Adorable Easter Clip Art Graphics from Family Niche Clip Art

Go see the cute Easter clip art that we have at Fiverr for just $5.00. This is so adorable and can be used for crafts, scrapbooking or Spring party invitations etc. If you have a family blog it'll be just right to add a touch of Easter. 

Adorable Easter Clip Art at Fiverr

Top 5 tips for creating an amazing photo book

(ARA) - In today’s digital era, it’s easy to design and publish your own photography book at an affordable price. In fact, Americans will produce 17 million photo books in 2009, according to a Futuresource Consulting estimate. Wedding books, family photo books, and artistic collections of photos published in a coffee table book are especially popular for commemorating special memories.

Samira Kordestani, a professional book designer, offers these tips to help you get started on your own masterpiece:

Choose a publishing platform that gives you professional-quality options.

Blurb.com offers free Blurb BookSmart software, which makes it easy to design an incredible book using professionally-designed layouts. Select from many book sizes, small or large, and simply drag and drop your photos into the layouts of your choice. Once you order your book, it takes only one week to publish and deliver it to your doorstep.

Decide on a story or message for your book.

Great photo books tell a story. Whether it’s an event or a themed collection of images, think about your vision for the book before you begin and then select your favorite photos to help tell your story.

Remember that you are creating a visual experience, not just a book.

Play around with design options on your first several pages. Try out different backgrounds, photo borders and page layouts. Once you’ve discovered the look you like best, keep it consistent throughout your book so that each page has a connection with the next.

Typography is just as important as your photos.

If you are adding captions, stories or other text to your book, select a font and text size that works well with your overall book design. The placement of text should visually complement your photos and other design elements.

Select compelling cover photos.

The front cover of your book should tease the subject of your work, and create an emotional hook that inspires you to want to see more. The back cover is your opportunity to share a final message.

If you are interested in having a photography book published but are short on time, you can always contact a professional book designer through BlurbNation, a community of experienced designers available for hire. For more information, visit www.blurb.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Another Cricut Card Idea ~ Making a Dollhouse Card using the Wild Card Cricut Cartridge

How about using the Wild Card Cricut Cartridge with your Cricut Expression machine and create a custom handmade greeting card just the way you picture it.

Ya gotta love the Cricut Expression machine. I had to make a birthday card for my niece. I knew that she was making a dollhouse with her mom, so I wanted to make this handmade greeting card special. After finding out her colors that they were paining the dollhouse, I decided to use the same colors for the handmade card.

Using my Cricut Expression and the Wild Card Cricut Cartridge was the perfect choice for my cricut card idea. All of the samples showed this Wild Card Cricut Cartridge being used for moving/change of address, but I decided to make it a dollhouse instead.

I set my Cricut Expression to cut the card at 7" and it was a great size since I wanted to embellish this handmade greeting card with some cute card and scrapbooking embellishments that I have.
I used a pink rhinestone for the door handle, I had a 3D EK Success sticker of a white picket fence that I cut down to size and also some fun stickers of palm trees to accent the front door. I finished it with a pink butterfly 3D sticker again from EK Success.

For the inside I went trough all of the rubber stamps that I have (and that's a lot of rubber stamps, good thing that I have my rubber stamping supplies organized in containers that are labeled) but what I decided was to make the inside of this handmade greeting card very simple and just used a rubber stamp that said Happy Birthday.

I love the way that it turned out.
Wishing Riley a Very Happy Birthday!

For more details and pictures be sure to visit Joans Craft World.com

A Closer Look at the Cricut Cartridge Line

There are more than seventy-five cartridges in the the Cricut cartridge series, and the collection continues to grow. Most people simply do not have it in their budget to buy them all.

With so many to select from, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which ones to buy. In determining which ones to keep on your want list, and which ones to eliminate, it can be helpful to take a closer look at your individual personality:

Do You Have a Flair for Words, or for Design?

Do you like to illustrate your scrapbooks and paper crafts with cutout shapes and designs? Or do you like to put your focus on the written word, captioning your layouts and cards with just the right word or phrase?

If you are an illustrative type, then it's likely you will want to grow your collection of shape cartridges. On the other hand, if you have a flair for words, you will want to focus on the font series.

