my craft journey part 1

happy new years scrappers!

my craft journey started with scrapbooking, then i delved into cardmaking, and now i'm getting into mini albums & altered projects. each craft comes with its own joys but transitioning from one to the next can have it's challenges. in this three part series i'm going to give you some tips on how to get started, the supplies you need, and some helpful inspiration. 

so let's start with scrapbooking

we're going to break our materials into 2 categories: tools & supplies

tools

cutting mat 12x12

paper trimmer

cardstock

  -get started by purchasing a pack of cardstock in assorted colors. make sure 

   you have neutrals like black, white and kraft

scissors

adhesive

  -tape runner adhesive, liquid glue, & glue dots for small embellishments
   like buttons or metal embellishments

craft knife/paper piercer

  -i recommend purchasing a tool kit like the one making memories sells, you'll 

   get a great range of tools all at once

punches

  -i recommend starting with circle punches, purchase in a range of sizes

   & get the scallop punches to complement them, then do the same with

     the square punches, then you can branch out into other shapes

   -border punches come in a lot of different patterns, start with a general 

    scallop that you like, it'll be versatile and you can use it on a lot of different

      pages, and then you can get seasonal punches as well.
crop-a-dile
corner chomper

these next tools i'm going to call splurges. they're a little pricier than the previous tools listed, but they're worth the investment. 

tips for purchasing pricier items-

• take advantage of holiday sales
• have your family members get you scrapbooking gift certificates for your birthday and use those to offset the cost
• get michael's newspaper coupons they often have coupons that allow you to take 40% off of your purchase
• and check out ebay. 

splurges

die cutting machine
    -like the cricut expression or silhouette. they allow you to cut out letters
     and images which can save you money on embellishments

now that we've covered tools lets move on to supplies. supplies are different from tools because these are the items that you're going to continue purchasing that will change often.

supplies
designer paper
   -this can be purchased individually or in collection packs. 
stickers
rub-ons
ribbon
flowers
die cuts
eyelets
snaps

brands that i love

• american crafts
• making memories
• basic grey
• cosmo cricket
• bobunny

now that you have all of your supplies it's time to get started. remember when you're scrapbooking that the primary focus is the photos and the journaling, everything else is just decoration. you're preserving your memories and there's no wrong way to do that!



inspiration

blogs you'll love-if you've got all your supplies and still aren't quite sure how to get started check out these blogs, you will be inspired!

• susan weinroth
• jen gallacher
• nichol magouirk

 youtube channels

• basicgrey -check out their basic inspiration classes!
• nicholM15 -Nicole Magouirk's youtube channel shows a range of amazing techniques that are sure to get your creative wheels turning
• aboverubiesstudio-this channel has a wide range of craft information that will help you in all craft styles, and they have great tips on using your cricut in your scrapbooking

so now that we have our starting point covered, in part 2 i'll tell you how to transition from being a scrapbooker to a cardmaker!