Submission Format: compressed .zip or .rar file format
Files Included:
- Readme.txt with the name(s) and contact information of all authors involved in your kit’s creation.
- image files including papers, design elements, alphabets, embellishments, etc. must be in .jpg or .png format at high-resolution (minimum 300dpi)

Terms of Use: Digital scrapbooking kits submitted for ScrapTown contests must be entirely your own work, and you must own all rights of distribution for all graphics, images, and other visual media included therein. Any work not fully owned by you must be accredited and you must have proof of permission from the original owner to use it. By submitting your digital scrapbooking kit to ScrapTown.com, you agree to give consent for us to make it available on our website for download. We will never sell or directly profit in any way from your work or from any contest submission or personal information provided thereof.

All submissions must be emailed directly to bagladysharon@gmail.com OR, in the event of a large file size, a web link provided and sent to that email address. Submissions must be received by April 30, 2010 in order to be considered for this contest. Submissions received following that date may be included in future promotions and contests.

Thanks and good luck!

The Springtime free scrapbooking mini-kit is now available for download!

Springtime - Scraptown

Keeping visual elements of our past is important because as our short term memory shifts into long term memory, we sometimes lose many of the sensory details of those events, as our minds only tend to store the most pertinent and relevant information as time goes by. Our minds are therefore like a somewhat leaky sieve in that they can hold a lot of information for a long period of time, but much of the information that is “closest to the edge” slowly drains away.

If you want to create the most valuable scrapbook memories that you possibly can, it may help you in your design phase to try recalling some of the sensory details that you remember from whichever event you are scrapping about. For instance, a family day at the park - the picnic you had, what you ate, the way the freshly cut grass smelled, the feel of the cool breeze, the temperature outside. This is a basic example, but what I’m trying to get at here is that the more you remember while you are scrapping about your past, the more you’ll be able to include in your write-ups and therefore the more complete your scrapbook memories will end up being.

Use these techniques to help you create great scrapbook layouts and pages. Make a list of the first five things that come to your mind about the event or person(s) you are scrapping for. Next, make a list of the five most important things to you about that event or person, ie. the way they made you feel, etc. Combining those ten things, you might just have an easier time coming up with new and more fantastic scrapbooking ideas for your future projects.

1. The Birth of a Child
It doesn’t have to be your own; a grandchild, niece or nephew, godchild, or a close friend’s newborn can be a great subject for a scrapbook or page. Especially if it isn’t your own child, this can make a great gift for the proud new parents.

2. A New Home
You may be at your first home buying stage and wish to document or share the experience with others. Even if you don’t like the look of your home at first and want to make a lot of changes before you show it off to anyone, still take photos and get a good collection of images of how the place looks right when you buy it, before you have set your hand to the plow and made it into the home of your dreams.

These photos can serve as comparisons for your own benefit after the work is done, and they will also add a special touch to your home scrapbook pages so that your family and friends can see how far you’ve come with the place.

3. Weddings
What better present to give a bride and groom than a beautifully decorated and embellished scrapbook full of your best scrapbooking ideas? Yes, some people end up scrapping their own weddings, but in the hectic rush of starting a new life together, newlyweds may not have the time or desire to scrapbook right away and so their personal projects may get pushed to the back burner. Help them out by creating a couple of tasteful scrapbook pages for them and they’ll think of not only their wedding, but also you, whenever they look at them!

4. Minor Holidays
There are of course the standard birthday, vacation, and Christmas scrapbooking ideas, but most everyone who has been scrapping for awhile has done one or many of these. What about the less “extravagant” holidays that might not be as memorable? Cherish these memories of time spent with your loved ones by scrapbooking smaller events, which are no less special than the big ones! A day trip or road trip you took over the summer, a Memorial Day cookout, or a day stranded inside the house during a winter blizzard can all make great subjects for scrapbook pages about fun times that you may have otherwise forgotten about.

This in and of itself is not a bad thing, and in fact a little house cleaning that gets our heads clear and keeps our focus right can be a very useful tool for getting things done. Part of life’s blessing is the freedom to do that - to stop and self-analyze for a moment - to begin with. But often you may find yourself in a slump, not being able to get things done even when you feel like you’re trying your hardest.

