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Don't start out scrapping your childhood pictures or at least get copies first :)

My advice would be to stop feeling like you have to scrap in chronological order. Scrapping something that happened yesterday or last week rather than from 2005 is such a freeing feeling.

I wish someone had told me 'it's not about the stuff'. Your memories are what is important. The journaling is the most important, then the photos. All the stuff is nice, but so not important. Keep it simple, just enjoy telling your story.

Don't stress out about it, it is supposed to be fun!

I'd tell her (or him?) just to have fun and make what she wants whith her photos for telling stories....

Best advice for someone new would be not to rush out and spend lots of $$ on supplies!! Find your style first- then go out and spend that $. Otherwise you'll end up with stamps and papers that don't suit you.

Best advice: Never Compare your work. These pages, books, projects are meant to be part of your story! Create for yourself!

I wish someone had told me that scrapbooking is about sharing the story, not putting all my photos in a decorated album. Write from the heart.

Keep it simple. Don't go crazy and buy everything out there. Borrow some tools, buy some basic card stocks and such. Play. Add tools, embellishments as you feel more comfortable. And know that your style will change over time. I look back at my first page, created in 1997, and I cringe. LOL But hey, it's fun now to see how far I've come. Not that I'm some amazing scrapbook artist, but my style has definitely come a long way.
The other thing I would say is you don't have to scrapbook EVERYTHING. Pick the stories that speak to you and that you feel must be documented and put the rest in photo albums. Photo albums aren't a cop out.

My advice is to scrap your favorite photos and tell your favorite stories, don't think of your scrapbook as a photo album. Keep filling photo albums with the endless pictures we all take and save the scrapbook for the everyday or special memories and stories you want to tell.

My advice to a first time scrapbooker is to purchase the essentials: cutting tools, adhesives, cardstocks, pens & then be part of a kit club. When I first scrapbooked, I went & bought random items at the store that caught my eye, but they never coordinated together. Now being part of a kit club, I use those items more than items I bought years ago. Just have fun & scrapbook to please you & not others.

I wish someone had told me to not obsess over matching the color of my pictures with the color of my background paper. I remember spending hours at the Bazzill section with one picture on hand looking for green paper that was an exact match to the green in my picture. And if I couldn't find the exact match, that would be traumatic and I would stop scrapping. I had an epiphany back in 2006 while listening to Diva Craft Lounge. You were one of the guests and you talked about how you didn't worry about matching colors. Green is Green, it doesn't have to be exact. I have not worried about matching shades of green ever since. :)

When I first started I wish I knew about digital scrapbooking. I would start with some basic photo editing software. Learn what you can do with that and then start to buy supplies. I bought so much I really don't need or use since I didn't understand all I could do digitally with my photos!

I wish someone would have told me to scrap my story as it unfolds- not to wait "to have time" or better/nicer/trendier supplies- to tell our story as it unfurls each new day.

Don't think you need to have it all, all of the time! Start with the basics and have fun!!

Do not compare yourself to others -- scrapbook for yourself and your family. Don't pick up a magazine and feel that your creations aren't good enough.

My best advice for someone new to scrapbooking would be to take advantage of your digital camera and take plenty of shots. It opens up more opportunities when you have more photos to work with and to choose from.

My best advice to a new scrapbooker would be that you don't REALLY need everything that is out there! I started scrapbooking when there wasn't a whole lot but stickers and die cuts. I can't imagine knowing where to begin if I was just starting out!

Keep it simple, very simple. Thanks ali!

i'd say don't go overboard in buying things-go at your own pace and make sure you only get things you really, really like and will make your layouts your own. after a while, if you do, you will find yourself overwhelmed and it will take the joy out of it all.