The A-Z Of Scrapbooking

A:

• Adhesives – Glue, double sided tape and glue dots. Adhesives are products that will stick two items together. Adhesives must be non-toxic and acid-free for scrapbookers.
• Acrylic Paint – Not always a material used in scrapbooking, but for those who enjoy creating something a little more artistic and unconventional, they are a must.
• Acetate – Perfect for creating a scrapbook page with a difference – a clear layout. Why not try adding journaling or extra photographs onto an acetate page…so that you can see the following page through it?
• Acid Free – When using photographs, materials need to be acid-free. This will remove the risk of the photographs degenerating and help them to withstand aging over time

B:

• Buttons – Whether you buy them from your local craft shop or recycle them from old clothes, buttons are a reasonably cost-effective way of adding “that little something extra” to your scrapbooking page.
• Brads – Another cost-effective embellishment – brads are perfect for attaching ribbon and tags to your pages or just to add some decoration to complete a look.
• Beads – Available in pretty much every color and design you can think of, they can be added to your scrapbooking page and will co-ordinate with any color scheme.
• Brush Markers – Whether you want to add journaling or color a large title, brush markers are usually non-toxic and acid-free…making them perfect for use on your pages.

C:

• Card – One of the most basic materials for scrapbooking, especially if you are creating a handmade album or mini-book.
• Cutting Mat – Most scrapbookers own a craft knife which makes owning a cutting mat essential to protect your work surfaces. These come in standard mats or self-healing mats. Self-healing cutting mats provide a durable surface which does not create any sharp edges which can damage both your knife and your project.
• Camera – One of the most essential tools. Without this, you wouldn’t have much to scrap…would you?
• Computer – This can be quite a useful piece of equipment – whether for editing photographs, creating journaling or printing papers.

D:

• Die-Cutting Machines – Great tools if you want to use lots of various shapes on your scrapbooking pages. There is a large variety of die-cutting machines… ranging in price from manual machines to automated computer based ones – cutting basic shapes, more complex designs and also full alphabets, numbers and symbols.
• Double-Sided Tape – The quickest and one of the most effective adhesives for scrapbookers. Double-sided tape is immediate – it doesn’t need time to dry – and most on the market today is acid-free and non-toxic. Double-sided tape can be purchased on a roll or for even more ease – in a roller.
• Digital Scrapbooking – Scrapbooking on a computer. Digital scrapbooking uses paint software to create a page with a difference. Pages can replicate traditional paper scrapbooking or can use techniques to create unique pages that are difficult to create on paper.

E:

• Embellishments – Items to add to your scrapbooking pages – anything that isn’t a photograph, paper, card or journaling.
• Eyelets – Eyelets are the perfect embellishment for neatening holes on tags and pages where you want to attach ribbons or fibres. Eyelets can also be used to add a subtle hint of color. Punch holes into your page and layer a colored paper behind the holes so that it shows though in pages.
• Embossing – The technique of using powders and heat to create a raised stamp design. It is also a technique of creating raised areas on vellum or parchment paper.
• Edging Scissors – To add an edge to your papers that isn’t straight cut, torn or a wave you can use edging scissors. These come in a variety of styles – modern or more traditional. You can also purchase paper trimmers with the same decorative edge blades.

F:

• Fabric – Not a traditional material for scrapbooking but when used effectively can create a very special scrapbooking page. There are endless possibilities with fabric – sewing, decorative stitching, photographic transfer etc.
• Felt – Used extensively for kid’s crafts, but is being introduced as another material for scrapbooking. New ranges of felt letters perfect for children-themed pages that available on the market now are allowing scrapbookers to be more creative with a basic material.
• Feathers – A great example of the range of materials that can be used on a scrapbooking page. For certain occasions, feather can be added to a page to finish the look, for instance white feathers on a wedding page or bright-colored feathers for pictures of parrots.
• Foam Pads – These are an adhesive that are used widely in card making and for decoupage but can sometimes create a space between items that is needed on your scrapbooking page.

G:

• Glue – The wet types of adhesive. Scrapbookers need to be wary when using glues as they need to be checked that they are acid-free and non-toxic. Most craft PVA glues are non-toxic but are not acid-free.
• Gel Pens – Gel pens are another tool for adding journaling, doodling or any other writing or drawing to your pages.

H:

• Handmade Paper – Looking to add something special to your page? Handmade papers come in a range of designs – plain papers, those with metallic threads added into the paper, embroidered papers and embossed papers. Most of these look great with a torn edge as they fray nicely – just use a small paintbrush and water to allow the paper to tear in the shape needed.