I’ll admit I’m not the most flawless person in the world when it comes to making the best and most efficient use of my time; I fall prey to the occasional episode of american idol just like anyone else

It’s at the intersection of inspiration and timing that some of my best scrapbooking ideas have been brought to life. Often I’m inspired but have no free time to get into the right setting and mode for scrapbooking; other times I find I’m wondering what to do with myself and yet I feel unmotivated toward getting anything done.

Next time you run into either of these extremes, take a second to think about what inspires you. What stresses you out? Chances are that a combination of these factors have to do with whether you find yourself in the right frame of mind to let your creative juices flow. A little reflection can go a long way toward opening up the right channels for you to be at your best creatively and productively. This doesn’t just apply to scrapping or scrapbooking ideas, but to everything else you find yourself tasked with as well.

A scrapbook is like an album of pictures on crack (or steroids, if you prefer to go with something less illegal. Or Red Bull, if less illicit). With a scrapbook, you’re not limited to photographs; anything you have that you want to save and/or display, as long as it will fit reasonably, can be included. All of your favorite knick-nacks, trinkets, and other memorabilia can make great additions to a scrapbook.

1. You Need Help (Or Could Use Some)
It might take hours to go through the items you want to include, but this can be one of the most fun parts of the process. You can make it even more fun if you manage to convince your significant other, spouse, parents or kids to help you.

2. Theme It!
The next step in scrapbooking (or “scrapping,” as some like to call it) is to design a theme or layout - there could be a recurring theme throughout the book with a different layout for each page, or you could theme every new page independently of the others - the beauty is that it’s completely up to you how you organize your scrapbooking ideas. Your theme can be as simple or as involved as you want it, but remember not to be overzealous; less is more in many cases.

3. Use Your Tools
Grab anything and everything you can think of that might be of help. Odd shapes make good stencils or borders, and trying several types of adhesives and writing implements will allow you to get the best results with your materials. You can never have too much colored paper, either!

4. Get A Second Opinion
This isn’t medical plan 101, I’m talking about actually asking for input from your friends on what they think. It’s hard sometimes to have tough skin and deal with any critiques or criticism someone might have, but I’m sorry to say that it’s part of being a designer! The visual appeal you are trying to create can always benefit from a second set of eyes, no matter what the application. The ‘net is a great place for this, and there are many scrapbooking ideas websites that will let you post your scrapbook pages for others to view and comment on.

We won’t get into the specific cheap scrapbooking supplies you can use for now - I will detail those in a later post - but let’s talk about the general supplies you should always have with you. Scissors, construction paper, a glue stick, hot glue, school glue, scotch tape, packing tape, scrapbooking adhesives, markers, pens and pencils are all essential supplies to keep with you for scrapbooking.

Why so many different types of tapes and glues, you ask? Well, each one serves its own purpose and can help you to attach different items to your page in a way that will make them sturdy enough to last without damaging different items. A small, flat trinket like a beloved coin, a dried flower, or a small lock of hair, for example, could be laid underneath a decoratively cut length of packing tape to form a seal over top of it. Packing tape is a much stronger material than regular scotch tape and it comes in wider lengths, so it can be more easily used to lock in particularly valuable or delicate items.

In addition, you can usually find special adhesives that are meant to form a strong bond but will not damage certain items. There are specially made materials that serve purposes solely for scrapbooking and crafting, so you should check out some of these at your local craft store or friendly scrapbooking ideas website before you begin your scrapbooking adventures.

The main reason why it’s important to have all these materials, along with cheap scrapbooking supplies, around you is because you might suddenly find yourself “in the mood” and then realize you don’t have what you need. In these instances, the moment may be lost because you don’t have the time or the motivation to go out to the store and pick up the necessary supplies. When inspiration strikes, be in the position to take advantage of it!

1. Paper Punches

Sure, you could spend hours painstakingly cutting patterns into your construction paper with a pair of normal scissors. This can be a fun activity during your scrapbooking and you can use it for simple shapes, but there is no comparison to having pre-cut paper templates that give you instant magic! There are more paper punch categories and designs than you can shake a stick at, ranging from butterflies, squigglies, stars, snowflakes, raindrops, and hearts, to borders, patterns and corner accents.

Quick Tip: After you’ve removed the interior punch, use the outside as a stencil.

