No matter how good we are at using our scraps, if we do a lot of layouts, we’ll still end up with too many of them. Periodic purging is a good thing. One way to purge is to collect a pile to share with our children or grandchildren.

For The Artistically Inclined Child

My plan last week was to find some coloring book pages and teach my kids how to do mosaic art, using a coloring book drawing as the template. Since I was running low on time, I gave Trinity a bag of scraps and said, “You can have these. Why don’t you go do some art with them?”

No direction whatsoever.

Trinity came back a while later with the lovely picture above. How creative is that? I had no idea she’d make something so wonderful. This give-and-let-go method is perfect for artistic children who can get creative with almost anything. If your child is not so inclined, you may need to offer a little more guidance, like my mosaic idea.

For The Child Who Needs Direction

For the mosaic, have the child tear the scraps into small pieces. You may want to do it with him or her if that task seems tedious. Draw or choose a lined picture, and then fill in the empty spaces with the torn patterned pieces. Provide the child with some glue and a paint brush for adhering.

For Those With No Kids

You can still share your scraps with children, even if there aren’t any shorties in your own life. Offer your scraps to an elementary or preschool teacher. My son’s preschool artwork last year was often made with scraps of paper.

Yesterday I commented on all those wonderful forgotten patterns we find while looking through our scraps. Aren’t there also other patterns in there that turn you off? Negative vibes during creative time are not a good thing.

If you find yourself cringing at certain scraps in your stash, turn them over to a little person who may have something really cool to do with them. If your pile is so big that it’s hard to look through, share the abundance with your child or grandchild and watch their imagination go to work.

Do you feel overwhelmed by an ever-growing amount of patterned paper scraps? It comes down to the way you look at them–whether you see those scraps as your partners or your enemies.

I love my scraps. I even love them more than my stash of brand new untouched patterned paper. It’s true! If you’d like to rekindle the romance between yourself and your discarded patterns, read on for a few tips.

1. Make the Scraps Your First Priority

Except when it’s important to use patterned paper as a 12×12 background, go to your patterned paper stash before looking at your full-sized sheets. Every time I dig through my scraps they surprise me with all their wonderful patterned potential–so many designs I forget about.

You’ll avoid unnecessary growth in scraps by using what’s already there, rather than add to the pile every time you make a layout.

2. Set Your Scraps Up For Easy Access

I used to separate my scraps in hanging file folders by color or holiday. That was back when I hated those scraps. It was a pain to put them away and it was a pain to pick them out. Then I read that Ali Edwards mixes her patterns together. Trying her method forever changed my relationship with those fun leftover pieces.

I now keep my larger scraps in a wooden serving tray and my tiny or narrow pieces in a long rectangular block candle holder. Both sit on my table, right next to me, within reach and eye-sight. I used to keep my cutting tool there, but I found it much more useful to have my scraps in reach instead.

3. Ignite New Enthusiasm With Unusual Mixing

It really is fun to dig through a pile of scraps. It’s like running into old friends. Seeing them next to other patterns you’ve never matched together will give you a new way of looking at them. You’ll discover combinations you would never have paired on purpose.

Just seeing my patterns mixed this way makes me want to make layouts. My pile of scraps is one of my actual sources for ideas and scrapbooking motivation.

4. Have Some Simple Go-To Templates

The layout at the top of this post is from one of my go-to templates. With this template I support a single photo with a group of square patterns from my scraps, and then I bridge them with a ribbon or line of some kind. Last, I add a title, a trio of embellishments (in this case, three word strips) and journal around the edge of the page. Easy but attractive.

Look through your favorite layouts and identify the ones that use smaller pieces of patterned paper. These can be templates for future layouts that you can go to again and again.

If you’ve seen your scraps as your enemy instead of your partners, try these tips. Not only will you save money and reduce waste and stress, you’ll also find a new muse full of unending inspiration.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve found some wonderful hardware to salvage before throwing away the old backpacks from the kids’ school year.

If A Closure Can Secure A Pocket, It Can Secure A Minibook

Do you see the pink closure on the minibook in the picture above? I cut it out of my daughter’s backpack a year ago(it was on a side pocket) and added some pink wire and a charm. Here’s how it works:

1. Use a utility blade or scissors to cut away the material that encloses the closure. Then cut the bungee-like cord away from the back pack.

2. Add a charm to one end of the cord (if your charm comes from an old unloved bracelet or necklace, that makes it even better!).

