Guys Guide to Scrapbooking
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 2:23 pm
Ok I am home sick and I am bored so I am trolling and I found an article for Keith, Anthony and maybe Greg:
Okay, you're a guy.
You watch football. You rarely say "Excuse me" after you belch, and you know that if the A's stand any chance of getting to the playoffs this year, Chavez will have to show some hustle. Diaper is a four-letter word and you know there is no possible RIGHT answer to the dreadful question, "Do these jeans make my butt look large?" Yep, no doubt about it, you're a guy.
However… on the way back home from picking up some brewskies and nachos to your hungry game-watching buddies, you find yourself sneaking in, when nobody is looking, to a local scrapbook store (LSS). You check out the awesome cut-outs of the Harley-Davidson and Dodgers baseball helmets (these are called die-cuts).
It's okay. You're not alone.
While admittedly, scrapbooking is primarily enjoyed by the members of the fairer gender (Dude…I mean women), it's okay to take part! Explore your artistic side! Embrace your imagination! Be secure in your creativity! Just make sure that you keep your scrapbook pages (layouts or LO's) away from the Pace chunky salsa.
You'll need to know a few things…which leads us to…
Basic Training
The following are some terms that can help you decipher all the junk that you may overhear in your LSS (remember what that means, man? That's right…local scrapbook store).
Albums- No, these aren't your old LPs of the Stones or Journey or even KISS. These are PHOTO albums. These are where you're going to keep all of your hard work. And you're in luck! They just don't come with frilly flowery covers that are so Dear-God-I-think-I-have-a-cavity sweet. You can get some nice solid-colored…dare I say…MANLY blue covers. Pretty sweet, eh?
While albums come in several sizes, here are the most common:
8” x 8” - This is a good starter album. Not too intimidating. You know…like that beautiful girl in college who just wanted you as a friend? Yeah…like that.
8 ½” x 11” - This is an album that can house your standard sheets of paper. Think larger than a baseball card, but smaller than a Sports Illustrated magazine.
12” x 12” - This is the Big Daddy of albums. This guy comes after you feel more confident.
Albums are also classified by types:
-Three-ring binder - Just what the name implies… it's like a huge three-ring binder that has the pages.
-Post-bound - Naw, get that image out of your mind. It's not an album tied to a stake. It's basically an album that allows you to lay the pages relatively flat. When you want to add, remove or swap pages, you can do so fairly easily.
-Strap-bound - Similar to a post-bound but you have to adjust an expandable strap hinge to add/remove/swap pages. Not the most convenient.
Now…once you choose your album, look at purchasing some page protectors (if they're not already included). These are basically sleeves that protect the page's contents.
Whichever you choose, you're going to want to be certain that the album is safe…or archival. No, that's not Indiana Jones' field of expertise. It is the state of something lasting a REAL long time without causing other things near it to age prematurely (yellowing, getting brown, yucky, etc.).
Okay…you chose your album. Now let's look at…
Paper - Now I know what you're thinking. "Awesome! Paper…okay, I know this. I'll grab some binder paper and…" Hold the craft truck there, Junior. There's more to this than just grabbing that sports section and starting to hack at it. Paper must be archival. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. It needs to be acid-free (that means that it doesn't contain an agent that will yellow your photos, other precious things…yes, it's okay to say "precious" Nobody's watching you read this) and lignin-free (I'm not sure what this means exactly…but trust me, dude, it's bad).
Once you make sure your paper is acid-free and lignin-free, you're good to go. There are many choices, based on what you want:
Specialty paper - This is the paper you'll find in your LSS or Michaels, craft stores, etc. It has neat patterns, colors, tie-dye or other cool things (Yes, they even have specialty paper that looks like the surface of a basketball!)
Cardstock - This is just as it sounds. This is stiff paper that is used for cards (greeting, not the Ace, Jack, Queen, that you know). It's sturdier, stiff paper that's great for adorning your page. Again, make sure it's safe.
Vellum - Know that stuff you see that's attached to the baby announcement your wife got that she keeps crying over? You know what I'm talking about. It's soft and cloudy, and see-through? That's vellum. It adds a nice, formal touch to your scrapbook when handled properly. I'm just not sure how it would look over the basketball paper!
Other - You'll no doubt find other types of paper on your exploration!
