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Scrapbooking - a way to organize and preserve your favorite memories

by Wayne Wargo (PenWay.org)

Do you want to create something unique that will preserve your favorite memories and that is so much fun to do? You will feel a sense of accomplishment when you start filling up your scrapbook using your creativity and personal ideas.

If you want to learn how to scrapbook, you will find that it will take some commitment and creativity to produce a piece of art. When you learn the techniques to scrapbook you will be able to create whatever you want. You will have to get to know a few basic tools, supplies, and learn some skills before you get started. You will probably want to create albums, and that may take some time to do since there are many aspects to consider. Some projects will be more time-consuming that others, but it can be very rewarding when you end up with something like a family heirloom. It can be enjoyable to do and then the memories that you put together can be passed down to your grandchildren.

To get started, you first need pictures. Everyone has boxes filled with pictures, but you may notice that some are discolored or warped because of the poor storage. The world around us in our homes is full of acid and moisture, which breaks down the chemical balance used to produce photographs and causes them to change appearance. With scrapbooking, you will want to use acid free supplies so that you can preserve the pictures for many years and decades to come.

There are some basics tools that you will need to get before you start your creative adventure into scrapbooking. Every good scrapbooker needs a cutting tool. You will need to get sharp scissors and specialty scissors that will cut scalloped edges, but you may also want something that will cut a straight line and circles. You will also need some form of adhesive. Beginners may find that the easiest products to buy are photo mounts, which are tiny pre-cut pieces of tape, and glue dots, which are pressure-sensitive strong spots of glue to hold larger embellishments. Beyond a cutting tool and adhesive, you really don't need any other tools to get started, but if you want to create fancier pages, many options are available including rubber stamps, paper crimpers, and punches. Start with a few smaller items and increase your inventory as you learn more and more scrapbooking skills.

You will also need a few basic supplies before you begin, the most important of which is the album itself. Make sure whatever you purchase is large enough to hold all the pictures you want to include; two to five pictures will fit on a standard 8 1/2 x 11 page with cropping, with the most balanced layouts having three pictures. You can also choose from larger or smaller albums. The only other supply that you will need to get your scrapbook album started is some paper. Most albums come with a white piece of paper in each sheet protector, but there are many colors and designs to choose from to help spice up your album. Other supplies that add interest to your pages include paper dolls, stickers, die cuts and three-dimensional elements.

You won't be surprised that your newfound skills will lead to more creativity on your part and you'll learn how to do things that you see in a magazine or online and mimic it in your art. If you would like to gain the needed skills, you will want to attend or join a scrapbook workshop or club. Both of these should be easy to find. A good resource should be your local craft, fabric and art supply stores. You can ask the local craft store personnel how to start the scrapbook and you'll be able to learn and master the process of scrapbooking at your own pace.

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