Scrapbook FUNdamentals

Learn the Lingo

• Acid-free — Acid will discolor and fade photos, and destroy almost anything else it comes in contact with. Acid-free products have a pH (acidity) factor of 7 or above.
• Buffered — Even acid-free paper may become acidic over time when exposed to acidic memorabilia. Buffered paper is less likely to become acidic.
• Lignin-free — Lignin causes paper to yellow when exposed to ultraviolet light. Most paper, other than newsprint is lignin-free.
• Archival quality — Materials with this label have undergone laboratory tests to determine that their acidic and buffered content is within safe levels.
• Photo safe — This term is similar to archival quality but more specific to the materials used with photographs.

Stick to It!

Scrapbook safe adhesives run the gamut from aerosol sprays to liquid pens to peel and stick tabs. Many can be used for either a permanent or temporary bond.

• Liquid adhesives — A liquid adhesive comes in handy when attaching small embellishments. It’s available in a bottle, stick, or pen, or with a wand applicator. Because the consistency varies and wrinkles may result, experiment on different types of paper before applying to your layout.
• Double-sided tape, dots and tabs — Double-sided adhesives are an easy way to adhere items to a page. The tape works best for adhering photos to mats or large elements to background papers. Dots are good for adhering small items to layouts. White and transparent tabs, which come in rolls and refillable dispensers, are great for securing both small and large items.
• Photo corners — Today’s photo corners with peel away or lick and stick backings are available in many colors. They offer flexibility in that the corners, not the photo, attach directly to the layout.

All about Albums

The first decision, choosing an album, is critical. Do you want to add pages through the years or just highlight a one time event? Do you want oversize pages that offer more space for photos and journaling, or are you more comfortable with smaller pages? Your answers will help gauge which style is right for you.

• Three ring — These familiar favorites have rings that snap apart for easy page insertion and removal.
• Spiral bound — These wire bound albums have permanently attached pages. They’re ideal for one-topic or themed scrapbooks.
• Strap-style — Albums that use plastic straps allow the pages to lie completely flat when the album is opened.
• Post-bound — These albums use a set of threaded bolts to bind pages together. They offer the flexibility to add or rearrange pages.

Cut it Out

Because today’s scrapbooks have moved beyond same size square and rectangular photos, a good cutting tool is a must.

• Straight-edge scissors — Straight edge scissors are good for cutting paper or for freehand cropping photos. Use small scissors for detail work, such as cutting out embellishments or photo silhouettes.
• Paper trimmers — This common item will come in handy for making square cuts and straight edges. Small, lightweight trimmers are a nice option if you plan to take your scrapbooking with you are short on storage space. Larger trimmers are capable of handling oversize sheets of paper or cardstock.
• Circle and oval cutters — These adjustable tools can make circles and ovals of various sizes. Use them to crop photos, create mats, and embellish pages. Use them with a self healing mat to protect tabletops.

Crop Talk

Cropping a photo, this means trimming it, for the first time can be intimidating. But creative cropping can improve a photo’s composition by eliminating distracting backgrounds and spotlighting the subject at hand. It also opens up space on your page for adding fun stories or embellishment.

The Write Stuff

Most inks by nature are acid free, so seeing that notation on a pen is not enough. Scrapbook safe pens are fade resistant, permanent, waterproof, and odorless when dry. They also won’t smear or bleed. Although any pen that meets these criteria can be used, most scrapbookers chose from the types of pens listed below.

• Felt tip markers — You’ll find several different tip styles within the felt tip marker family. Monoline pens, which have tips that range from very fine to thick, can create smooth lines for basic lettering, captions, borders, illustrations, and line art. Chisel point markers produce distinctive decorative lettering and designs. A notched tip scroll point marker produces a double line with just a single stroke, allowing you to create fun borders or make basic block letters. Brush point markers have a paintbrush style tip and are mainly used for filling in shapes and letters.
• Gel Pens — These medium line pens are perfect for journaling or outlining letters and embellishments, and come in a variety of colors.
• Colored pencils — Use these for shading and adding highlights to lettering and embellishments. To soften and smooth lines, use a blender, a clear colorless pencil or pen.

Perfect Papers

• Colored paper enhances pages without much effort.
• Patterned paper — These sheets come in thousands of colors, textures, and designs. Use patterned papers to create themed pages or interesting backgrounds. Or, layer the papers to add impact to your journaling areas.
• Cardstock — Most scrapbookers prefer this solid color, sturdy paper for backgrounds, die cuts and punched embellishments.
• Specialty papers — This category commonly includes vellum (slightly translucent paper), embossed (raised) card stock, handmade paper, and metallic finish paper. Use them to create special effects.

Words of Wisdom

If photos are the heart of a scrapbook, then journaling is the soul. It’s what sets a scrapbook apart from a photo album and keeps memories from fading.

• Record more than titles, dates, and names. Describe the subjects or your reactions to what was happening. Recollections that may seem trivial today, the weather or something funny that happened, may prove fascination to those who read your pages years from now. Invite others to help with the journaling. In a heritage album, stories from an older relative are priceless.
• Determine what “voice” you want to do the journaling in. For example, if you’re assembling your child’s scrapbook, second person (”You loved your blue blankie”) is a good option. For a heritage album, third person may be best. Some scrapbooks may need a combination of first, second, and third person. If your scrapbook is done entirely in first person, identify yourself as the author in a beginning page so people aren’t guessing years from now who “I” is.
• Factor journaling into the layout from the start; it should never be an afterthought. On some pages, journaling may even be the main focus.
• Write your story on a separate piece of paper. You may need several drafts before you’re satisfied. Use the time spent waiting in the doctor’s office or carpool line at school to jot down your thoughts and fine tune drafts. When you have the final version, let someone else proofread it before you add it to the layout.

These are the eight steps to making a scrapbook page:

1. Sort your photos and select a theme to work on. Generally, 5-7 photos fit on a 2 page spread and 3-5 photos fit on a single page. Keep in mind that you don’t have to scrapbook every photograph- select only the best photos to highlight the event, feeling or moment you want to convey.
2. Select 2-3 colors of acid free paper that will compliment colors found in the photographs. Experiment with different color combinations to find the perfect colors to enhance your photographs. You may want to include stationery or decorative paper that supports the theme of your pages.
3. Choose a photo to be your focal point. As a general rule, select a photo with sharp images, vivid colors, and well lit subjects, or a photo that conveys the mood or theme of your layout.
4. Shape your photos. While shaping your photos, keep in mind that simple shapes such as rectangles, ovals, circles, and squares, are among the most eye pleasing.
5. Mat your photos, adding extra prominence to your focal point. Mat several of your photos. You may want to double or triple mat photos to add prominence to a special photo. FUN NOTE: Add variation to a mat by making one side wider than the other. The extra room is perfect for journaling or adding a title.
6. Add journaling. No page is complete without adding your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Take a few minutes to write down not only the “who” and “when”. but also the “what” and “why”.
7. Add a few extras. As you get more comfortable with scrapbooking, try your hand with some embellishments- stickers, die cuts, rubber stamps and punches are among the most popular page accents. Use these items sparingly, you don’t want them to overpower your photos.
8. Arrange photos, journaling, title, and enhancements on your pages. As you arrange these elements, pay close attention to the direction your eye moves. In general, well designed pages are well balanced and will lead the eye throughout the entire layout. To check the balance, imagine that your layout is on a scale. Does one side tip the scale? Once you’re pleased with the layout, simply adhere your elements to your page.