scrap booking questions

[Goofysmate]

I'm a first timer at scrap booking and have questions.
I'm going to use a 12x12 scrap book and have loads of ideas going round in my head.
I've been looking at the 12x12 cards and the papers but can't decide if i should stick the photo on the paper then the paper to the card or does it not matter ?
How do i know what back ground paper to buy when they all look so nice and say buy me. ?
Is it better to look at the photo's first that are to be used then buy the papers & cards.
I've already started buying cards shapes & stickers to use but I'm worried that i'm going to get carried away & buy loads of things i don't really need & will not use.
HELP Please

 

[Faerie]

I'm a bit confused on the paper onto the card thing... I usually scrap on solid paper, I find patterened too busy and add accents with patterns. I use a top loading book so my page just slides in

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

take a look at www.twopeasinabucket.com , click on peanut gallery and click on view by category.
They have tons of ideas.
I'm assuming card is the solid cardstock, thick heavy paper. I typically use this as my first layer then I'll add patterned paper as an accent. I look at my pics first to get an idea of colors.
In this page, I used the orange from the transfer on the boys shirts. The blue coordinated with the orange and then the third paper which is patterned was my accent but it also matched the color of the kids shirts.

I also use top loading books so I can move pages around.

 

[Goofysmate]

Many thanks i've got it now & understand
It sometimes takes my a while to cotton on to things.
will take a few photos to my local hobby store to get the right shades in card & paper.

 

[MazdaUK]

I say listen to the paper - especially if it says "buy me"

DH of course says "what's wrong with all the paper you've already got?" Der! Nothing wrong with it except iots not the OTHER paper that I haven't got

The advise about looking at galleries is good - though it can be depressing. I find Simple Scrapbooks has useful, do-able layouts - they have an online bit as well as the paper publication.

 

[MissBubbles]

I buy new paper thinking ahead, especially if it's on sale or clearance, to an upcoming vacation (I pretty much buy all that is Disney), dog stuff, and anything else that catches my eye. I try to keep a sheet or two of cardstock in each color (yellow, red, lt. blue, dark blue, black, etc.)on hand just in case I will use it. I used to use more solid cardstock but now use very little solid and tons of patterned paper.

Of course, I have so much on hand that I could open my own store but you still need more right?!? I went to Archiver's Saturday because I had new coupons for June - 6 free 4x6 prints (and they have the cutest borders for your pics!), free cardstock coupon and a 25% off coupon. Of course, I initially wanted to get out with just that, but I hit the $1.99 spot and bought 4 or 5 things, they had the new tiny tins of Prima flowers for $1.99 (loove, love love Prima flowers), some dog paper on clearance (if it's 50% off or more you have to buy it, am I right here) and for my 25% off coupon, I found a cute Jolee's set with "King of the Castle" for my new puppy. $15.00 later - I'm outta there!! LOL No will power, that's me.

Be sure to try your hand at some of our swaps. The easy ones are the 41 cent swap (you send stuff to someone that can be mailed for 1 ounce of postage and then get things back to you), ribbon swap, brad swap, etc. It's a great way to buy one thing and get back 8 or 10 different items (the ribbon/fiber swap you send 1 or 2 yards of your product and get back what others send).

 

[vanyel]

I'm the opposite of Miss Bubbles The one thing I've discovered I want to have on stock is lots of variety in cardstock. I buy the DCWV packs and use it all the time. When I started I went wild with buying patterned paper and have stacks of paper. Now, I focus more on the cardstock and use the patterened paper to add interest to the page. I also make lots of cards so I use cardstock and add paper, usually to the front.

Usually I have the project in mind when I buy paper though I don't take the photos with me. And I have a problem with "cute" as in "that's cute, I must buy it and it's on sale." Then I don't use it because it's too cute and I don't want to use it on just anything!

 

[Faerie]

My problem is solid card stock... I have 6 shades of purple, 4 browns etc. I'm bad!

 

[PrincessNancy96]

I buy and buy and buy... I have stacks and stacks of about every shade there is... it will all be used at some point...

 

[Faerie]

and I can't just buy 1 or 2 sheets.... oh no, has to be 6-8 of course.... I'm going to need to adjust my 12x12 storage method soon, the envelopes I have it in now isn't cutting it anymore

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Faerie, I'm with you! I have tons of paper and tend to buy at least 2-4 sheets every time.
I have a lot of cardstock on hand too but I tend to use that the most so I always need more. Besides you never know what exact shade of purple you'll need. Right?!? LOL

 

[Yzerbear19]

For a lot of my pages I actually take my pictures with me to the store so that I can find paper that goes well. I usually try to pull one of the colors from the photo.

For example,my page of Clarice, I pulled the colors from her dress and lei:

Again, for the Woody page, I used yellow and blue as the accent colors because of his outfit:

I tend to use printed paper and use solid cardstock for accents. Though sometimes use multiple shades of cardstock if I can't find printed paper I like:

Example: Norway

I have so much paper at home! Everytime I go into the scrapbook store I find paper I like and will buy it even if I don't have a project that I need it for. I just figure at some poine I will find a use for it. And I learned if you see something you really, really like. BUY IT! Because it may not be there when you go back.

 

[kaddjr]

I say listen to the paper - especially if it says "buy me"

DH of course says "what's wrong with all the paper you've already got?" Der! Nothing wrong with it except iots not the OTHER paper that I haven't got

Thanks for the laugh- I really needed it! And yes, that's pretty much how it works around here too. My DH should know better by now.