Whether a few hours at a friend's house, a full day crop or a weekend retreat, preparing for a scrapbook session away from your regular work-space can be challenging. How much should you bring – pictures, tools, paper and other supplies? I have the tendency to over-estimate (by quite a lot!) on how much I'll get done, so I routinely bring too many pictures, too much paper and too many embellishments. Not only does it mean I have more than what my tote can hold, but I often end up spending more time flipping through everything trying to decide what to work on than actually working on it! There is help for people like me, and all it takes is a little advance preparation.
1) Plan Ahead:
Taking time to plan ahead can make a big difference in what you accomplish. Prior to the crop, sort through your photos, pull out some coordinating paper and any matching embellishments you want to use, and create your own page kits.
If you’re scrapping at your local scrapbook store, don’t worry if you’re missing something - you can always shop as you crop and pick up whatever you may need to complete your pages. If you’re at a weekend retreat, the hosting store will likely have an on-site store set up. Remember, they can’t bring their entire shop, so it doesn’t hurt to check with them ahead of time to find out what sort of inventory they will be bringing to the retreat.
If you’re scrapping at a friend’s place or somewhere else that you don’t have the option of running out to your local scrapbook store, bring along some extra supplies, and suggest your friends do the same. The chances are fairly high that someone else will have that perfect colored cardstock, brad or other embellishment you’re looking for, and would be happy to exchange it for something you have in your stash. Scrapbookers are a friendly group, and I’ve never been to a crop where someone wasn’t willing to share or trade something for someone in need.
2) What tools should I bring?
Always bring the basics, including paper trimmer & extra blades, small scissors, adhesives (including foam tape or pop dots), ruler, pencil, art gum eraser and black archival pen for journaling. Consider including any other tools you routinely use, such as an eyelet setter, inks or chalks, etc. Always keep in mind that whatever you bring, you need to transport it to and from where you’re scrapping. That could mean a few trips to and from the car!
For any other tools, planning ahead will help you once again. If you’re scrapping at your local scrapbook store or at a weekend retreat, call ahead to see what kind of tools they have on hand for scrappers who are registered for the crop. Die-cut machines or other cutting systems may be readily available on-site rather than carting your own back and forth. Alternatively, if you’re attending with friends, arrange for each to bring different tools so you can share amongst your group.
Regardless of what you bring, make sure to properly label your supplies. Many scrappers have the same items, and while not deliberate, it’s very easy to pick up someone else’s tool thinking it’s your own.
3) Have fun!
Most important of all, a crop is a fun and social event! Don’t fret if you have some “scrappers-block”. Take that time to browse through some magazines or to admire the creative talents of your fellow scrappers. If you see something you especially like, don’t be afraid to ask how it was done. The majority of scrappers are proud to show off their pages, and are very willing to share a trick or technique. Remember, imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and scrap-lifting is accepted and encouraged in the scrapbooking community!
If you use a digital camera, you know how difficult it can be to organize and sort through the pictures you want to print for your next scrapbook project. Not only can it be a frustrating process to actually find them on your computer, but also once you have found them, you realize a little fix would turn your great picture into a fantastic picture!
There are many choices available to you if you’re looking for photo editing software. Unfortunately, not only can some of these programs be fairly complicated to learn and use, some of them are also fairly costly. A great solution is Google’s Picasa. Not only does it allow you to effortlessly edit your photos, but it sorts them on your computer so you can easily find them, view them, and if you want to take it one step further, share them on-line with your family and friends! All of this at no cost! Yes, that’s correct – Picasa is part of the Google Pack and is absolutely free!
Here are a just a few examples of how you can use Picasa for your scrapbooking needs.
• We all have great photos, but unfortunately, the flash has caused red-eye. Fix it with a click of the mouse!
• Would your scrapbook project better suit a black & white photo? Convert it to black & white, or consider giving it a sepia tone look.
• Have you ever seen a wedding photo that focuses in on the loving bride and groom, and then gradually blurs the background? This effect can be easily added to any of your photos!
• Do you need to re-size your photo before you print it? Crop it so it better fits the layout you’re working with!
• Is your photo a little too dark? Adjust the contrast so your subject is better highlighted!
You can experiment as much as you need to in order to get the desired effect to your photos. And, if you’re not happy with the changes, you can revert back to the original at any time, so you never have to worry about losing the original format.
All of this and much more ... at no cost! And, since it's a Google product, it's completely safe to download.
One of the things I continually struggle with is organizing my work area so I have an effective place to scrapbook. Unfortunately, I don't have a dedicated scraproom - I have a space set up in our spare bedroom (and keep hoping nobody comes for an overnight visit!!). Adding to the problem of limited space is my addiction to shopping for all things scrapbook related!!
I've lost track of how many times I've gone searching through my supplies for something I'm sure I had, but been unable to find. Even worse, I finish a page and afterwards find the perfect embellishment(s) that would make a good layout a great layout! But it was too late! I couldn't change what I had already done without starting over. So, I decided it was time to do something to get some of my extras out in full view. The only problem was with limited space, I couldn't afford to lose any of my table space, so needed something that didn't sit on top of my workspace, but would still give me easy access.
The Solution ...
This handy little wire is actually a "curtain rod" and comes complete with two styles of clips - a loop type & a clip type - with extra clips available separately for when you run out. There are different ways to install the wire depending on what your wall-space is like. I have it set up between two opposite walls across the entire length, but you don't have to run the wire the full length if you don't want or if you have a door or window in the way! There are different styles of mounting posts to suit whatever configuration you need!
This has turned out to be a great organizational and space-saving tool for me! Now, while I'm working at my little table, I only have to glance up for some ideas on what little extras I can add to my scrapbook layouts.
