THE FUNDAMENTALS OF
SCRAPBOOKING
What Is It?
Scrapbooking
is a term for combining your photos, journals, and family history all into one
book! Page by page you can record your
history and preserve the memories for generations, once you learn some simple techniques.
Why Would I Want To Do This?
Think of
where your photos are stored now. Are
they stuck in a box at the top of the closet so that you rarely take them
out? A picture truly is worth a thousand
words. When we see pictures of events from
the past, the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings all come rushing back. But scrapbooks are not only for you…you will
also be creating a legacy for your great-great grandchildren to enjoy. And last but not least, through scrapbooking
you can achieve much creative satisfaction and enjoyment!
Do I Have Time For This?
Scrapbooking
can be elaborate decorations of memories, or it can simply be storing your
photos in a way that will rescue them from the forgotten photo box or
destructive quick-fix photo albums. Scrapbooking
takes a very short time to learn, and helps to preserve all that money you have
already invested in cameras, film and developing costs!
How Do I Get Started?
- Purchase
the basic products you will need to create your scrapbook. You don’t need every scrapbook product out
there - start small, and take it one step at a time. To start, you’ll need an
album, page protectors, archival quality card stock, papers & adhesives, a
12” paper trimmer & paper snips (sharp scissors); that’s it! (See: Basic Terms..at
the end of this article before you buy any supplies.)
- Decide
where you want to start. You do not have
to start at the beginning & work chronologically. Many have found it is easiest to start with a
recent past event that they enjoyed, then work forward to current time, and
stay current. Then as time permits, work
backwards. Sometimes it’s also less
intimidating to start with one single event, such as a vacation.
- Choose the overall theme for your album: Christmas, vacation, baby, etc. Pull all the pictures that match your chosen theme, then sort those pictures into groupings. These groups will eventually become your pages, for example “baby’s first steps, visiting Santa, ski weekend in Banff, etc.
- If that’s too big a job right now, then just sort your chosen photos by
years and events within the years. Find
a safe way to store the photos until you can put them into scrapbooks - photo
file boxes are great for this.
- You may
also use newspaper clippings, brochures, report cards, etc…any memorabilia is
great. If you include something that is
not photo safe, be sure it is not touching your photos. You can also enclose it in a memorabilia
pocket or make a photocopy of it onto acid free paper. (See: Basic Terms..at
the end of this article for more info).
- Journal on your pages. Include the who, where, when, what and why.
You may also want to include some feelings or personal thoughts. A pigment ink marker is best for journaling, as
they are archival and do not fade or run.
- While we're on the subject of writing, it's not a good idea to write on the back of photos. Most pen inks will eventually bleed
through the photo and thus ruin it. Also, a pen will often indent the photo or rub off onto other photos, causing damage.
-
Enjoy! This is a fun and worthwhile
project. Start simple, and don’t get
caught up in all the elaborate pages you see online or in magazines. Simple pages are better than a box full of
pictures in the closet!
Basic Terms You’ll Need to Know
Before You Start:
Acid Free: All album pages, protectors,
adhesives, and other products used in the albums should be acid free. If acid is present in your scrapbooking
materials, it will cause the pictures and papers to break down and eventually
turn to dust. The acid in the products
actually attacks the product fibers and causes them to disintegrate.
Lignin: This is a product found in tree pulp
used to make papers. This substance will
cause the papers it is contained in to “yellow”. The paper from which newspapers are made
contains a high amount of lignin, therefore it yellows quickly. If paper containing lignin surrounds your
photos, they too will begin to yellow.
Cropping: This just means cutting down a
picture. This is something many scrapbookers
do, but is not always necessary. By
cutting down the picture, our eyes focus on the subject matter. Quite often we
have too much background, unwanted background objects, unknown people in the
background, etc. Cropping pictures can
help eliminate these problems, and also allows you to place more pictures on a
page. However, be careful not to crop
out unique items, or items of historical significance which “date” the picture.
Journaling: Journaling is a term given to the
writing you do in your scrapbook. The
most important items to record are names, dates, places, and an explanation of
the pictures. Journaling can also
include feelings, thoughts, and viewpoints. The photos are great, but if you don’t record any information about
them, the stories will eventually be forgotten. Consider journaling in your own
handwriting, no matter how beautiful or sloppy. It tells much about who you are
and leaves a personal touch in your scrapbook for those who view it later.
Advantages
of Stamping in Scrapbooks
- Stamps offer more versatility, there are
more to choose from, and they don’t run out!
- Stamped images do not visually compete
with your photos. They will enhance and show off your photos, rather than
becoming the focal point of the page.
- You can choose the colors of ink to
coordinate with your photos and background paper.
- You can coordinate stamped invitations,
party favors, decorations, etc. for an event, then use the same images and colours
when you scrapbook the photos from that event.
- A sticker can only be used once, but a
stamp will offer a lifetime of images!
- You can create your own style. Stamps are
never limiting, and each image can have many different looks.
- Stamps add dimension to your scrapbook
pages. Background techniques accent
pictures and fill in blank areas.
- You can use your stamps on other craft
projects, so they do double duty.
- Stamping is simply too much fun!!
This information page is provided by Donna Henley, Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator
Email your Comments to: scrappinwithdonna@rogers.com
