Scanner Scrapbooking

For beach page: small shells, 8" x 10" sand paper

For water page: dropper bottle of blue-colored water (food coloring), 9" x 12" acrylic box frame, gallon-sized zippered plastic bag, 8-1/2" x 11" white card stock, repositionable adhesive

Beach Page Steps:

1. Arrange letter tiles to spell out "At the Shore" and place a piece of clear tape across the back of the tiles to keep each word together.

2. Open the lid of the scanner. Place a piece of clear acetate (page protector) over the glass scanner bed to protect it from damage. Lay your photograph face down on the scanner bed and arrange shells around the photo border.

3. Pick up photo and place a few shells inside border area. Lay photo back down over the shells so the shells cover the edges of the photo.

4. Arrange tiled words face down on the scanner bed, keeping in mind that you need to go from left to right for the scanner to read the words correctly.

5. Place the sheet of sand paper over the entire arrangement to create a sandy background.

6. Lightly drape your dark cloth over the entire scanner and scan the page without closing the lid.

7. To remove the page from the scanner, lift off the cloth. Then lift the page protector by the edges and lift straight off the scanner.

Water Page Steps:

1. Arrange letter tiles to spell out "Catch a Wave" and place a piece of clear tape across the back of the tiles to keep each word together. Prepare your page by placing your photos and tiled words on a piece of white cardstock using repositionable adhesive, place entire page inside the plastic bag and zip it closed to protect the page from water damage.

2. Place the protective sheet over the scanner bed. Position the acrylic box frame on top of the glass and clear sheet.

3. Using the dropper bottle, dribble droplets of blue colored water into the acrylic frame.

4. Carefully flip your zippered page over and lay it into the frame. Do not push down--that will distort your water droplets.

5. Lightly drape your dark cloth over the scanner and scan the page with the lid up. Remove your cloth and page carefully, wiping any water off the bag before removing the page.

To finish: Print your image on quality photo paper and crop. Mat the image on complementary paper and mount on a piece of coordinating scrapbook paper.

Alternate uses for scans: Create shadowboxes, framed pieces or greeting cards from your scans.

Other ideas for scanning: Try scanning with fresh flowers, family mementoes, or your child's favorite snack. Scan a baby photo along with the outfit worn in the photo. Always remember to protect the scanner bed and your photos from liquids and scratches.