ArtBorders is a software application that draws decorative borders around your digital photos.

The program is extremely easy and convenient to use. Just drag the image you want into ArtBorders, select a border art that you like, and then print or save the new photo. The program can fetch hundreds of borders from the ArtBorders website.

ArtBorders lets you edit your photos at the same time, handing such functions as rotation, mirroring, anti-aliasing (smoothing), changing colors, and sepia effects. The program supports TIFF, JPG, and BMP formats.

At this time, ArtBorders is availble for free from its website. However, paying the $24.95 registration fee allows you to download borders from its website.

Scrapbooking.com has a nice brief article with some thoughts about documenting your pregnancy. Some of the highlights are:

1. Start with memories of how you shared your news with loved ones.
   
2. Create a list of the top ten things you will never forget about being pregnant (that way you'll be sure not to forget)!
   
3. Scan and copy your ultrasounds on acid-free paper to help preserve your baby's first photos.
   

As he or she grows up, your child will love to hear about your pregnancy. In any event, if you are stuck inside with feet of snow surrounding your house, now is the time to set this up. Believe me, you won't have time once the baby comes!!

Have you just moved into a new area and have no idea where to go to make new scrapping friends? Has your consultant moved away leaving you with nothing but the chain craft stores? Try Creating Keepsakes Consultant Locator. This is a great resource for finding consultants or, if you are a consultant, making new friends and customers. This feature allows you to locate consultants for a variety of companies by zip code. The search results even include a little about the consultant and what she sells. Often the consultants web site is listed as well as much other useful information.

Same Differences, a company that produces scrapbooking stickers depicting "everyday people" announced today its new line of stickers called "Everyday Sizes" depicting cartoon drawings of overweight people.

"New scrapbookers embrace their newfound hobby with high hopes," says Michael Venzor, co-owner of ScrapbookingDiversity.com, a website devoted to this topic. "The disappointment comes when consumers go to the stores and subscribe to the magazines and they don't see themselves."

Same Differences produces several lines of stickers that reflect real-world people, such as kids with disabilities, childless couples, and people of different ethniticies.

Angela Billings wrote an article entitled, "10 Tips for Peaceful Crafting with the Kids" providing ideas on how to make crafting with your kids less stressful. Angela is the author of the popular household tips website, "Home and Family eZine".

RubberStampCalendar.com, a website that offers comprehensive listings of rubber stamp conventions, expos, retreats and trade shows on the web, is looking for rubber stamp art submissions for a new online gallery of rubber stamp art. All entries are welcome, and the guidelines are simple: all art submitted must be your own and must have been created using rubber stamps in some way.

"We're looking for everything from the cute and cuddly to the wild, avant-garde, and crazy," says Marie Lieuwen, who contributes to RubberStampCalendar.com. "We especially want to hear from all the undiscovered dining-room table artists who really don't think of themselves as artists at all. If you made something cool, we want to see it."

Handmade cards, scrapbook pages, altered books, artist trading cards and other crafts or personal art treasures that were made using rubber stamps are all welcome. Scans or photos must be submitted in either .gif or .jpg form. Works submitted will also be considered for the RubberStampCalendar.com "Art Of The Month" newsletter feature, a monthly how-to article that showcases exceptional rubber stamp art, if a listing of materials used and brief how-to instructions are included with the submission.

For more information on submitting your work, visit RubberStampCalendar.com and click on the "Submit Your Art!" link at the bottom of the page.

QVC has a huge day of scrapping deals going. For example, QuicKutz Alphabet Die-cutting System is on sale for less than half the usual retail price. This offering contains everything you need to create custom die cuts for cards, scrapbook pages, or other paper craft activities. It also includes dies to make both upper and lowercase letters with a font that's created especially for QVC.

QVC is one of the best places to purchase your scrapping equipment and supplies, offering many items for less than your favorite store buys them. Just take a look at Today's Program Guide for further information.

Are you looking for a way to get away from the kids for just a couple of days? Maybe you would like to combine a brief respite with a little cropping and stamping? May we suggest that you go in search of SDV's?

A scrapbookers dream vacation is a fun way to solidify old friendships or even establish new ones. Dream Events, Inc. has many events around the USA. SDV's are great ways to learn new techniques and test out new tools. Many events are over weekends or extended weekends, held at convenient and fun locations, and sot just a couple hundred dollars. Take a look and see if Dream Events, Inc. has an event near you.

Bound 2 Remember is the only company in the world that is offering a Scrapbook Reproduction safe for the ages. This Arizona based company is taking scrapbookers lumpy and bumpy pages and reproducing them in the form of a commercially printed and bound hardbound coffeetable book.

