New to Scrapbooking: Page Protectors

[lacrosse_lady72]

Hi all,

I am new to scrapbooking and I was wondering about page protectors.

Do people really use them? If they do, do they look funny with embelishments at all?

What the best kind to use?

Or if I'm not to use page protectors, what should I worry about?

Thank you all so much!

 

[LindaBabe]

The short answer is YES!

The long winded answer is more like . . .

If you scrap with Creative Memories albums, page protectors are optional, since they slide over the finished page from the side. The pages themselves are strapped into the album.

If you scrap with 3-ring or post bound albums, it's the page protectors that fit on the posts or rings, and the pages slide into the protectors from the top, so, obviously, They're necessary!

The best kind to use are the ones that fit your album.

The only time they're awkward is - if you want something on a page that you want to open, like a greeting card. I tend to locate it on the page and cut a slit in the protector for the card front to poke out through, take the card off the page, put the page in the plastic, then insert the card back (with adhesive) through the slit to it's original location. much easier than trying to pull the front out through the slit if it was glued down to begin with.

I can think of a lot of things to worry about (being a master at the art, according to my family) but page protectors aren't one of them, lol. Actually, I don't worry about ANYTHING to do with scrapping. There IS no wrong way.

 

[bobcat]

LindaBabe said it well!

Page protectors come in different weights, not listed on the packages but apparent when you use them. I prefer a medium weight since I tend to add alot of embelishments to my pages. Thin pages can tear or mar when the book is closed, thick pages not only make my book heavier but don't have any give for my embelishments. For instance the pages that come with the EKSuccess Mickey books are heavier, dollar store and many universal packages of page protectors are thin.

Page protectors can be slide on for a strap hinge album(CM and Westrim) or have holes in the side that attach it to the posts in post bound albums or the rings in binders. They can also be top loading or side loading. They also don't always come with extenders.

Not all page protectors are true 12x12. I suggest that when you buy an album that you buy refills of the same manufacturer at the same time. Pioneer albums are smaller than 12x12. For a universal page protector I like MBI.

 

[Lisa]

I have ten reasons why I use page protectors, my ten slippery fingers.

I once took a sip of water while looking at one of my albums and missed my mouth but slobbered all over the pages. The page protectors saved the layout from getting water slobber all over it.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I was at a workshop not long after I started scrapping, and one of the ladies had an album she was working on. She had left it on the table at home while she was working on it, and her small child took a marker to most of the pages in the book. She was heartbroken.

I always use page protectors now!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I can give you more reasons for page protectors, sticky fingers, sticker lovin' kid fingers, and mostly oil. Skin oil is not good for you pics and pages over time. Oh and dust, it keeps your pages looking fresh.

If you have a post bound album protectors are a necessity, they are the pockets that hold your finished pages.
With CM (Creative Memories) you have the option to not use page protectors but I would use them just to keep the kids fingerprints off the pictures.

No they don't look funny, sometimes you can get glare if you have over head lighting but other than that it's fine. Like Linda said if you need to have something open you can cut slits in the protectors.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Thanks everyone!

I do have pages from Creative Memories that can be put in the albums without page protectors which is why I was wondering. So then, if I buy page protectors for these pages, do they have to be from Creative Memories to fit the page correctly?

Although I don't have kids, I am clumsy and I love soda, mix those together and I spill sticky soda a lot so I'm glad to hear page protectors are a normal thing



Also, the first book I plan on making is for my September trip to WDW for 2 weeks. I plan on doing a lot of pages including at least one 2-page spread for every ADR we have which is... 17, events like MNSSHP and the Expedition Everest Challenge AND the after party, not to mention resorts and parks... I can easily end up with about 50 2-page spreads. Is that too much to hold in one scrapbook?

Should I do a separate one for restaurants? How many average width pages can typically fit in an average sized album?

Sorry for all the questions, I am just nervous about doing this

Also... again, is it weird to start pages before I have the pictures or should I wait since it'll be my first time or should I just wait for the pictures?

Thanks again!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I'm pretty sure they need to be CM protectors to fit on the CM pages, Westrim might fit but I've never tried.

I have 26 and 28 pages in each of my CM albums for my April 2005 trip (had to do 2 books) so 52 layouts in one and 56 layouts in the other (I took 1200 pics in 4 days but didn't scrap them all). I might be able to squeeze a few more pages in but it was a good division for how I had my books laid out.

Some pages can be started ahead of time but then if you mat photos you need to bring a notebook with the layout design (vertical or horizontal) and the colors. I find it easier to do the pages after, only because the colors may vary. Unless you are doing a 3 or 4 color scheme through the whole book, that makes it easier. And it's tough if you do a layout but for some reason you don't get the pics.

How are you going to scrap? Chronological, by park, etc? If you do chronological then you can add the restaurants in order. By park (which is how I did our first trip) it was a little tougher to add in pages that didn't seem to have a set place in the flow of the album.

There is no wrong way to scrap though, so don't worry about it too much!!