Holiday Pictures and Scrapbooking

There are so many people that have pictures “stuck” on their computer, their camera, their phone … but it is time to download these pictures (and back them up!). Pictures are for sharing so let’s get them in a place where they are more easily enjoyed. Yes, I am talking about a scrapbook!

Here are just a few of the reasons why you’ll want to scrapbook your photos:

• You have the opportunity to weed out the photos you don’t really want or need.

• You are putting your photos in a place where everyone can enjoy them time and time again.

• You can add journaling — names, places, dates, memories — that might otherwise be lost or forgotten.

• You are also creating a space to add special memorabilia to go along with the photos.

The holiday season is one of the most popular times for picture taking. The holidays are times when families gather together, share special traditions, take part in special events, sit on Santa’s lap … the photo ops are endless. But you don’t have to wait until the pictures have been taken to start scrapbooking them.

Here are some tips:

• Fill an envelope with scraps of paper that you can use to write down memories, details, and descriptions as you take your pictures. These can then be added right to your scrapbook page when you add your photos.

• Create your page layouts ahead of time. Then all you need to do is print off your pictures and add them to the pages to have a completed holiday scrapbook.

• Keep your layouts simple so that you can add as many or as few pictures to a page as you’d like.

• Consider creating a mini scrapbook or two for documenting special holiday traditions. A popular one is a mini recipe book that includes family holiday recipes and family pictures to go along with them. Snap a picture of the chef cooking Christmas dinner, the kids baking cookies, or the family gathered around the table, to conjure up memories of holidays past and present.

• Use holiday gift tags as cute embellishments or for journaling to add a festive feel to your scrapbook pages. Or use the Tags til Christmas stamp set (#120847) to create your own tags!

You can also use Stampin’ Up!’s fabulous software — My Digital Studio (#118108). Using My Digital Studio, you can create your own custom scrapbook layouts or use predesigned layouts that come with the software. Then you just need to add in your pictures and journaling and your pages are ready to be printed. Takes no more than 30 minutes to create a scrapbook on a CD that can be mailed to family and friends.

Give yourself a gift this season that will save you time, ease your stress, and help you capture some holiday memories that slip by so quickly anyways — scrapbook pages full of family and holiday festivities to enjoy all year long. With a little preparation, you will be able to sit back and enjoy what is happening in front of the camera.

HAPPY STAMPING & HAPPY HOLIDAYS!