Their reproductions have true 12" x 12" pages and the colors are as vivid
as the original pages their customers send them.

If you have been itching to share your scrapbook pages with family and
friends in a classy way ... you should think about giving these professionals
a chance to help you.

888-385-BOOK (2665)
www.bound2remember.com

If you are a scrapbook retailer, or designer, contact pete@bound2remember
today and ask about the retailer and VAR programs available.

Morristown (Indiana) Middle-Senior High Schoolstudents are combining genealogy, biology and scrapbboking in a unique combined class. The students will gather family photographs, headstone rubbings and other information into scrapbooks. One student exclamed, "Genealogy is a lot more fun than I thought it would be." Obviously, scrapbooking brings it all together in a meaningful way.

Mark Twain was scrapbooking when scrapbooking wasn't cool. PBS has published a new feature on its website documenting Mark Twain's life and his writings, in the form of an "interactive scrapbook".

According to the website, Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, invented the "self pasting" scrapbook:

Mark Twain was a lifelong creator and keeper of scrapbooks. He took them with him everywhere and filled them with souvenirs, pictures, and articles about his books and performances. But in time, he grew tired of the lost glue, rock-hard paste, and the swearing that resulted from the standard scrapbook process. So, he came up with the idea of printing thin strips of glue on the pages to make updates neat and easy to do. In 1872, he patented his "self-pasting" scrapbook, and by 1901, at least 57 different types of his albums were available. It would be his only invention that ever made money.

The interactive scrapbook takes you through various stages of Twain's life with photos, sketches, quotes, and video, all artistically laid out like a scrapbook.

For those of you who like to make use of rubber stamping in your scrapbooks, RubberStampCalendar.com has an online calendar of events for rubber stamping enthusiasts. The calendar lists month-by-month all the rubber stamp trade shows, seminars, and meetings happening around the world.

If you have a rubber stamp event that you want to publicize, you can add your event to their calendar.

If you get frustrated losing your pens and pencils while working on your scrapbooks, consider a new product called Pencil Pull®. It's a clip that attaches to a variety of objects, either your shirt, belt, table, clipboard, etc.

Despite its name, Pencil Pull can used to hold a wide variety of writing implements, such as pens, markers, and crayons.

For those of you with scrapbooking businesses, Pencil Pull has a place to carry your business logo and contact info, allowing you to give them away as freebies to your customers.

Abigail Amy Beal has written an article entitled, "A Dozen Ways to Jumpstart Your Journal" providing tips on to "jumpstart" your journaling. If you don't keep a journal, this can also give you some inspiration on starting one.

Eileen Bergen has written an article about collage entitled, "The Art of Collage". If you are wanted to use collage with your scrapbooks, this can provide some useful insight.

Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) is a new technology that you may be hearing more about in next few months. It's a specification that allows digital cameras to tell printers what photos to print, and how many.

To explain what DPOF is, imagine you go out with your family to the amusement park, and take several pictures with your digital camera. When you get back home, you connect your camera to the photo printer, scroll through the photos, and tell the printer which photos to print.

But imagine if you could tell your digital camera which photos to print, and how many copies to print, before you get home?

That's what DPOF allows you to do.

According to DigitalRoom.com, a website that provides the latest information in digital photo technology, DPOF comes in two varieties:

There are two versions available in the market: version 1.00 and version 1.10. Where the former defined the basic functions of auto print format for directly printing images, the latter further defines the format for auto transfer and auto play of the images stored in the removable media. The first version is an electronic preview-and-print order process utilized while the images are still in the camera. The second version integrated several features such as Multiple Image Printing, Specific Size Printing, Slide Shows (for intelligent projectors), and 2-byte Unicode text (greater language support).

There are already some photo printers with built-in support for DPOF:

• HP Deskjet 450 wbt mobile printer - This printer offers customers convenient options for DPOF printing i.e. direct and fast photo printing from digital cameras via USB using select HP digital cameras. Users can also print pre-selected digital images from compact flash cards, without additional cables or PC connections.


• Canon PIXMA iP4000R - The Canon PIXMA iP4000R Photo Printer offers high speed and quality results with the freedom of wireless printing. It can receive wireless transmissions within a range of up to 164 feet. With direct photo printing, connect any PictBridge compatible digital camera or DV camcorder, and print. Produce borderless photos in sizes of 4x6, 5x7, and 8.5x11 inches with the look and feel of traditional photographs.

A few of the services offered by DigitalRoom.com include Digital B&W and Digital Color Printing, Four Color Process Printing, Large Format Printing, Scanning, Pre-Press, Mounting and Laminating. From Traditional Print Advertising to Interactive Websites, Corporate Identities to Point-of-Purchase Campaigns, Digital Room brings a new vision to every marketing challenge. For inquiries, please contact their company representatives at 1-888-888-4211.

