While there are hundreds of different stencil templates which can be purchased from the craft store, many people prefer to make their own, allowing them to customize and craft exactly what they want right from their own kitchen tables. You just need to start by finding a design that inspires you. You can take cues from fabric, wallpaper, or from design books and online photos.

Copy the picture or design onto a piece of paper. If it’s a repeating pattern use a straight edge to add a dotted line to the top as a reference point for later. Once you’re happy with the quality of the base picture, you can take a sheet of clear acetate and tape it down to the original for copying. As you trace the drawing, start with the dotted reference line at the top. Then only trace those shapes which all are going to be the same color on the wall. The idea is to create a different sheet for each color so you don’t have to worry about spills and drips.

Those designs which are not of the same color can be traced using more dotted lines, so that it will be easier to line up the entire pattern on the wall later on. Repeat this with each color in the design until you have the entire picture complete.

The last step to creating a stencil is cutting out the actual pieces. Place each acetate sheet on a cutting board separately. Then use a craft knife to carefully carve the shapes from the material. Each line should be sliced with one fluid motion, the knife drawing through the sheet towards your body, with your hands carefully positioned away from the blade. As you work, turn the sheet itself to get a better angle on your cuts.

Whether you make your own stencil, or use a store bought one, the process of applying paint is basically the same. First you need to prep the wall, removing any wall clocks, nails, portraits, or decorative objects, and patching any holes in the sheet rock. If the design repeats, use a straight edge to draw a faint dotted line on the wall itself in pencil or chalk. Then match the stencil line up to this to keep the pattern straight.

It may be helpful to actually tape the stencil to the wall to stop it from sliding down. The paint itself should be applied using special stencil brushes, which will spread the color evenly over the surface. Dip the brush in the paint very lightly, making sure to wipe off any excess. You want the bristles to be just barely damp.

Applying the paint can be done in one of two ways. You can use a technique called stippling, which involves dabbing color over the open area to create a soft even coat. Alternatively the paint can be applied in swirls which will allow you to press harder at some points, and softer at others, creating a sense of depth in the final creation.

Paint each color on separately, using the various template stencils that you created, and waiting for every coat of paint to dry completely before moving on to the next. Check that the designs on the stencil match up evenly with each move. If there are small problems with the finished product, you can use a tiny paintbrush to touch up errors. If any major mistakes occur, a roller can be used to simply paint a fresh coat over the stencils, allowing you to start over once again.

Go into any Hallmark store and you'll see rack after rack of pre-made greeting cards -- all nearly the same, and all priced at upwards of three and four dollars each. But why pay several dollars for a generic card when you can make your own, quickly and easily!

If you can scrapbook, you can create fabulous cards. In fact, the same principles you use to design your layouts can be used to make unique and original handmade cards. Here are some tips to help you create your own cards:

• Have plenty of pre-made blank cards on hand. Standard card size is 4.25"x5.5" -- exactly half of an 8.5x11" sheet, folded in half! Take an 8.5x11" piece of cardstock and cut it in half, and you'll have two cards ready to decorate.
• Save your scraps. After each scrapbook page you create, use the scraps on a card. The patterned paper, cardstock, and embellishments are already pre-selected to coordinate, so it will take only minutes to make a card from the leftovers.
• Use your page layouts for cards. Scale down the different page elements, and any design you use for a page could easily be used for a card.
• Make a variety of cards for different occasions. You'll need all the common occasions -- birthdays, thank yous, etc. -- but don't forget to make some anniversary, thinking of you, and get well soon cards as well.
• Use cards to experiment. Want to paint on a scrapbook layout but nervous that you'll "wreck" your photos? Eager to give stamping a try? Use the smaller format of a greeting card to try some of the techniques you'd like to incorporate into your scrapbooking.

Card-making is the perfect complementary craft to scrapbooking. You've already got all the supplies and tools, now you can give them a workout and save yourself some money at the Hallmark store.

For more suggestions to make your scrapbooking fun, fast, and fabulous, visit Lain Ehmann's blog, Layout a Day. You'll get tons of scrapbooking ideas suitable for scrapbookers of any level.