Do You Have Any Children, or Are You a Kid at Heart?

Do you have an interest in making die cuts with kid appeal? If you have children, or even if you are just a kid at heart, you may be interested in the licensed character series. Both Sesame Street and Hello Kitty are popular sellers, as well as several Disney-inspired cartridges, including Mickey and Friends, Winnie the Pooh, Pixar Cars, Tinker Bell and more.

Are You the Thrifty Type?

Most cartridges have a suggested retail price in the range of $90 to $100. However, if you are the thrifty type, the Solutions Cricut cartridge line may appeal to you. They sell for approximately one-half of what the other ones do, coming in at a suggested price of $49.99.
If you are the thrifty type, make sure you also keep your eye out for special deals. Many brick and mortar craft stores, as well as online shops, significantly reduce the price of cartridges during special sale events.

Do You Work in the Educational Field?

The Classmate series was specifically designed for use in the classroom. If you are a teacher or work in the educational field, the Classmate line is worth a second look as a teaching resource.
As you can see, although the Cricut cartridge line is extensive, not all of them appeal to everyone. By taking a good look at your own personality type and how you will use the cutouts you make, you can narrow down your choices.

This article was written by Dawn Hall. If you would like to learn more about the Cricut cartridge series, she invites you to read her blog. If you are looking to save money on Cricut font cartridges and other styles, you may be interested in comparison shopping on her website.

6 Essential Tips For Scrapbooking Beginners. Or, Where in the World to Begin?

Join me as I am about to take my first steps into what I call the totally overwhelming world of scrapbooking. There's just so much to decide. Photos aren't the issue, I have dozens of them, all stored away for the day when I officially call myself a scrapbooker. It's the hundreds of accessories that go along with scrapbooking that paralyze me. The papers and pens,not to mention the stickers and tags...where to begin? So, I've decided to meet my fears head on and start my first album. So now what?

Luckily, I have a few friends who can honestly be called 'gurus' in the scrapbooking universe. They love the craft or hobby, whichever term is most appropriate. I lean more towards 'craft' for these three gals because if you ask me, they are true scrapbooking artists. The albums they produce are beautiful family heirlooms that I have only been able to admire longingly. There's no way I can even begin to create such albums. Or is there?

Since it is merely my fear of 'messing up' that's probably the underlying issue here, I've come up with a way to approach my phobia on my own terms. I'll research the art from a beginner's standpoint and perhaps help other newbies in the long run.

So, for all you scrapbooking virgins out there, skulking around in the craft stores, side-stepping the scrapbooking aisles for fear that a Cricut may jump out and get you, here are 6 essential tips to help ease the pain of 'where to start.'

1. Scrapbook Album and page protectors. Huh? Well, I know what an album is of course, but what is a page protector? That's the clear sleeve like thing that you put over your completed scrapbook page. Keeps everything safe. Many of the scrapbookers I've talked to prefer 12x12 albums because there's lots of space for multiple photos and the goodies, or embellishments, as they're more appropriately called.

2. Paper. Duh. This may seem like a simple item, but there's so many different kinds of papers to select from it's ridiculous. If you know your scrapbook theme, then a good suggestion is to choose a patterned theme to go along with the story you're telling. Seasoned scrapbookers will tell you to always put your photo on a solid paper though,so choose some solid papers as well.

3. A good pair of scissors. Apparently, that's all that's really required to start, but I bet one of those fancy paper trimmers make the whole process easier.

4. Something to stick it all on the page with. Or, a good adhesive. A glue stick will work of course, but there are lots of other sticky items to choose from (of course there are.) Photo tabs are a good choice if you want to remove pictures from a page for some reason and not tear the page. Glue sticks are good for applying embellishments.

5. Black pen or other journaling method. That part I can do without help, but there are many folks for whom handwriting is a challenge, so printing out journaling from the computer is a super alternative. Journaling, as I've been told, is simply a story or personal account of the event taking place on the page.

6. A good beginner's scrapbooking idea book or online resource. Let's face it, I need help, so good layout ideas will hopefully get my creative juices flowing and get me going once I have all of the essentials gathered for my first album.

