As you go about learning scrapbooking and creating pages that capture the important moments of your life, you may want to share those with others. Obviously, people who know you face-to-face can simply page through your albums and ooh and aah over your artistic ability, and can appreciate the wonderful memories you have showcased, but what about the rest of us? We want to ooh and aah at your work, too!
That's where the Internet comes in. You may already know the term "blog", a derivative of "web log" - a term coined in the late 90's. Basically, a blog has come to be a kind of online journal, where an individual or group can post entries about any subject they choose. Some blogs include links to other places on the Internet, political commentary, jokes, recipes, or simply "journally" entries about daily life. Some are combinations of many of these things, and more!
Under the umbrella of blogs are several communities of subject-specific blogs - there are PhotoBlogs, SportBlogs, GardenBlogs, QuiltBlogs, TravelBlogs, and more. Basically, any subject that you can imagine has at least one person blogging about it. Scrapbooking is no exception, and there are growing communities of individuals sharing their scrapbooking layouts, techniques, tips, links to related sites, and other useful information. These ScrapBloggers often read and comment on each others' sites, and act as a kind of support-and-feedback system for one another.
Jumping into the ScrapBlog pool is actually quite easy. There are a number of tools available for starting your own blog, including Typepad, LiveJournal, Xanga, Blogstream, GeneBase, and Fotolog. The most popular blogging tool is called Blogger, or "BlogSpot." Most of these blogging services have free basic packages, as well as paid-member packages with additional services. All have directions to get you started on creating your own blog, as well as customizing certain features.
With some blogging tools, you may have to use a second service - such as PhotoBucket, FreeImageHosting.net, TinyPic or VillagePhotos - in order to include pictures and layout scans on your site.
There are even some blogging tools especially designed for scrapbookers! These include MyScrapBlog and MyPlace.
This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of the ScrapBlogs available on the Web. There are simply too many of them to list, and they come and go with amazing speed. Some of those listed are for paper scrapbookers, some digital, and some a mix. If you have a ScrapBlog - or if you start one after reading this lesson - please let me know, and I would be happy to add your blog's link to this list, provided there is no objectionable content and the site is in English. I am not affiliated with any of the blogs listed.
Browse through some of the blogs listed above. You might find some you want to bookmark and return to for inspiration. You might also be encouraged to start a ScrapBlog of your own! Remember, if you do, please drop me a line and let me know about it - I'll include you on the list!
There is no supplemental reading for this section.
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** This content was previously published at www.Scrap-Poodle.com . It is presented here for the convenience of former members of that site, and scrapbookers and stampers at large. Please do not reproduce this information in any format (except for printing a copy for personal use) without permission of Dana Jones, original publisher of this information. **