| There are no right and wrong things to do in | | | | scrapbook is designed to cover a single event, |
| scrapbooking as long as you are pleased with the | | | | choose a color scheme for the entire book and stick |
| result. Your personal decisions on the color and design | | | | to it. It could be the same color scheme as the |
| of your pages are as much a part of the scrapbook | | | | wedding, the color of the graduates robe, seaside or |
| as the memories you are trying to preserve, they | | | | possibly tropical colors for a vacation. Using the same |
| give a 'flavour' of your personality. But what if the | | | | color theme all the way through will give your |
| scrapbook you are creating is a special one, perhaps | | | | scrapbook a unified look and helps to create that 'I |
| a wedding, which you are putting together for | | | | was there too' feeling for those who weren't. |
| someone else? If you are looking for rules to follow | | | | 5. Journaling is very important. Have you ever looked |
| to make sure your project is successful, look no | | | | at a picture of your grandmother or great |
| further. | | | | grandmother and wondered what she was really like? |
| | | | Many people have attics full of pictures, but no idea |
| 1. It's about the pictures. Scrapbooks are designed to | | | | who those pictures portray. Others have only a |
| preserve memories, to be a wonderful record of our | | | | name, no information to give them a flavor of the |
| lives and those of our loved ones. Your scrapbook | | | | man or woman in the picture. Don' let that happen to |
| pages should be designed to enhance the pictures | | | | your scrapbooks. Be sure to use plenty of tags to |
| you are displaying, not to overcrowd or overshadow | | | | name your pictures, and leave space for other |
| them. Scrapbooking is the art of balance between | | | | journaling. If you're not sure what to write, ask |
| pictures, backgrounds and embellishments, all should | | | | yourself, 'What would I want people to know about |
| come together to enhance memories that exist and | | | | this event in 10, 20 or 30 years time?' Those are the |
| to create a flavor of those memories for those who | | | | facts you should record in your scrapbook. |
| do not share them. | | | | 6. What if you don't have a picture? Sometimes we |
| 2. Harmonize. Chose your scrapbook page | | | | don't have a camera to hand when a memorable |
| background to harmonize with your pictures in color | | | | event takes place, or maybe the pictures you had |
| as well as in theme. If you are scrapbooking portrait | | | | have been lost. Memories are more important than |
| style photographs, you could choose a background | | | | pictures, that's why scrapbooks are so often called |
| color from the clothes the subject is wearing. If you | | | | 'Memory albums'. It's OK to revisit the location, take a |
| are using landscape photo's it may be safest to | | | | modern picture and add journaling to say 'This is |
| choose a color from the sky. One color pages can be | | | | where Dad was born' or 'This is where we met'. You |
| effective, especially when stamped all over with clear | | | | can even use postcards where appropriate. |
| ink, which gives an interesting, almost textured | | | | Remember scrapbooks can contain more than just |
| effect to the pages. If your choice is a bright color, | | | | pictures. They are a great place to store tickets, |
| you might like to layer your photographs on vellum to | | | | brochures and other items which help to bring the |
| allow them to show up more strongly. | | | | memory to life. |
| 3. It's a layout. The only pages in a scrapbook which | | | | 7. Don't delay. The best way to preserve your |
| are viewed alone are the first and the last. All the | | | | memories in a scrapbook, is to create the scrapbook |
| others are a two page spread. Some of the most | | | | straight away. When going on vacation its easy to |
| effective scrapbook pages exploit this, creating a | | | | buy a collection of scrapbooking items before you |
| single layout which spreads across two pages, rather | | | | go, take your digital camera and a small, portable |
| than two layouts which are considered alone. As a | | | | printer with you. On rainy days when you don't want |
| first step, consider using the same background for | | | | to go out, the whole family can help update the |
| each page of your two page spread. | | | | scrapbook making sure the memories are captured |
| 4. Scrapbooks may cover years, even decades, or | | | | for years to come. You can always add the final |
| they may cover a single event, such as a vacation, a | | | | embellishments when you get home. |
| birthday, a wedding or a graduation. Where the | | | | |