For many of us a treasured family cookbook is a great way to recreate the beloved foods from our youth. Many of us have fond memories of particular foods or occasions. Incorporating these recipes within a scrapbook can create an heirloom that will be treasured for years to come.

Cookbook scrapbooking is taking recipes and incorporating them into a scrapbook. This can be done by transcribing the recipes onto paper or index cards and placing them into the album. But unlike a traditional cookbook, it’s not just recipes that are included. Adding comments and stories to correspond with each recipe is what makes these books so special. For instance, taking Grandma’s recipe for pumpkin pie and write it out on an index card. Attach that card into an 8X8 scrapbook page. Underneath the card, write a journal entry that includes when she made the pie, why you loved it, and special memory.  You can even write about the first time you tried to make it, maybe it was burned or flopped. This makes the recipes special for your children, their children, and continues throughout each generation.

To enhance cookbook scrapbooking, ask family members to write out their favorite recipes and include their own comments. Attach each handwritten note to a page and write who the recipe is from. You can also include your own thoughts on the recipe. If you have any photographs of the preparation or finished project be sure to include them. Maybe someone won a prize for a bake-off, include the newspaper article or other item. Let your children write out their favorite recipes, or if they are very young, ask them why they like a particular item. You can also add notes about where the recipe came from, why it was a hit. Maybe your favorite party appetizers came from the internet, write a short story depicted why you chose that and why.

When you are done creating your cookbook scrapbook, include blank pages at the end, so that other family members can include more recipes as the book gets passed down through the generations. Add page protectors to each page to avoid damaged pages. This will not only protect the pages from water or other spills, but make them easy to wipe clean.

Cookbook scrapbooking is a great way to pass on a tradition to our children. These are a great way to spend quality time together as a family by cooking and baking together. Not only will our children learn how to follow directions and patience, but they will also learn a little bit about their family history. It is a great item to pass down and it will still be useful for many years to come. Include your prized holiday meal recipes and it will sure to be a much sought after item. Other family members will be begging to borrow it. It’s an easy, innovative way to keep our recipes organized and our traditions intact for now and the years from now.

When creating a beautiful scrapbook there will be occasions when adding a greeting card will be necessary. This is true especially of events such as weddings, a new baby, anniversaries, birthdays, and other events. There are several ways to incorporate these cards into your scrapbook. With a little ingenuity, making pages for a greeting card scrapbook can be fun and easy.

First, decide why you want to incorporate this greeting card. If the card is valuable only for the design or accent, then this item can be cut out and applied to the page anywhere. No special steps are necessary.  There are also times when the greeting card can be used as a background. This method shows the celebration of the event without calling attention to the card itself. This is helpful when you want to incorporate the card, but do not want to showcase it.

Other methods for making pages for a greeting card scrapbook use special pocket pages. To make these pages simply use cardstock to create a pocket large enough for the greeting card to fit inside. Attach three sides of the cardstock to the scrapbook page, leaving the top open. Then insert the greeting card into the pocket. By using similar collars you can make the pocket itself part of the design. For instance, if the greeting card is from someone who is vacationing you can attach old stamps or envelopes to the pocket to make it blend into the theme.

There is another great trick for making pages for a greeting card scrapbook. Use a background paper and attach it to the scrapbook page. Take the back of the card and add scrapbooking tape. Attach the card firmly to the page. In this method the card will be attached to the book and cannot be easily removed, so ensure you will want it to stay there before attaching. Then when you have completed the pages, take the page protector and place it over the page. Take a scissor and very carefully open the blade and run it over the page protector along the opening of the card. Do not cut the side of the card that is folded over. This will cut the page protector so you can still open the card and the page will be protected. This method is not perfect and occasionally the protector may rip. But this method is great for showcasing the writing inside the card while not compromising the look of the page and while keeping the page protected.

