• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • House Love
  • Mothering
  • Recipes
  • Books
  • Tutorials
  • 40 Bags In 40 Days
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Clover Lane

  • Scrapbooking With Picasa
  • A Tutorial On How To Make A Blog Banner Using Picasa Instead Of Something Fancy and Complicated Like Photoshop
Home » Blog » More Scrapbooking With Picasa: Using Digital Scrapbook Papers (For Your Blog Headers Too!)

More Scrapbooking With Picasa: Using Digital Scrapbook Papers (For Your Blog Headers Too!)

by Sarah Turner Clover Lane

Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
Print

I am catching up my 2010 scrapbooking these boring months of January and February.  See my handy dandy spreadsheet Jeff made for me?  (I am refusing to attempt to learn how to make an Excel spreadsheet…I don’t want to learn, I just want other people to do it for me.)   The little schedule on the bottom of the spreadsheet is the reminder I need to print out my photos for my albums.  Last year I missed a date and ended up printing out 6 months of photos and that wasn’t too fun.

003

Here are a few pages I made with Picasa:SCRAPBOOK BACKGROUNDS-2SCRAPBOOK BACKGROUNDS1A two page layout:Collages2

I just love doing this and I’m so glad I made the switch from paper to digital…it saves me SO much time and money.  Here’s what the pages look like when they are inserted into the actual scrapbooks.  They look just like I pasted, and glued, cut and framed and all that other work that I didn’t do!  I just pressed a few buttons and WALLAH!

2011-01-08

For BEGINNING Picasa collage tutorials go:

HERE…a written lesson from me with photos and screen shots.

or

HERE….a video lesson series. (Thank you Chari…these are excellent video tutorials that will take you through everything from downloading Picasa to making a beautiful scrapbook page step by step.)

HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE SCRAPBOOK PAPERS INTO PICASA When making a scrapbook page, Picasa allows you to choose a solid color, or an image as your background (like the page above.)  Did you know you can download digital scrapbook papers and use those as your background image?  It really opens up the ability to get a lot more creative.

SCRAPBOOK BACKGROUNDS3

You can buy these pages from many digital scrapbook companies, but I am always on the lookout for free papers. 

Recently I found some beautiful free papers at the Persnickety Prints blog.

preview_paper

Persnickety Prints is where I have had all my scrapbook pages printed…they are the least expensive I’ve found ($1.99 per page), AND the quality of the prints is just beautiful.  Not grocery store quality…professional photo lab quality…trust me there is a difference!  I really researched it all when I began digital scrapbooking and after reading a gazillion reviews, it was quite obvious that Persnickety is on the very top of the list.

So here’s how to download scrapbook papers into Picasa:

1. Once you press the button to download the kit into your computer, you will have to find the file and UNZIP it.  (Look for a button on your screen that says Extract Files…that’s unzipping.)  As of now, you can only import JPG files into Picasa.  Why do you even need to know this?  Because many digital scrapbooking papers come in “kits”…in addition to the papers they come with some cute things called elements.  They are little tags, or ribbons, or frames…cute scrapbooking doo-dads…but they will NOT work in Picasa because they don’t have the .jpg after them.  So just stick to downloading the papers and don’t waste your time trying to get the other stuff in there.

Fullscreen capture 182011 82104 AM

2. Next open Picasa, and press the Import button at the top of the page.  Go to the drop down menu (Import From) and press folder.  Now find your unzipped file that you downloaded and check them or highlight them, and press Import All and you will see them in your Picasa folders.

Fullscreen capture 182011 84541 AM.bmpFullscreen capture 182011 84551 AMFullscreen capture 182011 84621 AM

HOW TO CREATE A COLLAGE WITH DIGITAL PAPER AND PHOTOS IN PICASA

1. Go back to your library and choose your images…your papers and photos…don’t worry if you want to add (or subtract!) some once you are creating your Collage you will be able to do so!

