This is the blog for Distinctive Moments. We offer a full line of scrapbook services and pre-made products to create a home for your photos and memorabilia. In our blog you find post on our products, articles, tips and techniques, contest and challenges, product reviews, polls, project instructions, and much more.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Journaling Tip ~ Document events soon after they occur
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Journaling ~ The Basics ~ Part 1
When journaling, the basics (Who, What, When, Where, & Why) at the very least should be included. Basic journaling can often be captured with a Title and Captions.
Many scrapbookers tell detailed stories. This is a perfect way to encompass all the details of the event. But if the details and or space are limited, one can use bullet points, poetry, interviews, and hidden journaling to relay their thoughts and feelings.
Journaling can be handwritten, computer generated, or a combination. Although computer generated journaling may be neat in appearance, handwritten journaling adds a touch of the scrapbooker. Believe or not, future generations will treasure your handwriting. I recommend a combination of handwritten and computer generated journaling.
Finally, keeping some form of a journal is beneficial. One can easily record the details of various events and activities for future reference. A calendar, notepad, note cards, journal, or etc. could be used.
Hopefully this overview will get your journaling started on the right track. Be sure to stay tuned for future articles discussing this topic in greater detail.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
How to Resize Digital Photographs
How to Upsize Your Digital Photos Without Sacrificing Quality
In this article you’ll learn how to upsize your digital photos. This article talks a lot about resolution. Here is a tip to remember: use 300 dpi. You’ll learn more about this in the article.
Here is some information I gathered from my Google Search.
How to Resize Your Images - Smarter Ways
This article discusses digital cameras, online photo resizers, and software programs used to resize your photos.
How to Resize Photos for E-mail or Web: A Step-by-Step Tutorial
This is a step by step tutorial for resizing your photos in Photoshop Elements (PSE). It includes screen shots of PSE.
How-to: Resizing photos the easy way
This is a Youtube video that shows you how to resize a photo with an online photo resizer (webresizer.com) and a free photo resizer program (GIMP).
What program do you use to resize your photos?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Congratulations! You’re Engaged. ~ Your Wedding Budget ~ Part 3
Be sure to research wedding cost in your area and include those cost in your budget. Pricing in different regions can differ quite a bit. Recently married friends and family are a good source of information. They also know about budget busters that you wouldn’t think to plan for.
It is important that you do not exceed your total budget amount. You wouldn’t want to start life happily ever after in debt would you? However, if you need to, you can adjust or eliminate various components of the total budget. This is when deciding when to splurge and when not to splurge becomes important.
When making your budget, you and your fiancé should rank the various categories of your wedding budget based on importance. By doing this in the beginning, you know where to splurge and where not to splurge. Being a scrapbooker, I chose the splurge on photos. Photos last a lifetime and we were willing to pay more for quality products and service. We chose not to hire a videographer. A wedding video was not important to us. You have to decide what is important to you.
Be sure to refer to your wedding budget often. Post it to your bathroom mirror and refrigerator if you have to. Out of sight is out of mind. Remember don’t exceed your wedding budget.
Below you find other articles on wedding budgets:
--Your Wedding Budget - When to Save and When to Splurge by Bridget Mora
--5 Tips to Cut Down Your Wedding Guest List and Your Budget by Erica Tevis
--How to Calculate Your Wedding Cost Breakdown by Marcie Pearsons
Sample Budgets and Budget Worksheets from my Google search.
--The Knot’s Sample Budget
--Sample Budget from images.della.com
--RealSimple.com’s Wedding Budget Worksheet
--WeddingDetails.com’s Wedding Budget Worksheet
In the previous post of this serious the topics were Getting Started and Wedding Planning Checklists. I hope you got some good information from this series. Email us if you have any topics you would like to see discussed on our blog.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Congratulations! You’re Engaged. ~ Wedding Planning Checklists ~ Part 2
It’s best to keep everything in one place. This will reduce your chance of forgetting something. I used a workbook, but you could use a spreadsheet, or an online site. I suggest using what is most familiar and comfortable for you. You want something that you will ACTUALLY use because this checklist will be the key to keeping you organized.
Below you find another article on wedding planning checklists:
--Why Do You Need A Wedding Planning Checklist? by Jake Springhurst
Sample Checklists and Wedding Planners from my Google search.
--Best-Wedding-Plan.com’s 12 Month Wedding Countdown Checklist
--The Pash FREE Wedding Planner
--WeddingWire a free wedding planning site.
Next week, look for Part 3 of this series Your Wedding Budget.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sketches ~ Card
So here we go!
Below is a sketch for a 5 ½ x 4 ¼ card.
The dimensions for the paper pieces are as follows:
A - 2 ¾ x 3 ¾
B - 5 ¼ x 2
C - 5 ¼ x 7/8
D - 2 ½ x 3 ½ w/ 4 embellishments
Don’t forget many of cards can be purchased in our Etsy Shop.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
PD4U Etsy Promotion
There will be two FREE promotion bags available sometime between Septmber 19 - October 24, 2008 in Distinctive Moments Etsy Shop. Thirteen other PD4U shops are also participating. Click here for more information on the promotion.
We have included bookmarks in the promotional bags. Below you’ll find sneak peek of our bookmarks.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Congratulations! You’re Engaged. ~ Getting Started ~ Part 1
I recommend that you read a wedding planning guide and get a wedding checklist as soon as possible. You’ll need to have a clear idea of what is in store for you until your wedding day.
When I planned my wedding I bought the Easy Wedding Workbook & Organizer. I’m sure you’ll be able to find something similar at your local bookstore. I liked this organizer because it had a checklist, budget worksheet, vender comparison charts and a host of other information. I also stored my wedding planning documents in the organizer. I liked having all of my wedding planning information in one accessible location.
A major part of your wedding planning efforts will be making a realistic budget and sticking to it. That’s when the fun really begins. You’ll have to decide when to splurge and when not to splurge.
Below you find other articles on wedding planning:
--I'm Engaged! Now What? by Pamela Kazmierczak
--Wedding Planning Guide - Tips For Planning Weddings by Jen Carter
Stay tuned for more post about wedding checklist and your wedding budget.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Custom Etsy Shop Banners
The owner contacted me within a day to start the design process. I gave her a general idea of what we wanted and let her work her magic. After a couple of iterations, the following product was produced in a few days.

