Whether you are a novice or serious scrapbook artist, one of the must-have scrapbooking items is the Cricut Expression machine, it helps you to fully maximize the artistic possibilities of your craft. Being one of the newest and most innovative tools in the scrapbooking craft, the Cricut machine is an investment that more and more people who enjoy scrapbooking are adding to their list of essential scrapbooking tools. Here's why:

Instant results: The Cricut is a machine that allows you to instantly create patterns, designs, letters, numbers, and other artistic motifs with only the Cricut machine and your desired paper. Cricut machines are even able to create patterns out of soft and hard to cut materials such as thick cardboards and vellum; because of extra sharp and high-precision cutting elements inside the machine. Unlike other cutters that were manufactured in the past, each cricut cartridge comes with 250 designs to make sure that each single cartridge will allow the scrapbook artist unlimited options.

Even better, each of the 250 designs on the cartridge will allow you sizes ranging from small to extra large, with a grand total of 12 different sizes to choose from, making sure that you get letters, numbers, and designs to fit all of your preferred scrapbooking papers. Best of all, the Cricut has an operating system of its own; you no longer need to connect it to a computer to get instant results.

Pays for itself over time: With the Cricut machine, economical is the key word. While these machines may seem expensive at first, each dollar pays itself over time through the number of creative possibilities that you can explore with cricut scrapbooking. Thinking of buying another sheet of letter or number stickers? Need another booklet of embellishments to decorate your scrapbook's pages with?

With the Cricut, the 'luxury' items of scrapbooking are answered for. If you have discovered the joy of preserving your memories through the craft of scrapbooking and have found it to be one of the best relaxation techniques in this all too busy world, Cricut scrapbooking will prove not only be an investment, but also a gift and hobby you can pass down to your children, and which, in fact, your family can do together.

Unlimited design options: With unlimited design options to choose from with just two or three cricut cartridges, even the starter scrapbook artist can begin to explore other media to apply his or her scrapbooking skills to. Thinking of the perfect wedding invitation for your best friend's special day? Maybe you're looking for a memorable gift for your own parents' golden anniversary or for your newly born child, begin a new scrapbook project to document all the essential firsts of your precious child.  Try the Cricut with fabulous materials such as hard to find acid-free papers that the Cricut can turn into professional-looking pages that will withstand the test of time.

Summer is here which means summer vacation for most kids and some parents. Summer is a perfect time to begin a new scrapbook or renew your passion for scrapbooking. There are tons of different themes you can use to create your summer vacation scrapbook.

Beach Party

A day at the beach can provide plenty of photo ops so be sure to take your camera along any time you head for the sandy shores. Use those photos along with the Life's a Beach Cricut Cartridges to create a "Day at the Beach-2009" album.

Fourth of July

The Fourth of July makes for a very colorful and festive scrapbook. Using Fourth of July themed layouts, die cuts and other embellishments, you can create a scrapbook that full of memories that will last forever.

Fishing Trip

A fishing trip to the river, lake or pond makes for an exciting time spent with family or friends. Be sure to take your camera along and get those shots of the big fish! Then using fishing or outdoor themed layouts, create a scrapbook that will remind you of that special trip for years to come.

Camping

Whether you're a rustic camper or modern camping is more your style, you can capture your camping trips with your friends and family in a uniquely designed camping theme scrapbook.

Amusements Park

When you and your family take a trip to an amusement park or theme park, preserving your photos in scrapbook decorated with roller coasters, Ferris wheels, animals, etc., will make for an exciting trip down memory lane.

No matter what your summer vacation entails, preserving those memories this year and every year in a scrapbook will give you and your family something to remember for years to come.

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Paper bag albums are really easy to make. One of the best things about these albums is that they have pockets where you can hold extra pictures, tags, show tickets, and even extra embellishments.

Also, you can use different sized bags for different sized albums: from mini albums to large ones. And you can use either the brown bags or different colored ones for totally new looks.

To make it sturdy, add a chipboard cover and you'll enjoy your album for years to come.

You can even buy a blank paper bag mini book ready for you to decorate on Ebay!! That way, all the hard work is done and all you need to do is embellish it and make it your own. Have fun!

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