Fullscreen capture 1112011 11645 PM

2. You are offered 7 types of Collages.  I like Picture Pile because it allows you to place every photo where you want it to be, and what size you would like also.  But Mosaic makes the collage for you and that is quick and easy.  You can choose your background image on any type of collage.

Fullscreen capture 1112011 12132 PM

3. Select size…I scrapbook the 12×12 size.  You can type in your own custom ratio also.

Fullscreen capture 1112011 12136 PM

4. Select your background image.

Fullscreen capture 1112011 12149 PM

5. Start moving things around.

Fullscreen capture 1112011 12158 PM

6. Create.  For the page below, I selected a collage I had made earlier using the Mosaic type, and I’m adding it onto a scrapbook paper.  Remember you can discard and add selections as you are creating the page.

Fullscreen capture 1112011 12220 PM

7. Add text…remember there are lots of text options…try the Wingdings for symbols, dots, circles, dashes.

f

8. You are finished!

Fullscreen capture 1112011 12822 PM

You can use these papers, along with my tutorial on making your own free blog banner using Picasa, and get creative with your blog too! 

Share
Pin
Tweet
Email
Print

January 12, 2011 · 65 Comments

Follow by Email

Previous Post: « Winter Days
Next Post: Peace In Routine »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Erin says

    January 12, 2011 at 6:32 am

    LOVE your tutorials Sarah! Your Picasa headers are a hit all across blog land! You explain things so well. Your scrapbook pages are just beautiful. I love that you are doing this for your kids. I need to try digital some time – although you know I'm quite fond of all the paper and scissors and glue. 🙂

    p.s. Abbey is so beautiful in those pictures! Her blue eyes are breathtaking!

    Reply
  2. Coffeebean's Dailies says

    January 12, 2011 at 9:34 am

    You. Are. My. Rock. Star!!! Thank you! I have followed your tutorials for my blog header (just changed it the other day, so 2nd time now!) and a couple of other things. Thank you so much. I stopped scrapbooking now for two years but would love to be creative with my photos so will definitely look into doing this. I love your style in everything! Keep the posts coming! Your fan, Alia

    Reply
  3. Caroline says

    January 12, 2011 at 10:29 am

    Inspired, once again. You make scrapbooking looks so easy.

    Reply
  4. Lisa@Pickles and Cheese says

    January 12, 2011 at 12:47 pm

    Thank you so much for this. You have taught me so much and this one is exciting! Cant' wait to get started!

    Reply
  5. Danielle says

    January 12, 2011 at 12:52 pm

    Any idea how you can use PNG files in Picasa so you can add embellishments to the pages? I have so many cute digi scrap kits but can't use the embellishments because they have a checkered background.

    Reply
  6. Sarah says

    January 12, 2011 at 1:12 pm

    Danielle-I wish! Chari from Persnickety Prints emailed them to ask them if they could please add that feature…it would be SO much fun if we could!

    Reply
  7. Carmell Giacobbe says

    January 12, 2011 at 1:42 pm

    I love your Picasa tutorials. I just became a Picasa and Picnik junkie. Thank you!

    Reply
  8. momoftwo says

    January 12, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    Thank you SO much for taking the time to walk us through the steps! I have been completely overwhelmed with all of the pictures I have taken, but you make it look so easy to get them all organized! I think I am going to make a Picasa scrapbook for my 2010 photos! Thanks!!

    Reply
  9. Heidi of Operation Organization says

    January 12, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    oh how fabulous! very timely for me as i'm just getting ready to jump on the digi scrapping train. where do you have the pages printed? is it very expensive?

    Reply
  10. Elisabeth says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:01 pm

    You might have just inspired me to do some digital scrapbooking! I also have 5 kids and used to do some but I gave up a while ago. One question, are those 8×10 sized pages, or are they the 12×12. It seems like you can fit so much more on the bigger pages but I don't know if that works with the digital.