A job well done I think.
I like the design so much; I also ordered the background graphic for our business cards. So you Etsy shop owners, who are looking for banners and avatars, be sure to see what studio71design has to offer.
~~~~
Periodically, when we make any purchases from Etsy Shops, we’ll review them on our blog. Email us if you have any Etsy Shops you want us to review.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Distinctive Moments is Moving to Columbus, OH
Yes, we are leaving the St. Louis area and moving to Ohio. St. Louis has been awesome to us, but we’re sure Columbus will be even better. The move is schedule to take place take place at the end of the September.
Below is a schedule for our move:
-Distinctive Moments will be closed the week of September 21, 2008. All emails and voicemails will be answered the following week. The phone number will be changed to a Columbus phone number. Mail sent to our mailing address will be forwarded to our Ohio address. Contact us if you need our new mailing address.
-Wedding invitation and accessory orders (Birchcraft and Carlson Craft) placed the week of September 21 will be processed the following week.
-Pre-made Distinctive Moments Etsy Shop orders placed between September 21 and October 4 will be shipped by October 10, 2008.
-Work on new custom scrapbook orders will not begin until October 12, 2008. You are more than welcome to contact us about placing an order prior to our design start date.
-The Columbus Scrapaholix Club will start in November. Stay tuned for more information on the club.
The website, blog, Etsy Shop, and all email addresses will remain the same. We are sure that the move will go smoothly and you will see very few changes if any.
Wish us luck!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Excel Spreadsheets for Etsy
Simple Solutions offers many Etsy spreadsheets to for your Esty shop as well as personal needs. Custom spreadsheets can also be built to serve your particular need.
I received the spreadsheet within a day. Initially there was a glitch in the spreadsheet but it was quickly corrected by Simple Solutions. I liked the spreadsheet so much that I also ordered the Sales Tracker. The two were well worth the price of $5.00 each. I’ll be sure to purchase any other Esty spreadsheets we need from Simple Solutions.
~~~~
In the future, when we make any purchases from Etsy Shops, we’ll review them on our blog. Email us if you have any Etsy Shops you want us to review.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Scrapbook Kits… another way to scrap
Some kit clubs are technique based. Each month you will learn a new technique. This would be great for scrapers who want to learn more about scrapbooking. Distinctive Moments will be offering a technique based Scrapaholix Club this Fall in Columbus, OH. Stay tuned for more information.
Below are a few Kit Clubs:
Lickety Split Scrapbooks
Lickety Split Scrapbooks offers both page kits and board book kits.
Memory Workshop
These kits are designed to make 6+ 12x12 pages. Memeory Workshop is a Canadian based business.
Serendipity Scrapbooks
Each month Serendipity Scrapbooks offers at least 3 types of kits to choose from.
So if you haven’t tried scrapbooking with a kit, why not try it today. If you have used kits in the past, what are some of you favorites?
Friday, August 15, 2008
Girly 6x6 Scrapbook

