A Newbie Using Toploader...Need Advice!

[missmulan]

Hi fellow scrappers! I have been scrapping for 5 years and always used Creative Memories' strap hinge 12 x 12 albums with page protectors. Recently came back from a Disney Cruise Line trip and they sold scrap albums. Needless to say, I bought one just to find out that they are the top loading kind. I only have a few more events to work on and I'm done so now i am turning to experts on this board with top loading albums.....

Question One: Refills....where do you suggest I get them? Is there a difference in quality? (Walmart vs. Michaels vs. scrapbooking store). Are there any differences that I should look out for or avoid buying?

Question Two: How do I 'unscrew' the screws? just use a coin or something?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ilovedale3]

I used to use the Creative Memories albums too, but since I "discovered" top loaders, I'll never go back!

As for refills, there are several pretty universal refills pages out there. I buy mine at Hobby Lobby (I don't know if you have one of those near you). They come in a large box of 50 refills and have fit every top loading album that I have tried. You can also get pretty generic refills at Michaels, WalMart, etc. The only thing I have found is that some of the cheaper refills tend to look cloudy and make your pages hard to see. Just make sure that the refills fit your album and don't hang out of the sides... you may want to take your album to your local scrapbook store and "try out" some of the refills.

The screws in the album can be unscrewed using a coin or a screwdriver. Once they are loosened up, you can undo them by hand. Another smart purchase are some post extenders. With the post extenders (found at Michaels, Jo-Ann, WalMart, etc.), you can add more pages to your scrapbook.

 

[missmulan]

ilovedale3 (btw, i thought you meant chip's dale)....thank you for your advice about taking my DCL album with me to the store to measure out the right refills. i took my album and sure enough, some refills stick out a little more than the others. i manage to get the right size to complement the original pages.

here's my frustration....the spine that reads "Disney Cruise Line" is not expandable. i had to add 3 packages (15 pages/30 sides) and it is busting at the seams, so to speak. not to mention i have about 5 more events to do before i complete my trip. i might just have to go spineless unless someone out there has a suggestion.

 

[ksjayhawks]

I am going to have to add pages to my dcl book as well. I am going to make my own spine cover and will try to put the disney one on that if possible. If it won't work then it won't work.

I saw in our paper today that hobby lobby is having a sale this week on refills--50% off I believe. I need to go get some.

 

[Spinning]

This wont help you if the spine doesn't expand but it will help with other albums to make the covers lay flat and have a balanced album.
Go to the hard ware store and buy plastic washers. the size that will fit around the post. Then add washers at the front of the book and back of the book. I also usually put some in the middle.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Ok, maybe I'm missing something here - but my refill packs come with post extenders as well as cardboard strips that are pre-punched to fit the post configuration to keep the books from alligatoring.

The difficulty in finding refills and expanding the albums is my biggest complaint with the albums Disney produces. As well as they do so many things you'd think they'd get some people who actually do this hobby to at least give them insight into what we want.

Deb

 

[Spinning]

SOme refills do come with the card board some do not. Plus depending on how lumpy your books are the card board may not be enough.

 

[Cruise04]

Sometimes you have to have 2 screwdrivers to get the screws undone so be aware of that. I had one book that I had to do that and they were a bugger to get undone. I left the screws out until I'm finished.