Scrapbooking Made Easy: Some Tips

There’s something universally appealing about scrapbooking that has made it the big industry that it is today. Enthusiasts have pointed to the creative freedom that this hobby brings, bringing the artistic side out of anyone. Making a scrapbook seems difficult at first, but with a few pointers, it is easy to take the first steps..

Plan Your Scrapbook

Before you start pasting photos, you’ll need to do some preparation and planning. You can start by buying excellent wholesale scrapbooking supplies from trusted online retailers. The basic materials you’ll need are albums, sheet protectors, adhesive, paper, embellishments, and the pictures or knick-knacks you’ll want to put in.

Beginner’s Guide to Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking has a long history, from its humble beginnings in the 17^th century as commonplace books, to the amazing hobby that it is today. While scrapbooking started as fonts of information, they now serve a more personal purpose.

Your Scrapbook’s Purpose

Making your own scrapbook should be an easy experience, especially if you start simple. To give you direction, you first need to set its purpose. Will the scrapbook be aimed at typical milestones and events? Will it focus on a certain person? Is it going to be a gift? Deciding on the purpose will make it easier to identify the materials you’ll need to purchase from a dependable online scrapbook store.

Coming Together for the Joy of Scrapbooking

Hobbyists of all sorts enjoy congregating to socialize and share the stories and admire each other’s work. Scrapbookers are no exception. Early this year in South Maryland, though the number of participants wasn’t remarkable, thirteen women participated in a potluck scrapbooking event to socialize and compare notes.

Getting into the Art of Scrapbooking

While everyone now owns a smartphone, tablet, or a digital camera, and there are lots of free online photo storage sites—not to mention, photo-focused social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram—nothing beats holding the actual photographs in your hands.

The Diverse Art of Scrapbooking

To the untrained eye, scrapbooks are nothing more than expensive-looking photo albums, but those in the know are very much aware that they’re veritable works of art. To a scrapbooker like you, however, your creations are where you can let your creativity spew forth untrammeled through the use of a plethora of embellishments you can purchase from a scrapbooking supply store, find around the home, or get straight from nature.

Fun and Fast Summer Acrylic Album featuring Good Day Sunshine from Simple Stories

If you are like me, then you are in the thick of summer. June just flew by and before I knew it we were at barbecues and "blowing stuff up" (as my kids like to call it)  for the 4th of July. All those fun memories and summer is half over.  This new Summer Acrylic Album exclusively from Allscrapbooksteals.com. This kit comes with the acrylic album, color page copies, embellishments, ribbon, and features Simple Stories Good Day Sunshine paper and stickers. It is super cute, super FUN, and best of all super FAST.  This album will help you quickly catch the fast moving memories of summer. Happy Crafting!!! Jacqueline

In the Digital Age, Scrapbooks Still Thrive

In today's world of computers and smart phones, scrapbook-making may seem like a lost art, but surprisingly, many people still do it. Though many believe them to simply be glorified picture albums, true scrapbookers know that what they do is so much more than a collection of pictures. Well-made scrapbooks detail the lives of their makers or subject in exquisite detail.

Thank you to all our wonderful customers.

Congratulations to ShawnaW the winner of the Simple Stories Good Day Sunshine Collection Kit.  ShawnaW. Please contact allscrapbooksteals@gmail.com with your address and phone number and we will get that sent out to you.

We have added a new thing to our site at Allscrapbooksteals.com.  It is called Shopper Approved. Thank you to all that have participated in that survey. We love all the nice things you are saying about us. It is so great to know that you appreciate our customer service. We love you guys too!!!

So continuing with our great summer deals, we are offering $1.99 shipping on $25 or more all weekend until Monday night at midnight. Plus another CONTEST! Please tells us your favorite 4th of July tradition and be entered to win Simple Stories Sea to Shining Sea Collection Kit. We want lots of ideas so enter as much as you like on our Facebook Page, Twitter @AllSBsteals, and in the comments below on our blog. Happy Crafting!!! Jacqueline

Romantic Scrapbooking Ideas

Creating a scrapbook is one way to capture, preserve and creatively present the memories and whatnots shared with your partner. With extensive inventories in online scrapbooking stores, you can certainly find the accessories and supplies that best suits your scrapbook’s theme.

Here are some romantic scrapbooking ideas you can try:

Favorite Firsts

Hopefully, you’ve been journaling and keeping memorabilia of the ‘firsts’ you shared as a couple. It could be a first date, a first holiday or vacation together, your first home, or any similar milestone in your relationship. Present the photos and the story in either whimsical or romantic themes, depending on the mood or setting.

