Scrap Booking

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Review & Giveaway | Getting Started With Scrapbooking e-Book

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Review & Giveaway at Craft Gossip - Get Started With Scrapbooking e-book-1

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In  Getting Started With Scrapbooking Phyllis Matthews helps you to create your very first scrapbook. She outlines the beginning steps you need to take, then carries you through completing your first page, and eventually a complete scrapbook on a specific theme.

Review & Giveaway at Craft Gossip - Get Started With Scrapbooking e-book-3In Chapter 1 you will learn how to get started without having to buy anything, by first brainstorming what you want you scrapbook to be about. and sketching out your vision in a mind map.

Review & Giveaway at Craft Gossip - Get Started With Scrapbooking e-book-4Chapter 2 covers organizing and editing your photos: she shares examples of creative cropping in a light hearted story-telling style. In Chapter 3 you will learn how to choose an album, including using ones that might not be exactly what you want, and altering them to suit your style.

Chapter 4 is where you’ll find the specific of making your first page! First things first: selecting and organizing the photos you want to use.  Review & Giveaway at Craft Gossip - Get Started With Scrapbooking e-book-5

Then more details on choosing a background, what colors to use, adding journaling etc.

Review & Giveaway at Craft Gossip - Get Started With Scrapbooking e-book-6

You will also get some page layout sketches to help jumpstart you.

Review & Giveaway at Craft Gossip - Get Started With Scrapbooking e-book-7

Chapter 5 addresses embellishments, and how you can use what you already have on hand for making your own backgrounds, and doodahs.

The final two chapters address setting up a workspace (she suggests starting small), and a bit of the history behind scrapbooks, and some ideas for themed books you can make.

My overall thought on the e-book is that it is really a very basic introduction to scrapbooking for a complete newbie. If you are familiar with modern scrapbooking which focuses on using design concepts and/or artsy approaches, then this book is not for you. (For example the author explains how to use decorative scissors to cut out your photos and mats.)

However if you want to put a toe in the waters of scrapbooking there are some very sound foundational concepts included that should help you complete your first themed book. The author stresses the importance of how using acid-free papers will help to preserve your photos for generations to come. I also like her suggestions that you can use what you already have instead of going out to buy lots of new stuff. if you already practise other crafts, you will no doubt have things on hand that you can safely use in your scrapbooks.

Review & Giveaway at Craft Gossip - Get Started With Scrapbooking e-book-2

Interested? Well you can win a copy! This is an e-book and is available in PDF, EPUB or Kindle format. Leave me a comment letting me know if starting scrapbooking is one of your goals for 2014. Or maybe you are trying to encourage someone to start? I’ll pick a winner on Monday January 20th.

Good luck!

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Comments

  1. My sons autistic so I scrapbook to keep my anexity down, and we can watch his journey with all 14 specialist tests and etc

  2. I have decided to learn scrapbooking an crochet as my goals this year. I NEED to learn something new xxx

  3. I started to scrapbook several yrs ago and got discouraged when my parents became sick, now that Im pulling myself back together I want to complete the scrapbook that I started for my dads veteran pictures then move on to my sons photo albums to get the ready for passing along one day full of memories. Would love to win a copy to give me a guideline/structure of where to begin again.. thank you for this great opportunity 🙂

  4. I have always wanted to scrapbook but have no idea how to start. This book is exactly what I need to acheive this goal in 2014!

  6. I love Scrapbooking and have helped others get started. This book would be a great asset. Thanks for the opportunity.

  7. I’ve been out of scrap booking for several years and this would be a great tool to reintroduce me to it. My first grandchild will be born this year and I want to make scrapbooks for him.

  9. I have 2 scrapbooks laying here for 6 years now, one for each grandchild, I even have the pictures organized to put in them, but……and that is where I am as I have no clue to even get started. Thank you for this chance.

  10. I am going to try & start scrapbooking this year.. & digital is the way most of my newer photos are. would love to have this .

  12. Ooh, I would love this! I really, really want to get all of my photos organized in scrapbooks this year! Pick me, please!!

  13. i have a lot of stuff to do scrapbooking but don’t really know how or where to start. would love to learn as i have ‘documented’ the lives of my beautiful grandkids and would love to showcase them in something as awesome as they are! thanks for considering me.

