Between family outings, housework, soccer practices, and work deadlines, there’s a lot to keep up with in our complicated, busy lives. But scrapbooking doesn’t have to be complicated at all—in fact, it can be a fantastically freeing, creative break from all those life complications when we keep it simple. To help simplify your scrapbooking, we’ve created this special issue filled with hundreds of tips, ideas, and layouts such as
• ideas to simplify the number of supplies you use to maximize creativity (on pages 43–82),
• solutions to include simple and meaningful journaling on your layouts (on page 105),
• easy tips for simple photo fixes (on page 115) and organization (on page 31), and
• scraplifting secrets made simple (on page 15).
Whether you just started scrapbooking or you’ve been scrapbooking for more years than you can count, we hope you find useful, inspiring information in this special issue to help you to K.I.S.S.: Keep It Simple, Scrapbooker!
Enjoy!
Jennafer Martin Editor-in-Chief Creating Keepsakes magazine
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ting Try these simple scraplif tips on your layouts!
Supplies: BasicGrey, Jillibean Soup, and Marvy Uchida.
by Joannie McBride
Scraplifting isn’t the bad word it’s made out to be! In fact, you can find a ton of inspiration from what you see on someone else’s layout. So go ahead and let yourself take a peek. We’re not talking about copying every element from their layout—just finding one or two things that speak to you that will influence you to design and create your own inspiring layouts.
We’ve taken six layouts from previous issues and asked 18 scrapbookers to scraplift specific portions of each layout to create 18 quick and simple layouts. Try these easy ideas on the title, journaling spot, embellishments, or overall page design of your next layout and see how simple and fun scraplifting can be! Si m pl e Scr apbooks
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From colors to embellishments, Suzy Plantamura’s layout has a ton of great scraplifting potential!
Just Splashing Around by Suzy Plantamura, as seen in Scrapbooking Tips & Tricks: Summer Fun & Travel, page 75.
Vegas Vacation by Kelly Purkey. Supplies: Cardstock, pen, and stickers: American Crafts; Patterned paper: American Crafts and Studio Calico; Stamps: Hero Arts and Studio Calico; Ink: Stampin’ Up!; Buttons: Papertrey Ink; Spray ink: Studio Calico; Punch: Fiskars Americas; Other: Adhesive.
See a Swanky Title? Scraplift It! To create her layout, Kelly Purkey chose to scraplift Suzy’s glittered letter sticker title treatment to add sparkle to her layout about a trip to Las Vegas.
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Think of the page themes you can boost by adding glitter letters, and try this scrapbooking approach to reinforce that theme.
See a Desirable Embellishment? Scraplift It! Stacy Cohen chose to re-create Suzy’s wave accent on her layout. To make the design her own, she added an extra wave and used the embellishment on a single page. Tweak an inspiring accent from someone else’s layout to fit your scrapbooking style and preference.
Splash by Stacy Cohen. Supplies: Cardstock: Core’dinations; Patterned paper: Bella Blvd and Fancy Pants Designs; Rhinestones: Prima; Stickers: October Afternoon; Glitter glue: Ranger Industries; Ink: Clearsnap; Pen: American Crafts; Adhesive: Beacon Adhesives and Tombow; Other: Stickers.
How to Build a Campfire by Davinie Fiero. Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper; Patterned paper: Crate Paper and Studio Calico; Spray ink: Studio Calico; Trim and wood veneer: Pink Paislee; Buttons: Maya Road; Pen: American Crafts; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L; Other: Stickers and thread.
See a Cool Color Palette? Scraplift It! Suzy’s monochromatic color scheme inspired Davinie Fiero, so she used that for the inspiration to design her layout about camping. Look for color palettes
that ignite your creativity, and use them to create your layout.
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The playful title and layered clustered accents on Stacy Cohen’s layout make it an enjoyable layout to scraplift.
Endearing Memories of Grandma Rose by Stacy Cohen, as seen in the September 2011 issue of Creating Keepsakes, page 72.
