A scrapbooking newbie

Welcome to the world of scrapbooking he he! WHile I have never done any paper scrapping I am addicted to digital scrapping. Why cos its easy - its cheaper and you can use papers and elements over and over again or recolour them. I am a digital kit designer so if you have ANY inclination to go thataway just holler - You can see one of my pages in my avatar and there's lots more on my blog - see my profile. If you look at my avater - that is a fast page - you buy the page as it is (without my cuties photo LOL) that is a hole and you put your photo in a layer underneath and hey presto there is your finishes page or you can add some journalling. Try it - you will enjoy the freedom of being clutter free!

You'd be surprised what you are capable of once you get your creative juices flowing. It does get quite costly, but my advice to you is to start out small. Work on a particular themed page at a time and buy it as you need it. I have been scrapbooking for 8 years now. I never stay caught up...haha. Always keep your eyes open for things are clearance. You may not need it now, but you might later down the road. You'll be glad you bought it. I buy so much now that I have to sneak it into the house so my husband won't get upset. It's an addiction for sure. Best of luck. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do! It's my stress reliever.

I myself am not a big scrapbooker, but once in a while I do the need to do it lol. I have some friends that do it and they say it's addicting.

hey there, I see you took the plunge! My advice is that do not go crazy with all the "new have to have" things. Buy a little at a time. I think I was so overwhelmed with all the things I had in my scrapping stash, that I shut down. Aslo do what you like and not what is just popular with your pages. Remember they are for you and your family, not to impress the world!

I can help! Ok, first you said you don't have "the money to afford everything that is needed". You don't need a lot to start :) I save things from every occassion - napkins, special things on the table, gifts, anything significant. I then use these as the main decoration for my scrapbook page of that event. Another idea is to collect things like stickers, cutouts and papers. If you ever see a sale on stickers, buy some! Even if you have no use for them right now, you'll soon have a stock pile of items to go through whenever you start a new page. It's easier to buy random items and figure them out later, then it is to try and buy specific items to match specific events. Second, I am currently behind also, stuck in 2004! I find that if you are behind, you should start by sorting out all your photos into piles, and you may find that some events are related enough that you can combine them. I put my birthday's together, all of 2000 together, and a bunch of "hanging with friends" things together. By doing this, you might be able to get through your 5 years with only 1 or 2 pages per year! Enjoy :) and if you need more advice just ask!

Go digital! :) It is so much easier, there's the UNDO button, it's cleaner, no mess on the kitchen table at al! :)

One thing I will share, because I also don't have that creativity to create really outstanding pages, is do what you like. Simple is fine. Sometimes I think scrapbookers forget that the pictures are the focus, not the scraps around it.

Let me make some suggestions from a real money mizer. E-bay has wonderful deals on scrapbook items. Check all your local thrift stores.. Goodwill, etc.. Remember it doesn't have to say "scrapbook" for it to fit the occasion. Buttons, lace, wrapping paper, all kinds of cheap decorations can be found at very cheap prices if you look outside the jar. Good luck!!!

The best advice I ever got was to keep things simple...let the pictures and a little journaling, tell the story about what happened. I also just started and have a lot of catching up to do.

Don't believe for a minute that you are not creative and imaginative. You are short-changing yourself. I am thinking about making up a scrapbook also. But mine will be a happy/prosperity type of thing. I will gather all I can find to represent my dreams and desires. Talking about money, try thinking that you will have the money for your scrapbook and that you can put anything you want into it. It is not the pages that are beautiful, it is the beauty within you that comes forth onto the pages.

Hi! I have been scrapping for 8 years. I was fortunate enough to get introduced to it when my first child was just 3 months old, so I didn't have lot to catch up on. But I do have some advice. Don't let the catching up part overwhelm you. Just take one subject at a time. Maybe start with birthdays or holidays. Or, if you have a couple of kids, start with one's baby pictures. Also, don't look at your pages and think they're bad. Look at them and admit that whatever you have just done has got to be better than just looking at pictures on a page with no words, no embelishments, nothing that tells the story. I sometimes look back at my first few albums and laugh at how silly some of the pages look. But at least they tell the story of what's going on and record important events in my baby's life. In fifty years, no one will look at those books and wonder who that other kid is in the picture, or how old the kids were when we went to Disney World. I know it's a pricey hobby, but shop smart. Don't run out and buy all the latest gadgets. Speaking from experience, you won't use most of them. The things you'll use most are scissors, paper trimmer, pens, pencils, cardstock and adhesive. Clip coupons for Joann's and Michaels. Joann's has some really nice paper stacks and they often go on sale for $10 for a huge stack that will last you a good long time. Remember, it's a hobby and hobbies are supposed to be fun and relaxing. Enjoy it!

