Great Holiday Photos

For great holiday scrapbook pages, you need great holiday photos! Here are some ideas:

Traditions
Whatever your family traditions, take photos and get them into your albums! If you're having trouble thinking of them, here are some ideas to jog your memory:
*cutting a Christmas tree
*decorating the Christmas tree
*hanging the stockings
*putting up lights
*decorating the house
*buying gifts
*setting up a nativity scene
*making cookies
*parties
*looking at lights around town
*going to concerts, plays, and other special events

Gifts
Take photos of people opening them, using them, etc. It's fun to include kids' wish lists, too!

Food
What does your family eat on Christmas? Turkey? Ham? Every family has its own favorite meal, and you can make a great layout by taking photos of the meal preparations and the meal itself. Include recipes for an extra-special touch!

Cards
Save the cards you get from friends and family and keep them in a special album. You can look back over the years and enjoy them for years to come. A slip-in pocket-style album makes this a very easy album to create.

Scrapbooks as Gifts

Wanting to give a unique gift this holiday season? Here are some ideas:

Calendar Album
I use a slip-in pocket page album that stands up on a desk for easy display. Each 4x6" page features a calendar grid for the month and small photo. The best part is that the album can be re-used by slipping in different items at the end of the year!

I Hope Album
Create an album with everything you hope for someone you love. I made one for my daughter with pages that included: I hope you know how much I love you, I hope you always share yourself with others, I hope you always challenge yourself, etc. I included photos of her that matched the sentiments. She loves it!

ABC Book
I'm making one now for my nephew, and including things he recognizes on each page. This will help him learn his letters.

Happy Holidays!

Digital Albums a Big Hit at Thanksgiving!

I brought two digital scrapbooks to our family Thanksgiving celebration and they caused quite a stir! Everyone was impressed with the personalized covers and professional binding. I am excited to complete my Christmas projects now...I'm doing an ABC book for my nephew and re-creating a family album that was originally done in a magnetic album. There are lots of photos to scan, but I think I can get it done in time...

Thanksgiving Photo Tips

This Thanksgiving, think about your dream scrapbook page, and take the photos you need to make it! Here are some ideas:

1. Capture photos of your family traditions. Does Aunt Sally always bring the Green Bean Casserole? Get a photo of her bringing it in.

2. Who's carving the turkey this year? Grab your camera and capture that!

3. What does your family do after the big dinner? Watch sports? Play football? Sleep? Take some photos!

4. Do you shop Friday morning? Include photos of you at stores, standing in lines in the dark, etc. Include ads for great deals you purchased.

Have a fabulous Thanksgiving!!!

Holiday Gift Ideas for Scrapbookers

Do you have a scrapbooker on your holiday list? Here are some great gift ideas:

Tools
*a great trimmer for paper and photos is essential
*punches for decorative accents are fun to have-make sure they are good quality, though
*a 12 inch trimmer is helpful-choose one with a replaceable blade and marked measurements
*oval, circle and other cutting tools for photos are nice to have
*cup holder-you don't want your drink spilling onto your photos!

Adhesives
*double-sided tape in an easy-to-use dispenser
*glue pen for small items
*clear adhesive for use with vellum

Happy Shopping!

Scrapbooking Stores Closing

I've noticed that here in the Phoenix/Glendale area, our scrapbook stores are closing. I hear this is happening around the country. I think people are taking just as many photos now as they were years ago, but many people are not doing anything with them, so sales are down.

The photos people are taking now are usually digital, and that has its own issues...

I hear of people who lose all their photos because they have computer problems. It's very important to back up your photos in some way and also to print them, either as individual prints or digital pages or digital albums. Don't lose your precious memories!!!

Digital Cards

I have been playing with my software program and have created some fun digital cards. These can be printed out on regular paper or photo paper at home or uploaded for processing at any photo developer. I am amazed at how easy they are, and how much everyone loves them! This one went in my daughter's lunch box after a difficult morning. :)