A newbie at Scrapbooking About This Page:

[NiniMorris]

OK, not even a newbie. I just decided my Disney trip in June will be my first!

But how do you get started? I did a google search and found a million sites, but how do you know which are best? I've seem several with lists of what you need to get started, but they don't all have the same stuff!

I have been toying with this for months (last trip we only took video) and the article today clinched it for me!

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[RobinKay6573]

What I use:

Cardstock many colors
I like 8 1/2 x 11 so I can put it in my printer. I use cardstock to frame my photos because I tend to use patterned paper for background. I also use card stock for printing page titles and making journal boxes. I try to hand write my journal boxes (journal boxes can be anything...narration for the page, poems, descriptions of rides/attractions, cute things you or your kids..if you have any say to the characters)

Paper trimmer
Fiskers sells a nice. It is flat and has a blade that slides. They sell them at any craft store. If you have a Michaels or Joanne’s near you they often have 40% off coupons in the paper you can use on any one item.

Corner punch
I use mine to soften corners. They make photos look alittle more finished

Stickers
I use stickers to accent my pages. It is quick and easy. The best supply of stickers will be found at stores that specialize in scrap booking supplies. Look in the phone book there is sure to be a couple listed.

Mickey paper punches
They are fun to use for accents for Disney pages. Their are three different punches out there.
Mickey whole body
Mickey face silhouette
Mouse ears
At WDW they also have a castle punch.

Adhesive
I find double sided tape works best. Glue sticks are good but I find that items glued down tend to fall off in time.

Have you gone to WDW yet? or are you going in June? If you are going in June be sure to look around at all the stores. WDW has a wonderful supply of scrap booking kits. I LOVE the ones I have purchased.

It might be a good to sign up for a scrap booking class for beginners. They offer them at most scarp booking stores and I know our Michael’s and Joanne’s has them as well.

Here are some of my layouts from my trip in February 2004

[rescuesk]

If this is for your upcoming trip, save EVERYTHING!! Well maybe not everything, but you never know what you might use in your scrapbook. I've used receipts, napkins, brochures and maps as well as photos for my Disney scrapbooks!

I am a relatively new scrapbooker, too. I did the same thing as you...searched the web and became overwhelmed! Then one day, I walked into the scrapbooking section of WalMart (this was before we had an AC Moore up here), bought a book, page protectors, adhesive, stickers, edges, letters and some cardstock. I spent about $40 to start. I sorted my pictures and just started. My first scrapbook looked a little simple, and it definitely looks like my first scrapbook, but I love it because of that!! Now I am on number 6 (not all Disney) and I am hooked. And we now have an AC Moore craft store in town, they get a good portion of my paycheck every few weeks.

There are lots of people here that are great scrapbookers and will be able to help with any questions you have!

[LilMarcieMouse]

<font color="blue">Welcome to the Spare Room NiniMorris. Robin has givin a good list of things you need. I feel the most important thing you need is your Imagination. Remeber this is your book and you do what you like. Also have fun doing it. </font>

[Mickey's old friend]

I always make a list of photos that I don't want to forget to take. Postcards also are a good substitution for pictures you can't get. I save almost everything...fast passes,tickets,photo cards from rides ect.

[BayLoftis]

Nini, the reason there are a million sites with all different suggestions is because scrapbooking is a matter of taste divided by finances to the power of time. Einstein couldn't come up with a formula to meet the problem, I swear!

Wait one darned second -- you're from Monroe???? I grew up in Social Circle! Quick, everyone, let's sing "It's A Small World"!!!

OK, back to the topic at hand: You're in Georgia, so you're in luck. For getting started with great instruction, you have two choices. Either find a Creative Memories Consultant near you and take the CM beginning class, or call a SB store (otherwise known as an "LSS" in Internet parlance) and find out when/how much their beginning classes are.

Why? Because there are two ways you can go with scrapbooking. You can either purchase things that are decorated for you, or you can make your own with basic art supplies. The absolute basic needs for an archival scrapbook are merely an album, page protectors, archival (AF/LF) paper or cardstock, archival (acid-free, permanent) adhesive, cuttiing tool, and an archival pen. Let me say that again -- book, paper, adhesive, trimmer, pen. Period. It's the *creative* part that becomes cumbersome and overwhelming.

If you go the pre-made route (patterned paper, stickers, ready-made embellishments, etc.), you'll spend a fortune, but the scrapping will go much more swiftly.

If you go the artistic route, you'll spend less money but you'll put a LOT more time into it.

I do highly recommend the books I listed in the article, especially "Budget Scrapbooking" and "Idiot's Guide to SB'ing." And the second part of the article will have more advice for getting started, but I'll go ahead and tell you there's a nice tutorial at Scrapjazz.com -- try the essay by Maureen Spell at http://www.scrapjazz.com/topics/Scra...tting_Started/

Really and truly, the reason I recommend getting lessons is because there are *so* many possibilities in scrapbooking that you should know which way you want to go creatively *before* you start buying supplies. Go to a scrapbook store and look at the examples in the store. (I'm not sure I would recommend looking at any magazines, because the level of difficulty is immense in all of them except "Simple Scrapbooks" -- and even in that publication, a number of the designs are achieved with expensive computer equipment.)

You can find a SB store in Athens. The info I've found is:
The Scrapbooker's Corner
(706) 548-9006
http://www.scrapbookers-corner.com

(That's not an endorsement -- I just found the ad in the back of a magazine, LOL!!!)

You might be interested to know that CHA (Craft Hobbies of America) is holding its annual, enormous trade show in Atlanta next month. It's just for manufacturers, retailers, and press, so I'm afraid it would completely overwhelm and frighten a newcomer to the craft, but I'll be there with one of the manufacturers for whom I do some design work. It'll be nice to be breathing Georgia air again, even if it's that big, scary megalopolis that Atlanta has become!

Good luck, and I hope you find the creative direction that makes you very, very happy!

--Bay

[stretch2864]

A good place to start would be to pick up a few scrapbooking magazines or books and see what you like. Most of them will tell you what they used for particular layouts. Then you can start buying things that you think you might need or will use. If you have any scrapbooking stores near you, don't be afraid to ask the sales associates for assistance. They always have lots of great ideas! Good luck!

[GATechGal]

Welcome Nini. Glad to see another Georgia girl on board. Great tips from the gals above. My first album was of disney and like the others, I've been hooked ever since.

Hey Gay - my grandmother lived FOREVER in Conyers and we've eaten tons of times at the Blue Willow. And one of my favorite children's authors was from Social Circle - Wylly Folk St. John.