Beginning Back-To-Basics Scrapbooking: All You Need Is....

So you've got the itch to make pretty scrapbook layouts, but when you Google "scrapbooking," all these gorgeous, time-consuming, artistic layouts made with supplies & techniques you've never heard of pop up. It's enough to make you say "screw it!"

Believe me - I've been scrapping for 6 years, and I get those feelings too!

But then I remind myself - all you need to make pretty layouts is three items:


(1) Patterned paper and/or card stock; (2) photos; and (3) a pen for journaling.

That's it!

(I should add a 4th thing - you'll need some type of adhesive to make your photo stick down.)

I'm going to walk you through the process of how to make a layout using these 3 items, plus a few embellishments.

First, you need a photo.


I'm going to use just one photo for this layout. This is a selfie I took when I was substitute teaching in an art class. 

Look closely at your photo. What is the dominant color in your photo? Once you find your dominant color, select a piece of patterned paper or card stock in that color. In my photo, the dominant color is a greenish-blueish color, so I'm going to use that color as my background paper.

I found this paper from American Crafts Dear Lizzy "Daydreamer" line. It has that same greenish-blueish color in it, although it is a little bit lighter than the colors in my photo. That's OK. Even if it's lighter or darker, it is still the same color, so it works.


I decided to adhere my background patterned paper to a sheet of white card stock, just to give it a stronger foundation. I cut an inch off the side and off the top of the patterned paper, applied adhesive, and then mounted it in the center of the white card stock. It gives a nice half-inch border around the patterned paper.
















If you select a really busy pattern for your paper, you can always mat your photo. Just cut a piece of plain paper or card stock to be just slightly bigger than your photo and adhere your photo to it. That way, it will act as a buffer between your photo and the busy pattern of the paper.


The pattern in my paper isn't that overwhelming, so I decide to place my photo directly on it.


Next I add my journaling. If you use plain card stock instead of patterned paper (or if the pattern is very subtle), you can write your journaling directly there. Because the pattern I chose has a little more substance to it, I chose to use a separate journaling card.

Now, this can be anything! It can be a scrap piece of paper or card stock. It can be a pre-printed card with lines on it. It doesn't matter! The card I used is from Becky Higgins' Project Life line - it's just a plain basic 3x4 card with a grid pattern.


I wanted my card to be as far away from the left edge of the layout as my photo is from the right edge, so I cut off part of my card. I tucked it under the photo at a slight angle (just because I felt like being funky - watch out world!!!!) and wrote my journaling.


Now, your journaling doesn't have to be Pulitzer Prize-quality writing! Just tell your story! Start with the W's: who, what, where, when. Maybe add in some personal touches - how did you feel, etc.

You'll notice my writing isn't anything special, but it gets the point across. That's what matters!


Now, for the final touches: the title & other embellishments:


I usually only use one type of sticker for my titles, but I didn't have enough of the round type stickers to do my whole title. I had the blue stickers in my stash, so I added those to finish my title.

Letter stickers make titles very easy!















One way to make scrapping very easy is to buy your papers and embellishments from the same line. The round letter stickers and the puffy heart I used are all from the Dear Lizzy "Daydreamer" line, just like my patterned paper. That way, you don't have to worry if your things coordinate. The manufacturer already did that for you!

So here's the finished layout. It has the three necessities: paper, photo, journaling. A few embellishments make it pretty and help to tell the story.


And it wasn't hard to do!

Beginning Scrapbooking Series

A discussion has been occurring over on the Paperclipping forums (go check out this fabulous new community!) about things that may discourage people from beginning to scrapbook. One of the more popular theories is that today's styles in scrapbooking are very artsy and heavy on techniques. This can be overwhelming to people who are just starting out - the learning curve can be really high!

So I thought - what about a back to basics approach? Let's teach people the basics of scrapbooking - photos, paper, journaling, maybe a few embellishments. So, this summer, I'm going to be doing a series of blog posts about the basics of scrapbooking. How do you get started? What are the absolutely essential supplies & tools that are needed? How can you dabble in this fabulous hobby without taking out a second mortgage on your home?

If you know of anyone who could be helped by this series, please pass on my blog info!

MIA

Yes, I know it's been quite a while since I've posted anything. I could use the excuses of travel, or spending my time getting caught up on my scrapping, or a zillion other things. But - I've just been lazy. And when I realized I had been lazy, I started procrastinating. I found it hard to face coming back here to post after such a long time.

You know what? That's pretty crazy! So, here I am!

I have some ideas planned for this summer for this blog. Stay tuned....

And I promise it won't be forever when I post again!

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