Newbie questions

Welcome to RCS starchild! I don't print my own pages, but there are some here who do. There actually are printers for 12 x 12 paper. Someone here found a place that will print digital scrapbook pages on 12 x 12. Hopefully they'll respond and give you the info.

I use post-bound albums to put my scrapbooks together. The albums usually have 2 posts and screws that screw into them and keeps everything together very nicely.

All my current albums have the plastic sleeves, called page protectors. I simply slide my pages into the page protectors and I"m done. If I bought pages, I would prefer they not have holes in them so I can slip them into page protectors.

I've never bought any pages from ebay, so I can't tell you how they come. I know you can ship 12 x 12 layouts perfectly in an unused large pizza box. Just ask for a pizza box at a pizza place, and put it together so that the writing is on the inside, and you have a perfect shipping box. Hopefully someone here can maybe help out with the envelope idea. I'm sure there's envelopes out there that size, but I haven't looked, either.

I've made some 6 x 6 scrapbook pages, and even smaller. Most scrapbook albums come in 6 x 6, 8 1/2 x 11, or 12 x 12. Although, 8 x 8 seems to becoming a popular size, too.

THe colored squares you're seeing are called "mats". They're usually paper or cardstock, and the photo goes on it. The paper or cardstock is a little bit larger than the picture, so you see the paper or cardstock behind the photo. I've used either photos developed at a photo developer, or pictures I've printed myself on photo paper. But I do add embellishments, quotes, and journaling to my pages.

Hopefully that helps you out some!

Hi StarChild, I'm Kate and I've been scrapping for most of my life. The acid free/safe way for 10 years now. I'm addicted but not an addict as I can walk into AC Moore/Michaels/JoAnne's and not buy a thing. I'm saving, with my husband, for a house.

I'm sorry about your husband but my dad had a stroke and is fine now.

Welcome to our little piece of cyberspace and I look forward to sharing ideas with you.

Here's my answers to your questions:

" What I noticed in the auctions is, most of them are 12"X12" in size. I've never had or seen a home printer that prints that big. Mine will fill a standard size paper (11 X 8 1/2" the printer I now have has duplex printing (both sides) and "borderless" if set for this)"

"Do any of you print your own scrapbook pages? If so, do you have a printer that size or maybe set up the pages and take them to a printer or copy place, etc?"

Traditional 12x12 paper will not fit into our home computers and are traditionally paper crafted, meaning you add the mats photos and embellishments all separately. My library, which is associated with the city of NY and local SUNYs and CUNYs, has a 12 x 12 printer but you have to reserve it days in advance and you pay $1 per page.

If I am to print my own pages using my Hallmark Scrapbooking Studio program then it is traditionally 8x11 or smaller.

"How do you put your scrapbooks together?"

Slowly. I take it one page at a time unless of course I'm doing a two page spread. My work can be seen here:

I work on three albums at once because inspiration can come from anywhere.

"If you bought pages (any size) would they come with holes in them for a spiral binder, or punched holes like looseleaf, or do you all use albums like my daughter said, with plastic sleeves to put them in?"

I buy in bulk page protectors which have the holes in them already and keep the integrity of the layout intact. Because looseleaf paper can become ripped overtime I wouldn't go in that direction. Page protectors can fit into a looseleaf binder or a traditional post album. There are also albums called strap hinges but I don't like them because I find that I can't get them tight enough and I'm 38 y- o. Scrapbooking is about preference and you should just find what is in your comfort range.

"If you buy them, like from someone on ebay, they come in an envelope that size? (or maybe rolled in a tube)"

I've bought scrapbook items from eBay because certain paper are not sold here in the northeast. I recommend these sellers:

I also buy fromt his website: Staples and OfficeMax have large enough mailing envelopes of strength that you can ship large layouts in them. So doesn't the post office and the clean pizza box idea has been bounced around a few times in this message board but I haven't used it myself. "Do you ever make scrapbooks smaller than 12 X 12"?"

I do. I've made a 4x6 album for my sister, see the ABC album:

I've also made an 8x8 album for my trip to Newport with my husband: and most if not all my 8.5x11 albums are digitally created. "Do you make scrapbooks like the ones I made (and will make more of) for my husband, printing the pictures right out on the paper? I've been making them with one big picture per page, but going by what I saw on ebay, it looks like several colored squares (to attach photos to) per page, with sayings and words and designs? This could be set up and the pictures printed right on (of course they don't come out glossy that way)"

I bet the scrapbooks are nice but you need to upload them so we can oooh and ahhh over them and possibly scrap-lift the ideas.

