Archive for the ‘Paper Crafts’ Category
Scrapbooking has become so popular in recent years that supplies to create fabulous scrapbooks are readily available in abundant supply nearly everywhere we look. It would seem as if embellishments are available for absolutely any subject or topic we could imagine. The problem then arises – Where do we keep all this ‘stuff?’
If you are serious about your hobby/craft and have looked around much, then you’ve seen the really neat scrapbook totes on the market, and you probably even have one. The totes come in a great variety of styles and are a really practical and convenient way to store and carry all your supplies from place to place. If you haven’t invested in one, now just may be the perfect time to do so.
In the past, scrapbooking consisted of buying a plain album and attaching photos or post cards with photo corners (which were usually, if not always, black) to plain ugly pages. That was about it! Any information included with the photos was generally, as I recall, written on the back of the photos. All one had to do was slip the pictures out of the photo corners to read the back sides.
Those days are, thankfully, far behind us. Scrapbooking has come a long way since then. There are scrapbook pages of so many colors, designs and themes that I imagine one could spend hours browsing them all. Crafts stores have aisle after aisle of neat embellishments of everything one can imagine along with tools to enhance your scrapbook pages.
All one has to do is browse through all the supplies available to get the creative juices flowing. Even a beginner should have no trouble finding ideas to get started.
Making a scrapbook is, in essence, recording history of your life and that of your family and friends. It is an account of special occasions and events in your life that you want to remember. You are telling a story with photos, journaling, and embellishments.
It is important, then, to plan your scrapbooking page layouts so that you can properly convey these events to others who may browse through your album.
To find ideas for your pages, try searching the internet. See how others have laid out their pages. Often you can find free layout ideas, which will inspire your own imagination and creativity.
If you want to start scrapbooking, but feel inhibited by the cost of all the supplies needed, why not consider starting with a scrapbooking kit? Kits come in a variety of color palettes and styles and include everything needed to get you going at a one-time reasonable price.
One of the kits that I purchased included a scrapbook album, a wide variety of two-sided scrapbook pages, card stock, several frames, tags, stick-on letters, borders (many with pre-printed sayings), a marker and a glue stick. The entire contents of the kit were color-coordinated. The only supplies I have to add to this kit are my photos. I don’t even need to get out my scissors unless I have to trim my photos.
It’s a new year! What a great time to start a new scrapbook album if you haven’t done so. The old year has come and gone and hopefully the coming year looks much brighter for you and your loved ones.
If you are a beginner to scrapbooking, the timing is perfect. You can start with your activities from the first minute of 01/01/2010 -( unless you did what I did. I watched the ball drop on TV and went straight to bed.)
If your family is like our family and a lot of others, January is a busy month. We have 3 wedding anniversaries and 3 birthdays to celebrate. Once you get started, you’re sure to find many reasons to scrapbook and many occasions to record.
One of the most exciting and fun types of trip can be the road trip. Although it requires a lot of stamina, it’s a fantastic way to see a lot of things in a short amount of time. Because the trip is likely to be a blur of activities and events, it’s a good idea to keep a personal log. It doesn’t have to be anything involved or special, but it’s a great way of reminding yourself of all the fun things you did every day of the trip.
If you keep this log, you can even incorporate that text into a scrapbook. One of the best scrapbooking ideas is to print out the text of your specific day and paste it in the middle of the page. Then the pictures you took on that day can be creatively placed around that text. In this way, anyone who enjoys your scrapbook after the fact will not only get to enjoy some snapshots from your trip, but they will also get to read about your day to day adventures.
People have been scrapbooking for years, but in recent times the hobby has really become popular. With all the supplies and embellishments available, it so much more fun to create and look at a well-designed scrapbook than to just view photos in an album.
For those who may have trouble coming up with scrapbooking page layouts, there are numerous websites just full of scrapbook ideas and suggestions. A large variety of templates can be viewed and downloaded. Scrapbook paper is available in a vast array of colors, designs, shapes, texture, and themes.
One of the main things to remember when designing your layout is that you are telling a story of an event to someone who probably was not present. Your pages should bring the occasion to life and make the viewer feel a part of it.
Choosing The Right Paper For Your Project
There is a variety of scrapbook paper available from scrapbooking supplies stores. Some of the most common varieties of papers for scrapbooking are:
~Cardstock, which is a heavy weight paper, is used primarily for the “backbone” of your page layout. It is also used for photo mats; paper piercing and die cut images too.
~B&T (Background and Texture) paper is used for a decorative background on your scrapbook pages. It can be used for a photo mat backgrounds or to accent your stamps, die cuts, stickers, etc.
~Gingham (patterned paper) paper is a common “checker board” patterned paper that can be used for background accents on your scrapbook pages, greeting cards or other craft projects. It is pleasing to the eye and a popular, versatile pattern.
~Mulberry paper is used for adding a bit of “flair” to your pages. This thick paper can be torn while wet and used for making “tear bears” or other characters. Just tear the paper and the result is chic, fiber-rich edges.
~Vellum is a translucent paper that looks very elegant and it can be used for masking an image, embossing and is great for journaling. It is typically placed over a colored paper and it is used to “dress up” your pages and give them a distinctive appearance.
The most important thing to remember when you are choosing scrapbooking paper to go in your memory books is to choose a paper that is memory-safe, meaning it is acid-free. You want something that is going to preserve your photographs not ruin them.
As you begin your scrapbooking album, think about the event you are scrapbooking about. Think of your page as a story you are telling. You may want to create a title for each page. Use large distinctive lettering to draw attention to it, but not so large as to overwhelm the most important elements of the page – the photos.
Some, if not all, pictures should have a few words as a caption. Of course, you do not want to forget to list the names of all the people in your photos or places that may be seen in the background. While these things may be fresh in your mind now, a few months or years down the road, they may all be forgotten
To make your story complete, you possibly will want to add more text to your page. Consider doing this in your own handwriting. While you may feel that your own handwriting is not good enough, this will give your album a bit of personality and character. However, it is acceptable to add stickers or cut-outs instead if you prefer. You also may use your computer to print out some journaling to add to each page.
When it comes to popularity as a craft or hobby, scrapbooking is right up there with the top favorites. Creating memories for ourselves and for future generations is not only a fun pastime, it is also a very rewarding and practical one. A scrapbook will be looked at and enjoyed many, many times as the weeks, months, and years roll by.
For this reason, it is important to produce an album that is neat, attractive, and of high quality. One important feature that many people often forget to include is journaling. The photos you include will tell only part of the story. Allow a space so that you can write a few words to explain the things that are happening in the pictures. This will complete the story you are trying to tell and bring back more memories.