Intro to scrapbooking Part 3: The last words on supplies

It's only appropriate that this scrapbookers 101 series has three posts on supplies. Because three of the best things about scrapbooking are:

1. Buying supplies.
2. Hoarding supplies
3. And actually using supplies (which always seems to happen less that the first two).

Stuff that you can use over and over:

Colourific stuff: This includes paint, ink, dyes, misters, powders and other potions, glitter glue, pens, and cotton.

It's easy to go overboard on this stuff and want 'the whole set' and that's totally dangerous because manufacturers know that- and just about the time you get the whole set they add more to the set!

In reality you only 'need' some of these things and really just in a basic range.

Paints: Acrylic is the type of paint used in scrapbooking and you can get specific scrapbooking branded paints- but the reality is that they are the same make up as any other acrylic paint you can find around. Of all of the supplies I listed above I think paint is the most useful. You can apply it in so many different ways, with different tools and use it for a variety of things from mats, to frames to lettering. Start with a set of primary colours (red, blue and yellow) plus white, black, brown and possibly green. And then look at expanding your collection IF you use the paints. And only then look at the colours you predominately use and stick with them.

Ink: Either liquid or in ink pads. Like I said in my first post a basic set of dye ink pads is all you need- black and brown being pretty versatile. There are heaps more colours out there and if you find yourself getting into stamping then you can start to expand your collection. Dye ink dries relatively fast and helps stamp clear, crisp lines. The other type is pigment ink. I find that it takes a long time to dry and can some times seem a little fuzzy when stamping. Pigment inks tend to be a little more opaque and therefore have a different look to dye inks. I recommend Tim Holtz Distress Inks as a good basic dye ink. Staz on is also good but a lot harder to clean up. I find baby wipes are all I need to clean up Distress Inks and often just place one flat on my table and clean each stamp with a quick rub as I go along.
The only other exception to the ink pad buying advice could be an Embossing ink pad. Embossing ink goes on clear and is sticky and takes a while to dry because you use it with embossing powder. But once again I wouldn't go there unless you develop a passion for stamping.

Dyes: Dyes were big in scrapbooking a few years back but not so much any more.They are good because you can use them to recolour some things that can't be done in any other way- and also because they can provide a vivid colour pop on your page.  They are not something I use a whole heap on my pages. I think a lot of the time we want to just keep going on a page and so the idea of dying something and waiting for it to dry just doesn't suit. If I had my time over I wouldn't invest any funds in dye.

Misters: Misters are a more recent trend and a lot of fun. Essentially it's colourant in a spray bottle. You can use them as is to create interesting back grounds on your page. You can lay down shapes/letter stickers etc like a mask and spray over them then remove to see the colour of your pages foundation. Or you can spray over a stencil. Lots of different options and looks. If you prefer clean lines then misters and sprays may not be for you as they are hard to control. Some are opaque (solid colour) and some are more like dye and some have sparkly stuff in them- yum. They are all on the expensive side- so once again it's a case of looking at what you are most likely to use colourwise. Look for Mister Huey's from Studio Calico, Spinklers from October Afternoon or Tattered Angels Glimmer mists and others.