When deciding on how to begin making pages for a greeting card scrapbook practice with various methods and find what is right for you. Not everyone will enjoy the same look and feel of a project. Some methods are more complicated than others, so finding something you are comfortable with is very important. Remember to decide why and how you want to incorporate the greeting card into your scrapbook and that will help determine which method may be best to use.

Normally scrapbooks come in a single packaged idea.  A regular scrapbooker usually dedicates his/her work either to one person or a single event. This type of scrapbooking, however, can get dull after a while for a frequent scrapbooker.

If you are an avid scrapbooker and are tired of the regular day-to-day scrapbooking routine, it might be time to take a different approach. You might want to dedicate a new scrapbook project to your different favorites. This scrapbook can be devoted to the different things that depict your interests and perspectives.  Here are a few scrapbook page ideas that you might want to consider when building this volume.

Devote a page or two to your friends:

Regardless of whether you have one best friend or a group of buddies with whom you often spend time, it would be nice to capture these memories in your scrapbook of favorites.  Your scrapbook can include individual or group photos. Make journal entrees of interesting descriptions about each individual or a memory you shared together.

Your Pet Page:

Undoubtedly, your pet is most likely among your best friends.  That dedicated buster who is always at your side and has shown undying devotion to you deserves a page in this scrapbook. Whether you choose a solo shot for this page or multiple photos with you and your pet, it does not matter.  The more important thing is to write down your most treasured experiences with your adorable animal.  In the days to come, these stories will mean a treasure of memories to you.

Favorite musical band:

This could be a really fun page. Use the band's name as the title of this page.  If you have autographed photos/CD covers, T-shirts, or other souvenirs from concerts, take a photograph of them and incorporate it on this page. Include information about each band member and excerpts from your favorite songs.

Automobile:

Dedicate one of your scrapbook pages to your car or truck. Include an image of the vehicle and do a little journaling about the vehicle's features. This is also a great way to feature the most hard-working assistant in your life.

Your favorite restaurant:

Do you have a favorite spot where you and your friends hang out? Next time you visit, take a camera and ask the waiter to take your picture. You could also include a photo of the menu and your favorite dish when it is presented.

Your favorite shoes:

Among the many favorites there are, the least given attention to are shoes.  They are the most hard-working friends you’ve got, and they have no complaints when you walk all over them.  It would be nice to dedicate a page to them just to give them credit for all their hard work.  Add a little spunk on this page and narrate a story of your good times together.

Recipe:

Dedicating a page of your scrapbook to your favorite recipe is a must.  Remember, you are what you eat. Your favorite recipe tells so much about your personality and preferences. Post the recipe itself and a photo of the dish. Don't forget to add a little journaling about why you like this recipe in particular.

Whatever scrapbook page idea you might have for this book is sure to be perfect. The things you like embody who you are.  Bear in mind that who you are is a treasure. Scrapbooking your memories is a great gift you can give to generations to come.

WOW! I want a room like this. Here are a few items Jennifer mentioned in her video:

- ikea swivel chair

- Making Memories spinner

- Hobby Lobby jars

- storage drawers

- Cuttlebug Die-Cutting and Embossing Machine

- Do Something Creative EVERYDAY - Inspirational quote

I absolutely LOVE Cynthia's room: that red is perfect for her room!

Here are some of the things she mentioned while touring the room:

- making memories storage

- paper racks

- ribbon racks

- stamp racks

- sure cuts a lot

- storage cubes

I'd love to see your room! Please post a link to your room, or send me a picture of your room and I'll post it here so others can get inspired.

Cricut projects can be as varied and original as each user. Traditionally, the Cricut can be used to create custom scrapbook pages. There are several design patterns available, or you can create your own. Since the cartridges come in themes, coordinating fonts and shapes is a breeze. Using cardstock and the Cricut machine you can create a template for your scrapbook page, and then just add them to your album, insert the photographs, and use the Cricut to create messages. Since it does all the cutting the time to create beautiful pages is cut down drastically. The coordinating themes and fonts also allow users to stop driving from store to store looking for supplies that match.

