I made both of these trays in an afternoon–the small size makes them so fast and easy to put together! Honestly, the hardest part was deciding which papers and embellishments I wanted to use. After that, assembling them was a piece of cake!

Here are a few tricks I used along the way:

The large opening is perfect for a 4″ x 6″ photo; however, you will have to crop it down ever-so-slightly to make it fit properly in the space. I stamped a sentiment on cardstock (using Technique Tuesday stamps), added a couple of 7gypsies metal studs, and adhered the entire thing over my photo using Pop Dots to elevate it off my photo.

The other openings are approximately 2″ x 2″ each, so I cut patterned papers to size and adhered them to the openings. You could also put small photos in those spaces. Next, I included a few easy embellishments–a metal clip and ticket, a pre-made flower embellishment (I used an old flower from my stash, but any flower would do, or a cute paper rosette!), and a banner flag. Another thing I love about these trays is that they have a bit of a ledge, so you can put little trinkets on them, like my 7gypsies apothecary bottle with a strip of paper on the inside. I just used Glue Dots to hold it in place!

You can see that by simply changing the theme of the papers and embellishments (and photos!) used, I got a whole different look on my second tray. The quote in the top right space is a sticker, adhered with Pop Dots to give a bit of dimension. The paw prints are die-cuts I had, but you could also use stamps or stickers instead. I printed the sentiment along the bottom on my computer, trimmed it, and adhered it right to the edge of the tray. When creating your tray, you want to use a strong adhesive, such as a permanent tape runner or Wonder Tape. For bulky embellishments, Glue Dots work great, too.

These trays are designed to stand up on a table or counter or displayed on an easel. If you want to hang them on the wall, you could glue picture hangers on the back, or hot glue a ribbon to the top.

I made both of these trays for my home, but I can think of so many people I could make trays for as gifts–parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, you name it! You can make a tray in any theme imaginable (travel, pet, baby, wedding, family, sports, school), too. They’re so versatile!

Want to see even more ideas using the small trays and the larger trays? Click here!

Make a few trays for gifts this holiday season–I promise, they’re just as much fun to make as they are to give!

Saturday was a pretty typical day. My boyfriend and I worked on projects around the house, ran errands, and went out for dinner. When we got back home, he told me I could open my birthday presents a week early, since we’ll be having guests over on my real birthday. I opened my three gifts (including a very special book he created for me) and he then presented me with a large envelope handmade from black cardstock. I was immediately happy that he made me a handmade card, but I had no idea it was going to get even better!

I flipped over the envelope…

(At this point, I was a little confused, but thought maybe the card inside was going to say something funny.)

I pulled out the card…

…and was stunned at what I found sewn to the inside.

I was so surprised and wasn’t expecting it at all!

Aside from the ring (I of course said yes, by the way), I’m very impressed with his card-making skills! He came up with the design all on his own, cut all the little layers and intricate details, and even used sparkly letter stickers to add the finishing touches. When asked about the colors, he said he chose dark colors to “make the ring really pop”. How cute is that? And what a perfect way to propose to someone who works at Archiver’s and is a card-maker! I love it, and this is definitely a handmade card I will keep forever.

Handmade cards really are so much better than store-bought cards. Take it from me, your recipient will LOVE receiving one (with or without a ring inside…ha ha!)!

So, in honor of the official start to summer, here are 10 things I love for summer creativity!

1. SMASH

Everyone’s talking about it–have you seen it yet? If not, click here to see a fun video. It’s the no-planning, no-designing way to scrapbook! Grab one to throw in your beach bag or suitcase and document all the fun you’ll be having this summer.

2. Die-cutting

Die-cuts make adorable accents for pages and cards, and Archiver’s has a huge selection of summer-themed dies to choose from for beach pages, 4th of July pages, and a whole lot more!

If you’re unfamiliar with die-cutting, stop in this weekend for our FREE Die-cutting Demo Weekend, or sign up for our Customer Appreciation Crop–every crop attendee will receive a die-cutting gift set, worth more than $50. There are still seats available, but you’ve got to act fast!

3. Best Creations glitter cardstock

I like to add a little bit of shimmer to my pages and cards from time-to-time, but I dislike how normal glitter cardstock leaves a fine dust of glitter all over my workspace, floor, hands, and anything else it comes in contact with. Best Creations glitter cardstock is different though–the glitter doesn’t flake off, no matter how hard you rub over the top of it. You can even cut it and the glitter stays where it’s supposed to!

