Lynda's Den

As I was going through a really stressful time in my life, scrapbooking was used as a therapy tool...only it was something I never understood until later on in life.  Since I stamped before I scrapbooked, I had a lot of "things" to use with both crafts...once I organized it all anyway!!!   In this layout, I used a basic heart background stamp and a colored ink pad in a darker shade as the main color I was using.  The stamp then can be used in something totally different such as a card, or on an envelope as a cute accent!   Stamps are very versatile, take a look at the card example - one background stamp in white for the background, with another one for the saying.  The inside of the card allows you to customize it to the person receiving it...plus you can change the colors for a girl, or generic if you have no idea what the baby is going to be.  Using stamps as backgrounds is great, especially if you can't find the r...

Since stamping was my first love...I am focusing on that this week...  Try to give you new ways to use your stamps, or what to do with them; as well as tips and techniques to try yourself!   I haven't tried all the techniques that are out there, but I sure will get you to places that do, as well as showcase a few absolutely wonderfully necessary companies you need to keep track of!  So, lets get started!  With stamping, you can start slow, and then move on to more harder techniques as you go.  Basic stamping directions...that can be used for a card, or for an embellishment for a layout..... Supplies needed: Card base w/envelope Scraps of paper to use for the background paper Stamp Ink pad Markers or colored pencils Directions:  Step one:  Decide the item you want to make, pick out your background paper or anything else you want to use on the card.  Step two:  Add the background paper to the card base, determining the way th...

Which came first , stamping cards or scrapbooking layouts?  Well, I've been stamping much longer than I have been creating layouts...but with stamps, oh my you can do some fun things with your scrapbook layouts let me tell you!  Stamps are another way to kick things up a bit in your crafting...by being able to customize something you are making, but using it for different reasons as well.  Look at a basic stamp such as a present...not only can you use it on a birthday card lets say, but you could also use it on a scrapbook layout embellishment as well.  Look at the events you could use this same stamp for, more birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, anniversaries, or holidays even!  By using stamps, you can customize the image by using markers, colored pencils, or chalks to create the colors therefore customizing the same stamp different ways.  As you can tell, I use different things to color my images in, depending on the look of the item ...

Die cuts are a versatile little item to use...especially if you already have a machine of some sort at home.  My machine of choice up until now has been the Sizzix machine for multiple reasons, ease of use, and just to have what I need when I need it...without having to use a ton of stickers.  Die cuts come in a lot of different themes and styles, including alphabets too!  The ability to use the same die cut in different ways, like in this card, using pink and browns for the hearts...  The inside of the card can be used for just about any type of saying you want, or a handwritten note if that is what is better.  Notice how I used the same hearts in the card, in this layout...things I love that I do not regret doing.  Some layouts are hard to get stickers or die cuts for...create your own!  Learn to use what you have at home, or spend your money wisely on things you can use over and over, such as die cuts!  Templates do the same thing, the only dif...

 Die cuts are fun and versatile to use, depending on the die you actually purchase.  One thing about a die cut machine such as Sizzix, the pieces you get to work with will be the exact same size as what the die cut will show you.  With something like a Cricut machine, you can make the piece any size you want, depending on what it is you are working on.  With the example above, I used the tag and the cat from my Sizzix die cuts, the pink tag also had another tag that came with it which is more rounded at the top (check out the next layout).  I use my tags more than just about anything except the flowers and hearts I also have!     As you can see with this next layout, there is the same tag again, this time, using buttons to create a cute look to each of them.  My cat is just a hoot, she sleeps in the darndest things...this time, was an Easy Mac box, so of course I had to do a layout!  However.. go to the store and try to find something that matche...

