A Shot in the Dark

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays to scrapbook. All those fun red, white, and blue stickers, and stars and stripes papers make me feel patriotic. I also love dressing my kids up in red, white, and blue so they look festive and match the scrapbook pages.

Have you ever considered trying to capture pictures of the fireworks for your scrapbook? They make awesome pictures, but can sometimes be hard to photograph.

One of the most important things to remember is to choose a good location. Make sure you have a clear view of the fireworks. And also make sure you know which way the wind is blowing, as this will determine which direction the smoke will move. You want to shoot upwind so it goes camera, fireworks, smoke. Otherwise, your pictures will be hazy.

A tripod is helpful to eliminate the pictures being blurry from shaky hands. A camera with a remote button is helpful, but not absolutely necessary. As soon as you 'hear' the explosion, press the button to take a picture. If you wait until you can 'see' the firework, all you'll get is the smoke.

One of the most difficult parts of photographing fireworks is deciding where to aim your camera. The challenge you’ll face in doing this is that you generally need to aim your camera before the firework that you’ll be photographing goes off--anticipation is key.

Some people think you need a fast lens to capture fireworks because you are shooting in the dark, but the opposite is true. The light the fireworks emit is actually quite bright and any good digital camera should do. You will not need to use a flash.

If you are using a digital camera, periodically check your results and make adjustments as needed.

I hope you have a FUN and SAFE holiday and create lasting memories you'll be excited to scrapbook.

Below are some 4th of July Scrapbooking Quotes you can use to embellish your pages:

"Freedom is never given, it is won." --Author Unknown

"Where liberty is, there is my country." --Benjamin Franklin

"Life without liberty is like a body without spirit." --Kahlil Gibran

"Sparkling glitter way up high, fireworks light up the sky!" --Author Unknown

"Freedom isn't free." --Author Unknown

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Handmade Cards for all Occasions

I think it's sad that because of advanced technology, the handwritten word, has pretty much gone by the wayside. Because of email it is rare to receive a handwritten letter in the mail anymore. You can even send greeting cards by email now.

There is something sentimental about receiving a letter or card that has the personal touch of being handwritten. One of my favorite things to do with my scrapbooking supplies is to make handmade cards. I suppose, because it's something creative I can do without having to take a lot of time.

I've included a few simple instructions and ideas below (along with lots of sample pictures) to get you started creating cards of your own:

1) Choose your paper. I love to use double-sided cardstock that has a different pattern on each side. When you fold the paper to make a card, there is a different pattern inside the card. If you don't have double-sided cardstock, gluing on other pieces of coordinating paper creates a nice layering effect.

2) Fold your paper in half, making a deep crease. You can run a pencil or other hard object along the fold to crease it, but be careful, some paper will crack. There are also other fun, unique ways to fold your paper other than in half. A gate-fold is one of my favorite. You can also fold up the bottom half of the paper and fasten the sides, creating a pocket to put a note in.

3) If you plan on using an envelope, make sure the paper is cut slightly smaller, so the finished product will fit inside. A fun effect is to use scraps of paper, or stickers that match the card and create an embellishment for the outside of the envelope as well.

4) Decide how much text you want to use. Often a title of some sort looks nice on the outside. You can handwrite it, use alphabet stickers, stamps, or print it on your computer and glue it on or fasten with brads, staples, or ribbon. There are also tons of fun rub-on titles available with common sayings such as Thank You, Happy Birthday, and You're Invited.

5) Be creative. There are tons of fun things you can use to embellish your card: ribbon, brads, paper flowers, staples, stickers, etc.

6) After you have created the outside of your card, don't forget the most important part--the message inside.

Nothing quite says I love you like receiving something that has been handmade. I love receiving cards and always add them to my scrapbook pages. I've got entire birthday pages designed around cards my children have received. And besides that, creating cards is a great way to get your feet wet if you are new to scrapbooking and a good way to use up all those leftover scraps.

