Beginner Scrapbooking
Thursday, March 27th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
Maybe you have tried some scrapbooking. Scrapbooking has been around for centuries. You can do it with or without a computer. Without a computer, your scrapbook can be good but it can be improved immensely with new technology. Comparing the old plain photo albums and the new computer enhanced scrapbook will soon show you the difference and it can be very obvious. Think about what you can do. There are two extreme ends to beginner scrapbooking. One is that you have a specific idea and go from there. The other extreme is you have so many ideas of scrapping that you can’t settle on a specific idea. Scrapbooks are much better if they are focused on one event , person or group of people. It keeps the viewer interested. Now you have whittled it down to one good idea, so the next step is to start searching for material.
Your enthusiasm to carry on with your scrapbook can be boosted with good sources of information. With the myriad of websites available, getting information isn’t very hard. For this reason, beginner scrapbooking is getting easier and easier.
Now let’s take a look at what you have now.
- Scissors
- Glue
- Colored paper
- Simple photo album
Is that all you need? No you say. Well we are missing something but most people would say that scrapbooking requires an artistic talent. It is true that artistic talent is important but there is something much more important and that is desire. You’ve got to want it. Now assuming you have everything from above, then what you should do as a beginner scrapbooker is start small and work your way up. Day by day you will be improving and it will show in the end product.
Every scrapbook has a central idea or focus. Around this focus you should try and tell a story. Arranging a scrapbook so it has a nice presentation is the goal. It makes it challenging for the beginner s scrapbooker and will keep the viewers attention. There has to be a system or sequence in place for the photos or clippings. Photos are generally arranged by date. Either way is okay. From the earliest to the latest or the latest to the earliest.
Sorting the scrapbook is a major part of the presentation, once you have your subject decided. You could sort as to the individual, say Aunt Mary and center everything around her. Or you could break it down to important events or occasions. Making that choice will give the scrapbook a consistent look and attraction. Every scrapbook should center around a central photo or clipping. Another impressive feature is photo matting.
As a beginner scrapbooker you are the only judge of your work. Most likely you won’t show your work to anyone until you yourself are satisfied. Along the way to the satisfaction of fulfillment you feel when you finish your project, you can experiment with different layouts and presentations of your scrapings.
One of the overlooked elements of scrapbooking are the photo or clipping explanation. Just add a simple colored paper to each article. Fix them to the articles at the top, bottom or sides, just make sure it is consistent throughout the project. Write an explanation on each and keep it short and crisp. These will give meanings to the articles, not to mention the whole scrapbook. They also help explain the emotions of the articles.
Keep your first scrapbook simple and easy. The colored paper you use for explanations should give the scrapbook a nice, artistic look. Don’t overdo it though.
Plan the scrapbook in your imagination initially before you start pasting photos and writing. A few striking additions of paper and other articles will give it a personal touch. Don’t overanalyze your first scrapbook. Instead look at it as an experiment. Hopefully your first scrapbook will inspire you to continue to your next, only this time your have experience.
Been there, done that, scrapped a page about it.
Ken
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