When I was a child, I collected movie stubs, photos, report cards, important newspaper clippings, valentine's cards, and an occasional autograph. I used them to create a scrapbook. I pasted them in a book with grayish paper and added a few comments here and there. If the official craft of scrapbooking had been around then, I would have had all sorts of specialty paper, inks, and stamps to make my scrapbook more exciting.
A scrapbook is a collection of clippings, notes, pictures, and other objects organized on pages of a purchased or handmade book. Each scrapbook is original, with a unique collection of memorabilia. Scrapbooking is the fastest-growing craft industry in the U.S.
Ordinary people can make scrapbooks that depict family histories, personal experiences, special moments, or historical events. Families may create a small scrapbook for the first day of school, for Halloween, a football game, or senior prom. There's no limit to what can be remembered through the pages of a scrapbook.
Scrapbooks can be embellished with ribbons, quotes, pressed flowers, locks of hair, or anything that has meaning or adds to the decorative quality of the book. Simple scrapbooks that focus on a single subject, with simple objects on specialty paper, can also be very effective.
Types of paper for scrapbooking
One of the greatest things about scrapbooking is that there are no rules. You have total creative freedom. There are, however, certain specialty papers that are particularly good for scrapbooking. Here are some examples:
* Heavy, uncoated stock in vibrant colors makes sturdy pages.
* Solids in rich colors and subtle textures highlight photos and clippings.
* Paper with a pearlescent finish adds accents to pages.
* Parchment-like paper is perfect for historical scrapbooks.
* Metallics with the luminescent sheen of metal on both sides appeal to young people.
Keeping scrapbooking supplies organized
Scrapbookers tend to collect different types of papers, stamps, inks, and embellishments for their books. Keeping them organized can be a real challenge. Seasoned scrapbookers offer practical suggestions for keeping chaos away.
As a scrapbooker you are likely to have specialty papers in different colors, textures, weights. You may have metallics, solids, or card stock. Here are three options for organizing your paper.
1. Keep papers sorted by color in unused pizza boxes or similar flat boxes. Attach a small piece of the paper to the outside of the box so you can tell what type of paper is inside.
2. Use a separate two-gallon zip top baggie for each type of paper.
3. Sort papers by color or paper type in accordion files.
Unless you prefer the simplest types of scrapbooks, you're likely to have an assortment of stamps, markers, and inkpads for adding text and graphics to your pages. Here are three ways to keep them organized so they are easy to find.
1. Use photo boxes for keeping stamps organized by theme.
2. Keep stamps, markers, and inkpads organized by theme in multi-drawer containers like the ones carpenters use for organizing nails and screws.
3. Buy stamps that come with a stackable storage system.
Sky's the Limit
Scrapbooking provides everyone with an opportunity to create artistic and meaningful records of important events. With the availability of specialty papers, vibrant inks, and unique stamps, the sky is truly the limit of self-expression.
To learn more about subjects like Specialty Paper please visit the web site at: http://www.specialtypapersplus.com
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About the Author
Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2011 (Sat Sep 26 2009) Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource internet marketing web site at: http://www.majon.com