Girly 6x6 Scrapbook can be purchased in the Distinctive Moments Etsy Shop.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Paper Bag Albums
So take a look at my first paper bag album. I plan to use the album as an overview of my summer.
![]() |
![]() |
Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Tips:
· I used four (4) paper bags. Five (5) paper bags were to bulky for me.
· I used a Crop-A-Dile to punch my binding holes.
· I used three (3) large eyelets (3/16") to bind my album. I tried the 1/8” eyelets but they couldn’t bind all the paper bags. You could also use small jump rings or ribbon.
· I designed my pages before I attached them to the album. (So the eyelets wouldn’t show though the bag.)
· I stamped journaling blocks to use for my journaling.
· I added cards with tabs for extra photos and journaling.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Simple Ribbon Storage
I used a large ring and jumbo paper clips to make my ribbon ring. I tied the ribbon to the paper clips and fastened the paper clips together with the ring. When I need ribbon, I just cut a piece off. Now tell me that wasn’t simple!
I also store embellishments and acrylic stamps on a large ring.
How do you store your ribbon?
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Looking for Beautiful Handmade Jewelry?
If you are looking for jewelry that is beautiful, affordable, and unique, visit Crystal Impressions at CrystalImpressions.etsy.com.

All of Lucia jewelry is handmade with gemstones, semi-precious gemstones, swarovski crystals. Here is what I think is the best part, each piece is one of a kind.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Live the moment. Preserve the memory.
Also keep an eye out for a few changes we will be making to the website. Look for new Blog and Shop links in the menu. The Blog will also receive an updated look.
Stay tuned for these changes and a few more to come.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
New Invitation Styles and More

Sunday, June 8, 2008
New Lettering Styles
Lettering Styles



Combination Lettering Styles


Seven new wedding invitation inks have also been added to our online site.
All online wedding invitation orders receive a 30% Discount.
Friday, June 6, 2008
7 New Wedding Invitation Inks
The new fashion ink colors now available are:







Don't forget, online wedding invitation orders receive a 30% Discount!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Win a Gift Certificate for the Distinctive Moments Etsy Shop
How to win a gift certificate for the Distinctive Moments Etsy Shop
- Once a month I’ll submit a post with 7 on 7 in the post itself.
- I’ll ask a question at the end of the post and you add your comments to the post. Be sure to sign into Blogger or leave your name in your comment (How else will I know who is the winner?).
- At least four (4) people must post comments in order for the gift certificate to be awarded.
- All comments posted by the end of the month will be eligible for the gift certificate.
- A random number generator will be used to determine the winner.
- You are allowed to post more than one comment (Just like a lottery!).
- The winner will be posted on the Blog on the 7th of the month. If you are the winner be sure to email me so I can send you your gift certificate.
- You are only eligible to win a dM prize once every three months.
What can you purchase in our Etsy Shop?



