Scrapbook organisation will not only benefit you it will benefit your entire family. How many times have you been moaned at for leaving a stack of paper on a table, or having a messy desk that is on view to others?. By making sure all of your craft supplies have their own place you will not only find it easier to tidy up when you are finished you will also benefit from having a clear area to work on and have all your scrapbook tools within easy reach.

If you do not have the space to dedicate a whole room to your craft supplies I think it is well worth investing in some furniture that contains draws and areas that you can store your craft supplies without them being on display. Some of us are lucky enough to have a spare room where we can shut the door on our mess but those who do not need to have adequate storage that will hide our hobby from any disapproving eyes.

For most scrapbook makers their paper is their most treasured possession, if you do not store your scrapbook paper correctly you will soon find it has become creased, torn and looks tatty. You can now purchase 12 x 12 paper trays similar to those you see in craft shops, these are a fantastic way of storing your paper because they can be piled on top of each other so do not take up huge amounts of space and they will keep your papers looking as good as new. You can also buy an acid free storage box for scrapbooks.

Scrapbook organisation is not just about taking care of your paper and scrapbook tools. There is also your peel offs, brads, embellishments not to mention all your stamps and ink pads that you have gradually accumulated. Have you considered how you can store them? Well, the easiest solution is to store them in large plastic containers however these can be bulky and cumbersome. I have found attaching a magnetic board above my work station is a great way to store metal brads and embellishments. Simply stick them to the board and you can not only see what you have, you will no longer have to wade through large storage boxes of bits and pieces to find the brad you want.

Although these are many products, pieces of furniture, and storage boxes available to make scrapbook organisation a lot easier, these can be extremely expensive so why not create your own homemade storage boxes and use the money you have saved to buy more craft supplies!.

From experience I can tell you that you should always plan for the unexpected and just because the river you are intending to paddle does not look like it could cause you any hardship, any river is potentially a dangerous place especially if you fail to pack the necessary kayak accessories that could save your life.

The most important items you will need are a life jacket or buoyancy aid, a light or torch, a good quality rope, a paddle leash, a mobile phone and last but not least a fellow paddler.

Even if you believe you are an accomplished swimmer you should never go kayaking without a life jacket or buoyancy aid as part of your kayak accessories. There are many unexpected events and obstacles that can be found on any river and being a strong swimmer will not help you if you accidentally knock yourself out by tipping over and hitting a rock or over hanging tree, but a life jacket will.

A good quality rope that floats should also be an essential item in your kayak accessories as you never know when you will need to throw a life line if you get stranded and need to be towed or pulled out of the river.

More than once I have found I have not planned my journey time correctly or have been faced with unexpected obstacles that have caused delays and as a sunny day turned quickly into night I have been glad I have brought a torch as part of my kayak accessories. Secondly a knife is an essential part of your kit bag in case you ever need to cut yourself free from falling in and getting tangled in weeds.

It is very easy to become lost on a river or estuary despite careful planning as rivers and especially tidal estuaries are forever changing. Being able to use a mobile phone to get you out of trouble is vital.

If at all possible you should always go kayaking with a friend in case of an emergency or accident. If there is someone there on the spot ready to help, it could save your life.

If you are considering camping overnight then there are many other essential kayak accessories you should consider taking with you. You must always pack your kayak carefully making sure the weight is evenly spread and your kayak accessories are not overloading the boat. Make sure you also pack a change of warm clothes and plenty of food and water.

These things are some of the essential kayak accessories you will need before you even think about items such as cameras, fishing rods, books and other non essential items.

Many long distance truck drivers drive a custom truck as it is often used to give an indication of their persona and to let people know what type of things they are into together with showing the world how cool their truck is.

Most custom truck enthusiast will have designer spray art on their cabs, bonnets or in some cases the entire vehicle. It is rare than anyone looking to own a custom truck will buy a pre sprayed and decaled truck as this simply wont reflect their own individual style.

It is far better to buy a regular truck and then customise it exactly as you want it and in your own time. When buying a truck just like any other vehicle you should ensure that all the paperwork is in order and ask to see the vehicle history to determine our well the truck has been serviced and maintained.

Also ensure the vehicle has not been involved in any accidents by carrying out the relevant checks as the last think you will want after spending many hours of devoted work creating a fantastic truck is too find out it should not be legally allowed to be on the road.

If you are not mechanically minded then it is essential you bring a good mechanic with you or better still pay for a qualified mechanic to give the truck a full check of both the body work and the engine.