Powders, sparkly stuff and other potions: There are a whole range of other products sold in little pots, bottles and containers for crafting: Embossing powder which gets melted with a heat gun, Twinkling H2O's get painted on with a wet brush, Sugarcoating is just yummy looking glitter, KindyGlitz and Stickles are glitter glues, Smooch is ink in a nail polish bottle, Pearl-ex gets dry brushed onto wet ink, Flower soft is little bits of god knows what that can look like well... tiny soft flowers, and chalk is well... it's chalk! Here's the thing, these things are pretty, ohmyffrickengoodness are they pretty! They are packaged pretty and they are all sparkly and twinkly and you see amazing scrapbookers and especially card makers use them with great effect on a range of projects. And you just go "oooohhh I want to buy it!" (Or at least I did and I know a few other people who have as well) and you play with it and it's got pretty colours and it's all sparkly... but it doesn't look as cool as the picture in your head, and it's not quite as easy as others make it look, and actually it can be fiddly and time consuming, and well sometimes it's just a bitch to clean up, and it can be a bit on the expensive side, and sometimes you can only get it in kits of 3 or 6 colours which ups the costs, and even then you never seem to have the colour that you want/need..... and then it sits in your stash taking up room, causing you guilt (because of the money you spent, and your forsaken grand plans) and really you just should move it on to some other sucker one who will use and appreciate it.
So the lesson is: Before you buy anything pretty that you have no idea how to use and aren't confident that you'll use well, don't. If you have a friend or acquaintance who uses this stuff and you like the look of it then get them to give you lessons or loan you some stuff that you can have a play with (give them a few dollars or a small gift in appreciation of the fact you are using their consumables) have a good play and figure out if the 'stuff' is really you before you put any real money into it.

Pens I have a love of all things stationery, pretty note books and writing paper, funky paper clips and all sorts but especially pens. I love pens in the last week I brought 4 packs of pens in the wake of the back to school stuff there's lots of cheap pens about. :-) If you don't like your handwriting, or you think you can't draw or doodle then you won't have too much use for pens. But it is nice to write on your pages from time to time (rather than computer journalling) even just as a record of the way you write for your kids at a later date. So I suggest that you have a small collection of basic pigment ink pens- I'd suggest around 3mm nibs. And as I said in an earlier post the smiggle ones are great and come in a good basic range of colours. If you think you will draw on your layouts then you'll find that there are heaps of other options; Sakura Glaze pens are a nice opaque pen to draw with and good old gel pens are nice to use as well.

Cotton: If you've ever done cross stitch or sewing then you'll have a stash of cottons and threads- just in case it never occurs to you- those can be used on your scrapbook pages too.

Stencils and Stamps:

While generally being on the more expensive end of basic supplies both stencils, stamps and masks (essentially the opposite if a stencil- you lay them down, paint or spray over or trace around) are a good investment that you can use over and over if you get the right thing.
The right thing includes, alphabets, basic shapes (circle, square, hearts, stars, arrows) and patterns, swirls and curls and in the case of stamps a set of greetings (happy birthday, congratulations, thank-you etc). And in lesser numbers some flowers and leaves and birthday and Christmas themed stamps can be fairly multi purpose. And maybe some basic lined journalling stamps.

The thing is once again that there are so many stamps out there that appeal to our hearts. I have a beautiful Sleeping Owl stamp- I love him, he's sweet and wise. I guess I could use him on a page about how Will loved birds when he was little, I could use him on a page about how Kieran is quite wise, I could even use him on a page about Tama and his sleeping habits. That's three pages, and to be honest that Kieran one is a stretch- he probably cost about $15- so even with three pages that's $5 added to the cost of each page. The lesson here is RESIST the SLEEPY OWLS (and the pretty ballerinas, butterflies, dandelions, cutesy animals and so forth) unless they are dirt cheap and you can think of decent amount of ways you could use them over a number of pages or projects.

Well , I think he's cute.

There's two types of stamps generally:

Wood Mounted

These are mounted on wooden blocks generally cost more and definitely take up more space to store.

Clings/acrylic

Acrylic stamps tend to come in packs. And you need a perspex mount or mounts to place them on while stamping- a glass plate works well. They have the advantage of being both cheaper and easier to store. Also great for alphabets because unlike wood mounted alphas which you stamp a letter at a time you can string a bunch together on the mount and stamp (the exception being where the same letter is used twice). They are also great because you can see through the stamp and the mount so you know you are getting the placement correct. I read a tip once that if you lightly sand you acrylic stamps before use you will get a clearer image and I have found that to be true.

A thick foam pad or a mouse mat placed under your paper when you are stamping helps to get a clearer image as well- you just need to be careful with that you don't ink the edges of your mount accidentally.

In terms of printing quality I find there is no advantage to wood over Acrylic- so to my mind you'd buy wood if you can't get the same/similar stamp in Acrylic.

