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Whether you’re a scrapbooking novice or an old pro, there’s a whole world of inspiration and information awaiting you on the Internet. Check out these sites:
1. Those who are in the scrapbooking business will appreciate jangle’s <www.jangle.com> industry news and business message board (one of several themed boards in the “Express-o Forum.”) Product reviews, a rubber stamp section, layouts, sayings for your pages and contests round out the site. Sign up for the e-mail newsletter while you’re there.
2. Crazy For Scrapping <www.alysta.com> has a little of everything. This site offers an “Idea Corner” with great layouts, product reviews, “Scrappin’ Secrets” tips, an in-depth technique article (such as how to use a circle cutter), discussion board, bookstore, and contests for best tips and layouts.
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3. Visit the Scrapbook Idea Network <www.scrapbooking.com> for a state-by-state listing of scrapping stores, clubs, workshops and consultants. You can “Ask Jenna,” a heritage-album teacher, your archival scrap-booking questions, test new techniques such as paper piercing and color theory, and try the monthly “Punchline” die-punch project.
4. You’ll enjoy the personal touch at Lots of Layouts <lolsb.com>, created by a group of friends who used to share their scrapbook pages via e-mail. Search the frequently updated layouts by theme, then “meet” the creator of your favorite page and ask, “How’d you do that?” Get inspired, then use the monthly “Tips and Techniques” in your own book.
5. Dmarie <www.dmarie.com> has one of the Internet’s largest layout galleries. And there’s more: Get a birthday time capsule in the site’s “Inspirations” section — enter the date and receive a list of events and facts. Use your color printer to make a Dmarie convention name badge. There are also threaded discussion groups, chats, shopping, and poems and page titles.
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6. Graceful Bee <gracefulbee.com> is an online magazine with columns such as “Carpe Diem” (turning every day into a memory-making day), “Scrapbooking Sundries” (using a common object, such as an umbrella, in your layouts) and “Show-offs” (instructions for layouts and other memory projects). There are also tips, a glossary, and a white pages listing of scrapbooking companies.
7. Two friends who own Remember Me, a scrapbooking store in Vancouver, B.C., started a site <www.remembermesb.com> of the same name. Do some online shopping and register for classes. Also scout out the tips, layout ideas, links, contests, news, sayings and poems, and several themed bulletin boards.
8. In addition to layouts, freebies and discounts, tips and a paper punch swap, Scrapnet <www.scrapnet.com> has a unique, growing ethnic section with Indian and Spanish (to name two) clipart and die-cuts, Scottish and German sayings, an Australian listserv and more. Find and share ideas for celebrating your family’s national heritage in your scrapbook.
9. Pieces of U <www.piecesofu.com> is a shopping site with some fun extras. There’s a monthly drawing for those who order from the site, and specials for customers who refer friends (or are referred), order supplies for a “Secret Pal” or a supply swap, or whose layouts or tips are featured on the site. Learn about monthly specials from an e-mail newsletter.
10. Scraplink <www.scraplink.com> is just 10 what it sounds like — almost 1,500 scrap-booking links (at this writing), divided into 13 categories including sites (general), clip art, message boards, books (links to Amazon.com book reviews) and conventions (listed by month). This easy-to-navigate site is constantly being updated, so stop by often.
From the January 2000 issue of Family Tree Magazine
Digging in
Start your online family-tree research at these essential sites.
By David A. Fryxell
The World Wide Web has both fueled the interest in genealogy and made it much easier to find and share answers about your ancestors. One of the most popular indexes of genealogy sites online, Cyndi’s List <www.cyndislist.com>, lists more than 41,000 Web sites related to family history
With so many sites, how do you choose? These are some of our favorite sites for getting started. You’ll find hotlinks to all of them on our Web site <www.familytreemagazine.com>, as well as a revolutionary family-tree-specific search engine that helps you cut through the clutter of the Web and find exactly the genealogy how-to information you need. Plus, you’ll be able to locate conferences, lectures, speakers and invaluable how-to books. If you need to find out how to do something — from writing an information-request letter to storing old photographs to analyzing an 1800s birth certificate — we can help you find top-notch tips.
Once you’ve visited our site, try these other online essentials listed at right.
DAVID A. FRYXELL is editorial director of Family Tree Magazine.
Getting Started Toolkit
Cyndi’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
Worth repeating. If dogged Web researcher Cyndi Howells doesn’t have a link to it, it’s probably not worth the energy to type in the URL
FamilySearch
The next best thing to a visit to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Family History Library in Salt Lake City. See our “First Look at FamilySearch,” page 68.
Ancestry.com
<Ancestry.com >
Another huge site, but you have to be a paying member to get to the best stuff.
Genealogy.com
From the same folks who brought you Family Tree Maker. Search 325 million names.
Family Tree Maker
The site for the best-selling genealogy software is worth a visit for its wealth of information and tips even if you don’t own the program (see page 48).
Rootsweb
Claiming to be the Internet’s oldest genealogy site, this is certainly one of the richest. Lots of databases here, including a 570,000-entry surname database. Rootsweb also hosts more than 16,000 Internet mailing lists.
National Genealogical Society
Federation of Genealogical Societies
The nation’s two largest genealogy societies.
U.S. Genweb Project
The fruits of a mammoth volunteer effort to provide Web sites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States are found here.
National Archives and Records Administration
Find out what information Uncle Sam may have on your ancestors, and where to go to tap it.
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