A writer by predilection, an aunt by blessing and a friend by choice, Shelley has spent many years journaling before sitting down to draft her first novel. She has a B.A. in English discourse and is currently working on her third romantic-suspense, the title of which will be announced soon pending publication. Shelley is a member of the Romance Writers of America as well as her RWA state chapter of the Maryland Romance Writers.
Welcome back, and thank you for checking day 2 of the
A-Z Blog Challenge – Scrapbooking Edition!
Today’s letter is B which stands for Buttons, Brads,
and Borders.
These are three additions that really make your
scrapbook page pop. To start, buttons are a versatile and easy way to embellish
a page. A common item found in the home (leftover from clothing or in a junk drawer),
they are a good way to reuse existing materials in a fun way.
A few ideas to incorporate buttons include:
-Accents to shapes, flowers, and characters.
I like to adhere buttons to the center of my die cut insects (bees,
dragonflies), and flowers. You lace the center of the button with thread, color
the button to add contrast, or even sew (this works better with super-thick paper stock) the button directly
to the page for an authentic effect.
-You can create a mosaic with different
colored buttons, using the circles to form a design or border. I’ve seen pages
that use green buttons to form the foliage of trees, or the gold/yellow of a
sun. You can use your imagination and layout something cool.
The second B is for Brads. Brads are metal posts that
can both accent and act as an anchor on your page. They have a tack-like shape
that pierces two pieces of paper, and flattens on the back of the page to sandwich
the scraps together.
Example:
-Puncture the two pieces of paper you wish
to brad together using a puncture tool (shown) or a needle nosed piece of
metal. (You can use a large sewing needle, or the lead tip of an automatic pencil if you do not have a puncture tool.)
-Once pierced, you push the pointed back of
the brad through the aligned holes.
-Split and flatten the dual, flat metal
spokes on the back-side of the paper, and your project is studded. J
Brads work to add hardware to your page, and they come
in a variety of shapes, colors, and styles. The head of the brad can be a jewel,
an emoji, or a holiday design (hearts, stars, etc.). You can use them to add a themed emphasis, or to add motion
to paper tags.
Some examples include:
-To pin a tag. You can journal or add a
note, and the brad-anchored paper allows the reader to pivot or move to reveal
hidden journaling, or a brief description. Tags can add depth and realistic
effect (i.e. a suitcase with a travel tag listing your vacation destination).
-Brads can also be used to bind layers of
paper to your page, creating a “book within a book” feel. I’ve added short
stories, and posted works to my12x12 pages this way. To do this, you would first layout where you want the
mini-book to go, then puncture the spine (three brads are recommended), and pin
the mini-book to the page with the brads.
Our last B of the day
stands for borders. I opted to give this accent its own letter because it kind
of stands apart from other page embellishments. A border does exactly what it
says – it borders your page and it
adds a linear dimension to your scrapbook.
Borders come in a few
styles:
-The most basic and easy type of borders
are stickers. They’re a great, simple go-to that don’t require a lot of work.
Here are two that I’ve used in the past:
This theater border is a cool one – a caricature of people sitting to see a movie or a play, I used it for my
annual movie page. It made for a fun contrast to the tickets and movie memorabilia
I collected that year.
Another one that I have
set-up for a future page is this spring border (sticker). The effect of new
grass is soft, and easily decorates a standard blank page (the 12x12 paper came
with the album).
-Another type of border is one made of paper.
This can be done freehand (take a strip of green paper and cut fringe to make
grass), or using a repeated die cut image.
Here are few examples using cut outs:
Following the spring theme, I die cut
a duplicate image of a white picket fence. This can be used for a garden or new home
(moving) page.
Next I used a water die cut to frame
a ‘floating’ duck. Again, you can make this by hand or using several pre-cut
papers, assembled to run along the length of your scrapbook page.
Lastly, I utilized this summer die cut.
I partially cut the edge of sand-colored paper, then layered the edge of yellow
flip-flops on top to give the illusion of walking on the beach.
I can use the square for a flap-open image or hidden journaling, which makes the page interactive and interesting.
These are few ways to use buttons,
brads, and borders to make a scrapbook page unique.
I thank
you so much for visiting today!
If you are ready for more incredible A-Z Challenge
topics please visit the A-Z Blog Challenge official page or search for
#A-ZChallenge and @AprilAtoZ to read other the participants’ letter B.
I hope to see you again tomorrow – C
is for Cropping.
The A-Z Blog Challenge has begun! Thank you for checking out my blog.
My theme this year is SCRAPBOOKING and what better way to start than with A is for Album. So, let's jump right in...
An album is truly the beginning
as it is the framework - the skeleton - for your entire scrapbook. That said, you would think
that selecting an album would be easy; that you just pick a cover that's
pretty, plunk down your hard-earned money, and call it day.
