Join me as I am about to take my first steps into what I call the totally overwhelming world of scrapbooking. There's just so much to decide. Photos aren't the issue, I have dozens of them, all stored away for the day when I officially call myself a scrapbooker. It's the hundreds of accessories that go along with scrapbooking that paralyze me. The papers and pens,not to mention the stickers and tags...where to begin? So, I've decided to meet my fears head on and start my first album. So now what?
Luckily, I have a few friends who can honestly be called 'gurus' in the scrapbooking universe. They love the craft or hobby, whichever term is most appropriate. I lean more towards 'craft' for these three gals because if you ask me, they are true scrapbooking artists. The albums they produce are beautiful family heirlooms that I have only been able to admire longingly. There's no way I can even begin to create such albums. Or is there?
Since it is merely my fear of 'messing up' that's probably the underlying issue here, I've come up with a way to approach my phobia on my own terms. I'll research the art from a beginner's standpoint and perhaps help other newbies in the long run.
So, for all you scrapbooking virgins out there, skulking around in the craft stores, side-stepping the scrapbooking aisles for fear that a Cricut may jump out and get you, here are 6 essential tips to help ease the pain of 'where to start.'
1. Scrapbook Album and page protectors. Huh? Well, I know what an album is of course, but what is a page protector? That's the clear sleeve like thing that you put over your completed scrapbook page. Keeps everything safe. Many of the scrapbookers I've talked to prefer 12x12 albums because there's lots of space for multiple photos and the goodies, or embellishments, as they're more appropriately called.
2. Paper. Duh. This may seem like a simple item, but there's so many different kinds of papers to select from it's ridiculous. If you know your scrapbook theme, then a good suggestion is to choose a patterned theme to go along with the story you're telling. Seasoned scrapbookers will tell you to always put your photo on a solid paper though,so choose some solid papers as well.
3. A good pair of scissors. Apparently, that's all that's really required to start, but I bet one of those fancy paper trimmers make the whole process easier.
4. Something to stick it all on the page with. Or, a good adhesive. A glue stick will work of course, but there are lots of other sticky items to choose from (of course there are.) Photo tabs are a good choice if you want to remove pictures from a page for some reason and not tear the page. Glue sticks are good for applying embellishments.
5. Black pen or other journaling method. That part I can do without help, but there are many folks for whom handwriting is a challenge, so printing out journaling from the computer is a super alternative. Journaling, as I've been told, is simply a story or personal account of the event taking place on the page.
6. A good beginner's scrapbooking idea book or online resource. Let's face it, I need help, so good layout ideas will hopefully get my creative juices flowing and get me going once I have all of the essentials gathered for my first album.
So, there you have it. My 'where to begin' list of essential beginner's scrapbooking supplies. There's no reason to go overboard and purchase too much 'stuff' when it's the stuff that kept me from starting in the first place. The idea is to start small and enjoy the process as much as the end result. Wish me luck!
Sherry Frewerd publishes websites and blogs on various family friendly topics. Find free clip art to use for scrapbooking or crafts at 'Free Baby and Kids Clip Art' http://freebabyandkidsclipart.homestead.com/
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