Let’s stop the excuses right from the start. Many scrapbookers say they aren’t creative. Or, they don’t have time. There are other excuses from too many photos to being distracted by shopping instead of creating. But let’s get real. There are ways to create beautiful albums and collect memories, even when these issues are present.

Excuse #1: Not Creative. Many beginning scrapbookers think that they don’t have the creative gene. They may think they don’t even have enough creativity to start an album. This is simply not true.

One of the best things about scrapbookers is that they share! There is a term used by scrapbookers called scraplift. It’s like shoplift, but it’s allowed. It’s all about the sharing between scrapbookers. (It’s still appropriate to ask permission, but we do scraplift.)

There are books and magazines available everywhere with sketches, colors and design ideas. The web is filled with sites that show samples and offer many helpful videos and tutorials. Ideas can come from other places too. How about looking at advertisements in any magazine? Or look at fabrics or on the runway for fabulous color schemes and design ideas.

Excuse #2: No Time. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. Some people use it to build something and some people don’t. It is normal for scrapbookers to want to have a place to save special memories, whether it be through photos or stories or special trinkets. All of these can be used in a scrapbook.

One idea is to schedule time to crop. Set a date with yourself – or with other scrap-friends. Remember, the goal of a crop is to give time to work on the album. Some people schedule one day a month. There doesn’t have to be some expensive space or even many tools. Just bring together your photos, papers and embellishments and work on your project.

Excuse #3: Too Many Photos. That’s a good position compared to some others. This isn’t an excuse to not scrap. Just take some time and organize the photos, then choose where you want to start. Many people start chronologically from as far back as possible. Sometimes, that’s a little overwhelming though. How about starting from what is current? Stay caught up with now and work back little by little.

Excuse #4: Distracted by shopping. One of the most fun things about scrapbooking is shopping. There are so many products available today. There are so many colors of paper. And more ribbons than one person could ever use. It’s fun, that’s why it happens so much. The companies are making products that are collectable. If one works good, why not have more?

The fact is, these are all just excuses. Ideas are everywhere. There are products to make scrapbooking easy and fast, taking advantage of the available time. There are ways to organize photos so it doesn’t feel like being underwater. And, yes, sometimes you HAVE to stop shopping and actually USE the products that have been bought. Let’s get going!