Paper punches don’t just include the ready-made paper designs and cutouts themselves, but also hand-operated, decorative punch tools. These are essentially a fancy version of a hole punch, and they allow you to punch out specific patterns from any piece of paper or cardstock.

2. Decorative Scissors

Great for creating borders, frames, and fancy backgrounds of many styles. Decorative scissors have two matching blades which, instead of being straight, form a nice-looking edge with multiple curves and/or patterns. You’d really be surprised at how much flair and pizzazz you can add to a page by cutting edges on a decorative line rather than a straight one!

3. A Big Sticker Collection

Now don’t go crazy with these. But having a good selection with a wide variety of styles and shapes to choose from can go a long way to add to a page that incorporates your best scrapbooking ideas. Stickers should be used as accent pieces, not as a central theme (unless it’s done well) - your pages should not be littered with dozens of stickers. They are one of the easiest and fastest ways to decorate a scrapbook page, so people tend to go overboard. Use them sparingly and tastefully and you’ll get some wonderful results.

4. Sharpie Markers

The trusty old sharpie - matchless in its strength, marking power, and toxic fumes - but great for scrapbooking nonetheless. You can get these in full-color sets just like washable markers, only permanent. They tend to be more vibrant and are able to write on a larger variety of surfaces than traditional washables.

Next think about the visual style of your scrapbook layouts. Do you want to do something unique and innovative? Spark an emotional reaction in yourself or other friends and relatives who see it? You could be going for an inspiring page or one that gives the viewer that warm and fuzzy feeling. Sentimentality plays a big role, as does comedy. It’s quite possible that you simply want to create a page that makes people laugh!

One major thing to consider in your scrapbook layouts is called composition. That just means the organization of the way things are laid out on the page. If you want a single picture with some other decorative items around it, your first instinct might be to put it right smack dab in the center of your page, aligned both horizontally and vertically in the middle. But scrapbooking ideas should be just like any other art form, and you should try to think outside the box in order to make your scrapbooks and pages unique.

This can definitely work, but wouldn’t it add some visual interest to the layout if you placed the photo off to one side and slightly down beneath the imaginary halfway line? What about keeping it in the center, but skewing it off kilter/balance and using corner brackets or decorative corner pieces to accentuate the look? Go as far as you need to go in order to increase the “wow” factor that people will experience the first time they see your page. When it comes to scrapping, first impressions are everything if you can make the right one!

There are limitless possibilities, and your final look will depend on your own style, the materials you are using and what you have to work with. You can really do some amazing things with your scrapbook layouts if you take the time to not only learn as you go along but also to take the advice of others and look at as many scrapbook layouts as you can get your eyes on!

Tickets

If you are the type who saves everything, not only will you make a great scrapbooker, but you will also have a huge inventory of items to choose from, including the tickets you have saved from every possible event that required a ticket in for as long as you can remember! This can include tickets to the movies, the theater, a rock concert or other musical event, or to the play of a local high school or college drama department.

Tickets could be as simple as raffle tickets from a fair or carnival you visited with a friend or loved one(s). They come in many different forms, but they make great scrapbook memories accents for pages that have pictures of you and your friends or family from the very same event!

Jewelry

While it’s not a good idea to put expensive jewelry in a scrapbook, you might find that adding jewelry that has little monetary value would be a good idea. Beaded necklaces with lettered names, friendship bracelets, plastic rings from the candy machines at the supermarket, and any other tiny accessory that is broken or has gone unused for awhile can help to remind you of a certain period of time and help you visualize it. It might even bring up a story or two about where it came from or how it ended up the way it did.

Cards

While greeting cards - or pieces of them - would be an obvious thought here, I’m not going to limit this section to just those cards with sentimental or funny sayings on them that you gave or received for a birthday or other holiday. Cards might include your first business card from your first real job or your first home-based or self-employed business, a special playing card, sports card or collectible trading card. They all have the benefit of being flat, similar to a photo, and so they are easier to place in a book format than certain more bulky items.

Trinkets

As long as it will fit inside your book, it can be used. Notes, scraps of paper, love letters, pieces of string or cord, fabric, locks of hair, buttons, and many other tiny trinkets make great scrapbooking ideas for your scrapbooks.