The National Post has an interesting report on the business of professional scrapbooking:

Here's the deal. According to scrapbooking business maven Sue DiFranco, there are big bucks to be made assembling scrapbooks for busy, stupid rich people.

Well, she doesn't exactly put it that way, but on her Fun Facts Publishing Web site she explains that you can earn between $50 and $150 an hour scrapbooking, with virtually no set-up cost. Some people, she says, prefer to "hire out" their scrapbooking, much like they would pay professional organizers or house cleaners, rather than learn how to do it themselves.

Read the full article here.

Eileen Bergen has written a pretty good article for beginning croppers on "The Art of Scrapbooking" explaining how to narrow down on the many choices of decorations and materials.

Durwin Rice, author of New Decoupage (Clarkson Potter Publishers, NY) announces the first annual Decoupage and Paper Crafts Retreat in Kansas City, Missouri. The event dates are May 6, 7 and 8, 2005 and will be held at the Durwin Rice Decorative Arts Studio at 5516 Troost Avenue.

During the 3 days, participants will be able to choose from a variety of courses taught by instructors and craft professionals from across the country. Classes include:

• Beginner's Decoupage
• Decoupage Under Glass
• Traditional Decoupage
• How to Create Memory Plates
• Faux Painting Techniques
• Designing with Lazertran
• Gold Leafing
• Rubber Stamping
• Card Making
• Scrapbooking
• Learning to Design
• Setting up and running your own crafting business.

Professionals and those looking to show their work will also have the option to participate and sell their creations at the DRDKC event's juried Art Show.

Registration for DRDKC is $65.00, which includes an opening night dinner reception and panel discussion. Also included is a free Saturday morning Current Trends in New Decoupage presentation by Durwin Rice and free demonstrations on various paper crafting techniques throughout the 3-day event. A discounted Hotel package will be available to all participants. Separate materials fees will apply to the individual courses taught by guest instructors at the event.

For more information call the Durwin Rice Decorative Arts Studio which is located at 5516 Troost Avenue in Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 361-6825 or register online at: www.durwinrice.com

Sizzix is a name we have all come to love in scrapbooking. If you are anything like me, you were stuck with stickers until you found the sizzix die cut machine. There was only one problem, it was very heavy. It was a real effort to bring it to your girl friends houses for those late night scappin parties. Then came the sizzix side kick which is easily brought anywhere you scrap.

Coming out in early winter 2005 are new additions for the sidekick. The company is releasing cutting pads in 5 and 13 inch lengths and sold in packs of 2. Also, 10 new border dies are being released which include Abstract and Swirls to Cityscape and Mountains. There's bound to be a Border that fits your mood. A sidekick adapter is also coming soon so that you can use any brands die cuts.

Recently added to the Sizzix line is the Sizzlit Wet Paint Alphabet Line and the Greek Aphrodite alphabet line each of which includes 35 dies for over 70 die cuts and convenient storage cases. Many new decorative dies have been added.

Also coming to the Sizzix line in Early 2005 are 15 new paddle punch designs. What is a paddle punch you might ask? Well think of this - it is everything a regular punch is not. It is flexible. You can use the paddle punch anywhere on the page not just where the punch will fit. For all of us who have very creatively used the punch on the side of the paper say goodbye to that hastle.

Cheryl P.

Scrapbook.com is sponsoring a $15,000 Layout Contest. 15 winners will each win $1,000 in scrapbooking supplies. The contest is sponsored by Scrapbook.com in conjunction with: Bazzill Basics Paper, Display Dynamics , Basic Grey, SEI , and Scrapworks.

Scrapbooking Oasis announced today that they will be holding monthly page layout contests throughout the year. Prizes are small but the satisfaction of winning will be great. Please note that Scrapbooking Oasis is donating 10% of all sales for the month of January to tsunami relief.

To enter the contest: Submit your one or two page layout in a jpg file. Attach it to an e-mail message and send it to: contest@scrapbookingoasis.com.In the e-mail message, be sure to include your name, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address. Also include the products used and any tips/techniques used.

"I have added 5 new collage sheets just this week! The new Lovely Gabrielle by Catspaw studios .... 3 new sheets from my Mom's Antique Postcard collection - these are gorgeous! one of which does have the dancing bears, bucket of kittens and even a magic lantern and new 1920 kids fashions ... note all the recent ATCs I have uploaded are done with these images

http://www.b-muse.com/collage-sheets.htm

and...don't forget that I have a great price as long as they last on tiny glass vials

http://www.b-muse.com/altered-art-ephemera.htm

and there are now 4 colors of the Mica coated cardstock .. Aquamarine, Silver, Amethyst and Copper!

http://www.b-muse.com/scrapbook-papers.htm"

Vickie "mack"

Ar article published today in Delaware Online reports on the growing interest in scrapbooking:

Maria Sawczuk of New Castle is so addicted to scrapbooking that whenever she takes a business trip, she snaps pictures and picks up tourist brochures with an upcoming scrapbook in mind.

