Scrapbooking
26 Aug
tags: ideas, scrapbook, scrapbooking, scrapbooking materials, scrapbooking supplies, supplies, tips
It is easy to believe that scrapbooking is one of the most popular hobbies for woman today. It is apparent when you note the different stores where scrapbooking supplies are now available. In the past you could only find scrapbooking materials in craft and hobby shops or stores dedicated to scrapbooking and other paper crafts. Now you will find in the big nationwide chain discount stores have several aisles dedicated solely to the hobby. Even some grocery stores and drug stores carry a few scrapbooking items now.
Unfortunately, some misconceptions remain about scrapbooking that seem like barriers for those wanting to enter the wonderful world of scrapbooking. Some have inaccurate ideas that prohibit them from preserving their cherished photos and memories in a creative and fun way.
The first misconception is that scrapbooking is just too expensive. Sure, you can break the bank if you go out and buy every cool embellishment and tool out there, but it’s not necessary. A great scrapbooking supply to start with is paper. There is a huge assortment of paper available in many different sizes. While some of the patterned paper costs 25 cents or less economy packs of various colors can be found very inexpensively. You can use a pair of decorative edged scissors to give your paper even more interest. Stickers are another great and inexpensive way to add interest to your pages.
Take advantage of “crops” which are scrapbooking socials. It is a great place to go to meet other scrapbookers, get ideas and use the different die cutting machine or other tools that are usually available. This is an excellent way to figure out which tools you like and might consider buying in the future.
A second misconception is that the scrapbooking hobby is solely for the artistically inclined. It is very easy to find complete page kits that contain stickers, titles and embellishments. It is simple enough to just adhere them to the paper and add your photos. Digital scrapbooking could be an option for you if you feel comfortable with the computer. It’s as easy as uploading your digital photos, cropping and adding digital embellishments with scrapbooking software then printing it out. The computer is also a great way to add titles and journal boxes to your scrapbook pages, especially if you think your handwriting is not the best.
Some people new to the hobby think that scrapbooking takes too much time. You aren’t creating works of art for a museum. Scrapbooking is about capturing a moment and feeling in time. You can often find inspiration from other scrapbookers, scrapbooking magazines or websites. Organization is a very important key to successful scrapbooking. Having your pictures and supplies organized will definitely make the hobby more enjoyable.
Do not limit yourself with scrapbooking in chronological order. If you are bored with any set of photos in particular, set them aside and choose something you are excited about working with. Save the other photos for a time when you are inspired to work with them.
Scrapbooking is not about being perfect or creating mini masterpieces on every page. Have fun remembering all the special times in your life as you create memory books that provide a lifetime of warm memories for you and your friends and family. Scrapbooking can be really fun and rewarding. Give it a try and you will see what all the excitement is all about.
Scrapbooking Supplies and Materials
How to Find The Best Scrapbook Materials
22 Aug
tags: scrapbooking, scrapbooking materials, scrapbooking supplies, shopping, supplies
Scrapbooking is one of the newest hobbies sweeping the country. One out of four people in the average household is involved in golf, one out of three is involved in scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is a great hobby; it releases the creative side of your personality and lets you keep memories at the same time. Choosing the materials to use in your scrapbook is also one of the exciting parts in making one. Here are some tips that you can consider in making sure that the materials you have are perfect.
Experiment and expand your creativity
The best thing about scrapbooking is its personalization. There are no limits if you have a creative mind, even old tattered jeans can be used in your design. Just make sure that you have a general theme. Don’t dispel items that most scrapbookers aren’t using, who knows you might be the one to start a trend?
Significance
Since you are making a personal scrapbook, the best materials that you can use are the ones that have significance in your life. Remember the first ticket concert that your husband bought for you? Putting it in your scrapbook adds some romance and memory. If you’re making one for your child, you can even put some of the hair from his or her first haircut. The options are endless.
