How did you get into scrapbooking?

[SplshMtn99]

I guess I got into scrapbooking after making calenders on the computer for relatives & ourselves using photos from our 1999 WDW trip together. (Which then led to 50 calendars for my mom to hand out as Christmas cards. LOL That's whole 'nother story!!!)

Honestly, the computer method was/is actually SOOOOOO much easier than real life scrapping. Easier to resize anything or move it or change the color. I had used Printmaster software for YEARS making signs, cards & calendars......that I found the switch to real life scrapping actually quite difficult. Computer scrapping has $$$ benefits too. You buy software once & some white paper. Extra clipart (WDW) & fonts & photos are free off the web!

But the real life scrapping looks MUCH nicer with real photos & dimension.

Recently...... I was having ALOT of trouble putting together a card -- what best order to put the multiple colored mats in. I couldn't visualize what it would look like done. I used the software to help design it, choose colors & size everything before I started cutting any actual cardstock. I'll use the method again when really stuck.

SOOOOOO, how did you get into scrapping???

 

[Spinning]

For me it was a slow progression. In high school I made 2 for my grandmother when she went with us on vacation. IT was my Christmas gift to her. You should see them....
then When I met my first love I made a scrap book of momento's no pictures just cards, ticket stubs etc...
Then that was it for years and years...I always took tons of pictures put them in order in albums and would write in the front of the book where or what it was about. then stick some momentos in the back of the book
But I guess the real bug started at the birth of my DD. I started all of her baby books but just knew I shouldn't put pictures in it. So I bought a kit from BJ's of all places! YUCK!
I worked on it a little and then put it away. I did put to gether very simple books of my DD preschool years and her ballet b ut I was totally on my own didn't even think of the computer or internet Then last year my DD kindergarten teacher told me about CM she was a consultant....I went to an even crop met lots of wonderful people saw all there great stuff and BOOM! I was so hooked!
My supplies and books keep evolving! I love it and have had so much fun putting things together!

 

[WDWLVR]

I've been doing cards, calendars, etc. for years. Can't tell you the last time I bought a card. I started doing scrapbooks using digital pictures after our 2001 cruise. Now it is a mix of maybe 70% digital and 30% conventional.

I'm still very much a novice, but I really love it. So far I've only done our Disney trips but plan to start doing more family alubms this summer.

 

[bananiem]

My SIL had been trying to get me into it for about 6 years when we went to WDW. I decided to do just that ONE scrapbook, so the kids would kind of remember the trip. Well, since I had all those supplies when that was done I did another, and another, and...

 

[grover]

Well I have always been a collector-you know the type of person who never throws out a birthday, card, letter ect!! My SIL gave me a coil bound canson album,siccors,adhesive and stencils for xmas 1999 and I was off and running!! If it wasn't for her I don't know that I would have taken the intiative to get started...I would still just be collecting stuff!
Grover in Winnipeg

 

[Pammy jo]

Six years ago my first DS was born and my husband gave me a scrapbook as a birthday gift the next month. Well I look back now and think OMG, it looks awful, but I was having so much fun getting into it. Just the past 2 years I think I've really evolved and have gotten into the true spirit of scrapbooking . . .you know what I mean . . .spending lots and lots of money on everything you just have to have to make those great pages!!!

Anyway, when I spend too much money on my supplies my Dh can't complain, I mean afterall, he was the one that started it all!

And now I am so hooked, I love classes, checking out all the web sites and have subscribed to CK and Simple Scrapbooks. And with 3 DS I think my obsession will only get worse!

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

I've always loved taking pictures and had pretty much just put them in albums, sometimes with a piece of paper or notation on the back. Although for my GS troop I started with an album when they were in kindergarten - just photo corners on black album paper with tiny bits of journaling.

Then I did a "real" book for our first cruise - land/sea and that was it for a while. Then we did a trip to New York and I decided to put that in a spiral bound and planned to do our 2000 cruise - land/sea but all of that stuff and photos sat in a bin for more than 2 years!

Last winter I decided I just HAD to catch up on GS photos (had 3 years piled up and the book I'd used was no longer available) and do that trip. Well, a friend of mine had been prodding me to get into it a little more and took me to a local scrapbook store. That was pretty much all it took!

I scrapped like a fiend all of last Spring and summer doing TWO trips, catching up the GS book, doing one from start of Cubs to current events in Boy Scouts, and a book on DS's football "career" to date. Of course I also have about 12 more in the planning stages. Having someone who shared several interests was helpful too, I know I progressed much more quickly and was able to learn from her mistakes.

Deb

 

[Alice28]

In high school and college I kept a scrapbook of momentos, tickets, papers, etc., but no pictures. In 1995 my Mom became a DOTS consultant and they offered a scrapbook line- So Close to My Heart. I bought an album really cheaply from her and did my wedding pictures. I look at that album now and laugh and regret some of the choices I made (cropping)...I have done an album every year since then and I love it. I also have done an album for each of my boys for their first year. I just recently switched from 8 1/2 x 11 top loading albums to 12 x 12 CM albums and I think they are awesome. It is amazing how much scrapbook supplies have BOOMED since I started in 95- I had to scrounge to find good stickers, etc when I did our Hawaii album in early 97...now there is the mother load of supplies everywhere and I love it!! I want to go to Hawaii again, not only to enjoy the beauty of it, but to do another Hawaii album!!!