**All the cards pictured here were made using Pebbles, Inc. products.

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Blog Tour: Heaven Scent by Rebecca Talley

I thoroughly enjoyed Rebecca Talley's latest book, Heaven Scent. I bought it to read, but my fifteen year old daughter quickly snatched it away before I could even read it. She couldn't put it down, and I think she read the entire book in one sitting.

When I got my turn to read it, I could see why. It was a compelling story about a young girl and the trials she faced. It takes an unexpected turn that is very touching. You'll definitely need a box of tissues!

My favorite part of the book was Rebecca's portrayal of the main character, Liza. It was perfect. She captured the angst, self-consciousness, and the up and down rollercoaster emotions, we all have as teenagers, in a way that made me feel what Liza was feeling. I loved the character and would like to read more of her story.

Rebecca agreed to answer a few questions about this book and writing in general:

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I actually kept my writing a secret for a long time because I was afraid people would laugh at me or think I was wasting my time. I finally realized that publication doesn't make you a writer, writing makes you a writer. When I realized this, I gave myself permission to be a writer.

Is there a message in your novel you are wanting readers to grasp?

The message of "Heaven Scent" is that no matter what life throws at us, there is always hope.

How long did it take you to write the book?

I worked on "Heaven Scent" off and on for years in between pregnancies, nursing newborns, toddlers, kids, teenagers, and caring for my ailing grandparents. I wasn't sure I'd ever finish it. It actually started as a short story in high school. So, yes, for me it took many, many years to finally finish it.

What books or authors have most influenced your writing?
I love to read books by Jerry Spinelli and loved his book, "Stargirl." I try to not let anyone influence my writing so I can maintain my own voice.

What can we look for next? What current projects are you working on?
I'm currently working on an LDS romance that's been a lot of fun to write. It's a simple, fun love story.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your book?

Nope. That's the story that played in my head that I wanted to share.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Time. Time seems to be a luxury I don't always have. Maybe if I didn't sleep, I would have enough time to do everything!

I know you have lots of children, so when do you find time to write?

I squish it in here and there. I'd love to have a chunk of regular time that I could write, but that just ain't happenin' right now. Another season of my life perhaps. For now, I just take what I can get and try not to get frustrated that I don't produce as much as I'd like.

Do you have any advice for other authors?

Never give up. If writing is your dream, don't let anyone convince you to abandon it. Learn the craft, meet other writers, join critique groups, go to conferences, but most of all, write the story that's in your heart.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Eat ice cream, play with my kids, read, help my kids develop their talents, work on family history.

Thanks Rebecca! It was so fun to read Heaven Scent and to get to know you better. I look forward to reading more from you in the future.

You can purchase a copy of Heaven Scent at Amazon or your local LDS Retailer.

Scrapbooking 101: Where do I start?

Have you always wanted to scrapbook, but don’t know where to start? Do the rows and rows of stickers, embellishments, adhesives, and albums at your local craft store make you feel completely overwhelmed? Do you have piles and piles of pictures in no semblance of order?

Don’t worry. You’re not alone.

First, buy a large plastic container then go through your house and gather all of your photos and memorabilia into one place. Look in drawers, old photo albums, shoeboxes, picture frames, closets, files, the attic—wherever you tend to stash stuff. Then purchase archival quality photo boxes for all of your photos.

Decide on the types of albums you would like to complete. Are you doing one large family album? Or, would you rather do an individual album for each child? Will you be making themed albums such as Christmas and Vacation, or will these pictures go into the family album? Make these decisions now, before you sort.

Start with the last roll of film you developed. Don’t try to tackle years of old photos yet. Get the current ones into an album first, and then work backwards. Plan an evening of sorting, or month of sorting if the need requires, and keep in mind the types of albums you want to create while you are sorting. If you have lots of pictures, divide the pictures into decades. Then you can tackle one decade at a time and divide them into years.

Start out with just a few supplies. Patterned paper and stickers are the basics. You will also need a small paper trimmer and some sort of adhesive. Try to stick with the same type of adhesive throughout your scrapbook. Mixing adhesives can possibly create an undesired chemical reaction that would damage your photos.