Other projects that you can use the Cricut for include cake decorating. Surprised? Well, it’s easy once you get the hang of it. There are patterns and projects for beginners through advanced on the Cricut website or you can try your own pattern. All you will need is a cake, fondant, gum paste, and shortening. It’s really easy and you can have a professional looking cake in minutes. First, layer the cake tiers and cover with fondant. Using gum paste and the Cricut Cake cut out the borders and attach to the cake using shortening. Then use gum paste and the Cricut Cake to cut out the desired design like a flower or other shape. Attach the shapes to the cake using shortening. You can try your own Cricut project ideas to create many types of cakes for birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, holidays, and even weddings. Just use one of the Cricut Cake cartridges and your Cricut Cake machine to make a one of a kind original.

Another Cricut project can be done to create fantastic throw pillows. Just take the desired fabric and tape it to the cutting board. Select the cartridge and design you want and let the Cricut cut out the fabric. From there the cut outs can be sewn onto a square of cloth to create the cover. When everything is placed as desired, sew the back of the pillow on three sides. Stuff the fabric with polyester fill and then finish sewing the last side. For a quicker project, Use Heat n Bond so that the fabric cut outs can be ironed to the fabric.

Cricut projects are numerous and many ideas, patterns, and directions can be found across the internet. With its versatility and ease of use, the Cricut can be used for many projects for years to come.

The way your photos, memorabilia and other embellishments are laid out in your scrapbook is completely up to you! There’s no right or wrong way. However, you do want your scrapbook to look as nice as it possibly can, so here are some different ideas, suggestions and tips for creating unique layouts and using premade layouts.

Premade Layouts

My Scrapbooking Supplies features several different premade layout designs to choose from, making your scrapbooking experience easy and enjoyable. Choose from themes such as “Twilight”, “Pooh”, “Nemo” and other Disney characters, as well as “Baby Boy” and “Mom”.

My Scrapbooking Supplies also features layouts that are more generic, such as “Butterfly kisses” and “Cute as a bug”.

Using these premade layouts makes scrapbooking a breeze and costs less than purchasing other embellishments. All you have to do is secure your chosen layout to the page or pages in your album; then secure the photos of your choice in the designated area. Your pages will appear complete as they are. However, if you want to give the page your own special touch, you can add other embellishments to the layout design as well.

Designing your own Layouts

You can certainly design your own layouts using background paper, photo corners and frames and other embellishments. Here are some tips to help you get started.

• Before choosing a backdrop for your design, lay it out on the table with your photos to make sure the background and the photos suit each other in color and style. Also, some backgrounds may look better with a landscape photo compared to a portrait photo.
• Add embellishments that will enhance your design as opposed to cluttering it up. If your background paper is busy, adding too many embellishments will take away from the photo instead of drawing attention to it.
• Trim photos so the focus is on the main subject. Be sure to leave important or memorable details and people in the background to help tell the story and that will bring back memories years later.

Combining premade layouts and your unique layouts in an album

Your album will probably be comprised of both premade layouts and your unique layout designs. For an album that flows together in theme, style and design, try to use layouts and backgrounds that complement one another in color, pattern and style. If you use earth tones for one background, use earth tones throughout. If pastels are the primary color in a premade layout, use pastels throughout the album.

Another idea is to build your entire album around the theme of one premade layout. If you choose one of the “Twilight” themes for a couple of pages in your album, go with colors and patterns in your unique designs that will compliment the colors and patterns in the “Twilight” theme.

Of course these are only suggestions. Your album can be designed however you prefer, according to your taste and what you like. That’s the whole point of scrapbooking anyway, isn’t it? Tell your story your way and have fun creating your unique album using premade layouts and your unique designs together.

Tip #1: Create a block look

Crop your photos into different rectangular shapes and sizes. Fit these photos onto one page in such manner that they form a block look. The block look is a great way to post several photos in one page, making it easier for you to get more pictures into one scrapbook.

Cropping your photos is a convenient way to get rid of the excess background spaces on your pictures and preserving the important parts of it. It is perfect when you want to give emphasis to a single object in a photo.  By cropping, you are able to chop down photos into the sizes required to lay them out in the scrapbook page easily.

