Saturday, August 29, 2009
It's coming....
A look-see at my budget scrapbooking workspace. Everything I own fits in (or by) an altered computer cabinet. I'm cleaning and tidying up so I can take some photos, then I'll post. Any questions? ;)
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Save your scraps and be ready to swap.
Let's talk about scraps. With all the cutting, trimming and punching we scrapbookers do, there are lots of scrap pieces of paper to be had. What to do with these leftover pieces? Well, SAVE THEM!
There are many ways to do this and I'd encourage you to find the storage system that works best for you. Some scrapbookers toss them all together in a basket or container (Noell Hyman at Paperclipping.com does this, as she feels it's easier for her to spot combinations she might not otherwise consider.) Some scrapbookers file them in an accordian file by color or pattern.
What works best for me is to place my scraps in a 3-ring binder in 8½x11 page protectors, separated by color.
For one, I can easily flip through my scraps to see what might work well on my layout. But better yet, this system is also highly portable. I can simply grab my binder and take it with me to crops, making many paper choices available to me for my work there. I love the portability of this scraps storage method.So, how do I decide which scraps to save? Here are some general guidelines:
- save all salvageable pieces of solid cardstock, as there are so many uses for it (even the smallest strips can be used as spots for dating a layout, for example.)
- any patterned paper scraps large enough to be worth saving for future use
- use punches (ie. circles and squares) to save smaller pieces of patterned papers
- even a tiny scrap of an absolute favorite pattern is worth saving for use on a future project (ie. can be used to construct a handmade embellishment)
- if the paper no longer makes me happy or I struggle to find good use for it, then those scraps are tossed. But wait! Not so quick on this last one. Read on.
A fun thing to do with your scraps mix is to find a friend (or better yet, several friends) and have a scrap swap. Just like setting a dollar limit on a gift exchange, set a very clear rule that NO NEW OR WHOLLY UNUSED PAPER can be part of a scrap swap. It is exactly that, a chance to inject new color and pattern into your available stash of scraps. You can do this in any number of ways, but a simple way is to decide on a kitchen bag such as a ziplock quart bag, and ask each swappie to place a specific number of scraps in the bag. Ten? Twenty? You decide. You can draw names and give your bag to that person, or if each swappie has a plentiful stash, you can make a bag for each person who will participate. Add a challenge: get together to exchange the scraps and purpose to create a layout using your new stash of scraps.
This is just another affordable (and FUN!) way to enjoy this fun and important hobby on a budget. Unti next time, Crop It Real.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Enjoy a good challenge!
Before you read any further, I will refer you to a thumnail image of this sketch as the context in which to understand this post. Walk with me now...
I'm not one to use sketches. That is, I'm not one to use them now, though I did purchases Becky Higgins Sketches when I first began scrapbooking. I believe a sketch can help beginners to think in terms of symmetry and spacial relationships, concepts that result in good scrapbook pages.
But I think (and this is just my humble opinion here) that repeated use of sketches can potentially stifle one's own style from emerging. Eventually, it's good to take the concepts you've learned from sketches and begin to apply them in a more freeform fashion, taking chances so you can expand personal creativity and find your own personal style.
That being said, my scrappin' sistuhs and I (a group of 5 regulars who enjoy getting together to chat and scrapbook) have been using sketches recently to challenge ourselves collectively. And the neat thing is, it results in having some layouts in our scrapbooks that are binding ties. It's neat that we all have layouts whose "bones" or foundations are similar. Neat, huh?!!!
Okay, so here is my take on our most recent sketch challenge.
It turned out whimsical and was really quite fun to do.
I kept the same basic design as follows;
-two photos on a panel
-a shaped border on one end that repeats in shape, and to a greater extent, on the other (in my case, top and bottom of page with scalloped edges).
-a main embellishment, dominantly round, and with a "tail" (as I defined it)
-a double round emellishment opposite the previously mentioned one.
-journaling below the photos
And here is how I individualized the sketch;
-changed the orientation from a horizontal layout (based on photo placement) to a vertical layout (accomplished by turning the sketch a quarter-turn clockwise)
-using scallops in place of diamonds
-journaling on a semi-circle (this supports the "roly poly" design)
-exaggerating the size of the double round embellishment (that large blue semi-circle is actually a scrap cut from a photo of water in a pool)
-using the balloons to represent the main embellishment with a "tail".