The several colored squares are called frames or mounts. When they come with sayings it is either a journalling square or title. If there is one word such as "Aunt _______" then it is a title square. If there is a lot of writing on the square then it is a journally block.

"I didn't realize I was making scrapbooks with the picture books, but in a way I guess I am."

I made a picture book for my niece Sarah (who will be 2 in april) so she can carry photos in her purse like her mommy. But for your husband's recovery and Physical therapy I'm sure they are very helpful in the memory recovery that his doctors are working with.

"I'm planning on making one for my grandson's 4th birthday which is coming up, with pictures of trains (he LOVES trains) This is the one who's mother made the scrapbooks for him and she got pages that had train theme on them. I could buy glossy photo paper and print them out smaller and attach them to the pages, but so far the books I've been making need to be fairly durable, for a bedridden person and now for a 4 year old."

I bet it will look great. Don't forget to look in the sticker aisle of your LSS as they have train stickers there.

"I remember buying scrapbooks when I was a child, they were all put together with pages (very soft, light paper, not too sturdy) like a coloring book with nothing on the pages. And cutting out pictures and gluing them in. Seems like they were fairly big. But I didn't have to print them or mail them."

Me too. most of my early scrapbooks are in these kinds of albums. My high school albums and college albums are in these kinds. I actually like them still to to this day. I archivally misted them to protect them when they went into storage. I think I have 6-10 albums like this one.

"I was reading the posts and see in the recipe thread some said making 12 X 12 pages is easy, but you had to make them smaller (set them up) for the recipies?"

I wrote that only because I've been working in the 12x12 format for so long traditionally that I forgot how to do 8.5x11 in the traditional sense as I usually do it digitally. It was a fun challege. I forgot to photograph the layout or I'd upload it to my webshots account.

I got some new ideas.

Like making backgrounds separate and not printing them outright on

12X12" pages.

I live in a rural area (northern VT- where it's been BLIZZARDING all tday and supposed to till into tomorrow!) and don't have a car, so don't have stores I can get to and walk around in looking for things like stickers. Buying online, they usually get you on shipping. With paper, I've been making notecards, calendars, address labels, etc I try and get them (250 envelopes in a box) from Staples, if it's over $50 it's free shipping and comes next day FedEx.

This morning I happened to see the name Etsy.com (on Rosie O'Donnel's blog) I had never heard of this- didn't know it was there!

It's ebay for crafts. I've been looking over it in amazement. People actually get those proces?

Like $15 plus shipping for a tiny 2 X 1 1/2 painting (on a little piece of wood) of a flying pig?

Though just because someone puts up a sale doesn't mean many buy them. I'm trying to think of what I'd do with a piece of wood with something painted on it, that small? (LOL)

Since I've been making notecards and not sure what to do with them, this might be an idea.

I just found a scrapbook for sale (all put together ready for pictures) for $35.00 and $6 shipping, that's 8X6. Maybe this would be called more of a "memory book". In this case it's a "baby book".

Looks like it's heavier pages than plain cardstock? It says "american crafts, spiral bound". The person said she designed it, maybe she designs them and then has american crafts" print and put them together for her? I'm looking for something I can do with my pictures, designs, printer. Not sure if scrapbooking (in the official sense) is it, but there's a lot of possibilities. One idea I've had is a small booklet (bigger than a greeting card, a little bit more) with a few pages and pictures and affirmations or sayings or maybe even words.

Usually when I write about my ideas (not on 'craft' groups) someone will tell me why it won't work, or nobody would pay for it- and how regular printing companies (like big card companies) can make and sell them for less, etc. But, going by what I see on Etsy, maybe hand made, and unique still is of some value.

Many years ago, when my kids were small, I crochetted tops and ponchos, etc on order, but by the time I bought the yarn, buttons, what was needed and figured out the time it took (and going by what I could charge people) it seemed like I made 50 cents an hour.

Not that I'm in it for the money... it's more doing what I love and get interested in.

Welcome to the group.