3. Put the two ends of the chord together and wrap multiple times with a thin wire.

4. When you’re almost done wrapping the wire, position the charm over the center of the wired area and feed the wire through the ring of the charm. Then wrap the wire one or two more times.

More Backpack Hardware Ideas

Every backpack has its own sweet surprises. While this year’s packs didn’t have any closures like the one above, Trinity’s did have these:

I love the stitching on these.

This mesh will be a great way to add texture to a layout.

I might feed some ribbon through this clasp. You could probably feed two or three narrow ribbons side by side for a fun mix of patterns.

Remember to examine items for potential before throwing them away. It’s at least as fun as shopping. I promise.

If you like this article, please share it with a friend.

Paperclipping 48 - Summer Elements from izzyvideo on Vimeo.
Today’s episode is short and sweet, perfect for what we’re enjoying right now–summer time! If you’re already taking photos at the pool or beach, you might get a few ideas for your next layout.

As always, we have a higher-quality version for you to enjoy, as well as show notes for this episode.

I often read complaints on message boards from scrapbookers who are unhappy when they aren’t able to find many layouts to “scraplift” from a particular issue of a magazine.

This criteria for what makes a magazine issue “good” interests me, since I don’t scraplift other people’s layouts. Clearly, I have a different set of criterion for what will make a magazine worth its money. I decided to conduct an activity that would illustrate how you can take inspiration from layouts that have a different style, topic, or number of photos, from what you have.

On Tuesday night for Paperclipping Live I challenged Dedra Long and myself to take inspiration from one of the layouts in the gallery. We chose Iraida’s layout, “Oh No He Di’nt!” which is the second layout down in this posting.

My Layout

I liked how Iraida juxtaposed a circular formation with her horizontal block of photos. I also liked the vertical line on the left. I made these two elements my starting point. I found a photo and a piece of green memorabilia (no longer on the layout) and went to work with the idea of an overall perpendicular structure and a circle of some kind behind it. All of the other elements of my page, such as colors, paper layering, embellishments, title placement/topic, and journaling placement, would come from within myself.

As I worked on my layout, I found that I wasn’t enjoying any of my attempts at a vertical line, so I tossed that idea and focused on the horizontal block with a circle behind it. I also didn’t like how my green piece of memorabilia added an uncomplimentary sixth color to my combination. It was just too much. I decided to save the piece for another layout and stuck with the photo, instead.

Iraida’s Layout

One thing you may have noticed if you watched Paperclipping Live is that Dedra and I never once looked back to the original layout that inspired ours. We studied it once, decided which elements stood out to us that we might use ourselves, and then mashed those ideas with our own way of scrapbooking.

When I look at magazines, I don’t normally specify a layout like this to work from. I do spend a lot of time studying many of the layouts. I study not only the ones that I love, but also the ones I don’t. I ask myself why that layout isn’t working for me. This says nothing about the talent of the original scrap-artist; it just helps me to better understand my own preferences. I also ask myself what about the layout got the editor’s attention. Maybe there is something I can glean from that layout, even if the colors or style or design focus is not me.

All of these observations go into my head to combine with previous ideas and my own way of doing things. When I sit down to scrap it’s my head and feelings I take with me, not my magazines.

Dedra’s Layout

Dedra was also attracted to the circular shape on Iraida’s layout and felt inspired to use a circular piece of paper she had in her stash as the foundation of her page. She also loved that Iraida was willing to use a blurry photo because it supported a story she wanted to tell. Dedra decided to go with one of her own blurry photos, which tells a story about something her daughter regularly does right now.

With just those two pieces of inspiration, Dedra was armed and ready to work her classic Dedra-style into a layout truly her own.

Taking Inspiration vs. Scraplifting

I am not saying people shouldn’t scraplift. I think scraplifting is an important part of learning to scrapbook, either as a beginner, or as veteran who wants to try something new. But if you find yourself dependent on scraplifting for many of your layouts, how can your own personality shine through? And if you require scrapliftable layouts from magazines or online scrapbooking sources, perhaps you’re not getting as much as you could out of them.

More On Style

Over the next week we will spend a lot more time talking about personal style. We’ll talk about discovering it and expanding it. I’ll share the story of my own style journey. And you’ll get to see more from Dedra as we conduct an style-exchange experiment. Stay tuned!

* * *

Journaling on Noell’s page is written to Trinity and reads: Trinity, you often tell me how cute Aiden is. I love how much you adore him; how you play with him; take care of him. Such a doting big sister. What a lucky boy he is.

