January 9 - QR Code

Hello everyone! We are almost 1/3 of the way through this year’s MOC already! Hopefully by now you are getting into a good groove and are bursting with inspiration and creativity.

Today’s challenge will give you a method of capturing even more of your memories on a scrapbook page. We often think of a scrapbook page including photos and journaling to record our memories, but by adding a QR Code to your layout, you can add SO many more details to your layouts.

So what is a QR Code? A QR Code is a unique bar code that you can scan with a smart phone’s camera. The QR code has the ability to store a url or link to any website within it. When you scan the QR code, your phone will go to whatever url or link you’ve embedded into the QR code. Here are just a few ideas of ways you can use a QR code:

1. YouTube video (this is my favorite use for QR codes)
2. A news story
3. The weather forecast for a specific day
4. A link to a museum that you visited
5. Use Google maps to show a specific location on a map
6. A photo album in your Google photos (for all those photos you couldn’t fit onto your layout)
7. A Favorite song

…the uses for QR codes are endless and in my opinion they are just wonderful!

Now, let’s learn how to create a QR code. There are lots of QR Code Generators online. I use https://www.qrstuff.com/ but a quick Google search will give you many options. First you have to decide what you want your QR Code to link to. For my layout I used my QR code to link up to a YouTube video. To link to a video, you upload your video to YouTube and then when the upload is complete you’ll see a link to that video. Copy that link and paste it into the QR Code Generator (see image below). The Generator will create a unique QR Code that has your specific url link embedded inside of it. Download/Save that QR Code and use it on your layout.



Here are some tips for using QR Codes:

1. SIZE - I have always downloaded from QRstuff.com and theirs are 200 x 200 pixels so on my 300 dpi page the QR Codes are 2/3” x 2/3” and on my 12 x 12 pages I've never had any trouble scanning them in my printed books. You can always enlarge them more if you want to.

2. Make sure whatever you link to isn’t password protected if you want anyone to be able to see what you’ve linked to. If you want more privacy online though, a password/login is a good way to go… just don’t forget that password!

Here is a layout I created with a link to a cute video of the presentation my son did for this event at school. I love that you can see the LONG speech he memorized in addition to the pictures on the layout:




Recap of Challenge Requirements:

1. Create a layout that includes a QR code anywhere on the page.


General Requirements:

Your page must be a new page in order to count for the Month of Challenges. Your page must be posted in three places:

1. Uploaded to the TLP Gallery (not an outside hosting site).
2. Posted in your page thread you created in the MOC Layouts Folder. You should have one post per completed challenge page. If you complete all 31 challenges, your thread should contain 31 posts. Please do not comment in the participants’ page threads so we can keep them clean.
3. Posted in this thread. People can comment here if they wish.

Pages must contain at least 75% current Lilypad product (currently for sale in the store from either permanent designers or guest designers).

 

Further clarifications will go here.

(Q) - Does the QR need to be a working code for you to check? You mentioned password protected.
(A) - I don't think so. As long as I can see the QR code, you will have met the requirement. But I would love to be able to see them (follow your link) if possible.

(Q) Can we make a photoless page?
(A) Yes!

(Q) Is it okay to do a pocket page?
(A) Yes!

(Q) How do I make the QR code work?
(A) A QR code isn't something you click on, it is something you scan with your smartphone. With my iPhone all I do is open my camera app and point it at the QR code. You don't actually take a picture, just point the camera at the code and a little pop up comes up at the top of my screen with the link that is embedded in the QR code. You click the pop up on your phone and it will direct you to whatever the QR code links to. I hope this helps.

Also, Here's a full sized QR code to practice on. Some of the resized layouts are tricky to get the QR code to work on:

 

I don't think so. As long as I can see the QR code, you will have met the requirement. But I would love to be able to see them (follow your link) if possible.

 

sure!

 

yes!

 

I can already tell that it's going to take me (wonderfully) forever to go through these pages because I'm loving following the QR codes and learning more about each page's subject!

 

And I'm adding a bunch of places on my want-to-see Travel list now!