Thursday's Scrapbook Basics!

We are all intrigued with the idea of scrapbooking and many of us want to get started, but need some direction. Hopefully this post will help you make some informed decisions about what you'll need and how to get started. I received my monthly newsletter from my friends at DemoToDemo. One of the articles in the May issue was exactly what we need to get started on our scrapbooking journey. So I mixed that article with some of my own thoughts.

As with all good things, there are basic supplies that we need. You have to be careful when first starting to scrapbook to not get completely wooed by all the great stamp sets and accessories. If you go home with all sorts of flowers, inks, and die cuts, you will undoubtedly have lots of fun trying them out, but you will not have the basics which you need to engage actively in the craft of scrapbooking. How much good does a stamp set do if you don't have anything to cut your paper with? I'd like to encourage you to get all your basic supplies first, and then you can indulge in the extras. Alright, so lets begin. These are the must haves that you need to get started:

WE MUST START WITH THE BASICS;

Album: You have made all these great pages, you just love what you created, but you come to a sudden realization...you have no where to put them. You certainly can't leave your precious memories to gather dust in a cabinet or a drawer. So the first thing you need is to get an album for preserving your pages. Stampin' Up! offers some great linen covered albums. You can get either post bound or ring bound in four great colors and the three standard Scrapbook sizes. 12" x 12", 8 ½" x 11" and 6" x 6".

Paper trimmer: One of the things you will quickly discover about scrapbooking is that you will be doing a lot of cutting. There is no avoiding the fact that crooked lines do NOT enhance a project. "I meant to do that" only goes so far. So do yourself a favor, save time and aggravation by purchasing a good trimmer.

Cutting Tool: Scissors (which Stampin' Up! calls Paper Snips) and a Craft Hobby Blade are more essential tools. They are great to have when you are trying to cut out stamped images, and when you want to cut ribbon or bits of paper to size. I always prefer to have both on hand because you never know when you will need to cut out letters or a tricky image. My suggestion to you is to mark your ribbon scissors with a piece of ribbon or charm on the handles. This way you and your family know that these are not for paper!

Adhesive: You now have your mats and you have all the elements of your page laid out in front of you. What will you do next? Hopefully the answer is stick it down *lol*. Good things to have as part of your "adhesive toolbox" include Snail adhesive for permanent bonds, Removable or Dotto Adhesive for repositioning (this is great for when you want to test out a layout), Mini Glue dots for adding 3 dimensional embellishments (such as buttons or hardware) and Stampin' Dimensionals for adding a pop-up effect.

Once you have these basic tools, you are ready to start getting the actual supplies for creating your scrapbook pages. Cardstock is of course essential. Multipacks of neutral and colored CS are a great way to start. Another great place to start is with a Simply Scrappin' Kit. Not only do you get CS, but the kits also come with Designer Paper, and die cut adhesive stickers with which to embellish your pages.
Journaling pens are great to have on hand. A scrapbook layout just isn't complete without a little journaling. Journaling can be as simple as writing the date and place, or as involved as writing the story behind the pictures. Finally you have all of our great stamp sets and inks. All of these should be built up slowly on an "as needed" basis. Alphabet sets are great for creating titles, and background stamps for creating your own Designer paper. Ribbon, brads, buttons, glitter...these are all great elements to be able to add the "pop" your page needs to bring it to life!

Being armed with a complete tool kit of start up supplies is a great way for you to feel secure as you take your first steps into the world of scrapbooking. These tools will allow you to "shine" as a beginning scrapbooker, but they will also see you through your years of being an experienced one as well! And just remember...The impulse purchases you make when your at the store and when you don't have your basic tool kit, is more likely to hurt you in the long run than help you. So hold off on the flowers, rick rack, and rhinestones for a while until you have your arsenol of tools ready to go! Then you'll be better prepared to take on the world of accessories when the time is right, and believe me when I say - Stampin' Up! has a wealth of accessories to help you create pages and tell stories that you, your family, and your friends will enjoy for generations and years to come.

Thanks again goes for the help with this post to - Andrea & Sophia @ http://www.demotodemo.com/

Make sure to check back here on Saturday to see how I am progressing with my scrapbook page goal for May!

HAPPY STAMPING & SCRAPPING,

KENDRA