I wish it were that
simple, but there’s a lot of options out there, which can get confusing. This
blog post will help break down the pros and cons of what’s available, and narrow
down the search to an album that’s right for you.
The biggest choice you
have regarding scrapbook albums today is the option of either a standard paper or
a digitally produced album.
A standard is the traditional, two-to-three
bracket-bound album. Standard albums contain plastic sleeves where you insert
your created pages, and are available for sale in most craft stores.
Digitally produced albums
are created online, using the photo software provided by the scrapbook website
(or using purchased software for use on your computer), and are printed and
mailed to you once you have completed the project.
The Similarities Between to
Two Styles:
-Both types of albums come in a variety of sizes.
Traditional albums are usually 6x6, 8x11, 8x8, 8.5 x11, and most commonly 12x12. Digital
album size varies and can be: 8x8, 8x11, 10x10, 12x12, and 11x14.
-Both album styles require the same number of photos,
amount of time, and level of creative style.
Where Albums Break-Even (Let's Do the Math):
-Cost is difficult to determine with paper albums because it’s
hard to tally up all the itemized parts involved with traditional scrapbooking. Paper,
adhesives, embellishments all cost a bit, but you are using a small portion
of that stock on a single traditional scrapbook page. Digital books start at a
base price of approximately $54.99 for a 12x12 album containing 20 pages. Each
additional page is approximately $1.50 extra, and if you have a big book (100
pages) that can add up. Coupons and discounts help, but usually the price point
is equal for both styles.
Note: To
ensure that I’m providing the most up-to-date feedback, I recently created an 8x8
digital scrapbook. It'd been a while
since I’d last utilized digital software, but the overall process has remained the same.
With that data, let's do a quick run-down of pros and cons for each type of album.
Digital
Scrapbook Album – Pros:
-Compact
- The spine of a 50-page digital book shown here still is barely ½ inch in width, which is less
bulky and saves a lot of shelf space.
The yellow spine in the center is a digitally produced album.
-Flexible –
The pages of your book are digitally stored online, where if you start a page and later
decide to completely re-arrange it, there is no rip-up and rebuild to worry
about. Not having to deal with the demolition of a paper page after it's already been
taped down is one of the big benefits of digital scrapbooking.
Top is a digital album - bottom is traditional 12x12 paper page.
-Less
Storage – All you need with digital scrapbooks is a computer
and a bunch of uploaded, high-resolution photos. No mess and no excessive storage
of craft supplies is needed, because everything is online.
-Drop
and Go Scrapbooking – Digital scrapbooking is ideal for busy
people who just want to drop their photos into a pre-fabricated layout and be
done with it. Many online sites offer a selection of themed books, where you
can “Drop and Go.” The same websites also offer services that will custom
create your books (like an interior decorator for your memories) at an additional cost.
Digital
Scrapbook Album – Cons:
-Limited
Pages / Patterns – One of the biggest cons to digital
is the limitation on page patterns and colors. I’ve seen a lot of
online companies work to expand their selection, but at the end of the day, you're more likely to find a perfect pattern of 12x12 paper in a store than available
online. Another issue is that digital page colors and patterns are hard to discern by staring at them on a computer screen, so you do run the risk of not knowing how well your digital page will look until it's printed and mailed to you.
-Layout
Software – The use of digital systems is exactly that
– use of a computer program, which is bound to eventually give you some grief. If you are
not comfortable with learning a photo editing program, use of the online
software can get frustrating real fast.
oSimilar to Photoshop, you are navigating a
program. It takes time to adapt, and glitches can occur as the website interacts
with certain web browsers.I'm fairly tech savvy and I've still found the transition to the online scrapbooking programs a bit rough. I've also seen that certain editing commands don't display the same way in all web browsers. If you do go digital, it's recommended that you test the system with short, simple book to see how the software works before you commit to a complex album.
oThe website I use (Shutterfly.com) does
offer freeform pages (what they call “Advanced Editing”) where you can
delete, add, and adjust the layouts that they offer. This is a nice a
feature, but again, it can be difficult to navigate if you don’t know where to go
and what to do. Also, it requires a steady hand with the mouse when you are
adjusting the sizes of the text boxes and photographs, which can be strenuous
over time.
-Photo
Resolution – This is a biggie. The photos that you use
digitally must be have a large enough negative to print clearly in the digital books. This tends to be
a tripping point with larger albums (12x12). While many newer cell phones offer
camera-like quality as far as resolution goes, if the photo is cropped, or saved
incorrectly, a bulk of the digital negative can be lost. The
result is a fuzzy or pixilated image that doesn't print well. The online software will warn you when
this occurs (a little “Danger” sign that reads “Low Resolution”), however
it’s still a pain in the butt when you have to search for, correct, and re-upload full
spectrum photographs. It becomes time-consuming, and costly if not caught before the final print of your book, which can detract from the creative
fun of scrapbooking.