If you are a beginner, it’s a good idea to purchase a scrapbooking magazine to see some layout ideas and get your creative juices flowing. But, don’t let the huge variety of tools and gadgets available overwhelm you. Add one tool at a time, and before you know it, you’ll be scrapping like a pro.

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Memories of Dad

I realize I’m a week late with a post about Father’s, but I’ve been moving, so I’m allowed to be a week behind. Right?

“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.”
—Jim Valvano

Valvano’s quote pretty much sums up my relationship with my dad. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I finally realized all the things he’d been telling me all along were really for my own good. He is the most patient, loving man I know and I count myself lucky to be his daughter.

From the time I was a little girl, I knew I could count on my dad.

When I was just tiny, I used to have terrible leg cramps at night. It never failed, my dad would hear me crying and come in and rub them for me until I was able to fall back asleep.

When I was in elementary school, I discovered I was good at spelling. I loved to be in the school spelling bee, and my dad put in countless hours helping me study the words so I could do my best. He was proud of me the year I won, and just as proud the year I didn’t.

My teenage years were rough on both of us, especially on my dad. Regardless, he always stood behind me. I remember one poignant moment when I watched my father cry, hurting for me and shedding tears I was unable to shed. He guided me back to safety through his never-ending love and acceptance.

Since I've been married and had children, my dad is a fun-loving grandpa. He takes the grandkids to the movie, for bike rides, and to the park. The kids’ favorite activity is going on walks with grandpa and collecting pockets full of treasures along the way.

Since Father’s Day just passed, take the time to record memories of your father. Whether they be good or bad, they are important to remember and preserve for your family. Jot down memories you have and then create a special scrapbooking layout about your dad.

Below are a few ideas to spark your imagination:
- Traditions with your dad.
- Physical characteristics you and your dad share.
- Activities you’ve done together.
- Things your dad would say.
- Places your dad lived.
- Jobs your dad had.
- Now and then pictures.
- Timeline of pictures through the years.
- Help your kids create a page about their dad.

Father’s day is the perfect time to remember Dad, but don’t forget to watch out for memorable moments you can scrapbook all year long. After he is gone, the pages you create will live on and help you and your children revisit all the precious memories.

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Digital Freebie's

I'm in the middle of moving and I’m going through withdrawals without internet access. I’m at my parents today using their SLOOOWWW . . . dial-up connection, so my blog today isn’t going to be long.

With the advent of digital scrapbooking there are lots of places on the internet where you can get free digital layouts and products.

Digifree – The digital scrapbooking freebie search engine uses an automated system to search blogs for digital scrapbooking freebies and then posts them (with images) for all to see and download. What a great way to find free layouts and embellishments - no wonder this site is Top 50 Scrapbooking Blogs number one site! Check it out. You'll be amazed at all the fun free things you'll find.

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5 Tips to better photos

Do you want to take better photographs? There are simple ways to make photos more engaging. I recently read an amazing book, Photography for Scrapbookers, by Tracy White. She presented 5 tips for better photos:

1- Pick up your camera, hold it to your eye and look around. What do you see? Are there toys on the ground? Are you cropping your husband’s head off as you focus on your little one? Now move the camera around so you eliminate those distractions.

2- Stand up, then take 3 giant steps forward. You’ll get better photos by simply moving closer to your subject.

3- Try taking photos kneeling down. Taking photos from different perspectives will help you take amazing images.

4- Turn off your flash. It sounds contradictory, but in most situations you don’t need a flash. Instead, place your subject next to a window or open door and use the natural light to illuminate them.

5- Read your camera’s manual. By understanding your camera, you’re going to get better photos.

Try these fun photo ideas:

-Capture candid shots of friends and family: playing football, doing homework, sharing a bowl of popcorn.

-Take multiple photos to tell a story: baking a cake, building a sandcastle, remodeling a house.

-Take pictures in nature: children jumping in puddles after a rainstorm, a husband fishing, a couple sitting by the lake showing their reflection.

-Photograph details: buttons on the back of a prom dress, flowers on lapel of groom, bows on birthday presents.

