Scrapbooking thread 13 June 2008 at 10:29PM in Crafting 1.2K replies 63.4K views

Ches

Hello peeps another scrapper here. Can I offer a small word of warning, Scrapbooking is expensive and very compulsive. I know some say the cost can be kept down by utilising stuff you have around the home but even if you do this it is still expensive. I luckily have no debts but because I am on a fixed pension I have to keep an eye on the pennies but it does run away with you and several people of MSE can vouch for the fact scrapping has been a big contributing factor towards their debt. www. UKscrappers.co.uk is a very good site to browse and I think there is a thread obn there about altered art ie notebooks/tins etc. An idea for small presents would be an exploding box and I think you can get instructions for making those from uk scrappers. Mary the whole idea of scrapbooking is to preserve photos so the albums you already have are probably not the best for doing that.Scrapbook albums are acid free so photos in ordinary albums should be removed ASAP before they deteriorate. Papers/glue in fact everything that comes into contact with your precious photos should be acid free. When I first started scrapping I bought every bit of paper and every embellisment I could lay my hands on but several years down the line my tastes have developed, my own style has emerged and a lot of those papers etc have never been used so be careful of buying too much too soon. Hope this hasn't been too much preaching. Good luck its always nice to see another scrapper get the bug. :T

mary43

Thanks ches - I know it can be expensive..........we've a craft shop in town selling card making and scrapbooking stuff and I only buy something from there if I really need it/can't resist it/ or its in the sale. For card making I buy the cheapest card possible and buy a bag of offcuts from the card making classes they have at the shop and then use whatevers around the house.
Scrapbooking is fairly new to me and so far I've just decorated the pages at the beginning of my family tree folders.........musical stuff I've printed off the internet for Dad as he was a musician, country stuff for gran as she lived in a little village, etc. And all the photos and info is kept in ring binders inside those plastic sleeves. I've been told they're ok for that........is that right ? I don't want to end up spending a lot of money on stuff if what I've done so far is alright.
That was another thought I had for photos..........storing them inside plastic slleeves in ringbinders that I could decorate the covers of with pieces of fabric I've got kicking aboutand then sort of scrapbook the first page maybe. Open to any suggestions or ideas as this is a new project........and judging by the number of photo albums I've got......a long one

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

hi i dont know if this is the right place to put this and im sorry if its wrong but i have some left over xmas scrap book erm . . . emballishments? (sorry - only did the one scrap book last xmas lol)

If anyone wants them can you let me know?

Ches

Mary as far as I know plastic is fine as I think acid is from anything made from wood pulp. I scrap in 12x12 and scrap whatever photos inspire me at the time or I have the correct paper for. However the pages in my albums are in chronological order and the first pages are of ancestors who I have no photos of so I use 6x12 pages for those (they fit as the holes in the plastic page protectors are in the same place)and they are all the information about that particular ancestor (1 page each) that I have managed to learn from the internet and from speaking to relatives etc. I also include old postcards if applicable (from the area they lived) and sometimes quotes and poems. I use ring binder albums as I can move the pages about easily. I have 6 albums that take about 60 completed pages each and go from mid 1700's to present day. I am obsessed with scrapping and have so much stuff. Us scrappers are a mad bunch but I have made some really good friends through this hobby.

mary43

Ches - sounds like how I keep my family history...........ring binder for mums side of the family (separate one for Mum and for Dad). If I havent got photos I put as much info as possible, information about where they lived and a bit of history about the way lived (ag.labs, domestic servants). Mums side of the family were mostly shoemakers so I've got a whole load of stuff about that plus images of old shoes etc. for the initial pages of each person on that side of the family.
Seem to have come to a standstill on it now hence sorting out more recent photos .........need to sort them into holidays, homes we've lived in,grandchildren and stuff like that. Be a mammoth task but at least I'll know where to find what I'm looking for............hopefully............lol

Ches

Been in Jessops for most of the afternoon scanning, editing, enlarging and printing old black and white photos. Really boring job but now have lots of lovely pics to scrap so worth it I guess. Cost me over £28 today so thats June's budget well and truly blown. Must not buy any more scrap stuff until August money comes in which will give me July to get my finances back into order.

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

ches - hobbycraft have a sale on scrap book items lol

Ches

Thanks Mommyme but I don't have a Hobbycraft anywhere near me unfortuneately.

melissa75_2

MrsBones, it was the traditional papers that I got. I haven't had a chance to look at them properly yet as I've beenstaying at my mum's for a few days (family bereavement).
Thanks for all the advice ches!
Rainmac - have you produced anything yet?

rainmac

Melissa, err no, sorry I haven't! Done the door hangers you've seen on the xmas thread, got more of these to do and going to do a couple of girl ones so need to look at girlie papers and stuff. May not get round to doing my own scrapbook until after Xmas - not sure Got lots of little projects on the go/to do for birthday and Xmas presents and I think I'd rather do all of those before embarking on a scrapbook for me. It's the usual, too much to do and not enough time!!!