I:

• Ink Pads – A variety of colors and types are available. You can stamp on pretty much any surface nowadays – perfect for adding to your scrapbooking pages.
• Inks – Ink are used mostly for drawing and writing with but they can be used to add journaling or something special to your page.

J:

• Journaling – The technique of adding writing to a scrapbook page. This can be used to add details such as dates, names and places. It can also just be a few sentences to remind you of the memories in the photograph. Journaling can be added in a variety of ways – handwritten, rub-ons, using a computer or old typewriter and more.

K:

• Knife – Craft knives are very useful tools for most crafts. They have a flexibility that you cannot achieve with scissors – for instance when wanting to cut a curve across a 12” x 12” page.
• Keepsakes – Keepsakes are items that are kept as a memento. You can collect keepsakes to use with your photographs or alone to create a theme for a page. Examples of keepsakes are pressed flowers, tickets, maps, postcards, cake ribbon and badges.

L:

• Layout – This is how your page is set out. For some albums it can be easier to draw out sketches of your layouts before putting them together to ensure that a continuous theme runs through your album and draws all the pages together as one whole project.

M:

• Mulberry Paper – Mulberry paper is a paper which has a special look and a unique property. When torn, mulberry paper has a feathered look about it – this can add to the complete look of a page.

N:

• Non-Toxic – Using non-toxic materials in scrapbooking is essential to protect your photographs and to allow your album to last through many generations.

O:

• Organizers – These keep all your stash neatly sorted to ease clutter. It also keeps it clean and protected…for example, a paper organizer keep your pages flat and allow you to organise them into themes, colors or however you will find them easiest.

P:

• Paper – This has to be the most obvious material for a scrapbooker. With so many different types, colors, sizes, textures and effects on the market, it’s a difficult choice when trying to choose the right combination for a layout.
• Peel-Offs – These come in all sorts of designs and colors. As well as for card makers, these stickers can add pictures and extra touches to your layouts. They are particularly useful for journaling.
• Paints – Paints can be used to add extra color and design to your layouts.
• Punches – A simple way of cutting out shapes for use on your scrapbook layouts. They can be easily made into small embellishments or you can use border and corner punches onto your papers and photographs themselves.

Q:

• Quilling – Traditionally used by card makers, this technique of curled and shaped strips of paper can easily be adapted for use on scrapbooking layouts – especially suited to floral layouts.

R:

• Ribbon – Ribbons have many different purposes for scrapbookers. They can be used to attach tags, charms and other objects to your pages. Ribbons are also a good way of adding a splash of pattern and color to your pages. There are so many designs, widths, colors and patterns there is something for every layout.
• Rub-On Transfers – Easy to use and a subtle hint to any page, these are perfect for scrapbooking. The alphabets and words work really well for journaling.
• Repetition – This is a technique of creating a running theme throughout a scrapbooking album or mini book. This can be something that stands out like a color theme, or it could be something small like the use of a flower on each page or the way in which you add your journaling. This technique helps to make each page run into the next and look part of a finished project instead on each page being something separate.

S:

• Stickers – Stickers are available in many designs made of many materials – paper, foil, vellum, with glitter and much more. These can add simple extra touches to your scrapbooking pages.
• Stamps – You can either use these to add an image or words to your scrapbooking page, use alphabets for journaling, or use them to create your own background papers.
• Scissors – A very basic tool but a necessity for any scrapbooker. Small detailed scissors are ideal for cutting small items and non-stick scissors for cutting stickers and adhesives such as double sided tape.
• Stencils – You can use these with so many different materials to add pictures to your layouts, to draw and cut shapes and to create background papers.
• Stash – This is the term used for all your craft materials.

T:

• Trimmers – These are used for accurate cutting. There are two types – those with runner blades and guillotine style trimmers. Most come with straight blades but many also fit decorative style blades for adding fancy edges to your papers and photographs.
• Theme – Many scrapbooks have a theme, whether this be a wedding, holiday, family history or just special events in your life. There is some reason you choose to include certain photographs and usually this is because of a theme.
• Totes – Craft Totes are a type of organizer. These usually involves organiszrs, pockets and a carry handle to allow you to take it with you to classes and groups etc.

V:

• Vellum – A semi-translucent paper that has many uses for crafts and can also be used on your scrapbook layouts. Emboss, perforate or just use as a paper. As vellums are semi-translucent they need special care with adhesives.

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