-Take pictures of traditional holiday food to embellish holiday pages: frosted valentine cookies, caramel apples lined up at Halloween, turkey on thanksgiving.

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Scrapbook Blogger

What is a mommy blogger?

A mommy blogger is a small part of the blogging world that consists of moms who blog about their children. Some mother’s blog about daily activities, and others only record major milestones in their children’s lives. Other mommy blogs cover a variety of subjects, including their children. The blogs are as varied and unique as the women who write them. But they are all an amazing look into the life of being a mother.

So, why do women blog about their children? It is essentially an online journal of their children’s lives. It’s a great place for friends and relatives to read about the happenings in your family. And it gives your children something to look back on. It’s always fun for children to read about themselves.

There is a fun new product I just discovered tailored perfectly to this group of bloggers. It is called Scrapbook Blogger. It’s a new and innovative way to turn your blog into a printed scrapbook to keep forever.
Scrapbook blogger was created by Ashley Cuttino. Ashley began blogging about her life and her experiences as a new mom right before the birth of her first child. As a new mom, Ashley quickly realized that despite her best intentions to create a traditional scrapbook of her child's growth and development, she simply did not have the time, inclination or creativity required for such a project. Then the realization came that she had already created a scrapbook for her daughter with pictures and stories that was much better than anything she could recreate with paper and scissors—her blog.

Ashley said, “Once my girls were born it became very important to me to preserve my memories of them for the future. My mother passed away very suddenly at the age of 50 before I was married or had any children. I would give anything to be able to read about my mom’s thoughts on motherhood and see the memories of my childhood. Everyday I have questions about motherhood that I would love to ask her. To have a scrapbook that had her thoughts and memories that I could look back on now would be priceless!”
Ashley made the decision to find a way to print and bind her blog into a hard copy, coffee table style book. The software program that was developed allows a blogger to download all or part of a blog and then add backgrounds to each post to give the book a true scrapbook feeling. Hence, Scrapbook Blogger was born and now Ashley is leaving a legacy for her own children. They will be able to see what they were like as children, and what she was like as their mother.

I hope you’ll check it out. It’s an amazing idea and is so simple to use, anyone can do it. I can’t wait to have enough blog posts to print my own.

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678 Conference gets a 10!

I attended an amazing writing conference today, the 678 Conference, held at Cedar Fort. It exceeded my expectations, and my congratulations go to Doug Johnston, the publicist at Cedar Fort, for a job well done. The conference had a sold-out crowd. There were even several late attendees they had not planned on, but they graciously made room for everyone who wanted to be there. I will definitely plan on attending any conferences they hold in the future.

The day started out with a brief introduction by Jeffery Marsh, the acquisitions editor at Cedar Fort. He offered two tips for our consideration:
1) Write to an audience - Great books are literally a conversation between you and your audience. Don't forget them. Keep them and their needs in mind each time you sit down to write.
2) Learn the art of storytelling - It is an art, a craft, and a gift.

Next, we heard from Abel Keogh, author of Room for Two. He told a little about the story behind his book and then taught about the importance of having an online presence. He reviewed websites and blogs and the importance of each, as well as the essential elements each should have. He is a very experienced blogger and has been blogging since 2000. You can check out his blog here. I won a copy of his book, and can't wait to read it. I'll be sure and review it for you after I'm through.

Janet Kay Jensen, author of Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys, taught us all about self-promotion. She is the self-promotion queen and had tons of great ideas to share. She gave us ten important keys to book publicity. Her book is also one of the ones in my lineup for reviews this summer.

Doug Johnston has many years experience in the newspaper industry and he shared surefire ways to get a book review in a newspaper. He also dispensed wisdom from a publicist's point of view. He told us what he does and does not want to hear from prospective authors. In a nutshell, he wants you to tell him what you are going to do, have done, and will do for your book. You are an important part of the team in making your book a success!