Wonderful World of Words

Have you been exchanging love notes? Are you or your partner someone who has a wonderful way with words? You can glue little romantic cards, notes, and even letters on album pages, and fill the borders or spaces with embellishments. If the printed notes are too precious that you can’t bear to tarnish them with glue, have them photocopied instead. You can also document the words you love saying to or hearing from your partner.

Photos of Places

You must have those favorite or most memorable places as a couple – be it a restaurant, a park, or a travel destination. Take plenty of photos and collect them to become the focal objects of your scrapbook. You can also tack on receipts, brochures, maps, and other souvenirs that you have collected to remind you of that place.

Stop Acid From Eating Your Scrapbook

In scrapbooking, there is one word that you will need to keep in mind at all times: "acid-free."

You can put anything on your scrapbook; but if the pages start turning yellow or forming holes, then something may be wrong. Paper made from wood pulp contains lignin, a polymer most prevalent in cell walls of plants and algae. Lignin causes the paper to turn yellow and degrade over time, even faster when exposed to light.

This could mean bad news for your scrapbook if you want to add newspaper clippings, as the lignin content of newspaper materials can affect the scrapbook paper. Lamination is an effective way to prevent the acid on the newspaper from eating through the scrapbook pages. However, lamination isn't always a practical solution in scrapbooking, especially for snippets and other entries that might need folding to fit a page.

To address this concern, paper manufacturers have created acid-free paper. While it's impossible for lignin to be extracted out of the pulp, manufacturers can neutralize it with a basic substance like calcium or magnesium bicarbonate. Lignin is a strong acid, requiring an alkaline solution above a pH level of 10 to make it soluble.

Acid-free paper is symbolized by the infinity sign. While scrapbook stores sell acid-free paper, not all of the paper they offer has this property. You therefore need to check for the infinity sign, or inquire with store representatives to make sure the paper you get is acid-free.

Tips for Opening Your Own Scrapbooking Business

Starting your own small or medium business, particularly in the crafting industry calls for a lot of passion for the form of art that you choose to focus on. Scrapbooking for one, while merely a means of leisure for many, could actually be a viable source of income for those who dare dream it. Here are a few important tips that you might want to consider when opening a scrapbook business.

Simple Stories A Charmed Life

I don't know about all of you but I am sure ready for spring to get here.  I am ready to not have to wear a coat whenever I go out, I'm ready to be able to go on walks again, and most of all I am ready for the colors to come back outside!  I am so excited for all things spring. To get you ready for spring I am happy to introduce this new line from Simple Stories, A Charmed Life!

This new line from Simple Stories is so cute.  I love the colors, flowers, hearts and all the vintage cameras, bikes and type writers. The yellows and greens and blues in this line make me so happy, I hope you enjoy the ideas from the page design and that it gives you some ideas of your own. This line will be 25% off all week long.

Thank you so much for being our loyal followers!

Happy Crafting!

Liliana Rose Sign in Book

A few weeks ago a tragedy struck our family.  My brothers sweet baby passed away in her sleep at 4 months old.  it was a very hard ordeal for the whole family that came with some very hard times and actually some sweet memories.  It will be a time that will never be forgotten in our family.

We wanted to share with you the sign in book that my sister made for the funeral.  She is a very talented scrapbooker and I think it came together beautifully.  It is definitely something that will be treasured by my brother and his wife forever and by the rest of the family as well. 

We wanted to share a video that was made by one of Rose's grandpas.  It was so sweet to see all these beautiful moments that they shared with their little girl.  We also wanted to express how important it is to take pictures and videos to capture all of these sweet moments.  You never know how long you have with someone and pictures are the perfect way to capture the memories you want to have with you for a lifetime.  If you would like to read her obituary you can do so here.

Thank you all for always supporting our small family business, we appreciate you more than you know! 

Happy Crafting!

How to Plan Out Your Scrapbook

There are few things more enjoyable when collecting memories and nostalgic stuff than by scrapbooking. Anything from remembering the year’s vacation trips to immortalizing the moments that you and your high school or college buddies shared could be turned into amazing scrapbooks.

Basically, scrapbooking is a crafty way to document or preserve precious memories; it also allows for creative self-expression, which makes it such a worthwhile hobby. Nifty scrapbook stores online have got you covered with a variety of basic scrapbook materials, and your creative side takes care of the rest.

