Polaroids

Did you ever have a Polaroid camera? One that spat out pictures thick with emulsion that you watched develop right before your very eyes? I did, and I loved it. I actually still have it boxed up for posterity. I heard recently that although the iconic instamatic camera is long gone, Polaroid is coming out with the first ever digital instant camera called the PoGo which is due out in June of this year. Looks interesting.

Until I get to try it for myself, I'll content myself with this online version I stumbled across - THE POLADROID PROJECT. It's really fun and really easy- download the program onto your desktop and then click and drag a favorite photo "into" the camera. It makes a realistic noise, spits out the photo and you get to watch it develop. The result is a digital version of a polaroid, complete with a thick looking pic and the trademark white border. Cool!

So, I loaded this photo of the boys:



and ended up with this (It's a little hard to see on this white background)


Cool eh? Of course I had to continue playing with it so I Poladroid-ed two more pics and made a digi layout with the resulting jpgs.

"Oh Brother", Digital Layout by Noreen Smith. Storybook Creator Plus software and Best Buds digital kit. Journaling reads: "I grew up as an only child, but I always wished I had a sister or brother, so I am so happy that the two of you will grow up together. Sure, you'll have your fights, differences of opinions and squabbles. But you'll also always have each other to lean on, laugh with and love. You are precious gifts to daddy and I and to each other."

You can make up to 10 Poladroids with the program, then apparently you have to re-download the program to do more (I'm unsure why, but...). It was lots of fun and very different to work with photos this way! I did a digi layout because my workspace is still a mess, but it would be fun to print these out and actually write on them like I used to do with the real ones! Either way, it sure felt great to create again!

Happy Scrapping!
Noreen

New Year - New Style

I mentioned in my previous post that I have some goals for my scrapbooking business this year. I also have some goals for my personal scrapbooking:

1) To do something scrapbook related everyday - this may be doing actual layouts, sorting photos, journaling or reading some magazines, books or blogs, but the main thing is I am keeping my focus on scrapbooking in the forefront of my mind!

2) To streamline and simpify my scrapbooking in order to become more prolific - in other words - to do MORE!!! This includes using kits, templates or sketches and speed tools to complete pages. I also am starting to organize my photos along with papers and embellishments into PAGE KITS using a large zip-loc bag, so that everything I need for a layout is all together. When I do have a few minutes I can easily put together the layout. I also plan on using my NEW CRICUT DIE CUTTER that I got for Christmas from my hubbie to easily create titles and embellishments that work with the products I am using...no more searching for just the right color of letter sticker etc., now I can MAKE what I need! Love it! I will continue to use a lot of Creative Memories products such a album kits and Power Palettes that have everything already coordinated for me.

3) To learn and do more digital scrapbooking. This makes sense since I use digital photos! I am starting by creating a photobook using CM StoryBook Creator (free download at http://www.creativememories.com/), creating digital pages using CM's newest software Storybook Creator Plus and Adobe Photshop Elements. I also downloaded an invaluable free e-book from http://www.scrapgirls.com/ that answers a lot of start-up questions. (here are two things I found out...you don't need a 12x12 printer to digitally scrapbook and Costco will print 12x18 pages for only $2.99 (CAN$)!)

4) To scrapbook the everyday moments and not just special occasions. To express how I feel and not just what was happening in the photos. To make my scrapbooking more personal and authentic.

So...keeping these goals in mind, I created a quick layout based on some of the simple templates I have been seeing online and in magazines...here it is (wow my first layout posting!)

Playground Fun, by Noreen Smith. 12 x 12 double layout. bo bunny and Creative Memories Paper, Cricut ZooBalloo Font cartridge.

My husband, son and I were simply playing at a local park. The brief journaling focuses on how big and brave my little guy is getting, and is handwritten. I used Bo Bunny and Creative Memories papers and my Cricut ZooBalloo cartridge for the title and heart embellishments. It was a simple layout to creat and took about 20 minutes all together. I am pleased with the look. I have to admit that over the past few years I have cultivated or relied upon a very "CM style" of scrapping...using only plain white backgrounds with colored borders, matted photos and a "sticker sneeze" to finish it off! So, I am really liking using more patterned paper and filling more space in a clean manner. I do not personally like the trend of placing only one photo on a layout...I have way too many photos to include in my album (there are 6 photos in this layout!) So, I have found a lot of great multi-photo layouts that I will be trying out over the next little while, and I will continue to be brave enough to post them!

I'd love to hear any comments from you!
Noreen