Info Liz

Random information from my life

Scrapbooking

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Scrapbooking Tidbits

I've been scrapbooking for many years, I can't even remember how many. I have always loved crafts and photos so putting the two together into scrapboking is a lot of fun for me! Scrapbooking is such a huge topic, there's no way I could even attempt to have a comprehensive page about it, but here are some tidbits I've decided to share.

How I Design My Scrapbooking Layout

There are several different ways I go about designing my layout.

Choose the photos I want to scrapbook first

Sometimes I have a set of photoes I'm focusing on getting into my scrapbook, so I start with the photos in this case. One of the hardest parts of designing a layout, for me, is figuring out how to arrange the photos on the page. What helps me a lot is looking at books, templates I have, and other layouts I have done for ideas of how to arrange that number of photos. Once I've figured out how I'm going to arrange the photos and on how many pages, then the fun starts. Sometimes I'll pick a color scheme first, trying to pick a color that stands out in one of the photos. I try to choose a color/colors that I already have at least some of the paper for, since I have a lot of paper. Sometimes before choosing the colors and paper, I'll pick some embelishments I already have or I'll make some embellishments I think would be fun to make and that go with the photos or theme. Once I have the photo arrangement, color scheme, and embellishments chosen, it all comes together for me.

Choose the embellishments to use on my layout first

Sometimes I have an embellishment or set of embellishments I really want to use. When that's the case, I look through my photos for something that goes with the embellishment. I can't always find photos to go with that embellishment, but I try to be imaginitive and also keep in mind that I can often modify the embellishment a little. If I can't find photos to go with that embellishment, I try to think of whether I will ever have the sort of photos to go with that embellishment. If I can't even think of any, then I put the embellishment in a "give or throw away" pile. No point taking up my precious scrap-space with things I will never use! Once the photos and embellishments are chosen, I usually have a color theme in mind for the paper. I try to make paper I aleady have work, but sometimes I will need to buy the right paper.

Choose the layout first

I typically end up in this situation if I've made a layout (without photos) at a workshop or if I have a page kit I want to use or if I have paper with the layout pre-printed on it. In this case, I know how many photos I need so I look through my photos for a set of photos from a particular event or theme that are the correct number of photos for the layout. That can be hard to do so sometimes I'll have to put embellishments where photos are meant to go (if I don't have enough photos) or crop a photo to a small size and put it where and embellishment is meant to go. Or sometimes I just have to set the layout aside and wait til I have photos for it. Occasionally, if it's a layout I know I will never have photos for, I either have to modify it or cut it up and make a different layout out of it.

How I organize my scrapbooking supplies

This seems to be a common theme among scrapbookers, the difficulty organizing all our supplies! I can't say I've tackled this problem, but I have found a few things I find very useful.

Stickers and flat embellishments

I really like my sticker binder. I put stickers and flat embellishments in it. I try to keep themed items near each other, but they tend to migrate around so I need to rearrange them periodically.

Brads and Eyelets

I have one drawer in a small rolling cart dedicated to brads and eyelets. Within the drawer I have them in individual small ziploc bags and small embellishment containers. I prefer the embellishment containers (clear with multiple compartments) to the ziplocs, but I don't have enough of them to hold all my brads and eyelets in an organized manner. I also keep my eyelet setters and matt in the drawer with them.

Paper

I have quite a bit of paper but I wouldn't call it too much. I have enough that when I'm working on a layout, more often than not I already have the paper I need. But I have little enough that I can still keep it all organized enough to find what I need. I recently discovered the Cropper Hopper Vertical Paper Holders and I really like them. What I like is that I can have my paper in them sitting on my table so I can easily look through it while I'm working on a layout. I just discovered these recently and I bought 3 12x12 and 1 8.5x11. I need to get 1 or 2 more 12x12 and 1 more 8.5x11 and I think I'll be all set. I'm still working out the best way to organize my smaller scraps. Right now I have them in a combination of large ziploc bags and 12x12 rigid plastic envelopes (not sure what these are called!) I have them organized by color. I definitely prefer the rigid plastic envelopes because they keep the scraps in better condition, but I don't have enough of them for all my colors. I haven't decided yet whether to get more of them or to get some of the smaller vertical paper holders for the scraps. I also always have trouble deciding how small of scraps I should keep versus recycling. Even very small scraps come in handy occasionally, but I generate so many of them that they get out of hand if I keep them all.

Fibers

I have quite a bit of fibers but not on the level of being a fiber junkie or anything. So I have most fibers in a small ziploc bag and some of them are in a craft organizer wound around embrodery thread things, and all of that is in one drawer in a rolling cart. Since I don't use fibers all that often, I don't mind having to just look through all of them when I need one. Someone who uses fibers more often might want them organized by color or texture.

Lumpy Embellishments

These vary so much it's hard to find a single way to store them. I have all my lumpy embellishments in one of the drawers in a rolling cart. Within that drawer, I have smaller things such as buttons in a clear craft organizer. I have larger things loose in the drawer. I'm not wild about the way I have these orgazines but that's what I have for now.

Pens and Markers

I have a couple plastic containers from the dollar store that are long enough for my pens to lay flat (I've heard it's best to store pens and markers flat so the ink doesn't pool at one end.) They are overflowing so I probably need to get one more. I keep these on my table for easy access.

Punches

Right now I have my punches in 3 drawers in rolling carts. This is not ideal becuase I have to look through all the punches in the 3 drawers when I want to find something. However, I don't have wall space to have them visible on a shelf, so this is the best solution I've found so far.

Scrapbooking Tools

Most of my tools are in my rolling cart. It has all sorts of compartments around the outside as well as around the perimeter inside so I put various tools in those compartments, such as one for scissors, one for rulers, one for adhesives, and so on. My larger tools such as my circle cutters, portable paper cutter, and so on, are in the center of the rolling cart. My most used tool, my paper cutter, has not found a good home yet. It currenly lives upright on the floor and I have to lay it down to use it. I would like to have it on a side table next to my scrap table, but I don't have a side table yet. I would like to find one that is a little shorter than my scrap table so I can push it under when I'm not using it.

Scrapbooking Supplies I own and LOVE

(click on pictures)

Cropper Hopper Vertical Paper Holder 12x12

Darice Craft Keepers Round Mini-Stackable Organizer

Embellishment Holder

Crop In Style® Paper & Sticker 3 Ring Binder

Sticker Binder

Le Plume II double sided markers

Cherish
Book with Layout Designs

My Favorite Scissors