Tip #2: Small equal size photos

Another suggestion for laying out multiple photos in a single page is to first crop each photo into small, equal sizes. This is possible if you have heaps of pictures of smaller subjects.  By cutting them at the right places, you save more space in the pages of your scrapbook for other photos you might want to post. Make sure, though, that the subject of each photo is not harmed when you snip off the unwanted sides.

This grid layout is perfect for tiny photos.  This scrapbook layout idea presents a simple but classic look that anyone will love.

Tip #3: Overlap photos

There are often huge, unnecessary spaces in scenic photos. These spaces are the perfect spots to overlap additional photos. By overlapping photos you are able to post multiple pictures on a single page without diminishing their value.  Overlapping photos creates a continuity of vision. Without actually being able to see a member of a photo that has been overlapped, you leave your viewers with the idea that it does exist.

Tip #4: Filmstrip photo boarder

This layout is a unique layout in scrapbooking which allows the scrapbooker to showcase photos in such a manner that the main picture becomes the focal point while the other smaller photos make up the border design.

The use of this filmstrip photo border design is a great way to lay out photos that are less significant on their own, yet when connected to the main picture make a great story.

Tip # 5: Crop Photos Into Narrow Strips

Using several vertical photos is perfect when you need to lay out many photos on a single page.  By cropping each photo to about the same width and height, and using little bookmarks as little notepads for journal your thoughts, you can create a flow of thought that will make up a perfect storyboard. No doubt this is probably one of the best scrapbook layout ideas.  Not only is it aesthetically appealing, but it also makes perfect artistic sense.

There a lot of scrapbook layout ideas you can find out there that might be helpful to you.  A little research will surely land you the layout that best suits your taste.  Don’t hesitate to create add-ons of your own. If you do it right, you just might be the next scrapbook guru to get published.

We all want to preserve our memories. One day we’ll look back and tell future generations about our heyday. Scrapbooking allows you to preserve the moment in brilliant color. If you have a scrapbooking business, you are helping to bring those memorable moments to life.

A scrapbook business can do a number of things. You can create the scrapbooks for the customer using a variety of stencils and pages of adornments. Or your business may sell scrapbooking packages to people who want to learn or continue with the art of scrapbooking.

Most scrapbooking sales businesses are geared towards the person who wants to create their own scrapbooks. Whether a beginner or an expert, they can purchase all of their gear from you. One benefit of a scrapbooking business is that your products are organized. In the retail stores, scrapbooking items hang on numerous hooks in aisles and people pick up what they think they need. You can help them by giving them the basics and empowering them to know what to use.

There is a unique opportunity here to attract young and old who want to get into scrapbooking but maybe never knew how before. At shows, give yourself enough time to have a demonstration. Use products from the line for all demonstration needs.

At most shows, you would decide on a demonstration to do. Try something new. Give guests a choice of which techniques to demonstrate. Practice them all of course, but let the guests choose from a list. This will require a variety of products to be available for the demo, but your starter kit will provide most things. If not, consider it an investment on your part to buy the additional items.

Another change that will attract customers is to let them bring their own pictures for a chance to have a scrapbook page made for them. Each person signs in and writes their name on a piece of paper which also gives you permission to use their information for your contact list. If their name is chosen, their pictures will be used in the demonstration.

Some companies set prices for their products and some do not. They may have a range and give their sales consultants more control over the price. Either way, you can use the products to create gift packages and decide on the price of those based on the basic price of each item in the pack.

Another marketing tool is special reports. These reports vary from five to fifty pages. Use them on your website as free gifts with purchases. At shows, shorter reports can be put together in little leaflets and given away. Subject matter can be:

* Introduction to scrapbooking
* Scrapbooking crafts for kids
* Scrapbooking tools

The list is endless. Include a business card inside the report. After reading the booklet, they may want more products or will make a first purchase.

Scrapbooking is fun and relaxing. Bring joy into someone’s life with your personal approach to your scrapbooking direct sales business.