-adding the white lacey paper at the top, a touch that was not present at all in the original sketch.
To crop within budget, I hand drew the balloon strings and outlined other details for a whimsical effect. I also handmade the title (per our challenge instructions) and added some gray shading to each letter circle with chalk. The bling on this layout was purchased at Goodwill. It was actually on some hair bands. For 49 cents a piece, each hairband had a good 20 jewels on it. I plucked them off very easily and put them in a tiny container to be added to my budget scrapbook supplies. The heart sticker at the bottom is from old supplies that I want to use instead of spending money on new supplies. And the papers, as always, are either Joann's 6 for 96 cents sale and/or from my bulk paper store back in Ohio.
Until next time, Crop It Real.
I'm not one to use sketches. That is, I'm not one to use them now, though I did purchases Becky Higgins Sketches when I first began scrapbooking. I believe a sketch can help beginners to think in terms of symmetry and spacial relationships, concepts that result in good scrapbook pages.
But I think (and this is just my humble opinion here) that repeated use of sketches can potentially stifle one's own style from emerging. Eventually, it's good to take the concepts you've learned from sketches and begin to apply them in a more freeform fashion, taking chances so you can expand personal creativity and find your own personal style.
That being said, my scrappin' sistuhs and I (a group of 5 regulars who enjoy getting together to chat and scrapbook) have been using sketches recently to challenge ourselves collectively. And the neat thing is, it results in having some layouts in our scrapbooks that are binding ties. It's neat that we all have layouts whose "bones" or foundations are similar. Neat, huh?!!!
Okay, so here is my take on our most recent sketch challenge.
It turned out whimsical and was really quite fun to do.
I kept the same basic design as follows;
-two photos on a panel
-a shaped border on one end that repeats in shape, and to a greater extent, on the other (in my case, top and bottom of page with scalloped edges).
-a main embellishment, dominantly round, and with a "tail" (as I defined it)
-a double round emellishment opposite the previously mentioned one.
-journaling below the photos
And here is how I individualized the sketch;
-changed the orientation from a horizontal layout (based on photo placement) to a vertical layout (accomplished by turning the sketch a quarter-turn clockwise)
-using scallops in place of diamonds
-journaling on a semi-circle (this supports the "roly poly" design)
-exaggerating the size of the double round embellishment (that large blue semi-circle is actually a scrap cut from a photo of water in a pool)
-using the balloons to represent the main embellishment with a "tail".
-adding the white lacey paper at the top, a touch that was not present at all in the original sketch.
To crop within budget, I hand drew the balloon strings and outlined other details for a whimsical effect. I also handmade the title (per our challenge instructions) and added some gray shading to each letter circle with chalk. The bling on this layout was purchased at Goodwill. It was actually on some hair bands. For 49 cents a piece, each hairband had a good 20 jewels on it. I plucked them off very easily and put them in a tiny container to be added to my budget scrapbook supplies. The heart sticker at the bottom is from old supplies that I want to use instead of spending money on new supplies. And the papers, as always, are either Joann's 6 for 96 cents sale and/or from my bulk paper store back in Ohio.
Until next time, Crop It Real.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Too many photos means too many albums.
Have you considered this? The digital camera age has allowed us, all of us, to be awesome photographers. We know what the photo will look like before it ever goes to print. Sadly, some of the magic of "the olden days" has been lost with digital photography. My parents used to have a single roll of film, maybe a 24 or 36exposure, to last a good three events, maybe more. That meant only 6 shots or so of an entire birthday or holiday. Those captured memories were precious and few, and it was like Christmas every time we got photos developed. The excitement was very contagious. What was on the film? Were the shots decent? We just couldn't wait to see ourselves in print.
Fast forward to current day. The cart is before the horse. We know what will be on the prints because we can see them in advance. And we can delete any duplicate or poor quality shots. And we MUST! From a budget standpoint, we certainly must. But also when you consider how many photos your loved ones will need (or even want) to see of a particular event, reducing the number of photos that go to print is a must. And when you consider the countless hours you'll invest in creating layouts as keepsakes, keep in mind that you don't want that time and effort to be in vain. Sadly, it might be if, simply stated, you end up with waaaay too many scrapbooks; too many store, too many to view, too many to give away to your children when they leave the nest.
So, how to see that you don't end up with too many photos and too many albums? It's been a learning curve for me (and continues to be, most definitely.) One very recent thing I've learned might make you gasp. It goes like this.
