Basics of Scrapbooking
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BASICS OF SCRAPBOOKING As a child I remember every Wednesday at our house was genealogy day. My mom was and still is an avid genealogist. I have never gotten involved in family history like my Mom but, because of her example I have learned to appreciate and love my ancestors and extended family. My passion has been photographs! So, what do you do with pictures...scrapbook! I believe scrapbooking is more than a creative hobby. It is a love for family that goes hand in hand with preserving family history. If you are reading this article, I am sure you have heard of scrapbooking. Just for fun... this is the official definition of scrapbooking from Wikipedia: “Scrapbooking is a method for preserving personal and family history in the form of a scrapbook. Typical memorabilia include photographs, printed media, and artwork. Scrapbook albums are often decorated and frequently contain extensive journaling. Scrapbooking is a widely and increasingly practiced pastime in most developed countries.” Scrapbooking isn’t new. In the 15th century in England they had a “commonplace book” which was the compiled information of a family. It could be considered the first scrapbook! Over forty years ago when I started putting photographs into “magnetic” albums...you had the choice between maroon, navy and black...scrapbooking was easy. All a person had to do was choose an album, peel back the sticky paper, press the photograph inside then replace the sticky film. If you wanted to be really fancy you could mount the photos with mounting corners and maybe write a note next to the picture identifying the individuals in the photo. My children loved looking through these very simple albums but, over the years the sticky pages caused damage to the photos turning them yellow, the tape cracked and turned brown and at times stained the photos or priceless memorabilia. But, in the 1980’s the age old hobby of scrapbooking turned into a major industry. The scrapbooking frenzy hit the market...terms like acid free, were of major importance when choosing papers. There were a plethora of designer papers, embellishments, special pens and extensive number of books to help with your new hobby. Scrapbooking was definitely taken to a new level. Not only were individuals concerned with preserving pictures but, it was a creative hobby that anyone could enjoy. Scrapbooking has gained popularity in the United States and now 1 in 4 households has someone involved in this fun, creative hobby. It is a huge industry offering scrapbooking materials over the internet, multi-level sales companies and don’t forget the neighborhood craft store. About 20 years ago I tore all my old albums apart and started over with supplies that are acid-free, ink that is fade resistant and waterproof, adhesive such as glue or photo mounting tape that will last for years and not damage photos or papers. How do I start creating a scrapbook? I believe ORGANIZATION is the first and most important step to getting started. Organize your photographs, papers and memorabilia. It may seem like an overwhelming project but, be patient and think of it as a great adventure. Enjoy the journey! If you do not have your pictures sorted... start by separating photo’s and individual papers into boxes for each family member. You may then want to separate the photos into plastic bags according to subject, theme, event and later a date. Plastic bags, a black marker and card board boxes are all you need to get started. This does not have to be an expensive project. Once you have all of your photographs in one place decide if you want to use paper products to scrapbook with or use digital scrapbooking or a combination. There is a term “Hybrid scrapping” which refers to the combination of digital scrapbooking and paper scrapbooking. Mixing digital kits with paper supplies gives you the opportunity to create truly unique pages. At this moment, I am fortunate enough to have a designated craft room. (This happens when the last child gets married and leaves home. The only sure thing I can promise you is that once you finally have your very own room....A child moves back home with a wife, baby and dog! So, have fun while it lasts... you may not have your craft room for long!) I am “old fashioned”. I love the feel of paper and I prefer the actual artifacts put into a book. I love the dimensions and feel of the papers and memorabilia. But, this kind of scrapbooking requires space and is messy. But, I love it! After you are organized the FUN starts....There are craft stores, many online sites where you can purchase the basic materials needed to become a scrapper. A few things you need are background papers, adhesive such as acid-free glue and mounting tape, scissors, paper trimmer, a three ring binder and sheet protectors. As you become more elaborate with your page layouts you may want to invest in specialized stamps, punches, stencils and “embellishments”. Embellishments are anything used to decorate the scrapbook page....fabrics, beads, sequins, ribbon, alphabet letters...There is no limit to your creativity. It does take a long time to get your project out, set up, create a lay out and then clean up.... Well, this predicament leads us into the new craze...Digital Scrapbooking. Digital Scrapbooking is another method of preserving your memories. Digital uses graphics or photo editing programs to design a scrapbook page. I have many friends that LOVE digital. Many people think digital scrapbooking is scary and overwhelming...I think you would be surprised to find there are some very user-friendly programs. If you have access to a computer and some basic computer skills take some time searching the internet for information about digital scrapbooking. You may find the time you spend very rewarding and interesting. There are many sites that can help you get started at a minimal fee. Some programs will actually create the page for you....all you have to do is insert the pictures you have previously scanned into the computer or downloaded from your digital camera. Once again the first step in using digital to scrapbook is.... ORGANIZE! Down load those digital pictures onto your computer...go through them and move them into folders. When you look into the individual digital programs there are some that will also help you organize your pictures. A major advantage to digital scrapbooking is you just need your computer. If you have a lap top even better...with a lap top you can take your project anywhere. .If you have a few minutes in the car, waiting for children, or on a trip, pull out the computer and have fun. Besides a digital camera and computer a scanner and printer are very useful but not necessary to start scrapping. Many women enjoy getting together and creating scrapbook pages. If you have friends, neighbors or relatives using digital you may want to find out if they would recommend their program before you invest in one....some programs are more user-friendly than others and some have a longer learning curve. There are other things you may want to keep in mind before purchasing a program: 1. How comfortable are you using a computer? 2. Cost? 3. How complex do you want your pages? Some sites allow you to down load and dabble with their programs before you buy...Some for 30-60 days... some programs have a fully functional trial edition. There are very affordable programs a few start below $50.00. If you are loaded with money and don’t know what to spend it on you can buy professional photo editing programs that go up to $700.00 and more. These are complicated. There are different photo editing programs which will help you add color and do restoration to old pictures. Many of the beginning programs, the most user friendly programs, walk through the process of creating a page layout step by step... After you purchase a digital program you pop in a CD, install the program and if it has a low learning curve you will be creating a page in no time at all. Just like everything else in life...the more you practice the faster and more proficient you can become. 1. You select a background and the photos then the program will do the rest automatically. This type of program has limited capabilities. But, they are great starter programs for digital scrapbooking. 2. There are also pre-designed albums to insert your photos into. The program will create a page or an entire book which can be bound. These delightful coffee table books come in various sizes. 3. There are programs that let you use pre-designed elements to create pages. You don’t have to design your own digital elements there are many elements and templates to buy and many freebies to find online. 4. If you want more bells and whistles, greater creativity and flexibility there are software with steeper learning curves but, would give you more creative options. Many programs have the capability to add to your albums narration, music video , slideshow and simple photo editing. Remember as you are working on any digital scrapbook page to SAVE it often. Another advantage to Digital is the ability to create one layout then print multiple times. With one page you can print copies for many albums. It is easy to UNDO a mistake...you don’t have to throw something out or tear it apart...just use that wonderful undo button and start over.