So what will you need to start Scrapbooking?

Here is a list of basics you may need to start with. All of which can be bought right here at Craftaholic Supplies!

Equipment Needed

•  Acid and Lignin Free Card and Paper stock
• Scissors (straight and Decorative edge)
• Paper Trimmer
• Acid Free Pen
• Scrapbook Albums
• Adhesives

Optional Extras For Embellishing

• Decorative stickers including letter stickers
• Eyelets, snaps and Brads 
• Ribbons
• Rub Ons and Peel Offs
• Chipboard Shapes
• Punches:
• Rubber Stamps
• Ink
• Embossing Powders, Tinsel & Enamel
• Embossing Tools
• Bone Folder 

Understand The Lingo!

Embossing

Embossing is creating a raised 3 dimensional image or text in one of two ways.

1.  Placing your card or paper over a stencil then applying pressure with an embossing tool is called Dry Embossing.

2.  Heat Embossing involves stamping a design using embossing ink then sprinkling powder, tinsel or enamel on top and using a heat gun to melt the powder.

Embellishments

Embellishments are anything you want to use to decorate and stylise your project, although these are generally referred to the wide range of non paper decorations e.g. chipboard shapes and banners, Brads, and Ribbons.

Brads

Brads are decorative pins with split backs (just like paper fasteners). They come in varying shapes, sizes and colours and add a great professional look to your projects.

Die-Cuts

Die-Cuts are shapes cut out by a machine. Die-Cutting machines can be bought for home use, along with different shape dies. These are easy and quick to operate and can save you money in the long run.

Card and Paper Stock

Cardstock and Paperstock refers to basic card and paper and is often sold in packs of 24 or more sheets.

Peel Offs

Peel Offs are a type of sticker that often come in the form of a metallic outline of a shape or word.

Rub Ons

Rubs Ons are very much like transfers and are rubbed through the backing sheet onto you paper.

Stamps

Stamps are often used for heat embossing or card making and print fantastic instant shapes on to your project. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are two main types of stamp, Clear Stamps made from photopolymer, and Woodblock mounted stamps.

Cropping

This is the term used for cutting elements out of photographs e.g. to much background or other people that would distract you from the subject of the photo or page. This is just like you would do on your home computer with other images or text.

Acid Free

Papers or card that has a high acid content deteriorate over time and may become fragile and discoloured. Glue can fail and stain photographs. It is essential to use acid free card, paper and adhesives when creating scrapbook pages. This in turn will ensure your pages and photographs stay as fresh as the day you made them.

Lignin Free

It is also essential to use lignin free paper or card when scrapbooking. Lignin is a naturally occurring substance in wood that reacts with light and causes yellowing and deterioration of paper and card. Lignin free paper like acid free will ensure that your pages and photographs will not deteriorate over time and will still look great in years to come.

Journaling

Journaling is the finishing touch on a scrapbook page. It provides the viewer with information to fully understand the photographs and answers the questions who, what, where and when. There are 4 types of journaling Captioning, bullet points, poetry and storytelling. Each style of journaling should reflect the style of your page.