What do you do when you write your journaling directly onto your background paper and then find it horribly wrong?

I don’t mind crossing out a word or two, but sometimes the “error” is beyond a few misspelled words. In this week’s episode, I share some of my journaled background near-tragedies and fixes!

These aren’t just “passable” fixes. These are fixes that left me even happier with the results than my original plan. I’m excited to share with you not only my techniques, but the design principles that make them work so you can apply them to your own journaling mistakes.

This week’s episode is for members only. You can watch the trailer video if you’re not a member. Please click here to find out how you can become a Paperclipping Member and get access to the archive of over 140 video tutorials.

Need to see some samples first? I have posted several full episodes for free.

Below are the “fixed” layouts I featured in this week’s tutorial…

Little Rascal

12×12 layout

Journaling to Aiden, age 3, reads:

the story
During one of Blake’s baseball practices an older boy, about 7 years old, challenged you to a race. You agreed and off you went. Of course, we couldn’t expect your little legs to keep up with him and he hit the finish-line with the declaration, “I won!” long before you did.

true confessions
Here I was, your protective mother, irritated that this 7-year-old boy was gloating about beating you, my 3-year-old. But then you reached the finish-line, still at a full run, and with a huge smile on your face. You began yelling, “I won! I won! I won! I won!…!”

Confidence.

the juicy part
That boy tried his best to convince you (and the rest of us!) that he beat you. But he could not overcome your boisterous, “I won!” celebrations. He was frustrated. And I have never stopped smiling about it.

T is for Trinity

12×12 layout

Journaling reads:

A conversation with Aiden, age 5…

a: Mom, I want a “T” on my forehead.

(after hearing him mumble, “Trinity . . . Trinity . . .” I made a guess)
m: You want a “T” on your forehead for “Trinity?”

a: Mmm-hmm.

m: T for Trinity? Because you love her?

a: Yep. I love her.

To become a Paperclipping Member, please click here for information, and to sign up!

The Winners

Thanks to all who participated. The following three entries were chosen randomly. Congratulations! Please email me at noell@paperclipping.com so I’ll have your email address and we’ll be able to get the coupon codes for your prizes to you.

Capture Your Dream Workshop
juliamueller – My mother gave me the trait of creativity. She and her father and brothers were all artists. I have waited for years to try my hand at painting, but have found i actually do have some talent. From my father I got a quiet, loyal nature.

Ali Edwards Digital Designs Package
Karin – Why was your name chosen for you?

My father’s father was from Norway, and he had a cousin in Norway that he would talk about named Karin (car-in). My dad always thought it was a pretty name, so that’s what he wanted to name me. I’ve always really liked my name because I haven’t met many others with it and because of my Norwegian heritage being so close to me since I am third generation.

Big Picture Scrapbooking Workshop – A Baker’s Dozen
Karin – Which of your mother’s personality traits do you share? Which of your father’s?

My Mom and I both like to keep busy with making things and learning to make things. We’re both scrapbookers and like craft projects. We’re both singers. We like to give gifts to people and read magazines. We love owning our dogs and taking care of them. We love the same TV shows and a lot of the same movies. We both like to collect things and have a hard time letting go of things. We’re curious about our heritage and like to get to know all of our relatives and keep up with them. We like to travel and go to concerts. We both ask a lot of questions.

My Dad and I both like to write and blog about our daily lives and thoughts. We both like things to be orderly and cleaned and planned, yet like to be creative and try new things. We both like to garden and cook. We like to talk music, books, and movies. We’re both very emotional and deep and get upset easily. We’re really good at remembering people, their names and faces and details about their lives.

* * *

Below are the prizes and the challenge description. Good luck and have fun!

THE PRIZES

Capture Your Dream Workshop from Creativity Prompt

One winner will receive a Capture Your Dream workshop, which is a 6 weeks long, self-paced course that is designed to help you realize your dream with a unique mix of scrapbooking and self development. There is no “magic” or “secret” involved, but rather a journey of self exploration with guided journaling and inspiration prompts. Think of it as a marked trail for you to walk through towards achieving your dream.

But there’s more to it. Along your journey you will also be making a 6 by 6 mixed media mini album with step by step instructions and printable templates. The mini album is not only there for you to learn a ton of new techniques but also as a bag of motivation for your journey. The workshop is held entirely online and you will be receiving an e-mail with a pdf file every weekday for 6 weeks.

To commemorate National Scrapbooking Day Avital will be offering 50% discount throughout the month of May, dropping down the price from 49.95 USD to just 25 USD. Learn more here.

Ali Edwards Digital Designs

One winner will receive a package of some of Ali’s favorite digital products from her collection at Designer Digitals.

A Baker’s Dozen class at Big Picture Scrapbooking.com

One winner will receive…

Over the course of one month, Darci Dowdle (Stacy Julian’s little sister) will help you gather specific pictures, papers, and products from your own overflowing stash and you’ll create 13 layouts — a baker’s dozen. Daily emails will tell you how to prepare in a new “egg”-xilarating way and then daily downloads will inspire to you to think outside the “egg carton” and put it all together to get pages done. Let’s get together and whip up some vibrant and meaningful pages! See more here.

THE CHALLENGE

Choose from among the questions below to answer on a layout, a minibook, or an altered book that we will assemble during our iNSD event on Saturday. To enter to win, please share your journaling with us in a comment to this post (not on facebook). This must be new journaling content that you wrote no earlier than when I first posted these questions (meaning, you can’t pull from a layout you’ve made before or journaling you wrote before I posted these questions yesterday).

You have between now and Sunday at midnight to enter. You can enter up to five times (as separate comments). I will choose randomly.

THE JOURNAL QUESTIONS

Why was your name chosen for you?

What was happening in the world when you were born?

What is your earliest memory of home?

What was your favorite hiding place as a child? What is your favorite hiding place as an adult?

Describe your favorite outfit as a child, and as a youth. What about now?

In your opinion, what has been the most significant world event that has taken place during your lifetime and why?

Write about some places you went with your mother. With your father.

Tell about your civic or political activities.

What frightens you and why?

What is your greatest joy? Greatest sorrow?

What is your personal secret to happiness?

What lessons did you take as a child?

What personality trait do you admire and why?

What was your most embarrassing moment?

What would you like to be remembered for?

Where, when and why did you go to college?

Did you have a close relationship with any of your grandparents? Tell about it.

How do you feel about death?

Tell a story about you and each of your brothers and sisters.

What was (is) dating like for you?

Tell about a teacher or class that had a great influence on you.

Tell about teenage social life: Your friends, dances, movies, dating, activities, etc.
Were you ever in drama, speech, sports, pep or glee club?

Tell about your first “crush”. What was he or she like?

What are your favorite foods? What foods do you detest?

What color was your house, your bedroom, your living room as a child?

What did you do as a child that got you in the most trouble with your parents? With your teacher?

What games did you play in your home or neighborhood?

What places in the world do you want to visit, and why?

What is the most trying experience that ever happened to you?

What is the most wonderful thing that ever happened to you?

What is your favorite book? What do books mean to you?

What are your most precious and deeply embedded values?

Where is the most exciting place you have ever been? What made it interesting?

Which of your mother’s personality traits do you share? Which of your father’s?

Would you choose differently if you could choose your occupation again? Why and how?

Tell about your life as the children left home: New interests, what you did with the extra time, new employment, moves, hobbies, etc.

Do you have a best friend? Why do you get along well?

How do you feel about winning? Losing?

Tell about your bicycle experiences.

Do you have a favorite author? Who is it and why?

Describe your Sundays.

List all the places you have worked and tell something about each one.

What things do you enjoy doing today that you also enjoyed as a child?

Do you remember any special fears, fantasies, etc. that you had as a child? Tell about them.

What musical instrument can you play?

What does real success in life mean to you?

What is the value of pursuing a vocation, hobby or activity that you love?

