Posted in Hobbies

Scrapbooking can be very exepensive, especially when you begin to purchase stickers and embellishments.  I am able to keep the "extras" at a low cost by simply being aware of my surroundings when I am taking pictures. 

When going on vacation to a tourist location, I always pick up 2 brochures of the places we visit.  Often times the pictures and content of the brochure are more detailed than what I may have written.  I use one brochure for embellishments and the other I keep intact and place in a pocket.  For example, you might visit a zoo and not get a good picture of one of the best exhibits.  The brochure may have a picture, though.  I simply cut out the picture and include on my page.  I also cut a rectangle out of paper, and tape on 3 sides.  When mounted ont he page it makes the perfect pocket to store the intact brochure.  When looking through the scrap pages, you will be able to pull out the brochure at will, thus helping to preserve the memory.

Also, take note of what might be neat on a page as an embellishment.  Perhaps a funny cocktail napkin, a receipt, ticket stubs, an entrance sticker, wristbands, etc.  Placing these on a page provide a memory, help tell the story, and decorate the page, without taking away from the pictures.  These embellishments, while free, also are unique.  Each day we were on a cruise we were given a daily memo about the activities.  We also recieved one for each of our children's age groups.  I included these in out scrapbook.  One page displays only little "scraps" I saved from all over the ship.  I also included our actual receipt, so we would be able to see the cost them versus the cost in the furture.  This is also a great idea for hospital births.  Boy can you see the price rise with each child!  Think of placing the programs from stage performances in your scrapbook.  A copy of a menu is also a neat addition.  These are memories I never caught on camera. 

I have seen many a wonderful scrapbook page.  However, when I am drawn to the decorations more so than the pictures, I find that the story isn't told.  The story your pictures and journaling tell, should be the focus of your pages, not the embellishments. 

Think outside the packages you see in the stores, and create your own unique pages with memorablia from your life.

These are my thoughts.