LEAVE YOUR CAMERA AT HOME!
Done gasping? (Don't say I didn't warn you.) Yes, I'm serious. I want you to put your most practical, objective thinking cap on right now. In all honesty, do you really, truly need to document little Johnny's entire soccer season on film? Do you even need to capture every single season (other than one or two shots)? When he is grown, do you honestly think he'll desire to sort through pages and pages of soccer layouts? Not likely (just being honest). A collage of soccer photos from several years on a 2 page layout would likely be a better option. And trust me, it will be MUCH harder to dispose of photos once they're printed. So for me, the first line of defense in not having an overwhelming number of photos to work with is to consider leaving the camera at home (imagine all the action you'll ENGAGE in, simply because you're not behind a camera).
Next, make friends with your delete key. That's right, be ready to scrutinize the photos on your hard drive. Be very, very tough here. No matter how good the shot is, you do NOT need two identical or very similar shots.
"Here's little Johnny opening his favorite gift at Christmas. Oh, and here's Johnny smiling with another gift." And then there's Johnny with Santa. And Johnny with cousin Billy. And Johnny with his grandparents. And Johnny in his Christmas pj's. And...get the picture? Johnny is probably NOT going to want 20 photos of Christmas 2008 (and 2009 and 2010 and...) So again, weed them out. Four or five good photos. Be brave and delete similar photos. Group as many relatives together as possible for a shot so you don't have to keep 4 or 5 photos just to count everyone as present that year. Still having trouble? It'll take some practice, but remember our goal here, to allow only the most important photos to make it to print.
Another important point for us budget scrapbookers. Multiple photo layouts. So many of the magazines and online galleries feature single photo layouts. While these are beautiful (so much room to get artsy on the page), they simply are not practical if you need to stay on budget and/or if you don't want waaaaay more albums than you can possibly store. Multiple photo layouts will result in less pages, thus less albums. And if you want to get super creative every now and then, go ahead. Create that occasional single photo layout. But it will not be budget-wise to do this on a regular basis. So pay close attention to multiple photo layouts that please your eye and be ready to master them with practice. With that said, I haven't mentioned the secret weapon yet.
The secret weapon. Yes, there really is one. What if you could keep more photos, yet not print more? It's possible, and I'm not talking about leaving some in an online gallery or storing some on CD (though that's an option as well.) I'm talking about creating collages which can then be printed on a single 4x6 (or whateve size you wish). This is definitely a scrapbooker's best friend. You can print 4 wallet sized photos on a single 4x6. 4 photos for the price of one. 4 photos taking up the space of only one photo on your layouts. And you could even print more than that on one photo if you don't mind the tinier sizes. I use Picasa 3 for this (free and available for download online.) But if you own a fancier photo editing program, learn how to use this feature. You'll be sooo glad you did.
Finally, one more way to avoid the pitfalls of too many photos, too many albums. Consider finding a comfort level in simply not scrapbooking every photo you ever print. It's a lot of pressure to feel that you MUST scrapbook each and every photo (and as I previously stated, that's why it's important to weed through your photos BEFORE they ever make it to print, so this pressure can be reduced or maybe even eliminated.) There are options for unused photos, which I'll get to in a future post. For now, just consider that every printed photo does NOT need to be scrapbooked. 'Nuff said. Until next time, crop it real!
Fast forward to current day. The cart is before the horse. We know what will be on the prints because we can see them in advance. And we can delete any duplicate or poor quality shots. And we MUST! From a budget standpoint, we certainly must. But also when you consider how many photos your loved ones will need (or even want) to see of a particular event, reducing the number of photos that go to print is a must. And when you consider the countless hours you'll invest in creating layouts as keepsakes, keep in mind that you don't want that time and effort to be in vain. Sadly, it might be if, simply stated, you end up with waaaay too many scrapbooks; too many store, too many to view, too many to give away to your children when they leave the nest.
So, how to see that you don't end up with too many photos and too many albums? It's been a learning curve for me (and continues to be, most definitely.) One very recent thing I've learned might make you gasp. It goes like this.
LEAVE YOUR CAMERA AT HOME!