4. Paint dabbers

I like to be creative, but I don’t like cleaning up a huge mess afterward, either. That’s why I love Ranger paint dabbers–there are no paintbrushes to clean up. Just dab the sponge applicator across your paper, chipboard, or whatever else you want to paint to apply the perfect amount of color. When you’re done, just put the cap back on and you’re done. They’re ideal for kids crafts, too!

5. My Mind’s Eye Lime Twist collection

This new collection from My Mind’s Eye is full of bright colors, making it perfect for summer. The part of the collection I’m most excited about though is the twine! Choose from a bunch of gorgeous colors, like aqua, orange, yellow, pink, and more, and each package has 20 yards. It adds the perfect accent to your project, or use it to tie tags on top of gifts. If you’re like me, you’ll want a pack in every color!

6. Fancy Pants Beach Babe and Beach Bum collections

Here are two more great collections for summer scrapbooking–one for girls and one for boys! The designs and colors are perfection for scrapbooking your memories from the pool, beach, or backyard fun.

7. BasicGrey Lauderdale collection

This collection sure does scream summer with its vibrant hues and splashy designs! Plus, matching stamps are available from Hero Arts. Use them to dress up your pages, or to make fantastic cards to send to your loved ones this summer.

8. Boardwalk Summer kit

Looking for a fun project for kids or teens? Let them create a mini album for their summer snapshots! Our Boardwalk Summer kit includes the supplies (including papers and full embellishment packs!) to make a fabulous mini album and features Little Yellow Bicycle’s cute Boardwalk collection. Purchase it in stores or online at Archivers Annex!

9. Simple Stories 100 Days of Summer kit

Get your summer memories inside your scrapbook faster with Simple Stories’ 100 Days of Summer kit! Each kit contains a bunch of cardstock cut-outs, journaling cards, photo mats, border strips, and more, all designed to work with We R Memory Keepers pocket pages. Just cut apart the pieces, slide them into the pockets alongside your photos, and your scrapbook is complete. Fast and easy!

10. Archiver’s workroom

Beat the heat and work on your projects in Archiver’s cool workroom! Sometimes it’s hard to get much scrapbooking done at home–it seems like there are lots of distractions keeping me from being creative. If you’re like me, schedule a night or two a month (or even during the day!) to go to Archiver’s and enjoy some uninterrupted crop time. It’s free, so why not?

What are your favorites for summer creativity? Share them with us!

That’s right–the BIGGEST scrapbooking event in the country is just four months away. Everyone here at the Archiver’s corporate office is already hard at work to make sure this year’s event–our 9th annual–is the best one yet!

If you’ve never been to ScrapFest, you’re truly missing out on a fabulous weekend of creativity, Make & Takes, workshops, crops, shopping, and a whole lot more.

Don’t believe me? Click here to watch our NEW ScrapFest commercial and see for yourself. We can’t wait to see you in September!

(P.S. Remember, there’s still time to enter our Create-it Workshop by You Contest and win a trip to ScrapFest!)

I typically work in the registration area at ScrapFest and get to meet so many great people who come from all over for this event. Groups of ladies drive or fly up to Minnesota from far-away states like California, Texas, and Georgia, and we even have international travelers coming from as far as Australia and England. It’s so cool to see people come together, all for the love of scrapbooking and creativity!

Sounds like fun, right? Want to join us? Enter our Create-it Workshop by You Contest and you could win a trip to ScrapFest 2011!

That’s right! For the very first time, one lucky person will win an all-expense paid trip to ScrapFest and get the opportunity to teach their very own workshop, too! Simply design a project, make a video of you teaching that project (and upload it to You Tube), and send in an official entry form. We’ll choose one person to teach their workshop–along with our other 60+ Create-it Workshops–at ScrapFest. Hurry though, because all entries must be in by May 23rd!

So, if you’ve always wanted to attend ScrapFest, this is your shot to come for free. Click here for the full details. I can’t wait to see your project and to hopefully meet you in person this September at the Mall of America!