So, there you have it. My 'where to begin' list of essential beginner's scrapbooking supplies. There's no reason to go overboard and purchase too much 'stuff' when it's the stuff that kept me from starting in the first place. The idea is to start small and enjoy the process as much as the end result. Wish me luck!

Sherry Frewerd publishes websites and blogs on various family friendly topics. Find free clip art to use for scrapbooking or crafts at 'Free Baby and Kids Clip Art' http://freebabyandkidsclipart.homestead.com/

Which Cricut Machine Should You Buy?

There are three models of the Cricut machine, popular personal die cutters made by the Provo Craft company. With three good options, it can be difficult to decide which one to buy. Should you start small and buy the original Personal Electronic Cutter? Or is the Expression model worth the extra investment? How does the Create, the hybrid model currently being exclusively sold by Michael's Craft Store, stand up against the other two machines?

In a number of ways, all three die cut machines are the same:

All three models are cartridge-based.
You can only produce cutouts based upon the cartridges you own. Each cartridge comes with a keyboard overlay, which is used in selecting specific cuts. The cartridges are not machine-specific - they can be used in any of the three models.

Basic operation of all three machines is the same.
If you own the Personal Electronic Cutter, you will have no problem operating the Cricut Expression or Create (and vice-versa). Why? Well, the basic operation of all three die cutters is the same.

Here's a quick rundown of the process. After plugging in the selected cartridge and corresponding keyboard overlay and turning on the machine, you are ready to start making die cuts. Materials, such as paper or cardstock, are placed on a special cutting mat, which is then loaded into the machine with the press of a button. With another press of the button, the selected design is chosen. All that's left is to select "Cut". The machine does the rest of the work.

All three Cricut machine models use the same accessories.
It was already mentioned that the cartridges are not machine-specific, but this is also the case with most of the other accessories. It does not matter which model you own - the replacement blades, inks, different tools, such as the Cricut spatula, and Design Studio software, can be used with any model. The one exception is the cutting mats. The machines accept different sizes of the mats, and you must get one that is compatible with your specific machine.

Now that you know how the Cricut machines are similar, you are probably wondering how they are different. They vary in several ways:

The size of die cuts produced by each machine are different.
The Personal Electronic Cutter has the capability of making cutouts ranging from 1 inch to 5-1/2 inches in size, in half inch increments. The Create can produce die cuts ranging from 1/4 inch to 11-1/2 inches in size, in quarter inch increments. The Expression gives users the most versatility, producing cutouts from 1/4 inch to 23-1/2 inches in size, in quarter inch increments.

They weight and size of the machines vary.
The Personal Electronic Cutter and Create are both small, portable machines. These models are good for crafters who like to take their projects on the road, and create scrapbook layouts and other projects in group settings. They are also suited for those who do not have a specific area in their home set aside for crafting, because these die cutters are easy to pack up and put away in between uses. The Expression, on the other hand, is much heavier and larger. If you have a crafting room or corner, and do not have the concerns of moving it frequently, it's a good choice.

The three Cricut machine models have different modes and functions.
There are several different modes and functions. For example, the fit to page mode will automatically adjust the size of the die cut based upon the size of the material loaded in the machine. The center point function allows you to align the cutting blade over the center of the material, so that the cut is made around it. The Expression machine has the most versatility as far as the availability of modes and functions. Next in line is the Create, and third place goes to the Personal Electronic Cutter. More information can be found regarding these modes and functions in the machine handbooks, which are available in PDF format on Cricut.com.

The price is different for each model.
The Personal Electronic Cutter is the most inexpensive Cricut cutter, with a suggested retail price of $299.99. The Create is $100.00 more, at $399.99, and the Expression is $499.99. Please note that all three machines can be purchased at significant savings. Many retailers run special sales or have a lower everyday price than the suggested retail price. It's a good idea to shop around when buying your first Cricut machine.

This article was written by Dawn Hall. Find out more about Cricut, including additional information regarding the Cricut machine models, on her website and blog.

Digital Scrapbooking: Less Time and Mess Than Traditional Scrapbooking

Digital Scrapbooking: Less Time, Less Mess Turns Traditional Scrapbooking on Its Head

(ARA) - Every year scrapbooking hobbyists spend money on fancy paper, ribbons, stamps, fabrics and other supplies to make family mementos, photos and other ephemera into hulking scrapbooks.

