Scrapbooking is heating up online among crafters and the glue gun set. For evidence, check out the five-day online Scrap-A-Faire event from Better Homes & Gardens, today through Sunday, at www.scrap-a-faire.com. Aimed at all ages and skill levels, attendees can join – 24/7 – some of the biggest names in the industry for more than 25 on-demand classes. Fans also can visit an online lounge to chat with experts and trade tips with fellow scrappers. It’s set up like a show with exhibitor booths, prize giveaways, educational sessions and an idea gallery. $5 Scrap-A-Faire.com

Making Scrapbooks is the personal account of a homeschooling scrapbooker. Jan takes the time to give her insight on scrapbboking, family and life. Take a visit and see some of her creative projects.

http://makingscrapbooks.typepad.com

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Thanks and happy scrapping!

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There seems to be some buzz for the site ScrapBlog. They are in preview mode so new users are unable to set up new accounts. We will inform you when the site goes live. Worth the look.

From their press release.

We created Scrapblog because we wanted to go beyond sharing our photos and videos online. We made Scrapblog drag-and-drop-easy so that everyone can tell their stories and create beautiful multimedia scrapbooks.

We are defining "scrapblogging" as a new medium for self-expression. Our goal is that Scrapblog will empower everyday people to express themselves online and in the real world. We've been developing Scrapblog for almost two years. Soon, we will be out of beta and will release a spanking new version.

World's Largest Selection of Hawaiian & Tropical Scrapbook Supplies & Invitations

The new Island Paperie offers a wide variety of tropical themes, from leis and palm trees to cockroaches. "We have the largest selection of Hawaiian print paper in the world," said Parker-Ulima. "We always have new designs and you can find stuff here that you can't find anywhere else."

And its not just paper. Brass stencils, die cuts, laser cut images, transparent overlays and albums are among the finds. The store also offers an array of custom-made invitations. Visit http://www.islandpaperie.com

Diane Keaton is one of Hollywoods top leading ladies. She also writes books. She has one coming out on Spanish colonial architecture, and another on scrapbooks which she's cowriting with a friend.

Why scrapbooks? Well, it seems that Keaton is fascinated by them and has collected hundreds.

"I've noticed that scrapbooks are really people's way of visually documenting their lives and interests with things that compel them. People who aren't really artists who have a need to express themselves visually. We collected all these scrapbooks from various sources and we picked the imagery that we thought was really outstanding -- that was eye-grabbing. It's kind of poetic -- like anonymous art in a way, yet very personal."

The anthology will feature scrapbooks dating back 70 years. The contents will range from children's scrapbooks, which are relatively common, to scrapbooks that reflect one person's obsession.

Meredith publishing is in the process of launching Wiki's for some of their magazine titles. The first Wiki to launch will be Scrapbooks etc. at http://wiki.bhgscrapbooksetc.com. Meredith's new Wiki builds on the growing scrapbooking trend and invites scrapbooking hobbyists to contribute their knowledge, tips, and tricks to the website.

Triscape has released the latest version of their photo editing and digital scrapbooking software, FxFoto Creative 5.0. This popular program allows scrapbookers and photo enthusiasts to manage their digital collection, fix photo flaws, and make creative printable projects using today's popular digital scrapbooking kits, all with point-and-click ease.

Getting started with FxFoto Version 5.0 is easy. The toolbar buttons have been simplified for an intuitive interface, guiding users to find exactly what they're looking for. The buttons now feature chronological numbers to lead users through the three-step process of creating a digital scrapbook layout. User feedback directed the changes made for several buttons, specifically the New, Add, Save, and Settings buttons. Users can now select from a wider, friendlier variety of options for each button.

One of the most significant improvements is the addition of Quick Sketch Templates, initially demonstrated as a prototype at the MemoryTrends trade show. The FxFoto Quick Sketch Template tool lets scrapbookers put their archive of inspirational sketches to work. Starting with any generic grayscale template saved in JPG, TIFF, or PNG format, scrapbookers have the foundation for a completely customizable full color layout. Users can drag-and-drop photos and digital papers wherever they want them to appear in the template. Each piece will be cropped to fit automatically. No worrying about creating new layers, or which layer is above another. Just drag-and-drop. To replace a paper or photo, simply drag another one over it. This significantly simplifies the process of using premade layout templates.

FxFoto Creative 5.0 comes with layout templates designed by Jennifer Caputo, as well as ten complete digital kits and many choices of background papers (when ordered as the CD version; digital kits not available by download purchase).

There are three other improvements of note in this version. The Custom Card shortcut lets users start a non-standard page size project like 5"x3" or 4"x6" (or even type in their own measurements) to make digital versions of Artist Trading Cards, business cards, or customized printable projects. FxFoto Creative 5.0 also features a new Filter effect - the Grunge Edge filter applies a quick smudged edge to any photo or paper. Color and amount of effect can be selected by the user. Finally, FxFoto users can now drag and drop photos or paper images to replace existing cropped images. FxFoto automatically crops the replacement to the same shape and allows easy adjustment of the visible portion inside the crop. A full list of improvements is available at http://www.fxfoto.com/fxnews.htm.