- Copy Editing - Similar to photo resolution, the digital scrapbooking software also can be a bit tricky with your text. There are areas to type quotes or to journal stories, but auto correct can get sketchy in places. This requires you to, like a formal author, carefully comb over your writing before the book "goes to press."
-Tangibility
– I
giggle at this one because it’s a funny-but-true observation. One of the biggest disadvantages
of digital is that throughout the creative process you never actually get to touch your work.
It kind of takes away the obvious reason that one scrapbooks, which is to hold your
memories. With digital, the pages are flat and glossy, which to some, can feel a bit
sterile. There’s no mementos, no pockets, or flaps for handwritten journaling.
A funny Dell commercial comes to mind when I think of this:
I laugh when I see this commercial on
TV. I image that when you pull out one of my traditional scrapbooks, it’s a
special experience because, guess what?
I’ve
HANDLED this book. It has my mojo all over it.
And you thought scrapbooking was boring.
Lol – so let’s continue and run the
same list on traditional albums.
Traditional
Scrapbooks – Pros:
-Cost
and Design – Standard traditional scrapbooks are easy
to find at your local craft store. With regular sales or weekly coupons, you
can purchase a book for under $10.00. Most books come in a variety of cover designs, with 20 plastic
sleeves and blank pages included, which is a good deal.
-Hands-On
–
An echo of the digital con, traditional scrapbooks allow you to interact with
every part of the page, which gives you unlimited control. You can layer paper,
create designs with color, add pockets, and 3-D embellishments, which makes it unique and personal.
-Keepsakes
- The most important part of traditional scrapbooking is mementos. Keepsakes such as
playbills, postcards, letters, drawings, or tickets, can be tucked into the
pages to be seen in the future.
Traditional
Scrapbooks – Cons
-Bulk
– Unfortunately the dimension of your page also adds to the thickness
of the book. Add in the width of the covers and the metal posts of the spine,
and a traditional album can get pretty wide.
oMany inexpensive books come with 2 binding
posts standard. I recommend the books that have 3 posts as that gives more
stability to your album. If you stick to
one 12x12 page per month (maximum of 20 pages in the album), then a 2 post spined book is likely to hold together
well.
oThe 2 post books can be lengthened with
extenders, but an excess of pages will cause the spine to gap, which can in
turn cause wear and tear on the covers. If you’re like me, and have some
eventful years that require extra pages, you want to try to invest in the 3-post albums, which offer more
backbone to the spine of your book.
-Weight
– All
of the cons are similar in that more paper means more mass. My traditional
scrapbooks are a joy to flip through, but back-breaking to transport. I took
four of my books to an outing once, and I was amazed at how heavy they were. So if
you’re looking for compact and low-weight, you may want to opt for digital.
-Supplies
–
Again, I think price-wise, both digital and traditional break even, but
traditional does require a lot more in the area of tools and supplies. At minimum you need to
purchase the photos, cut them, and adhere them. That means additional photo development
costs, cropping tools, and glue. Add in all the pretty stickers,
and designer paper, and you’re looking at daily trips to the craft store.
And there you have it - a guide to Albums. There’s lots of benefits and disadvantages to the different styles. Both types of albums can be used for different purposes, and they both give a beautiful
result.
When it comes to housing your memories, you choose the
process and cost that works best for you. I hope this helps, and I appreciate you checking out my first post in the 2017 A-Z
Blog Challenge!
If you can, please check out the other participants’ posts – April will be chock full of fun topics to explore. A-Z Challenge bloggers will be making themselves known with the hashtag #AtoZChallenge and @AprilA2Z on Twitter, Facebook, Blogger and WordPress.
The sprint continues on Monday with B is for Buttons, Brads, and
Borders.
March is rapidly drawing
to a close and the first of April is upon us, which means warmer weather, and
for me, a month of daily blogging which is sure to put a jumpstart to my spring.
I’d
announced last post that I’ll be participating in this year’s A-Z BlogChallenge. This is where a group of courageous bloggers commit to posting every
day in April (except Sundays), each date corresponding to the 26 letters in the
alphabet. There’s an overall theme, and by the end of April, the A-Z of that
subject will have been blogged.
I’d participated
in the challenge for the first time in 2012, my theme was writing, and it was a
great way to sharpen my blogging skills and to give readers an inside look at an author’s
toolbox.
This year's topic is Scrapbooking, and the month-long
endeavor is a challenge.
I’ve
been mentally preparing for weeks now, drafting an outline, and gathering my
thoughts. When I’m embarking on a journey (of the mind, body, or spirit), I
like to ask for guidance. I believe that there’s connection between all things,
and every time I’ve felt lost the Universe always sends me a signal, an omen
that points me in the right direction. I call them “Road Signs.”
