When I mention scrapbooking to people, many of them envisage a sugar paper book from WH Smith with photos glued in, and are usually quite bemused at the idea – until they see the albums that my sister and I have created.  At this point they are impressed to say the least.  These days, everyone has boxes/disks/files full of photos – we take any opportunity to take a photo, but rarely do anything with them after the event.

When I was first introduced to scrapbooking by my sister, I couldn’t get my head round it.  I was totally confused!  I just didn’t know where to start.  I didn’t really understand what I was supposed to do, or what to scrap!  I got confused with whether I should start with a photo or with a topic. And so I went round and round in circles.  It can be really daunting, and if you have boxes and boxes of photos, then your new hobby can feel like a mountain to climb!

The point is, scrapbooking is meant to be enjoyable, and leave you with albums full of beautiful photos and memories.  And since you are the one creating them, as long as you are happy that’s all that matters!  There is no right or wrong way to produce a layout, on the contrary – scrapbookers are always looking for new ideas and techniques.

Start by thinking of a particular topic you’d like to begin with.  Are you recently married and have been meaning to do something with those wedding photos for ages?  Perhaps you have just had a baby and want to get all those early memories recorded before you forget them through sleep deprivation?!!  A holiday is always a good topic – everyone’s got holiday photos!

Here are some topics to inspire you:

• New baby
• Wedding
• Birthday party
• Christmas
• House move
• Pets
• Day trip
• Holiday
• Easter
• Halloween
• New Year
• Family
• Heritage

A scrapbook layout can be as simple or as detailed as you wish.  It could be one photo that you love framed simply, or it could be a story that you want to tell, with lots of journalling and memorabilia.

All you need to begin is some cardstock and/or papers, a craft knife and ruler and some glue.  As you learn about techniques and embellishments, you can always go back and add to your layouts. 

It’s a good idea to decide which size you want to work in. Scrapbook albums and the co-ordinating papers and cardstock come in different sizes – 12x12, 8x8, 6x6, 8.5x11 inches.  You may want to work in the largest size (12x12) so that you can fit more photos onto a layout and leave yourself plenty of room for embellishments or journalling.  On the other hand, you may feel daunted by the idea of having all that space to fill, in which case maybe 8x8 would be better for you.  Have a good look through our website and see all the different products out there to add to your layouts – rub-ons, alphabets, embellishments, tags, quotes, brads, eyelets, ribbons – the list is endless – below is a glossary to help you get your head around some of these terms.

Try not to feel too overwhelmed with all the different terms, techniques and products.  Over time you will develop your own style, and as you look back over your albums you will be able to see how your style and techniques have evolved – that in itself tells a story. 

Start by choosing a photo and some co-ordinated papers.  If you feel daunted and don’t know where to start with titles, quotes, embellishments etc, just mat the photo, choose its position, and then come back to it tomorrow.  You’ll be amazed how a night’s sleep can give you a different perspective and some inspiration for a layout!