Friday, October 16, 2026

Scrapbook Look #12 - October 2026

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

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 has been such a fun series to share with you this year as I've celebrated my 16th blogiversary all year long with monthly Scrapbook Look posts!  I have very much appreciated all the Comment Love I've gotten on these posts!

Scrapbook Look #12

We've come to the last in the series (but keep reading to the end for good news!), and as it turns out, I'm sharing something fitting this time! 

I have a small team of FOREVER Ambassadors who do the same work I do, helping people solve 4 main photo problems:
  1. worrying that your family won't know where the important things are since your photos are all scattered in multiple locations
  2. running out of phone space to take more photos and videos
  3. paying monthly fees for cloud storage services that stop offering their services as soon as you stop paying (upon your death, or illness, income change, etc.)
  4. forever losing family memories on outdated media (film reels, VHS tapes, etc.)
A good handful of us also want to preserve our photos (and videos using QR codes!) in print, too!

So a few of my team members and a few of our clients traveled to a central location, rented a house, and spent a long weekend on our memory-keeping!  It was a year in the making and a fabulous time!


By the way, I hold most of my events online, and you can see ALL my upcoming events here--and I love to help people truly, permanently, and wisely preserve their photos, videos, and stories, so everyone is welcome.

One of the great things we did at this event was to have some of us take turns teaching each other how to do different things in Artisan, the scrapbooking software we all use.  I learned how to use a grid cutter for this neat effect on a picture:


And also how to split a text box to do an inside shadow and outside shadow for this cool effect on titles:


Next, I'm sharing a page that I'm really excited about.  I tried a new tool for essentially creating an outline of an image from a photo.  It uses a filter called Draw Edge.  You can use it for an embellishment, but I used it as a header for this page when I visited Biltmore this past summer!


Using this feature gives you a black outline, so I played with it a little and put a white "glow" feature on it so that I could use it on my black paper.  I'm not sure that you can really see the detail with Blogger since it lowers the resolution of photos to save space, but I can tell you that it almost looks embossed!

Last, I'm sharing a favorite travel layout that is another one of those I-could-never-do-that-on-my-own!  The state map that goes across a two-page spread is way beyond my pay grade.  ha ha


It's credited below, of course, in case you need it, too.  😉

It's probably too small and fuzzy since it's just a screen shot, but you might be able to see the little QR code there near the top of the map on the left page.  That's one of our bear videos!  If you can scan it, you should watch.  It's crazy.

I hope you enjoyed these scrapbook pages half as much as I have.  

This wraps up such a fun series for me!  Thank you for all the wonderful comments and support as I've shared pages in this series over the past year of celebrating my 16th blogiversary.  And, again, thanks to Joanne from My Slices of Life for inspiring this series from her monthly card & scrapbook pages posts.

From Scrapbook Looks to Scrapbooking Scoops

Several readers have commented that they'd love to see this series continue!  (Gave me all the feels--thank you!  🥰)  I have actually started a similar series called Scrapbook Scoop over at Between the Bookends where I'm a monthly contributor!  

Scrapbook Scoops are published a few times a year, and each one includes:
  • a scrapbooking tip (general, applies to scrapbooking or photo-preserving, however you do it)
  • a video tutorial showing one fun thing I can do using my preferred digital scrapbooking software, Artisan (see credits below)
  • and a digital art collection I'm loving right now  
I'd love to see you there!  My posts publish the third Thursday of the month, and they're always about personalized books.  You can catch up with Scrapbook Scoop, episode 1 and Scrapbooking Scoop, episode 2 until the next episode publishes in 2027.


Rolling the Credits...

Yes, we're rolling the credits on the final post of the Scrapbook Look series, but I also want to credit all the artwork, software, etc., that made those pages possible.

CREDITS
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 all the Scrapbook Look posts from this year-long series at the tag at the bottom of this post!   

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Friday, October 2, 2026

Easy DIY Nativity Blocks, with updated designs

I am so excited to get back to this project!  These little nativity blocks make such a sweet and simple decoration for Christmas (and I love nativities!).  

I created my original nativity blocks way back in 2013, and although they're still going strong as part of my personal nativity collection, I've been eager to re-design them so that I can *share them with you.  I love creating things for my readers and clients that they can simply order + DIY without having to do all the design work!   

