The Season of
Giving
The season of giving is
just around the corner. Why not give your family and friends a special
gift this holiday season? The ideas are endless of what you can do
to create that special gift you can’t purchase in a store. Here are a
few ideas to help get you started.
Not sure you have time to create that special gift?
Pick a few of your favorite digital scrapbooking layouts and try one of
the following:
-
Print extra copies and have them framed. You
could have them custom framed, but there are also many choices of frame
sizes at craft and department stores. Personally, I love the 12x12
frames manufactured by Fetco. 12 x 12, 10x10 or 8x8 layouts will all
fit in this frame. The smaller sizes give you a floating picture feel.
-
Purchase Magnetic Ink Jet paper to print your
layout on. You will have to print in 81/2x11 or smaller. Could easily
resize a 12x12 to 8x8 or 6x6. Trim and you have a fun picture to hang. Avery and many other manufacturers have this type of
paper.
-
Print your favorite layout on canvas, art paper
or transparency paper, available at office supply or craft stores. It can give your layout a whole different feel
by printing on something other than photo paper. Red River papers also has some art papers specifically for
digital printing.
-
Select a handful of your layouts from the year
and turn them into a slide show. Jasc PaintShop Photo Album and Adobe Photoshop Album
both have tools that allow you to turn layouts or photos into
slideshows easily.
Do you want to send cards this year that have your
own personal touch? Create your own layout to use on cards. The great
thing is you create it once, but you can use it over and over. For
example:
- You can print out as folded cards and mail. You
can purchase paper that is already pre-folded that you just need to run
through your printer. Or, you could upload your image to a website that
will print the cards for you. Or print, cut, and fold
yourself.
- Create a postcard style layout. You can mail it
as it is or insert it into your cards.
- Turn the layout you created for cards into an
e-mail card. Outlook and Outlook Express (as well as other e-mail
programs) allow you to insert pictures into your message. *Note: make
sure you resize the image to 72 dpi so the file isn’t too large.
Another cool idea in Outlook is you can set your stationery
(background colors/design) to your custom design.
- Create a family newsletter and use some of your
layouts in the newsletter.
Feeling energetic and want to create some
personalized gifts? Find some pictures of your family or friends and
create a special piece. You could just print out the layout for an
album,
have it framed, or take it even further by turning the layout into one of
the following:
- T-shirt, Pillow, Apron or anything else you can
think of. You can purchase photo transfer paper (paper that allows you
to iron image on fabric) that you can print your layout and then iron
on any of the above. There is photo transfer paper specifically for
ink jet printers, which you can find it in office supply stores and
department stores.
- Mouse Pad – There are kits you can purchase at
office supply stores that let you create your own custom mouse pads.
- Tile Art – Decorative Tile
Making Kits give you everything you need to transfer your image
onto an 8x8 stone tile. This is a unique way to display a layout you
created. When finished, it looks like a decorative tile art. It is by Tilano Fresco and I have seen it at Archiver's and craft stores.
- Magnetic Photo Business cards – You can purchase magnetic
business card paper at office supply stores. Avery makes this
(probably other manufacturers, too). Design a layout to fit the size of
a business card and insert it into your Christmas card.
- Calendar – Order our downloadable Calendar page pack – insert
your favorite photos, print, and you have an incredible, personalized gift.
Have fun creating something special this holiday
season! Be sure to check out our
Simply Stated CD, which has many
artistic Christmas tags, and Word Art overlays using poetry by Thena
Smith.