Just go with what you like. Try to stay away from the big trends as it'll cost you a fortune indeed. Don't buy things because they are on sale...most likely you won't use them. Buy things that will match your photos and you're 100% sure you'll use them! Have fun!!!

I also have a backlog of photos to scrapbook! Until i became addicted to digital scrapbooking. I really love this more than paper scrapbooking because it's cheaper --- there are lots of kits, templates, elements that you can download from lots of websites for your own personal use. Or if you want to buy from these sites, you need only pay a few dollars and you can then re-use that kit again and again and again. There is even a site in which i've been a member for, i think, 2 1/2 years already, wherein you have to pay a 1-year subscription, and you can then access all the kits, elements, templates that the site have. You can print it, save it on your computer, just do anything you want with it --- but it's just for your own personal use, and not for commercial use. I tell you, what you pay is really worth it! And the site owner is really helpful and accomodating! The site is princesscrafts.com.

What is good about scrapbooking, is that to start you don't need much. Some paper, glue and scissors and you are set. Don't let anyone ever tell you that you aren't good or that you can't do this craft. It is something that everyone can do. It's about what you like, what you want to do and that's all. I don't know where you live but my advice is to try some classes. Either card or scrapbooking, because they will help you with techniques and you will learn a ton. I own a scrapbook store in Hilton, NY and I teach all ages and I have started many people on the road to scrapbooking their lives. I am always helpful and if you don't have a ton of money to spend, fine, just be more creative. Look on the internet and look for embellishments that you might like on your pages - then copy them by making your own - but with your own twist. Very easy, because you have a guide to work off of. I have a wesbite www.giftsforlife.biz - soon I will have online kits so that you can learn how to make small projects, but then incorporate them into your scrapbooking. We have tons of cheap order only items too.

Don't spend alot of money on all the gadgets. You can do alot of the stuff without the gadgets! Just get creative. Check out some books from your local library for ideas. Look at websites. Use stuff from your everyday life. Save stuff when your out and about. You do have to be organized. Start with a filing system or some sort of boxes set up to save items in. When you get your pictures developed or printed put them in the organizers with the items you saved up. If you print pictures..PRINT pictures... I found the biggest delay in working on scrap booking is to have the pictures I hear alot about...well I just never seem to print the pictures...or if I didn't have to print my pictures...hope this helps some!

I love scrapbooking too! And yes, it's very addictive. But like the others suggested, it doesn't have to be extremely expensive. When I first got started, I wanted everything! Then I quickly realized I didn't need it all. I suggest you to go your nearest craft store or find a Creative Memories instructor or other company that has crops. Attend a few and get a sense of your style. You can use their tools and gadgets while you're there and then you'll know what you just have to have! lol! Good luck, but most of all, Have fun!

I my advice would be to shop sales at Micheal's craft store, hobby lobby, and also never pay full price always shop clearance you will be special how many pages you can get made. Never throw anything away unless it really is trash, I recycle everything. scrapbooking is fun and you are going to love ti welcome to the land of scrapbooking!

The best advice I could give you would be to become a collector. I got started scrapbooking several years ago and wasn't really sure what to do. I started creeping into the stores once in a while and would spend maybe 15 or 20 dollars on odds and ends, collecting things that I liked until I had amassed a phenomenal amount of supplies. In the mean time, I checked with my local scrap booking stores and signed up for some of their classes (price ranges between 15 and 50 dollars, depending on what it is that you're taking a class on and usually the supplies are included). The classes go a long way toward pointing you in the right direction creatively. It's also a gerat place to exchange ideas with other crafters who are just learning like you are. Good luck with it and have FUN!

I'm a scrapbooker! I'll admit it, and yes I got addicted! I'll go to events with my sorority and purposely take pictures out of focus so I can cut them down to size to fit more pics on a page. It's sad really. But the best advice ever given to me was not to scrap every pic you have. Take out the ones out of the album that best sum up that event, or the ones that you cherish the most. If you try to scrap everything your book with look crowded and you'll run out of creative ideas for every page. You've said several times that you are worrying about having the cash to fund your new hobby. With me being a college student, I can say I have the same concern. I took the stencil route to save some $$. Many people like to buy the ABC stickers to make their pages look very neat and tidy. I decided to buy a 79 cent stencil of the alphabet and a pack of markers. Your letters will still all term out the same shape and size, turning out to be the same effect as the stickers. It saves so much money since stickers around here are normally at least a dollar a page. Those add up when you use all your A's on a sheet and can't spell out the word your looking for *lol*. Good luck with your new book. Remember to have fun with it, and not get so stressed out!

I also vowed to stay away from scrapbooking but as they say you get addicted to it very quickly !!