    Reply
  11. Rebecca says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    Thank you so much for doing these Picasa tutorials! I have a goal to catch up on the last few years of scrapbooking using digital methods – I've tried the paper/cut/paste/embellish method and just flat out failed. Just didn't enjoy it one bit! I like this quick method that allows your creativity to still play a hand. Thanks!

    Reply
  12. Lia says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:14 pm

    Thank you so much for this post. Helpful as always. I've just adding this to my to do list.

    Reply
  13. Crafty Niche says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    Thank you so much! I'm a paper scrapbooker, but am seriously considering going to digital. I'll be checking out your tutorial.

    Reply
  14. Rebecca says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:22 pm

    Thank you so much for doing these Picasa tutorials! I have a goal to catch up on the last few years of scrapbooking using digital methods – I've tried the paper/cut/paste/embellish method and just flat out failed. Just didn't enjoy it one bit! I like this quick method that allows your creativity to still play a hand. Thanks!

    Reply
  15. Christy says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:30 pm

    Thank you for taking the time to post all of this scrapbook stuff! I learned a lot from you! Last year I switched to Picasa and printed our 2009 pages at Persnickety and I am VERY happy with the results! So thank you, thank you!
    I even learned something new in this post – I had never thought of making a mosaic collage and then adding it to a new page. The results are so cute! I can't wait to try it!
    And thank you for being such an excellent voice for mothers, faith, homemaking, real life. I enjoy reading your blog.

    Reply
  16. Tricia says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    Sarah: Your tutorial on making blog headers with Picasa was such a treat for me. I've had a lot of fun playing around with different formats for my blog, but even better–I've used your tips to make "course banners" for the online college classes I teach and I think my students will find them much more visually interesting than my old format. Now…this digital scrapbooking tutorial has motivated me to start working on 5 years worth of pictures I have of my son. Thanks for sharing your tips! Tricia

    Reply
  17. chercard says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:45 pm

    I can't wait until my life calms down enough to do this! I recently put all old photos in photo albums (which is what I have time for currently) and my kids LOVE looking thorugh the albums. I has been a fun activity because it reminds me of stories I can tell them about themselves when they were younger. So fun! My baby is 8 months old and I am hoping in the next year I can start digital scrapbooking!

    Reply
  18. Amanda says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    Very nice! I've always wondered where/how to print out a 12×12 digital page, good to know! I am a scrapbooker too but still the traditional paper/scissors kind. I have my own personal scrapbook store (at least it seems that way) to use up before I could consider going digital.

    Thanks for all the tips, your Picassa recommendation was the best thing to happen to my photos about a year ago!

    Reply
  19. Twin City Organizer says

    January 12, 2011 at 3:29 pm

    Great job! I am getting caught up with mine, I switched to digital too! I am using Shutterfly digital books right now but I like the look you achieve using Picasa. I might have to switch for 2011!

    Reply
  20. Cathy M~(checkitoff) says

    January 12, 2011 at 3:50 pm

    I am sure it took a long time to learn this Sara and it is so nice of you to SHARE with us what you have learned! (some other bloggers don't share!). I have used your blog header tutorials several times! I just designed my 4th one, but I am still learning! Thank you, thank you for sharing your hours of hard work! hugs, Cathy

    Reply
  21. Amy.E says

    January 12, 2011 at 4:39 pm

    Thank you for sharing such helpful digital scrapbooking information! Yours is absolutely the most reader friendly information I've found…and it was purely by accident. I'm so glad I stumbled across your blog as I always enjoy your posts!

    Reply
  22. Nancy says

    January 12, 2011 at 4:44 pm

    This is awesome… I have so many scrapbook supplies I need to use up then I'm going digital!

    Reply
  23. Karen says

    January 12, 2011 at 5:38 pm

    Would you mind sharing why your prefer doing your books this way versus printing a photo book for each child each year? Is this more affordable or is it to still get to be creative when choosing the background papers,etc. I would love to hear your thought process on this. Thank you for the tutorials. You make it sound so doable I'm thinking I could actually start (and complete) an entire year's scrapbook!

