Wednesday Sponsor Giveaways: Elise Blaha, ReVa, Studio Calico, & SheyB

My advice would be to...just do it. Don't worry about it being perfect, don't worry that if you use something that isn't acid free, you'll ruin everything, don't worry that you need to have every imaginable scrapbooking tool or product to get started, don't worry about being caught up or behind...just do it...and enjoy it. :)

thanks for the giveaways!
my advice would be:
buy a little, use what you have, then buy a little more.
and write in your own handwriting at least once in a while!
there is something so special about seeing handwriting: there was a human touch and connection there! when i see old letters or cards from loved ones, i don't obsess about their penmanship...i just enjoy the idea that their hand created it!
happy scrapping!

You don't have to scrapbook everything! Going chronologically is great if you like that, BUT don't feel trapped to capture EVERY moment in time. Scrapbook what you feel BEST speaks to your life @ that time. Scrapbook the stories that TELL your story in the most memorable ways. Enjoy and do NOT feel rushed.

Start with a small size, maybe a mini album 6x6 or 8x8, and start off slow with basic supplies. Don't go crazy in the embellishment aisle, even though we all have done that!

I have worked in a scrapbook store for 7 years and recently returned to teaching. I would recommend you only buy what you need when you need it, and don't get sucked in to all of the cool stuff. It is too late for me, but not for you. It is overwhelming to have so much excess that you do not end up using. Utilize crop time at local stores to put together your pages, then if you want go home and scrapbook to your hearts content.

oh, except for the workshop (I just really don't have time!) i LOVE all your giveaways today, ali. big fan of SheyB's .... will be on my birthday wish list ... and i've been waiting for the Soda Fountain's reveal .... yummy.
my advice ... do pages that you love, stories and events that excite you. not necessarily a chronological album, as that has certainly creatively stalled me in the past.

You can't do it wrong.. it's not about perfection, it's about recording the memories and messages of your heart.
Be safe with your materials and then.. have at it...

You don't have to scrapbook every last photo! I spent way too much time stressing about how to get ALL of my photos onto layouts. Sometimes less is more, and you can always have additional photo albums or photo album pages in your scrapbook to show off the rest of your images.

I wish someone told me upfront that you it's perfect to be imperfect. Have fun! I worried too much about straight lines, perfect pictures, staying in chronological order.

Just keep it simple. You don't have to docuument everything in life and the pages don't all have to be Hall of Fame quality. Just get those memories preserved.

My best advice, something which I should pay more attention to :) is don't worry about being caught up. Enjoy the process!

First of all, great giveaways!! Love the Studio Calico stuff... so fun and summer-y!
I wish someone would have told me to save everything! You'd be surprised what comes from scraps and leftovers. It really does spark my creativity. Plus, use things that you wouldn't normally think of using for your pages. I like to use staples, library cards, circus tickets. Just fun and whimsy!

I would encourage a new scrapper to take Stacy Julian's LOM class. I wish I had known all that stuff when I first started!

Honestly, I think I would suggest they never once look at anything online related to scrapbooking, no products, no galleries, no message boards. Everything is so lovely and wonderful, it totally distracts from getting pages done. It would be nice to be oblivious to all that.

To not worry about the result or if you're using the right product, but enjoy the process of creating.

My advice is to get a few basics, cutter, corner rounder, alpha stamp set in a couple of sizes... then use what you have at home to embellish.

I wish someone would have told me that it is all about recording your life & memories not about being artistic. The creativity comes out naturally and isn't always about how other people think it should be.

The advice I wish I had received sooner would be to write down (journal) the moments and sayings that my kids have. There are so many little quirks that our children have or do that are precious and belong only to them. I love that about my kids. They each have these wonderful signature sayings, sweet mispronounciations, or funny traits that have allowed me a glimpse into their understanding of the world.
Example- My youngest can't say syrup, she says "syree-up". I looove this. Eventually she will be aware of her grammatical error and correct it. But if I don't write it down, chances are I will forget this precious word that belongs to her alone.
Or the song, "Rock me Amadeus"(sp?) my boys, for the longest time thought it was "Hot Potatoes". Seriously, how cute is that!!!
So, journal those things your heart swoons over. No matter how trivial.

I wish I had known (or believed) that scrapping 20 years of photos wasn't possible or even preferable. Documenting the stories you want to tell is all you need to do. If the story is 20 years old or 20 minutes old, if you want to record it, do it! Let the rest go. Photos can be stored in albums; they don't all need to end up in your scrapbooks.

Do not measure,do not count, do not worry... Take it as it comes.