Hello, My name is Piper and I want to start a scrapbook of family , etc.Where is the best places for me to read up on how to do this, what i need and any advice you would give a new person doing this? I also wanted to ask about something I saw on tv, a kit of 3000 pieces from Memories Direct.Is this just too good to be true? junk? , fill me in. I appreciate all your help. Piper
Hi Piper, welcome to our group. You will gleam loads of inspiration and have alot of fun scrapping your family. As to your question about the kit on T.V. I have no clue so can't answer truthfully.
I'm pretty new too although I have been doing it a few months. Here's my observations.
A kit will help you get started but I feel there is a problem with kits. You are limited in what you can do with them. No matter how much they say you can do everything with a kit you will find that many of the themes you want to do you will have to buy the pieces on your own. Still they make a decent starting place. I think you can get a kit cheaper if you watch for your local Hobby Lobby to put out an ad with their famous 40% off coupon and buy a kit from them.
Another hint - Get copies of the pictures you want to use or have them scanned to a disc before you start cropping them. If you use the only print you have of a precious picture you may regret it later.You can get a scanner pretty cheaply now or you can scan it yourself at most discount stores photo kiosks. The problem with stores is that some will not let you scan any professionally made pictures unless you bring a release letter from the photography studio with you. I ran into that with photos of my family that were over 50 years old. Its not as if the studio was even findable after all that time but they wouldn't budge on it. I already had a scanner so for Christmas I asked for and got a photo quality printer for my computer. Now I am scanning our old photos myself and I can print them to use as I need them.
Also read up on techniques. Many websites have info for beginners. Even ebay has a how to section on scrapbooking. So does Better Homes and Gardens and a lot of other sites. You can do a web search for beginning scrapbooking or scrapbook techniques and you should be able to find a lot of info. My local craft stores have free workshops several times a month. You might check on that.
When it come to the pages start simply and then work up to fancier more complex pages. Get a few successes under your belt before you try to get too fancy.
Good Luck, Deb
Scrapbooking is an addiction from which no one wants to be cured. Bear this in mind while your wallet is still safely secured in your purse. ;-)))).
Despite the fact that everyone, simply EVERYONE, ooooohs and ahhhhhhs over the latest tool, fanciest embellishment, prettiest paper - you can scrapbook with very few items. Before you toddle off and buy a whole shopping list, try to do a little planning. (I know, I'm taking all the fun out of it...)
If you don't know how deeply you want to immerse yourself in this hobby, assemble a kit of basic, multi-purpose tools. They might come in handy for other projects, so if you don't get head-over-heels into scrapping, you won't feel like you wasted any money.
Basically you need -
Something to cut with - most people use the small plastic 12 inch cutters by Fiskars, Cutterpede etcetera - and if you shop around you can find one for under $20. Get someone at the shop to show you how to use it, it's surprisingly simple once you know the trick. You'll also need a small pair of sharp scissors (don't run with these ;-)))) Don't worry about fancy scissor or punches yet. Restraint, restraint!
Some sort of stick-um - you can find a zillion adhesives. Many people like glue dots, some like the tabs, glue runners, you name it. This is an area where you can test things out, since you can use up the adhesive and try another one next time. You might want a couple kinds - re-positionable if you are indecisive like me, and perhaps some pop dots or double-sided foam, to "lift" something off the page.
A small set of basic tools - I've had the Making Memories tool set (about $30 without coupon, so go find a coupon!) for years and that is my most used scrapbook goodie. That little pointy awl thing, can't live without it. If you don't have fingernails you need it, and if you do have fingernails, you need it.
Paper - plain colored cardstock, and then some patterned paper of your liking. This is your biggest trap - paper is relatively cheap, and we all think it's a safe splurge and we all have paper coming out our EARS - and we never have the right color/pattern so we have to go BACK to the scrapbook store to have another safe splurge so we have even MORE paper coming out our ears! It's probably more economical in the long run to buy your paper as needed - even if it's not as much fun as having an entire library of pattern and color!
Something to add color or text - could be pens, ink, chalk, paint - stay cheap to start. If you're comfortable with a computer you can computer journal. A chalk set is a good cheap investment to get a lot of color options.
Embellishments - jewelry for your page. Stop run away run away Danger Will Robinson, this is where you will throw all caution to the winds and mortgage your firstborn. Get someone to teach you how to set an eyelet, attach a snap or brad and then DO NOT buy eyelets, snaps and brads in every color of the rainbow. (Although, if you have to, get brads, they don't keep everyone in the house awake while you put them on your page at 2 a.m.) Buy just what you need to do your project. Really. Resist. Really.
Something to put your stuff in. Do not go buy one of those wheeled cases yet. I have a Black and Decker tool box from Walmart with compartments in the top lid that holds some (but sadly not all!) my tools. Try to keep your dining room table for dining. I know this won't work, but remember I said try. ;-)))
That's only the beginning. Have fun.
Piper, You might also try the newsgroup's website. Click on Scrapbooking 101 on the left hand side of the page.
Looks like the other ladies have left a lot of good information for you so I will just say hello! I am glad you are here. The ladies and gentleman her have a lot of good information so please feel free to ask any questions. We will be happy to answer.
Welcome to the group!
--Tammy
Hello and welcome to the group! I have seen the kit you mentioned on tv and in magazines, and in LTC Commodites. Here is a link that you can see what is in the set.(if the link doesnt work, just do a search on the website
Welcome to the group Piper.
Hi Jamie and welcome to RCS and the huge new world of addiction - scrapping!!
INHO those kits are cheap. Yes for a beginner as I stated out a few years ago, we all stared somewhere and some of the stuff in them is useful, but again the quality is something to be appreciated as you will soon learn!!
80 for 06 1 cardOKC Dave
Check out my pix and crafts!
Welcome to the group Piper.... I won't offer you anymore tips re your question, I'm late replying and I see you already have many helpful replies. So here's just a warm welcome from Oz :o)
I went to a search engine such as yahoo or google and typed in scrapbooking and got tons of links. I usually go to layouts or ideas for pictures of other people's pages and it helps me to be more creative. I like scrapbooking.com, about.com, and scrapfreebies.com.
LaNette
Welcome to RCS! I can't help you with the kit, but it does look like you've gotten some good advice here about that. You'll get lots of inspiration and ideas here, just stick around!
Welcome to RCS Piper. I learned by watching shows on TV and observing what some of the ladies here were doing.
Teresa in MD
Welcome to RCS Piper. I've learned a bunch by joining in here and looking at the various LO's in the galleries online as well as reading magaznes and books at the library. Everyone has a different style and I am fnding mine by trying different things some I like, some I don't.
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