I store my favourite wood mounted stamps where I can see them as that way they are likely to get more use.

I store my acrylics in a basket close to my desk for the same reason- along with my baby wipes for clean up. You can buy a stamp cleaning pad and they are great but once again not necessary.

Tools:

Investing in the Big Ticket Tools: Tools are expensive! So my very best advice is to think long and hard about what you invest in. Also think around and up and down. For example I used to have a rather expensive electronic cutter that hooked up to my computer and could cut out most anything including all of the fonts on my computer in almost any size from tiny up to A4. On the outside this seems like a much better investment that a die cut machine for which you also need to buy dies and those dies only cut one size. BUT I never used the expensive Electronic cutter because it and the computer lived in the lounge and me and my scrapbooking were at the other end of the house- and it just wasn't part of my work flow to stop what I was doing and go use the cutter. But having a die cutter on the table next to me with a couple of good all-round alphas that I actually use has been a good investment because I use them.

In general keep away from tools that have a very specific purpose or do a job you can do with another tool you already own- there is a new tool out at the moment it cuts ribbon and sears the end so the ribbon won't fray. Yep it cuts ribbon, like scissors. And while my scissors don't sear the end of my ribbon I can't say fraying has ever been an issue on my pages and if I was using the ribbon for a mini album or such I can melt the ends with my lighter- I don't need a ribbon cutter and searer  costing money and taking up space when I can already do both those tasks with cheaper, smaller tools that I already own and have multiple purposes!

Also avoid the tools that do things that you don't do. A big bite is a tool that punches holes- it can punch through super thick and hard stuff and it is really pretty damn handy- the biggest one can punch a hole anywhere on your page. But if you don't punch a lot of holes then you really don't need one.

If it suits the way you scrap punches can be a good investment- shapes and borders are the most multi-purpose. Just basic circles, squares and ovals in a few different sizes can go a long way. Or alternatively if you have a die cutter that takes them Spellbinders dies they end up being better value for money than punches. (Cuttlebug does take them)

My friend Paula's sage advice on tools:
* If you can, find a teacher who will let you try out tools before you buy them. I hated my first few tools including the cutter I bought. They just didn't suit the way I like to work.
* When you do invest in tools, invest in tools that are versatile and that you will use often and the best quality you can afford.

Personally I like that joke that goes something along the lines of: I brought a popcorn maker, a deep fryer, an egg cooker, a rice cooker and a steamer. It's called a pot.

Loving your supplies too much:

Something we all seem to do is fall in love with particular papers and embellishments and 'save' them like the 'good china' for a special occasion or a certain page that may one day come.  It's just so yummy or special or sweet we don't want to use it or in the case of patterned paper cover-up the good bits with photos and stories (the heart of scrapbooking).

Here's my advice USE IT. They may not make the same thing again- you may find the project that would have been just perfect for that particular supply some time down the track- but it's ok because there will always be more, and most likely better stuff to fall in love with and buy and covet and USE. It's a multi million dollar industry that works by tugging at womens heart strings while loosening their purse strings.... there will always be another piece of paper to love.... many other pieces of paper to love, many, many, many.

Fads and Favourites:

The scrapbooking industry is notorious for going through fads and every scrapbooker and their dog seems to jump on the bandwagon. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that provided you are doing it for the right reasons- the right reason being that it appeals to your senses and suits the way you scrap. Even then try not to go overboard because there will be another fad- it will probably come with new tools and supplies- and you might like it more and end up leaving the old fad behind- leaving you with a bunch of stuff that was 'you' but isn't anymore. But if there's a phase where everyone is heaping flowers on their pages on you aren't the flowery type- then don't feel like you need to go there!

Likewise if you develop favourite things to use or favourite techniques and they become scrapping 'old school' don't feel like you need to stop doing it because it's not the 'cool thing' anymore.