The highlight of the day was the final speaker, Eloise Owens. She is a popular motivational speaker and the author of Get off the Beach. You can read more about her at The Momentum Company. She had a dynamic personality and enthusiasm that enthralled the audience. She walked us through an author's look at The Messenger, The Message, and The Marketplace.

The Messenger - Take a good look in the mirror. What are your strengths and weaknesses as an author. We listed the qualities of a great writer--things such as passion, confidence, tenacity, creativity, and more. Eloise proposed that the greatest quality a writer can have is the ability to self manage. This quality is so important because all the other qualities listed above may go through a period of insufficiency. If you are self-managed you will stick it out, and continue to write through it, coming out the other end a stronger and more accomplished writer.

The Message - Achieving idea clarity is important. If you don't know and understand the message of your book, the audience will not understand it either. Clarify your book's idea--develop a short, crisp answer to the question: What is this book about? Eloise also discussed the importance of a title and gave suggestions for finding one.

The Marketplace - Keep your eye on the goal. Eloise shared an experience from when she was writing her book and learning how to surf. She wasn't successful until she kept her eye on the shore. She discussed things such as speaking engagements, writing articles and blogs, creating partnerships and a fan base, launching your book, and handling the media.

She wrapped up by talking about waves. There is always a bigger wave out there to ride. She encouraged us to not be afraid to try. If you hesitate, fear wins. The only limits you have are the ones you set for yourself, so keep your sights set high. You never know what impact your book--your message--will have on someone else. It may be the means to get them to ride a higher wave.

There is nothing quite like being in a room of struggling authors who have the same thoughts, feelings, and struggles as yourself. The feeling of camraderie and support at the conference was amazing. Thanks to Cedar Fort! I think all who were in attendance left feeling uplifted, motivated, and that it was a day well spent.

Just for Kids!

Are your kids out of school and looking for something fun to do? There are tons of amazing kids scrapbooking and craft activities you can sign up for at local craft stores. I checked out three stores in the Utah area to see what they offered to help keep your kids busy this summer. Look what I found:

Pebbles in My Pocket

Beginning June 2nd Pebbles offers fun kids classes with a new activity each week.
Who: All kids & their parents (parental supervision is required)
What: New kid friendly craft projects that change each week
When: Monday thru Saturday 10- 11 am & Monday nights from 5 pm until close
Where: At all Utah Pebbles Locations
Cost: Small fee varies with each project

Roberts Crafts

The Kids Clubhouse at Roberts offers a fun class each week. Children under five need to be accompanied by a parent. The cost of classes is between $5.00-$6.50 each.

June 9-14 – Treasure Boxes
June 16-21 – Wooden Picture Frames
June 23-28 – Canvas Bags
June 30-July 5 – Aprons
July 7-12 – Flip Flops or Visors
July 14-19 – T-shirts
July 21-26 – Clay Animals
July 28-August 2 – Jewelry
August 4-9 – Chipboard Storybook
August 11-16 – Paint Cans
August 18-23 – Flip Flop Scrapbook
August 25-30 – Room Magnets

Michaels

As a member of Michaels online club, The Knack, you'll be inspired by fun online projects, a monthly e-newsletter, exciting in-store events and much more. Membership is free! Get project ideas in the following subjects:

Developmental
Gifting
Holiday
Language Arts
Math
Rewards
Science
Seasons
Social Studies
Visual Arts

For those of you not in the Utah area, check with your local craft stores. Most of them probably have summer activities you and your children can participate in. It's surprising all the fun, non-traditional things you can make with scrapbooking products. You’ll find there’s no limit to what your kids can create. Have fun!

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Missing Children

They're gone. It's been exactly 23 hours 37 minutes and 16 seconds, and I'm missing them already.

My two middle children left yesterday to spend the WHOLE month of June in Texas, visiting their cousins. I was sad to see them go and instructed them they better come back to me. I'm always afraid when my kids leave me for any extended period of time that something will happen to them. But I'm in the middle of moving, so having two less kids to watch after and taxi around will help.

So, send happy thoughts my way. I'm missing my kids today.

