Free Family Tree Digi-Papers

     Thanks to @Lineagekeeper for the tweet on some free digi-papers for genealogy scrapbooks.  These are five amazingly cute, free! family tree charts available from ObituariesHelp.org. (Although they are not large enough for a 12x12 page)

     While you're there, check out the rest of the website. There are a number of ideas and resources for scrapbookers and genealogy researchers.  While viewing the scrapbook pages, utilize the pulldown menu to see a large number of family tree charts. Bookmark this!

Featured Page - 400 Whitehall

     My maternal Granfather's mom and step-father owned and operated The Frederick Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia during the 1940s and 1950s. I heard family stories about the hotel, which many family members stayed in at one time or another. Unfortunately, the location where the hotel once stood is now a park-and-ride for MARTA customers. I was very disappointed to discover this, as I wanted to see what the hotel looked like.  Recently, my mom and I visited my Great-Aunt Ree, who gave me a number of old photos. Included in those photos were three of the hotel.  I've put them into the layout below. I did a lot of heat embossing in this layout. Both the '400' and the keys were given their gold color using heat embossing.




Supplies:

• Paper
• 7 gypsies: For Autumn Leaves #1958 
• Stamp:
• Hero Arts: Antique Keys CG178
• Embellishments
• 7 gypsises: Antique Keys
• Tim Holtz: Grungeboard - Digits & Punctuation: Swirl
• Ranger: Embossing Powder - Super Fine Gold
• VeraMark: Watermark Stamp Pad

Featured Page - Ola

This heritage layout spotlights a photo of my Great-Great Grandmother, Frances Iola "Ola" Witt Quattlebaum.
 In this scrapbook page, I made liberal use of Tim Holtz distress ink and Hero Arts Stamps. I crated the branch pattern on the paper using a stamp which I also used to create the paper directly under the photo. The brown pattern was created with TH Distress Ink and the white pattern was created with embossing powder. The full supply list is below the image.

• Paper
• 7 Gypsies: avignon
• Ink
• Tim Holtz: Distress Ink - Walnut Stain
• Stamps
• Hero Arts: Scroll Tree F4927
• Hero Arts: Manuscript Background H2141
• Hero Arts: Birds And Branches AR173
• Embelishments
• Tim Holtz: Grungeboard - Mixed Minis Plain

Featured Page - Circa 1917 (The Boatright Family)

I created this heritage layout for a photo of the Barfield Family that I received from Mitch, a distant cousin. Many of the folks in this photo are unidentified, but I do know which ones are my direct relatives. The oldest couple (middle row, center left-ish) are Steve and Dora (Logue) Boatright, my GGG-Grandparents. To the right is their daughter, Frances, and her husband, William Barfield. Around them are their children, including my Great-Grandmother, Ledora, the taller girl in front of them.




Some of the materials I used to create this scrapbook layout include:

• Paper
• BasicGrey: Porcelain Chintz por-1614
• Kaiser Craft: Reminiscing P203 Hold Dear (double sided)
• Ink
• Tim Holtz: Distress Ink - Walnut Stain
• Stamp
• Creative Cafe: Self-Inking Stamp - Real Life
• Embellishments
• Tim Holtz: Idea-ology Film Strip Ribbon
• BoBunny: iCandy brads - Jazmyne
• Tim Holtz: Grungeboard - Mixed Minis Plain (the numbers)
• BasicGrey: Indian Summer - mini monogram stickers - hip

This Is How I Use Original Photos

Wow, I haven't posted on this blog since last December! I guess I've been pretty inactive with any craft projects... But the inspiration but has hit again. Here's some information on a project I did last month.

Previously, I wrote about how I find that it can be OK to use original photos in scrapbooks. Let me show you an example of how I would do this:



This is a photo album that I put together using photos from my dad's family. These old photos are all different sizes and shapes, which makes it difficult to put them in today's standard 4x6 and 5x7 photo albums.  To get around this problem, I used photo corners to adhere each photo to piece of black 4x6 card stock. I love the black because it gives it that antique, old-style, look. I then labeled the photos with a white soufflé pen. I was then able to securely place the photos into the pre-sized photo albums.

