Concept driven scrapbooks are creative way to tell family stories

One of the hottest scrapbooking trends right now, says Wendy Smedley, creative editor for Simple Scrapbooks magazine, is the concept-driven mini-album.

A lot of scrapbookers, she says, "are reactive. And there's nothing wrong with that. They go to the zoo, take pictures to document the trip and put them in an album."

But, she says, another approach is to "think of the story you want to tell and then go take the pictures. It's fun to see how different stories can be told with pictures and words." And they can be done very simply, she says. Here are some of her ideas that can all be done in 6x6-inch or other small albums:

Interview album

Come up with a set of questions to ask your kids: What is your favorite color? What is your favorite thing to do? What do you like best about your mother? Your father? Your sisters or brothers? What is your favorite food? What is your favorite book? What is hard for you do to? What do you like about school? What don't you like? And so on.

Then, put a picture of each child by a summary of his answers, and you have a fun record of your children's views and attitudes.

Flip book

Think of a subject that has two sides. Have each child write their opinions about each subject. Start at the front of the book and put in a picture of each child and his opinion on that subject. Flip the book over and do the same for the other side of the issue.

For example, Smedley has five boys. She asked them each to write the things they like best about having four brothers and the things they like least.

Other topics could include: What I like best/least about winter or summer; What I like about my coach/what I like about my team; What I like about the beach/what I like about the mountains, etc.

Lullaby gift book

This a perfect gift for an expectant mother. Smedley found lyrics for 12 different lullabies. She put the words for one song on a page, and on the opposite page left a space for a picture of the mother and her baby that could be added later, and so on throughout the album. All the mother had to do was add the pictures later.

You could do the same thing with favorite love song lyrics for a wedding or find songs and poems about families or other topics.

One-day book

Document one day in the life of your baby or child. Take pictures at various times throughout the day, recording the times. Use one page for each picture, with the time and perhaps a simple explanation.

Gratitude album