To get started, you have to think of the theme of your scrapbook. It could be special occasions or events like travel, concerts, holidays or dates. It could be a collection of the highlights of your calendar or school year, or even an extensive 365-page album for each day of the year.

Next, you have to plan the time line of your scrapbook. You can plan a chronological scrapbook and start from the earliest event going to the most recent. This allows you to add pages as you go along. You can also create one with past memories, where the finished product can be given as a gift or be viewed like an album.

Lastly, assemble your materials. Organize your photos and mementos according to your theme and time line. Look back on the colorful moments of your life and you'll surely “put yourself back in a good state of mind.”

Preparing for the Great American Scrapbook Convention

The countdown to this year’s Great American Scrapbook Convention has finally started. Set to take place in June, this momentous event will allow you and other scrapbook buffs to enjoy various activities that will nourish you with new scrapbooking ideas. Also, this can be a good opportunity for you to meet other hobbyists who will understand and appreciate your interest.

The event will, of course, welcome anyone and everyone, whether regular enthusiasts or budding hobbyists of the craft of scrapbooking. Included in their line-up of activities will be a products bazaar, tutorials from the pros, and cropping. It also looks like the festivities will run until late, as implied in this activities description on the event’s official page:

“Bring your photos and cropping supplies and be prepared to crop until the wee hours, creating scrapbook pages and making new friends! Contestants, door prizes, and goody bags are a feature at every cropping party. It’s a chance to gather with old friends and to make new ones.”

As there are going to be contests, you may want to brush up on your scrapbooking skills in the meantime. The event won’t be till the second half of this year, anyway, so for sure, you should have a lot of time to improve on your style and techniques. In case you want to make this as an opportunity to showcase your hobbyist-slash-business management skills, you can also bring your finished products over and set up your own booth.

The New Face of American Scrapbooking Culture

Undeniably, digital technology has greatly shaped American culture and a major part of it that has sustained a huge hit is the fine craft of scrapbooking. This hobby has been practiced by households for generations, yet is now seen experiencing a significant decline especially over the past couple of the decades. Scrapbooking fans vouch for the many benefits it has provided to them in their over-all approach and perspective in life, serving not only as an exercise in creativity, but also as a memory-building workout.

Studies have also found that arts and crafts like scrapbooking have a positive effect on one’s psychology, allowing for stronger concentration and focus, as well as providing stress relief, much like meditation and deep breathing.

Physical shops closing down are unfortunately nothing new, especially following the most recent economic bubble. For scrapbooking enthusiasts, however, there remains to be another, more stable alternative that is in the form of scrapbook stores online.

With less cash-out required for the maintenance of an online scrapbook store, shops can instead focus on stocking up on their supplies, which clients can pick out with a simple click of a button. These items will then be delivered right to the doorstep of the client.

Shopping for scrapbooking materials has never been more convenient, allowing hobbyists to spend more time working on the craft that they love, instead of going all the way to the store to get the materials they need.

Tips on Starting a Scrapbooking Club in Your Area

Scrapbooking is a great way to keep mementos in an organized way, whether these tokens be photographs, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, and even ticket stubs. For moms, scrapbooking is a great way to keep track of their kids' growing years: from the time of their birth until college. Imprints of a baby’s palms and soles, photos of a child’s first step, and art works previously exhibited at the fridge are just some of the priceless keepsakes a mom can place in a scrapbook. 

Scrapbooking Tips for Beginners

One of the best ways to preserve life’s important memories is by making a handcrafted scrapbook. While millions of people are enjoying this hobby, many are just getting into it and often find themselves overwhelmed—which papers should they buy, what embellishments should they get, how will they design their scrapbook. For newbies, here are a few tips to make your foray into scrapbooking easier and more enjoyable:

Why Scrapbooking Remains Popular

Scrapbooking is a popular hobby that dates back to more than 300 years. Historically, this hobby appealed to various persons of note such as Queen Victoria, Mark Twain, and Thomas Jefferson. Today, over 26 percent of American households participate in scrapbooking activities. Here are some of the common reasons why scrapbooking remains as popular as ever.

Scrapbook Supplies Online: What to Look For

Not every neighborhood has a shop dedicated for scrapbook enthusiasts. As such, for a lot of people, the best way to get supplies is to buy them from an online vendor. However, buying scrapbook supplies shouldn't be taken lightly, regardless if they're obtain from an actual outlet or through the Internet.