Wow... you certainly start BIG! May I suggest that you hold onto your receipt? You may find a few weeks that some of the stuff you bought just doesn't fit your style or type of scrapping. After 15 years of scrapping I still buy stuff that doesn't always fit my scrapping style. I am not good with receipts and I usually end up giving the stuff to my Dnieces.
It is SO easy to get carried away with the stuff, that I suggest (at least for the time being) you buy as you use stuff up.... especially if you live fairly close to a craft store. I tend to "collect" lots of scrapping supplies, especially basics like cardstock and adhesive because I am 45-ish minutes to the nearest ACM or Michaels or
Walmart. If I want to work on a page and don't have the right color, I can't just run to the store. B But with many things, I only buy when I KNOW what page I am going to use them on... even if I don't think that I will get to that page for a while.
As far as getting started.... start looking at other people's pages. Check out websites like
www.twopeasinabucket.com. Check out Simple Scrapbooks magazine and Creating Keepsakes magazine (plus their websites). I would DEFINITELY recommend that you start with some simple and basic pages.
As far as page layouts, I use sketches a LOT to help me to decide how to layout my pages. Becky Higgins has two layout books (well, really just expensive magazines) that are very helpful (Creative Sketches for Scrapbooking volumes I and II). Many of her layouts can also be found at the Creating Keepsakes website.
I briefly run through how I create a page, just to give you an idea. Admittedly, my process is far from fool-proof, but it works for me.
First I check my photos for a day/event and decide which ones to order. I base this mostly on which photos were the best and most representative of the day/event. If a picture is particularly good or if I only have very limited photos of this event, I will order an enlargement (usually not bigger than 5 x 7 but occasionally 8 x 10).
When I get the photos and I am ready to start scrapping, I look at the number of photos I have and decide whether I can make do with a simple two page 12 x 12 layout or if this day/event needs more. Sometimes I will do an expanded 4 page layout using special page protectors, but most of my events are done as 2 page 12 x 12 layouts. Obviously something like a big vacation will be MANY 2 page layouts, but in that case I need to decide where to break up the pages. For example, I am currently working on a trip to the Grand Canyon. I (obviously) took many photos that day and they can't all fit on a 2 page layout, so I needed to decide how to break it up. I started with a layout called "First sight" that includes our first stop and first views of the canyon. Then another layout of our next stop at another viewpoint, etc.
After I have decided on which photos for a layout, I either decide on my own how they will be laid out on the page or I look through my sketch idea books and binders to find something that will fit my specific number of photos (usually no less than 3 and no more than 9 or 10). If I am trying to design a layout on my own, I use white 12 x 12 pages to lay the photos on to get a good idea of how they will fit. If I have many ideas I kind of sketch it out or layout the photos on the white paper and take a digital photo so I don't forget what I did. If I have a specific journaling block or other embellishment in mind that I want to use on this layout, I make sure that it will fit within the layout.
Once I have decided on a good layout, I trim (or "crop") my photos to the appropriate sizes, if necessary.
Next I decide what cardstock and/or patterned papers to use. This is sometimes the hardest part for me. I try to keep coming up with new color combinations by taking notes whenever I find a good combination. I have even bought a tiny slice of fabric when I have found a good color combination that I didn't want to forget. I try to remember the gallon/quart/pint rule when it comes to using color.... a gallon of your main color (usually your background paper), a quart of the secondary color (usually used for photo mats and journaling blocks or journaling mats), and a pint of another color... sometimes just for decorative photo corners or a small stripe, square, or dot here or there. I also add any patterned paper within this formula. I truly have a hard time with patterned paper and as such I don't use a lot (although I LOVE to buy it!
)
Once all of my photos are matted and trimmed and my journaling is written, I measure and layout everything and adhere it. Sometimes it just doesn't work as well as I thought it would and I need to add or subtract, but that is what Un-Du is for!! Usually my journaling block and title are the last things that I add. If I am doing just day to day pages for the kids chronological books, I always add a title. But if I am doing a big vacation album from a specific trip, I might not always add a title to every page (how many titles can you come up with for one trip!!??)
Once the pages are completed I make note on the back (for example, "Jane's book, completed 1/13/08"). Then it goes into a page protector. Once I have a small pile of completed pages I take the time to add them to the appropriate album. While they are waiting I usually store them in a hard plastic 12 x 12 storage unit, so that they won't be damaged or get too dusty.
I know that many people decide on their layout BEFORE they order photos and that probably makes more sense. But I really need to SEE the photos in front of me before I can really make a decision. It does lead to order some excess photos... but not many. And I NEVER go back and decide to order MORE. And I keep a small box for the extra photos and I try to use them in collages and for kids projects. Sometimes an event will call for a pocket page to keep track of cards, receipts, maps, etc. If I have a pocket page, I will put any extra photos in there, so I don't really have many "extras".
Anyhow.... sorry to ramble on and on!! Good luck getting started!......................P
I think this is going to be a costly addiction 
you need a program (and there are many) I have photoshop elements which personally I love. Then you can download all kinds of digital elements from paper to paperclips. 
