Deja Views 8x8 Baby Girl Album Kit

I recently made a pre-made scrapbook for my cousin

for her baby-to-be. I think baby scrapbooks make

awesome gifts!

Anyways, I found the cutest little album kit

from scrapbook.com from Deja Views C-Through

baby collection. It's their 8x8 Album Kit

This kit is SUPER affordable and has everything

you need to make a really cute scrapbook (including

the album itself).

I made the entire book using only the materials

from the box (and a few tools that I had).

It turned out amazing and I will definitely

use this kit again in the future.

(just a thought, if you know someone who likes

scrapbooking, this kit would make a great gift

by itself!)

Here are some sample images of the scrapbook

I created using this Album Kit :)

Circle Cutter

Another must have tool (in my opinion) is a circle cutter

The one I have is a Fiskars Paper Cutter

You can get one online, or at your favorite scrapbook store.

It's a cool tool because it allows you to slide the blade farther

or closer to the center so you can make a huge variety of

circle sizes. Plus, it's very easy to use.

The top uses I have for it is

-Making journaling sections

-Using it as an embellishment

-Using it as a boarder to an embellishment

-Using it in the background to add more design

Here are some examples below:

This first example is of a journaling section. I used a larger

setting to make the pink striped circle, and then went down

a size to cut out the middle white part.

Here I used the plaid paper on the smallest setting, do

create little circle embellishments to fill empty space on the page.

Here I used it as a boarder for the sticker embellishment.

The sticker itself wasn't large enough to fill the space that

I wanted it to, so I just used the circle as a filler to add design.

This is another space filler scenario. The letters alone would

be bland and boring, so I used two separate circle sizes to make

boarders for the letters and then boarders for the circles.

Then I cut out pink circles to add more background fillers.

For this last one, I just wanted a little something extra on this

page, so I added a circle and had it peaking out from behind a boarder.It gave the page a little more sense of depth.

So there you have it! I'm sure there are a bunch of other

uses that I have yet to try out, but so far this tool has really

enhanced my page design.

Pre Made Scrapbook Gifts

Pre Made Scrapbooks are cool for three reasons.

1st: it's a personalized gift that has a lot of meaning

2nd: It's easy for them to finish and personalize

3rd: It gives me an excuse to scrapbook!

It's really simple, you just design the pages and then

label what size of pictures are meant to go where.

Then, once they print pictures from their event, they

can simply insert the right size pictures and TADA! a cute

scrapbook, all ready to go :)

I got the paper from scrapbook.com

It's the Creative Imaginations Breathless Collection

The embellishments and borders are stuff I picked up

at JoAnne

Paper Cutter

This is the first tool that I acquired and let me tell you, it is a must!

I use this to cut down paper, pictures, borders, etc. Scissors just won't cut it. This is what you need. This measures what length you need for you so. This model comes with a replacement blade, and an extension so you can measure up to

Top uses:

Making boarders around my photos

Creating journaling spaces

Resizing photos

Making boarders to go behind embellishments

Borders are a big key to making my pages look polished. I love the way the look! It helps you make your images cleaner when you separate them from the busy background with a more simple patterned border. Or it helps you spice up your page when you use a patterned boarder on a plain color background.

Examples:

Blaine's Hospital Scrapbook

Here it is!

This is my very first scrapbook that I actually like!

This is the one my mother in law Kathleen helped me make.

This is a 8X8in album

We used a baby boy paper pack from Hobby Lobby

as well as several other baby boy embellishments.

Getting Hooked

I'm pretty sure every girl has tried to scrapbook. My first attempt was when I was in elementary school. My sisters and I would scrapbook together and I loved things like stickers and cutting the pictures up in shapes or circles. Little did my sixth grade self know, my scrapbook was pretty dang ugly.

No really.

Don't believe me...

Pretty sure no decedent of mine will be interested in my cousins small portraits cut into shapes with strange stickers and scribbling in the background.

I'd since quit scrapbooking and realized that I like portraits in albums much better.

Years flew by and now I'm 24. Last October I waiting for the arrival of my first child, a little boy. My mother in law Kathleen came before my due date and brought some scrapbooking supplies to make a pre made scrapbook for my baby.

She (being the queen of scrapbooking) thought about making one for me and bringing it to me but she decided she would bring it as an activity for me to enjoy as well. She asked me if I was into scrapbooking and I told her that I liked the idea, but no, I didn't have a scrapbook or supplies or anything. She then sat me down and explained all kinds of principles, ideas, guidelines, and tools that would help me. I had no idea there was so much out there for resources etc. After we talked about what my style was and what I wanted the book for, we went to work. We scrapbooked for something like 7 hours straight without eating or taking a break.

We were in the zone.

I was so proud of the final result! I loved looking through our scrapbook over and over again, even though there weren't even any pictures in it yet! I have since filled the scrapbook with pictures from the hospital and the week after we took our little boy home.

After that, I was hooked. My husband got me some more supplies for Christmas and I want to build my supply as well as learn more techniques. I have a bunch of ideas for future scrapbook and can't wait to find more tools and methods and become a master scrapper!

This blog will be my guide to my growth. I hope to show my work, methods, tools, and review things I like and don't like.

Hope you enjoy!