I’ve recently become enamored of scrapbooking and its creative possibilities. Scrapbooking isn’t simply limited to scrapbooks that sit on a shelf or table or, worst of all, in a storage box out of sight and out of mind.

Now mini-scrapbooks are popular for special occasions, you can build small tag books, or just single pages suitable for hanging. What more personal gift could one give than an artistic memento of some special event or relationship? If you’ve been interested in trying this relatively new art form but don’t know where to begin, read my article, The Art of Scrapbooking.

In this issue of the TheArtfulCrafter Digest, we feature scrapbooking and a few ideas for Valentine’s Day, including our first reader contest.

Happy New Year!

Eileen

Shape Cutting Options
Making perfect die-cut embellishments for your scrapbook pages, greeting cards or other craft projects is eminently satisfying. The results are perfect every time. And they’re oh-so-cute!

Trying to decide which system is best for you? Visit, Shape Cutting Options for Scrapbookers

A-Mazing Heart Graphic
Look at this beautiful A-Mazing Heart design from Microsoft Picture-It Publishing: by clicking here. Use it on Valentine cards, place cards and scrapbook pages, or for anytime you want to recognize someone or something amazing.

Here are a few suggested messages to get you started: “Isn’t love a-mazing?!”; “To my a-mazing … ,”; “Thank you for an a-mazing …,”; “Congratulations on an a-mazing …”.

If the design inspires you as it does me, please enter our first reader contest below.

A-Mazing Heart Design Contest
Here’s your opportunity to see your A-Mazing Heart Valentine card featured on our web pages … And just in time to inspire other readers to create the perfect Valentine card for that perfect someone.

The only requirement is to incorporate the A-Mazing Heart graphic into your card. Color it, size it, repeat it, layer it, emboss it. Use any embellishments you wish. Have fun! Then send a photo of your creation to: eileen@theartfulcrafter.com. Deadline: January 25.

Use Photoshop to Enhance Your Scrapbook Photos
Many scrapbookers are reluctant to alter precious photos. The most they will do is crop or perhaps stamp over a very small portion. If you’re one of “them” or would like to see the beautiful effects you can achieve with photo manipulation software, please click here to see before and after photos I did for a young girl’s quinceañera (15th birthday celebration).

Quillery – Perfect for Scrapbooking and Valentine Art
Quillery (or quilling), the art of paper filigree, was an almost-lost art form before it was reintroduced to the general public in kits about 30 years ago. The kits come with the very thin multi-colored strips of paper in the proper weight for quilling, a large corsage pin to quill around, designs templates to follow and detailed directions for all the basic quilling shapes. After doing one kit, you’re practically an expert. Quilled art makes lovely dimensional wall art as well as greeting cards and scrapbook pages. To learn more, please click here.

Quilled Pastry Hearts
See my “recipe” for Quilled Pastry Hearts by clicking here. It’s really more a craft project than a baking one: just assemble, quill and bake. And what a nice presentation for Valentine’s Day.