Cutters - You can use scissors to cut your paper. In fact, I really suggest you have a good pair of sharp scissors. However, to make straight cuts, I suggest something called a Paper Trimmer. This tool is incredibly handy because with it… you can make straight, measured cuts. Check out Fiskars brand. They're one of the better brands, in my opinion. They can be pricey, but at times Michaels has them on sale. Check around!
Adhesives - Easy enough, dude. Think
GLUE
That's right…these are the agents, etc. that actually attach your photos, frames, etc. to your page.
It's EXTREMELY important that you make sure all adhesives you use are archival-friendly (acid-free) because they'll be closest to your photos!!!
Glue stick - Just like the glue stick you used as a kid in school. But not all glue sticks are automatically safe for scrapbooking. Make sure it says "acid-free" on it.
Photo mounting squares - These are pretty awesome. They're tiny squares that are sticky that you put on the back of your photos or other paper items. You then can just mount the item on your page (or LO). Think: tiny squares of double-sided tape. Since they're specifically for photos, most likely they're acid-free, but double-check to make sure.
Glue dots - These (another brand is Zots) are basically tiny dots of glue that are on a roll of paper. They're pretty handy because you can use them on items that aren't paper (like coins, buttons, etc.) Get yourself some of these. They come in regular and 3-D.
Pop-dots - (There are also other names) - These are tiny squares of foam that have adhesive on both sides. You can then put them on your page and anything you attach will make it appear as if the item is hovering (much like the X-wings in Star Wars) off your page. It's one of my favorite things to use.
Runners - These are EXTREMELY handy. They are little gadgets that have a roll of paper inside the with tiny glue dots. You press the gadget against the paper and run it down. It applies the tiny glue dots in a trail. Very easy! Very clean! You don't want that new manicure ruined, do you, you grease monkey!
Other - Other types of adhesives are available at your LSS or craft store. Just check it out and ask any salesperson for help.
Markers - You'll want to purchase some good pens if you want to write in your scrapbook. You got it right… you can't just use ANY pen…make sure it's acid-free! They come in various colors and styles. They can be pricey but you can find deals and sales from time to time. Keep watching for them!
Okay, well that's the basics, the 411 that can get you going. However, later on, we'll look into more advanced things you can do with those awesome pages you're going to create.
And don't worry…if anybody asks, I'll say you were busy scratching your armpits and spewing off hockey trivia.
Okay, you're a guy.
You watch football. You rarely say "Excuse me" after you belch, and you know that if the A's stand any chance of getting to the playoffs this year, Chavez will have to show some hustle. Diaper is a four-letter word and you know there is no possible RIGHT answer to the dreadful question, "Do these jeans make my butt look large?" Yep, no doubt about it, you're a guy.
However… on the way back home from picking up some brewskies and nachos to your hungry game-watching buddies, you find yourself sneaking in, when nobody is looking, to a local scrapbook store (LSS). You check out the awesome cut-outs of the Harley-Davidson and Dodgers baseball helmets (these are called die-cuts).
It's okay. You're not alone.
While admittedly, scrapbooking is primarily enjoyed by the members of the fairer gender (Dude…I mean women), it's okay to take part! Explore your artistic side! Embrace your imagination! Be secure in your creativity! Just make sure that you keep your scrapbook pages (layouts or LO's) away from the Pace chunky salsa.
You'll need to know a few things…which leads us to…
Basic Training
The following are some terms that can help you decipher all the junk that you may overhear in your LSS (remember what that means, man? That's right…local scrapbook store).
Albums- No, these aren't your old LPs of the Stones or Journey or even KISS. These are PHOTO albums. These are where you're going to keep all of your hard work. And you're in luck! They just don't come with frilly flowery covers that are so Dear-God-I-think-I-have-a-cavity sweet. You can get some nice solid-colored…dare I say…MANLY blue covers. Pretty sweet, eh?
While albums come in several sizes, here are the most common:
8” x 8” - This is a good starter album. Not too intimidating. You know…like that beautiful girl in college who just wanted you as a friend? Yeah…like that.
8 ½” x 11” - This is an album that can house your standard sheets of paper. Think larger than a baseball card, but smaller than a Sports Illustrated magazine.
12” x 12” - This is the Big Daddy of albums. This guy comes after you feel more confident.
Albums are also classified by types:
-Three-ring binder - Just what the name implies… it's like a huge three-ring binder that has the pages.