He Just Loves Watching Movies by Wendy Sue Anderson. Supplies: Cardstock, adhesive, and pen: American Crafts; Patterned paper: Echo Park Paper Co.; Stickers: American Crafts, Echo Park Paper Co., and Pebbles; Buttons: Advantus; Punch: Stampin’ Up!; Other: Thread.
See a Clever Title? Scraplift It! To mimic Stacy’s conversational title, Wendy Sue Anderson included a medley of letter stickers to
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adorn her page. Try this technique to create a whimsical and cheerful feel on your layout.
s Create impressive layout using minimal supplies.
Supplies: Advantus, Clearsnap, GCD Studios, Jillibean Soup, K&Company, Martha Stewart Crafts, We R Memory Keepers, and Other.
by Mou Saha
Whether you are a scrapbooker on a tight budget or someone who struggles with too little time, limiting yourself to just a few products can help you create great layouts. In this article, you’ll learn the art of product selection and the science of stretching your supplies to not only save you time and money but also create
stunning projects. Start with either digital or traditional basic supplies (adhesive, cardstock, pens, photos, scissors, and a trimmer), and then add four, five, or six more products. With just those few materials and the easy tricks on the next few pages, you’ll be able to create simple, beautiful projects! Si m pl e Scr apbooks
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Basics
+4 Extra Supplies
Each layout in this category was created using two or more of the basics and only four additional supplies.
This Day by Jamie Harper. Photos by Jason Harper. Supplies: Cardstock and adhesive: American Crafts; Patterned paper: BasicGrey; Stickers: Bella Blvd and Crate Paper; Font: Times New Roman.
Jamie’s Basics: Adhesive, cardstock, photos, and trimmer.
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Jamie’s Extra Supplies: 1 Font; 2 Patterned paper pad; 3 Stamp set; 4 Stickers
Three Simple Tricks to Try 1 Use patterned paper from a pad, kit, or collection to save you time selecting paper. Jamie Harper created a clean and simple block design using patterned paper from a collection. This not only saved her time in selecting paper to purchase, but also took guesswork out of which paper designs to use together.
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2 Cut a strip of patterned paper and use it like ribbon to add a quick design element if you don’t have trim handy. Jamie threaded a paper strip through a chipboard buckle to create a pretty border accent.
3 Use the same font to create your title and journaling for a neat, coordinated look without having to juggle various fonts. Jamie created her title, sentiments, and journaling using just one font. Vary your font size (larger for title and smaller for journaling), font weight (making the title bold), and use all capital letters (for sentiments) to create interest on your page.
Your Life in Sales by Jana Morton. Digital Supplies: Software: Adobe; Cardstock: Katie Pertiet and Maplebrook Studios; Patterned paper, brush, and frames: Katie Pertiet; Fonts: Century Gothic and Impact.
Jana’s Digital Basics: Cardstock and photos.
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Jana’s Extra Digital Supplies: 1 Brush; 2 Font 1; 3 Font 2; 4 Patterned paper
Three Simple Tricks to Try 1 Cut cardstock and patterned paper into basic shapes and layer them to create a background scene, add visual movement through your page, and draw the viewer’s eyes to your focal photo. Jana Morton did this on her layout by digitally cutting cardstock and patterned paper into basic wave shapes and layering the waves to make her focal photo stand out.
2 Use fonts to create custom titles and tidy journaling for a clean, uncluttered look. Notice how Jana typed her journaling using an easy-to-read font and made her title eye-catching by using a bold font.
3 Use the same stamp or digital brush repeatedly to embellish your layout cohesively without investing in multiple themed accents. Jana used the same snowflake brush several times to embellish her page.
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How Do You Spell This Word? by Autumn Baldwin. Digital Supplies: Software: Adobe; Cardstock: Vinnie Pierce; Stamps and stickers: Katie Pertiet; Font: Century Gothic.
Autumn’s Digital Basics: Cardstock and photos.
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Autumn’s Extra Digital Supplies: 1 Font; 2 Letter stickers; 3 Stamp 1; 4 Stamp 2
Three Simple Tricks to Try 1 Mat letter stickers with cardstock or digitally add shadows to letters when you need your title to pop against a busy background or to create contrast between your letters and the background, which makes the title easier to read. Autumn added heavy shadows to the letters in her title to make it stand out from the light backdrop of her photo.