Preservation
Ensure your materials can be preserved for many years to come. Most people make scrapbooks to remember events and people, so it’s definitely a plus if you make sure that the materials you will use can be preserved. Make sure inks don’t fade easily and your papers are acid free. Read about ways you can improve the preservation of materials to ensure they will last long.
Shop
Scrapbooking has become so popular that most stores have it in a seperate section. Visit a local store and you can be sure that there will be plenty of material to choose from. They are also releasing designs and materials in kits. All you have to do is buy one design kit, and your scrapbook will all be set for production.
Browse
Browsing the internet for tips on materials is also one of the best ways to get quick information. There are many sites that give instructions on how you can create your own materials. Some of them even offer products that are definitely useful for your scrapbooking.
There are tons of materials that you can use on your scrapbook. There are no cardinal rules that will stop you from choosing almost anything. Just be sure that the materials will last over time and it agrees with your whole concept. Enjoy designing!
Scrapbooking Supplies and Materials
You can create your own design of a scrapbook. First, you should be decided on what kind of scrapbook you would like to make. There are different sizes that are available in bookstores. The most common sizes are the 8×12 and the 12×12 inch formats. These formats are a little expensive but they have good qualities and can store a large amount of collections.
The 8×11 format works best since it can fit the inkjet printers that are generally of the same size. You can also use three ring binders even if the pages are in the process of printing. You may even place the pages similar to the format of a post type binder where you can create a double outline. The pages are attached closely so that they can be used as one outline. You may produce photographs on that format even if they aren’t separately placed on the printer.
There are more inexpensive scads that you can get in the 8×12 format. They can be used as school supplies, art, and office supplies as well. You can have more space from the pages if your option is to use three ring binders for your scrapbook. However, it is better to have high quality binders to help you compile the collections on the pages before arranging them in a post type binder.
It isn’t advisable to use a spiral non-removable scrapbook because you will be limited on one particular page and you may want to rearrange the pages. Some people are still buying this kind of format because they specialize on a specific compilation. This allows them to categorize the collections from each page.
There are also themed books that can exhibit those fun memories. Your children may enjoy looking at the pictures so they can see how styles and trends looked back then. Neighbors and friend who visit your home may have fun flipping through the pages rather than just looking at old photo albums.
It is always enjoyable to remember the moments in your life by looking at your scrapbook. Making a scrapbook with different themes is easy to organize especially if you use inexpensive supplies. Each page can be themed differently. In fact, you can save more time and money when you apply the same color on the background. Create a cover page in every event that you have visited to ensure that they will be kept safely.
Scrapbooking Supplies and Materials
Scrapbooking is one of the most popular hobbies around the world. People like doing scrapbooks because it enables them to explore their creativity and store precious mementos that have become part of their lives.
Any scrapbook fan already knows the basics of making the books. This article will provide additional tips that they might have not discovered yet. These will help enormously in making scrapbooks even more creative and special.
1. Using the computer for writing journals or page titles
Handwriting has always been the method commonly used to create headings, but many users nowadays turn to the computer for the task. To make it more special, use other colors available in Microsoft Word to write the fonts, instead of using the standard black ink. Present editions of Word offer a huge variety of fonts, colors, and special effects that can make texts much more attractive.
2. Creative use for paper scraps
Think twice before throwing out those bits and scraps of leftover paper. They can still be used to make decorative titles by cutting them up into odd shapes and use them as mats. These scraps can also be used as great-looking page accents, confettis, photo corners, collages and so much more.
3. Neat way in lettering page titles and journal layouts
This is a good tip to make sure that there are no pencil outlines visible after the letters are cut out from the paper. Do it in reverse! Put the paper on its right side, so that you can draw the letters backwards.
4. Make use of photo mosaics
This technique will add a funky look to the pages of the book. Cut a photograph into different shapes and sizes, then mat a photograph on a cardboard, putting even spaces around each piece as you paste them. Just make sure to keep a copy of the photo that you’ve cut up.
5. Safe way of removing old photos
Everyone knows that it’s hard to take out pictures from those magnetic albums. To ace this, try using dental floss for the removal.