When she returns, she starts cropping photos, brochures and menus, laying out pages, and hand-copies the journal notes that make up the text in her scrapbooks. "I can sit and play for hours," says Sawczuk, a lawyer who teaches scrapbooking classes at Boscov's in Christiana and the Garfield Park Police Athletic League in New Castle.

Read the article here.

Today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Imation Corp will unveil a new line products under the nickname, "Memory Keepers" designed to combine digital media in people's lives in new and innovative ways.

Among the products to be unveiled is their new Lifemix(TM) Digital Greeting Cards. This is a specially designed greeting card that includes a sleeve containing a CD-ROM:

According to a press release issued this morning:

Consumers can easily send personalized digital photo albums, music mixes or video messages by using their computer's CD burning software to save their memories and then mail their well wishes with just $0.72 in postage in the U.S. Imation is the first major optical media company to offer customized, digital greeting cards, available in birthday, baby, love and other holiday and special occasion themes.

Lifemix Digital Greeting cards are now available at Circuit City, Staples, and OfficeMax, and retail for $3.99 per card, or $11.99 for a five pack.

Learn more about the Lifemix Digital Greeting Card online at: http://lifemix.imation.com/

The "Time Well Kept" Memory Book you can make at a Big Yellow Box party

If you're looking for ideas to bring you, your children, and your friends together for some fun creating memorable art using Crayola crayons, consider hosting a Big Yellow Box party.

Big Yellow Box is kinda like candle party or crystal party, but for Crayola crayons. Except this party is geared to bring parents and their kids closer together.

A Big Yellow Box party consultant arrives at your door carrying several "big yellow boxes" containing materials for a specific craft project of your choosing. Before you schedule a Big Yellow Party, you specify a project from a list of craft projects, and the party consultant gathers up the materials for your party.

Everything has an emphasis on using Crayola crayons. You can make jewelry colored using crayons. Decorate a lamp using crayons, make colorful picture frames. And yes, they have a craft project to create memory books called, "Time Well Kept".

To learn more about Big Yellow Box parties, visit its website at: http://www.bigyellowbox.com/

The Newport News-Times reports a fifth grade teacher partnered with a local scrapbook vendor to teach fifth graders scrapbooking skills including photography, color wheel and journaling. The class does scrapbooking once a month, focusing on appropriate themes for the season and the school. This is a great way to combine a broad variety of skills while having fun in the classrooom. Teachers of community events and even history should consider if this might enhance their curriculum.

Pluginsite.com, a website focusing on digital imaging, has released a sofware product called, "LightMachine". LightMachine enhances the lighting of digital photos. If you've taken a digital photo only to find that the lighting is too dark or too bright, LightMachine will correct and/or improve lighting.

LightMachine works as a plug-in for other popular digital imaging software. It works with Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, IrfanView, Photoshop Elements, PhotoImpact, Photo-Paint and Fireworks. It costs $69.95, and can be purchased online at: http://www.thepluginsite.com/order/index.htm

Scrap Around the Clock is offering a 20% discount through January 9.

A great, and very easy, way to augment those sports pictures is with stickers. Creative memories offers a nice selection of Basketball stickers to go with some basketball themed layout ideas. Get your act together now to build those pages when the season opens!

Reuters has an interesting read about the growing scrapbooking industry. Lisa Summerour, a rising actress, who appeared in the movie Philadelphia, including other television roles, gave up her acting career and opted to become scrapbooking professional.

"If someone would have said the word 'scrapbooking' to me, I probably would have cringed and gone on with my day," she said. "I just didn't see anything appealing to it."

The hobby, which racked up $2.5 billion in sales in 2003, is considered the hottest craft activity by the Craft & Hobby Association. The association reports there are approximately 25 million scrapbookers in the United States.

Let Scrapbooking and How announce your newest product, or your next event.

Our website is read by passionate scrapbookers interested in getting the latest news on everything from books, layouts, kits, stamps, tools, events, parties, you name it.

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Scrapbooking and How is a weblog publishing news, views, and ideas for scrapbookers.

Scrapbooking and How was first launched in March of 2004 by Clear Digital Media, Inc., as an archive of scrapbooking articles. In January 2005 it was acquired by Smoking Dogs Media, and relaunched as a daily weblog.

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