Where do you start!!

24 years ago

Hi I am excited to see just a forum on scarpbooking!! I had a baby last year and put EVERYTHING in a box and now I am ready to start. But I have no idea where to begin. Any suggestions? Products to start off with that won't cost me a furtune? I went to Michaels and I was just SOOOO overwhelmed and left with not one thing. I would appreciate any suggestions. I see QVC has stuff, is it worth watching and buying? Thanks

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Comments (11)

Jane
24 years ago
I think the best place to start is to buy some scrapbooking magazines and get ideas from the sample layouts. Also there are some terrific sites on the internet to get ideas from. Here are some links that might help http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/
http://gracefulbee.com/index.html
Cheryl
24 years ago
I've got a great program that I bought and it has saved me so much money. Its called Creative Photo Albums by Dogbyte. I found it at Best Buy but I'm sure it is at any place that sells software. It gives you lots of ideas and lots of things to print out so that you don't have to go and buy all the stickers and special scrapbook pages. You can just print them out on your printer, on acid free paper of course, and save lots of money. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask me.
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Marie
24 years ago
Maybe if you start slow and easy, and do a little each day. Do you have a corner in your house you could leave things laid out, even on a card table. Do any of your friends have a book you could look at?
Good luck
Marie
teresa
24 years ago
Hi, I started scrapping by attending a scrapbook workshop hosted by a friend. The company was CREATIVE MEMORIES. We had a blast and I am hooked!!! You can purchase the basics and add as funds are available. You also learn the correct way to preserve those precious pictures. We also continue to get together for scrap sessions that last for hours. One person even babysits while we work, then the next time someone else will entertain the kids. Call 1-800-555-1212 and ask for Creative Memories and call to find your nearest consultant. Happy scrapping!!!!!
Lynn
24 years ago
I began with Creative Memories albums and supplies and love them. At the beginning it can be very overwhelming. I suggest starting CURRENT and keeping current. Then you can work your way backwards. I have a family album and one for each child. When sorting pictures I keep an envelope with each individual name on it and put duplicates in each and the pictures that are only appropriate for that particular album. It is sooooooooo relaxing to work on albums, but unfortunately I don't have an area of house to keep it all set up, so everything gets hidden under the dining room table.
Mar
24 years ago
I too, started out with Creative Memories. I was my consultants BEST customer, much to my hubbies distress! LOL
I was a CM consultant for about a year, but our pathetic Canadian dollar put a stop to that!
I suggest that you find a consultant near you and attend a workshop. That way, you will learn the basics, and know what kinds of supplies you will need for your own personal "style"
Good luck!!
~Mar~
Ontario, Canada
Carla Travis
24 years ago
I would discourage using your computer printer for every page, because who knows how long printer ink will last? It would be a shame to have all that work fade away in a couple of years. Plus, ink cartridges are so expensive, I don't know if you'd really be saving any money.

I think you should start by looking at someone's albums and getting an idea of what scrapbooking is all about. How a page is laid out and constructed, etc. A couple of magazines would be a good source of page ideas, and you can ask us at this forum any questions you have as they occur to you.

The best tip I can think of is: start with your most recent roll of film. Especially as a beginner, it is important that you don't start out with a heritage album or baby album, because your skill and personal style will improve with practice. If you make an album now, more than likely in a few months you won't like it anymore (because it will look like a beginner did it) and you will want to do it over. So just use your most recent photos until you figure out how to do it, then go back and work on those more precious photos later. That's my advice.
Karla
24 years ago
Thanks for that last bit of advice, Carla T. I finally bought some supplies yesterday so I could get started. I'm sure you are right about improving skills. I hadn't even considered it.
Lisa
24 years ago
Here is a good site with tons of layout ideas:
www.dmarie.com
Karen B
24 years ago
Start with half a dozen photos. If you have access to a store, take your photos with you and walk around the store until a paper that goes with your photos "speaks" to you. Then add die cuts, stickers, etc. This is the only way that worked for me when I was just starting and still the only way that works for me now. It's just too overwhelming otherwise.
cara
24 years ago
I just attended a Creative Memories party and now I am hooked also. I have only done a few pages. I have soooo many photos that I am overwhelmed also. I was wondering what to do with newspaper cutouts that I want to put in the album and what about such things as the baby announcements that are printed up and I have no idea what type of ink or paper they are on? Also, my parents have old pictures in OLD albums with the solid black paper and the photos are stuck to this paper...how do I remove the photos from that paper without damaging them? Help! Thank you all..I am so happy that this is on the forum list now. Cara p.s. thank you all for all the informative sites listed above. I can't wait to browse them!!

Where do you start!!

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Jane

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