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Scrapbook Basics

How many times have you heard the following? "I made this layout in one afternoon and it ways EASY!"

Do you have this conversation with yourself? "If it is so "EASY" then why am I having so much trouble with the layout? There must be something wrong with me."

There is NOTHING wrong with you, so please let that bit of "trash talk" stop.

There are several components that go into a scrapbook layout that you may not be fully aware of. Just by looking at a layout completed by someone else you don't have the full picture of what all went into making it. Let me give you an example.

Making Marvelous Scrapbook Pages by Hot Off The PressThis is a book that I bought in 2003 during my binge shopping days. This is only one of the many books I have that hide away in a cupboard because every time I looked at these books I felt defeated and a total failure. Not to mention the amount of money I spent in trying to teach myself this craft and just spinning my wheels.

You can see, right on the front of the book under the title, it says - and I quote - "It's Easier Than You Think". To someone else it is "Easy" but to me it was anything but easy.

Why? What was I missing? What didn't I understand? I'm smart, as are you. Why does my attempt come out looking like one of my grandchildren made it?

I'm probably going to get in trouble by the Publishing Police and/or the people from Hot Off The Press, but I need to make a point here and help you understand about layout "construction". Once you understand this part of creating a layout then the rest will begin to fall into place.

Sample layout photo from Hot Off The Press bookTake a close look at this darling layout. Can you see there are, at least, seventeen (17) different components that have gone into the creation of this layout?

What are the components? They are a combination of tools, the photo, and paper. You can, quite successfully, create this layout with the papers you have on hand. If you don't have all the tools to recreate this layout that is not a problem either. You just need to be able to look at a layout and visually take it apart and break it down into individual pieces. Let's begin. You may have to scroll back up as you go through the list to reference the photo a time or two, but you will understand in just a few minutes.

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Paper: Did you know there are six (6) different pieces of paper on this layout? There is:

  1. Yellow and White stripe background paper
  2. Pink vellum
  3. Blue vellum
  4. Yellow vellum
  5. White card stock
  6. Purple polka dot print vellum
Do you see them all?

Tools: Did you know there are nine (9) different tools used to create this layout? They are:

  1. Decorative edge scissors used on the white card stock behind the photo
  2. A different decorative edge scissor used on white card stock under the purple polka dot print
  3. A paper trimmer to cut the white card stock, pink vellum, and the blue vellum behind the photo
  4. A template (copied from this book) to create the flowers that grace the top of this page
  5. A craft knife or scissors to cut the flower petals out of the vellum
  6. A bone folder to crease the flower petals
  7. An adhesive (probably a tape runner) to attach the photo to the white card stock matte behind the photo and to attach the white card stock strip at the top beneath the purple polka dot vellum, the tape runner was probably used on the center areas of the vellum beneath the photo to hold them in place on the background paper
  8. A hole punch to cut out a bunch of circles to create the flower centers
  9. A liquid type of glue to adhere the flower petal together and to attach the flower centers to the petals.

Analyzing a layout and separating out each of the components will help you with your supply list. The supply list consists of papers and tools you will need to create the layout. The photo is just the starting point.

If you don't have all of the tools to create this layout, don't think you have to run out to the store and buy something right now before you begin. If you don't have Any tools then you might have to make a list and purchase some. Follow along in the next pages here to see how you can create this type of a layout with the bare minimum of tools.

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