Die cuts... you can use die cuts in a lot of different ways including your cards, scrapbook pages, or crafts of all kinds.  The machine I have is the basic Sizzix machine, where I have to purchase die cuts for the machine in themes I use a lot.  This machine has been a wonderful machine for me to use and have around, plus it has saved a great deal of money on stickers!  I used a 40% off coupon at Michaels - bought quite a long time ago before the electronic die cut machines were all the rage.  I still use this machine, even though I have the Cricut Machine now!    With Grandma's dresser layout above, I used a Sizzix flower die cut, and added a few punches and buttons to the mix as well.  A simple layout showcasing the dresser that was passed to my Grandparents from my Great-grandparents and then to me when my Grandma passed away!  With Imagination layout, the same flower die cut was used, only glitter was used in the mid...

Favorite things .....(and NO, I"m not talking about Oprah's favorite things...)we all have things that are a "few of our favorite things", but have you documented them?  Or,instead twist things up...do a favorite things layout for each of your kids, or your favorite things each year....you get the idea!  I know if I were to do a "favorites" layout today, I would more than likely do a mini album instead, to be able to document a lot of different things!  Since this was done for my All About Me album, the plan was a bit different from the beginning!  In this layout, I decided to use my favorite color as the basis of the layout, accented with white and a bit of silver in the tags.  The photos are all things that are my "favorites"...my daughter's blessing dress that my mom made, my Cherished Teddies, my cat Tygress...you get the idea!  With the photos you ultimately use, don't be afraid to use some that you used in other layouts, you ...

March is optimistic month...I didn't know that until today!  Being optimistic about things truly helps a person when they are stressed out and feel like everything is crashing down around them.  For me personally, being optimistic about things has really helped me to be the person I am today, whether the events turned out like I wanted them to or not.  Being optimistic has been a hard thing to do for me personally, BUT has actually been the one thing that helped me to actually make it through!   Your challenge this month, is to do a layout or project about how "optimistic" you are!  Find quotes that fit your personality, get a few pictures done....make sure you are smiling....and make a layout or project!  My plan is to make a small mini album - I will be sure to share with you this month!  Lynda Jeffs Memories in Tyme

For journaling you really don't need a lot of things to get started in your journaling projects...for the most part you need a marker and a pencil!  I like to use a marker like this, with a fine tip and then a thicker tip on the other end.  Make sure to store your markers on it's side, it will make them last longer and will be crisp when you use them.  Start with a simple black marker, and then add colors from there.  I love the big pack of 48 markers I bought, but only use them on paper piecing projects and journaling mostly.    They are nice to have when I need them, but the black is the one you really could keep me stocked in!  One thing you need, but you don't really think about, is a pencil and an eraser.  This little goodie can be used to pencil in the words before you write in marker, to make sure you have enough room as well as spell things correctly.  With the pencil, you can lightly trace the letters you need for th...

Sometimes journaling doesn't have anything to do with your photos...this layout doesn't have any photos, just memories of my childhood.  Being the last of 5 kids, mom didn't have a lot of time to take a lot of pictures of me...I was an "oops" baby - born 5 years after my older sister was born, so mom kind of had 2 families and not alot of time for photo taking with me!      With you, you might have an event in which you want to showcase.  Maybe it is a birthday, or holiday where you have a lot of people there.  Have everyone write down thoughts or something fun on that particular day, put in a layout like this (only add a photo to it if you can)!  I love the look, using a pastel print for the background paper, a simple black marker (use a pencil first...) and a small punch for an accent, I used a small flower punch in pink and yellow.  For the journaling here - I used scraps of paper to write down things about my childhood that I wanted to keep...

Photos are important , they are the basis of the scrapbook page...but adding the written words - journaling - will only add information to the photos you are scrapbooking.  There are times when you scrapbook where you don't want what you write to be blaring at someone... hidden journaling does the trick!  By hiding some of your words, you can go more in depth in your writing... you'll see what I mean!   In this series of pictures - we had taken the pictures you see here taken on my parents' 50th wedding anniversary.  You really can't tell on the scan here, but you can lift each photo up and find pictures of us back in early 1991 when my daughter was just a baby, as well as a bit of journaling....  Since there is only 1 of the siblings that is married to the same person, I didn't want to showcase those pictures really, I wanted to showcase each family as it was on mom and dad's anniversary.  There is a total of 4 layouts, each having a differe...