Summer Book Trek 2008

I've joined some of my blogger friends for a Summer Book Trek sponsored by the LDS Fiction blog. It's easy. Create your list of titles you'd like to read this summer. (There are no minimums required. Even one is okay.) Then blog about at least one of the books you read. And yes, there will be prizes! Join us. It will be tons of fun!

For details on the trek and how to join in click here.

Here's my reading list:

The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen
Heaven Scent by Rebecca Talley
Finding the Angel Within by Pamela Hansen
The 13th Reality by James Dashner
A Modest Proposal by Michele Ashman Bell

Heaven Scent Blog Tour

I'm participating in Rebecca Talley's blog tour for her recently published book, Heaven Scent. I can't wait to read it and share my review. My 15 year old daughter took it from me and read it before I had a chance. She loved it. I'll include some of her comments in my review.

Here's a brief blurb about the book:

"She'd wanted her father to pay more attention to her, and she'd wanted her family to be like it used to be. She hadn't wanted everything to change so drastically that she may not even survive it."

As Liza proves herself a basketball star, everyone - from college basketball recruiters to the gorgeous Kyle Reynolds - seems to take note of her. Everyone, that is, except her own father. While her father is busy at his law practice, Liza learns about a strange new religion from Kyle. Could Kyle's religion help her family? Or is it already too late for her father to make amends?

When yet another broken promise finally leads to tragedy, Liza doesn't know if she will ever be able to forgive her father. It will take a good friend, a new belief, and a miracle straight from heaven to help Liza see that she still has a choice. The compelling story of a high school basketball star, this is a novel every girl will want, and none will be able to put down!

The following is a schedule of the stops Rebecca will make. Be sure to check them out. It's sure to be lots of fun!

June 9 Ronda Hinrichsen
June 10 Don Carey
June 11 Stephanie Humphreys
June 12 Nichole Giles
June 16 Michelle Jefferies
June 17 Emily Debenham
June 18 Danyelle Ferguson
June 19 Ali Cross
June 20 Karen Hoover
June 23 Heather Justesen
June 24 Kim Thompson - That's Me!
June 25 Rachelle Christensen
June 26 Andy Lemmon
June 27 Karlene Browning
June 30 Marcia Mickelson
July 1 Cindy Beck

Acid-Free Albums

Acid and photographs don’t mix. Photographs already have acid in them from processing. When those acids are combined with other acids from paper, stickers, adhesives, and page protectors a chemical reaction occurs. Over time, this causes your pictures to become discolored and brittle.


Remember the old photo albums that had sticky pages. You’d peel back a piece of clear plastic and then stick your photo to the page. Acid free? Guess again. Mom and Grandma just thought their photos were getting ‘old’. Little did they know the album they were using was causing premature aging of their precious photos.

You would expect paper that you buy in your local scrapbooking store to be acid-free, but that is not always the case. Make sure you look for the words acid-free on all supplies you purchase. Often white and pastel papers will be acid-free while darker papers may not be. Paper dies often affect the acidity level. A pH-testing pen is a great investment for every scrapbooker. Be sure to follow the instructions on the pen, as the results are presented differently for different brands.

High levels of acid in ink, newspaper clippings, and other memorablia can make your scrapbook pages unsafe. Be sure that any paper touching the actual photographs is acid-free. There are sprays, such as Archiver’s Mist, which can be sprayed on memorabilia to neutralize acid in them. Another option is to copy memorabilia onto acid-free cardstock.


One other thing to consider is your hands. Hands are naturally acidic. There are products you can purchase such as the lotion, Hands Off. Once used, it provides about two hours of acid-free protection. If you don’t want to go this far, just be sure to touch your photos as little as possible.

While it would be nice to make sure all of your products are acid-free, sometimes that gets expensive. The most important items to purchase acid-free are the paper, adhesive, and sheet protectors. These are all items that will be directly touching your photographs, so make sure you buy something that will protect them.

After all, why go to all the trouble, and hours of work preserving your precious memories, only to have them deteriorate. A little bit of effort goes a long way when it comes to making sure your products are acid-free.

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