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.

Learn how to Organize and Protect Your Entire Photo Collection in as Little as 10 Days...Without Losing Your Mind

Have you got years and years worth of photos that have never even made it out of the film developers' envelopes? Worse yet, have you got rolls and rolls of film that haven't even been developed? Are you up to your eyeballs in boxes and stashes of photos that are a jumbled mess?

You're not alone . . . and there is help.

You’ll love this simple, step-by-step plan to help you organize your entire photo collection in as little as 10 days . . . without losing your mind!

Here is what some of the people who used this system said:

“I did get all of my photos sorted and marked and in envelopes a short time after I received your e-book, which, believe me was no small task!!! That was the most important and biggest job, and I am sooooooo happy about that. I would NEVER have been able to get accomplished as well without your e-book!!! . . . I am so grateful that I found your website. I have bought scrapbooking supplies since then and started a scrapbook . . .”

“I had read tons of stuff, asked for tips in chat rooms and purchased boxes & stuff to get it done. Your web site was my final stop.... You guy's got me to do it ! . . . It was the female touch in your book that clicked with me. . . . I have been riding high on the sense of accomplishment with that enormous weight lifted from my shoulders”

“ . . . I am sure you have read my story a thousand times. But I tell you what...this is the first time I have ever written down all this...and now that I have...I feel a huge RELIEF!!! I am so thankful to have stumbled upon your website, and know that this is IT. You and Tracey have given me the inspiration, motivation, and tools to get moving with this project that has been hanging over my head for years!!”

If you want to learn how to organize your own photos click here.

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.

Die cutting is the process of manufacturing large numbers of cutouts of the same shape and size. Die cuts can be made from materials such as wood, plastic, metal or fabric. These cutout shapes are sometimes called “blanks” because they are usually sold as finished and decorated items. Scrapbook die cuts are bits and pieces used to decorate scrapbooks.

There are different traditional die cutting equipment available for scrapbookers on the market. As more and more people are getting involved in scrapbooking, demand for this die cutting equipment is growing. The need to create a variety and unique set of die cuts for scrapbooks has become an important ingredient in professional scrapbooking. Owning a die cutting machine is one pre-requisite for most scrapbooking gurus.

This traditional die cutting equipment, however, has been an object of criticism for many scrapbookers. Although they are very popular, many protest against the cost-effectiveness of having one. Even though die-cutting equipment can be very affordable, many complain about the hundreds of dollars they have to spend on the die sets that are utilized with them.  In effect, scrapbookers are forced to settle for either purchasing ready-made die cuts or for simply cutting them out themselves with regular scissors or blades. Either way, these procedures have proved to be less desirable than owning die cut equipment.  While pre-cut die cuts come in limited colors and shapes, self-cut die cut stamps are usually not as perfectly shaped as the die cuts cut with die cutting equipment.

This, however, should not cause despair to scrapbook lovers. Today there are a number of companies developing digitalized die cutting machines that might resolve this problem. Digitalized cutting devises allow computers to cut any font or shape using their hard drives.  With this solution, there is an ocean of possibilities that a scrapbooker can create without having to spending too much.  She can create her very own character and the computer can make hundreds of cut outs from it. Digitalized die cutting devices ensure that the cut out designs are perfectly shaped and free of errors. Aside from shapes, they can also cut out letters and words using almost any type of paper available. No matter how complex, the digitalized die cutter can cut any design into perfection, with no holes or other intricate details left out.

This is practically a miracle machine. It can even cut out a logo or shape out of a piece of cardboard, making it possible to create a variety of unique layers. There are no limits to what a scrapbooker can do with this new technology. Coupled with the use of one’s creativity and ingenuity, the Internet and digital die cutters are so far the best way to create a new design.

There are currently three different scrapbook die cutting machines available on the market: the Craft Robo, theXyron Wishblade, and the Pazzles Mini. All three of these machines offer similar features.

Do you love making fast easy cuts with your Cricut machine? If so, you will love the Cricut Gypsy. This device is for artists on the go who want to create interesting and unique designs and still maintain their active life style.

Held up at the doctor’s office, or waiting for your dinner companion? Now waiting is a breeze: just break out the portable Cricut Gypsy accessories and device and you are on your way to creating beautiful crafts on the go.

What is the Cricut Gypsy? The Gypsy works with the Cricut machine to cut out letters, numbers, and shapes quickly and accurately. This eliminates hand cutting that is normally done by many crafters. The Gypsy is a handheld device that allows you to create a multitude of letters, numbers and shapes on a mat. The total design can be viewed before cutting begins and multiple shapes can be placed on the cutting area. This will drastically save paper and is better for the environment and the wallet.  Once you have decided on your design, just send the project to your Cricut machine and it will cut out your design in a snap.

The Cricut gypsy accessories are a fun way to brighten up your machine. There are several silicone sleeves available to keep your device safe and fashionable. Easy to change, they come in a multitude of colors and patterns. There is a little something for everyone, fun and funky, or sophisticated and sleek. The choice is yours. Other accessories may include a cricut gypsy clutch to keep your Gypsy close to you wherever you go.  Another great travel option is the travel case. Its sleek black design makes it easy to carry and will corresponds to any outfit. There are also several stylus colors to choose from to let your own personal style shine through as well as page protectors to keep your screen scratch free.

True to its form of being a portable easy to use device, the Cricut Gypsy also has an optional car charger, so it can be used and charged from almost anywhere.  Now you can use your Gypsy whenever you have a free moment. It also offers and AC Power supply so you can sit at home and relax while creating awesome templates. No matter where you are or what you are designing, the Cricut Gypsy accessories are sure to make your design experience easy.

If you are an avid scrapbooker, card maker, or like to create other crafts from paper, the Cricut Gypsy is a great tool. It’s easy to carry and numerous accessories make it a great product. It is a true time saver that allows users to sneak in an enjoyable hobby during an otherwise hectic day. You can use this handy device anytime there is a free moment. Avoid the frustration of long waits and delays. Users will be wishing for delays once they start using this product. They numerous Cricut gypsy accessories available make it an easy product to enjoy and use.