Scrapbook Look #10 - August 2026

"Scrapbooking isn't just re-living memories.  It's re-loving them."  ~Janna W.

Welcome back to Scrapbook Look!  However you like to do it, we can all enjoy the relaxing and therapeutic benefits of scrapbooking, including a quick pre-designed yearbook that doesn't require extra software.

I'm celebrating my 16th blogiversary with this  year-long series.  This month for Scrapbook Look #10, I've got a variety of page layouts to share.  

First is a pretty simple layout I created to leave lots of space for journaling.  It's kind of a different look, which I think is fun, and I've used minimal embellishments to make the photos the highlight.  

I love the digital scrapbooking software I use (credited below) for many reasons, but one is the ability to resize photos to make a design like this, then zoom in or adjust the photos as needed.  I also love being able to use fonts from my computer--I'm kind of a font collector.  I used the "glow" effect for the title which makes it stand out a little more.

So far, I have been sharing my everyday yearbook pages.  That's where the majority of my photos go.  However, I periodically make other books as well.  I am currently working on two books of special collections.  The designs on each page throughout each book is exactly the same, only made as mirror-image pages (which I can do with a click in my awesome software).

First up, my Christmas ornament collection.  I have a "title page" at the beginning of the book:

I really love that Christmas carol sheet music digital art!  (credited below)

And then the layouts of the Christmas ornament collection book look like this:

I wanted a subtle, neutral design that would go with whatever colors or styles of ornaments I have.  I love those frames!  This will be a little 8x8 softcover book, so one picture per page will highlight each ornament nicely.

And each nativity, too!  I collect nativities as well, and this is the current book of my nativities that I'm working on.  

Here's the "title page"

And then the layouts of the Christmas nativity book are again all the same throughout the book, with mirror-image (almost) pages.  Here, too, I wanted mostly neutral colors since my nativity collection is so varied.  

I really like being able to tell the stories of each piece of my collections.  I think they're valuable to me just because I like them, but they'll be more valuable to my children and grandchildren when they know the history behind them.

CREDITS

• Scrapbook pages made using Artisan software by Forever.  (information | subscription | digital art store)
• Digital art credit:  Travel Tidbits USA 2 Puffy Stickers by Designs by Mandy King, Summer Vacation Digital Embellishments by StoryBook Legacy, Christmas Wishes Scrapbook Kit by Katie Pertiet Designs, Snippets - Christmas Music by Designs by Mandy King, Star of Wonder Collection by Across the Pond, Today's Your Birthday by LJS Designs, All is Bright Kit by Seatrout Scraps, See the World Page Kit by FOREVER Digital Art, 
• Digital book printed here (in gorgeous, high-quality pages I fall in love with every time), with the digital version PDF also kept forever there in my private account.  

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post. I earn a commission from anything purchased at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.  If you're new to Forever and open your free account here to give it a try, you'll get a $20 welcome coupon towards anything mentioned in this post, along with 2 GB of private Cloud Storage (a $50 value).

FAQ

Why digital?

First, there's no "right way" to scrapbook, except for two things:  1- quality so your book will last for many, many years to come, and 2- something you will love and therefore do.  

I personally choose digital because it's faster and easier, taking up less space in my house than the papers and scissors and stickers (and table space) I needed when I was a paper scrapbooker.  I like that instead of having to crop (cut) a photo to make it fit, I can easily resize, zoom in, etc.

I also love the ability to print multiple copies with just the click of a button, and for safety reasons I like that my scrapbooks exist both digitally and in print.  (I have scanned my old paper scrapbooks for the same reason.)  

And you print it, too?

Yes!!  Aside from what I mentioned above:  Print has increased accessibility!  I print my digitally-created scrapbooks because print is an easily-accessible form of seeing and also sharing (and gifting!) photos and memories.  Print doesn't need a full battery in an expensive gadget.  Plus, photo experts still recommend print as an important way to store photos and memories, in addition to digital forms.

