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

I wish that someone had told me that it is OK to make mistakes and there are easy and creative ways to fix them - if you want to. Sometimes the mistakes become the best part of the page!

My advice to a new scrapbooker would be...be yourself. Don't try to be a perfectionist. Remember to have fun and make the pages reflect you as a scrapbook artist.
..and don't forget the glue dots!
Thanks Ali, Kim

My advice would be to not go at Scrapbooking thinking that everything has to be perfect. Scrapbooking should come from the heart and express what you feel. One thing I wished I was told when I first started Scrapbooking was that you don;t have to buy every tool out there! Oh, if I only knew what I know now, I could have saved myself so much money and hassel. So to new scrapbookers, I will suggest that don't get distraut when you first start, always create from your heart and everything will come out beautifully!

I'd love to have a spot on that on-line workshop, sounds so awesome!!! I wish someone had told me it's more about memories (words) than products, it seems we're always running after trendy new things to add!!!

Just tell the story...don't spend too much time worrying about all the products. And, just get started...all the margins and matting don't have to be perfect!!

Don't go crazy with the patterned paper. Limit yourself to a few designers at first.

I wish someone would have told me not to cut people out of their backgrounds. I could have also been warned about sticker sneezes. LOL. ~Pea

to a new scrapbooker: it's not about the STUFF -it's about the photos and the stories behind them. Now that my kids are getting old enough to read the albums, they only look at the photos and read what i've written. they do not look at design or embellishments or techniques. that stuff, i've learned, is completely for me! and also, when you are creating a layout, don't "leave the journalling until later". the journalling is the most important part. just write it down.

find an album system that works for you!

keep it very, very simple - start with a piece of paper and just put a photo and then write a quote, and that's it!
make it more fun than demanding :)

My best advice for a newbie would have to be.....Don't feel like you have to have EVERYTHING to scrapbbook. It's easy to become overwhelmed quickly. Not to mention scrapbooking is so huge now, what's new today is *outdated* tomorrow. Organize, organize & only buy what you need for specific projects. That way you won't forget what you have, have way too much & basically be overwhelmed & not want to do it at all!!!Take lots of photos & just have fun with it!!!

My advice would be: don't go crazy and buy everything that you see and love. Invest in good basic tools, cutter, scissors, adhesive, etc. Other than that, stick with basic cardstock. Don't purchase every cute embellishment and patterned paper, chances are it won't match your photos and you will end up with way too much stuff that you will probably never use. Just have fun!

To not be afraid that you are going to do something wrong in your scrapbook....to just have fun with it! It should be fun to put together, not a chore or something that gives you more anxiety!!

this may seem obvious, but it wasn't to me. organize evey thing. photographs, holiday themes, and paper (etc). start small, and then as you learn more things add it to your pages. the most important thing is the photos in the end.

I wish someone had told me how addictive this hobby/art is!!!
No seriously, my advice would be to start slowly, don't think you have to get it to look like all those pro's on the net, you will get there when finding your own pace and your own style.

Look at a lot of great layouts. It's the best way to learn what works.

I wish someone would have told me:
1 - you dont' have to have every tool or piece of paper
2 - scrap for yourself - don't worry what other people think of your creations.
3 - and most importantly, have fun with it. don't let it stress you out.

Spend your money on solid paper in colors you will use and then use patterned paper as needed (I have SO MANY patterns I will never use). Invest in a corner rounder.
Great givaways. Thanks!!

My best advice for a new scrapbooker would be to keep it simple. Over 11 years of scrapbooking, I have way too much stuff and get overwhelmed by it all at times. I wish I would have kept limited supplies and tools. Dont get caught up in all the "stuff".

I'm still a new scrapbooker, so I'm finding the comments very useful. My one comment would be - just jump in and don't try to make things perfect! That's my biggest problem - "analysis paralysis!" I need to just do it (to quote a famous company slogan).