First Picture with Grandma

Calligraphy has often been referred to as a “visual art” because of the grace and beauty it spreads across a note or page.  Over the years it has taken on various shapes and believe it or not, has evolved to our modern day cursive writing. 

Various forms of calligraphy can be found in various font styles used in software programs including the Cricut Expression cartridges. Many scrapbook papers and embellishments also carry various forms of calligraphy as shown in this scrapbook page.  If we look around us, we’ll find this art form all around us…. wedding and event invitations, inscriptions, memorial documents, maps, graphic design and religious art.   

Have you ever tried penning your own word or phrase using calligraphy?  It takes a bit of practice but once you’ve mastered it, you will have joined legions of artists who have brought joy through the beauty of their words.

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The page shown in this article can be viewed by CLICKING HERE.

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 Want to see a video about calligraphy?  CLICK HERE.

Some May 1st National Days… 

May Day – In most countries, it is the celebration of spring and the coming of summer.

Loyalty Day – A day to reflect and appreciate the members and actions of our armed forces.  Also a day to reflect on our allegiance to our country and the principles of our forefathers. 

Mother Goose Day – A day to appreciate nursery rhymes and stories.

Save the Rhino Day – Dedicated to saving the rhinoceros from extinction.

Some May 2nd National Days …

Babies Day – A day focused on … you guessed it … babies!  New parents are encouraged to spend time with their newborn to find out more about their developing habits and needs.  Parents-to-be are encouraged to learn more about their upcoming journey and how to care for their new arrival.

Brothers and Sisters Day – A day designed to express sibling love and affection.  Compound this with Babies Day and you’ll have a day full of family loving!

May also has dedicated “National Weeks” and has dedicated activities and foods to be enjoyed throughout the month.

So what’s the moral to this story?

Seek out those special days … whether they be “national” days or just an “every day”… and think about how they can be captured and saved with the art of scrapbooking.

We’d love to hear of any days you plan to capture!

When you stop to think of it, memories happen every moment of the day. And there are some memories that will always come back to you when you hear a certain song, or smell a familiar aroma, or use a particular saying. All memories would be impossible to capture in scrapbooking, but sit back and think of the ones that you will ALWAYS want to remember and share with family and friends.

Here are a few ideas of what you might want to do on the this national day of scrapping:

• Find something “scrappy” to do!  Have a scrap party at your house, go to a local scrap gathering at your favorite supplies store or sign up for a scrapbook retreat.
• Go online and find something new to do. Take time to learn something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the time.
• Organize your projects. Plan out the upcoming week and determine what projects you’ll work on.
• Buy new stuff!  If you’ve gone through any of the above steps, you might need to stock up on supplies. Write up your list, check it twice and go shopping!
• Reorganize your work space. We often leave this scattered around in the wake of creativity — look around your work area and put things back into place. While you’re at it, you just might find a better way of organizing your paper, embellishments or tools.
• Make a Mother’s Day card or gift. A perfect time to think about that special card or gift to give to a special Mom.

The art of scrapbooking allows free expression of your creative abilities. Express yourself on National Scrapbooking Day … you just mind find that you’ll want to do it EVERY day!

Most of the memories collected would have been hand-written notes, post cards, ink drawings, pressed dried flowers and “scraps” of things that held some sentimental value. The invention of photography in 1839 gave scrappers something else to add: pictures of loved ones and places they had visited. In 1843, the invention of the printing press gave scrappers some additional “scraps” to use in the form of newspaper clippings.

Here’s how some of them would have looked:

Scrapbooks of Yesterday

We sure have come a long way since then! If the ladies of the mid-1800′s could attend a scrapbook expo of today, they would marvel at the number of papers, templates, ribbons, stickers, embellishments and other scrapbook goodies we have at our creative fingertips!!

We’d love to hear about some of the early scrapbooks you may have in your own collection.

Organization of your tools, stamps, inks, paper and your completed projects are very important for several reasons:

What’s the perfect solution for you?

This will depend largely on the size of the area you are using for your projects and the number of supplies you have to store. If you’re into embossing, you may have lots of smaller things you need to store. If you’re into cutting machines and computerized creations, you may need larger needs.

• Sit down and visualize what your work area will look like:
• Do you want an open look with all supplies and tools in clear view?
• Do you want storage cabinets to keep some things stored away and out of sight while you aren’t actively working on a project?
• Do you want a combination of both open and storage cabinets to achieve a neat appearance while actively working on a project
• Once you’ve decided on a functional style, then determine how much room you actually have to work with, and what will be practical for your work area.