It goes the other way, too, though. Recently Aiden asked if he can have another girlfriend. “Who’s your first girlfriend? I asked, bewildered. “Trinity.” He answered. He’s got such a wonderful sister, he figured that another one will be double the fun and love. He also asked me once if he could marry you, since Mom’s already taken. Give love and you usually get it back.

Journaling on Dedra’s Layout is written to Ellie and reads: There is no doubt you have the gift for making very silly faces…Silly faces and constant giggling make for a not so perfect photo that I will always cherishl…This picture is the proof…

Have your kids done the Flat Stanley project in school yet? This is a popular school assignment where students make a large paper “Stanley” and send it to an out-of-state relative or friend. The relative is supposed to send photos, postcards, or souvenirs that represent the location back to the class. It’s a fun way to learn about geography.

My son sent his Flat Stanley to my parents in Kansas City last year and the pictures we got back were priceless. They reminded me of the sense of humor and creativity my parents always had when it came to my own school projects growing up.

I wanted a simple way to tell the story of my parents and Flat Stanley so my kids will know how their grandparents put their hearts into a project. Since the featured subject of the photos was a paper doll, and not my parents, making these into a quick mini-book made more sense to me than scrapbook page. My goal here was not long-term preservation but to tell a story my kids can enjoy right now.

To stiffen the picture-pages, I put thin chipboard between the pairs of front-to-back photos and adhered them together. You could adhere pairs of photos together without chipboard in-between if stiffness is not important to you.

If you do use the thin chipboard, be sure to round your corners before adhering each piece. Paint the edges so each page feels like one piece instead of two or three pieces together.

Involve Your Child

This is where I admit that I jumped on this project and did it all by myself. But now that I think about it, this would have been a very simple thing for my son to help with. Any child can round corners and all children love to paint. Not only would it be great together time, but I could have better reinforced to Blake how clever my parents were.

If your children’s school doesn’t do this project, there is no reason you and your family couldn’t do it yourselves. Click here to learn about the Flat Stanley geography project.

Below are seven different challenges for National Scrapbook Day. You do not have to do all of them. I wanted to offer a variety of options so you can choose the ones that best suit you. The more you do, the better your chances of winning. You may repeat the same challenge.

You do not have to be present at the live event to participate in the challenges. I will give out some prizes during the live event to those who are present in the chat. I will award other prizes on the blog on Sunday based on the challenges below.

For each layout or project you upload to flickr, which you must base on one of the following challenges, you will be entered in a drawing for prizes. You have until the end of Saturday to upload your layouts. In the description, please tell us which challenge you used. I will choose randomly from these layouts for the final drawings.

Please do not enter layouts you completed before reading this entry. It’s okay to finish a layout or project you already started as long as you implement one of these challenges.

Challenges:

1. Create a layout or other project using a principle from any one of the Paperclipping Video Tutorials (links are at the right). Upload your layout to flickr. In the description, please share which video you used and how.

2. Recycle an item from your life by incorporating it into the design of your layout. Upload your layout to flickr and tell us what the item is in your description.

3. Begin a mini-book. Choose the photos and a theme. Gather papers, then embellishments, that reflect the theme. Put it all in a pile and photograph it. Upload your photo to flickr and in the description tell us how the products reflect the theme of the mini-book you will be putting together.

4. Words aren’t the only way to tell a story. Make a layout that uses something visual to help tell your story on a layout. Upload your layout to flickr and share with us what visual element you used on your page to communicate an idea or emotion.

5. Use your wonderful scraps. Make a layout that uses at least 3 different scraps of patterned paper. Upload the layout to flickr.

6. Design a layout in this order:
a. Choose the photos.
b. Write journaling on some scrap paper or make notes of the emotion or tone.
c. If you have more than one photo, choose a focal point photo (unless it’s a collage where all photos are equal).
d. Decide approximate photo placement. (Don’t freak out here…you’re free to change your mind at any time).
e. Based on where you think you’ll place your photo, choose paper size and pick your background paper.
f. Choose other papers with colors and/or patterns that remind you of the tone of your layout’s story.
g. Design your layout with the photos, papers, journaling, title. Tape everything down.
h. Add your embellishments last.

7. Design a layout where you cluster at least three embellishments around a title, a photo, or a line.

I will come back tomorrow with a link to the new Paperclipping Flickr Group. You can see the schedule for the three different live events here.

Paperclipping 41 - Everything is Fixable from izzyvideo on Vimeo.
Here is another free video. See what I did to fix the cover of the altered board book I worked on during Paperclipping Live.

