Take Your Past in the Present

Memories can last a lifetime if you allow them to. Nonetheless, if you want to bury them in the past, your discretion will dictate.

Even so, for those who opt to bring the memories in the present, they can choose from a wide variety of equipments, gadgets and techniques to aid them do so. One of the many ways to bridge the gap between the past and the present is by making a scrapbook.

Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is a hobby of pasting photos, newspaper and magazine clippings, quotes, memorabilia and other stuffs into custom-decorated albums. People who love both art and memories share the hobby. Thus, combining both in a different artistic expression made scrapbooking existence possible.

Documenting family history and other important occasions and events is a way of preserving the legacy. This is the main purpose of scrapbooking. With a scrapbook around, it will be easy for you to tell stories to your children, grandchildren and the next kin in line. Imagine the bridging of generations. Without a scrapbook, your fallible memory will just fail you. Chances are, you will forget most of your precious memories if not recollect them with so many discrepancies. As they say, pictures paint a thousand words. Hence, to cherish pictures and preserve them in a manner that will not make them deteriorate will also preserve the stories behind them.

Scrapbooking Supplies

Before, scrapbooking is a peculiar hobby. Only a few are hooked by it. Thus, scrapbooking supplies are elusive. However, in today’s modern time when the popularity of scrapboooking is pretty much obvious, there are even stores who give major discounts on scrapbooking supplies.

· Customized Albums

Scrapbook uses customized albums where you put the cropped or scanned pictures and embellishments. These albums come in 2 basic sizes – 8 1/2 x 11 or 12 x 12. Smaller than those sizes will be inadequate to scrapbooking needs. The former is a familiar size. However, the drawback of using the same is that it has limited space hence, your art concepts will also be limited by the space. The usual scrapbooking album is a 12×12 inch paper to accommodate necessary photos, writing and embellishments.

12×12 size creates more room for creative layouts. Hence, you will no longer worry about the limitations in space. Moreover, you can also select from a plethora of colors, themes and styles. Availability is never a bother.

Aside from the size, you must contemplate if you are going to use a strap-bound, post-bound or a 3-ring album. Strap-bound albums have flexible strap hinge, which allows adjacent pages to lie flat with its hinge unseen. Post-bound albums also allow the adjacent pages to lie flat without separating the pages. 3-ring albums, on the other hand, are the easiest albums to use because you can rearrange its pages readily. However, it can only hold limited pages.

In choosing for a customized album, be sure that the album is archival. It must be made with acid free materials. The paper used must also be lignin free. Use the most appropriate colors you can find, your limit is your imagination.

· Album Refills

If you are planning to do an exhaustive scrapbooking session, better purchase album refills together with your desired album. It will be frustrating to know afterwards that no refills are available or compatible to your scrapbook when you needed them.

· Adhesive

There are a lot of adhesives available these days. Choose one or two that will compliment your scrapbooking project. Some of the popular adhesive brands used by artists are Mod Podge, Glue Dots, Triple Thick, 3D Dots, Xyron and EZ.

· Paper

Different kinds of paper can be used to make your scrapbook artistic, appealing and breathtaking. You can use different shapes and colors of paper to add an air of elegance and style.

· Pair of Scissors

Keep your pair of scissors sharp. This will make cutting and shaping easier.

· Pens, crayons and acrylic paint

Pens, crayons and acrylic paint can improve the artistic side of your scrapbook. You can use them to write something or to color a portion of your album.

· Hole punch

To make holes on the pages, a hole punch is indispensable. Hence, your scrapbooking supplies will not be complete if you don’t have one.

Additional Supplies

· Embellishments

Embellishments like stamps, stickers, tags, laces, tassles, alphabets, beads, eyelets, denim blocks and other things that can make your scrapbook a sight to behold can be incorporated in it.

· Scrapbooking kit

The scrapbooking kit is an exclusive compartment of all your scrapbooking supplies. To make your supplies organized and easy to find, this kit is necessary.

Before doing a scrapbook project, be sure that you have all the materials and supplies needed.