Tuesday's Cool Tools: Page Planner Templates

In my last post, I featured two layouts that I created using the new Creative Memories Page Planner (if you view that post, I'm referring to the last 2 spreads).



The Page Planner is a great tool that features 4 different templates, all of which can be turned in four different directions. It would seem logical that this would equal 16 different layouts to choose from, but there is also an Idea Book that comes with them, showing many different ways in which they can be used (in addition to the most obvious)!

Sometimes it's nice to let others do the thinking and planning for us. This allows us to skip ahead to the fun part: working with our photos, patterns, and colors!

To see the Page Planner in action, view this video... then hop over to my website to check it out and order!

Tuesday's Cool Tool: Corner Rounder

This tool is one of the most used in my Essentials Tote. You don't realize just how handy a corner rounder can be until you have one in front of you while you're working on your album. Sometimes I don't feel like doing much with a photo, so I just round the corners and I'm done! I often find myself looking to "soften" a page. Rounded corners on my photos and journal mats do the job perfectly. Case in point...

Photo borrowed from the CM Project Center

Corner rounders can be used on all kinds of projects, including wedding stationery. Check out the rounded perfection on Marie's menus...

Beautiful!!

Tuesday's Cool Tool: Vellum Expressions

I'm not sure if vellum qualifies as a "tool," but we'll stretch the rules a bit this week.... after all, it's Christmas! *Ahem*

Vellum Expressions are a great product because they're both easy to use and fancy-looking, which results in the very pleasant expression of awe from the person looking at your album and/or cards. Observe:


Vellum is a translucent paper, often referred to as "frosted." In order to adhere (or stick) vellum onto a background page, it's imperative that you use an adhesive that is specifically meant to "disappear" so that it doesn't show through the vellum paper. Creative Memories' solution to this is the Frosted Splits, which work beautifully. These individual tabs are themselves frosted, and once they're adhered, they really do disappear.

What can you do with Vellum Expressions? Enjoy, my friends! Oh, and Merry Christmas to you!

Tuesday's Cool Tool: Digital Software

It's no secret that more people than ever are making their albums digitally. While some of us love the process of traditional scrapbooking, others can't help but be drawn to the efficiency and ease of doing their crafting on a digital medium!


Enter Storybook Creator Plus. This software is different from using Snapfish, Shutterfly, Costco, Kodak Gallery, and others in that it takes the design to a whole new level. Imagine having your "background paper," "photo mats," and even your "stickers" right there on the side of the page, and all you have to do is click and drag! Choose your photos, place them on the page, crop to the size you'd like, and you're done! It's scrapbooking without the mess on the table. :)

People also like this software because it is downloaded onto your desktop, rather than being web-based. The advantage to this is that you do not have to upload all your photos onto the web, which can be time-consuming (especially for the high-res photos, like those hundreds of wedding photos that you got from your photographer!).

Take a look at some digital pages that others have done (all layouts are courtesy of the Creative Memories Project Center):

Tuesday's Cool Tool: Tag Maker

This tool was another big hit at the Christmas Card Workshop.


Making tags to attach to your gifts is a very quick project that reaps major props from your friends and family members! I like to sit down and make a bunch at a time- a half hour can equal 25 tags, and all I need on the table is my tape runner and some scraps of paper.

So what can you do with the tag maker? Oh, do I have some ideas for you!

Sample images courtesy of the CM Project Center.

The Tag Maker retails for $26.50 and can be purchased here.

Tuesday's Cool Tool: Tearing Tool

This tool was a big hit at Sunday's Christmas Card Workshop. The torn edge is a popular trend in scrapbooking this year, and the tearing tool makes it easy to get a "perfectly imperfect" look. Much like the commercially-made cut-off jeans of the 90's, the neat-yet-ragged look can only be achieved by a mass-produced, perfectly imperfect tool such as this one:

So what does the end result look like? Take a look:

Samples courtesy of Creative Memories Project Center

Tuesday's Cool Tool: Snow Maker

I've decided to feature one of my favorite tools for scrapbooking each week. Most products will be made by Creative Memories, since I do work for them and have found their products almost always to be superior to other brands. However, I will occasionally feature a product that I use that CM does not make.

The first one I would like to feature does happen to be made by CM, and it is one of my favorites- the snow maker. As you can see from the picture, not only can you make a snowflake, but it even has the swirly curl to show the wind behind it! Say it with me: "awww.."


So what are your options for a snow maker like this one? Beyond the obvious snowflakes twirling and whirling through the sky, the two punches can be used separately:
While the snowflake can stand alone, the swirl can be used with another punch as an embellishment:
This punch retails for $20.50 and can be found here.

Project examples courtesy of the Creative Memories Project Center.