Should I Say Bend Over?

I recently took a class at Scrapbook Safari in Woodland Hills called “Let’s be Christmas MERRY” 8 x 8 chipboard album and box. The cost of the class was $47.00 a little pricey I might add although it did include all of the papers, paint, and embellishments. I enrolled in the class because the accordion album in a box is absolutely adorable! (I think it will make a great Christmas gift!) When you take these types of classes you normally bring your own 12x12 trimmer, detail (fine point) scissors, glue stick, glue dots, Corner Rounder, Scrappy glue, foam mounting tape, foam brushes, a pencil, and ruler. These items are pretty much staples if you do scrapbooking. Unfortunately, as part of this class,there are many items that are recommended for you to purchase...some that are necessary and some not so necessary. I was asked to purchase a square glue stick because it is so much easier to get the glue to the corners...not true! The ordinary round glue stick will work just fine! Then there was the foam mounting tape...also not necessary if you have "pop dots" and/or "3D foam squares". I was also encouraged to buy 2 distress ink pads (one wouldn't do because I was taking my daughter along and we would both need one). As it turned out we didn't even get to the point where either one of us used it because there wasn't enough time during the class to actually finish the project! So, my point is that one distress ink would have been just fine. As I have come to learn this retail store is a "Mom & Pop" type store. I'm sure it must be very difficult for it to compete with stores such as Michael's and JoAnn's because of the high sales volumes of these stores. I know that ScrapbookSafari can only survive by making sales but they shouldn't try to make up the difference by encouraging sales of unnecessary items...this just leaves a bad taste in my mouth! It gives me pause as to whether I will continue to do business there. And after paying the steep $47 price tag for the class which I assumed was such because the instructor also needs to get paid, we were offered the opportunity to buy kits. These kits were of the very book we were making in class and much to my chagrin and amazement they too were $47.00 How can that be? I think that is just a bit too greedy! Oh, I should mention that we would receive a 20% discount on anything that we purchased that night, so that we could buy the kits for $37.60...wow! what a savings! (That was sarcasm, by the way.) Lest I forget to mention, the best part of the class was having my daughter take the class with me...you know, bonding and all that. After all my ranting...the class was great!

Have You Started Scrapbooking?

Have you started scrapbooking?

Don’t know how to start? Go ahead, jump right in! Even though I’m considered a newbie to scrapbooking I didn’t let this stop me. Sure, I knew what a scrapbook was, that you filled it with photos and other memorabilia…big deal or so I thought. Little did I know what was in store for me when I walked into my first scrapbook store? There were so many papers, embellishments, and gadgets, that I couldn’t believe my eyes!

Scrapbooking has become an art form, if you will. Embellishments add beauty and character to your pages. The possibilities for creating beautiful pages are virtually endless; your only limitation is your imagination. There are brads, paper clips, stickers, ribbon, and buttons, to add whimsy or elegance. Brads now come in many shapes, colors and sizes, and the same is true of paper clips. There are so many stickers in a wide variety of materials. There is an immense selection of paper, from the very plain to the glittery to intricate lacey designs. In some stores they are even divided by topic: travel, sports, holidays, weddings, etc. There is something for every taste. And the gadgets! I was amazed at the many different types and how they serve to simplify your life: sticker makers, tag makers, and paper punches. There are products that serve very useful purposes such as: adhesives, paper piercers, circle makers, and rubber stamps.

And for you ladies or gentlemen that enjoy other crafts don’t hesitate to use ideas from those arenas and incorporate them into your pages. So, let’s get scrapping!

How to Start Scrapbooking

If you don’t know where to begin, let me give you a few suggestions. First, you can begin at your local scrapbook store. Some offer “Scrapbooking 101” classes so that you can become familiar with the many options available to you. These classes are usually free or offered for a nominal fee. If it all seems too overwhelming, start slowly and simply. As you gain more confidence your pages will become works of art. Classes are also offered through your Community College Extension. Second, you can always go to your local library and check out books on the subject. If they are not available at your branch, books can be requested from other branches and delivered to your particular branch. Third, browse magazines such as Simple Scrapbooks, Scrapbooks, etc., or Creating Keepsakes for ideas to get you started. Also, there is a bountiful supply of scrapbooking websites. Just type in the word ‘scrapbooking’ in Google and you will be amazed to find more than 28 million results. Finally, you can ask one of your scrapbooking friends for help. They will be more than happy to give you tips and show off their “labors of love”.

The great thing about scrapbooking is that nothing you do is ever wrong. Some of my best pages have developed from accidents. Perhaps your photo stuck to your fingers as you tried to place it on your page but instead it turned out askew. Well, as you looked at your page it actually looked much better askew than if it had been placed squarely on the page. Oh, and don’t hesitate to crop photos or throw out the blurry ones. Now that you have a few basics….ready, set, scrapbook!