Maintaining and running a custom truck will be very hard on your budget as there are constantly new things you will want to buy for it and specialist parts and truck accessories do not come cheap.

As many truck drivers are driving through the night and spending many hours inside their cabs it is not just the body work and engine they have to think about.

Making a home from home in the cab is just as important. There are many things to consider when designing the perfect custom truck interior. One of the first things you will need is curtains so when you are sleeping you will not be woken up when the sun rises.

With the internet available in most places a laptop is great for keeping on top of emails and communicating with friends and family whilst you are on the road.

A television and radio are also essentials. These are all expensive items but a good custom truck should not be without them. You can also consider designer truck seats with your own personal logo stitched into them.

Modifying a custom truck is endless but can be a great and rewarding hobby.

If you are attempting to capture a black and white photo for the first time it is important to make sure the lighting is just right to achieve the best possible photo. It is recommended that black and white photos should be taken with natural light and during the day so no flash is therefore required.

There is a range of older style scrapbook paper to choose from which will compliment a black and white photo. You really will be spoilt for choice. The important thing is to capture the mood within the photo. You can then add some colour and scrapbook quotes to create a beautiful scrapbook page layout.

It is always nice to have a photo with someone posing exactly as you want however if all your scrapbook pages are like this you will soon lose the whole concept of why a scrapbook album is made. Having real life action pictures mean you can use imaginative scrapbook quotes and each scrapbook page layout will be totally unique and will tell a story.

If you have memorabilia from when the picture was taken such as tickets or receipts adding these items to the pages can give your scrapbook page layouts a real personal and distinctive appearance.

When designing your page layouts always begin with the picture and where you want to place the picture on the page. Then find the papers that match and get a rough idea of what embellishments you will be using. Remember you do not have to keep a 12 x 12 sheet of paper as it is, mix and match other papers, use techniques such as ripping and tearing to create something totally distinctive.

Be careful when adding more than one picture when creating your scrapbook page layouts. Remember it will look far better with less pictures than if you over crowd it with several. The best way is to find the pictures from a certain event lay them all down and choose one or two of the best ones. You can crop and cut some of the others but it is wise not to have too many the same shape and size as your scrapbook pages will begin to look like a standard photo album. Alternatively you could do a double page layout giving you more room if you really can not choose between the photos you have.

If you have just begun scrapbooking as an adult you may find that thinking up new scrapbook ideas just do not spring to mind and you find yourself looking at piles of paper and items you have purchased and have no idea what to do with them.

You may even find that when you are stuck for new scrapbook ideas you take a trip to your local craft supplies store for inspiration only to find all you do is end up spending money and come away with no new scrapbook ideas. My advice if you really are suffering with ’scrapbookers block’ is to have a look over the internet at other peoples scrapbook page layouts and get some new ideas from them.

When creating scrapbook page layouts the first place to start I find is the picture. Decide which photo or photos you would like added to the page and then choose your paper or a combination of different coordinating papers that fit with the theme of the photos.

If you find you have a large space on the page and do not know what to add you may find that adding scrapbook quotes not only fill the space but bring about a personal touch.
Scrapbooks quotes can be something you have come up with yourself or words and phrases that you have found elsewhere. Ensure whatever scrapbook quotes you use fit them general theme of the page and better still provide a short description of the photo.

Once you have been scrapbooking for a period of time you will find yourself taking even more photos of different events and milestones and in the back of your mind you will be imagining how they will look in your scrapbook album. This will in itself help you to develop new scrapbook ideas as you take your photos. You can also keep a note of your feelings at the time or a significant fact that you can use for your scrapbook quotes.

You can scrapbook just about anything; it does not have to be the best photo from a wedding day, anniversary or your childs first birthday. Sometimes it is nice just to have scrapbook page layouts of everyday events.

Scrapbooking has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is a hobby that can be done within your own home in your spare time and is a fantastic way to relax. There are even retreats for scrapbooking enthusiasts where a group of people can get together for a weekend of scapbooking and share their scrapbook ideas.

However, these days with the internet at our fingertips it is far easier to send electronic birthday cards. Although electronic birthday cards are quick and easy to send I personally feel sending a card this way shows no sense of thought for the recipient.

There is nothing better than accepting a card that has been thoughtfully chosen, with words that mean something. Although time may be of the essence and electronic birthday cards seem like the easiest solution consider the sentiment and how much more grateful a person would be if they were to receive a handmade card rather than something they know has been put together in five minutes and with minimal effort.