Even though the scrapbooks are lovely to look at, give and cherish, in reality, their ingredients can often take over an entire room, or worse, a whole house. That’s why many traditional scrapbook enthusiasts have turned to a digital format. It’s less expensive, invasive and the options for creating, storing and sharing are endless.

According to Heather Ward, a graphic design instructor at The Art Institute of Indianapolis, one of the best ways to start digital scrapbooking is by investing in a good scrapbooking program such as Memory Mixer, Scrapbook Factory Deluxe or Scrapbook MAX.

“Once you have one of these programs you should begin by using the provided templates or tutorials until you feel secure enough to explore and create using the software on your own. There are also many support places on the Web where you can chat with other scrappers, get involved in a scrapping forum or ask an individual program’s support staff your questions,” says Ward.

Going digital doesn’t have to mean impersonal or mass-produced. In fact, as with traditional scrap booking, any fonts, themes and graphics being used depend entirely on the individual creating the book. According to Ward, “Scrapbooks are most interesting when the personality of the artists is seen in the work. A benefit of using digital scrap is that everything you need to make your final product special and memorable is included in the program. No need to run out to a craft store to buy supplies.”

Jason Stanford, a fashion design instructor at The Art Institute of Dallas says that “Putting a digital scrapbook together is not much different than creating one in the real world sense. All you need to do is think in terms of computer presentation instead of through traditional ‘book’ format.” Stanford recommends presenting digital scrapbooks by using Microsoft PowerPoint where you create a presentation of "pages" that you design in Adobe Photoshop in a format that is pleasing to look at and compelling for the readers.

Following that, Stanford recommends Adobe Photoshop to create from scratch “pages” by using paint attributes, shapes and other affects. By capturing digital photographs or scanning you can also incorporate real-world moments and other memorabilia within your "pages."

Finally, traditional scrapbooks can be damaged or fade with age (although many traditional scrap-booking products guard against this). Digital scrapbooks can be posted on the Internet to share with others and also to be preserved without risk of damage -- a sort of blog. In addition, scrap bookers can even add sound or music to go along with a page or an entire "book." Anyone who has watched a slide show or some sort of visual work that has music attached to it knows that sound can completely change and influence the message and emotion behind the work.

To learn more about The Art Institutes visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), a system of 35 locations throughout North America, provide an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.

Creating Your Christmas or Hanukah Scrapbook

We hear the phrase “holiday season” beginning as early as October 1st, yet, when it comes to creating scrapbook albums, I often see photos from just the one day of Christmas, or the 8 days of Hanukah.

This year, create your album for the entire season. What does this mean? When do you start your shopping and planning? My kids have always created a wish list for my mom and dad. Make a copy of these wish lists and add them to your scrapbook.

Once you begin your shopping, take photos of the bags and bags of goodies you have purchased. There have been years where I’ve looked in my trunk and just laughed at the amount of bags I have inside. Some years I have bought gifts for teachers, for coworkers, for my family and for the many gift exchanges I’m involved in.

I’ve always done my gift wrapping either during the day when the kids are at school or at night when they are asleep. Take a few photos of the gifts all being wrapped.

Most years, my kids and I bake. We bake for classmates, for coworkers, for those who provide us wonderful service during the years and for the many parties we seem to attend during the “holiday season”. Take photos of your baking process. Consider including a few recipes from your baking in the scrapbook. Copy the recipes onto acid free paper.

Are you having any type of dinner at your home? Again, snap some photos of the grocery list, the preparations and again consider adding a few of your dinner recipes.

Do you put decorations in your home? I have seen absolutely beautiful homes, both for Christmas and for Hanukah over the years. Take photos of your home without guests in it. Then take photos again when the house is filled with people, noise and great food.

Opening presents is a highlight for children. In addition to taking photos of everyone opening their gifts, save some of the wrapping papers for your scrapbook. Save just a little bit as it will yellow.

If you receive cards from family and friends, consider laminating the cards and adding them to your scrapbook. If the card itself it not acid free, it will over time yellow and crack, which is why I suggest laminating them.