Thanks for stopping in.  See you at next month's Scrapbook Look!  We've only got 2 more in this series. (Or, first click the Scrapbook Look tag at the bottom of this post to see more scrapbook pages.)  

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My Process for Preserving Photos - 5 duplicatable steps

I have a specific process for keeping my photos (and videos) organized, easy to find, and preserved in each of the 3 ways photo experts recommend.  All without breaking the bank or losing my mind.

The whole process is really fun, but it also gives me such peace of mind!  I worry much less about fire, water leaks, natural disasters, etc.  

Everyone’s preferences are a little different, so not everything I do is automatically the way everyone would love doing it, but there is a lot to be said for learning a proven process and then using it yourself. 

So I have decided to share my own process for preserving my photos and videos using FOREVER since it’s permanent, private, and the best quality I’ve ever seen in 20+ years as a memory-keeping guide.

The step-by-step pieces of my process are here, but I also made a video where I show you (around minute 15) the nuts and bolts of what my process looks like. I take a selfie and walk that photo all the way through the process in 11 minutes!

If you feel like your photos are getting the best of you and you can't quite keep up, the document above and the video below can help! I include the two blocks of time I use (one daily, one weekly) and their purposes so that I am always on top of my photos. Maybe they'll work for you, too!

Whether you do exactly what I do or just take a few nuggets with you, I hope it makes a huge difference in your photo preservation. Because this is what's waiting:

What was your biggest takeaway from seeing my process?  I'd love to know in the comments.

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post. I earn a commission from anything purchased at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too. 

Photos should always be accessible to the people who love them, so please share this post with a photo-lover you know.

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Scrapbook Look #9 - July 2026

"Scrapbooking isn't just re-living memories.  It's re-loving them."  ~Janna W.

Welcome back to Scrapbook Look!  However you like to do it, we can all enjoy the relaxing and therapeutic benefits of scrapbooking, including a quick pre-designed yearbook that doesn't require extra software.

I can't believe we're already at #9!  I'm doing a year's worth of Scrapbook Looks in celebration of my 16th blogiversary, so that means there are only 3 more coming.  Time sure flies.

First up, I've got another hodge-podge of events instead of one thing on this page.  I have used a technique I like to make sense of a page like this:  numbering.  Just add numbers to the photos, then describe them by those numbers in your journaling.  The numbers are in brown circles at the edge of each photo.

I wasn't sure what papers and color scheme I'd go with on this one, but as soon as I put the papers from this collection together (credited below), I LOVED it!  

And I used a "design map" for this page (also called a blueprint).  It's essentially like a template, pre-designed for me and all, but everything on a blueprint is gray.  The design is there, but then I can add the papers and embellishments of my choice, depending on the theme of my page.  Super easy!

I used MRF Lemonberry Sans (font) for my journaling.  I LOVE using Artisan digital scrapbooking software for many reasons, but being able to use any font on my computer is a big one.  I'm a font addict.  

Next, I'm sharing a fun page!  We helped my daughter move to a new apartment in March.  Again, I wasn't very decided on the color scheme for this, and after searching through the digital art I own so far, I wondered if there might be something cute that was specific to moving.  There was!  And I know I'll be able to use all those cute flowers and buttons for non-moving pages in the future, too.

For the journaling font, I wanted something bold for contrast, so I just used Berlin Sans FB.  I also wanted a really thick font for the title, so I used Cooper Black and this fun feature for making titles.  Because I used this method, I could fill the title with a matching digital paper.  

I think the red and yellow is so fun!  The frames were part of the digital art collection, too. (credit below)

The last scrapbook pages I'll share today are two-pages layout that I'm loving, pages from a trip to my beloved San Diego.  Again, I used a blueprint for the design, then filled it in with digital "papers" and elements of my choosing.  I really like this particular blueprint set because it's designed with two facing pages, so the photo you highlight in the middle goes across both pages.  *love*

The font I used for "San Diego" and "California" is called Violet.  