6. Baby footprints
A cute and adorable way to design a book. Just apply washable ink to baby’s foot and firmly press on the paper. Just make sure to wash the ink off the baby! For another twist, handprints can be used.
Since its inception, scrapbooking has always been one of the most popular hobbies in the world. It is such a gratifying activity to be engaged in. The main concept here is that scrapbooking provides endless possibilities to keep memories alive and creative.
Scrappers or scrapbookers may have their own motivations why they opt to scrapbook their pictures. But, generally, they work for the same reasons. Here are some of the most common reasons why many people have opted to scrapbook:
1. Corporate portfolio
Scrapbooking is not only for photographs. It can also be a collection of important items that you need when applying for work. This is especially applicable to graphic artists, interior designers, photographers, etc. This is because they need to present samples of their works whenever they are applying for a job or whenever they have to close a deal with a potential client.
With scrapbooking, you can easily combine the best of your works and grab that new job.
2. Show off your photos for a memorable and affordable creation
The problem with most people who would like to display their photos but can’t do so because they lack money is that they don’t opt to scrapbook. With scrapbooking, you can easily show off your photos without having to spend more.
3. Uphold those memories
This is the main reason why scrappers opt to scrapbook. Scrapbooking lets you enjoy memories and rekindle the pasts over and over again. It lets you tell stories. It lets you reminiscence and remind you how beautiful life is and that every event or scene in your life is definitely worth remembering.
4. Organize
Scrapbooking isn’t just a creative activity but also an organizer. With scrapbooking, you get to keep the photographs in an organized manner. It is important to keep the photographs in a well-organized way in order to preserve their quality. Just think how water could damaged your precious memories after remembering that you have kept them in a box near a leaking ceiling.
5. Keep those “firsts”
With scrapbooking, you get to keep those “firsts.” Here, you can display your baby’s first laugh or your first car. It is those firsts that make scrapbooking a worthwhile activity.
The bottom line is that with scrapbooking, you simply have a thousand and one reasons to smile everyday as you see your past continuously linking to your future.
Vacations and out-of-town trips provide opportunities to take photos. Aside from these, everyone has to deal with birthday celebrations, wedding anniversaries, Halloween parties and Thanksgiving get togethers. After all the festivities, most people are left with stacks of photographs and memories tucked away in the attic to be organized later.
Due to the popularity of scrapbooking, many people have taken up the hobby as a way to preserve their memories. While some go order ready-made custom designs from the internet, most have taken the DIY or do-it-yourself route, which is more fulfilling.
There are thousands of websites that offer ready-made materials for your scrapbook. DIY scrapbook enthusiasts prefer creating decorations from scratch. This way, they are sure that the designs for their scrapbooks are unique and personal.
While some DIY-ers create designs from normal colored paper, tape and markers, some take it a step further by using natural material such as leaves, dried and pressed flowers, rocks, wire, egg shells, and the like.
Though you are only limited by your creativity when designing your personal diary, there are some considerations for the diarist who prefers to preserve his memories using photographs.
1. Use acid-free, PVC-free and photo-safe paper
Many companies put “acid-free” on the label to indicate that it can be used to for a scrapbook. Paper that is not acid-free fade fast, and may not be safe to be used with photographs. Acid can lead to the yellowing and deterioration of photographs.
2. You can print straight from the computer
Those who are not too confident of their designing skills can use their PCs to design their layouts, but it is important to note that not all printers can be used to print the designs. Non-laser printers use ink that is water-soluble, which may bleed into the paper. It is therefore advised that you use laser or ink-jet printers in printing custom designs, or to use printers sparingly to minimize deterioration of scrapbook pages.
3. Use of materials which are not photo-safe
Again, while there is no cut-and-dried rule regarding the use of materials which aren’t photo-safe, it is advised that they be used sparingly. There is an invention called an Archival Spray, though, that will let anyone create photo-safe and acid-free decorations for scrapbooks. It is inexpensive and works like a spray laminate. The Archival Spray is useful if you wants to include brochues, menus, and tickets in the layout.