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Printable Stickers for Journals and Planners – Self Care

There comes a point in life — usually somewhere between school drop-offs, aging parents, work deadlines, and wondering what’s for dinner again — where “self-care” stops being trendy and starts being necessary.

And no, I don’t mean booking a luxury spa weekend (although if that happens, I’m not saying no). I mean the quiet kind of self-care. The kind you pencil into the margins of your planner. The kind that says:

Early night.
 Drink water.
 Cancel plans.
 Rest.

For instant peel-and-stick results, use printable sticker paper. Just print, cut, and add directly to your journal or planner — no glue, no mess.

That’s exactly why I created these Self Care Printable Stickers for Journals and Planners — gentle reminders you can print at home, cut in one sitting, and keep tucked in a little envelope ready to add to your pages whenever life feels full.

These mini self-care journal stickers are perfect for A6 planners, Hobonichi Weeks, ring planners, bullet journals, and gratitude diaries.

What’s Included in the Self Care Sticker Sheets?

This printable series includes:

Gentle Reminder Word Stickers

Slim labels designed to tuck beside your handwriting:

  • Rest 
  • Breathe 
  • Slow Down 
  • Drink Water 
  • Early Night 
  • Me Time 
  • Digital Detox 
  • Reset 
  • Pause 
  • Gentle Day 
  • No Is Enough 

These are small, mini planner-friendly, and easy to add without overwhelming your layout.

Cozy Self Care Icons

Soft watercolor mini illustrations including:

  • Water bottles 
  • Meditation poses 
  • Bath tubs 
  • Candles 
  • Herbal tea mugs 
  • Cozy blankets 
  • Books 
  • Skincare bottles 
  • Plants 
  • Slippers 

They’re subtle, calm, and designed for women who love journaling but don’t want anything loud or “fitness bro” inspired. Just gentle, grown-up self-care.

Emotional Check-In Quotes

These are some of my favorites because they feel real:

  • You are worthy of rest 
  • It’s okay to recharge 
  • Boundaries are healthy 
  • Choose yourself 
  • Progress over perfection 
  • Give yourself grace 
  • Quiet Evening 
  • Cancelled Plans 

These pair beautifully with gratitude logs and weekly reflections.

How to Print Your Self Care Stickers

Printing these is simple and budget-friendly.

Step 1: Use good quality paper.
 For a sticker feel, use matte sticker paper. For journaling on a budget, plain white paper works perfectly.

Step 2: Set your printer to high quality.
 These are watercolor-style designs, so high print quality keeps the colors soft and crisp.

Step 3: Keep the background white.
 All sheets are designed with a pure white background so they print cleanly and don’t waste ink.

How to Cut and Store Your Mini Stickers

Here’s my favorite little routine:

  • Print the sheet 
  • Put the kettle on 
  • Sit down with scissors 
  • Cut everything in one go 

Each sticker has a clear dashed cut line, so they’re easy to trim neatly.

Then I pop them into:

  • A small zip pouch 
  • An envelope inside my planner 
  • Or a little tin in my craft drawer 

That way they’re ready when I’m planning my week.

How to Use Self Care Stickers in Your Planner

These stickers aren’t meant to fill every square. They’re meant to support your day.

Here are some easy ways to use them:

In Weekly Spreads

Add “Gentle Day” on a packed Thursday.
 Stick “Early Night” next to a long Wednesday.

In Gratitude Journals

Place a small candle or tea mug sticker next to an entry about quiet time.

In Mood Tracking Pages

Use “Low Energy” or “Reset” as visual markers.

In Daily Logs

Write your plans, then add:

  • A water bottle next to hydration goals 
  • A meditation icon beside morning routine 
  • A bath sticker on a Sunday 

Just a tiny visual cue makes it feel intentional.

Why Self Care Stickers Work So Well in Journaling

Because when it’s written down, it feels valid.

A sticker that says “You are allowed to say no” on a Tuesday when you cancel dinner plans? That’s not decoration. That’s reinforcement.

For many of us — especially in our 40s, 50s and beyond — self-care isn’t indulgence. It’s maintenance. It’s energy management. It’s protecting our peace.

And sometimes, it starts with something as small as a little watercolor sticker that says: