Add embellishments and backgrounds to your designs


Serif has unveiled a free version of its popular scrapbook software, Digital Scrapbook Artist.

Digital Scrapbook Artist Compact can be downloaded from scrapbooking website DaisyTrail.com and allows users to create scrapbooks for their digital or hard-copy photographs.

The software also offers the ability to add embellishments and backgrounds to your scrapbook and even add drawings using brushes and other tools in the software.

"Digital Scrapbook Artist Compact will make it possible for anyone to enjoy a fantastic and fun way of preserving photos and memories", said Ashley Hewson, sales director at Serif.

"And what's more, the results you can achieve with this software far outshine those of our competitors, while still remaining an incredibly easy to use program and despite the fact that it's completely free."

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1. Scour eBay for store closing sales: Several local scrapbook stores have recently closed in my area. I happen to think much of it is due to the high price tags in specialty stores--the best prices are at large craft stores like Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Owners are eager to squeeze whatever they can out of inventory and they are in a hurry to do so. Buying closeout merchandise is a great way to save on the same products you'd find full price elsewhere.
2. Make your own stickers: This is a relatively new thing and I love it! No more worries about running out of the letter "e" or buying prices adhesive graphics for just one or two images. Instead buy sticker paper at an office supply store, in matte or glossy, and find your own graphics online. You can create headings for pages and even print your own pictures in any size you choose.

Life is full of unique experiences and memorable events. But often our most significant moments are fleeting. So we rely on memories -- and the tradition of storytelling -- to keep them alive.

Throughout the ages, women have found ways to preserve their family histories and honor loved ones. From keeping a journal to creating a beautiful charm bracelet that captures special memories, here are four fun, tried-and-true ways to tell your story:

Collect and Preserve Heirlooms

Who doesn't know a woman who has saved baby clothes long after her children are grown? Or still has her wedding dress years after their big day? Museums and libraries are not the only places to find old artifacts -- take a peek inside your grandmother's closet or attic. Treasures abound.

If you have objects that evoke memories near and dear to your heart, then preserve them. Tap into your inner curator, and invest in acid-free boxes and tissues that keep your objects safe. And when they're not on display, store your treasurers in a cool, dry place with little light.

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Andrew Milne's uncle found the bundle – containing stories from 1894 – in the cellar of a house in Kendal and passed it on to his nephew.

Cable engineer Andrew, 23, of Nevett Street, Callon, Preston, examined the book with daughter Leah, five, to read the top news of the day from the Preston Guardian, which went on to become the Farmers' Guardian.

He said: "It looks like it's been put together but I don't know why or why it would have been in Kendal.

"My uncle found it when he first moved up to Kendal 22 years ago. He found it in an old cellar he was knocking down and ended up keeping it.

"It's got different stories from different months in 1894. It's very interesting. It's got suicides and murders and people getting trapped in machines in the mill.

"There's some stuff about Preston North End and an advert from when Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce first came out. To someone who collects stuff like that, it would be a really good thing to have."

Andrew is now hoping an expert will be able to help him find out who put the book together and possibly get it valued.

Charlotte Steels, assisting keeper at the Museum of Lancashire, Stanley Street, Preston, said: "If Mr Milne wanted to bring it down to the museum, I'm sure our social history curator would have a look at it."

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Dickinson's store is on the ground floor of the Hastings Building on Central Avenue, next to Set Free Ministries' building, which was ravaged by fire over the weekend.
Firefighters kept the flames off the Hastings Building, but Dickinson's store and the apartments upstairs were affected by smoke and water.
About 10 tenants are still homeless, said building owner Garry Hackett. It will take repairs and the insurance company's go-ahead before they can move back in.
Mountains of Memories Scrapbooks didn't suffer extensive damage, Dickinson said. Some ceiling panels on the west side were destroyed by water, along with paper products in one section, and the smell of smoke lingers in the air. However, that minor damage might be enough to ruin her sensitive supplies, Dickinson said.
Because scrapbook supplies are meant to be in contact with irreplaceable photos and other sentimental treasures, they have to be pristine, Dickinson said. Customers pay a premium for materials that are guaranteed not to damage those one-of-a-kind items. She doesn't know if she can still make that guarantee on products that may be tinged with smoke and water.

Hobby and business

Dickinson was scrapbooking before scrapbooking was cool. She's been into the hobby for 20 years, moving to Great Falls from Cheyenne, Wyo., to buy the store from the previous owner last July.
"I just loved the area," she said.
She and her husband moved into an apartment behind the store. That's where they were — fast asleep — as flames spread through Set Free Ministries' building next door.
As it happens, the scrapbook store's previous owner is Hackett's daughter. She learned about the fire from her brother, a firefighter at Malmstrom Air Force Base, and knew Dickinson and her husband were inside.
Dickinson turned her phone down when she went to bed that night because she and her husband had just returned from Glacier National Park and were exhausted. She didn't hear the first several calls.
When the ringing phone finally woke her up, she saw the list of missed calls, and knew it was serious. She answered, and learned of the fire from Hackett's daughter.
When Dickinson gets down about the damage to her store, she reminds herself that she and her husband are lucky to be alive.
The count
Now, she's waiting to hear from her insurance company. The adjuster said her situation, with the specialized products, is unusual, so it will take a little time to make a determination on whether the goods are salvageable.
In the meantime, Dickinson has a big job ahead of her. She has to take inventory of every frame, frill, decoration and doodad in the store.
"There are 100,000 different products in here," she said. "So it's pretty intense."

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