For more information on our iNSD event and the projects we will be doing, please click here. Be sure to join us from 1-3pm PST at http://www.paperclipping.com/live

This week’s video is for members only.

In this tutorial, you’ll see:

• How to add mystery to your journaling
• Examples of scrapbooking “inside jokes”
• Examples of scrapbooking private details from your life
• Tips for using “stream of consciousness” journaling to create a background texture

You can download the trailer, or you can become a member to see the full version of the video.

Also, if you’re not subscribed to the free version of Paperclipping in iTunes, here’s a link that will take you there.

Layouts you’ll see in this episode:

The Rainbow In My Closet

8.5×11 layout
Tell a story about how you dress right now or how you organize (or don’t organize).

Published (& Paid) Writer

12×12 layout
Tell a story of something you accomplished, big or small.

Share

What was the topic of the last page you made about yourself? What’s a topic you know you want to scrap about but haven’t yet? I’d love it if you shared your story ideas by leaving a comment.

This week’s episode for the Paperclipping Members demonstrates tips and principles for turning a boring and symmetrical multi-photo layout into a much more interesting page with asymmetry. Watch the page come together and see the difference design know-how can make!

If you’re not a Paperclipping Member you can click on the player above for the trailer to this tutorial, or click here to watch the Quicktime version. You can also watch the free videos we have in the column to the left (you’ll probably need to scroll down a little to see those). If you like what you see, you may want to head over to this page to learn how you can watch the rest of our tutorials.

Below is the scrapbook page I featured in this episode…

Actors

2-pg. 12×12 layout

Making Memories was definitely my manufacture of choice for Halloween products this year. They made the witch boots paper and the charms you see in the layout above. The gorgeous laser cut paper at the bottom (Basic Grey) and the black-on-black flocked damask design that stretches across the page toward the top (Doodle Bug) are not Halloween-specific but definitely contribute the style I was going for.

These black flowers that hug the photo series (a tiny one layered on top of a larger one), plus the framed boots with small flower, are variations of two of the Halloween ornaments I designed for the tutorial here and here.

Journaling reads:

Trinity – You made up the “Freaky Doll” idea when Nana said you could borrow her purple wig (something she usually wears Halloween night) and that very bizarre mask. That pink girlie dress and the striped tights were perfect final additions to complete the look. Great idea, girlie.

Blake – You got some good 1-on-1 time with Dad while he painted Zombie makeup on you, You love being a monster and really getting into character. Usually you’re done that with masks but this year you were excited to finally get costume makeup on your monster face. Something you’ve wanted for a while.

Today’s episode is for the Paperclipping Members. If you want to commemorate the culture of a place you’ve visited or plan to visit, you might want to consider the topic of this episode: create a book with an authentic item that portrays the place and culture. Below are a few pictures of my own book, which I made to showcase photos and items from Rocky Point, Mexico…

Mexico Minibook From A Punched Tin Frame

Scrapbooking supplies I used: Tim Holtz Distress Emboss Powder in Scattered Straw. Versamark Ink. Old Olive and Creamy Caramel by Stampin’ Up. Book Binding Tape by 7 Gypsies. Epoxy sticker by s.e.i. Letter stickers by Creative Memories. Eyelets by American Crafts.

Do you wish you could watch this video? Get access to this and all the others after checking out the Membership Information Page.

If you have an over-abundance of tags in your scrap stash, this week’s episode will give you a fun idea for using them.

This video is available to members only. Learn about a membership here.

Here are pictures of the layouts I featured in the video, along with journaling and supply information…

Hyman Tribe

12×12 layout

The colors got funky on this one…my apologies!

Journaling reads: Blake’s been singing this humorous jingle from the comedy, “Nacho Libre.” [the song: "I eat some bugs. I eat some grass. I use my hand to wipe my...tears."] The kids giggle so much at this song and Israel and I couldn’t tell if they knew what word the song actually implied. Israel finally asked Blake, “Do you know why that song is so funny? Blake, with a suspicious look on his face said, “Because he ate bugs and grass and that makes him cry.” We agreed verbally with Blake and left the kids to their innocence.

