| As Mother's Day comes around all scrapbookers will | | | | and lilacs; you might look for themed papers |
| want to create a scrapbook layout - but for what | | | | connected in some way to your Mother's interests. A |
| purpose? Let me suggest that there are at least | | | | friend of mine has a mother who has collected sheep |
| three things you should consider | | | | all her life; cuddly sheep, china sheep, glass sheep, |
| 1. Your Mother. Celebrate your Mother in a scrapbook | | | | every kind of sheep, so when they put together a |
| or layout, large or small. | | | | scrapbook for her 60th birthday, guess what was |
| 2. Your daughter. Scrapbooks get passed down to | | | | the theme! In the past I've created an album with a |
| daughters. I don't know why. If you are lucky | | | | pineapple theme and another for a friend who was |
| enough to have a daughter, think about adding a | | | | seriously into rabbits. Both really enjoyed their |
| page to the special scrapbook you keep for her that | | | | personalized scrapbooks, but if there is nothing |
| shows something you and she have done in the past | | | | personal you can think of, try to get inspiration from |
| year. | | | | your Mother's house. Her choice of decor should give |
| 3. Yourself. Add to your own scrapbook special times | | | | you some clues.For a whole scrapbook you will need |
| you've spent with your mother, your daughter, or | | | | - 1 album with page protectors |
| both! | | | | - 20 good quality pieces of scrapbooking paper/card |
| If your mother is a scrapbooker herself, you may like | | | | to use as a background. It's best to choose |
| to create a layout for her to add to her own | | | | background paper that comes in sets, or to make |
| scrapbook. You can showcase things you've done | | | | your own, using card, stamps and distress inks. You |
| together in the past year, or an event from your | | | | can see how it's done in our YouTube video Ranger |
| joint past. Choose a simple layout using colors to | | | | Distress Ink Ideas - just go to youtube and search |
| harmonize with the pictures you have. Sometimes | | | | for Dinglefootdotcom. |
| the relationship between Mother and Daughter isn't | | | | - double sided tape |
| an easy one, so if you find yourself struggling to find | | | | - 6 or more pages of contrasting papers. You can cut |
| the right words you can use something like a rub on | | | | border, mattes and tags from these sheets. |
| to display your feelings, or find a poem or a favorite | | | | - assorted brads, stamps and embellishments, for |
| quotation on (search for 'mothers') that sums up | | | | example |
| your relationship. One of my favorites is from Milton | | | | - Amy Butler Fabric Covered Brads ~ K & Company |
| Berle 'If evolution really works, how come mothers | | | | -- use these to attach tags and journaling papers |
| only have two hands?' | | | | - Amy Butler Belle Chipboard Alphabet - K & |
| My mother and I have always had fun singing, so for | | | | Company - use these to make heading for some |
| me the ideal way to design a page for her is just to | | | | pages |
| think of a line from a song. She is also particularly | | | | - 20 Blossoms 12" x 12" Template ~ Hot Off the |
| fond of butterflies, so it's always easy to find a | | | | Press - use this template to create flower |
| theme for a page for her, and I enjoy creating | | | | embellishments to add to your pages |
| colorful butterflies and flowers, with the Garden | | | | - some Tim Holtz Distress Ink pads - use to create |
| Delight or Patterned Bug acrylic stamps from | | | | patterns on plain background pages or to stamp and |
| Inkadinkadoo. I usually stamp and emboss these onto | | | | emboss with. |
| colored card and cut them out, but recently I've | | | | A pen to write your journaling with, unless you plan |
| been experimenting with the Suakura embossing | | | | to do this on a computer. |
| glaze pens, a fabulous way to make butterflies | | | | Other suggestions would include |
| almost as colorful as the real thing. My latest page | | | | - and ink pad and embossing powder (gold and silver |
| was made from the saying 'Friends are Flowers in | | | | go with everything) |
| Natures Garden' because I found we had lots of small | | | | - a paper punch to create cut outs on border or |
| pictures of our friends. I cut these into circles and | | | | frames |
| made them the center of flowers. It was a two | | | | - some frames to place over your pictures |
| page layout with small 3D flowers along the lower | | | | - vellum to create focus on your pages |
| border and stamped bugs and birds flitting among the | | | | - some mattes to place under other pictures |
| blooms. A great big tag with the name of each friend | | | | - ribbon |
| finished off the page, tied with a toning ribbon. | | | | - some rubber stamps |
| Flowers are always a safe theme for Mother's Day, | | | | - Scrapbooking can be a good way to use up broken |
| but try to make it as personal as possible by | | | | items, broken earrings, left over buttons can all be |
| choosing her favorite flower, her favorite animal or at | | | | glued in to pages to make delightful embellishments. |
| least her favorite color. | | | | In terms of photographs, you'll need at least one for |
| If your mother is not into scrapbooking, you may | | | | each event. Dig out pictures of your mother's life |
| prefer to make her a whole scrapbook, but there is | | | | (ask friends and relatives if necessary) or simply |
| no need to do this alone yourself. | | | | concentrate on your life together. You can create an |
| This is a lovely project to do with your siblings, if you | | | | effective two page layout with just one picture on |
| can get them interested. If not, and you have | | | | one page and some journaling on the other, but it |
| children, let them add what 'Grandma' means to | | | | can be boring if the whole album is the same. Try to |
| them. Children don't always get the chance to do this. | | | | vary the layouts and the shapes of the pictures so |
| Each one can contribute, if not a page, a picture and | | | | your pages don't all look the same, but remember |
| tag that says something about what 'Mother' or | | | | there is no right or wrong. If it looks good to you, |
| 'Grandmother' means to them. The great thing about | | | | then it's perfect. |
| scrapbooks is that professional portraits and kids | | | | If you don't have time to create a scrapbook, buy |
| drawings can all have equal importance, it's the | | | | your mother the next best thing, an introduction to |
| personal aspect that counts. | | | | scrapbooking as a hobby. A good book, an album to |
| When choosing a theme for the whole scrapbook, | | | | start with and a scrapbooking gift basket may be |
| how about a word. 'Busy' or 'creative' would be just | | | | just the thing to get her started, and who knows |
| right for my Mom, or a simple color scheme of blues | | | | what you might get, next year. |