New to Scrapping ...

[calanniebu]

... and to the disboards! I went to the World for the first time this past September, and now am in the process of starting my first book! I had been contemplating scrapping for a while now and figured this was the best way to start.

Okay, so that being said, what is the one thing you wished you had known when you first started?

(My best friend is an amazing scrapper is helping me when she can but she's in CA and a h.s. teacher so life, the time difference and distance isn't in my favor for her to help me.)

Also, if anyone knows of any good resources (stores/classes/etc.) in the greater Boston area, let me know. (other than Michaels, AC Moore, Paper Source & Jo-anns - I know those stores ALL too well)

TIA!!!

 

[piratesmate]

Welcome to the boards! It's always good to "see a new face" around here!

The biggest thing I wish I'd known when I first started was that I don't really like to just put matted photos on a plain page (CM style) and that I wasn't going to like having to "scrap in order" to use the CM strap hingle album that I had.

I've been using wallpaper in top loading post albums & much prefer that. No, they're not as sturdy feeling as the CM albums but if I decide to move my pages around I can just pull out the wallpaper & move it back a few protectors.

 

[pfishgirl]

Hellooooooooo Welcome to Dis........ Congrats on choosing to scrap...

When I first started... I wish I knew that scrapbooking and dis ing would be so addicting...rewarding...fun..and expensive... I can't stop buying stuff for my books...

 

[havencruiser]

Www.mouememories.com and www.bargainpack.com are my favorite scrapping places for Disney items. I have scrapped for many years but i nthe past few months have become much more intense about it.
The tools I have that I wish I had when I started are the Xyron machine and the Sizzix machine. Xyron puts adhesive on the back of whatever you want to put on the page and Sizzix makes all sorts of diecuts and letters. Both are well worth the cost in payoff off less time and better quality.

 

[Stephres]

I wish I knew how addicting the scrap boards would be! I read more here than I scrap lately!

Seriously, I wish I knew it is important to find your personal style. I spent much of my time initating fancy pages in the scrapbook magazines before I realized I really preferred the simplier clean-lines approach. Think about the story you want to tell and how you want to tell it before you go shopping and then you can find paper and embellishments that compliment your style instead of just buying everything that looks cute (and it's hard to resist everything that looks cute!).

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Welcome to our loving, it a bit "goofy" and sometimes just plain strange group!

The biggest thing I've learned and wish I'd known at the outset was to get organized! And realize these are ongoing projects. Finishing a book is just a milestone, not an end!

Deb

 

[ajksmom]

Welcome!!
The most important thing I wish I had known when I first started is - to know "your" style!! If you look through magazines you'll see pieces of art - beautiful to look at, but expensive and time-consuming and rarely do I see any journaling. If you get into Creative Memories (CM) it's much simpler looking but big on journaling. Somewhere in the middle is where I've found my niche. I want my pages embellished a bit, but not so much that the pictures and stories are secondary. For me that is what scrapbooking is - presenting my families life through pictures and stories. Now my way isn't the "right" way, it's just what works for me.
Look through the magazines, talk with a CM consultant (you can visit their website and search for a consultant near you), visit local scrapbook stores (LSS) and see what style seems like it'll work for you. I'm from CT so I'm not too familiar with whats up in the boston area but if you're ever down here I'd be happy to give you a heads up about our LSS's.

Other than that I'd like to share with you some secrets of scrapbooking -

1) It's rather addicting
2) It's easier to shop for the supplies, than it is to use them.
3) Keep an empty grocery bag in the car at all times, it will allow you to bring in the handfuls of supplies you'll be buying without too much scrutiny from DH.
4) Going along with #3, find lots of places in your home to stash your purchases.
5) Find a way early on to organize your supplies, DO NOT wait too long or it'll take forever to find what you're looking for. And then when you do start to organize things, it'll take you weeks to figure out all the piles of stuff you've accumulated (that is once you find them in all the places you stashed them)

Good luck getting started.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

The first thing I wish I had known is that you don't have to finish Now! I'm still trying to get over that fact. I just need to take my time and not rush or I won't be happy with the results. Ask Kristy/ajksmom, I spent an hour the other day taking apart 6 pages I had done because I wasn't happy with them and it was all because I had rushed.

On the flip side of that though, your pages don't have to be "perfect". I too have looked through the magazines and said geez I wish my pages looked like that but they are not necessarily me or my style.

Everyone else is right, organization is very important. And so is hiding things from your DH! I've got that one down to a science. Also remember you can walk away from it and come back later, sometimes a break can give you a whole new perspective.