    Reply
  24. Sarah says

    January 12, 2011 at 5:38 pm

    Elisabeth- I use the 12×12 size, but you could easily do the 8×10 size also. I like the larger size to jam everything into one page…the number of photos you can include on one page make it WAY more affordable than traditional scrapbooking. Picasa allows you to make ANY size print you want, but if you want them printed out, you have to make sure what size the printers have available. Not all printers have the 12×12 size, but of course, they will all have the 8×10 since that is a common photo size.

    Reply
  25. really.truly says

    January 12, 2011 at 5:41 pm

    This is wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing! I'm having a problem…I can download it and then find it in my files, but I can't get it to import into Picasa. The import all tab stays gray. I'm guessing that I am doing something wrong??

    Thanks again!

    Reply
  26. ... says

    January 12, 2011 at 7:48 pm

    Thanks so much. I had never used picasa until a couple of weeks ago when I saw an old post you did on it. I tried it using your post links and ended up making my entire 2010 scrapbook with it. I just uploaded the picasa pages to a shutterfly photobook. It's in the mail and on its way to me. I'm so excited to see it. Thanks again!

    Reply
  27. Anonymous says

    January 12, 2011 at 8:31 pm

    sarah-
    happy new year! we are socked in here in Maine. no school and I am guessing we have had a least 12 inches with more still falling. great day for me to begin teaching myself (with the help of your tutorials) how to digitally scrapbook!
    it is rough going here…i seem to have gotten a collage together. how do I export it to persnickety prints to get it printed? i am not understanding the export to a web album on picasa…or something along those lines.
    did you give them access to your album or did you just email it to them (which i think i MAY have figured out).
    wish there was a hands on class for this!

    thanks for any guidance!!!
    you scrapbook pages look really GREAT!!

    Reply
  28. Kimberly Grimes says

    January 12, 2011 at 9:14 pm

    Thanks!!! I'm sick right now, but plan to follow your tutorials & catch up this winter!

    Reply
  29. Courtney says

    January 12, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    Thank you. thank you. thank you. This is fabulous. I will be bookmarking this post as I am sure I will need to refer to it — over and over again!

    Reply
  30. Krista says

    January 12, 2011 at 9:50 pm

    Wow that is awesome. Thanks for the ideas and showing how to do it. I'm definitely going to try this.

    Reply
  31. Our Family says

    January 12, 2011 at 10:04 pm

    Thank you for this post! Picasa has been a lot of fun for blog headers, etc., so I'm very excited to segue into digital scrapbooking.
    However, after playing around with it, it appears that my Picasa does not have a 12×12 or Custom Ratio sized page. Any advice since I'd prefer to print it as a 12×12? Or are there scrapbooks with 8×10 sized pages? Thank you!!

    Reply
  32. Two Little Tots says

    January 12, 2011 at 10:07 pm

    I just did a post yesterday on my plan to get the girls' books done and quick! Doing a little bit of both digital and paper, I just can't get away from the paper…until I run out at least!

    Great ideas and tips…thanks Sarah!

    Reply
  33. Persnickety Prints says

    January 12, 2011 at 10:49 pm

    THIS is SOOOO GREAT! EVERYONE should be doing it this way!

    Reply
  34. count it all joy says

    January 13, 2011 at 12:12 am

    Thank you, thank you, thank you….I am the world's WORST scrapbooker {I have proof}. This is absolutely fantastic. You are pretty much the only person I can understand when it comes to Picasa and have helped me enormously. Sorry to gush…I can't help it:) Meredith xo.

    Reply
  35. Anonymous says

    January 13, 2011 at 12:35 am

    You know I scrapbooked in the past, but haven't done it in a LONG time. Now my computer is loaded with pictures that I want to get into a book. I've been thinking about making the change to digital for a while. Thanks for helping KNOW it's the right choice. Your pages are beautiful! Hope you get much accomplished in these boring months.

