Paperhills

Posts Tagged ‘Heritage Scrapbooking’

We often see scrapbook layouts where the similarities are emphasized with family members – as the sayings go…”like mother like daughter”, “like father like son” or “two peas in a pod”.  We are most likely to focus on what makes us alike – parents and children, siblings – whatever the relationships – there are sure to be many likenesses either in physical appearance or behaviors – so this is a common theme.

So here’s a challenge for you.  Document some of the interesting and unique ways that you are different than someone in your family too – for example interests, hobbies, beliefs, lifestyle choices, careers, etc.  Try putting together a layout that shows the contrasts as well as the similarities…this will give your story a whole new dimension and make it a little more surprising.

Cheers and Happy Scrapbooking!

Val at Paperhills

In whatever way you may be affiliated with the military service, be it active duty, parent or child or grandchild of a service member or just know someone in the military – you will have stories to collect and preserve for future generations.

Paperhills Military Tag

It is helpful to remember the types of information you will want to keep a record of.  Along with pictures, uniforms and medals there are the human tales of military life and experiences.  Keep records of dates, training, battles, news from home, living conditions, weather and above all remember to include the emotional and human aspects of the military life of your family and friends.  This is what will make all the difference between a record and a story that really explains the significance of the military experience.

Cheers and Happy Scrapbooking!

Val at Paperhills

Why not give a big Gift to yourself?  This Season is a perfect time to capture the special days, those first days of a child’s wonder and amazement at the color and magic of Christmas.  You will want to re-live these memories over and over again.  Scrapbooking is a wonderful way to preserve the excitement for a lifetime and beyond.

This is my grand-daughter and this will be her first Christmas…as you can see we’ve been busy clicking photos of everything!  Your camera is your best friend…never miss an opportunity.   It doesn’t take much to create a masterpiece of Christmas color.  Check out our Christmas Scrapbooking Tags – they’ll give a great boost to your layouts.

Happy Scrapbooking!

Val at Paperhills

I love to make homemade gifts for the special people in my life.  In fact, my sister and I have done it for years at Christmas.  We tend to get sentimental and work hard at making the gift an emotional one.  We have a standing contest to see who can make the other one cry.  Sounds silly but it keeps us close and really is a wonderful labour of love each year.

Here’s an idea for creating a gift of Christmas Past.  This mini album is colorful and just the perfect size to tell your story in pictures. I particularly love the scalloped paper edges.

Bo Bunny Press – St. Nick Collection – Edgy Album Class Kit – Holly Jolly Christmas
Scrapbook.com

You could include a series of childhood Christmas photos, and tell the stories associated with them. There are many things you could include, for example your favourite presents and Christmas recipes…the sky’s the limit. Remember to make copies of your originals and use them for giving. Never touch your originals, especially in the case of vintage photos.

Cheers and Happy Scrapbooking!
Val at Paperhills

Scrapbookers love to scrapbook anything…everything, including memorabilia or large collections.  However, it’s not practical to consider scrapbooking the items themselves as generally there are far too many and they are awkward and would take up too much space.  The other problem is that you don’t want to use original documents or items that could be harmed in the scrapbooking process.   But don’t let these obstacles get in your way!

Try these ideas for scrapbooking your collections:

1.  Photograph your items or collections.  These can be sorted into groups and set onto colored backgrounds.  The photos can then be arranged to form numerous layouts using color co-ordinated papers.  You might want to create mini albums for each collection.

2.  Heirlooms can be placed into display cases, then photographed and transferred to scrapbooking layouts along with a written history of the pieces.  An example of this would be military medals, uniforms, etc.

Using these methods will help you in keeping your records all together without using the bulky or heavy objects themselves – a great family record.

I have a fondness for all things old. For example, the radio shown here is very like the one my father used to treasure. My sister and I listened to music coming from its speakers when we were very small. I watched him care for it and fix and repair it many times over the years. I dusted it with great care as a young girl. Dad has been gone for a long time, but I still own his radio and always think of him when I dust it today.

I collect antiques, and sometimes wonder who used those objects and what kind of people they were. My home is filled with a mixture of old and new. I surround myself with the things I love the most, as we all do, but the dearest to me are the objects once owned by my mother, father and grandparents. Those pieces connect me to them so that I never forget.

Do you have objects in your home that stir old and beloved memories when you use them or look at them? These things are obviously important to your life or you would not keep them. Why not document these special objects by scrapbooking pictures of these items.  Share their story too. It would make a wonderful diary for future generations of your family .

Cheers and Happy Scrapbooking!
Val at Paperhills

Here’s a way of Scrapbooking from a different perspective…something that can help to add substance to your family stories.

Learn more here.

Happy Scrapbooking!

Val at Paperhills

Do you want people to give your layouts more than a passing glance?  Often we end up having numerous layouts with similar themes for seasons, kids, whatever.  How do you make them special and apart from one another?  There are some areas that will make a huge difference in creating a layout that goes beyond the typical.

-Great Titles – something catchy

-Journaling that tells more than who and when  – make your viewers think and feel

-Vary your techniques – use some new materials too

-Always, always use fantastic colours

-Look for ways to put a new twist on an ordinary event

For an added boost, take a trip to the craft store for inspiration.  The materials, colours and embellishments will be sure to inspire you.

If you follow these rules, nothing about your Scrapbooking will be ordinary!

Happy Scrapbooking!

Val at Paperhills

There are some excellent methods for converting the appearance of your scrapbooking papers from new to having that time worn look.

• Apply colour to your paper by lightly dragging an ink  pad over your paper in one direction, then in another direction if you prefer to add a bit more interest;

• Another worn effect can be created if you run the pad over the paper’s edges.

Try these great antique colours for creating the perfect aged look – some of my favourites:

Frayed Burlap

Brushed Corduroy

It doesn’t take much to create texture and age in your scrapbooking.

Always leave a space in your layout to write a story, be it short or long. You don’t have to journal as you go. I often go back after the layout is complete to do my writing. You may want to spend an hour or so and journal several layouts at once. Get the creative work of colour, photo arranging and choice of embellishments behind you while you’re on a roll…then go back to journal. That way it does not interfere with your creativity. I love to use stamps to create the custom space, such as the ones shown here:

Sassafras Lass – Clear Stamp Sets – Fancy Schmancy Tags, CLEARANCE
Scrapbook.com

Technique Tuesday – Clear Stamps – Storytellers – Well Worn Journals
Scrapbook.com

What a great way to secure a journal space for later! Plus you can customize by adding colour to match your layout.