You can watch the higher-quality version by clicking on this link.

To celebrate our amazing hobby, we’ll have challenges and prizes on National Scrapbook Day during three different sessions of Paperclipping Live, Saturday, May 3rd.

Please join us at any of these times:

8:30 -10:30am

1:00-3:00pm

7:00-8:30pm

If you’re unsure of the time zone difference, look for your city on this website and then compare it to my city, which is Phoenix.

Remember to register for Skype (it’s free) if you’d like to call into the show to ask a question or share something cool.

I hope you’ll prepare to spend the day scrapbooking with others of the Paperclipping audience and me. During the week before our celebration, I will announce some of the challenges so you can get a head start.

I am preparing a Paperclipping Flickr Page so you will be able to upload your layouts and projects and participate in the challenges. I can’t wait to party with you!

Dina Wakley is an organic, artistic scrapbooker and she recently designed a project for a very unique challenge blog called, Inspired By Amelie. I adore Dina’s project and knew I had to highlight it and Dina as the featured artist and project this week. It is one of the more unique scrapbooking projects I’ve seen in a while.

What I love about Dina’s “Memory Box:”

1. The balance between strong design (the lined up boxes) and free-flowing art (the imperfect stamping and stitching, the dash of red in the backround, the fact that she stitched right over some of the memorabilia as they stick out from their perfect spaces).

2. The gathering of REAL everyday items.

3. The bold, passionate colors.

4. The childhood song, which instantly sent me back to the 1970’s and my childhood.

5. The fact that some of the items overlap, especially how part of the ephemera is hiding behind the page protector.

I had some questions for Dina regarding her project and I figured you would, too. Continue reading to learn more about it.

Interview

You are on the design team for the Inspired By Amelie blog and that’s what inspired this project. Will you tell us about that blog and what it is?
My friend Fauve started the Amelie blog out of a love for the film Amelie. She saw lots of potential for scrapping inspiration in the movie, and she invited a bunch of us to contribute to a challenge blog about it. The idea is to be inspired by the film…its spirit, its colors, its themes.

We have a challenge every month, and every month Fauve lines up a great sponsor for the prize.

What was the challenge that led to your “Memories” project?
In the film, Amelie finds a memory box behind the wall in her bathroom. The box belonged to a boy who had lived in her apartment in the 1950s. Amelie sets out to return the box to its rightful owner.

The scrapping challenge for the blog was to create a memory box of some sort.

How did you decide on the items you put in the page protector?
First I sent my kids on a hunt throughout the house…they brought me a few things (the Legos!). So those things represent my kids. The pieces of film are mine and represent my love for photography and pictures. There are a few coins there from our trip to England last year, and there’s a bit of a map from our China trip two years ago. The mini photographs are from the England trip, too.

The other elements all come from my stash of collage treasures–things that I like and that I tend to hoard, like old stamps and keys and clock faces. The verse that I stamped is from an old playground song that we used to sing as kids.

What were the general steps for putting it together?
Well, at first this challenge to create a memory box stumped me, because I’m really not good at altering 3-D things. Then I got the idea to collect elements together in a scrapbook page format instead of a box format.

I started with the sheet protector–it’s a sheet protector that holds slides, so it’s already divided up into little compartments. I found elements to go in the compartments and then I sewed around them so they wouldn’t fall out. Then I inked & stamped the cardstock, and combined it all together.

How did you attach the plastic page protector to the cardstock?
You can’t see it in the picture, but I stapled it.

What is the technique for getting that red paint look?
I laid down some metal mesh, and I sprayed over it with Terracotta Color Wash Spray Ink by Tim Holtz.

The page protector looks like it was already divided into square compartments and then you stitched more squares through it. Is that right? What size is it and who makes it?
Yep, it’s a protector to hold slides. I got it from Light Impressions.

Will you be putting this into another page protector and then into an album, or did you make it to display on its own?
Good question…I’m really not sure! I will likely find a way to incorporate it into an album.

Inspiration

I can think of so many ways to apply this. Just off the top of my head, you could use it to gather and showcase items from:
1. Vacation
2. Childhood
3. Wedding
4. Birth (yours or your children’s)
5. An ancestor or relative who has died
6. A day’s worth of errands
7. Your current hobby or passion

What could you use this idea for?

To see more of Dina’s scrapbooking and art journaling, visit her blog, Ponderings.
Thank you, Dina, for sharing your unique project with us!