- Altered Items
- Custom Scrapbooks
- Handmade Cards
- Premade Scrapbooks
- Supplies
- Tags
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Wedding Color Trends
In the articles below you'll find information on the latest wedding color trends.
- Popular Wedding Colors (Nicole Lindsey)
- Choosing Your Wedding Color Scheme (Your Wedding Company)
- 2008 Wedding Color Forcast and Trends (Erica Tevis)
- color trends (Charming Paper Blog)
I was married a few years ago and our wedding colors were Platinum, Pink, and Red. The attire was platinum and flowers were pink and red.
What were your wedding colors?
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
What are your favorite adhesives?
1. Scotch ATG Gold Transfer Tape by 3M (Used with the Scotch ATG714 Adhesive Applicator). Great for large projects. One roll lasts an extremely long time.
2. Dot 'N' Roller Permanent by Kokuyo. This is great everyday adhesive. It’s easy to apply and refill.
3. Tape 'N' Roller Plus Permanent by Kokuyo. When I prefer a tape adhesive I often use this adhesive. It is extremely easy to refill.
4. 3-D Zots by Thermoweb. I when I need to add dimension to my cards I use Zots. Be careful when applying them, one of my customers calls them evil because she always gets her fingers stuck when using them.
5. Glue Dots 3/16" Mini Dots by Glue Dots. Great for adhering embellishments.
6. Scotch Quick Dry Tacky Adhesive by 3M. Great for adhering embellishments.
7. Art Accentz Terrifically Tacky Tape by Provo Craft. I often use this adhesive when adhering ribbon and chipboard to my altered items. This is an extremely strong tape. I even used it to adhere a photo frame to the front of a scrapbook album.
8. Adhesive Pick-Up by Thermoweb. I use the pick-up to remove any excess adhesive.
What are your favorite adhesives?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've also included a link to an article about vavious adhesives. Read it to learn a little more about scrapbooking adhesives.
Scrapbooking Adhesives - Stick To The Basics
By Christine Perry
Friday, May 9, 2008
May dM Crop
Saturday, May 17, 2008
5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
The Crop is FREE and we only have 8 spaces available, so be sure to RSVP to reserve your space.
This month we will be unveiling our Create Packages. This month the Create a Gift will be an altered journal. Below is an example (the pen is not included).
Altered Journal ~ Cost: $5.00
Email workshops@distinctivemoments.com or call 618.257.8922 to register for this dM Crop.
See you on the 17th.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Create Packages are now offered at our dM Crops
Below are descriptions of our dM Crop Create Packages:
Create a Card ~ Cost: $5
Includes materials to make four (4) cards: cardstock, pattern paper, embellishments, adhesive, and envelopes.
Pick:
Patterned paper scraps
Two (2) pieces of 8 ½ “ x 11” cardstock
Embellishments ($2 credit)
Included:
Envelopes
Adhesives
Tool Station
Stamping Station
Create a Layout ~ Cost: $5
Includes materials to make one (1) layout: cardstock, pattern paper, embellishments, adhesive, and dM photo development.
Pick:
Patterned paper scraps
Two (2) pieces of 12” x 12” cardstock
Embellishments ($2 credit)
Included:
dM photo development (3- 4” x 6” photos)
Adhesives
Tool Station
Stamping Station
Create a Gift ~ Cost: Varies
Includes materials to make one (1) altered item: cardstock, pattern paper, embellishments, and adhesive.
Pick:
Patterned paper and or cardstock scraps
Embellishments
Included:
Item to Alter
dM photo development (if applicable)
Adhesives
Tool Station
Stamping Station
Our next Crop will be held May 17, 2008.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Handmade Cards in Greek Colors
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is an umbrella organization for nine historically black, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. (1) The nine organizations include Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Iota Phi Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Zeta Phi Beta.
Distinctive Moments will offer handmade birthday, thank you, congatulation, get well and other cards. Feel free to contact us at info@distinctivemoments.com if you would like a specific card made.
(1)National Pan-Hellenic Council. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
Monday, April 7, 2008
How Can I Get More Pictures Per Page?
How Can I Get More Pictures Per Page? By Ms. Demi
Many of the albums I design for my clients and my personal albums include numerous photos per layout. I continue to look for ways to maximize my layout space.
Something that works well for me is printing 2” x 3” and 3” x 4” (from a 4” x 6” photo collage) photos to use in my layouts. These sizes are small enough to add several photos to the layout and still have room for your journaling and title.
What tips do you have for adding more pictures per page?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Basic Custom Scrapbook Special


