Creating Keepsakes Blog

Scrapbooking Tips & Tricks: An Insider’s Look

Hey there! Did you pick up your new CK special issue yet (it’s only $5.99)? The Scrapbooking Tips & Tricks organization issue focuses on all things organization in a variety of scrapbooking topics. We hope it will give you great ideas for whipping your scrap space into shape and arranging it in a way that’s both beautiful and functional, along with tips for organizing layouts, albums, crops, and more.

Here are three of my favorite things from this issue, along with other tidbits from our team:

1. “Design Solutions” column

This issue, the “Design Solutions” column helps you organize your layout designs for stunning pages. I love seeing the difference a little design tweaking can make on a layout. It’s like the seeing the big reveal of a makeover show (but better, because you don’t have to watch the 45 minutes building up to it). Here’s the before and after of Autumn Baldwin’s layout called “That’s Love.” Notice the difference a few pieces of patterned paper placed in a visual triangle makes on her “after” layout.

Before

After

2. Colorful vertical files

Storing paper vertically makes so much sense because of the space it saves and how accessible the paper is when it’s stored this way. Romanoff Products made vertical files more fun when they introduced their colorful vertical files. A few other features about these files make me happy: they’re very sturdy files that would do just fine sitting on a tabletop or a shelf, they fit perfectly in Ikea’s Expedit bookshelf, and they have a little lip to make them easier to handle.

And sure, they look great as-is, but what’s a scrapbooker to do when she sees such a lovely blank canvas? Embellish it, of course!

The rub-ons I used on the pink file are from Glitz Design. Check out some of their other rub-on designs that would look awesome on vertical files. Imagine these great gold dots on the orange files:

Or this black damask print on the green files:

3. Inspiration frame collage

I love this variation of the inspiration board using a collection of old frames. I snagged these from our design team when they were cleaning out their photo props. You could pick up similar frames for a song at your local thrift store. Check out Club CK later this week for information on how to put old frames to work as dry-erase boards, corkboards and magnet boards for use in your scrap space:

Here are some fun tidbits about this issue from the team:

• We were super-exited to work with Stacy Julian on her “Creative Album Organization” article for this issue. “When we were planning this issue,” says editor-in-chief Jennafer Martin, all I could think was that ‘Stacy Julian’s philosophy would be PERFECT for this issue.’ She’s not only a talented scrapbooker but she’s also so motivating. She encourages scrapbookers to find a system that liberates them from the stress that often accompanies chronological scrapbooking.” We hope this issue will help readers feel the empowerment that Stacy brings and also enjoy a little touch of Simple Scrapbooks in this issue.

• The rooms featured in the “Creativity under Cover” issue were shot at the homes of several CK staffers. Some of the furniture was already in place, while other pieces were brought in and propped especially for this article shoot.

• Speaking of the “Creativity under Cover” article, our team was thrilled with the illustration for the article opener. Look closely at how many scrapbooking items the artist wove into the illustration—check out the umbrella stand, the vases and all the items in the armoire. So clever!

• Several members of our team use the solutions featured in this issue in their own scrap spaces. For example, associate editor Dorathy Gilchrist uses the towel hanger and media storage boxes from the “10-Minute Tricks” column as well as the ottoman, hanging accessory bag, and sweater hanger from the “Creativity under Cover” article.

• Love flowers? Our contributors sure do! All three party themes for the article “Stop, Drop & Crop,” were originally submitted as floral themes. Cindy Tobey graciously agreed to transform her items into a jungle theme—we’re delighted with how it turned out!

• Creative director Erin Bayless commented: “My office was overrun by storage units and cabinets that we were planning to photograph and feature. I had only a little path to my desk! Someone even asked me if I had just moved into my office on account of all the boxes.”

What were your favorite things about this issue? Leave us a comment on this post by Friday, February 19, 2010, and you could be one of three lucky winners to receive a sampling of fun, new scrapbooking products.

—Lori Fairbanks, product editor