Scraping Newbe with daunting task-legacy of deceased niece

What a sad story, my sympathy is with you.

As for using newspaper clippings, here's a good article on your options:

As far as incorporating them into the layout, I'd just treat them the same way I would a photo. Like, if you have a layout idea for 3 photos, just use two photos and the clipping instead of a 3rd photo. That's just my opinion though. The way you use it really depends on your personal style, and there's really no "wrong" way to organize a layout. Even though I don't think it specifically has pages with newspaper clippings, this is one of my favorite sites for inspiration:

I am so sorry for your family's loss. What a great thing you are doing in creating an album they'll love and cherish.

Here's an article about how to preserve newspaper clippings.

I agree with Luna's post about putting them into a scrapbook. Treat them like a photo element. Knowing Shauna's favorite color is a huge step in creating an album too. You could start simple and find papers that will incorporate that color in different patterns. Take some time just to walk through a local scrapbook store and get an idea of what papers would be nice. Being a stamper is going to help. It's not a huge leap from that type of paper craft to scrapbooking. There is a lot of experience on this board from beginners to very experienced. Feel free to ask as many questions as you need. I look forward to seeing how your album takes shape.

Best Regards, Lynne

Remember, the scrapbook in and of itself does not need to be teal, and as that will be very difficult to find I would suggest finding a scrapbook within the color family. And use your teal papers and accents within.

I did a heritage album for my 99 year old great grandmother. Her favorite color was lilac. I used all the lilac I could find but complimented it with other shades of purple.

Another tip, for your newspaper articles is if you have a large page that you would like to do place and have photos with, simply do a 2- page layout. One page has the article and the facing page has the pictures and any personal, family notes (journaling) which you may wish to add.

Don't feel overwhelmed by the project, your love will guide it and fill your heart with love. And however it turns out, your family will be overwhelmed with happiness and pride, both for you and your niece.

Melissa in Seattle

I would simply scan the newspaper clippings and print them on nice stock, perhaps even cardstock. You can use either white or ivory to complement your layout. The important element of a newspaper clipping is the information, in my opinion. An original has so many preservation issues. If you *do* want the clippings preserved, I'd put them in an acid-free envelope separate from your scrapbook page, and use a scanned/printed copy for the actual scrapbook layout.

Gina in Virginia

Thanks so much for the warm welcome and great advice. I went to 2 stores today and bought lots of teal papers and butterflies and anything that reminded me of Shauna. Shed a few tears, but I feel like I can do this!! Now I gotta take that step and to do that first layout. Thanks and I welcome any more tips, comments. What a great group. Becky

I'm glad the group could help you get started. You'll be amazed at how working on this album will help you heal. I for one would really like it if you shared it with us once it's done, if you can. We love seeing each others work!