Basic Custom Scrapbook - $335.00
Regular Price - $481 (Save $146)
This offer expires on April 12, 2008.
What’s included:
·Initial consultation in person or by phone.
·Ongoing consultation throughout the design process via email.
·12” x 12” Album and page protectors.
·Thirty (30) - Custom designed BASIC scrapbook pages.
·Archival safe scrapbooking materials
·Cropping and mounting of photos.
·Computer generated journaling boxes and/or blank journaling boxes with an acid free black journaling pen if you prefer journaling in your own handwriting.
·Electronic previews of your completed scrapbook pages updating you on the progress of your scrapbook.
What’s not included:
·Postage costs for you to ship your pictures to us.
·Shipping/Handling for the completed project.
·Sales Tax (Illinois Only)
Visit the Distinctive Moments Etsy Shop to purchase this Basic Custom Album Special or Contact us at 618.257.8922 or info@distinctivemoments.com to arrange a free consultation.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Tips for Choosing the Right Wedding Photographer
And of course price played a major role in our decision. Many photographers offer packages, however the same products and services are not included in all packages. So be sure not to compare apples to oranges. Example: If Photographers A includes unlimited coverage (16 hrs) for $8000 and Photographer B package includes eight hours of coverage for $4500, you would have to add an addition eight hours of coverage to the package of Photographer B to be able to compare equal packages.
If you are in the Knoxville, Tennessee and are looking for an awesome wedding photographer, contact Christopher Brandt Hoopes of Brandt Photography.
To read more tips for choosing the right wedding photographer be sure to view the links below:
Choosing The Right Wedding Photographer by Craig Thornburrow
Essential Tips For Choosing A Wedding Photographer by Mark Pommett
March Distinctive Moments Crop
…scrap, shop & more
March 15, 2008
5pm to 11pm
Cost: $5.00
Only eight (8) spaces are available for the Crop. When you pre-register for the Crop by March 7, 2008, you will be entered into the drawing for the Mystery Hostess. You will also receive a FREE Handmade Card the day of the Crop.
Bring a friend and your next dM Crop is FREE. If you bring a guest who has never attended a dM Crop, you’ll receive a voucher for a Free Crop.
The following is provided:
Scrap
Workspace
Idea Station – magazines, samples & more
Stamping Station - stamps, ink, embossing powder, heat gun, & more
Tool Station – cutters, eyelet setters, punches & more
A Make & Take – This months make & take is a Thank You card
Shop
Shopping in the dM Store
Mystery Hostess (20% Off purchases during the crop)
Crop Specials
& More
Beverages and light snacks (Bring a dish to share for the potluck dinner)
Door prize
Email workshops@distinctivemoments.com or call 618.257.8922 to register for this dM Crop or for more information. dM Crop information can also be found at www.distinctivemoments.com.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Tips for Scrapbooking Birth Certificates
I personally make copies of any important documents and include them in my scrapbooks. It depends on your personal preference.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Hand Drawn Journaling Panels by Katie Pertiet



