Getting Started-What now?

BabyPoints: 1802
Posts: 134
8/2/12 8:39 A

I really need to get back to scrapbooking...I was sooo into it a few years back and have a ton of stuff!!

I might just take advantage of me being preggers and start a belly book one to start with!

Posts: 206
7/13/10 4:08 P

Great tips!! I have been collecting pictures for my daughter (who is now almost 5) since she was born in the hopes of eventually creating a scrapbook for her. I know, talk about procrastination!! But now that my son is here, I know its time to get on the ball before I have more pictures than I know what to do with. But I feel like I need to get a permanent space before I start so I don't have to keep taking stuff out and storing it away.

Posts: 185
3/1/10 3:55 P

Thanks for these great tips! I cant wait to start my baby book!

Posts: 878
2/14/10 10:57 A

Zahrah,
If your husband doesn't want to physically put in photos, ask him to write a story/journal entry of his memories of his kid(s) as they grow up. They get something personal from him, he contributes, and everyone is happy. Or maybe have him sort through pictures to add to the album. Other than that, I suggest not making it an issue, because then it'll make it a miserable experience for you both. That's how it is for my husband and I.

Posts: 20
1/28/10 2:11 P

THIS IS GREAT!!! THANKS FOR THE START!!!! But now I have a question. How do I get my husband to willingly (key word) want to be part of this. It isnt so much that he doesnt care about the memories we have made and are making but he doesnt get into the cut and paste and taking time to put things together like a photo album. I would really love for him to want to take part of our kids scrapbooks. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Zahrah

Edited by: ZMADISON at: 1/28/2010 (14:13)

Posts: 10
8/8/09 10:10 P

I've been a big fan of the collage page for a while. The first page in my son's album is a digital collage of all the pictures I didn't use elsewhere in the album. It's nice to see an upfront overview of what's coming up, plus it's really easy to create a digital page (Costco does 12x12 prints)!

Posts: 10
8/8/09 10:10 P

I've been a big fan of the collage page for a while. The first page in my son's album is a digital collage of all the pictures I didn't use elsewhere in the album. It's nice to see an upfront overview of what's coming up, plus it's really easy to create a digital page (Costco does 12x12 prints)!

Posts: 10
8/8/09 10:10 P

I've been a big fan of the collage page for a while. The first page in my son's album is a digital collage of all the pictures I didn't use elsewhere in the album. It's nice to see an upfront overview of what's coming up, plus it's really easy to create a digital page (Costco does 12x12 prints)!

Posts: 982
7/23/09 3:52 P

Collage. That is a great idea. I have done a few scrapbooks and the hardest part for me is looking through the pics and picking the best. It never occurred to me. Thank you. I also need to be more picky with the pics I choose. With my 3 mth old they change so fast, pics and memories are all you get to keep forever.

Posts: 50
2/27/09 7:40 P

one simple word


COLLAGE


sometimes you want a theme on a certain page, and you pick the best pictures that depict that theme. But what do you do with all the other wonderful photos???????? You cut them and overlap them and create a collage of your precious little one. When they get older (toddler/ preschool age) it'll be a fun little look at me page for them. It'll be like a treasure hunt for them just to look at all the pictures of themselves.

BabyPoints: 577
Posts: 20
9/6/08 11:20 P

i feel the same way. daunting is totally the right word. my little one isn't even two months old and we have way over 100 pictures already. just picking the pictures to print is hard because they are all so good of him. i'm going to have to start being a little more critical.

Posts: 2
8/13/08 12:18 P

am really exited on starting a scrapbook for my future baby..... but dont know where to start!!!

BabyPoints: 407
Posts: 16
5/13/08 2:50 P

I am so excited about this baby that I have found I am dying to start a book that will secure all my memories of this pregnancy and my first born!! Thank you for this article and yes I am very nervous about my first page haha!

Posts: 485
12/16/07 12:58 A

Awesome info, thanks for sharing, Reminds me I need to "journal" more.

Posts: 3225
11/16/07 8:36 P

Simple Steps to Creating Your First Scrapbook Page

Getting Started Scrapbooking
by Rebecca Ludens

Once you decide that you want to start scrapbooking that first page can be a little daunting. Choosing an album, gathering supplies, and getting out your photos are just the beginning of a hobby that will preserve your family's most treasured moments for years to come. In the book Scrapbooking: A Step-by-Step Guide to Preserving Your Memories from Creating Keepsakes Magazine the following eight steps are presented as a beginner's guide to getting started:

1. Sort your photos into themes or topics and select a set to work on.
2. Select 2-3 colors of acid-free paper or cardstock that will work well with your photos.
3. Pick one photo to be the main focus of your page.
4. If needed, crop your photos. (See below when to crop and when not to crop.)
5. Select photos to mat. This is a good way to highlight the focal point photo.
6. Add journaling.
7. Add a few extras (such as stickers and embellishments).
8. Arrange all items on your pages and adhere.

While working through these steps there are a few things you will want to consider.

1.

What type of album do you want to create? Are you planning to start a chronological scrapbook that follows your family's events year after year, expanding into more scrapbooks as the pages fill? Do you want to create an album for a specific event or for a gift - an album that will have a definite beginning and ending point. While you think about this, read "Permission Granted" by Stacy Julian to get an idea of how "Simple Scrapbooking" works and see if this may be the direction that you wish to go. If you have 40+ years of pictures in boxes, you probably will not be planning to scrapbook everyone of them; therefore theme albums such as "All the Places We Have Lived" or "My Favorite Photos" may be perfect projects to get you started.
2.

Journaling is very important. Your pictures only tell half of the story and with out the narration to go with them their meaning may become lost over the years. Think about not only including the basic "who, what, when, and where" style of journaling but also incorporating the feelings, thoughts, and memories that these pictures bring to you. This type of journaling will more accurately and interestingly convey who you are when read by future generations.
3.

And last, think before you crop. Many new scrapbookers begin by cutting their photos into shapes with templates or decorative scissors. Before you crop your photos keep these tips in mind:

To Crop or Not to Crop:

It is pretty easy to get carried away with cropping and then wish later that you had cut a little less off of some of your photos. Keep in mind some things your should never crop:

1. Do not crop Polaroid snapshots - The chemicals inside the photos can leak and ruin the picture and your page. Instead, if you choose to, you could conceal the photo edge with paper frames on your layouts.
2. Do not crop out all historical or place references - cutting too much out of a photo can remove a significant part of the story.
3. Limit the number of shapes that you crop your photos into on each layout. Sketches by Becky Higgins has hundreds of fabulous examples of layouts and sketches for layouts that use rectangular or square photos. Take a peek at her sketches and layouts online for some great ideas.

From “Trends in Photo Cropping” by Rebecca Ludens:

Trimming your photographs is one of the first things that most scrapbookers are taught. We do this for several reasons: to be able to include more pictures on a page, to create a focal point for a picture, or to remove distracting background images. As you flip though recent scrapbooking magazines and idea books, you will find that cropping has taken on some new trends that can greatly enhance the overall look of your scrapbook pages. Here are three cropping methods to consider before you cut into your very next photo.

* Cropping for Balance and Focus
* Cropping and Enlarging
* Cropping Creatively