Calliope's Corner

YOUR OFFICIAL SCRAPBOOK SOURCE

HERE ARE SOME IDEAS ON DESIGNING A BETTER LAYOUT

DECIDE WHAT YOUR FOCUS IS.

Select the best photographs taken. If you took 15 of a particular trip, select the best 10. When you crop them for your page, make sure you keep the focus on the most important parts. When you are shaping the photos, use a lot of rectangles and ovals because research shows that they are more pleasing to the eye.

CHOOSE A COMPLEMENTARY BACKGROUND.

I lay my photos out for balance and then choose background colors that accentuate the focus picture. I lay them out on the different paper colors and decide what would be most effective for my finished layouts.

ENHANCE WITH ACCENTS.

I like to use a variety of accents on my pages that support the theme and add to the look and feel that I am trying to achieve. some of the accents I like are stickers, stamps, and various edging scissors.

Make sure you do what you need to do to make your scrapbooks most accessible and enjoyable. Remember that focus, background and enhancement can help you present your pages more successfully than ever. The procedures take a little practice, but if I can do it, so can you!!!

There's No Stoppin' the Croppin'

Here are some ideas for a great scrapbook party!!!

Have every guest bring all of the supplies needed to create a page.

Play "Snatch the Scrapbook Page." Every guest draws a number, and the person with number one chooses a scrapbook page. The person with number two can either snatch the first page, or take a new page. The game continues until every guest has a scrapbook page. NOTE: Once a page has been snatched three times, it's "safe" and can no longer be taken.

Set up a trading post where excess scrapbook supplies could be traded with other supplies.

Give prizes to the person who creates the most pages, or the one who stays the longest etc.

"Scissor Magic"

Did you ever wonder how other scrappers created those gorgeous edges on their pages? Follow these pointers and you too can create looks you've only dreamed of.

First, pencil in a line to follow.

It's always a good idea to carefully draw a light line on the back of your paper before cutting.

Keep your eyes on the point.

Always keep the tip of the scissors pointed toward the line you've drawn. You can then be confident your line will be straight and consistent.

Realign your cuts.

If you're used to cutting with straight edge scissors, you'll need a little practice realigning your patterns. After making the first cut, realign a point or curve of the scissors' blade with a corresponding point or curve of the next cut and make the snip. This will make the design continuous.

Experiment with strips.

You can create three or four different looks from one pair of scissors. How do you create these fancy looks? By varying your approach. For one look, simply make your first cut, then make a strip by cutting parallel to the first cut. Try cutting the two strips exactly the same. For a different look, make a cut, then turn the scissors over to cut the second.

Use some pressure.

With some of the heavier weight card-stock available to scrapbookers, you may find that you need to apply more tension as you close the blades. By doing so you can get the same precise cut as you would from a heavy pair of shears.

Sharpen up!!

By the time you've cut through a truckload of acid-free paper, your scissors may grab and shred the paper rather than give you a clean cut. That's because paper fibers build up on the edges. The solution? Cut several times through wax paper, and abracadabra, the scissors will be as good as new!!!

So there you have it--scissor tricks to create magical scrapbook pages that will amaze your friends. Soon you'll be performing tricks you never thought possible!

Cool Scrapbook Sites

I put together a list of great scrapbook sites that you must check out!! Some of them are for products and others are websites. Have fun, but don't forget to bookmark this site and return often for more scrapbook ideas and tips!!