    -FringeGirl

    Reply
  36. Sarah says

    January 13, 2011 at 12:53 am

    Answer to questions:
    Our Family: Make sure you Picasa account is updated to the newest version! (Go to the Help tab at the top of Picasa and you will see the Update button…that should do it.)
    GringoginArgentina: Send your collage (Export button at the button, by the Collage button) to a folder, and then go to Persnickety Prints and follow the path to order prints. You will upload them from that folder onto your Persnickety Prints account.
    Karen:
    I started out making scrapbooks the traditional way with paper and albums in the beginning. I went back and forth about just creating photo books but I decided for two reasons to just stick with the albums:
    1. I like the way they all match.
    2. I like the freedom to include scraps of paper, report cards, tickets, etc.
    I think it ends up being about the same cost. I don't like cheap photo books because I think they rip and wear too easily so I would have went with a higher quality than the usual and probably would have paid a bit extra for that. My kids look at these a lot and I want to make sure they stay safe and nice.
    That being said, I think a photo book might be a faster, more organized way of doing it. If you wanted to include some loose papers, tickets, etc. you could glue a nice big envelope in the back of each photo book also and keep those things in there.
    I hope that helps!

    Reply
  37. Dawn says

    January 13, 2011 at 1:34 am

    Fantastic. I always love reading your tutorials. Such a smart one you are.

    Reply
  38. Carrie says

    January 13, 2011 at 1:37 am

    You rock!! Thanks for another fabulous lesson!!

    Reply
  39. Jenni says

    January 13, 2011 at 2:38 am

    This is great! I haven't scrapbooked digitally before because I haven't known how to start, thank you so much!

    Reply
  40. Anonymous says

    January 13, 2011 at 2:55 am

    and another question: i made a collage and have some background paper….so I get those two items on my little clipboard thingy….i can make the paper go the background but how do I enlarge the collage picture which is shown as about the size of a small photo.

    i have a love/HATE relationship with picasa right now!

    Reply
  41. Melody says

    January 13, 2011 at 3:11 am

    How cute! A friend of mine owns Pink Ink Studios and always has free downloads for photo stuff you may like!

    Reply
  42. meg duerksen says

    January 13, 2011 at 4:02 am

    you are fabulous.
    how helpful you are!
    wow.
    i wish i did this.
    🙁

    i wish i was going to be seeing you soon.
    boo.
    if anything changes….let me know!!!

    Reply
  43. Jennie and Adam says

    January 13, 2011 at 4:53 am

    Thank you for another great tutorial!
    Did you purchase your albums (the actual books)at a store, or did you get them online? I would like to invest in a bunch so that I could have them be all the same too.

    Reply
  44. Cara @ Gardenview Cottage says

    January 15, 2011 at 1:40 am

    WAY easier and cheaper than photoshop. You rock! I just got a new front door so I'm ready to re-do my banner. Yippee! I can put your awesome knowledge to work♥

    Reply
  45. Coffeebean's Dailies says

    January 18, 2011 at 6:44 am

    Hi Sarah! I did it! Please go and have a look on my blog.

    http://coffeebeansdailies.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-first-digital-scrapbook-page.html

    How do I get a blank spot to journal on as I don't like the writing in each little picture. Thank you!!

    Reply
  46. Coffeebean's Dailies says

    January 18, 2011 at 6:49 am

    Hi Sarah! Thank you for this tutorial! I made my first page! Please stop by my blog to see it!

    http://coffeebeansdailies.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-first-digital-scrapbook-page.html

    The more I look at it, the more I don't like writing in the little picture boxes. Where or how do I get a blank or lined portion to journal in? Thank you so much!

    Reply
  47. My Not So Simple, Domestic Life says

    January 18, 2011 at 4:16 pm

    You are my Picasa guru…

    Reply
  48. Amanda says

    January 19, 2011 at 3:05 am

    I was just wondering if you have printed and received any pages from Persnickety Prints yet? When I went to place my order I got an error message saying that my pics are low resolution. I was just wondering if you have had any issues with this. Thanks!