My
current Road Sign came in the form of a movie. It’s not the first time the
Universe has spoken to me this way. One of the basic cable channels has been
playing the film JULIE & JULIA on repeat, and I catch myself stopping to
watch it often.
The
story is of Julie Powell, a newly relocated resident of New York, in search of
an outlet during a gray time in her life. Julie decides to channel her energy
into cooking, specifically every recipe in Julia Child’s book MASTERING THE ART
OF FRENCH COOKING over the course of one year.
Julie’s
cooking crusade became the THE JULIE/JULIA PROJECT blog, which grew into a renown
internet publication, and later the movie that chronicled both Julie Powell’s
and Julia Child’s lives.
The
movie’s themes spoke to me as they parallel my life right now.
Every
person hits a point in their life where they question their existence. “What am
I here to do? Am I living that purpose?”
Julia
Child moved to France with her husband in 1948, and in a post-WWII time,
she defined herself. Julia went on to become a master in her field and a
mass-media instructor, on TV and in her books. Julia Child broke the mold.
But all
of that discovery began with one question:
I think of the
expression, “The answer is simple, not EASY.”
It begins in a deep recesses of your heart and personality.
It
asks the infinite question, “What are you passionate about?”
Because
if you are to master something, you must be passionate
about it.
Julia Child appreciated
the taste of finely prepared food. That was the spark for her. It led her to
want to learn how those delicacies were prepared.
Julie Powell followed the
same route. She got restless, and felt the need to take action.
I’ve got the same
attitude- sans the knife wielding.
I’m passionate about
writing and scrapbooking, although it does take a bit more than just love for a
hobby to be a blogger. Another phrase that the Universe keeps throwing at me is “It takes 10 years
to master a skill.”
From what I understand, Julie
Powell had cooked prior to starting her year-long blog challenge, but not the
decade prior. Julia Child began her education in France, and soon excelled in her field.
By comparison, I’m pretty
oblivious to my skillset. I have ten years in the writing department (English degree, a compilation of short stories, and a
self-published novel). I have studied formally in a classroom, informally with
skilled online groups, and have attended workshops with national writing organizations.
I’ve scrapbooked since 2004,
and that is where I think I’m like Julie.
No formal training but
real world experimentation has given me a style.
To Rich – if you are reading this. Thank you for the gift of my first album. You saw a talent in me that I did not see myself. The book is where my hobby began. Thank you.
And it’s not so much fear of writing as much as it’s the process. My blog challenge is only 30 days long. Julie Powell’s was 365 days and 524 complicated French recipes. (I honestly don’t want to know how much the ingredients cost, but I shouldn't talk – scrapbooking isn’t cheap either K ). I empathized with the struggles Julie went through. After participating in my first A-Z blog challenge, I'll never forget how much energy it took to pull off. Its funny - there are distinct stages, like of acceptance. The first post you’re all gung-ho, raring to go, and nothing is going to stop you. It’s mid-way through that you encounter those exhausted, “Oh God, what did I get myself into?” moments.
I remember the post I isfor Imagery was one that truly drained me. I was past the point where I’d had the posts pre-fabricated, and I’d worked a 10-hour work day at the day job. The whole thing is essentially a 612 word love letter to my bed, which admittedly, is not my literary best, but educational nonetheless.
Then, enviably, you’ll have one post that unexpectedly wins the popular vote. For my writing theme that was O for Onomatopoeia. I was equally tired for this post, but in a more honed mindset. It turned out to be concise, funny, and easy to read. To this day it’s my most read post for all of my blog. It was the point that I'd hit my stride with the daily writing.
The support of other bloggers really plays into the challenge, too. The event is huge with many participants, where all the posts can get overwhelming, but you still have people reading your stuff. Bloggers endorse one another – and even though we’ve been reading and writing and social media-ing all day, we still take time out to read others’ work.
That was another facet that the movie illustrated. Julia Child (according to her biography) had a beloved pen pal named Avis. The two women wrote to one another frequently, and when they finally met in person, it was like kindred spirits.
My critique partner, Sarah, is like my Avis. We actually just celebrated our 7 year friendaversary. A fellow writer, blogger, and confidante, Sarah and I connected through an online writing forum and to this day she is my sounding board for so much.
When we first met in person, it really was like how Julia greeted Avis in the movie. Silence and staring until someone speaks and then that wave of recognition. “My darling friend – it’s you. It’s really YOU.”
The online experience is vast, but not as cold as it seems. We live in a digital age, but that culture has much to offer. Using technology, a person can be a teacher, a student or both.
So, please mark your calendars, and check your Facebook, because starting April 1st, I’m going to be talking scrapbooks and how to tell your story using pictures, words, and paper. You're welcome to come watch my peaks and valleys as I embark on this 30-day, crazy blog-a-thon.