Done gasping? (Don't say I didn't warn you.) Yes, I'm serious. I want you to put your most practical, objective thinking cap on right now. In all honesty, do you really, truly need to document little Johnny's entire soccer season on film? Do you even need to capture every single season (other than one or two shots)? When he is grown, do you honestly think he'll desire to sort through pages and pages of soccer layouts? Not likely (just being honest). A collage of soccer photos from several years on a 2 page layout would likely be a better option. And trust me, it will be MUCH harder to dispose of photos once they're printed. So for me, the first line of defense in not having an overwhelming number of photos to work with is to consider leaving the camera at home (imagine all the action you'll ENGAGE in, simply because you're not behind a camera).
Next, make friends with your delete key. That's right, be ready to scrutinize the photos on your hard drive. Be very, very tough here. No matter how good the shot is, you do NOT need two identical or very similar shots.
"Here's little Johnny opening his favorite gift at Christmas. Oh, and here's Johnny smiling with another gift." And then there's Johnny with Santa. And Johnny with cousin Billy. And Johnny with his grandparents. And Johnny in his Christmas pj's. And...get the picture? Johnny is probably NOT going to want 20 photos of Christmas 2008 (and 2009 and 2010 and...) So again, weed them out. Four or five good photos. Be brave and delete similar photos. Group as many relatives together as possible for a shot so you don't have to keep 4 or 5 photos just to count everyone as present that year. Still having trouble? It'll take some practice, but remember our goal here, to allow only the most important photos to make it to print.
Another important point for us budget scrapbookers. Multiple photo layouts. So many of the magazines and online galleries feature single photo layouts. While these are beautiful (so much room to get artsy on the page), they simply are not practical if you need to stay on budget and/or if you don't want waaaaay more albums than you can possibly store. Multiple photo layouts will result in less pages, thus less albums. And if you want to get super creative every now and then, go ahead. Create that occasional single photo layout. But it will not be budget-wise to do this on a regular basis. So pay close attention to multiple photo layouts that please your eye and be ready to master them with practice. With that said, I haven't mentioned the secret weapon yet.
The secret weapon. Yes, there really is one. What if you could keep more photos, yet not print more? It's possible, and I'm not talking about leaving some in an online gallery or storing some on CD (though that's an option as well.) I'm talking about creating collages which can then be printed on a single 4x6 (or whateve size you wish). This is definitely a scrapbooker's best friend. You can print 4 wallet sized photos on a single 4x6. 4 photos for the price of one. 4 photos taking up the space of only one photo on your layouts. And you could even print more than that on one photo if you don't mind the tinier sizes. I use Picasa 3 for this (free and available for download online.) But if you own a fancier photo editing program, learn how to use this feature. You'll be sooo glad you did.
Finally, one more way to avoid the pitfalls of too many photos, too many albums. Consider finding a comfort level in simply not scrapbooking every photo you ever print. It's a lot of pressure to feel that you MUST scrapbook each and every photo (and as I previously stated, that's why it's important to weed through your photos BEFORE they ever make it to print, so this pressure can be reduced or maybe even eliminated.) There are options for unused photos, which I'll get to in a future post. For now, just consider that every printed photo does NOT need to be scrapbooked. 'Nuff said. Until next time, crop it real!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
But I *WANT* top notch papers!
********Bo Bunny Press*******
It's the whine of many a budget scrapbooker, myself once included. Did I say whine? Cry, heart's desire, whine, call it as you see it. The bottom line is, we ALL would love the amazing papers we often see in the galleries. The latest collection of a major name brand. Wouldn't it be nice? The latest packet from a hot monthly kit club. Wouldn't you just love to get your hands on it? I mean, it's got to be easier to crank out great pages if you have great supplies to begin with, yes? Okay sure, I'll buy that.
Easier, yes.
Guarenteed success? No.
Because the fact is, great papers in the hands of poor creativity can still turn out poor pages. It's really not what we spend, scrapees. It's what we create.
To that end, let me suggest to you that you CAN have those gorgeous, pricey papers. And you CAN afford them on a limited budget. Here's how.
Consider your local scrapbook store (if you don't know yet, they're known as an "LSS" in the the world of scrapbooking.) Now, I'm not talking about craft stores like Joanne, Hobby Lobby, or Michaels. They're a budget scrapper's lifeline and they will continue to be your main source of supplies. But I'm talking about a store purely dedicated to scrapbooking supplies. There are even some chains like Archivers (which I love, but please be sure to support your LSS as well. They are committed to your love of scrapbooking and your patronage means their survival.)