My favorite scrap motto is from DH:
Don't ever use finished and scrapbook in the same sentence cause it will never happen.....

And we are all here to help so if you need to ask even the dumb questions go for it, someone usually knows the answer.
Oh, and stay away from the enabling threads, Maggie and Patty like getting us into trouble!
OK,OK I admit it, I'm an enabler too.

Have Fun!

 

[nicki dahling]

You have gotten lots of good advice. I just wanted to say welcome, and beware this hobby is addictive.

Cyndi

 

[nicurn]

welcome! (lock up your wallet now! ) maggie

 

[bubbasmom99]

Welcome! Hope you enjoy your time here. Beware of the swaps -- they are addicting!

I think, however, that you may start out without knowing your style. I still don't know my style and I don't think it detracts from my enjoyment of the craft. Every layout I do is a learning experience and helps me figure out what my style is. I think it's good to experiment with different types of layouts and see what really hits you as "wow, I did a good job" or "euw, let's peel the photos off and start over" It took me awhile to figure out what I like and don't like, so don't feel you have to start in one direction and never go back and try something different.

And remember, it's all subjective anyway, so if you are pleased with it, then it doesn't matter if it doesn't look like the ones you see in the magazines or online galleries. The point is to preserve your memories, not win art awards (unless you want to, hehe).

 

[angelmom]

Welcome Scrapbooking is addicting and like everyone else said -it is a great way to spend money! I would say make sure you have a good cutter, for paper and pictures. I love my fiskers large rotary cutter and for pictures the CM chop blade one works good. Have fun working on your album.

 

[calanniebu]

Thanks to all of you for your advice. I finished my first page the other night! If I can figure out how to share it with y'all I will.

Someone mentioned a swap - how do they work?

 

[pattyT]

Hi there!
fellow disney scrapbooking massachusetts person!
Welcome to our little corner of the internet world -
watch out for your credit card...

unfortunately there aren't to many great places around here
try Amandalindz in NH if you are up for a field trip...
I order online almost everything!

 

[Honeybehr1]

I think the best thing I learned was that once you start to get fustrated with a page its time to put it away for the night. Once I start to fight my way thru a page, it always seems to come out really bad.

Also, what one person loves - I may not.

 

[dreams91]

Welcome.

 

[TeresaNJ]

Hi, and welcome to the world of scrapping and the DIS!! I started actively scrapping about 3 1/2 years ago. The first thing I did was organize all my photos, took them out of the crappy magnetic albums some of them were in, and organized the photos by year in separate photo safe holders.

QVC has been a great source of supplies for me. The best prices by far, and they sell some really nice kits to get started with. You can order orline, and also QVC has their 24 hour craft day twice a year, with tons of scrapbooking items offered. They also occasionally have scrapbooking segments throughout the year on selected days. You can check the schedule out on www.creatingkeepsakes.com.

When I'm not buying from QVC online, I'm buying from another online site. There are several that I love, such as www.scrapbook.com. As far as Michael's and AC Moore, they're okay, but high in cost I think, unless you can get items on sale. We don't have any local scrapbook stores in my area. I heard Joanne's scrapbooking section is getting better though.

I can't say I regret any of my many purchases since the beginning. The only thing I did that I could have lived without was joining one of those monthly "scrap in a box" clubs. Many months I received items I had absolutely no interest in. I like only buying what I want, not what someone sends me. Those clubs aren't cheap either.

Scrapping is VERY addicting, but what a worthwhile addiction!! I just recently became a Close To My Heart consultant, and am waiting for my kit and paperwork to arrive, so I'm really excited about that.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Welcome to the Dis and scrapbooking. If I had to pick a few things I could have really used in the begining it would be my fiskars cutting mat (18x24, i think), a good craft knife, my fine tip scissors and a great trimmer. I also wish I would have started buying SB magazines from the begining, as it would have helped me with design/style tips.

 

[MazdaUK]

This is so helpful, as I'm just starting out too!

3) Keep an empty grocery bag in the car at all times, it will allow you to bring in the handfuls of supplies you'll be buying without too much scrutiny from DH.

So its not just me then? Buying online is a problem, but I try to time purchases so they arrive when DH is at work - as he only has one weekday (sometimes!) and Sundays off you'd think that would be easy, but the number of times I've got home to be told "there's a parce for you - what have you been buying now?"

My first CM party is booked for 12/1, so hopefully I'll know ALL about it after that - NOT

 

[nicurn]

oh no, it's not just you.

I have to hide stuff and bring it out a little at a time. Of course I also have a target (store) addiction that occasionally goes a bit overboard. it's very addicting! have fun! maggie