Start Scrapping! - 4 Quick Scrapbooking Tips

[Viola Harmon]

Scrapbooking can be a great way to share the memories of your family
and friends by taking advantage of a creative medium and organizing
them in a pleasing way. For many of us, the problem is getting
organized in the first place!
A scrapbook is like a photo album on crack (or steroids, if you prefer
to go with something less illegal. Or Red Bull, if less illicit). With
a scrapbook, you're not limited to photos; anything you have that you
want to save and/or display, as long as it will fit reasonably, can be
included. All of your favorite knicknacks, trinkets, and other
memorabilia can make great additions to a scrapbook.
1. You Need Help (Or Could Use Some) It might take hours to go through
the items you want to include, but this can be one of the most fun
parts of the process. You can make it even more fun if you manage to
convince your significant other, spouse, parents or kids to help you.
2. Theme It! The next step in scrapbooking (or "scrapping," as some
like to call it) is to design a theme or layout - there could be a
recurring theme throughout the book with a different layout for each
page, or you could theme every new page independently of the others -
the beauty is that it's completely up to you. Your theme can be as
simple or as involved as you want it, but remember not to be
overzealous; less is more in many cases.
3. Use Your Tools Grab anything and everything you can think of that
might be of help. Odd shapes make good stencils or borders, and trying
several types of adhesives and writing implements will allow you to
get the best results with your materials. You can never have too much
colored paper, either!
4. Get A Second Opinion This isn't medical plan 101, I'm talking about
actually asking for input from your friends on what they think. It's
hard sometimes to have tough skin and deal with any critiques or
criticism someone might have, but I'm sorry to say that it's part of
being a designer! The visual appeal you are trying to create can
always benefit from a second set of eyes, no matter what the
application.