Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is one of my favorite hobbies. Its one of the few things that actually turns out as I picture it in my head. For anyone who is interested in scrapbooking, I thought I'd share some things I've learned. I love to hear some of your tips too! There are so many things out there that I don't know what to do with. For example, what's the deal with brads? I just don't get it! What's their purpose? How do they work? Its all a big mystery to me. I bought some tonight just to figure it all out. :p

• Its more than just photos. For me, scrapbooking is also about remembering that event or trip or time or whatever. I like to include ticket stubs, brochures, memorabilia, etc. Usually I'll write a little blurb about what was going on that day. Its great to look back through an older book, read what I had written and think "oh that's right, I remember that now!" That's what makes it different than paging through a photo album.
• Its so individualized. There's no right or wrong way to scrapbook, its all up to you and what you like.
• I tend to pick up paper, stickers and little bits and pieces here and there, rather than going to the store looking for something in particular. I also keep an eye out for clearanced items. I've found a bunch of albums really cheap at Target. Michaels, AC Moore and Joann's all have great supplies. You can even find stuff at Walmart. This hobby can get to be VERY expensive, so I've found it helps to buy a little here and there, as my budget allows. When I feel the urge to scrapbook, I go through my supplies and pick items that will work for that project. I often forget what I've bought previously, so its like shopping all over again. This is my super messy scrapbooking drawer where I store all my supplies.
  
• I love starter kits, because they often have little stickers or bits of paper that I wouldn't normally buy on their own. But since everything comes as a collection, I find that it all "works" when put together. They often have sample pages which give me some great ideas. This is a kit I got for Christmas and its got lots of goodies.
• If I go on a trip or have some pictures that I want to put together into an album, I'll try and do it sooner rather than later. Its amazing how much you forget as time goes by.
• Scrapbooking doesn't have to be just about photos. You can do scrapbooks on recipes, kids' school projects or anything your little heart desires.
• As with so many things, it helps to be organized. I have some plastic shelving containers where I sort my goodies. Ribbons in one drawer, bits of paper in another, markers and glue in another. I also have a folding accordian thingie for stickers and I "try" to keep them sorted by theme. And obviously you want to keep all your paper nice and straight.

• I LOVE this little guy - he makes stickers! You put your item in the one end, crank the handle and it attaches a glue to the back so you can just adhere your item to your page without messing with glue. Its awesome, and pretty inexpensive.

Here are some pages I've created. I don't post pictures of myself or family here, so these are some non-people pages I've made.

DBF and my first vacation together. Shadow came along too.
Sometimes I like to let the picture speak for itself. I thought this was so pretty.

The Frank Lloyd Wright house in AZ - I included an informational card that I got on the tour.

I took this shot from inside a car and I love it! I really like the US road marker stickers, its 3-D and adds a special touch to the page.

These were taken at the botanical gardens in Phoenix, AZ. Look familiar Precious? :)

Grand Canyon...

I love this picture. I have about a hundred shots of partial butterfly wings, but this was the one shot that came out so well.

This paper was so cute. It had those butterflies on the side, so it was perfect for these photos. It came out a little dark, its actually a very cheerful yellow.

Sorry about the glare here. This was from one of my first books before I really started journaling about the pictures. That's a little puddle-jumper that I flew in on a tour of the Grand Canyon! Never again, never again. Oh the nausea...