Your journaling doesn't need to be the same all the time, in this fun color block layout, I used a wavy template to create pencil lines, and then wrote the words on top of the lines, making sure to erase anything that did not get covered with words.  The lines were put across both sides of the layout to create visual interest.  I also chose to use an ink color that matched the layout, instead of something that clashed, to me it just looks a bit better instead of a black ink screaming back at you!  If you have never color blocked before, it is a way fun technique to do using any color!  Supplies needed: Cardstock - 2 sheets for the background base                  3 colors for the color blocking  Embellishments of your choice to go with the theme Alphabet template to create your title Wavy template for the journalling Marker to match the layout Floss for tags Pap...

Journaling... the written word on your scrapbook pages that reflect what the picture is all about .  This week we are going to talk about journaling...and show you a few ideas to kick your journaling up a bit!  The photos are the reason you are scrapbooking in the first place, but the journaling helps to bring the photos to light.  At times, you might have a simple name and date...other times, you might have half a page or more just talking about the photos themselves.  You can journal by hand, or by computer if your handwriting is less than perfect, but make sure you at least do one project with your handwriting on it so future generations can see  how your handwriting looks.  In the layout Honestly - the strips of paper have the journaling on them cut in sentences and added to the pink and brown color scheme.  I used one photo, and a one word title with the journaling added in the strips.  With Lifestyles of the frazzl...

When I first started scrapbooking, I didn't think about the words much...it was about sticking the photos on paper and placing stickers around the page.  After I learned a bit more about "scrapbooking", my talents really came out!  Your challenge for the day is to go out of your comfort zone and do something you have NEVER done before.  In this layout, there are a few things I had never done in a layout before.....the color scheme for me was certainly a first, using navy, wheat and cream...but I loved it a ton!  Another first was I also used rubber stamps for the title, and yet another first...in the bottom left corner, is a dried flower from my Grandma's funeral...each of us grandkids received a set of flowers, mine were dried in a book, and added to this layout many years later. I put it in a clear envelope that is designed to put things in, and matted to create visual interest...as well as a tag that has a bit of everything in it, with the fibers at the top i...

I am a tried and true paper scrapbooker...anyone who comes into my home, see's framed pages on the walls, pages on top of my computer desk, albums in my bookcases, or cards given to them made by me.  I love easy projects, things that don't take me a long time to finish up!   One thing I also don't do is a lot of small projects like the fine swirls and flowers in this layout.  We found out my hands have arthritis in them, so the small intricate things, such as the swirls don't happen with me anymore...  I love the look of this, but just can't "do it" myself.  I sure can't spend money on purchasing premade transparencies....I just don't have the extra money right now...  I found digital scrapbooking just about a year or so ago, and if I had a digital camera, would probably spend more time doing digital layouts.  I am starting to work on a project  of my grandmothers recipes...truly a work of the heart!  I am using Serif...

Wow, it's been an interesting ride for me...especially the past 3 years!  I moved back to Colorado the end of 2007 to rebuild my life after living in Utah with the last name of Jeffs.  (Get it Warren Jeffs the polygamist.....)  A year later, I went back to school - I wanted to learn graphic arts, in order to learn to design my own paper line eventually... never did I think it would change to be so much more!  Oh, scrapbooking and creating is still a part of it, but learning the things I am might at least help me to bring my artisticness to my work...and be able to succeed!  When you first start to scrapbook - you have no idea what you are doing...you just slap the photos on the paper and add a few stickers to it and say it's a scrapbook page...I did the exact same thing.  I tried to use each photo that was taken for that event on my pages, and throwing some stickers or die cuts on it too.  Not too effective now that I look back...yes I got pages done...