Here's a close-up of the page:




You might be saying, there isn't much "scrapbooking" in this scrapbook. No, there's not. But, there could easily be. Because this album has the divided, pre-cut spaces, you could create a title card, identification card, or any other type of decorative card that you want. Any corrosive elements would be fully segregated from your original photos, but would also be displayed right next to them. I might go back and do some of those later....

Here are the materials that I used in this album:

• Archivers pre-cut Cardstock: Black
• Scrapbook Adhesives Photo Corners: Black & Silver
• Soufflé pen: white

Featured Page - Sisters

This heritage layout goes into my mom's biography scrapbook. It features her and her sister as kids. I used acetate as the base paper. I used Hero Arts stamps for the green flowers on the acetate, as well as to add flowers to the center of my K&CO flower shaped tags. I also used a Hero Arts stamp for the card that the title is on.

Family Tree Diagram Papers

I recommend using Family Tree diagram papers to help keep your scrapbooks organized and to help tell your family story. Here are some you might choose from:

Deja Views Kit:


Ancestry.com Papers from K&Co:


Bazzill Basics Papers:


My Mind's Eye Papers:

Karen Foster Kit:

Memorial Shadow Box

Here's a project I did today, a memorial shadow box. This shadow box displays a photo of my paternal grandparents, Thomas and Sarah Craft. I included two photos of them, an army medallion and a copy of their marriage certificate. I really like how it came out, as well as the fact that I can change it if I want to.

Products used:

• Pioneer's self-adhesive army medallion

• Tim Holtz's ornate plates

• TPC Studio's framed dome stickers

• Martha Stewart's photo corner punch

• other assorted scrapbooking items

Difficult to Remove Photos: Two Solutions

While transferring the family photos from the old magnetic albums to archival safe scrapbooks, I occasionally come across photos that are difficult to remove. In this video, I show two methods that I'm using to remove them.

Changing Albums

Many of our older family photo albums are in the "magnetic" albums. These are the ones with the peel-back cover where the photos adhere to the page. Well, these are really bad for your photos. Don't believe me? See what the Photo Detective has to say.

Well, it took some doing, but I convinced my mom to change the photos out of these old albums and into archival save scrapbooks. We have seven albums to complete. Here's how we're doing it:

Featured Page - Albea Kids

I made this page using the "Vintage Findings" kit I previously mentioned. Aside from the acetate page, the main pattern paper I used for a background, and the rub-on alphabets, everything on this page is from the "vintage findings" kit. Thanks to that kit, this page took about 10 minutes!

Looking at this page from a genealogy perspective, I really should label the children... I'll probably add a tag with the names of the children and "hide" it behind the photo.

Roy, June, Charlie

Ruby, Lloyd & Larry Albea

Featured Page - G for Genealogy

This is a page I did a while ago for an ABC album. I chose Genealogy to stand for 'G' and used one of my favorite photos from my collection. The journaling card is attached by one brad and can swivel to reveal the rest of the photo.

Shopping for Supplies

I had a rare Saturday off from work today, and spent it shopping with my mom. We hit up a lot of different stores that carried scrapbook supplies.

First, we hit Archivers, which is a scrapbooking chain store. I saw some great new products from Making Memories: Vintage Findings kits. These kits contain great random "vintage" items such as buttons, keys, ribbon, paper, ticket stubs, etc. If you're interested in ephemera pages, these kits are for you. Check them out at MM's website.

I also saw great products for genealogy scrapbook pages from Tim Holtz and Jenni Bowland, such as chipboard buttons, vintage papers, distressing supplies, and more.

Next, we hit a few bookstores, looking at their Genealogy section. I was disappointed in the selection, with both Barnes and Noble and Borders having only a few books each. Oh, well - I'll have to get them online.