-Post-bound - Naw, get that image out of your mind. It's not an album tied to a stake. It's basically an album that allows you to lay the pages relatively flat. When you want to add, remove or swap pages, you can do so fairly easily.
-Strap-bound - Similar to a post-bound but you have to adjust an expandable strap hinge to add/remove/swap pages. Not the most convenient.
Now…once you choose your album, look at purchasing some page protectors (if they're not already included). These are basically sleeves that protect the page's contents.
Whichever you choose, you're going to want to be certain that the album is safe…or archival. No, that's not Indiana Jones' field of expertise. It is the state of something lasting a REAL long time without causing other things near it to age prematurely (yellowing, getting brown, yucky, etc.).
Okay…you chose your album. Now let's look at…
Paper - Now I know what you're thinking. "Awesome! Paper…okay, I know this. I'll grab some binder paper and…" Hold the craft truck there, Junior. There's more to this than just grabbing that sports section and starting to hack at it. Paper must be archival. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. It needs to be acid-free (that means that it doesn't contain an agent that will yellow your photos, other precious things…yes, it's okay to say "precious" Nobody's watching you read this) and lignin-free (I'm not sure what this means exactly…but trust me, dude, it's bad).
Once you make sure your paper is acid-free and lignin-free, you're good to go. There are many choices, based on what you want:
Specialty paper - This is the paper you'll find in your LSS or Michaels, craft stores, etc. It has neat patterns, colors, tie-dye or other cool things (Yes, they even have specialty paper that looks like the surface of a basketball!)
Cardstock - This is just as it sounds. This is stiff paper that is used for cards (greeting, not the Ace, Jack, Queen, that you know). It's sturdier, stiff paper that's great for adorning your page. Again, make sure it's safe.
Vellum - Know that stuff you see that's attached to the baby announcement your wife got that she keeps crying over? You know what I'm talking about. It's soft and cloudy, and see-through? That's vellum. It adds a nice, formal touch to your scrapbook when handled properly. I'm just not sure how it would look over the basketball paper!
Other - You'll no doubt find other types of paper on your exploration!
Cutters - You can use scissors to cut your paper. In fact, I really suggest you have a good pair of sharp scissors. However, to make straight cuts, I suggest something called a Paper Trimmer. This tool is incredibly handy because with it… you can make straight, measured cuts. Check out Fiskars brand. They're one of the better brands, in my opinion. They can be pricey, but at times Michaels has them on sale. Check around!
Adhesives - Easy enough, dude. Think
GLUE
That's right…these are the agents, etc. that actually attach your photos, frames, etc. to your page.
It's EXTREMELY important that you make sure all adhesives you use are archival-friendly (acid-free) because they'll be closest to your photos!!!
Glue stick - Just like the glue stick you used as a kid in school. But not all glue sticks are automatically safe for scrapbooking. Make sure it says "acid-free" on it.
Photo mounting squares - These are pretty awesome. They're tiny squares that are sticky that you put on the back of your photos or other paper items. You then can just mount the item on your page (or LO). Think: tiny squares of double-sided tape. Since they're specifically for photos, most likely they're acid-free, but double-check to make sure.
Glue dots - These (another brand is Zots) are basically tiny dots of glue that are on a roll of paper. They're pretty handy because you can use them on items that aren't paper (like coins, buttons, etc.) Get yourself some of these. They come in regular and 3-D.
Pop-dots - (There are also other names) - These are tiny squares of foam that have adhesive on both sides. You can then put them on your page and anything you attach will make it appear as if the item is hovering (much like the X-wings in Star Wars) off your page. It's one of my favorite things to use.
Runners - These are EXTREMELY handy. They are little gadgets that have a roll of paper inside the with tiny glue dots. You press the gadget against the paper and run it down. It applies the tiny glue dots in a trail. Very easy! Very clean! You don't want that new manicure ruined, do you, you grease monkey!
Other - Other types of adhesives are available at your LSS or craft store. Just check it out and ask any salesperson for help.
Markers - You'll want to purchase some good pens if you want to write in your scrapbook. You got it right… you can't just use ANY pen…make sure it's acid-free! They come in various colors and styles. They can be pricey but you can find deals and sales from time to time. Keep watching for them!
Okay, well that's the basics, the 411 that can get you going. However, later on, we'll look into more advanced things you can do with those awesome pages you're going to create.
And don't worry…if anybody asks, I'll say you were busy scratching your armpits and spewing off hockey trivia.
I KNEW IT 