Last of the baby scrapbook

With this scrapbook I kept the layouts very simple. All photo mats are sized at 4 1/4 x 6 1/4 perfect size for a 4 x 6 snap shot. There is one photo on each page and room to write information like date and weight if you want, however you don't need to. Some don't like to journal in their own handwriting.

For those of you that are overwhelmed with the idea of scrapbooking, try a theme scrapbook. It helps having a beginning and end.

more baby scrapbook

Here are a few more pages...

One of the things that I love about a theme book is that you don't have to reinvent the wheel with every page. The numbers for the months are all made basically the same. (on a few pages I didn't add the red flower). This makes it easy because you can stamp all these a head of time and have it ready when you assemble the page. It also adds a consistency to the album and connects everything together.

baby scrapbook

Okay all of you know that I don't love scrapbooking. I focus more on cards and gifts. The reason is that it seems like it's never ending. I stress with each page about colors, layouts, accessories. Where do you begin? If your child is 3 years old do you try to scrapbook all the pictures from the last 3 years (I'm stressing just thinking about it)?

All that being said there are scrapbooks that I love making! I like a theme scrapbook. One that has a beginning and an end. The same color scheme, stamps and paper are used through out the book. I've done several scrapbooks like this. I made each of the kids a "School Days" Album. I made the entire album when Caleb was in Kindergarten and Emma wasn't in school yet. I love it because every year when they get their school pictures I put the picture in the book it takes me about 5 minutes to do both. To see one of the pages of this album click here.

The scrapbook I'm showing you today is for a baby shower gift for a friend. There is a place for a picture each month of the first year for the baby. We all know how hectic that first year with a baby can be so why do we put the extra pressure on ourselves to scrapbook it also! Anyway, I got the color scheme and design idea from looking at her registry to find out the nursery theme.

Look for more pictures tomorrow.

Easter Layout

This is my Easter spread, I used the same stamp set I used for my Easter cards (bunny hugs) I punched the letters for the title using the large oval punch and then decorated to look like eggs. I also used the big shot to make paper buttons and tied them with a little bit of ribbon.

Big shot letters

I used the Big Shot the make the title for this page. I really like how they look, I just haven't figured out the best way to adhere them. I used tombo multi adhesive, which I love, but the letters are so small that I had a hard time not getting glue everywhere. I'm going to have to keep playing, and let you know what works best.

More than just pictures

I have a lot of pictures, so typically when I scrapbook I am trying to get several pictures on to one page. Because of this I don't usually have a lot of room for large stamped spaces. Usually a few stamped embellishments are about all I do. But on this layout I had room for a cool stamped focal point, so I decided to use my TopNote die for my Big Shot!

I really love how it turned out.

8 1/2 x 11 scrapbook

I opted to use 8 1/2 x 11 pages for my 2007 scrapbook. I usually use 12 x 12 but I had an extra scrapbook that was sized for 8 1/2 x 11 so I thought I should use it.

I vary the size of scrapbooks depending on what the topic is. I did the kid's school days scrapbooks with 6x6. I really love the 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 book that Stampin' Up! is now offering. You have a lot to choose from, so don't be intimidated by a 12 x 12 scrapbook page!

My birthday brought my mojo back

Yesterday was my birthday! and to celebrate I spent the day stamping. I started on a card (which I'll show you later) but then realized that cards are all I've done lately. I needed to work on my 2007 scrapbook. I'd done all the hard work. The pictures were printed and organized, all ready to go. I started working and got 5 double layouts done plus a cover!

Since it was my birthday and it will be my daughter's in just a few days, it's only fitting for me to show you the birthday spread. Colors are all shades of purple, eggplant envy, pale plum, perfect plum. the stamp set is a retired set that is a line of purses. I colored them with the markers so they are different shades of purple.

Scrapbooking Crop for Relay for Life

On Sunday I attended a crop to raise money for Relay for Life (American Cancer Society). All the scrappers were able to make a 6x6 page using the Polka-dot punch stamp set. After the crop I had quite a bit of cardstock already cut, so I made some cards using the same design!

Scrapbooking Accomplishment!!

I don't but a lot about scrapbooking on my blog because I just don't do it enough. I tell people that I scrapbook because I'm a mom and the guilt of not scrapbooking would consume me. So I'm a pretty simple scrapper. I figure there are three important components to scrapbook pages; pictures, journaling and embellishments. Pictures are most certainly the most important part, and the journaling continues the story of the pictures but the embellishments well they are just eye candy. So why is it we (I) stress so much about the embellishments that sometimes I go for months with out scrapbooking??
Last month I decided to overcome the worry of embellishments and layouts. I went to the library and got a great book of all different scrapbook layouts, the best part was that it was organized not by theme or season but how many pictures you had per page. I thought it was genius. After I sorted my pictures of the Zoo (above) I counted how many pictures I had then looked for a layout that would work with that many pictures. How easy!
Everybody scraps a little differently. Some people have a topic for your scrapbook that is on going like "The Holidays" or one of your children and you add to that scrapbook every year. Or maybe you scrapbook events like vacations or weddings, where there is a definite end. I tend to scrapbook chronologically. I have a scrapbook for every year (actually one year usually take two albums so I have vol 1 and vol 2). Of course both my kids have a baby book, although I wasn't scrapbooking then so it is just a normal baby book. And I do occasionally do a album that is and event (I'm starting our Disney Vacation Album).
Anyway last month was National Scrapbooking Month (did you know there was such a thing?) so I decided that I need to do some serious catching up on my scrapbook. I was up to June 2006 (nearly two years behind). So I cleared off my work table, got out my 12 x12 paper (stopped myself from making a quick card) and started working. I wanted to finish 2006 by the end of May 2008. In order to do that I did not use a lot of embellishments. I did a few titles but focused mainly on the great pictures and had fun jounaling.
I'm proud to say that I did in fact finish 2006 and it is a great feeling. I've decided to attack the Disney vacation pictures (June 2007) before I start on the actual album for 2007.

I hope you will be inspired to do some scrapbooking, remember focus on pictures and journaling, that's what is going to wow your loved ones years down the road not the layout or the buttons, ribbon and brads.