How to Choose Colors -- Scrapbook Video Saturday

Hi there! Carla here with another Scrapbook Video Saturday! Playing with color combinations is one of my favorite parts of scrapbooking. There are many different ways to combine colors on a scrapbook page. Like so many things in scrapbooking, there's no one "right" or "best" way. Here are a few tips for choosing colors for your next scrapbook page. Enjoy!

You can also view How to Pick Colors for a Scrapbook Page -- and all our scrapbooking videos -- 

on Howcast!

How to Use a Craft Knife -- Scrapbook Video Saturday

Hi, there! Carla here with another Scrapbook Video Saturday! Cutting with a craft knife gives you another skill to bring to your scrapbooking. Today we have some tips on how to use your craft knife. Please take a peek! Let us know what you think, and leave your own tips in the comments.

View How to Use a Craft Knife for Scrapbooking and all our scrapbooking videos on Howcast

How to Mat a Photo -- Scrapbook Video Saturday

Make photos on a scrapbook page stand out by matting them. You can do a single mat, or multiple mats. Check out our tips in this week's video!

View How to Create Photo Mats for Scrapbooking on Howcast

How to Crop a Photo -- Scrapbook Video Saturday

Scrapbooking our photos is fun and sometimes also challenging. Often we're reluctant to cut or crop our photos, but cropping can actually help you create an attractive and meaningful scrapbook page. Today's video offers tips on how to crop your photos to tell your story. Enjoy, and post your comments and questions!

You can also view How to Crop a Photo for Scrapbooking, and our other videos, on Howcast.

How to Use a Paper Trimmer -- Scrapbook Video Saturday

Hi, Carla here with this week's video. Are you new to scrapbooking or card-making? One of the first tools you'll need is a paper trimmer. Before you buy one, check out today's video to see a couple of different types of trimmers. Then you can choose the type that's right for you.

It might seem to go without saying, but safety first! Always keep fingers away from the blade of your paper trimmer! 

How to Design a Layout -- Scrapbook Video Saturday

When you're learning to scrapbook, one of the most difficult things can be creating a page that is attractive and cohesive. How do you know where to place your photos? Where to write your journaling? This video introduces a few guidelines to help you get started.

If you have trouble viewing this, go to How to Design a Scrapbook Layout on Howcast

Did you find this video helpful? What else would you like to know? We'd love to hear from you!

How to Select Scrapbook Adhesives -- Scrapbook Video Saturday

Hi, it's Carla here for another Scrapbook Video Saturday. Today's topic is how to select adhesives for scrapbooking. When you go to buy adhesives for the first time, the selection can be confusing. Our video tells you what to look for.

If you have trouble seeing the video, you can view How to Pick Adhesives for Scrapbooking -- as well as additional scrapbooking videos -- on Howcast.

Like so many things in scrapbooking, the adhesive you use is a matter of personal preference. Have you found a favorite adhesive? Let us know!

Tools You Need to Start Scrapbooking -- Scrapbook Video Saturday

I can't tell you how many times I (and no doubt all of us here on The Crafting Journals) have seen someone puzzling over the scrapbooking supplies in their local craft store.  Sometimes they'll come right out and ask: "Is this thing good for cutting my photos?" "What should I use to glue stuff to my scrapbook page?" 

Some people are reluctant to even think about scrapbooking, because they believe it's expensive and they feel overwhelmed, assuming it requires a lot of supplies that are kind of mystifying.

The truth is, you really need just a few basic tools to get started. This week's scrapbook video shows you some key supplies you'll want.

If you have trouble seeing the video, you can view Tools You Need for Scrapbooking on Howcast

If you're an experienced scrapbooker, how would you change this list? What are your essential scrapbooking supplies?

When to Use Archival Products -- Scrapbook Video Saturday

In last week's video, we showed many of the types of scrapbooks available.  This week, we're talking about archival products.  How do you know if you need everything to be acid-free and archival safe? The answer is, it's really up to you. Here's some info to help you decide.

View When to Use Archival Products on Howcast

Thanks for watching, and until next time...

Scrapbook Video Saturday: Types of Scrapbooks

It's Saturday, and time for one of our videos for beginning scrapbookers. This time we're talking about one of the things I wish I'd known when I started scrapbooking: different types of albums. These refer mainly to albums you find in the craft store. You can also make your own album out of just about anything; mini-albums are especially popular to create. For today, though, let's take a quick peek at the albums you can buy, and the pros and cons of each.

If you have trouble viewing it here, you can view Different Types of Scrapbooks on Howcast.

What kind of album do you prefer? Where do you buy your albums?

Thanks for watching, and until next time….

Scrapbook Video Saturday & CHA!

Happy New Year! Carla here to welcome you and finally let you in on our big news. We're proud to release a series of beginner scrapbooking video tutorials on Howcast.com! There are 24 videos in all. We'll share about one a week here on the blog, but you can view all of them any time at Howcast.com's How-to-Scrapbook link. We all know someone who's just starting out in scrapbooking, and if they haven't started, you know they want to. Send them our way for lots of tips!

Because one of the most commonly searched scrapbook topics is How to Distress Paper, we'll start our Scrapbook Video Saturday series with some ideas for giving a weathered or aged look to your paper.

Note: You may need to allow a moment for the video to buffer before viewing.  If it doesn't work for you, you can view How to Distress Paper on Howcast.

All the projects shown in our videos were completed by members of The Crafting Journals. The scrapbook page in this video was created by Virginia Haverick. In addition to all the cool distress techniques she used, I love the way she re-created the look of shoelaces using cord.  What a great way to embellish a masculine page!

Products used in this video include:

• Distress Tool: Edge Scraper, Making Memories 
• Inks:  Clearsnap® Colorbox® Chalk Inks; and Ranger Tim Holtz® Distress Inks
• Stamps:  Scratches, Stampers Anonymous/Tim Holtz® Collection; Coffee Stain, Inkadinkado®; Aged Background Block, Hero Arts®

By the way, Howcast is a really great place for an amazing assortment of how-to videos -- from taking a panoramic photo with your iPhone, to how to deal with a screaming child while shopping, to hip-hop dancing. I could seriously spend all day there learning stuff.

And when the new sewing machine arrives that Santa ordered for me, you can bet I'll be checking out the videos from my sewing guru friend Jennifer Wiese! Woo-hoo!

Meanwhile, I'm headed out of this snow-strapped Northeast to the milder climes of sunny Anaheim, Calif., and the dream destination of every crafter: CHA, the Craft and Hobby Association trade show! I can't wait! It's strictly a trade show, and I was fortunate to work it for many years with EK Success. This year, I'm going as a designer and blogger, thanks to the incredibly talented Nathalie Kalbach. So keep your eyes here Jan. 9-14 for my reports from the show on the latest crafting goodies!