Supplies: patterned paper (Creative Imaginations) * tags + wire (Stampin’ Up) * journal spot peeking out above left journal block + acrylic heart (Heidi Swapp) * chipboard (Thickers for American Crafts) * rub-on’s (My Mind’s Eye) * plastic flower (Prima) * button and ribbon from unknown source.

Beautiful You @ 8 Yrs

12×12 layout

Journaling to Trinity reads: You are one of those rare people who are naturally beautiful both inside and out. You have so much empathy and it drives you to take care of others. But you don’y do it at your own expense or when it compromises your integrity. You’re also unbelievably responsible, always remembering everything and giving the rest of us desperately needed reminders since, unlike you, we forget everything (we don’t know about Aiden yet).

You are a loyal friend. People love you and it’s easy to see why…You’re a fun and very lovable girl.

I love doing layouts with lots of scraps like this one because while I’m scrapbooking I get to enjoy happy memories of past scrapbooking times.

Supplies: Cardstock (Bazzill) * patterned paper (Basic Grey, s.e.i., Creative Imaginations, green paper-unknown) * lace paper ribbon (Creative Imaginations) * tags + wire (Stampin’ Up) * rub-on’s (My Mind’s Eye) * vintage key.

Details

I love these old keys (left) with interesting shapes to them. The shape is sort of flowery. On the right is a 3-dimensional plastic flower sitting on top of a button (thank-you glue dots), sitting on top of an acrylic heart outlined in brown ink.

That green butterfly is a rub-on, but because I wanted it’s wings to hang off a raised tag, I didn’t actually rub it on. I glued it with its plastic to the tag with Diamond Glaze instead.

Did you enjoy today’s episode of Paperclipping? If so you’ll probably enjoy the others! You can find out what it means to be a Paperclipping Member by clicking here.

While there is nothing wrong with a vacation album or minibook that simply highlights the trip’s activities, there are some trips that add up to more than just that list. Some vacations impact you at a deeper level than the exciting agenda can show.

For today’s episode, I’ll share a vacation minibook I made for a trip like that. I’ll share how I found connections among my memories of the trip that led to a theme which I carried through the entire book. Many of us will have family vacations to document this summer, and I hope this episode gives you a new way to think about how you can approach your album or mini.

This video is available to members only. Learn about a membership here.

Below are a couple photos of the book I featured in the video. You can see the rest of the book in a set on my flickr page by clicking here.

The Two Of Us (In Sedona)

Supplies for these pages: Spiral minibook (7 Gypsies) * Patterned paper and title (My Mind’s Eye, background paper of second pic unknown) * Scroll sticker (Creative Imaginations) * Letter stickers (Creating Memories).

Do you like this free video? You can get access to all of the Paperclipping tutorials if you are Member. Please click here to find out more.

* * *

Show notes for this episode are here.

Today’s episode is for our Members. If you’ve ever struggled to make a rectangular collage using different-sized photos, you’ll appreciate this one. I’ve come up with a very simple formula to make that often frustrating task very easy! If you’d like to watch today’s episode, as well as the other 99 waiting for you in the archives, but don’t have a Membership, please visit the Membership Information Page.

Below are the layouts I shared in the episode…

Easter 08

You see that pink egg over on the far right? That was a tag from one of the goodies I bought the kids last year. I got a kick out of the fact that last year’s Easter came so early, the product manufacturers posted the date on all the tags…I guess to make sure we were ready!

Journaling on layout reads: We’ve been adjusting our Easter tradition a bit over the last few years. We moved the early morning hunt and breakfast outdoors last year. This year we hid plastic eggs instead of our colored eggs (we still color eggs, though). Blake has played Easter Bunny with Dad and I before waking up the kids for the last few years. And this year they got more stuff and less candy. One thing remains the same, though…total fun and the enjoyment of Spring.

The circular tag and title arch are the Memory Makers Noteworthy Glitter Die Cuts. The swirly flourish is from Bazzill.