Deciding to make a handmade card may seem like an endless task but there are ways and means to send something personal and unique in very little time. If the card is for a relative why not ask you children to draw a small picture each and simply add their pictures to a card base. You can then dress it up a little with an embellishment or two and hey presto you have a beautiful, personalised handmade card which the receiver will know the whole family have made an effort with.

Making a simple card using very few products will save time but the result will be personal. Spending a little time choosing the words will also show that you have thought about what you are sending.

Handmade cards do not have to be elaborate and take up all your time. Sometimes more is less and if you are pushed for time something I find very quick and easy to do is find a picture of the person in question, mat and layer it and simply attach it to the card. Simple, quick and easy but most importantly the card is personal.

If you have forgotten a birthday and have no other option but to use electronic birthday cards to ensure the card arrives on time, why not follow up by sending a belated handmade card to show how much you care and that you do have time to think about someone and spend some time creating something unique and personal to them.

Electronic birthday cards can be good fun if accompanied by a video or animated picture but I for one would much rather receive something through the post which I can physically open than to just open another email.

When looking for scrapbook quotes think about the message you wish to convey which can be summed up in just a few words and how they will compliment the page. Consider if the page would look better with a fun element or something more sentimental.

Although creating your own scrapbook quotes will make your scrapbook ideas unique and personal here are a few of my favourites and where they can be used.

Baby Scrapbook Quotes
- Children learn by doing, and play is their work.
- People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one.
- A baby fills a place in your heart you never knew was empty.
- A baby is the greatest gift that life can bring.
- Before you were born I knew you.
- Children out grow everything, but their mothers heart.

Friendship Scrapbook Quotes
-A friend is a gift you give yourself.
-A friend can tell you things you do not want to tell yourself
-Friends are the sunshine of life
-Friendship is a knot tied by angels hands
-The only way to have a friend is to be one.

Love Scrapbook Quotes
-A life without love is no life at all
-I will love you and no other, always.
-I’d be lost without you.
-In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities
-Love builds bridges where there are none.
-Love is the closest thing we have to magic.

Marriage Scrapbook Quotes
-Whoever loves life will love love
-You’re the song I was destined to know
-Because just being together is enough
-A happy marriage is the world’s best bargain
-Always together, never apart

There are many ways to add scrapbook quotes to page layouts, whether you decide to hand write them or print them. It is extremely easy to purchase books of scrapbook quotes and simply add the quote that fits the page. Use your imagination and try different techniques to make the words really stand out. Try adding the quote to a tag or even attach to the photograph itself.

If you find you are still scratching your head trying to come up with a unique scrapbook quote you could always search the internet for inspiration. Remember that the quote needs to express the feeling and emotion within the photo. In my opinion it is better to have short quotes when creating a scrapbook page layout as people may focus too much on the words and not appreciate the picture and the overall page.

Scrapbook paper
Adhesives
Cutting materials such as a craft knife and paper trimmer
Pictures
A Scrapbook

These items are the foundation for any scrapbook.

When you first decide to go shopping for products for your scrapbook ideas I would recommend you start out buying items in small quantities. This way you can play around with different products and work out which ones you prefer before spending a huge sum of money. It also gives you a chance to experiment with different craft materials.

Select bits and pieces that you find attractive and inspire you. Have a picture in mind before you shop so you can purchase paper and items that will correspond with the picture you are going to be placing in the scrapbook. You may even consider taking the picture with you making selecting embellishments to decorate the page even easier.

You will need to make sure all of the items for your scrapbook ideas are protected in some form so ensure that you only use materials that are scrapbook safe and acid free. This will maintain your scrapbook pages and prevent them from deteriorating over time.

Before you leave the house to shop for items for your scrapbook ideas make sure you write a list. It will be extremely tempting to buy vast amounts of papers and embellishments. Not only is this very expensive but it can leave you feeling overwhelmed and unsure what one of your scrapbook ideas to use.

Ideally you need to have a theme in mind so you only purchase items that match and compliment each other.

If it is your first scrapbook then I would recommend that you do not purchase complex or fiddly craft items as you may find the whole thing extremely difficult and end up being put of scrapbooking altogether. It is far better to begin with basic materials and purchase ready made embellishments before you try to make your own.
Over time you will learn how these are put together and before you know it you will be saying ’I do not need to buy that, I can make it myself!’

If you really do not know where to start it may be worth enrolling in a class to learn some basic principles of scrapbooking. Most craft shops offer classes that will help beginners and show you how to use what you have resourcefully as well as provide you with lots of scrapbook ideas.