Later, we ended up at Hobby Lobby. I picked up some K&Company die-cut cardstock tags. What's great about these is that you can easily create an album that flows and carries a theme. I plan to use these on my census pages to add titles and captions. Also, these tags are made by the same company as those that are used in Ancestry.com's My Canvas publishing. So, if you created a digital scrapbook with My Canvas, you can create a traditional scrapbook that carries the same theme.

Also at Hobby Lobby, I saw these great mini-book overs from 7 Gypsies. They really look like antique book covers and photo album covers. I didn't pick any up because I don't have a project to use them for - but I love that they are available.

Featured Page - The Family Tree

This page was done on acetate for my mom's biography scrapbook. I took a piece of 8x8 acetate and painted it with Making Memories taupe colored paint. I thin stamped it was a light green paint and Hero Arts' K5165 French Country stamp. So, in a way, I made my own patter paper.

I lined my tree up how I wanted it (and how it would fit on the page), using the same green paint on the edges of the name blocks to give it a more finished look. To designate the couples, I used a small leaf punch to connect the name blocks.

Finally, I hand painted "the family tree" in the middle.

Featured Page - Albea Census

This genealogy scrapbook layout showcases the 1930 census record of Charles Vernon and Auline Albea and their family. The letters are chipboard that I painted, and I used a red felt arrow to highlight the family on the census page.

Using Originals

One question that is often posed when creating genealogy scrapbook pages is: should I use original photos? Just about 100% of the time, the answer back will be a resounding 'no!' However, I have used originals in my scrapbooks at times.

The main concern with using originals is that the photo will be damaged and exposed. When working with old photos, this may be the only copy available and is probably not replaceable. It only makes sense that you wouldn't want to risk the photo and it's very easy to use a copy. However - aren't scrapbooks just a fancy photo album? Aren't scrapbooks made to display photos?

As I said, I've used original photos in my scrapbooks before - in one in particular. My maternal grandfather had his old photos sitting in a box, piled on top of each other. My mom took these photos and put them into a scrapbook/photo album, simply putting them on white paper, using photo corners and writing labels on the white paper.

This had me thinking: what would be the difference if I put them on color paper, adding a title and a few embellishments? All of the products would be "archival safe," with only the paper and photo corners coming into direct contact with the photos. So, I took the photos and put them into a scrapbook.

Some key things to remember:

1. Use all "archival safe" scrapbooking products.
2. Do not permanently adhear the photos to anything. Use photo corners to place the photos on the page.
3. Do not adhear anything to the photos - and even avoid having any other page elements touching the photo.
4. Keep your scrapbook in a clean and dry location, away from direct sunlight.
5. Use cotton gloves when handling the photos.

If you are at all concerned about damaging your photos while putting them into the scrapbook remember - you can use copies. But if you want to use the originals, I say go for it - just be careful.

Featured Page - The Rocky Road of Love

In this layout, both the photo and the copy of the marriage certificate are removable for better viewing.

Featured Page - What's In A Name?

This scrapbook layout is about my grandfather, Thomas S. Craft. When he was born, his name was registered as Herbert. He had no idea of this fact when he was young, but eventually had to file for an amended birth certificate. This layout is showcases those documents, which are very important in my genealogy research.

Because the documents are important, they are all fully removable from the page. To explain the document, I've also included the story in a hidden journaling block. It's on the beige paper behind the photo.

Featured Page - Father

This is another page for my mom's biography book. This page is about her father, Roy Albea. It's very simple, with the title coming from the pattern paper. It's a simple layout, using layered papers and no embellishments. I even created the pattern paper that's directly under the photo. I used a Hero Arts stamp, along with their 'soft pool' ink, to create paper to go with the layout.

Featured Page - School Days

I designed this layout to showcase my mom's report cards. I created copies of her cards and have arranged them in a way that they can be lifted to reveal each card in its entirety. I once again made use of inking, with my favorite chestnut color. I also created the apple, which I used to draw attention to the chipboard letters of the title.