Wonderful Beautiful Amazing

The overall up-and-down placement of the 2 large photo blocks, as well as the shape and placement of the two paper journaling blocks were inspired by a layout by Ali Edwards that appeared in Creating Keepsakes Magazine a year or two ago.

Journaling reads: We’ve been taking day-trips through the canyons near Superstition Mountain and Canyon Lake a lot lately. It’s only minutes from our home–one of the reasons I am so happy with where we live. We all love the scenic drive, looking at the cacti, cliffs, and joking about how Blake convinced Aiden that the winter moss on the rock walls is called, “souvenir” because Aiden wanted to collect some to bring home during this particular trip.

Today–Jan. 4, 2009–we took advantage of the rare overcast weather for great lighting and color saturation. Israel and I each brought our cameras and tripods and caught some fun memories while you kids climbed and played. I love this.

Typed journaling on photo: Trinity was having a hard time getting through the thorny path to join you on the butte. You went down and carefully led her, just like a gentleman. Later I thanked you and you said, “That’s okay. I enjoyed it.” What a cool dude…you make your mama so proud.

The digital text that I layered onto my photos (except for the journaling) are all from Ali Edwards’s Loving Life Word Art and her 12×12 Life text frames. I will demonstrate how to do this in Photoshop Elements in a future episode.

The butterflies and folliage rub-on’s are new from My Mind’s Eye. The more subtle rub-ons that add texture to the page are older ones from Chatterbox.

Membership pricing went up on January 1st, so if you’ve been playing with the idea of joining Paperclipping so you can see episodes like today’s, make sure you do it quick while we’re still issuing a coupon for the lower price. You can learn more about it on the Membership Information Page.

Below are the layouts from today’s episode…

Forever In Blue Jeans

Printed text is from Neil Diamond’s song: “Money talks. But it don’t sing and dance and it don’t walk. ‘Long as I can have you here with me I’d much rather be forever in blue jeans.”

Journaling, written to my husband, Izzy, reads: In October you walked away from The Man. The suit and tie disappeared and the jeans came out. Our lives stopped revolving around a corporate and materialistic America. Instead we depend on our creativity and drive. We gave up a lot of monetary luxuries. And we are happier. Life is more fun than ever before. The past three months have been a honeymoon for us. Life is so very, very good. Love you.

(note: In my journaling, I did not mean to call America, as a whole, “materialistic.” I was only referring to one aspect of modern American culture. There is a greater good in America that has given us the ability to do what we’re doing, for which I’m so grateful).

Supplies: Cardstock (Bazzill, Stampin’ Up) * Patterned paper (Cosmo Cricket) * Other: charm, denim.

A Year Of Changes

Just as many of us begin each year with a word we want to characterize the next 12 months, you can use that word in a year-in-review layout. I actually started my year with the word, “Build.” But as I looked back to last January, I realized that that focus resulted in a year of lots of change. Change became the key-word for my layout below…

Journaling reads as a list and corresponds with the photos at the top (except the first one) from right to left, top to bottom:
1) We gave up meat and most animal by-products. I became vegan and learned a whole new way of cooking/baking. It was quite a lifestyle change as most everything we eat is what I make from scratch.

2) We rescued a puppy from the pound.

3) We got all 3 kids in school full-time.

4) We got rid of T.V. The few shows we watch we get free online. The kids forgot t.v. within a couple weeks and became more active.

5) Israel resigned from his job and we became full-time hosts and producers.

6) We simplified our materialism.

(note: I ran out of room here and #6 may be confusing. I intend on making another layout about this subject, so I didn’t worry that it’s unclear, but you might be confused by it. I meant to say that we got rid of a lot of material excess that we’d been used to having).

After you watch the episode, I’d love to hear which of your own stories came to mind and why denim would make a great visual symbol for them.

* * *

I’ve announced the winner of the November Paperclipping Challenge and highlighted her on my blog at The Crop Circle. It was a hard choice as the entries were top notch. Take a look by following this link so you can see why we chose Kim Strother as the winner of the November Paperclipping challenge. Congratulations, Kim!