    Reply
  49. Sarah says

    January 19, 2011 at 12:53 pm

    Yes, I print and receive pages all the time from them and I think you made an easy mistake to make…one I made at first. When you exported your photos/collages to a folder did you make sure that the Use Original Size was checked? When the window pops up after you hit Export, you will see a little slider thingy that determines the size but you don't want to use that…right above that is the Use Original Size that you want to check.
    Email me if you have any more questions and problems!

    Reply
  50. Anonymous says

    January 19, 2011 at 11:26 pm

    I am so glad I discovered this post! — I hope it's okay that I blogged about it, too: http://anythingvirtuous.blogspot.com/2011/01/scrapbook-pages-using-picasa.html

    Though the tutorial was a great find, I love your other posts even more. Thanks!

    Reply
  51. Anonymous says

    January 20, 2011 at 6:41 pm

    Sharing your tutorial over on my blog today. Thanks so much for doing this. I found a lot of papers that I love over at http://www.shabbyprincess.com/
    do you have any other sites that you use? This is so much more simple than dragging out all my supplies and messing it with it all on a desk or my kitchen table. Thanks again.
    Sarah
    http://fadedcountry.blogspot.com/2011/01/scrapping-with-picasa.html

    Reply
  52. Casey says

    January 26, 2011 at 4:40 am

    Wonderful post Sarah! I used your tutorial and I also used Persnickety. My scrapbook pages arrived today and they are just beautiful. Thank you for sharing this information with us. You are an amazing blogger. You've taught me so much.

    Reply
  53. Charlie says

    January 27, 2011 at 11:08 pm

    Thank you. I used this for my blog Zombie Proof Homemaking. It worked great. I am currently getting opinions of Facebook if the zombified picture of me in the banner is a little over the top or not! We have much in common….we stretched the children out…really far. Mine are 25, almost 19 and 10. Makes it interesting and keeps us on our toes!

    Reply
  54. Dana Fallentine says

    March 19, 2011 at 11:05 pm

    You are REALLY cool! Thank you!

    Reply
  55. Unknown says

    April 4, 2011 at 6:48 pm

    I just want to say you have motivated me to get on top of my ever growing picture stash. I am about 5 years behind in documenting everything!!!! I am very excited to start this and hopefully it will help me to stay on top of it! Thanks so much!

    Reply
  56. Stephanie says

    May 26, 2011 at 9:49 pm

    Do you know if there's any way to use the "elements" that are downloadable from Shabby Princess in Picasa (e.g. buttons, stickers, etc). I haven't been able to figure out how to use them. Thank you for these awesome tutorials!

    stephaqueen@gmail.com

    Reply
  57. Sarah says

    May 26, 2011 at 10:18 pm

    No…those aren't jpg files and those are the only kind that Picasa accepts…I wish though!!! Maybe one day.

    Reply
  58. N.D. says

    March 15, 2012 at 9:42 pm

    ok my biggest problem is that when I upload my collages into persnickity it is a pixel error (too low resolution). I have selected 12×12 in picasa so what am I doing wrong?? I am so frustrated! natalie.avioli at gmail

    Reply
  59. Anonymous says

    March 23, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    Sarah,I just stumbled on this post (I'm a regular reader, not sure how I missed it) and it is lifechanging! Yes, I'm being a bit dramatic:). Our oldest son is graduating in less than two months. I have 2 years of his life in a traditional scrapbook. A year ago I figured out that in order to have the rest done for graduation I would have to scrapbook more than one year of his life per month. Fail. I haven't touched it. I thought about doing a Shutterfly book, but I want to be able to add to the book after graduation – like the pics of graduation!
    I am an avid user of Picasa and this solution is PERFECT for us!! I feel a little silly that I never thought of doing it this way. I read the post yesterday and did two pages last night. I'm going to order the prints of those so I have a reference for the size of fonts I need to use.
    Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will have a book for the graduation party and can add to it afterwards! And I can get started now on the other two kids' books!
    You rock! Love you blog too:).