Looking for a fun twist on the traditional wedding guest book? Here’s a neat idea:

Enlarge a few photos of the happy couple, mat them, and adhere them to the center of a few sheets of 12×12 cardstock (one photo per sheet). White or black cardstock always looks elegant, or use cardstock to match the wedding colors. Guests can use a pen or marker to write around the photo–there’s even a cool white pen for writing on dark cardstock. Afterward, slide the pages into a scrapbook for an instant keepsake. It’s so much cuter and more special than a traditional guest book. Plus, it’s so easy to create!

I have absolutely no idea why my grandfather had this photo. It’s very clearly of a high school football team, but my grandfather didn’t play football and even if he had, he graduated several years before this photo was taken. As far as anyone in my family knows, he didn’t coach, either. So, it’s a mystery!

This is why it’s so important to write down the details behind your photos. Someday your grandchildren will be looking through your scrapbooks and they’ll want to know who is in the photos and why they were taken. You are the only person who knows the stories and memories behind your photos, so it’s up to you to make sure those details never get lost or forgotten!

Don’t know where to start? Here are a few tips:

1. Start with the basics–who, what, where, when, why. Write down who is in the photo, what the photo is of, where it was taken, when it was taken, and why it was taken. At the very least, make sure you cover the who and the when!

2. If there is a special story to accompany your photos, write it down! Without the story, the photo doesn’t have the same meaning and no one would ever know the reason it was taken. Don’t rely on your memory, either, because that can fade over time. I graduated from high school 12 years ago, and when I look through my photos from that time, already there are some details I’m forgetting! Write down the story now, while it’s still fresh in your mind.

3. Include your handwriting! I know that most people don’t like their own handwriting, but I think it’s important to include at least a little bit of it in your scrapbooks–it makes them so much more personal. Your grandkids will think it’s cool to see someday, too! If you don’t want to hand-write all of your journaling, use your home computer to type out the details and print onto acid-free cardstock.

4. Use an archival-safe pen. Don’t just write with any pen–use a pen that’s specially designed to stand the test of time, without fading. Archiver’s has a bunch of styles to choose from, both in stores and online at the Annex.

5. If you’re organizing your photos in photo albums, or using pocket pages along with your scrapbook pages, write the story down on a 4″ x 6″ piece of cardstock and slide that into one of the pockets.

I promise you, spending a few minutes to record the stories behind your photos is worth it. Your kids, your grandkids, and your grandkids’ kids will thank you for it!

Stop into any Archiver’s store today through Sunday (March 27th) and learn how to do this fun technique during our FREE Demo Weekend! While you’re in the store, make sure you check out all of the new stamps and 6×6 patterned paper pads (perfect for this technique), too. Happy stamping!

This collection of products is designed to help you do just that–scrapbook faster and with little to no designing required! Start with a binder (either 8 1/2 x 11 or 8×8) and a pack of insert pages. Each pack contains almost 100 pages, with different styles in each pack (photo pockets, calendar pages, cool half-pages, and more). You can even mix 8×8 pages in your 8 1/2 x 11 binder. Then, you simply add in your photos where you want, jot down a few notes, and add a few simple embellishments, like coordinating photo pockets and envelopes, stamps, tags, or sticky notes. Throw in various memorabilia like tickets, receipts, etc., too. Remember, no planning–just stick stuff down as you go and that’s it!

It’s like having a personal planner/calendar and scrapbook, all-in-one. Ditto scrapbooks are awesome for documenting your daily life, a special trip, or those memories that you want to record, but don’t want to make a full 12×12 layout for. Use it to document a child’s first year, the process of building a house, planning a wedding, give it to your child to document their high school or college memories, and much more. There are seriously so many options!

Check out these fantastic samples created by Hampton Arts!

Cool, right? Get to Archiver’s to see the entire Ditto line for yourself. A full album sample for you to flip through is coming soon to each store, too!

While flipping through the pages of a cooking magazine, I found this page:

I thought the filmstrip border was fun and realized I could easily replicate the idea using a QuicKutz border die and some American Crafts Thickers!

In the same magazine, I discovered a few other pages that could work for scrapbook layouts, too.

This headline obviously works great for house-related pages.

I liked the mix of fonts–this look could easily be created using assorted letter stickers or die-cuts. With a huge assortment both in stores and online at Archivers Annex, you’re sure to find something similar to any font you see in a magazine.

So, the next time you’re stumped for title ideas, just grab a few magazines and you’re sure to find some great ideas!