Beginner Scrapbooking – What is Scrapbooking?

Welcome everyone to Beginner Scrapbooking! I’ll be posting tips and techniques to make your photos have a unique and colorful twist to them. So let’s start off with a simple question – which I’m sure most of you know the answer to.

What is scrapbooking?

Do you have a photo album? Everyone does, but over the years it can become rather boring looking in it’s off-white sticky pages covered by plastic. If you’d like to take those pictures and making beautiful frames for them then scrapbooking is for you. It’s a worthwhile and creative hobby that always gives you something to do.

See: Top 5 Reasons to Start Scrapbooking.

Digital Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking doesn’t require any traditional way to be made. Exceptions are allowed that work equally well. It can take hours if not days to be hit by an artist idea. This leaves many people with a creative block which can be down right frustrating. There’s other options for scrapbooking hobbyists that can lessen stress and release you from your artistic brain freeze. With technology growing everyday and the internet being the vast ocean of information that it is, it’s only natural that you’d be able to find help on the web. The internet is an endless source of inspiration when it comes to scrapbooking. Ideas are around every corner – but sometimes you just need a little help.

Introducing digital scrapbooking!

Digital scrapbooking layouts and software can be found all over the internet by simply doing a search for it. Digital scrapbooking kits are also available if you need more materials and designs to work with. If scrapbooking is your new favorite hobby, going digital may be useful for those that need an extra push.

You can save your work at any moment and pick up on it at a later date without worrying. I find this especially helpful when I’m working on albums and something important comes up. You can also design and conceptualize your layout in the same way. Just upload your photos or anything else you’d like and you’re ready to get started on your scrapbook. Personally, I like working with materials that give me more control over my layout. With paper and scissors one wrong move could mean wasted materials. Already made designs are available to use – or you can fiddle with them to give it a unique feel. Digital scrapbooking defiantly has it’s advantages.

Giving it your own artist touch is easy and fun to do. Various themes, color schemes, images, supplies, and ideas are available that will make your scrapbook all the more artistic. If you’re anything like me, you’ll never be happy until you have the perfect picture frame. Luckily, working with the computer I can change shapes, colors, and add my own flair before giving it to someone special.

If you have a scanner, you can also scan in items that you’d like to add to your design without having to cut or glue them in any way. I do this myself with pressed flowers or cartoon figures for my kids photos. Once you’re done, print out your hard work and add your photos. Effort, imagination and a good layout can equal one wonderfully unique scrapbook.

Top 5 Reasons to Start Scrapbooking

Since its inception, scrapbooking has always been six of the most popular hobbies in the world. It is such a gratifying activity to be engaged in. The main concept here is that scrapbooking provides countless possibilities to keep memories alive and creative. Everyone may have their own motivations why they want to scrapbook their photos, but, generally, they work for the same reasons. Here are five of the most common reasons why people have wanted to scrapbook:

1. Scrapbooking is not only for photographs. It can also be a collection of important items that you require when applying for work. This is important to graphic artists, interior designers, photographers, etc. This is because they require to present samples of their works whenever they are applying for a job or whenever they have to close a deal with a potential client. Scrapbooking can make filling your portfolio that much easier.




2. With scrapbooking, you can easily show off your photos without having to spend a lot of money.




3. Scrapbooking lets you enjoy memories and rekindle the pasts over and over again. It lets you tell stories. It lets you reminiscence and remind you how stunning life is and that every event or scene in your life is definitely worth remembering.




4. Organize Scrapbooking is not only a creative activity but also an organizer. Not only will this help you organize that long overdue album, but it’s important to keep things in order to preserve their quality.




5. Here, you can display your baby’s first giggle or your first automobile. It is those firsts that make scrapbooking a worthwhile activity.

Ready to get started? See: Materials – Finding the right scissors to run with.

Scrapbooking Materials – Finding the right scissors to run with.

For those who want to cherish past memories with scrapbooking, they can choose from a wide variety of equipments, gadgets and techniques to aid them do so. One of the many ways to bridge the gap between the past and the present is by making a scrapbook. Scrapbooking is a hobby of pasting photos, newspaper and magazine clippings, quotes, memorabilia and other stuffs into custom-decorated albums.

People who love both art and memories share the hobby. Thus, combining both in a different artistic expression made scrapbooking existence possible. Documenting family history and other important occasions and events is a way of preserving the legacy. This is the main purpose of scrapbooking. With a scrapbook around, it will be easy for you to tell stories to your children, grandchildren and the next kin in line. Imagine the bridging of generations. As they say, pictures paint a thousand words.

In today’s modern time when the popularity of scrapboooking is pretty much obvious, there are even stores who give major discounts on scrapbooking supplies.

Album Refills
If you are planning to do an all-out scrapbooking session, better purchase album refills together with your desired album. It will be frustrating to know afterwards that no refills are available for your scrapbook when you need them.

Adhesive
There are a lot of adhesives available these days. Choose one or two that will compliment your scrapbooking project. Some of the popular adhesive brands used by artists are Xyron’s Solutions and Ez Runner by 3L.

Paper and Scissors
Different kinds of paper can be used to make your scrapbook artistic, appealing and breathtaking. You can use different shapes and colors of paper to add an air of elegance and style. A word of warning – only use lignin free paper.  Acid free paper has a neutral pH balance as well as being lignin and sulfur free. This keeps the paper from turning yellow and deteriorating. Keep your pair of scissors sharp. This will make cutting and shaping easier.

Pens, Crayons and Paint
Pens, crayons and paint can improve the artistic side of your scrapbook. You can use them to write something or to color a portion of your album.

Hole Punch
To make holes on the pages, a hole punch is indispensable. Your scrapbooking supplies will not be complete if you don’t have one.

Additional Material
Embellishments like stamps, stickers, tags, laces, tassels, alphabets, beads, eyelets, denim blocks and other things that can make your scrapbook a sight to behold can be incorporated in it.

Scrapbooking Kit
The scrapbooking kit is an exclusive compartment of all your scrapbooking supplies. It’s an important part of keeping your materials organized and together.

Before doing a scrapbook project, be sure that you have all the materials and supplies needed.

See: Digital Scrapbooking