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

I have 2 - the first would be to buy supplies as you need them - I so often "stock up" and don't end up using half of the stuff !! The second would be to accept the fact that you will not LOVE every page that you create. I would spend SO MUCH time trying to make a page "perfect" when getting the memory down is what's important! Maybe the next one will be "perfect"!!
Katie

Only you can tell your story. No one else can scrap and tell the story of your family and life the way that you can. Don't compare yourself to others or think that what you do is not good enough. Getting it out there is the best process and you will evolve into your own style as you go along. And your family will thank you for it!

It doesn't matter what product you use - in 20 years, your kids will not care in the least. What they will care about are the memories recorded. Never forget, it's about the story.

Just glue and go....don't overthink things. You'll forget the memories if you worry too much.

Don't do alot of shopping before you find out what you like and what you really do need.. start with the very basics and figure it out as you go along. A moneysaving advice:)

STAY SIMPLE in the beginning!
I started with only matting my photos and adding text.
Lovely greetings from over the ocean!
Katharina from the BlackForestRegion/Germany (;

I really wish someone had told me not to be afraid to try new stuff and be adventurous. There are always new techniques and supplies to try and most of them have videos or blogs to show you step by step how to use the supplies and master the new techniques. The other big thing I would pass on is don't be afraid to mess up or put something in "the wrong" place the important thing is to capture you moments and your memories and really there is no messing up it's just called artistic :)

Those kits are fabulous! And I LOVE the camera straps - so pretty! My best advice to a new scrapbooker would have to be "Read, read, read". Read blogs, tutorials, watch videos, etc. The more information you have, the better. By doing this myself, I learned pretty quickly what I liked and what I didn't, and it kept me from buying lots of things that I ultimately would never use. When you're new, you want at least one of everything. But after a while, you realize there are lots of things that, while they are nice, just don't suit your style. The reading/watching/researching is a great way to help you discover your own particular 'style'. It worked for me!

I wish someone had told me not to cut my pictures with deco scissors, I have so many ruined photos because of this!

Don't be afraid to start. Don't stare at the blank paper, just stick something down. Sometimes that's all it takes to get the juices flowing.
Oh, and don't be afraid to crop your photos, if you're thinking about it, just do it without hesitation.

I agree with everyone comments about supplies--start out super basic! I also wish someone had told me to journal more. I am really grateful for the early scrapbook pages I did but I wish I told more stories--all I was doing was putting pictures and embellishments on a page. I'm still glad I did it but it doesn't remind me of how I felt or about any special details of the time. (I also wish someone could have told me to go a little less crazy with the scalloped scissors--boy, I scalloped everything!)

I would say it's important to realize that you are not going to "love" every page - it's okay - getting the memory down is what's important. Maybe the next one will be the "perfect" page!

My advice is not to stress!! It's ok if it's not perfect or you scrap photos out of order. It try to tell myself those things too. :)

My advice...JUST DO IT! Don't wait for the perfect paper or embellishment or technique. Have fun and keep it flowing. Also, take LOTS of pictures.
Leora

Don't make a layout at a crop just to get another chance to win a drawing. You will hate that layout for the rest of your life. If you do make that layout, keep it for the rest of your life to remind yourself not to do it again! LOL! :D

My advice to a new scrapper would be, scrapbook the photos that you love and use the products that you love. Don't let trends keep you from documenting memories!

Wha, wha...what? A STUDIO CALICO KIT????? I'm in love. Thanks so much for the chance to win.

My advice:
Scrap from your heart. Do it without boundaries or limitations. Go with what you like, make it yours.
:)

My advice would be you don't need to scrapbook every photo. Just the pictures that speak to you, or that you truly love. You can keep the other photos in traditional photo albums to still be out and enjoyed.

My advice is to find your comfort level! Dont feel you have to layer or use tons of embellishments because you see others doing it. There is NO wrong way to scrapbook! They are your memories and you can document them how you choose!