 

[DiznEeyore]

I've always kept scrapbooks of memorabilia and photo albums, ever since I was in elementary school (of course they weren't the "safe" kind). Then one day about 8 years ago I was watching "Aleene's Creative Living" on TNN (does anyone remember that show?) and they showed this "new" way of decorating photo albums with stickers, die cuts, etc. I loved it so much I called my mom and told her to turn on the show right away!

I started my own scrapbook in that style in a 3-ring binder. After a little time, I came across the first issues of Creating Keepsakes and Memory Makers, then found my first CM consultant, and the rest is history!

 

[beansmom]

I kept seeing SB posts on here and got jealous!!!

 

[crazyforpooh]

About 4 years ago a friend invited me to a CM party. I loved it ordered a bunch of things, went to leave from the party and my truck was dead in my friends driveway. Well living on a tight buget at the time. I told the consultant I'd have to cancel my order because who knew what was wrong with the truck. I really wanted to start scrapbooking.

Then a month later my DH had a near fatal accident and lost one of his legs and was burned with 4th degree burns on 50% of his body. My life was in overdrive and in complete turmoil. Being thrown into single parenting and traveling 80 miles one way to the hospital for 4 months was exhausting.

So, when hubby final came home from rehab after being gone off and on with many operations for 9 months, I said I really need some me time so, I called up the consulant who I had cancelled the order on and went to a crop at her home. Well I came home with $200 in supplies and said "Happy Anniversary to me" thanks honey.

AND, well the rest is history, I started just doing an over the years album of your then 12 year old DD life. Well now I have a separate Holiday Album, completed 2 Disney trips, redid our 20 year old wedding album, and am now up to age 5 in chronilogical of now 14 years old DD life.

Of course I've had lots of encourgement and prayers through all this from my friends on the disboards. I just love you guys.

Laura

 

[SplshMtn99]

WOW, it's AMAZING how we all ended up at scrapbooking coming from such different directions. One would think that most folks just took the next step from regular photo albums.....but it looks like we all started scrapping for different REASONS.

And crazyforpooh, wow....what an amazing story! Glad you found a way to take care of yourself too after taking care of your husband. That's so important!

 

[crazyforpooh]

The accident and scrapbooking also makes me realize you can't take one precious moment of your life for granted.

Scrapbooking is away for us to honor those moments of our life and show how much love we all have for each other.

 

[Timon]

Like Splsh mentioned, I simply graduated from albums to sb's. Our "first" year at WDW, we bought the cool Disney Albums and stuck our 400+ pics in those. Then we went again the next year and wanted to do something different....that's when I strolled on over to this board

I read some posts, looked at the few layouts people had posted and went to Michaels and bought some basic supplies...lol, WAY too many fancy scissors that I NEVER use now

I also went crop CRAZY!!! LOL, I look at my WDW 2000 album now and think "what the HECK were you thinking Cass????"

This is my first TRUE hobby! First thing I have sunk thousands of $$$ into, which is good and bad Ever since Junior High I have been into art, mostly drawing and was actually on my way to Art School but something happened, (that's another story) and I never went and since then, I haven't done anything artsy or creative until I started SB'ing. And I LOVE IT cus it gives me a creative outlet which makes me feel good about doing it!

And one of the best aspects about it is being on this board and sharing not only my love of Disney with people but now, also my love for SB'ing!

 

[SplshMtn99]

Originally posted by Timon
.....and bought some basic supplies...lol, WAY too many fancy scissors that I NEVER use now

Same here, LOL!

.....Ever since Junior High I have been into art, mostly drawing and was actually on my way to Art School but something happened, (that's another story) and I never went.... [/QUOTE]

Wow, that explains why you're so good!!!

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Hi guys,

I have scissors too which I no longer (ok ALMOST) use on photos. But I do like the "feel" I can add to a page by using scissors on the edge of papers in corners, side or top/bottom trim.

Just as an example, I was doing a set of pages of our football team playing a team whose nickname was the bulldogs, and their logo was this snarling bulldog. Our colors are deep blue and white, their's are light blue and white. So I worked in a combination of the blues which not only set the photos off but also if you constantly work exclusively in your high school's colors it can get boring in a hurry. On the border strips after I cut the lengths using my big paper cutter I trimmed off just a smidge with my dragonback scissors.

Was just looking back at that book over the weekend and you can feel the ferocity of the game. And it was pretty hard fought! I have found that I'm really careful not to overdo the edging - just enough to get a feel to the page.

I'd post photos of the pages but I've never quite figured out how to do that. My 12 x 12 pages don't scan and I'm not a digital girl.

Deb

 

[Timon]

Deb,

Take a good picture of your layout in bright sunshine and then scan the photo! That's what I used to do and it works pretty well! I'd love to see your work!

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Once I get the photo though where do I put it?!?

I can make the programs I know sing...but get outside the area I know and I'm lost! Guess I could ask my son!

Deb