This year when you consider your holiday scrapbook, consider the entire season, not just the one or eight days.

Article by:
Audrey Okaneko has been scrapbooking for several years. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at www.scrapping-made-simple.com

Finding The Time To Scrapbook

Click Here for the Ultimate Fast Start Scrapbooking Guide. A Step By Step Guide To Creating Beautiful Layouts!

I had someone tell me yesterday that she had given up scrapbooking as she just couldn’t find the time anymore. I asked if she could find 30 minutes once or twice a week. She said with some planning, she could find 30 minutes a few times per week.

Often we think of scrapbooking as a start to finish project requiring several hours of our time. However if we begin to think of scrapbooking in 30 minute increments, we can complete albums and still have time to be mom, work, cook etc.

Start by choosing a theme and choosing photos. Your first half hour will be nothing more than choosing photos.

Your next half hour slot will be choosing papers. Choose both background papers and cardstock to mount your photo. You may not be able to choose paper for the entire album in this one sitting, but you can begin to choose the papers you’ll be using for your scrapbook.

Cropping the photos is your next step. Again, you may not finish all photos in one sitting but you can certainly start the cropping process in one 30 minute segment.

Next comes the mounting of the photos. This can be done in the car while waiting for carpool. This can be done while your older child is taking a bath and you are just waiting. This can be done while waiting in a doctors office.

Journaling and embellishments are the last step in putting together your scrapbook. Journaling again can be done most any time and any place. Choose how you will journal. Then write on the paper of your choice.

Choose your embellishments. These can be added in one 30 minute segment. By creating your scrapbook in steps and in 30 minute fragments, you’ll find you do have the time to complete a scrapbook and have a lasting memory.

Article by:
Audrey Okaneko has been scrapbooking for several years. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at www.scrapping-made-simple.com

Scrapbooking Made Easy

Fabulous Scrapbook Pages In Minutes. Fabulous Scrapbooking Pages That Are Simple And Fast.

The thought of scrapbooking can be overwhelming if you have never tried it before. With the ever-growing supply list of scrapbooking accessories, it’s easy to get lost. Use these four simple steps for scrapbooking made easy:

Step 1: Gather your photos. If you’re like most, you have photos stored throughout your house. Locate all your pictures that are in boxes, drawers, and wherever else you stash them. Gather every picture you’ve ever taken and make one big pile.

While gathering photos, this is the perfect time to have any digital pictures printed. If you’ve been saving them on a disk, waiting for the right time to have hard copies made, this is the time! If you have rolls of film that’s waiting to be developed, take those with you, too.

Step 2: Sort through all photos. Now that your photos are all together in one pile, it’s time to sort. This is the most overwhelming part of scrapbooking that tends to discourage people from creating their scrapbook. Seeing all your precious memories in one heaping mound can feel intimidating. Don’t let it scare you! This step could take up to a few weeks, depending on the size of your picture pile. So take a deep breath and dive in.

There are many ways you can sort your photos. The main idea is to group your pictures together by themes or dates. Some examples of different sort piles you might create are summer vacations, sports activities, school programs, holidays, family outings, birthday parties, etc.

Don’t worry about the number of photos are in each pile. Don’t try to make rhyme or reason of your piles either. It doesn’t matter if you have more photos in one pile than another. Just sort your pictures by theme.

Step 3: Determine your starting point.Now that all your photos are sorted, it’s time to find your starting point. First, you should determine what kind of scrapbook album you would like to make. Look at your picture collections. Do you see some sort of overall theme? Do you have tons of vacation photos?

Think about what kind of categories you may have to work with. If you have a child, you might start by creating a scrapbook that includes her pictures from birth to age five. Alternatively, if your family travels frequently, you might consider creating a family travels scrapbook and include photos and mementos from your journeys.

Step 4: Focus on one page at a time.You are finally ready to begin creating your scrapbook! You have a scrapbook theme and a group of photos to include in your scrapbook. Coordinate your photos with matching page sets, stickers, paper punches, etc. Don’t forget to write your memories on each page with your photos. Concentrate on creating one page at a time and in no time at all, you will have a completed scrapbook.