Scrapbooks - A Father’s Day Gift from the Heart:

Leslie Archambault shares ideas about creating a scrapbook gift album for Father’s Day. She is the owner of a new scrapbooking company in Westchester County, New York, Showcase Your Memories.

Yonkers, NY (PRWEB) May 28, 2005 — Father’s Day is around the corner. Have you thought about what you are going to give the men in your life? Men can be so difficult and boring to buy gifts for. There is good news - you have an alternative. Create a personal, handmade scrapbook in his honor!

“To this day I can remember making cards and handmade gifts for family members with my mom,” states Leslie Archambault, owner of Showcase Your Memories, a multi service scrapbook company in Yonkers, NY. “I can still hear her say ‘This is the best gift because it comes from your heart’.

A scrapbook is a perfect way to show someone what their prescience has meant in your life. The emotions that a person feels when they receive a scrapbook gift, greatly differ from something which was store bought.

Scrapbooking has become a major movement in the craft industry. According to the Hobby Industry Association, in 2004 there were more then 20 million people who have participated in scrapbooking in the US alone and this hobby is the 3rd most popular craft in America. Primedia Inc. conducted a study in 2004 and they stated that sales in scrapbook products reached $2.6 billion dollars.

Leslie mentions “With all the photo safe and archival quality products on the market today, scrapbooks can last for generations. They become heirlooms, making it easy for future family members to learn about their past, their ancestors and family history

Let’s Get Started:
First, you will need to decide if you would prefer to create a scrapbook or a single page layout which can be framed and hung on the wall. Scrapbooks come in a wide array of sizes and styles and the pages in the scrapbook can be as simple or as complex as you want. For inspiration take a look in scrap booking magazines such as Simple Scrapbooks or Scrapbooks, Etc. There are also many, many resources online such as www.twopeasinabucket.com and www.scrapbooks.com which offer examples of scrapbook layouts.

Before purchasing anything, Leslie offers “Make sure you read the labels on each item to find out if the materials you intend to buy are photo safe. Look for products bearing the words archival quality/safe, photo safe, acid free, lignin free, and PVC free.” Some suggested supplies and tools you may need are:

- Your photos
- Paper trimmer
- Scissors
- Adhesives (double side tape, glue dots, etc.)
- Specialty papers (cardstock, mulberry paper, vellum, etc)
- Other embellishments (ribbons, fibers, stickers, die cuts, etc.)
- An album or frame/shadowbox

To begin, you first need to decide on an underlying theme. Do you want to capture your father’s life story from infancy to the present? Or would you prefer to highlight the things you learned from your father in an album such as “10 Things I Learned from My Dad.” If you would like to make a scrapbook or layout for your husband, some thematic ideas include how he supports you, “20 Reasons Why I love you” or his relationship between him and your children.

From Creating Keepsakes magazine the following eight steps are presented as a beginner’s guide to getting started:

1. Sort your photos (generally, 5-7 photos fit on a two-page spread and 3-5 photos fit on a single page). Keep in mind that you don’t have to scrapbook every photograph—select only the best photos to highlight the event, feeling or moment you want to convey.

2. Select 2-3 colors of safe paper that will complement colors found in the photographs. Experiment with different color combinations to find the perfect colors to enhance your photographs. You may want to include stationery or decorative paper that supports the theme of your pages.

3. Choose a photo to be your focal point. As a general rule, select photos with sharp images, vivid colors and well-lit subjects.

4. Shape and mat your photos to add extra prominence to your focal point. You can do this easily by matting your photo with a wider border than the others, or double or triple-matting it.

5. Add journaling. No page is complete without adding your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Take a few minutes to write down not only the “who” and “when,” but also the “what” and “why.”

6. Arrange photos, journaling and titles on your page. As you arrange these elements, pay close attention to the direction your eye moves. In general, well-designed pages are well balanced and will follow a natural flow that mimics the letter Z. To check the balance, imagine that your layout is on a scale. Does one side tip the scale? Once you’re pleased with the layout, simply adhere the elements to the page.

7. Try a few extras. As you get more comfortable with scrapbooking, try your hand with some embellishments—stickers, die cuts, rubber stamps and punches are among the most popular page accents. Use these items sparingly—you don’t want them to overpower your photos.

Leslie adds:
To add a special touch to the journaling, encourage your children or other family members to write their own journaling to go along with the layout.

If you are computer literate, you can explore with different fonts, text colors, and effects. Type the journaling on the computer, print it, and then tape the piece of paper in which you would like the text to appear on, over the text on the print out. Run it through your printer again so that it prints on the paper.

You can involve older children in creating there own scrapbook page for their dad or grandpa.

Sources:
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/scrap/basics/index.ihtml
http://www.primediascrapbooking.com/industry.html
http://www.hobby.org/

Showcase Your Memories is a multi service scrapbooking company located in Westchester County, NY. We specialize in Custom Designed Shadowboxes, Photo Organization, Home Party Plans, and services for businesses and organizations. Questions and inquiries can be directed to Leslie Archambault.

Showcase Your Memories
Leslie Archambault (owner)
2035 Central Park Ave.
Yonkers, NY 10710
914-772-7386
www.showcaseyourmemories.com
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