Guest Author - Lawanda Kress

In the beginning just preparing to scrapbook is often a gigantic, daunting step! The super-artistic layouts publicized in the magazines and the ones done by "seasoned scrappers" can be intimidating, to say the least! There are many techniques and terms to discover and learn about in this hobby. The terms alone can be a bit overwhelming when you are not sure you can even cut (crop!) a photograph correctly!

The way to overcome this fear of scrapbooking is to realize that anyone who has the desire to do it ~ can! You can scrapbook! My seven-year-old daughter does it! She loves to work on her pages!

There are numerous reasons to scrapbook, preserving memories is probably the biggest one. I also do it to have fun, to have a creative outlet, and to enjoy the company of others. Scrapbooking is a very therapeutic and social thing for me! I love going to crops! Seeing other people's memories being preserved for future generations gives me a good feeling. And I love getting ideas from others. To copy (scrap-lift) from others more talented and creative then I am is my favorite way to get ideas.

You may want to do it for these or other reasons. Perhaps you are thinking of making a gift for someone else...I started scrapbooking by doing a wedding album for my sister-in-law. A scrapbook is a wonderful personal gift!

Keep in mind when starting out, not everyone's pages or scrapbooks will look alike. This is a good thing! The main purpose of this hobby is to preserve your life's history and your fond memories. When you do your own scrapbooks you are also preserving your style, right along with your memories! The way you scrapbook reflects your personality. Do not let a lack of confidence keep you from having fun and enjoying your own creativity!

Tips for starting out:

Learn the lingo. Check out The Scrapper's Dictionary.

Think of some themes. Go ahead and get your pictures out and think of a few themes for your pictures. Some common themes include the names of the people/person in the picture, birthdays, weddings, holidays, and other events. See Journaling and Title Help

Buy some supplies. You don't need an album at first, just some paper to do pages on, some glue (adhesive) and something to cut with, such as scissors or a straight edge cutter. If you will be doing this much at all, a straight edge cutter is a must-have!

Learn some techniques. I will feature articles on various new and not so new techniques. I also have a list of links for some techniques here.