of sending them to the photo lab by investing in good printer paper and photo quality ink. Just be sure that your printer can handle it!

3.Don’t be afraid to use feathers, beads, and leftover crafting supplies to decorate your scrapbooks or to personalize.

4.Have your scrapbook double as a journal by including entries in between picture pages or creating a separate section just for journaling, sketching, or jotting down ideas.

5.Ask your child’s school, a local youth center, or an art studio to save their scraps for you to use. Not only will you be saving them the hassle of recycling, but they’ll feel great knowing that their scraps are going to a great cause: capturing family memories!

Scrapbooking can’t be at its best unless you have the right photos to tie everything together. To fill up your favorite scrapbook with high quality, perfect shots, follow these easy tips on how to take and print better photos:

1.Invest in a Good Camera
Before you can build a beautiful home, you need a strong foundation. The same goes for your scrapbook. Start getting beautiful photos by investing in a good point and shoot camera. Most people won’t need an expensive DSLR, so don’t worry about spending a ton on pro gear. Instead, opt to get a simple digital camera with a stabilizer and a good zoom.

2. Editing Software Makes It Easy
Free and paid software packages for editing photos can take every shot to the next level. Try out different ones to see what works best for you. You don’t have to get crazy, but a few crops, red eye removal, and some dodging and burning can make all the difference.

3. Learning Lighting
Make it a point to learn the basics of good lighting. Don’t just flash every picture! Instead, try to meet the needs of your environment with different settings and by reading up on photography lighting tips.

4. Details Matter
Pay attention to every picture. Before you press down on the shutter, check to see that there’s nothing wrong in your photo. Preview it on the screen on the back of your digital camera just to make sure.

5. Experiment!
Try different techniques, subjects, and environments. Remember, practice makes perfect!

Father’s Day is just a few weeks away – are you ready? If you’re like most children, you probably are stressing over what to get Dad for the special day. After all, this is the man who has just about everything! Instead of stressing over what to get Dad this year, choose to give him something that he can enjoy for many years to come. Choose something that’s both personal and thoughtful. Choose to make your Dad a Father’s Day Scrapbook.

Filled cover to cover with family photos and snap shots of things your Dad does best, this kind of scrapbook can be a perfect way to celebrate Father’s Day. As a special touch, include cards, art work you gave your Dad as a child, personal notes, letters, and fun captions that can bring the story of your Dad’s journey as a father to life. Oh, and don’t forget to decorate it with some of the beautiful Scrapbook Embellishments from MemoryScrapbooks.com!

1.Clip craft store coupons whenever you see sale. This can help you save on expensive scrapbook embellishments, templates, and accents that normally would cost a fortune. Also, when clipping coupons, consider materials that you could cut or make something with yourself.

2.Trim and make your own paper using wallpaper scraps, newspaper, or other non traditional materials. Be creative! When you’re done, conserve your pages by using multiple photos on a page rather than just one picture.

3.Swap materials with a friend. This can be a great way to get a scrapbooking circle started, not to mention, you may get your hands on some really great embellishments, specialty scissors, ribbons, or papers!

4.Make your own stickers by buying sticker paper at an office supply store and find graphics online to print. Just be sure your printer can handle it first.

5.Shop at MemoryScrapbooks.com for all of your favorite Pioneer scrapbooks and supplies at fabulous prices. Keep your eye for special deals and sales throughout the season!

It seems everyone these days uses a digital camera. Lightweight and easy to use, you get pictures of everything and everyone. When was the last time you got around to having them printed however? So many cameras, chips, and computers are filled to the brim with pictures. Even most cell phones have photo taking capabilities and are quickly filled with precious memories.

If you can’t find the time to get around to printing then there are a lot of digital photo options out there, including a photo CD album or CD/DVD storage box.

When you do get around to printing it’s easy to stop off at just about any pharmacy or store to find a digital photo kiosk. Many new ones have the technology to print photos off of your cell phone, camera, or from a disk and offer one hour or online printing services for when you don’t have the time to wait for the finished product. There are many options on digital printers that let you print at different sizes, crop, and edit; tools that can be useful when scrapbooking.

Scrapbooking can go beyond being just a hobby. In fact, more people are turning to homemade crafts and hobbies to gift those that are closest to them. For birthday parties, weddings, and even baby showers, scrapbookers can share their talent and their creative vision as part of a thoughtful gift. If you have a baby shower coming up and need a more creative, personal gift for that little bundle of joy, consider gifting the new mommy and daddy with a baby scrapbook from MemoryScrapbooks.com. These adorable and fun little scrapbooks can be easily filled with templates of your design. For example, to get the parents started, make pages that are ready to be filled with photos for big events like first steps, first words, when baby comes home, first night in the crib, first experience with baby food, or other great memories that parents will want to keep for years to come. Not to mention, you can show off your scrapbooking skill by making these creative pages in advance. Trust us, mom and dad will love this gift!

“we all have a voice inside that encourages us to be greater than we believe ourselves to be. it urges us to nurture, create and wander. that voice speaks in whispers and we repeat its urgings as wishes…” Is there a more beautiful way to be greeted?! Such was my welcome upon finding WhispersAndWishes, a wonderful blog I found on my journey for scrapping inspiration. From beautiful layouts and unique cover ideas, to dashes of humor and personal, welcoming writing, this blog is definitely one to keep an artistic eye on!

While the pictures are what one most immediately notices about most scrapbooking blogs, it is actually the written aspects of the posts I am most fond of on Whispers and Wishes. Don’t get me wrong, the Thank You Cards and Christmas Layout Idea, among many others, are awesome, but it’s the attention to the written word that is missing from so many blogs that makes this one unique. Sure, sometimes we just want to relax and look at the pretty pictures, but to keep coming back to a blog I have to feel a connection to the writer. I’ll keep coming back to WhispersAndWishes, and I hope you all will too!

May is prom month, so it’s important to start thinking about how you’re going to capture those special memories for a high school student you care about. With countless photos from the special night and portraits done by a professional photographer, organizing prom memories can seem a bit tricky. However, when you use some of the scrapbooking supplies from MemoryScrapbooks.com, making a prom night scrapbook is as easy as one-two-three!

1.Gather the Keepsakes
The first step in creating a beautiful prom scrapbook is to gather together all of the photos, the program, ticket stubs, or other keepsakes that could be a valuable addition to the book.

2.Organize in a Scrapbook
Next, organize and insert your keepsakes into an archival quality scrapbook that fits your prom theme or personality. MemoryScrapbooks.com offers a great selection to choose from.

3.Embellish and Add Personality
Add some personality to your scrapbook by writing in notes, captions, embellishments, and other decoration to make the pages come to life. Don’t’ be afraid to be creative here!