Scrapbooking: A Crash Course

Turn your photos, clippings, and memorabilia into works of art with these tips for creating beautiful memories that last a lifetime.

❑ The Scrapper's Shopping List: 

Make sure you have the basics before starting out. Take my shopping list with you to your nearest scrap booking store! 

Paper: 

___ Primary Colors 

___ Bright/Neon Colors 

___ Classic 

___ Muted 

___ Pastel 

___ Patterns 

___ Vellum 

___ Corrugated 

___ Metallic 

___ Specialty Packs 

___ Embossed 

Pens: 

___ Black felt-tip 

___ Colorful gel rollers 

___ Paint pens 

___ Coloring Pencils 

___ Colorful felt-tips 

Decorative Tools: 

___ Scissors 

___ Punches 

___ Stamps 

___ Shape cutters 

___ Crimpers 

Stationery: 

___ Full Sheet 

___ Varying Card Size 

___ Punch outs 

Page Toppers: 

___ Pre-cut shapes 

___ Die cuts 

___ Handmade scraps 

___ Stickers 

___ Letter Shapes 

___ Frames 

Templates: 

___ Basic Shapes 

___ Elaborate Shapes 

___ Alphabet 

___ Border Buddies 

___ Journaling Genies 

___ Puzzle Mates 

Miscellaneous:___________________________

Turn your photos, clippings and memorabilia into works of art with these tips for creating beautiful memories that last a lifetime. 

❑ Templates: 

Start with a template for your basic layout. Trace and cut out favorite templates from a variety of colors and layer or for added dimension, cut your template from a patterned paper. For a change, trace your favorite template with an acid-free pen and color it in or sponge paint it for a softer look. Add hand-drawn doodling for an added effect. Store your template between pieces of card stock to prevent tangling and mangling. Store in categories for easy access 

❑ Get Into It: 

To avoid unnecessary trips to your local scrapbooking store, always take your photos with you for inspiration and correct purchases Brush-up on your skills and make scrapper friends by taking a class, no matter what your skill level is. Do your homework before you get to class: gather and organize pictures and supplies before class starts 

❑ The Write Touch:

Choose a pen that meets all the prerequisites and will perform the way you want it to on your pages both now and later.

Make sure your pen is: 

Permanent 

Waterproof 

Fade-Resistant 

Quick-Drying 

Pigment Ink 

Non-Bleeding 

Non-Toxic 

Try some of my favorite acid-free pens: 

Calligraphy Pens for grand titles and elegant captions 

The Zig Writer available in 0.5mm for journaling and 1.2mm for borders, titles and captions 

Fine and Chisel: for versatile scrappers, this pen is available in all colors and can be used to create all lettering sizes 

Scroll and Brush: for the advances scrapper who wants to create unique lettering in all types of styles 

Paint Pens: for use when felt pens won't show up 

Gel Pens: for beginners and experts alike, great journaling pen 

Coloring Pens: especially made for coloring (in AND out of the lines) 

Colored Pencils: be sure to look for the acid-free variety packs

❑ Size Matters: 

Scrapbooks come in two sizes: 8 1/2 x 11 and 12 x 12. There are both advantages and disadvantages to using both. Select the size that works best for your needs: 

- 8 1/2 x 11: 

Advantages: 

Larger selections and varieties of decorative paper 

Paper is cheaper 

Books are readily available in an assortment of colors and designs 

Smaller and therefore easier to transport 

Smaller pages are sometimes easier to work with 

Easy to rearrange pages 

Disadvantages: 

Holds fewer pictures and less information per page 

Pages do not lie flush and are therefore not continuous 

A wide variety of supplies can sometimes lead to spending more money 

- 12 x 12 

Advantages: 

More pictures and information per page 

Flush pages and continuous layouts 

Book encourage organization since both front and backs of pages are used 

Size creates a classic look 

Disadvantages: 

Albums and pages are generally rarer and therefore mo expensive 

Pages are often challenging to move around 

Smaller selection of decorative papers

❑ Feeling Punchy: 

Punches come in all shapes, sizes and prices ($2.99 - $13.99) and can be a scrapper’s best friend. Don't overlook them for fancier and more expensive alternatives. 

Types: 

Basic: hearts, stars, circles and clouds 

Silhouettes: cuts out the surrounding space, outlining the shape 

Corner: cuts page corners 

Border punches: thin cuts that create borders at the bottom of your pages 

Uses: 

Page borders 

Frames for pictures and memorabilia 

To add flair 

To create different designs through layering