Font-free scrapbooking
A font is described as a digital typeface. Therefore it follows that font-free scrapbooking is creating a scrapbook without the use of a computer.
It is relatively easy to create a scrapbook page using downloaded and printed fonts, but it would be more personal and unique to write journal-style entries for your scrapbook. There are some who aren’t confident with their penmanship, though, but with the popularity of scrapbooking, they can now choose from wide selection of templates and stickers to create great-looking pages.
There are four basic items that a scrapbooker can use if he or she wishes to do a font-free scrapbook.
1. Templates
You can choose from several variations of alphabet templates. They are available in different sizes, and you just need to select the most appropriate template for your scrapbook. Once you have selected a theme, you can layout the page first and trace the letters from the template using a pencil. After making sure that you have created a good layout, you can then use a marker with archival quality ink to trace the letters permanently.
2. Stickers
There are several companies that produce letter stickers that you can use for the scrapbook. Some companies create sets of words for theme pages, such as “It’s my birthday,” or “Graduation day,” for the more common themes. All you have to do is select the design to match the theme in mind and stick the labels in the appropriate places. It should be mentioned though that not all companies produce acid-free stickers, so you should check the label for “acid-free.”
3. Stamps
Stamps are created in a variety of designs. Most stamps also use archival-quality ink in different colors. You need to make sure that you are using acid-free paper for the photos and the stamp designs, because even if you are using scrapbook-safe ink, the paper may easily deteriorate and become brittle if it is not photo-safe or acid-free.
4. Die-cut designs
Similar to stickers, die-cut designs are glued onto the scrapbook page. There are several die-cut designs available online. The designs are printed on thin sheets of paper, plastic, or thin rubber matting, and you only need to cut the design and paste it onto the scrapbook page.
While these materials are easily available online and at various arts & crafts stores nationwide, you can also “go commando” and write your entries using markers or special pens to make your scrapbooks more special.
People are such nostalgic creatures. Keeping souvenirs of important, and even not-so-important events in life is a universal past time. Who doesn’t have a mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandma, or a grandpa who keeps on lugging a camera around to take pictures of practically any occasion whether it be as significant as a graduation or as mundane as one’s 234th Quarter Pounder? People like keeping as many memories as they can.
Unfortunately most mementos go to waste. Photographs just keep piling up on boxes and drawers (or in the hard drive, to be digitally appropriate). Luckier pictures may end up in stacks of albums but most people rarely care to view them. As much as most people want to reminisce about important milestones in their lives, keeping tokens becomes so much of a routine that their value sometimes end up forgotten. This defeats their purpose.
Luckily, such a situation can be avoided with an emerging hobby called creative memory scrapbooking. Mementos are given back their significance, keeping the memories alive.
Creative memory scrapbooking is basically an inventive approach to keeping memories. Creative memory scrapbooks are beyond typical photo albums. They are hybrids of albums, journals, and scrapbooks. The combination of these kinds of memoirs makes personal stories and reminiscing more interesting. This makes sharing treasured moments to others or just recalling them alone more fun and exciting.
Normally people just collect pictures and souvenirs randomly. Once they pile up, they end up in the attic or the basement and then they are completely forgotten. The rare chances that they might be viewed could be just as boring as they are nothing but random clips of memory that do not tell anything. With creative memory scrapbooks, memories come back to life when the books are viewed. Pictures make more sense as they are paired with words or laid out in an organized fashion. Reliving moments preserved in the scrapbooks could be a good way to keep family ties and strengthen bonds. Additionally, well kept books could serve as heirlooms that would keep a family’s legacy throughout the coming generations.
Making creative memory scrapbooks is quite easy. Nowadays most craft stores have creative memory sections dedicated for the making of such scrapbooks. There are also some scrapbook-making kits available in bookstores and online.
Memories are special and their preservation should be special as well. With, creative memory scrapbooking, memories can truly be more memorable.
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