*Due to a change with the design software and the connected print company in 2020, those 2013 designs are no longer available.  (This is my story of having to pivot.)  So, as I said, I've been itching to re-design and share these with you!

These make such fun gifts because they are 100% unique (since I've designed them myself), and the DIY part is pretty easy, too!  Plus, they are inexpensive to make.

I've made two versions for you, too!  There's a 3-piece Chunky Nativity Blocks set, and a 6-piece Silhouette Nativity Blocks set.  The supplies are easy to get, and step-by-step directions are included.  

So let me show you what I've got for you!

Introducing: (new!) Chunky Nativity Blocks

I call them "Chunky" because they're made from a 2x4 piece of wood, just perfect for little hands.  This is the new design I created using a new software program, a new (amazing!) professional print company, and new digital art. 


Keep reading for directions on how to order this 8x8 (scrapbook page) print and make the blocks, and envision them on blocks like this: 

These are the painted blocks I cut and painted
for my original Chunky Nativity Blocks.

Introducing: (new!) Silhouette Nativity Blocks

These are obviously silhouettes of the Nativity figures, but they're also made from a 1x4 piece of wood, which makes them a little slimmer and lighter than the Chunky version.  Both are kid-friendly since they're unbreakable, though.  This is the new design I created using a new software program, a new (amazing!) professional print company, and new digital art. 


Keep reading for directions on how to order this 12x12 (scrapbook page)print and make the blocks, and envision them on blocks like this, painted the color of your choice: 

These are the blocks I cut and painted for
my original Silhouette Nativity Blocks.

What You'll Need to Make These Nativity Blocks

Whichever design you choose (not saying you can't do both!), you'll need:

  • The printed scrapbook page(s).  Allow about 10 days for printing and shipping.  They are cardstock-thick and have a glossy coating.  The Chunky Nativity Design is available here, and the Silhouette Nativity Design is available here.  Instructions for ordering for print are right there when you open the projects--just look to the right.  While you're waiting for the print pages to come in the mail, you can do the remaining steps:
  • wood from a home improvement store.  I suggest a 2x4 for the Chunky Nativity Blocks (you'll need less than 2 1/2 feet) and a 1x4 for the Silhouette Nativity Blocks (you'll need 13 inches).
  • a saw to cut the wood (power saw recommended; I suggest asking someone at the home improvement store to cut it for you if you don't have a power saw)
    • the Chunky blocks from a 2x4 piece of wood:  one block 3 1/2" long and two blocks 4 1/2" long
    • the Silhouette blocks from a 1x4 piece of wood:  four blocks 3 1/2" long, one block 4 1/2" long, and one block 5 1/2" long
  • sandpaper to smooth the rough edges of the cut blocks
  • a small paint brush and craft paint in a color of your choice (brown?  blue?  tan?)
  • scissors to cut the pieces out of the scrapbook pages. 
  • adhesive (I've used Xyron and even simple permanent double-sided tape to adhere paper pieces to blocks, but I'm sure adhesive spray is good if you prefer that)

Instructions to assemble the blocks are pretty intuitive, but they are included on the scrapbook pages, too.

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so these are affiliate links. 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 these Nativity pages!

If Gifting

I have my own set (of my original nativity blocks), but I also gifted them, too.  They are amazing to gift for two reasons:

  1. They are so unique!  Nobody else will be gifting these to your friends, family, and neighbors.
  2. They are affordable!  The wood is inexpensive (you may even have scraps already), and the 8x8 page is $1.75-$2.28 depending on the sale you hit, while the 12x12 page is $3-$4, depending on the sale.  (Shipping is not included--it will be the highest cost, but will still make this an affordable gift.)
And as you saw in my red NOTE above, if you're a new FOREVER user, you actually get a $20 coupon when you first open your (free) account, so you can get about 10 of the Chunky or 5 of the Silhouette pages free! 

I gifted mine (back in 2013 with my original designs) in cellophane wrap, and I think they turned out pretty cute.

What I can tell you for sure is that the recipients LOVED them!!  

And I keep my nativity blocks by my front door so that when I have kiddos come visit they have a fun distraction from my 60+ nativities in my collection in the next room, many of which are breakable.

I hope you have fun with this DIY project and enjoy taking advantage of the "hard part" already being done for you since I created it.  

If you'd like to try your hand at creating digitally using Artisan software, too, check out the tutorial I made for you at that link.

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