    Reply
  60. Shorty says

    March 27, 2012 at 11:46 pm

    I am trying to make the quiet books from Simplyfreshdesigns. She linked you into her blog. But I can't seem to get it. I set the background to one of the pages but it only shows part of the page (not the whole page). How do I solve this? I think I get how to make the collage but just cant get the background. Please can you help me? Thanks so much!

    Reply
  61. the rinehart's says

    December 1, 2012 at 2:42 am

    Stumbled upon you! And can't seem to find any free paper at persnickity anymore?! Could you direct me to some places you've found it? Working on a photocard and thinking this would be easier than photoshop 🙂 Thanks…

    Reply
  62. LunaMoonbeam says

    September 13, 2013 at 1:26 am

    Oh my goodness THANK YOU. I'm in charge of a big ol' crafty day at church, and I could NOT figure out how to insert images for one of the crafts without finding a Photoshop expert. You ROCK!!!!

    Reply
  63. Jessica says

    February 24, 2014 at 3:41 am

    Thank you so much for explaining how to do this! I hate the idea of spending lots of time and money learning how to use new programs. The irony is I already have Picasa and use it for my photos, I just had NO clue I could use it for this! Thanks so very much for the great resources!

    Reply
  64. Lia ~German Shepherd Acres says

    December 27, 2015 at 9:01 pm

    I hope someone can assist me with my question. I am very new to this idea and my question may sound silly but I will ask it anyway. If I can locate embellishments in a JPEG format, can I use these in Picasa? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      December 28, 2015 at 1:00 pm

      Hi Gail-They won't show up right-that background they have that is invisible (it is usually shown in little gray squares) shows up also.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Sarah Turner

When our first baby was placed in my arms I knew there was no place I wanted to be other than home with him every day. Twenty five years, and five more babies later, (six children, now ages 26-8), I still feel the same. I blog here about motherhood, how to make a house a home, easy recipes, and simple living. You can read more about me here.

21 years of our best-loved, most-used quality toys!

Follow by Email

Recent Posts

  • Sorting, Saving and Storing Children’s Keepsakes-A Quick and Easy Guide for Busy Moms
  • No-Clutter Easter Basket Ideas
  • Favorite Kitchen Items
  • Favorite Smoothie Recipe
  • Bathroom Organization-Five Tips For Purging and Organization

Topics

Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer

Clover Lane is participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Read my disclosure.

