You are thinking of trying your hand at scrapbooking? Here are some things you should know: Scrap booking is a time consuming, mess producing hobby. You will probably be completely overwhelmed before your first project even gets off the ground, and it costs an arm and a leg to do it. If this sounds unappealing you should save your pocket money and take up bowling.
If you're still reading, you probably have what it takes to scrapbook. What I haven't mentioned is that scrapbooking is a mode of artistic expression, it's very consuming and highly addictive. Developing the creative skill to execute a memory album gives you an opportunity to create the best sort of gift for every wedding, birthday, anniversary and baby shower you may encounter. But start early, because it takes time.
Time: It is best to approach scrapbooking with the mindset of a collector. Sure, you can grab a starter kit and a ready made paper pack and throw something together, but your end result will not fill you with pride, and a kit will greatly curb the opportunity for creative expression. This is how I would begin if I were going to start scrapbooking all over again:
1. Browse and buy at a leisurely pace: Over a course of months, stop by craft stores and look at what they have. Purchase things that you fall in love with. Build your collection of material over a period of time.
2. When you start out, do not go to the fancy tools and the embossing kits and the designer scissors, start with basics and branch out gradually. You should purchase albums that you like, get 4 or 5 different albums to have on hand. For the beginner, it is easier to start with one size of album so that you can buy paper to go with it. I feel that the 12 x 12 albums are easiest to make, because you have room for picture and picture cut outs, and lots of corners and edges to add souvenirs and embellishments. Paper- Go ahead and buy the packs of paper in plain colors. There are several palettes: Neutrals, brights, pastels, earth tones. The more colors you have, the easier it will be to find the right color for your project. Avoid the designer packs and browse the separately sold paper. Spend the money and buy what you love. Also browse stickers, tags, adhesive frames and quirky add ons. Get plenty of alphabet stickers and a stencil or two. I like word stickers, you may prefer to add text yourself. Gradually branch out, and do not buy everything at once, it is too expensive. Buy what you really love in increments of $20 to $30 dollars at a time.
3. Once you have a good core collection of papers, stickers, add-ons and albums, then you should get a scrapbooking book or magazine and look through it at the same leisurely pace to give you ideas. (Keeping a scrapbook magazine in the bathroom to flip through is an ideal way to absorb ideas). Jot down or cut out ideas that you like. I keep a scrapbook for scrapbooking; I keep articles on memory albums or even unrelated craft ideas that I can apply to my projects, and I paste these 'idea sheets' in a big three ring binder.
4. Decide on a theme and collect photos. You'll need a themes so that you can choose the photos, souvenirs and any personal paraphernalia that you want to go into the book. The theme can be general, like 'Family Time' or it can be very specific. You just need a unifying theme to narrow down your photograph options. For a 12x12 album you will probably be able to fit 1-3 photos per page. I usually do not use all the photos I select for a project.
5. Select your album and your paper. I think this is the fun part. Select the album you want to use, and then go through the many beautiful papers you've collected and lay them out so that pages beside each other are harmonious. I like my colors and designs to complement each other so that even when I turn the page the color progression is harmonious and doesn't clash. You probably don't want a design on every background, that would be a very busy album. Intersperse plain colors with designs. Be creative. Trust your artistic sense.
6. Time to create! Now that you have a pleasing color progression, abandon the idea of your project as an album, and approach it as if each individual page were a project unto itself. When I am working, I think of each page as a work of art. If you tackle one page at a time, you will not be overwhelmed by the idea of the whole album. Do as many pages as you feel comfortable with, and then put it away so you can enjoy working on your album next time. I typically create 1-2 pages per sitting.
7. Share. This is half the fun. Once you have completed your project, sit down and share your creation with friends and family. They will be impressed, and you will be proud and amazed that you created this unique and timeless treasure with your own two hands.