Price $10.99 (Retail Price $ 14.99)
These stamps are great additions to your scrapbook pages. I use them as journaling place holders.
We also have other supplies offered in our Supplies Section.
Monday, February 18, 2008
FREE SHIPPING in our Etsy Shop
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
February dM Crop
Distinctive Moments Crops
…scrap, shop & more
February 16, 2008
5pm to 11pm
Cost: $5.00
The next dM Crop will be held February 16, 2008. Spaces are limited so be sure to reserve your space as soon as possible.
Although the Crop is scheduled for six (6) hours, you do not have to be present the entire time to reap the benefits of the crop. See you in February.
As an added bonus this month, the 1st person to sign up for the February dM Crop will receive a FREE Scrapaholic Journaling Kit.
Email workshops@distinctivemoments.com or call 618.257.8922 to register for this dM Crop.
Monday, January 28, 2008
What You're Saying about the 1st Annual Winter House.
****************************
"As a customer, I am extremely pleased with the quality of Ceneetra's work! "
****************************
"I enjoy the various gifted scrapbooks that you developed. It was a joy to celebrate your craft fellowship and share your passion with your visitors."
****************************
Visit our website at http://www.distinctivemoments.com/ and our Etsy site at http://www.distinctivemoments.etsy.com/ to learn more about the products and services these clients have commented on.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
A Guide To Scrapbooking and Card Making Terms
Read A Beginners Guide To Card Making Terms by Vicki Churchill to learn more.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Wedding Superstitions
If so read Wedding Superstitions by Alex Daniels. After reading this article you won’t have to wonder anymore.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Birchcraft Now Provides Hebrew Typesetting for Wedding Invitations

Thank You
I would have posted photos but I forgot to take photos until the very end. Next time I’ll remember.
CA
Thursday, January 17, 2008
RSVP for our 1st Annual Winter Open House
More information on our Open House can be found on our website.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A new year, a new look, with the same motto.
Happy New! We hope your year has started off as great as Distinctive Moments’ year. We are excited about the great things in store this year. So thanks in advance for your continued support in 2008!
A New Look
We have decided to do something a little different this year. Instead of emailing our newsletter to those of you on our mailing list, we will be posting the following topics on Distinctive Moments’ Blog World:
· What's New?
· Articles
· Other Blogs
· Tips & Techniques
· What You're Saying...
· Contest & Challenges
· Ant the winner is…
· Our Etsy Shop
· Upcoming Events
By making this change we hope to provide you with more information, more often. Feel free to visit Distinctive Moments’ Blog World at your leisure to catch-up on what we are up to. If you would like to receive an email with promotions and upcoming events PRIOR to blog postings (i.e Sneak Peak), be sure to join our email list.
We hope you enjoy this new format. Any questions or suggestions can be emailed to info@distinctivemoments.com. Your comments may end up in the What You're Saying...section.
The Same Motto
Distinctive Moments motto is providing bridal and scrapbook needs. Even though you see our motto everywhere, we wanted to make sure you knew we are here to make sure your bridal and scrapbook needs are met. That even means directing you elsewhere if we can’t provide a specific need. If you don’t see a particular item or service offered, please contact us anyway. We’ll try our best to provide some options for you.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Open House Make and Takes
The Open House will be held Saturday, January 19, 2008 1PM to 5PM
Email us at info@distinctivemoments.com for the location and directions.
Visit our website for more information on our Winter Open House.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Thank You Cards (Set of 4)

The set is priced at $8. Visit our Etsy Shop to learn more about this card set.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Card Pricing
1 - $2.50 each
2 - $2.25 each (Save 10%)
4+ - $2.00 each (Save 20%)
When purchasing cards from different listings in our Etsy Shop, please select "Other" under payment options when checking out. An updated invoice will be emailed to you with the price savings.
We’ll be adding lots of new cards this month.