Nothing pretty, flashy, or spectacular. Just an o Nothing pretty, flashy, or spectacular.  Just an ordinary Monday morning breakfast counter after the kids leave for school.  Because ordinary gets the short hand in our culture but really it's extra special. 
It's a symbol of unselfishness, contentment, prudence and gratitude.  There is a certain peace about the ordinary.  It's the opposite of temporary-it holds the joy of contentment and gratitude and prudence all in one hand.  It's lends itself toward peace, and a settling in, not a constant search for more or less or anything.  Ordinary is authentic and good enough- in short it's a gem in disguise. 🍃
I love my home and I hope you do also. With all t I love my home and I hope you do also.  With all the imperfections and maintenance it requires, when I pull up and walk in I want to stay, to relax, to feel safe, for daily life to be easy, and to care for "home". I want simplicity, ease, convenience.  To me when my home is simple, without being filled to the brim of things that just take up space I love it best.  I hope if you've participated fully or even partially as time allowed in 40 Bags in 40 Days you've found that joy and pride in your home.  I plan to share more little challenges and tips as the year proceeds to trouble shoot areas and keep maintenance effortless and the house love flowing.  Daily life in our homes should bring us joy and ease while we care for our families, we should be thoughtful stewards of our money and of our time and simple living is the answer to that. 
Thank you for participating! 🏡
I think this is one of the best things about the 4 I think this is one of the best things about the 40 Bag decluttering process.  When I know what I have and have removed all that I don't, it cultivates more discretion and caution about what I bring back in.  I think there is also some realization of how much money is wasted on fads, or thoughtless purchases.  It's quite eye-opening.  I've become so much more careful, and find we all take better care of things, as do my children.
The final week of 40 Bags in 40 Days! I've tackle The final week of 40 Bags in 40 Days!  I've tackled all the areas of my home with exception of my oldest daughter's room (not the photo)- which she is excited to work on this week.
The simpler the room, the easier it is to clean an The simpler the room, the easier it is to clean and straighten up.  And then the more enjoyable it is to actually sit in that room.  It's not a hard equation, all it takes is ruthless purging-and not just little things but larger items also.  Functional furniture is the key and very few decorative pieces especially when children are in the home, makes life so much easier. 
🍃
As we head into the last week of the 40 Bags in 40 As we head into the last week of the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge I'm hearing from so many of you what a difference it has made in your appreciation of your homes, a certain contentment, and at the same time a thrill of looking in on the organized kitchen, closet and living space.  I agree!  I love purging, cleaning and organizing a space and then going back later that day just to get that wonderful sense of accomplishment.  It makes such a difference! 
🍃
A lighter, fresher, calmer home is the result of de-cluttering.  I even had a participant who had been planning on listing her home, start 40 Days just to get her house ready to sell, and then was so ruthless in the process and also thrilled by the results that they decided to stay put in what seemed like a new home to them.  What a savings of time, money and energy. 
🍃
Next week I will be talking maintenance and answer all questions! ☀️
Tips For Shared Kids Rooms- This bedroom has seen Tips For Shared Kids Rooms-
This bedroom has seen every configuration possible.  With kids spread out 18 years apart, I've had to be creative over the years-which I think is the key to sharing rooms.  It is all possible-I consider it a rare luxury and privilege to not have to share a room although I know that is not the norm today. 
🍃
I like to create a simple look with white furniture (this ends up making room transitions easier also when moving someone out and someone else in.) I also like to match bedspreads for a cohesive look. 
🍃
Clip on bed lights save space. 
🍃
A simple shared book shelf can hold a child's special books and knick knacks and if necessary can be assigned per shelf.
🍃
When my kids were younger I had my dad build me a large wooden roll out box for under each bed.  This held each child's toys. 
🍃
All clothes are kept in a closet instead of dressers to save space.
I feel like I bailed on everyone following 40 Bags I feel like I bailed on everyone following 40 Bags progress and tips.  My excuse is the stomach flu ravaging us all here in the last week with me being the last to fall and the slowest to recover.  On top of that the weekend before I tried to roller blade (don't even ask how many steps I made it) and majorly bit it.  Thankfully I think I just sprained my arm. So I've been using one arm for nursing sick children back to health, and doing whatever cleaning and cooking and straightening I can do.  Alas, last week was a wash.  We have two weeks to go.  I'd like to continue and end on a high note.  How about you?  Even a little de-cluttering counts! Spring is in the air and I can't wait to throw open my windows and let fresh clean air circulate through my fresh clean orderly home. ☀️🌷🌱
Especially where kids are concerned- we tend to th Especially where kids are concerned- we tend to think that the more things they have the happier and more occupied and loved they will feel.  Nothing can replace human interaction and I've found that too many toys has the reverse affect.  They cause overwhelm-just like us - we'd rather sit in an orderly space than one filled with too many things to do and too much stuff.
☀️
When it comes to kids closets here are some tips-
1. Hand me downs don't all have to be received.  Or received at all.  Be choosy and keep just what they will use and need.
2. When children are presented with too many choices, tension and acrimony can exist.  Being able to open a closet with a reasonable amount of outfits can create more peace.
3. Cultivating independence in care of clothes is easier when there is less and the space is simplified and organized. 
☀️
More tips coming on the blog this week.  I am moving my blog platform so I can't make any promises - it's under construction and that's exciting!
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Disclosure

Copyright © 2021 · Memories on Clover Lane · All Rights Reserved
Please do not duplicate anything on this blog without written permission from the author.
Disclosure: Amazon affiliate links used.