help me get started

Hi. I'm from WV, new to this website and to scrapbooking. I'm in the process of organizing my photos and have a couple of books on scrapbooking to show me the basics. I'm really excited.

My question has to do with the mechanics of getting started and what type of scrapbook to use. I have a few 3 ring binder scrapbooks (acid free, etc.) but they did not come with the heavy weight page inserts. Do I need to acquire some the heavy weight inserts to start and use these as a base or do I just put my photos on card stock and put that in the protective sleeves? Is card stock sturdy enough?

Also about how much does a Creative Memories scrapbook cost (8 1/2 x 11 & 12x12) How many inserts does it come with? I also found several websites that sell Pioneer scrapbooks . Are those good quality?

Thanks so much.

HI fellow WVian!! I don't know much about the other scrapbooks, but a CM 12x12 album costs $36 and comes with 15 pages. The page protectors are separate. You can put in more pages, some CMCs say 2 more refills, some say only 40 pages total. These albums do not use inserts, but you put everything directly on the page.

Keep asking questions as this bunch here will answer them all. I am sure you will know all about the other type of albums before too long!!

Enjoy and best wishes getting started!! My best advice is to decide what you want to do and then just get started!!! Once you begin, you'll be hooked!!

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~~**MAC**~~

Lisa!!!!!

Welcome to the sicko world of scrapbooking. Has anyone cautioned you about how addictive this is?! Like MAC said, once you get going, you are going to need to be committed like the rest of us!!!! Someone else here once said, "I am a scrapoholic, I know it, and I am okay with it."

I use a three ring binder system with page protectors. I really like it!

I think as far as binders go, a D-Ring works the best. Mine are 3"ers.

I use a piece of cardstock as the foundation for my page and add printed papers, pictures, more cardstock and embellishments on top of that. I think it is plenty strong and seems to work really well.

There are some great debates on other posts here regarding page size and albums, that you might find helpful. I might suggest starting with 8.5x11 first. Then you can get a feel for your style and what works best for you. It all really comes down to a personal preference.

Hope that helps! See you around!

Happy Scrapping!
Nikki

Hello and Welcome!

I am also from WV what part are you from if you are anywhere near Beckley there is a great SB shop there. Personally I like using Westtrim albums with the strap hinge.

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Grani-Apple
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Been there done that!

I like Generations by Hazel 12x12 albums. I use mostly post bound, but have used 3-ring. Here is a link to a page with articles you might find useful in getting started:

http://www.webyfl.com/generic.html?pid=9

Hello! Hello! Hello!

I personally use 3 ring binders and page protectors. To me there is other scrapbook items that I would rather spend my $ on than a book itself. I have heard all the positive and negatives about them and have just decided that this is the best for me for now.

I also just use card stock and then embellish with everything I want to use.

Here is a website that someone sent to me to get some free fonts to use with your scrapbooking.

http://www.onescrappysite.com

HTH. Happy cropping!!

Erin

Well, to each his own If you have a 3-ring binder to start with, okay. But I would suggest spending the extra 20 bucks and purchase a creative memories album. Quality is of the utmost importance when chosing an album.

I don't spend a lot of $$ on the die cuts and stickers. Don't get me wrong, I do spend money on those things, but spend more on the album. Another word of advise - the 8.5 x 11 album is VERY SMALL TO WORK WITH. Go for the gold and buy a 12x12. You will be much happier and it's actually easier to work with

Linda

Hi Lisa - I am a fairly new scrapper to and I know there are a lot of questions. Choosing your scrapbook seems to be a very personal issue ( and one I have already seen heavily debated) In basics - Yes you can use Acid Free Three ring binders, yes you should buy the page protectors, and yes cardstock (acid free and lignun free) can be used for your page bases. I have taken a beginners class from Creative Memories, which I found to be very helpful. And I am signed up for a free class tomorrow 2/19/2001 at http://www.ilovectmh.com on scrapbooking 101

HTH

Diane

Just a word of caution:
I started with a "scrapbook" (acid-free, etc.) 3 rind binder with the pages that have the holes in it. You fit a page protector over the pages -- not the pages inside the protector. The problem with that is when people look at my book they always bend the pages while turning them. If you do get a 3 ring binder, make sure it is the kind with page protectors that go on the rings and pages that slide in the protector. For what it's worth, I use the creative memories albums now -- 12 x 12.

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- Families are Forever -
Tamra

Thanks everybody for giving me some great ideas.

Granniapple. I'm from Morgantown. I had seen your other postings and my sister stopped at Picture This yesterday on her way back home to VA. She is also new and ended up staying an hour and a half and spending $50. We're going to meet there for a class in March. It should be fun.

[This message has been edited by Lisa62 (edited 02-20-2001).]

I started out with a Creative Memories album - they are lovely, sturdy albums but they are costly and I found them very difficult to work with as a beginner because I could not stand working directly onto a 2-sided page.

You can use any acid-free papge protectors with your 3-ring acid free binder. I use a 3-ring as my "working album" and buy page portectors in large amounts so the binder is full of blank page protectors. Since it isd just my working album, and since 3-ring is so easy to use and allows easy removal of pages, I can work on any type of page from any of the types of albums I am presently working on all at once. I have pages from my holidays, vacation, baby albums, heritage album, all mixed up in the 3-ring. I then buy nice postbound albums for my permanent albums and purchase the sturdy page protectors for those albums. Oncce I have enough pages completed to fill an album, I remove them from the 3-ring and put them in order into my post-bound album.

Check out scrapnetwork... they have a really great article posted there about the pros and cons of each type of memory book...

TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION:
How you take pictures... Do you take a lot of one function, or tend to take just a few? If you take a lot, then a 12 X 12 is probably a good size for you. Otherwise, an 8 1/2 X 11 will work.

How organized you are... are you doing a theme book, chronological? A binder is easier for loading purposes (if you are jumping around like I do), but the strap hinge allows for a lot more pages to be added. Personally, I like the top loading Westrim pages for the strap hinge because I can reorganize fairly easily and still get a ton of pages into my album.

Storage... 8 1/2 papers are easier to store with organizers bought at places like Staples or Office Depot. And I have found a bit better variety, but that is changing.

Hope this helps?

Becky

Hello Lisa!

Welcome to the wonderful world of scrapping!

I started off with 8.5 X 11 3-ring albums. I just do my layout on cardstock or patterned paper and then slip it in to a page protector. I buy my page protectors at CostCo in bulk, you can also pick them up at any office supply store. The brand I buy is Avery, because I know they are acid free. This type of album is called top loading, the thing I like about top loading is that you don't have to work in order, where as with the albums like CK where you actually work on both the front and back of the page you have to stay in sequence. I started w/8.5 X 11 because before I was such a scrapping addict, I only had a few pictures per layout. Now I take many more pictures and find that I'm limited by the smaller size. I am now moving up to a 12 X 12 album for all my pictures from 2001 out.

I hope that helps, feel free to e-mail me if you'd like.

Oh, BTW, in my opinion, I don't care for Pioneer albums. I have never had good luck with them. I have purchase three, and two of the three have ripped easily, and their page protectors are really flimsy.