I've mentioned this before, but I enjoy using blueprints (and templates, for that matter) because the layouts are often set up in ways I personally wouldn't have come up with on my own.  It's nice to shake things up now and again. 

Honestly, the hardest part was picking which photo to have as the large one in the middle.  But that rose with the palm trees behind is just my heart, so there we go. 

And if you're wondering, the background "papers" are actually digital papers, not the use-a-picture-as-a-background technique I showed in Scrapbook Look #6.  It's from the "Summer Blues Bundle" digital art collection I've credited below.

CREDITS

• Scrapbook pages made using Artisan software by Forever.  (information | subscription | digital art store)
• Digital art credit:  Forever Design Maps 3 by FOREVER Digital Art, All Things March Mixology by FOREVER Digital Art, Krafty Flair Alphaset by Alphabet Soup, Moving Day - Kit by Seatrout Scraps, FOREVER Design Maps 56 for 12x12 by FOREVER Digital Art, Summer Blues Bundle by Little Feet Digital Designs, and City Break - San Diego - Signage by FOREVER Digital Art
• Digital book printed here (in gorgeous, high-quality pages I fall in love with every time), with the digital version PDF also kept forever there in my private account.  

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post. I earn a commission from anything purchased at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.  If you're new to Forever and open your free account here to give it a try, you'll get a $20 welcome coupon towards anything mentioned in this post, along with 2 GB of private Cloud Storage (a $50 value).

FAQ

Why digital?

First, there's no "right way" to scrapbook, except for two things:  1- quality so your book will last for many, many years to come, and 2- something you will love and therefore do.  

I personally choose digital because it's faster and easier, taking up less space in my house than the papers and scissors and stickers (and table space) I needed when I was a paper scrapbooker.  I like that instead of having to crop (cut) a photo to make it fit, I can easily resize, zoom in, etc.

I also love the ability to print multiple copies with just the click of a button, and for safety reasons I like that my scrapbooks exist both digitally and in print.  (I have scanned my old paper scrapbooks for the same reason.)  

And you print it, too?

Yes!!  Aside from what I mentioned above:  Print has increased accessibility!  I print my digitally-created scrapbooks because print is an easily-accessible form of seeing and also sharing (and gifting!) photos and memories.  Print doesn't need a full battery in an expensive gadget.  Plus, photo experts still recommend print as an important way to store photos and memories, in addition to digital forms.

Thanks for stopping in.  See you at next month's Scrapbook Look!  (Or, first click the Scrapbook Look tag at the bottom of this post to see more scrapbook pages.)  

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Recipe Gifts: easy creative gifting

I can't think of anyone who doesn't need a creative gift idea--something unique that will stand out, be both useful and fun, that nobody else will duplicate.

Today I'm excited to share with you some recipe gifts that are:

• creative and 100% unique because I designed them myself
• easy gifts because you just click & give

I personally really like giving recipe gifts.  This might be because I have collected recipes for so long that I get to be picky and only keep the best. But I think it's also because recipes are both useful and fun.  

I have incorporated recipes into these gifts, something you can have professionally printed (except in the case of the last one, which is print-at-home) that I think would be perfect for kids going off to college or work, someone with a birthday, or just a fun neighbor/friend/co-worker gift for Christmas or Valentine's Day.  I'll include links for easy ordering, too.  

I've got 4 gifts to share with you here (1 with 2 different types to choose from), and I'd love to know in the comments which is your favorite!  I can't wait to show you:

Mug Recipe Mugs

What They Are:  Mug recipes are single-serving recipes made with a few ingredients, a large mug, and a microwave.  I've designed these 15-oz. mugs with an easy, single-serving recipe right on it! 

French Toast in a Mug for breakfast!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup in a mug for lunch!

What to Know:  The ceramic mugs are dishwasher-safe as well as microwave-safe.  This 15-oz. size is perfect for mug recipes (including the additional ones below!).  

