Here is a cool template!

Cathie has great tutorials and digital scrapbook helps on her blog.  Check this one!



Visit her blog  HERE to read more about it.  So many possibilities with this one!

HOPE Poster for your GRAD

Remember the Obama HOPE poster?

Use Storybook Creator PLUS 3.0 to design your own poster of HOPE.

This is a perfect idea to use for decorations or wrapping paper for an upcoming graduation party.  I made this one of my son who is graduating from high school this year.  Our graduates are our future and why not have a poster to celebrate that great future.

These would also be fun to use as graduation party handouts.  Print them out in photo size and place a custom message on the back of the photo, or use it to make custom thank you cards for all the gifts your grad receives.  The possibilities are endless with this design technique.  Check out my FUTURE GRAD!

I'd love to see what you come up with.

Here are some tips for creating the poster:

1.  Use a headshot or a portion of a photo that you can zoom in to get just the head and upper shoulders.

2.  Use the custom cutting tool to select only the head and shoulders, remove all background from the photo.

3.  Alter the photo using the Posterize Filter with a low level of about 4 - 6

4.  Alter the color of the photo to make it mostly reds and blues using the color options such as brightness, hue and colorwash

5. Place the photo on a red and blue background created by making 2 rectangles (one red and one blue) and then flattening them together.

6. Create a white frame around your photo by inserting photo frame, filling it with any photo.  Changing the photo to a solid color.  Then create a white photo mat for your photo.  Next, use the wand to remove the "color" that your changed your photo to.  You are left with only the white photo mat (I use this technique all the time).

7.  Use rectangles and text boxes or alpha sets to create the word at the bottom.

8.  Add a little circle logo or something on the left shoulder - I used his graduation year.

I'd love to see what you create!

Big Digital

Digital Scrapbooking is NOT just for little creations - think BIG!  You can use your Storybook Creator PLUS 3.0 software to create posters and other big stuff.

Creative Memories digital photo center sells posters (called wall prints) in 16X24 (inches) and 2x30(inches) sizes.  SBC+ allows you to select one of these poster sizes right from the create menu and upload it to cM directly.  However, you can create just about any custom size you wish.  Just choose a custom project and create it the size you want.

If you need the poster fast, you can use a size that your local photo developer can print.  Check their list of BIG sizes and make yours the same custom size.  When you've created your design, choose "save pages as" and your creation will be saved as a jpg file in the folder you've specified.  Simply upload your jpg to your local retailer or copy it to a usb drive and take it there.

Consider BIG prints for posters for your kids room - custom oversized portraits to use as family gifts and displays for sporting events and graduation decorations.  The sky is the limit!

I made this poster for an end of the year soccer party we had a few years back - consider sharing your design on my FACEBOOK group:

A-1 HavertownScrapbooking Enthusiasts

Digi-Tine

Want to send a QUICK Valentine's message to someone special?  Create a custom Valentine (any size) using your Storybook Creator PLUS 3.0 software.

Here's one I made.  You are welcome to steal it.  Just copy the jpg and attach it to an email of the Valentine of your choice.

OR... make your own by using this ping file of RED LIPS...  Right click and save to your content file.  .png files can be used as embellishments by SBC+ under your own personal user content.  Enjoy!

Double Duty Valentine Gifts

Scrapbook tools and supplies don't have to be JUST for photo albums.  Once you own a good quality tool, the sky is the limit!  With some Creative Memories Card Stock and a few of our new tools, you can create an inexpensive Valentines gift for your main squeeze, your kids or whomever you wish to celebrate with a little extra LOVE this coming Monday.

First, decorate some store bought candy bars with a new Valentines covering.  These are done traditionally with paper and tools.

Then, make a few tags.  There is NOTHING like the Creative Memories Tag Maker to spruce up a gift in a jiffy.  My tags feature hand-stitching (with a dual tip pen - fat side) and a "conversation" heart message.  I also used the Lovestruck Border Maker to add a little bling to the bottom of the tag.  I backed the tag with a darker shade of card stock so the punched border hearts show through.

I used a white paper lunch sack (from an paper bag igloo project I made with the kids about 10 years ago!) to hold my chocolate goodies.  Of course don't just use a plain paper bag - give it a little bling with the NEW Creative Memoies Doodle Templates (Flowers and Swirls).  The doodling templates and many of the other Creative Memories tools can be purchased HERE.

Finally, put the candy bars into the bag, punch some holes in the top.  Pull a piece of yarn (I used a crochet hook to pull it) through the punched holes and tie a bow.  Attach the tags onto the ends of the yarn.  VOILA!  A toughtful gift, fast, easy, cheap - oh yeah, and YUMMY!

Happy Valentine's Day - I'll be making some of these for my kids and spending Valentine's Day evening with my lovely hubby.  It just so happens that THIS Valentines Day marks 22 years of marriage for us.

LOVE Punch

These little LOVE heart makers pack a real PUNCH!  (pun intended).  This 2-pack of punches is a new product from Creative Memories that is available for purchase NOW!  They are quite lovable and will be a great addition to your valentines scrapbook pages, cards and other projects.  You can purchase them from my website.

Photo Gifts to Make Your Family Happy!

The Creative Memories Digital Center offers a lot of really fun photo gifts.  The gifts can often be made two ways.  One way would be to create your gift right on their digital site.  Another way would be to create your gift in an even more custom design using the Creative Memories Storybook Creator PLUS 3.0 software package (available for purchase HERE).

One gift that was a big hit with my family was the folded card.  It is double-sided and can sit happily in accordian style on the top of your dining room hutch.  It can also be mailed and comes with an included envelope.  I made one after our family Thanksgiving and sent it to each family who attended.  It was quick to make and much appreciated.  My own is STILL on display!

You've Got to Start Somewhere

I'm not sure where - but somewhere is the place I'm starting this blog.  I'm having trouble figuring out how to design the way the page looks.


Once I get going I will post ideas, tips, tricks and other details about how to create digital and traditional scrapbooking stuff.


I use Creative Memories Storybook Creator PLUS 3.0 for my digital scrapbooking so all the digital items I post are made using that software.  It's the only digital scrapbooking I'm familiar with so I cannot answer questions about how to use other digital packages.


I will also talk about photo safety, photo organization, other paper and digital crafts that can be made with Creative Memories software, and traditional supplies.


I will post photos of scrapbook events and MORE!  I hope you'll enjoy my blog.