scrapbook paper

Hi, I have never scrapbooked before. I bought a 12 x 12 scrapbook paper that I want to use the full page in an album. Do I need to paste it to cardstock before adding pictures? Also when doing the other side of the insert, do you paste to the other side of the csrdstock or use another one?
Thanks for your help.
coco56

No, you do not need to glue it to cardstock. If the paper is very, very thin and has heavy embellishments on it then just leave the plain white insert in the page protector behind it to give it a bit of suppoert or use a heavier paper for the second page in the protector. I always use a seperate sheet for each page and never use the backside so that I can move pages around.
Have fun!

Everything Denise said above.

I do not glue patterned paper to cardstock and I don't use the back.

New scrapbooks and some refill packs have a white sheet in each sleeve which aggravate the tar out of me becuase the first thing I do is remove them all which takes time. However, it you have a really thin or flimsy pattern paper you could leave it. I don't like any extra bulk in my books so I don't. Just a matter of personal preference.

I use the white sheets that are in the protectors to play with layouts - I start by putting the things I want on a page and move them around on the white sheet. Pretty soon ideas come and colors kind of jump out and I can pull the papers I'm really going to use. Its easier for me to start when I have the 12" x 12" parameters rather than a bare table with no boundaries. I can't visualize how its going to look so I have to have the white 12 x 12 and the ones that come in the sheet protectors are perfect - I use them over and over.

I prefer using the white inserts to separate the front and back layout pages. In fact, I had acquired a scrapbook without those white inserts and actually bought cardstock to place inside as separators.

About using cardstock as background with patterned paper: I like using the "Punch Around the Page" punches by Martha Stewart. I use them on thin or medium patterned paper and adhere the patterned paper to cardstock with a coordinating solid colored background. You might also want to use the "Punch Anywhere" punches on the patterned paper and let the solid-colored background cardstock show through.

I use the white inserts as white cardstock I scrap om them all the time

Just to add that it's not a good idea to glue the 2 layouts together in case you want to change the order at any time.

What the others said.

I did make an album once where I bought a coordinated pack of double-sided papers and some were too pretty NOT to use the backs as well as the front. But that was a gift album for my friend to give to her daughter on her wedding day, of the daughter's life up her marriage. The album was a set length with planned chronological pages, so I knew the order was not going to be changed in the future. And the paper was not too thin.

But normally I would not use the back of a LO to make another LO - apart from anything else, you're limited with embellishments you can use, for example brads or eyelets which would show through on the back. If the back is as beautiful as the front, I'd buy two sheets.

If your paper is too flimsy to stand up to lots of embellishments, you could trim about a quarter inch in total off the top/bottom and side(s) and mount it on a piece of card-stock so it would have a narrow border all around it. Don't stick it down until the very last though.

Will you show us what you come up with? Good luck, and welcome to the addiction!