Scrapbook Supplies
Shopping for Hand Scrapped Photo Album supplies
Now that you have your photos all sorted and
grouped (see
basic scrapbooking) into the many albums you plan to do, you will
need to go shopping. There
is no right way or wrong way to scrapbook other than keeping things in
safe acid free and lignin free environments. Decide how YOU want your
albums to look. There are many options from mini-scrapbooks to full size
albums. See gift ideas here. You may want to keep in mind, the number of
pictures you want to include.
Some albums will
have to be done in volumes if you want to be able to
lift them off the shelf. Many albums also have the
added advantage of being expandable so you can add
more pages if needed.
Remember to look
at craft stores, variety stores (such as Wal-Mart or
Target) as well as office supply stores for your
products. We just hit the jackpot at Target with a
large assortment of shapes, sizes and formats.
Check out our
latest purchase HERE. Just remember that your albums
and page protectors must be acid free so check the
labels.
With the
popularity of scrapbooking in this day and age, most
manufacturers label their products.
Acid
Free Photo Album Assortment
After you have selected your
album, you will need to buy page protectors (if they are not included or
not enough). Page protectors are clear plastic acid free sleeves that
fit into your albums. You can scrap without the page protectors, but
remember the many fingers that will thumb through your masterpiece. Oil
from your hands will leave greasy marks on your pages. If your albums
are in page protectors, you won’t have this problem.
Your next
job will be to find acid free cardstock (heavy
weight) and scrapbook papers. You can use plain
colored cardstock for your pages and use background
pre-printed papers to mount your photos or just
reverse the project by using pre-printed papers for
your pages and mount your photos with single colored
coordinated cardstock. Either way, your albums will
look beautiful and professional. Some scrapbook
papers have frames built into their pages (a lot of
ours do!). All you have to do is cut out the frame
openings using a razorblade or craft knife. You can
also try some of the pages on our site
www.princesscrafts.com on the free scrapbook papers
page. All you need to do is to download and print
the pages and scrap away. We have an assortment of
pages with or without frames.
Acid
Free Cardstock & Scrapbook Papers
You will
also be able to collect some theme (subject) appropriate stickers, die
cuts (pre-cut shapes), Pre-cut frames and acid free pens.
There are many products available for scrapbooking.
There are also many decorative scissors and cutting systems
available for purchase. Keep
in mind that it may take you a few cuts to get used to these, so begin on
extra photos or casual snaps, not your irreplaceable family pictures.
Also, remember that those expensive templates may not be useful
more than once, so be careful what you buy.
A good rule of thumb is that for every dollar an item costs, you
should get use on that many pages ($10.00 item should be useful on at
least 10 pages). This is
especially true on seasonal products.
The last
step is to decide how you want to mount your photos onto your pages.
There are acid free glues, photo sticker squares and photo corner
stickers available. Some acid
free glues are made to be able to move them around if you make a mistake
and harden after sitting for an hour or so. There really are no mistakes in scrapbooking.
We just have fixable “OOPS”.
Photo sticker squares are small square 2-sided stickers for
attaching items to your pages. Your
formal pictures should be mounted with photo corner stickers, as you may
want to remove them at a later date for copying, etc.
Photo corner stickers are triangular pre-gummed corners that you
insert the photo corners into to adhere them to your pages.
Scrapbook
Supplies
Finally,
you are ready to set up shop. Select
a corner or table that you can spread out in.
Scrapbooking can be a messy (and time consuming) job.
Avoid using your dining table if you are planning a dinner party in
the near future. Try to
select a place that doesn’t have to be tidy looking all the time.
Shoeboxes make great inexpensive organizers for scrapbook tools and
supplies. Don’t forget to
label them though for easier searches.
Try to store your photos and papers upright (as in a file cabinet)
so that they stay in the best possible shape as you work.
It is best if your current project can be left sitting out until
complete. That way you don't have to go through the set-up phase
every time you want to work on it. For me, it motivates me to work
on it as I can see it just sitting there.
Scrapbooking
is a time consuming hobby. Don’t
be surprised if your spouse comes home and you had no clue that it was so
late and can’t even see the tabletop.
We have had many a late dinner at my house when I’ve been working
on an album. Remember that
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your album.
You can’t rush creative energy.
If you’re stuck, come back to it at a later date or come visit
our pages for ideas.
With a little patience and persistence you will be able to create a
lasting tribute for your family. Happy
scrapping!
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About Scrapbook Answers
(non-CD ed): Scrapbook Answers magazine is for all scrapbookers
who are eager to save time, learn new techniques, and find fresh
inspiration. In every issue, you'll find extensive step-by-step
instruction, time and money saving tips, authoritative reviews and
more ways to have fun creating beautiful scrapbook pages! |
