Getting Started in Scrapbooking

[DisneyMom92]

I have read this board with interest a couple times. I am an experienced crafter having tried just about everything that comes out. I am a good, if not great, photographer, doing most of my images on digital now, rather than film, but prints are cheap so it's not a big deal. I even have a plethora of scrapbooking supplies, probably not EVERYTHING I need, but a good start, purchased by my husband and kids for Mother's Day one year.

My question....How on earth do you get started? I look at the blank pages of my scrapbook and wonder where to start. It's not a creative drain, but a lack of information on exactly what to do, I think. I have thought about taking a class, but time doesn't permit right now.

This scrapbook is a bound thing, rather than a binder, and I think that may be part of my problem. What if I make a mistake?

Thanks.

[BevS97]

Hmm - well, I prefer a binder because then if I make a mistake it doesn't matter, but I don't think that's a big problem.

Do you have some repositionable adhesive? I prefer Hermafix dots - I find if I am armed with that then I have a lot my confidence as I know I can just pull everything up and start again if I need to.

I usually start by cropping and matting my photos- I try not to crop too much, and I wouldn't do any fancy shapes to start with, either leave them as they are, or trim them a little if there are any unwanted items in the background.
Then arrange them on your page in a pleasing manner - no adhesive at this stage, just lie them out.

next think about a title - what do you want it to say, and how do you want to create it? You can print it on your pc, use letter stickers, or cut the title out of cardstock - lay that on your page next (if I am using letter stickers, and I am unsure of placement, then I cut the letters and backing roughly out of the sticker sheet and lay them on the page, and when I am happy with everything I peel the backing off and stick them down.

At this stage you are ready for the fun stuff, and you can add embellishments, stickers, die cuts, memorabilia, whatever you like to jazz it up.

when you have everything layed out how you like it, then it's time to stick everything down.

There are some better articles about getting started here.


Learn 2 Scrapbook Guide (http://learn2scrapbook.com/getting_started.htm)
Making your FIRST PAGE (http://learn2scrapbook.com/first_page.htm)
Graceful Bee's Getting Organized (http://www.gracefulbee.com/newbees/organization.html)
Graceful Bee's Layout guide (http://www.gracefulbee.com/newbees/layoutguide.html)
About.Com How to crop Your Photos guide (http://scrapbooking.about.com/library/howto/htcropaphoto.htm)
Getting Started in Scrapbooking at TheFamily.com (http://www.thefamily.com/scrapbooking/starting.html)

Once you feel comfortable, check these How To's out:

2Peas Scrapbooking FAQs (http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/resources.asp)

Bev

[Snow White]

When I feel scrappers block what I do is look in the scrapbooking magazines and on lots of scrapping websites for samples of layouts and then I just scraplift one I like and make my page just like that, then as Im making that I usually get my creative juices flowing and start coming up with my own ideas for the next pages.