As you consider a trip to your LSS, imagine all the incredibly beautiful, hot off the press supplies you will encounter. More eye candy than you could ever hope to indulge in. So a good rule of thumb (to avoid the pitfalls of impulse spending) is to get an idea in mind before you visit.
Which color range would you like to select from?
Within that range, what pattern would you likely prefer?
I mentioned in previous posts that we budget girls should steer clear of themed papers, opting instead for general patterns that give us greater options for using the paper. Florals, repeating shapes (circles, for example), flourishes, paisleys, etc.
This is a terrific general pattern from Making Memories. A larger repeating print like flowers could be individually cut out and used to create beautiful handmade embellishments.
This pattern from American Crafts is a good example of one that can be cut apart to make many embellishments. Smaller prints, like dots or mini florals, can be used in endless ways on your pages. And 2-sided papers ALWAYS present greater options (and they're a good value as expensive papers go, being considerably lower in cost than if you were to buy 2 sheets of single sided paper.)
A versatile 2-sided example from Making Memories.Your goal is to get just a few sheets of the pricier papers, with the intent of cutting them into strips, shapes, mattes, etc., to infuse some pricier beauty into our less costly layouts. You'll feel great being able to enjoy some of the best papers available, and your budget will not suffer in the process.
So go ahead, visit those galleries and online stores. Look at those amazing top notch papers (and dream as you drool). Zoom in on the color and flexible pattern that most pleases your eye. Then plan to visit your LSS to purchase just a few sheets of your heart's desire (2 or 3 is plenty). And then... do what we budget gals do best. Get very creative. Until next time, Crop It Real!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Let's budget scrap!
Okay, here's the frugal lowdown.
- Title: chipboard letters purchased at Dollar Tree for (yep!) a dollar. They were raw so I painted them to match my layout (acrylic paint, 79 cents at Walmart).
- Flower that dots the "i" in "big": from the Dollar Store as well (a box for $1)
- perwinkle background paper: came in a pack from Big Lots. I believe I paid 4 or 5dollars for the pack.
- Embellishments: (birthday hat, orange corner flowers, and clipboard), a packet at Dollar Tree for $1
- orange triangle chipboard: I believe it's Making Memories brand. However, I bought it in its unopened packet at Goodwill for 99 cents.
- Green pokadot paper and orange color washed paper: Joanne when they run the 6/$1 sale.
And this particular layout was a challenge to myself, to use supplies I felt were either outdated or no longer interested me. I think it turned out well.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
LET'S START (and perhaps stay?) WITH THE BASICS
Okay, this will definitely be old hat for seasoned scrapbookers. But I'll start here because it's the foundation of every scrapbooker's journey and because you may be new to the hobby.
So, the basics. There are many tools, gadgets, bells and whistles available in the scrapbooking industry to help you crank out layouts. But for cropping it real, here are my suggestions;
Okay, obviously there are many more supplies available. And over time, you're likely to collect some of them, especially where letter stickers and embellishments are concerned. But honestly, the above list will be plenty to get you started in scrapbooking. Let's talk about the list.
First, I encourage you to consider a quality paper trimmer. There are rotary trimmers and guillotine trimmers. I own both, but personally I prefer a rotary trimmer. It is easily portable for crops, and it allows you to begin a cut in the middle of a piece of paper, unlike guillotine trimmers. Choose a rotary trimmer that will cut 12x12 paper. Also, be certain that it includes a swing-out arm for measuring the full 12x12 length AND width. Another thing to consider is brand. You'll want to select a brand whose replacement blades are easy to find.
On to journaling pens. Begin with two colors; black and white. I mainly use black when journaling, but if the paper is very dark, I occasionally use white. I also use white for doodling on dark papers. The white pens are gel pens so you will not get a fine result and it's important to write s-l-o-w-e-r with a white gel pen so the ink flow is consistent. Another option for journaling may be the occasional computer printed text, but I try to save that for longer stories only. I'll talk more about journaling in a future post.
Solid cardstock. Let me share something with you. Many of your photos will have green in them. This is because we often shoot outdoors and so trees and grass are the backdrop. Just something for you to consider when selecting colors. So I own several shades of green, preferring sage or gray-green tones. You will want to begin your supply with colors that are most versatile; black, white, brown, tans. Add a few colors that make you happy and you'll have a starter supply. I would encourage you to begin with 4 sheets of each color mentioned. Don't worry that you don't have "enough" (color or amount). Your supply WILL grow rather quickly.
