Basically Scrapbooking is a way of preserving
your photos and memories in a creative way.
The dictionary
describes Scrapbooking as ‘the activity or hobby of
making scrapbooks’, and a
Scrapbook as ‘a book of blank pages for sticking cuttings,
drawings, or pictures in’.
Scrapbooking has come a long way from when as
children you simply pasted photos and clippings into a large sugar paper book.
Scrapbooking now is about preserving your photos and memories for future
generations, keeping your photos safe from yellowing and fading and making sure
to add the story behind the pictures. By making sure that you use the correct
supplies you can easily keep your photos well preserved and have fun and be
creative at the same time.
You can use a whole host of products in
Scrapbooking alongside your photos, including patterned papers and cardstock,
ribbon, paper flowers, gems, brads, buttons, tickets, tags, leaflets and a
whole host of memorabilia related to the photo/topic of the page, even locks of
hair! It really is a case of using your imagination and creativity to make the
scrapbook your own.
Preservation
To ensure that your scrapbooks stay well
preserved you need to ensure that the products you are using that will be
coming into contact with your photos are ‘acid and lignin free’.
The presence of acid and/or lignin can cause photos to discolour
and disintegrate quicker than they would naturally.
Acid causes paper and photos to disintegrate. This aging process is significantly slowed when the acid is removed from paper during the manufacturing process.
Lignin is the natural bonding element that holds wood fibres together. Newspaper contains lignin - you will have noticed that newspaper can become brittle and discoloured with age! So, if you want to include Newspaper articles, pictures or announcements in your scrapbook, first photocopy or print on acid and lignin free paper (use off-white paper for an authentic feel!)
Like acid, lignin can be removed during the manufacturing process so suitable products should be labelled lignin free or archival quality.
Acid causes paper and photos to disintegrate. This aging process is significantly slowed when the acid is removed from paper during the manufacturing process.
Lignin is the natural bonding element that holds wood fibres together. Newspaper contains lignin - you will have noticed that newspaper can become brittle and discoloured with age! So, if you want to include Newspaper articles, pictures or announcements in your scrapbook, first photocopy or print on acid and lignin free paper (use off-white paper for an authentic feel!)
Like acid, lignin can be removed during the manufacturing process so suitable products should be labelled lignin free or archival quality.
Getting Started
You will need:
-
Photos (make sure you have a copy of any originals)
-
Acid Free Papers and Cardstock
-
Cutting Mat
-
Craft Knife & Scissors
-
Metal or metal edged ruler
-
Journaling Pen
-
Selection of adhesives – double sided tape, glue stick, foam
pads etc
-
Embellishments – e.g. brads, flowers, gems, buttons,
ribbons, stickers etc
-
Album with page protectors to store your pages.
Scrapbooking papers come in a range of sizes including 12”x12”, 8½
x 11”, 8”x8” and 6”x6”. The size you
use is up to you, the most common size is 12”x12” but if you are a beginner you
may find this a little daunting so feel free to start small and work your way
up! 6”x6” papers tend to be used more for card making and mini books due to
their small size, but can also be teamed with larger papers to add layers and
patterns to your scrapbook pages, rather than cutting into the larger sheets.
Your first page
A scrapbook layout can be a
single photo page or a multi page layout. You can include a whole story behind
the photo or a simple caption of when and where. You can include a whole range
of embellishments or just a few flowers. It’s your scrapbook and your own
style.
A great way to get started
is to get inspiration from others, check out scrapbook websites, forums, blogs
and magazines. Use sketches to get you started. The more pages you create the
more your own personal style will show and the more confidence you will get.
Links for Inspiration
www.ukscrappers.co.uk - Fab
Scrapbooking forum with tones of inspiration and a very friendly community,
feel free to ask questions of there is anything you are unsure of, join in
challenges and check out classes and pages from other scrapbookers.
www.pagemaps.com - Great site for sketches
you can follow if you need a bit of a kick-start.
http://www.practicalpublishing.co.uk/
- Craft magazines
http://www.craftyblogs.co.uk/ - Check
out the blogs of fellow crafters.
www.pinterest.com - Search for Scrapbooking, Scrapbook Layouts etc for a whole load of inspiring layouts.
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