Just an idea for you “summer-disposable-camera” users! It’s a great time of year to use disposable cameras for many reasons: ease of portability, less worry about losing a valuable piece of equipment, not adding a weighty item to bike or backpack. And what I love about disposable cameras is that I can still capture memories without an LCD screen! It brings me back to basics of just yelling “cheese” and snapping whatever’s happening in front of me.

However, from personal experience I’ve found that it’s also easier to forget about the disposable camera on my adventures. I’m more busy doing whatever it is we’re doing that summer day (biking, swimming, hiking, camping), and I’m looking out for everyone’s safety and good cheer… along with wanting to preserve the memory on film. A couple of suggestions to make your memory-catching more successful out on the trail:

· Try to keep the camera in the same place while you’re on your outings. “The front pouch of the day pack”, or “The top drawer in the camper” is a lot easier to remember and give instructions for the kids to grab it.

· Affix an address label to the outside of your disposable camera. If it falls to the trail and another good-natured soul picks it up, at least you have a shot they’ll pop it in the mail to you.


From a child's point of view...

· Get disposable cameras for the kids. Averaging three bucks a piece, it’s cheap entertainment and a good tool for teaching about resources. When it’s used up, it’s used up… and my boys love going “click” just like Mommy!

The great news is that taking pictures on a disposable camera no longer equates not being able to use them! Now you can take the camera to any photo-finishing store and get only a CD with the images on it! No going back to paying $8 bucks to get half-wanted photos! I think the CD at Sam’s Club is $1.67, I bring it home, load it up to my software and viola! It’s almost like I’ve taken them on my digital myself!

The other easy, easy thing about disposables is that, if you choose, you can just drop them off with me and I’ll take care of everything for you! The miracle of a personal scrapbooking service! I take care of processing, selection and preservation of the memories! Of course, this goes for whatever media you take your pictures on, but especially easy for those 3-4 disposable-camera vacations where you’d like a special keepsake.

Keep it in mind!

Do you have trouble getting photos and memorabilia on straight when you use photo corners? Here is an idea or "scrapbooking technique" to make the job easier. Using an acid-free photo pencil, lightly draw on your page where you want the photo to go. It's best to use a contrasting color so you're not contoring your face to make out the line. Also, make the line just *inside* how your photo will lay (this way, you won't if you accidently draw too dark, you don't have to rearragne your entire layout - even though this is always a last-chance-possibility). Place your photo adhesive in opposite corners on the item, and place it on the page, using the pencil guide. Then apply photo mounts to the two remaining corners. And very important - don´t forget - if you are using lick and stick corners, always use a sponge not your saliva. Saliva is acidic.

I'll take a moment here to plug my favorite adhesive tool:

The CM Tape Runners come in "regular" as well as "mini" sizes. For my personal projects as well as any work I do for Pass On The Memories, I always use this acid-free adhesive. The other great thing about CM products is that they also have a line of splits: frosted, and I believe clear - that look practically invisible when placed on vellum.

These photo adhesives are quick, safe and easy to use. You would expect nothing less from your own personal scrapbooking service! You want the creative process to be where either you or I spend most of the time... sticking photos to a page shouldn't be difficult.

Although the mystical allure of bee hives, poison ivy and 95 degree bike trips have been my main source of nourishment and entertainment over the past few weeks... alas, it is not enough. The wilds of summer have swept me away quite a bit lately... about two months worth of lately, actually. But I can't help it anymore! I have to come back home, back to my scrapbooking life.

It's sort of sad, actually, that in the peak and hayday of summertime I am longing for the cool days of fall and the roaring fire of a freezing winter day... all so that I can wrap a blanket around myself and scrapbook for myself and scrapbook for other people. They say our days are far too short here in Minnesota, which is true on one hand... but on the other hand because there are so few, we pack so much into them that they cease being any fun sometimes.

Alas, it's nice to be back. Back to scrappin'. Back to bloggin'. It's nice to be home. Thanks for having me!

I must say! I have surprised even myself that spring has taken me away to the dark-side of non-scrapbooking-land! It's just been so easy to get carried away with all there is to do: yard work, taking long walks outside, the Survivor finale... ok, well, I could have scrapbooked during the Survivor finale. Instead I chose to sit there and be engaged in a silly show where I read an incorrect spoiler! So I thought the whole time that I knew that Danielle was going to win, and alas it was Aras! My favorite reality show author is actually Andy Denhart, who writes reality blurred and I highly recommend it!

I digress. In scrapbooking news, I must say, I am so much looking forward to this Friday night. My sister-in-law and I are having a scrap-a-thon just to ourselves. We're talking margaritas, quesadillas... maybe a little DDR (before the margaritas would probably be a good idea)... and then lots of pages to be done, my dear!

This brings me to my favorite product of the week. The PowerSort. It ROCKS.

It holds up to 2,400 5x7 photos! I have two of these puppies. And what I HAVE been doing this past week is getting a month's worth of 1995 Australia pictures sorted into this thing so I can get them scrapped this coming Friday night. I'll give you a "before and after" sense in my next entry. :)

This is a product that I would certainly utilize for anyone with bags of photographs or an unprotected hard drive full of .jpgs. If you have such a spectacle stashed away in your closet or computer, this is where I come in and save the day! Extensive Photo Organization is what I call it, and the cost will average $20/hour. I will consult with you about your organization and storage needs and provide an estimate at that time. This is one of the many services my personal scrapbooking service will offer you, and it ranks right up there with getting an album done. There is great reward in the satisfaction of having your photographs and memories organized, ready to put into albums and pass on for future generations to enjoy.

Yep, as unimaginative as it may sound, one of the rocking-est trends right now in scrapbooking is paper tearing...

Tearing your scrapbook paper is another way to add texture and dimension to your pages. This technique requires NO tools and is very easy to do. Rules for tearing: Tear toward you for a rough white edge. Tear away from you for a rough edge without the white. You can use water to draw the design to make tearing easier and use your thumb to make more intricate tears. For added dimension of your torn scrapbook paper, chalk the edges. You can roll the torn edges for an even more dimensional look. Uses for torn scrapbooking paper: Journal Blocks, Borders, Flowers, Mosaic with torn cardstock pieces, Water, Sand, Mountains, and Mats for photos.

I've used this technique in finished art as well as scrapbook layouts... it really isn't as difficult as it sounds (even for the perfectionist) and adds a fresh look to your pages.

Happy tearing!