How to Gift:  Find the French Toast in a Mug mug here and the Loaded Baked Potato Soup in a Mug mug here, then follow the ordering instructions at the right.  I always wait for a 50% off sale (they happen once a month for 7-10 days), but you do you.  😁

Mug Recipe Cards

What They Are:  As you know, mug recipes are single-serving recipes made with a few ingredients, a large mug, and a microwave.  I created these cards as a small collection to include breakfast, lunch or dinner, and dessert recipes that can all be made in a mug!  Each 2-sided 5x7 greeting card has two recipes for a quick, single-serving breakfast you can make in a mug! 

breakfast-in-a-mug recipe cards

lunch/dinner-in-a-mug recipe cards

dessert-in-a-mug recipe cards

What to Know:   After receiving your professionally-printed cards, simply cut the cards in half and you'll have two recipe-card-size recipes.  Cards after cutting are 3.5 x 5.  Cards come in sets of 10, so you'll have plenty to gift and share.  You can see mine below.  (I gave these to the kids from our church when they graduated from high school one year.)

all 3 sets of mug recipe cards - front and back

all 3 recipe cards after I cut them, for a total of 6 recipes

How to Gift:  Find the Breakfast Mug Recipe cards here, and/or the Lunch/Dinner Recipe cards here, and/or the Dessert Mug Recipe cards here.  Follow the directions at the right to order them.  I like to wait for a 50% off sale, so check the price shown and see if it's 50% off currently.

Candy Cane Meringues Recipe Cards

What They Are:  Well, they just happen to be one of my favorite homemade treats at Christmastime, that's what!  This is a favorite recipe that I made to gift to friends at Christmas, and because I'd made them for a party one of my friends went to the year before and I knew she LOVED them, I decided to gift the recipe along with the meringues.  (She was thrilled!)

Note:  These are a great, festive treat for your gluten-free friends!  

my Candy Cane Meringues recipe card design

my Candy Cane Meringue recipe cards, 
front and back, after I cut them

What to Know:   After receiving the professionally-printed cards, you'll cut the cards in half to make two recipe-card-size recipes.  Cards after cutting are 3.5 x 5.  Cards come in sets of 10, so you'll have 20 to keep, gift, and share.  You can see mine above, although I personalized mine on the back, and yours will not have my name on them (nor "from the kitchen of").  

How to Gift:  Find the Candy Cane Meringue recipe cards here.  Order them following the directions at the right.  If the cards don't show 50% off, you can check back later to catch that sale.  (Just be sure you refresh the page.)  Cut the cards in half.  Make the meringues, then gift them to the recipients along with this cute recipe.

Quick Cakes Recipe Cards

What They Are:  Quick Cakes are a collection of mug recipes, similar to the ones shown previously, only they're all made using cake mix.  They're single-serving cakes.  I think having a variety (using several recipes) is fun for parties or large gatherings where everyone can choose the type of cake they want!  

What to Know:   Unlike the other recipe gifts shown here, these cards are print-at-home.  Each of the 10 recipes is approximately the size of a playing card, so a little smaller than a regular recipe card.  You can click the downloadable Quick Cakes Recipe Card pages here to see all 10 recipes, from strawberry shortcake to chocolate lava cake, and download following the directions there at the right.  After printing, you'll cut out the cards.

the Quick Cakes Recipe Cards printed, cut,
and ready to gift with a boxed cake mix

How to Gift:  After printing at home, cut out the cards, punch a hole in the top left corner, assemble with a book ring, then gift with a box of cake mix!

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post. I earn a commission from anything purchased at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.  If you're new to Forever and open your free account here to give it a try, you'll get a $20 welcome coupon towards anything mentioned in this post.

Which one do you think looks the most fun to gift?  Tell me in the comments.

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Scrapbook Look #8 - June 2026

 "Scrapbooking isn't just re-living memories.  It's re-loving them."  ~Janna W.

