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|  | Beginner's Guide |  | Beginners Guide to the wonderful world of Scrapbooking!
Are you new to scrapbooking? (Hint - if you think the word 'crop' refers only to the local farmers produce then you probably are!!) For a beginner the huge selection of products and ideas can seem overwhelming. Even if you can choose the photos, papers and decorations you want to use how on earth do you turn them into a page you will be proud of?
Don't worry..that's where Let's get Scrapping! comes in - we're going to make it simple so you can 'get scrapping! too
SUPPLIES
There is a vast selection of scrapbooking materials available today, some are essential and some are simply nice to have. What you choose to buy will be determined by your individual taste, style and budget..........there's something for everyone. Your basic supplies are
Paper Tools Adhesives Pens Albums
No special expertise is needed to get started, it's as simple as cutting and glueing. Once you've mastered the basics there are all sorts of special tools and items you can purchase to make your pages more eye-catching or exciting. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination! Are you still hesitating, convinced you don't have a creative bone in your body? Think again. You'll be amazed at how many ideas will just pop into your head when you look at those precious photos and browse through our wide selection of products. Some ranges even contain color co-ordinated papers and embellishments - a real bonus for the new 'scrapper'.
PAPER
Firstly, use ONLY acid-free, photo-safe papers which will prevent your photos from becoming discolored and brittle. These come in two basic sizes - 12" X 12" and 81/2" X 11". Papers generally fall into one of three categories - plain, patterned or textured. Plain papers come in a huge variety of colors, patterned papers can be co-ordinating, contrasting or themed (ie snowflakes for winter pages, tiny handprints for baby pages etc.) and textured papers can have anything from a shiny metallic to a soft suede finish. Another type of paper is called 'cardstock' and is basically a heavy-weight paper that is ideal for use as the background paper in a layout as it doesn't bend under the weight of embellishments. Cardstock is also available in a wide selection of colors and can have either smooth or textured finish (usually a linen-look).
Sues' Tips: There is a much better selection of papers in the 12 X 12 size, so even if you plan to use 81/2 X 11 size albums buy the larger paper and cut it down. This has the added benefit of giving you a little extra matching paper to use in your layout. (If you'd like advice on which size albums to choose see our ALBUM section further on). I suggest starting with a basic selection of plain paper and cardstock in both primary and pastel colors, then add patterned or themed papers to suit your layout. Textured papers are best used sparingly as they have a tendency to overwhelm the photos!
TOOLS
These can be as basic as a pair of scissors and a ruler or can expand to include a myriad of punches, stencils, cutters and more. The purpose of this guide is to get you started so we'll keep it simple. A good pair of sharp scissors with straight blades, a pair of craft scissors to cut a decorative edge, a metal ruler, a template to help you cut basic shapes and a cutting board or mat will be enough for the beginner.
Sues' Tips: It will be easier to cut straight lines (eg cutting down 12 X 12 paper) if you use a small, sharp craft knife such as a scalpel or personal trimmer, which resembles a small guillotine.
ADHESIVES
Again, use ONLY photo-safe, archival-quality products. The most common choices are Glue Sticks, Glue Pens, Hermafix dispensers (containing small sticky tabs) and Glue Dots. Experiment with the different kinds, you will probably find you prefer different adhesives for different tasks eg Glue Stick for photographs, Glue Dots for embellishments etc.
Sues' Tips: A safe first choice is a Glue Stick - it works for everything. Don't use liquid glue pens for photographs as it may cause them to 'warp'. Glue Dots are great for small embellishments such as buttons.
PENS
You will use pens for journaling, that is adding those all-important details relating to your photographs such as names, dates, occassion etc. A short story, poem, quote or anecdote can give special meaning to a page. Choose only pigment-based pens (not dye-based) and be sure they are labeled fade-resistant/waterproof/permanent.
Sues' Tips: You can get a whole range of beautiful colors but to begin with a black pen and a metallic (silver or gold) will serve you well. If possible buy a pen with two different tips, usually a fine point on one end and a chisel tip on the other which is great for calligraphy script.
ALBUMS
As with paper, these are available in two sizes - 12" X 12" and 81/2" X 11". They also come in 4 basic types - 3-ring binders; spiral bound albums; strap-hinged albums and post-style albums. Again, experiment to determine your own personal preference. Most styles come with page-protectors included and additional packs can be bought easily. There are pros and cons to each style, following is a brief outline of each :
3-ring binder - These are easy to use and it is simple to add, delete or re-arrange pages. If you have a double-page layout it will be divided by the rings which some people do not like. There is a more limited selection of cover styles and colors than with some other types of albums, however they are considerably less expensive and are great for teens and kids to use when scrapbooking.
Spiral-bound album - The metal spiral binding is a popular look and there is some variety of cover styles. However, it is impossible to add or re-arrange pages within the album, although they can be removed permanently. A double page spread is separated by the metal rings.
