Interesting Site and Idea

I recently came across the site Dear Photograph after seeing it on Yahoo News. If you missed it, check it out. The site is full of visitor-submitted photographs which consist of an old photograph superimposed over the same location in the present.

As I looked through the photographs on the site, it occurred to me that this would be a good idea for a family tree scrapbook. The next genealogy research trip you take, why not try to match up the location in old photographs and take a new picture.

Read more »

Free Coupons for Scrapbooking

Update 27 Dec 2011: Since this post is over a year old now and still getting visits, I feel I should add an update. While getting coupons is one of the benefits of signing up for the Michaels mailing list, I'm no longer sure whether it is a 40% off one as it was when I posted. If you wish to sign up anyway, the signup is near the bottom of the store's homepage.


For those that prefer not to sign up to a mailing list, there is another options. You can click on the link to the weekly ad at the top of the page. There is usually a coupon in the ad which can be printed.

I've spoke before about family tree scrapbooking. If you've missed those posts, a family tree scrapbook is similar to a traditional scrapbook. The difference lies in the fact that it serves as a record of your ancestry in book form. You can include documents, photographs and other mementos that show your family's heritage.

My sister is a big fan of traditional scrapbooking and she recently came across a nice coupon for her favorite scrapbook supply store. Michaels stocks a number of supplies, not only for scrapbooking, but also other arts and crafts. If you sign up for their email list, you get a 40% off coupon to be used on any single non-sale item in the store. Just scroll down the page to the bottom left corner to sign up and get your coupon.

I picked up the Heritage Scrap Kit by K&Company/ancestry.com for less than $10. It contains 12 designer pages, 8 grand adhesions, 8 die-cut stickers, 70 clearly yours and 12 die-cut cardstock. Some of the features of the kit include a family tree which holds 10 pictures, a page for your family's story, a family group sheet, and a pedigree sheet, just to name a few.

There were other kits and papers that can be used for family scrapbooking as well. If you have a Michael's nearby or are traveling near one, print out a coupon and check out what they have. Be sure to check the receipt and bag after you check out. My receipt yesterday had a 50% off coupon and the bag had a paper which had more coupons.

I'll be getting started on my first family tree scrapbook soon. Keep an eye out for future Free Genealogy Resources post that show my progress.

Read more »

Digital Scrapbooking

While a family tree scrapbook is a nice heirloom, there is a distinct drawback. Unless you make multiple copies of the book, it can only go to one person. While this may not be a problem now while you have the scrapbook, it can cause problems later when more than one family member wants it. Digital scrapbooking is one way you can get around this genealogy issue.

Digital scrapbooking is similar to traditional scrapbooking, the exception being the scrapbook is in digital form. It can be burned to a disc for distribution to other family members or placed online, enabling any family member with internet access to view it.

Finding Supplies and Displaying Your Work

Free Digital Scrapbooking is a nice site with both freebies and pay items. It's free to join. Members are sent monthly newsletters highlighting new products, some of which are free, and gain access to a member's only page which features a new free scrapbooking kit for free every month. To share your pages, just upload them to the gallery.

Scrapbook Flair offers a free software to help you combine your genealogy and digital scrapbook. The software comes loaded with backgrounds, embellishments and templates, as well as basic photo editing capabilities such as red eye removal. You can upload pages to the gallery for sharing. There are challenges and groups to participate in as well.

Digital Scrapbook Faves is a nice compilation of freebies available on the web. Also included are links to tutorials and tools to help you get the most of the experience. Do note that not everything on the site is free. Some items do have to be purchased. The site does offer coupon and discount codes on some of the pay items though.

Free Web Space for Displaying

If you prefer to display your digital family tree scrapbook on your own site with more control over who views it, there is plenty of free web space available. Check with your ISP. While it isn't widely advertised, most internet access includes at least a small amount of free web space. If your ISP doesn't offer it, there are several free hosts available. The amount of space given can vary widely. There are generally bandwidth limits as well.

Webs, formerly FreeWebs, is one of my favorite free web hosts. Their site builder is user-friendly. Basic accounts are free, but do have some advertising banners. There is an option to upgrade for more features and no advertising if you want. All accounts come with the ability to password-protect the site.

Angelfire and Tripod are both services of Lycos. Both offer free accounts with the option of upgrading if desired. As with most free hosts, it is supported by advertising banners on your site. I haven't worked with these services before, but they appear to be popular.

Read more »

Free Scrapbooking Supplies

Family tree scrapbooking can be a nice way to turn all of your research into a cherished family heirloom. However, supplies can be expensive. Before you blow your entire year's genealogy budget on them, check out these sites that offer everything from layout templates to backgrounds to graphics and more.

ScrapbookScrapbook-This site offers a huge selection of products. They are organized in sets. If a set fits more than one category, it is listed in all of them. You can also find tips on printing, layouts and photos as well.

Free Scrapbooking Supplies-This is actually a blog, but still helpful as a free genealogy resource for scrapbooking. Each post offers a freebie. One thing I really like about this one is that the blogger notes other supplies that would work well with it. Just click on the picture and print or save after it loads.

Moms Break Free Printables-While not specifically designed for scrapbooking, this site does offer some items that can be used for it. As an added bonus, you can print off coloring pages for your kids to keep them occupied while you are putting the scrapbook together.

Keep and Share-This site offers pattern templates, paper, layouts and other freebies to help you with your scrapbook.

Activity Village-Visit this UK site for printable scrapbook paper. Organized by pattern with a special section for holidays.

One thing to remember when using free printables from the web. To ensure your photos, documents and other items in your scrapbook survive for years to come, you need to be sure the paper is acid-free.

Read more »

Family Tree Scrapbooking

If you've been working on your family tree for a while, chances are you have a lot of loose photographs, documents and other mementos floating around. A family tree scrapbook is a great way to organize these items while making an heirloom that can be passed down to future generations.

Family tree scrapbooks are highly individual. How you choose to organize it is completely up to you. The common practice is to start the book with the oldest individuals, organizing pages by couple or family. To allow room for items, it is best to devote a page per person or couple.

To ensure your scrapbook lasts for years to come, it is important to buy the correct supplies. The paper should be acid-free or marked for archival or preservation purposes. Any adhesive, whether glue or tape, should be so as well. For delicate or fragile items, you may want to consider protective sleeves.

Some families ask members to write down a memory for inclusion in the book. It is a good way to give your scrapbook a personal touch. Future generations will be able to get a glimpse into ancestor's lives from the written memories.

Photographs do not have to be just people. They can also include pictures of special places such as the family home place, the church where a couple married, or the schoolhouse where an ancestor taught. Pictures of family pets are also a good idea.

A growing trend in family tree scrapbooking is to buy expandable books. If you come across earlier generations in your genealogy research, it allows you to easily add them to the book. Likewise, when the book is passed down to children or grandchildren, they too can add their part of the family to the book, extending the genealogy for generations to come.

Read more »