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2 Create a consistent design element by formatting your journaling to match an embellishment. Autumn reversed her black-on-white journaling to white on black to match the date stamps on her page.
3 Use memorabilia (original, scanned, or screenshot) as page accents to create a personally meaningful layout while minimizing the need for extra products. Autumn used her son’s written pieces and drawings together with screenshots from her family blog to embellish her page as well as support her story.
Seven simple tricks for effortless, engaging journaling.
October Afternoon, and Simple Stories.
Supplies: Fancy Pants Designs, Jillibean Soup, K&Company,
by Kim Jackson
Starting a layout with a story in mind can certainly make scrapbooking easier. With the tale you want to tell at the front of your thoughts, you can select photos and storyenhancing embellishments with confidence. You’re a scrapbooking superstar! But when you sit down to write your journaling, nothing
comes to mind. Use the simple tricks and ideas for effortless journaling on the following pages. You’ll find the words will flow, your pages will look fantastic, and your journaling will spark your viewer’s imagination. In minutes, you’ll be journaling with confidence.
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Journaling can be as simple as putting your thoughts in a list. You don’t even need to write in complete sentences when you journal this way—it’s truly the thought that counts. Take a look at the simple, numbered journaling on Jamie Harper’s layout, for example. A list of fun reasons you like to be with someone, like the list Jamie created, takes little effort to come up with and it’s a lot of fun for your family to read!
For your journaling, just select a topic, number a list on a sheet of scratch paper, and start jotting down ideas. When you’ve completed your list, transfer it to your layout, or adhere your scratch paper to your layout as is.
The Silly, Fun Reasons by Jamie Harper. Supplies: Patterned paper: American Crafts, Bella Blvd, Simple Stories, and We R Memory Keepers; Stickers: Bella Blvd and Jillibean Soup; Adhesive, pen, and tag: American Crafts.
Make It Easier!
Grab a sheet of paper featuring a preprinted number design, and add your words using a bold pen that will stand out against your paper’s background, just as Jamie did.
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If scrapbooking products inspire you to create fantastic page designs, then this journaling trick is for you! Use word stickers to jump-start your journaling. Stickers featuring appealing words such as “cherish” or “carefree” offer engaging language for you to spice up your journaling without breaking out a thesaurus. What’s more, the bright colors and fun fonts will draw your viewer’s attention to these special words. How easy is that?
This is an easy journaling trick to pull off using the products you already have on hand. Most sticker sheets include a word or two, perfect for journaling. Here, Suzy Plantamura pulled letter and word stickers from her stash that reminded her of her cute niece.
Cousin Emily by Suzy Plantamura. Supplies: Cardstock, flower, and marker: American Crafts; Patterned paper: Crate Paper and Echo Park Paper Co.; Stickers: Advantus, American Crafts, Bella Blvd, and Doodlebug Design; Buttons: Crate Paper; Baker’s twine: My Mind’s Eye; Adhesive: American Crafts and Glue Dots International; Other: Thread.
Make It Easier! Make basing your journaling on stickers even easier by selecting stickers featuring phrases, which can help you complete your thoughts. Check out our inspiring journaling product finds on page 113.
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Here’s another way to use eye-catching design to give weight to your words. Draw your viewer into your story by making your journaling a graphic part of your layout design. Lined stencils, or journaling templates, make this so simple! And you’ll easily find
one that can help you visually tie your words to your embellishments and photos. Here, Mou Saha echoed the circles in her photo by using a large circle template to create a half circle filled with journaling.
Back to Mosi by Mou Saha. Supplies: Cardstock: Core’dinations; Template: The Crafter’s Workshop; Pens: Faber Castell; Adhesive: 3M; Other: Stencils.
How to Journal Using a Large Template Fit your template-shaped journaling on your layout with ease by laying your template on top of your photos, and then lightly draw your journaling lines to fit snugly against the edge of your photos. Make It Easier! If you’re not feeling ready to design your journaling using a large template like the one Mou used, opt for smaller journaling templates that you can use to stencil journaling lines between your photos or under your title—anywhere you’d normally place your journaling!
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