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

My advice? Don't buy everything in sight! I always say my first page cost me about 300.00. I kept buying supplies and not daring to use them or DO anything with my pictures. I say, get BASIC supplies and JUST DO IT...
Dancingly, Denise
watch me as I declutter,scrapbook and knit my way through 2009 at:
www.dancinglydenise.typepad.com

Sometimes paying more for quality tools is worth it. I bought several trimmers, corner rounders, and scissors before I found *the* one for me.

Just start where you are, don't try to go back to the beginning of all your pictures and catch up. Scrap whatever you're in the mood for that day - it doesn't have to be in a timeline order!

I wish someone would have told me that collecting supplies is just part of the process.

I wish someone had told me that it was more about the stories (or that the stories are what would mean the most to me in the future) than the stuff. A lot of my early stuff doesn't have any journaling on it, but I find myself and my kids drawn to the journaling rather than the LO itself.

I would say, look for color inspiration at your very favorite shops {clothing, craft or home decor} or in your favorite catalogs, in quilts, dishes, rugs, fabrics, papers, etc. Also, visit great blogs for inspiration and save to a folder your favorite cards to try.

I scrapped with a new scrapper a few weeks ago, and she was doing something that I remember doing at first. She cut all her pictures to random sizes before she decided what she wanted to do with them. By the time she went to figure out her picture placement, she was very limited because of her previous cutting. Sketches have really helped me, and I showed her some of the sketches that I had printed from different blogs and brought with me that evening. I would say - if you use sketches to help you with the "bones" of your layout, it will free you to use your creativity in the rest of the layout.

At the beginning, you feel like you need everything! You don't - especially once you figure out what style you like (took me a while though)! And, invest in an alphabet stamp set you really love!
Jeanne in Denver

Scrapbooking is storytelling, not embellishing with tons of stuff. The stuff is fun, but the story is what matters most.

I wish someone had told me that it's not about supplies or the perfect picture, it's about what the picture means to you and about putting that down for someone you love to know. I wish I had let myself make more mistakes and had journalled more.

Don't worry about it being perfect, just get it on paper. Print your photos! Can't scrap'em if there not printed!! Have fun, it's not a chore.

My advice is
There is no right or wrong way when it comes to scrapbooking.
Do what YOU like and enjoy

I wish someone had told me that it's about the stories, not the stuff. The amount of stuff is overwhelming and you don't need every new tool/stamp/sticker/paper out there.

Your scrapbooks do not have to be perfect! Just be sure they're YOU. (And be sure to get into the pictures!)

My best advice is usually: You don't have to scrapbook in chronological order! You also don't have to scrap every photo (which in the digital age is, let's face it, impossible anyway). Learning to scrap the stories and photos that inspire me most helped to free me a lot.

start small and start current --- do what interests you so that you do not drown under the piles of photos yet to be scrapped -- oh yeah -- and remember this is a hobby -- it is fun -- not a chore! :)

Oooh, great prizes... Would love any of those!
Advice: I'd say, don't be scared to make mistakes. Sometimes, mistakes turn into beautiful things when we least expect it.
Cheers,
Sophie

Newbies...journal, journal, journal... the picutures need your perpective for future generations. If I were on the couch next to you, what would you tell me? That's what you "journal".

What might not seem really important to document today -- will be priceless in a few years.

pick out your favorite photos and "just do it!"