The dreaded patterned paper. This can be soooo intimidating for new scrapbookers. What looks good? How do I combine them? Will I be able to use that funky but desired print? Yadda yadda. Don't worry too much. This will all "grow" on you as you eventually work into your own personal style. You'll notice that patterned papers are arranged by colors in the stores. A good general rule is, stay away from colors you don't enjoy. You might challenge yourself to work with those later, but don't spend your precious dollars on undesirable colors to start. I would also encourage you to stay away from heavily themed papers. They are not broad-purpose and so your dollars won't work nearly as well for you with themed papers. These include holiday and birthday prints, sports prints, prints that have images of grass or hay or baby shoes on them, etc. You will be more cost effective (and much more creative) if you stick with patterns that are more general; florals, paisleys, checks, flourishes, stripes, circles, etc. One more note on patterned paper. If you find 2-sided papers and can purchase them for the same price as single sided, you'll get more flexibility for less money. I also try to buy sturdier patterned paper when possible, but it's okay to take thinner papers too (you'll work with them on sturdier or solid cardstock).
The stuff that holds it all together, GLUE! There are liquids, sticks, dots, and runners. Frankly, they all have a place. But to begin with, I will encourage you to invest in a glue runner and either a stick or a liquid. The runner will be used on most of your layout. Choose acid free and try to find the most tape for the best price. Ad Tech runners have proven to be the most cost effective. Walmart carries them. You'll get an acid-free 2-pack refill (8.75 yds each) for about $2.29. Super value. The liquid or stick will be used for smaller details (ie. bling or thin strips of paper) that the runner will be too wide for. Michaels carries Aleens Paper Glaze. It is affordable, acid-free, and bonds very well.
Where to store your layouts? Again, there are all kinds of albums; strap albums, post albums, 3-ring (d-ring) albums, and more. But for us budget conscious scrapbookers, I would encourage you to try d-ring albums. They are extremely flexible for moving pages around, can hold a large number of layouts, and are a terrific "work in progress" album to store pages. You can always purchase a fancy album as the final resting place for a group of layouts that belong together, especially if you'll be giving those as a gift. But for simply storing completed work, d-ring is great. Another advantage is the flexibility to store different layout sizes in the same album. My album has 12x12, 8½x11, and a few 8x8 all in the same album. I got this flexible idea from Ali Edwards, who is one talented graphic designer and scrapbooker. You can see what combining sizes in the same album is all about here. As for page protectors, just be sure they're acid-free. I have found inexpensive, acid-free page protectors at the dollar stores.
I do think a corner rounder is a good basic item. Don't buy the smallest size out there (perhaps the next size up). Watch for coupons for Joann. They're available often and you can save some money on your scrapbooking purchases. Joann also runs frequent sales. You'll use the corner rounder to keep your photos and photo mattes from always being retangular or square shaped.
Finally, stamp ink pads. Get a black and an antique tone like sepia. I use Vibrance acid-free archival black pigment ink and sepia Archival Ink. My black pad is a spongier pad, which is better for inking paper edges.
These are the staples, the basics that you'll reach for again and again. Add scissors and a craft knife. Include a pencil and a white erase too. If you have a stapler, keep it close by. You'll build from here, but I assure you, this is enough to get started and to even keep going on a budget. We don't have to spend more to enjoy this hobby and turn out pleasing pages. We just have to be more creative.
Until next time, Crop It Real!
So, the basics. There are many tools, gadgets, bells and whistles available in the scrapbooking industry to help you crank out layouts. But for cropping it real, here are my suggestions;
Okay, obviously there are many more supplies available. And over time, you're likely to collect some of them, especially where letter stickers and embellishments are concerned. But honestly, the above list will be plenty to get you started in scrapbooking. Let's talk about the list.
First, I encourage you to consider a quality paper trimmer. There are rotary trimmers and guillotine trimmers. I own both, but personally I prefer a rotary trimmer. It is easily portable for crops, and it allows you to begin a cut in the middle of a piece of paper, unlike guillotine trimmers. Choose a rotary trimmer that will cut 12x12 paper. Also, be certain that it includes a swing-out arm for measuring the full 12x12 length AND width. Another thing to consider is brand. You'll want to select a brand whose replacement blades are easy to find.