This is the one area where I say- buy more if there is a certain brand that you love and use all the time or a certain embellishment type that really suits the way you scrap then go for it- I have a heap of Sassafras brand product in my stash and I never get tired of using it! I'm so glad that I have it because the company isn't operating any more- so there ain't anymore where that's coming from!

Kits, packs and pads:

Kits, packs and pads have the advantage that everything is co-ordinated and  it all works togther and make the colour co-ordination side of scrapbooking easy. If you scrapbook a lot and like the look of a 'set' of stuff they can be great. They generally tend to be cheaper than buying the items individually as well. That said you need to be sure that you will use enough of them to make the savings happen- really check out a pad or kit to see if you really think you are going to use most/all of it- because if you end up donating a whole bunch of stuff to Kindy- then you haven't saved at all.

Organisation and Storage:

There are two schools of scrappers- the see it use it girls, and the neat and tidy I know where it is hidden away ladies. I'm very definitely in the first camp- I don't remember what I have and often end up finding something down the track that would have been great on a page I've already completed- once you know what you are you can work on how you organise and store your stash.

The other contributing factor is how you scrap there are as many different ways as there are scrappers. But generally they can be divided into four categories.
1. Photos first. Everything else follows.
2. Story first, then photos to suit- everything else follows.
3. Supplies first, then photos and story.
4. Layout first. This often happens when people like to follow sketches or page maps, or scraplift (creative copying others LO's)

How you scrap depends on how you will want to sort your supplies. I do all four of the above- but generally I'm a number one. I find the pictures that move me for the moment. Then I match paper and card- I keep my paper and card right beside me for that very reason. Then once I have everything laid out on the paper and have my journalling in mind I go looking for embellishments. I keep my embellishments sorted by colour plus wood and metal that way I know exactly where to go to find stuff that will compliment what I already have happening with my papers and photos. Plus I have a box for general stickers and one for alphabets (for titles).

The alternative ways to store are like with like- eg all the flowers together, all the ribbon together etc.
Or by brand- so you know you have co-ordinating gear in the same place.

None of the above are better than each other just better for certain people and the way they think.

If you are lucky enough to have a dedicated space I strongly recommend having all your most used items within arms reach as it just makes your work flow so much easier.

Finally- leave room for expansion in your storage. If you have a choice between something with 3 drawers or four - go with the four even if you only need three right now- you will need five later. :-)

Albums:

Most scrapbookers tend to scrap in one of two sizes 12x12 or 8.5x11inches. The majority scrap in 12x12.

That said there are heaps of other sizes out there and you don't have to be limited to just one size- even in the same album. Commonly found you can also buy 8x8 and 6x6 albums. Plus you can get page protectors in all sorts of different sizes and configurations- weird and different stuff like 6x12inch and so on.

Standard size albums are generally post bound or ring bound.

Post bound: Have metal posts that go through the album and the page protectors are placed on these and then a screw in the end keeps them in the album. These albums are relatively easy to find, easy to fill and are often preferred because there is not a large gap between the two adjacent pages- good if you do a double page LO. Their disadvantage is that they can be harder to add pages into later (because you have to pull a bunch of pages out). I also think they hold less than a ring bound album (max 40 pages- and that's pushing it because the open end is fat!) and the pages don't lay flat.I used these for everything till recently and am now in the process of moving to ring bound for my general albums. I'd still choose post bound for albums that scrap one event like a 21st, wedding, holiday, or deployment- because these types of themed album have a finite number of pages.... but our daily life goes on forever. 

Ring bound albums are just like the ring binders the kids have for school. They are also pretty easy to find these days. Can sometimes be a little more expensive (although I think that relates more to the brands that we get in NZ and Aus). They hold more, are easier to fill and add pages too and lay flat.

It's up to you how you arrange your pages- some people like to put the pages in order of the dates of that the photos were taken. Some people like to put them in the order that they were made. Yet others have albums for specific things- like an album for each of their kids and one for shared events and so on.


It really doesn't matter how you do it- so long as it makes you happy- and you can always change your mind down the track- it's a scrappers prerogative!

 ♥