Strap-hinged album - These have a sturdy construction and pages lay flat when album is open, giving a neat appearance to doubl-page layouts. Page protectors cover all 3 exposed sides of paper and pages can be re-arranged, added or deleted. There is a good selection of cover styles and designs available.
Post-bound albums - These are also sturdily constructed and pages lay flat when album is open. Top-loading page protectors make for simple re-arrangement of pages and can be added or removed as needed. Extender posts are available to increase the capacity of this type of album if needed. A good range of cover styles and designs available.
Sues' Tips: The 12 X 12 album size can be heavy, bulky and take up a lot of storage space, however they are very attractive and are great to have on display. I suggest saving these for really special albums with themes such as Weddings, Babys' First Book, Family Christmases or that once-in-a-lifetime vacation. The smaller 81/2 X 11 size is much easier to store on your bookshelf and is a good choice for albums such as School-days, Graduation, Summer Holidays, Pets etc. Do not underestimate how many albums you will create once you get hooked on this hobby........people get very creative with their themes!
WHERE TO BEGIN
Now that we have discussed the supplies you will need to embark on your new scrapbooking hobby, we'll look at how you actually USE these wonderful products!
Scrapbooking is basically a way to record and share the story of your life. Everyone has a story to tell and memeories they want to save - when you create a scrapbook, or Memory Book as they are also known, you get the chance to do both.
The first, and most important ingredient for your scrapbook are the photographs. Most of us have huge piles or boxes of photos - we may even have taken the time to fill a few photo-albums and frames (OK, some of us have filled A LOT of frames!!). However, if you're like me there are still many, many photographs that rarely see the light of day.....this is where we'll start!
CHOOSING YOUR PHOTOS
Many magazines and books suggest that you start scrapping with your most recent photographs first. Some people prefer to start with their wedding or the birth of their first child or even first grand-child. Personally, I decided to create an individual album for each of my children as an 18th Birthday gift and was surprised by how even a cool 18 year old boy treasured the photos of his birth, first day of school etc. I am also working on a family album to record vacations, achievements, Christmas celebrations etc. and one of my teenage daughters has chronicled the lives of our many pets! It's a personal choice as to where to start - just go with what feels right for you!
PREPARING THE PHOTOS
Once you've decided where you want to start, go through your photographs and choose 4 or 5 that best represent that theme or event. Look carefully at them - is there one that is especially good, clear or that captures the mood perfectly? If so, use that one as the focal point of your page. Photos can be used full-size or 'cropped'. 'Cropping' is the cutting or trimming of a picture, either to eliminate distracting elements in the background (like those 'bunny ears' your kids so enjoy giving grandma in the annual Christmas photo!), or to allow the use of more photographs when space on a page is limited. You can use a template to crop your photos into circles, ovals, stars, hearts etc. or you can cut around the outline of the object or person you want to 'showcase' (see LAYOUT section for more info.)
PAGE PLANNING
Choose the papers that you feel best compliment the photos you are using TIP: When purchasing patterned papers and embellishments DON'T just pick out odd products that appeal to you. Instead, have a particular page theme (complete with photos if possible) in mind and choose items that co-ordinate with each other to get the 'look' you want. This will prevent you from having a drawerful of wonderful products that simply don't 'work' with any of your photos or ideas..personal experience proves this to be very frustrating, not to mention a waste of money!
Lay your photgraphs on the page and try arranging and re-arranging them until you are happy with their placement - bear in mind that a variety of sizes and shapes will make for a more interesting page. Don't forget to leave room for a title, stickers or embellishments and 'journaling'. 'Journaling' is how you add the words that will complete your pages' story! Again, its a matter of personal preference that determines how much journaling you do. At a minimum you should include the names and dates that relate to the photos, or you can add a whole anecdotal story, a poem or a quote
COMPLETING THE PAGE.
You can choose to use your photographs 'matted' or unmatted. 'Matting' a photo follows the same principle as the mat in a photo-frame. In scrapbooking it helps to give definition to the pictures. If you are using a fairly patterned paper it helps to mat the photos on plain paper that is either co-ordinating or contrasting. This prevents the line between photo and paper becoming blurred and makes your subject 'POP' out of the page. Now you need to pick out the embellishments that will add the finishing touch to your masterpiece! Bear in mind that 'more' is not necessarily 'better'. There is a huge variety of accents that you can use on your page but the aim is to complement your photos, not overwhelm them, so choose wisely. Too many different textures, shapes and colors is visually distracting and can make your pages look cluttered. Good first choices are simple stickers (don't be too cautious and use tiny stickers..one large, simple sticker can look wonderful), ready-m!ade borders and headlines and simple die-cuts. Sticker alphabets are also good. Again, make sure you experiment with their position before you stick them down, some are re-positionable but many are not.
You are now armed with enough knowledge to embark on your very own scrapbooking journey so.....................
Bon Voyage & Happy Scrapping! |
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