On to journaling pens. Begin with two colors; black and white. I mainly use black when journaling, but if the paper is very dark, I occasionally use white. I also use white for doodling on dark papers. The white pens are gel pens so you will not get a fine result and it's important to write s-l-o-w-e-r with a white gel pen so the ink flow is consistent. Another option for journaling may be the occasional computer printed text, but I try to save that for longer stories only. I'll talk more about journaling in a future post.
Solid cardstock. Let me share something with you. Many of your photos will have green in them. This is because we often shoot outdoors and so trees and grass are the backdrop. Just something for you to consider when selecting colors. So I own several shades of green, preferring sage or gray-green tones. You will want to begin your supply with colors that are most versatile; black, white, brown, tans. Add a few colors that make you happy and you'll have a starter supply. I would encourage you to begin with 4 sheets of each color mentioned. Don't worry that you don't have "enough" (color or amount). Your supply WILL grow rather quickly.
The dreaded patterned paper. This can be soooo intimidating for new scrapbookers. What looks good? How do I combine them? Will I be able to use that funky but desired print? Yadda yadda. Don't worry too much. This will all "grow" on you as you eventually work into your own personal style. You'll notice that patterned papers are arranged by colors in the stores. A good general rule is, stay away from colors you don't enjoy. You might challenge yourself to work with those later, but don't spend your precious dollars on undesirable colors to start. I would also encourage you to stay away from heavily themed papers. They are not broad-purpose and so your dollars won't work nearly as well for you with themed papers. These include holiday and birthday prints, sports prints, prints that have images of grass or hay or baby shoes on them, etc. You will be more cost effective (and much more creative) if you stick with patterns that are more general; florals, paisleys, checks, flourishes, stripes, circles, etc. One more note on patterned paper. If you find 2-sided papers and can purchase them for the same price as single sided, you'll get more flexibility for less money. I also try to buy sturdier patterned paper when possible, but it's okay to take thinner papers too (you'll work with them on sturdier or solid cardstock).
The stuff that holds it all together, GLUE! There are liquids, sticks, dots, and runners. Frankly, they all have a place. But to begin with, I will encourage you to invest in a glue runner and either a stick or a liquid. The runner will be used on most of your layout. Choose acid free and try to find the most tape for the best price. Ad Tech runners have proven to be the most cost effective. Walmart carries them. You'll get an acid-free 2-pack refill (8.75 yds each) for about $2.29. Super value. The liquid or stick will be used for smaller details (ie. bling or thin strips of paper) that the runner will be too wide for. Michaels carries Aleens Paper Glaze. It is affordable, acid-free, and bonds very well.
Where to store your layouts? Again, there are all kinds of albums; strap albums, post albums, 3-ring (d-ring) albums, and more. But for us budget conscious scrapbookers, I would encourage you to try d-ring albums. They are extremely flexible for moving pages around, can hold a large number of layouts, and are a terrific "work in progress" album to store pages. You can always purchase a fancy album as the final resting place for a group of layouts that belong together, especially if you'll be giving those as a gift. But for simply storing completed work, d-ring is great. Another advantage is the flexibility to store different layout sizes in the same album. My album has 12x12, 8½x11, and a few 8x8 all in the same album. I got this flexible idea from Ali Edwards, who is one talented graphic designer and scrapbooker. You can see what combining sizes in the same album is all about here. As for page protectors, just be sure they're acid-free. I have found inexpensive, acid-free page protectors at the dollar stores.
I do think a corner rounder is a good basic item. Don't buy the smallest size out there (perhaps the next size up). Watch for coupons for Joann. They're available often and you can save some money on your scrapbooking purchases. Joann also runs frequent sales. You'll use the corner rounder to keep your photos and photo mattes from always being retangular or square shaped.
Finally, stamp ink pads. Get a black and an antique tone like sepia. I use Vibrance acid-free archival black pigment ink and sepia Archival Ink. My black pad is a spongier pad, which is better for inking paper edges.
These are the staples, the basics that you'll reach for again and again. Add scissors and a craft knife. Include a pencil and a white erase too. If you have a stapler, keep it close by. You'll build from here, but I assure you, this is enough to get started and to even keep going on a budget. We don't have to spend more to enjoy this hobby and turn out pleasing pages. We just have to be more creative.
Until next time, Crop It Real!
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