Welcome back to Scrapbook Look!  However you like to do it, we can all enjoy the relaxing and therapeutic benefits of scrapbooking, including a quick pre-designed yearbook that doesn't require extra software.

This month, I'm starting with thanks!  This is my Thanksgiving 2025 page.  I usually just use one digital art collection on a page/event, but I mixed two collections here, and I love how it turned out.  It's fun to look back on that day by having this record of it!

And here's what that page I created digitally looks like printed.  I am so blown away every.time. I get a book back from Forever Print.

Next, I'm sharing a layout that I have really been loving in my last 3 or 4 family yearbooks.  

Sometimes I have photos that fit nicely into a theme, like this Thanksgiving one above.  But sometimes there are months in which I've just taken a handful of random pictures.  I'm not really a "put one photo on a page" type of gal, so sometimes there are multiple unrelated photos that I want to put on a page.

And that was the case in January.  So, I used a winter-ish template--something pre-designed for me that I could adjust as needed.

I love how it turned out!  I've credited below the digital art designer who created the page, but the one thing I added myself was the word January.  I used a fun technique you can do in Artisan called Shape Titles (which I demo here) to choose a fun font from my computer and include both an outline and a fill color that I could color match to the page.  This technique allows me to stretch the text box however I want.  

There was an event in between this page and the one I'll share last.  Again, February photos were random, so I used the same idea as my January page, only a different pre-designed template, and this time on two pages instead of one.

Here's the template I chose.  I like using pre-designed templates because the designers (credited below) use layouts and color combinations I wouldn't think of.  

I love these editable templates!  This allows for 10 photos, and although I do happen to have 10 photos I want to put on these pages, they aren't in the orientations this layout provides.  Plus, with 5 different events to write about, I need a lot more text space.  (Photos are not actually worth a thousand words.  We need the words!)  So, I just moved things around and adjusted!  How fun is this?!

One thing I love about digital scrapbooking in general is that you can not only crop a photo but you can resize it, too, zooming in on it if you like!  It's the BEST. 

  

CREDITS

• Scrapbook pages made using Artisan software by Forever.  (information | subscription | digital art store)
• Digital art credit:  A Day of Thanksgiving Kit by MagsGraphics, Tabbed Photo Mats - Thanksgiving by Forever Digital Art, Monthly Memories Layered Templates No. 1 by Katie Pertiet Designs, and Family Yearbook 1 by Forever Digital Art (designed by Michelle Bell)
• Digital book printed here (in gorgeous, high-quality pages I fall in love with every time), with the digital version PDF also kept forever there in my private account.  

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post. I earn a commission from anything purchased at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.  If you're new to Forever and open your free account here to give it a try, you'll get a $20 welcome coupon towards anything mentioned in this post, along with 2 GB of private Cloud Storage (a $50 value).

FAQ

Why digital?

First, there's no "right way" to scrapbook, except for two things:  1- quality so your book will last for many, many years to come, and 2- something you will love and therefore do.  

I personally choose digital because it's faster and easier, taking up less space in my house than the papers and scissors and stickers (and table space) I needed when I was a paper scrapbooker.  I like that instead of having to crop (cut) a photo to make it fit, I can easily resize, zoom in, etc.

I also love the ability to print multiple copies with just the click of a button, and for safety reasons I like that my scrapbooks exist both digitally and in print.  (I have scanned my old paper scrapbooks for the same reason.)  

And you print it, too?

Yes!!  Aside from what I mentioned above:  Print has increased accessibility!  I print my digitally-created scrapbooks because print is an easily-accessible form of seeing and also sharing (and gifting!) photos and memories.  Print doesn't need a full battery in an expensive gadget.  Plus, photo experts still recommend print as an important way to store photos and memories, in addition to digital forms.

Thanks for stopping in.  See you at next month's Scrapbook Look!  (Or, first click the Scrapbook Look tag at the bottom of this post to see more scrapbook pages.)  

To save and share this post, Pin this image.

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