Lesson 1 - The Basics

To begin our class, let’s talk paper!  Paper is the foundation of scrapbooking (also called papercrafting) and there is an enormous variety of colors, textures, patterns, and sizes.  It can be overwhelming to walk into a craft store and see the racks and racks of paper!  This is why I recommend starting with a kit or collection, limiting your supplies will make it much easier for you to make decisions and your patterns are already coordinated with each other.

Keep in mind what kind of photos you want to scrap when choosing a kit or collection.  You do not have to use a “themed” collection, for example, a birthday collection to scrap birthday photos.  I find it much easier to use collections that are theme neutral, that can be used for a large variety of photos styles.

When you are choosing your patterned papers, be sure to focus on colors and designs that appeal to you.  If they don’t inspire you to create, they will just sit in your stash!  Also, be sure to get both bold and subtle patterns, large and small.  This combination of designs will make pattern mixing much easier.

Here is the first project we are creating together:

This layout illustrates how to mix a large print with a small print, using a border to to separate them on both the background as well as behind the photo, this prevents the clash of designs.  In choosing which two patterns to use, I kept in mind that the black and white hearts are a simple repeating pattern, so this paper does not attract your attention like the large floral paper does.  You will want one paper that is the “star of the show” and the other is a “supporting role” for your background.

Also, I will show you how to layer your embellishments to create the appearance of depth on your page.  By simply tucking some embellishments underneath others, it creates a cluster.  By placing clusters in at least two different areas of the layout, you create areas of interest on the page.  This is an effective way of drawing the eye through the layout, so that all details are noticed.

Adding tiny details, like these sequins, gives the page a finished look.  Much like an artist adds the tiny strokes to a painting to define an image, scrapbookers can use small embellishments like sequins, enamel dots, or splattering to create a defined layout.

Watch this layout in action:

Begin Lesson TWO