Photo Corner Christmas Trees..  by Lynn Anne Cutler
Added: 2007/Dec 19

Here’s a neat trick for creating some quick Christmas Trees out of your favorite photo corners…or the ones that have been taking up room in your drawer for much too long!

"Larger photo or page corners, like the larger of the DaisyD’s cardstock stickers shown here, make good card or scrapbook page embellishments. Playing around with fancier..."

Read More > >

Where the Heart Is
Staggered 4”x10” “Home” gift album..  by Lynn Anne Cutler
Added: 2007/Nov 30

The name of Zsiage’s “Impressed with India?” paper collection may convey the idea of an exotic locale, but the warm shades and textile-patterned designs also conjure up the warmth of Home.

"Give as a gift and let the recipient fill with favorite photos of (or from) home, or fill it with your own favorite home photos and display on a mantel or your..."

Read More > >

Acrylic Paint Beginner's Basics 101!  by jennifer santos-hamer
Added: 2007/Feb10

Acrylic paint is a favorite scrapbook supply for many reasons: They're usually acid free, inexpensive, easy to store, and come in a myriad of colors. They can be add a unique touch to paper arts projects. Here are a few basic examples of the way acrylic paints are used in scrapbooking, cardmaking, and other paper arts:

~ click to enlarge~

"There are many, many stencils available at local craft and home improvement stores, or you can make your own. For the heart in this card, I set up the word "love" in Printmaster, printed it out, sketched a heart..."

Read More > >

Archival Safe Scrapbooking..  by jennifer santos-hamer
Added: 2007/Jan26

"True archival preservation can be entrusted to professional conservators, but for most families, professional conservators are not an option. Thankfully, many preservation professions have provided a lot of valuable advice both in printed publications and online for the rest of us.  Scrapbookers do what they do for an infinite number of reasons, and some, like me, joined in this wonderful hobby and art form without education about practicing archival safety. Recently, when I received photos from my husband's family collection – photos that spanned four generations of his maternal family...."

Read More > >

Giddy Up Envelope Mini Album!  by Lynn Anne Cutler
Added: 2007/Jan12

An envelope album is one of the quickest and most rewarding mini-albums to make. Album construction itself takes only a minute or two, and the rest is all embellishment!

~ click to enlarge~

"When accordion folded, the front flap of the album will overlap one of the rectangles. The envelopes I purchased for this project had a tattered edge to start with. If yours do not, you may wish to use decorative scissors to create..."

Read More > >

Holiday Scrapbooking Ideas! by melanie stout
Added: 2006/Dec 9

Want to make your holiday season last forever? Enjoy the joy of Christmas all year, by creating a scrapbook of all your favorite holiday memories.

~ click to enlarge~

"After the hustle and bustle of the holidays, you finally have some time to sid down and scrapbook your memories. Ok so you have taken rolls and rolls of film, you have tons of photos to go thru… which ones do you pick to add to a scrapbook? I wish I had ..."

Read More > >

Make An Art Display Rack... by julie jones
Added: 2006/Aug19

If you are like most parents, you have lots of artwork from your kids. Most of us have a hard time throwing any of it out. Here is a clever way to display your child's artwork before putting it into the "round filing cabinet" or a file box.

~ click to enlarge~

"Use a pretty piece of moulding and attach ribbon just to the bottom half of the wood, then use clothespins as holders and put it in your laundry room, or beside your front door as a mail holder, a place for keys, ..."

Read More > >

Using Inks and Colorwashes ... by jennifer santos-hamer and monica laabs
Added: 2006/Aug 6

People often ask how to use the Adirondack Alcohol Inks and Color Wash Dyes sold in the Paints, Colorings, and Inks section of Memory Villa. MV Designers Monica Laabs and Jen Santos-Hamer provide suggestions and step-by-step techniques on how to use these versatile products.

~ click to enlarge~

"Apply ink to the transparency in small drops. The moistened surface gives you a little more working time so you can watch the ink flow as it will and then decide how much more to continue adding. Don’t over-apply the ink around the stickers as ..."

Read More > >

Stop struggling and ENJOY journaling... by stephanie freeman
Added: 2006/June5

Sometimes, filling that little blank space you left open for jounaling can be more of a challenge than it should be.  Here's some advice from Stephanie that may help to melt that "writers block" that can be so frustrating.

~ click to enlarge~

"Did you look at your baby and realize he is growing up too quickly? Did you have to fight back tears when he blew out the candle or were you too busy laughing at the handfuls of cake he was smearing in his hair? What do you want to remember from..."

Read More > >

How to make an Altered Clipboard... by april derrick
Added: 2006/May30

April shows us how altered clipboards, while fairly simple to make, end up as works of Art!  Altered clipboards make super cool room decorations, great gifts for family and friends, or can also be created to use as an actual clipboard! 

~ click to enlarge~

"Set your matted photo aside, pick your main patterned paper for the background, and cut to fit front of board from directly underneath top of clip, all the way to the bottom of the clipboard. Then adhere using a strong adhesive like herma glue dots or double sided tape....."

Read More > >

Altering Priority Shipping Boxes... by jennifer santos-hamer
Added: 2006/May12

Just about anything can be altered to create something pretty, fun, and useful.  In this article, Jennifer shares with us her techniques for altering the shipping boxes she has laying around the house. 

~ click to enlarge~

"I wanted storage and also wanted to show off some of my favorite papers -- Basic Grey's Motifica and Sublime Papers and 7gypsies Journey papers. I mod-podged my favorite papers on until I was happy with the colors. I went a little nuts on the Tim Holtz Walnut Stain ink – I should have used Antique Linen and just accented with Walnut Stain, but the experimentation is part of the fun."

Read More > >

Scrapbooking for Beginners!  by april derrick
Added: 2006/May12

For those who are ready to jump into the world of scrapbooking, but just aren't sure where to start, April guides and advises on the essential tools, popular materials, and even throws in some thoughts on creativity and inspiration. 

~ click to enlarge~

"Many times, the excitement of getting started on layouts combined with limited product knowledge overshadows the new scrapper's ability to make good choices. The term “Buyer's remorse” comes to mind, and is a common emotion shared by many beginning scrapbookers and even the most advanced scrappers. Everyone, at one time or another has found it difficult to avoid the allure".....

Read More > >

BASIC STAMPING...  by nancy peterson
Added: 2006/May12

If you haven't begun stamping or embossing in your scrapbooking, card making, or altered art adventures, then by all means, read this article.  Stamping opens a world of creative possibilties, and most scrappers are stampers too!  You can tell Nancy knows what she's talking about when you see her work!

~ click to enlarge~

"Rubber stamps are available mounted, on wooden bases, and unmounted. Unmounted stamps are a little less expensive, but must be used with an acrylic block, which they will stick to. There are a much larger variety of the mounted stamps, but in the last few months I have seen more and more companies coming out with the option of getting".....

Read More > >

Taking Better Pictures...  by kami lerma
Added: 2006/May/12

Very few scrapbook layouts are without photos.  The better the photos - the better the layout.  Kami gives us some great tips on photography, including technique, equipment and printing.  It's exciting to think too, that since most of us have a computer already, the cost of good photos is lower than it ever has been.

~ click to enlarge~

..."when shooting people, align the angle of the photo with the subject’s eyes to capture emotion. Shoot from slightly above or below for a more interesting angle. Try to get away from centering the subject in the photo and instead put them in the right or left third of the field of view. Don’t be afraid to".....

Read More > >