When your going through your pictures deciding what to scrap, do you ever come across a really special picture? You know what I mean, the one that makes you go tap someone on the shoulder and say "Hey look at this one. I just LOVE this picture!" Then, your scrapbooking creative juices start kicking in, and you start thinking in your mind what you can do to make that picture really stand out on the layout. You start to calculate the dollars and dollars of scrapbook supplies you might spend to create a masterpiece worthy of supporting that special picture. Or you may dig that extra special patterned paper out of your stash, that paper you've been saving for something really special.
I'm sure you can relate. We all have them -
Our Favorite Pictures. A few years back after hearing the suggestion from a fellow scrapping friend, I started a "Favorite Pictures Album". I must admit, this is my favorite album. The one I break out first to share with family and friends. The one my own family enjoys the most.
My first step was to decide what size album I wanted. I knew I didn't want a 12 X 12 album, thinking that would be too big, since most of my layouts would only have one photo. I also thought that, for me, a 6 X 6 would be too small. So, just like Goldilocks, I found the album that was "Just Right!" I selected a 8.5 X 11 album with a landscape (horizontal) orientation.
Selecting the album was probably the hardest decision in this process. From there, all "rules" from my other family albums were put aside. In this album, the layouts aren't chronological, I don't do double page spreads, and I don't even journal on all the layouts. I just find that photo that "speaks to me" and I scrap it! Simple and easy as that! At first I started off simple getting used to the new orientation. I found it so fun to whip out a quick layout in a matter of minutes.
Then I got to thinking more about this album, and a way to make it even more special. I decided that in this album I'd take the opportunity to tell my kids how wonderful I think they are, what I think is special about them, or give them words of advice. I direct the journalling right at the subject, saying "You, we, us" Where as in my other albums I tend to summarize and journal in the 3rd person. I also decided that on this album, even though I hate my own handwriting, I'd write some of my own journalling. Have you ever ran across a note or letter handwritten by a loved one. You know how it makes you warm and fuzzy inside, and makes you think of that person, actually "feel" that person - I wanted to do that here. So someday when my kids look back on this they'll be able to feel Mom's love.
Sometimes, when I create a layout all I have to do is just enlarge the photo to 5 X 7 and plop in down onto some beautiful patterned paper! I love how quick some of these layouts go!
I hope this blog entry inspires you to maybe consider making your own Favorite Photos Album! If any of you out there have a similar album, we'd love to see your layouts too! Please e-mail them to
info@iceescape.net. Also please share your comments, ideas, and feedback on our blog or message board!
Happy Scrapping!
Tracy
Pretty cute eh? (OK so Mom helped cut and mat papers...) I think we have a future scrapbooker in the family!
Happy Birthday to our great friend Dawn!! I hope your day is filled with lots of love hugs and scrappy surprises! 
I have a confession to make. I’m in love with another man. He’s so handsome and sweet. He loves to cuddle on the couch, lets me control the remote, and even does everything I tell him to. Okay, so his eating manners leave a lot to be desired, and he has this thing where he drools after getting a big drink of water. He doesn’t wipe his feet before he comes into the house (and trust me he should), but one look into his gorgeous brown eyes, my heart melts and all is forgiven. The best part of my new little love affair, my husband doesn’t mind. In fact, he was the one that introduced us and invited him to come live in our house.
All of my life we’ve had animals. Always dogs, a few cats, some horses, and even a bunny, lizard, hermit crabs, and some fish in there somewhere. It’s amazing how these creatures become such a special part of your family. And with so many wonderful pet themed scrapbook supplies, it makes it easy to create great layouts to include in the family album.
Our family also has a Lizard name Leo that belongs to my oldest daughter. A layout documenting their story has yet to be created, it’s on my long list of “to-do” projects. I was pretty excited when I found some adorable lizard embellishments at a local scrapbook store in town, so I’m looking forward to creating something fun. 
I recently had the pleasure of scrapping a friends photos. A group of scrappy friends each year swap photos and let someone else scarp their pages. It’s a fun swap I look forward to doing every year.
The flocking was SOOOOO fun. Much like glitter, but fuzzier. I used some cool swirls and layered them with some star rub-ons and a few fun felt flowers. It didn’t take away from the simplicity of the LO, yet it gave it that umph it needed to wow.
I remember going to a birthday party when I was young and we cut out and baked shrinky dinks. It was so much fun! I had not thought about them much in many years, then saw an article on them in the last scrapbook magazine I got. I thought now that would be fun to make my own embellishments. I bought a package of the materials and then cut out some using my Big Shot.
I had a bunch on a sheet and took markers to give them some color.
I also stamped some onto the material and then cut them out.
Then I stamped on some that I had cut out already.
Following the instructions, I put them all on a baking sheet and in the oven they went for a couple minutes. It was fun watching them curl up and then shrink back down.
Even though the instuctions show you how much they are going to shrink, it is still amazing to see them after they are heated, and how small they really come out to be.
I had a lot of fun doing this project and have lots of materials left to do more. Now if I have a special layout I am working on and need an embellishment to go with it, this will be a great way to get one. I just have to remember to make them much bigger to start with!
Selecting the album was probably the hardest decision in this process. From there, all "rules" from my other family albums were put aside. In this album, the layouts aren't chronological, I don't do double page spreads, and I don't even journal on all the layouts. I just find that photo that "speaks to me" and I scrap it! Simple and easy as that! At first I started off simple getting used to the new orientation. I found it so fun to whip out a quick layout in a matter of minutes.
