Wednesday Sponsor Giveaways: Elise Blaha, ReVa, Studio Calico, & SheyB

I doubt I would have listened to myself, but I would have said, Don't buy everything in sight, pick and choose those things you really love, and then USE IT, don't save it because its' too precious.

I wish someone had advised me not to buy every color and pattern paper available; not to buy a lot of kits; not to buy a lot of tools, etc. But, to buy basic colors-red, black, kraft, to take the time to learn what I liked and foremost to introduce me to digital scrapping!

Oh- binder ring albums- that is great advice.
I would also suggest joining a kit club- seriously they send you all you need and then some. I belong to one, and it has curbed my need to buy excess supplies. You know the ones that you just have to have because they are so cute but you never use them and they are a bit trendy so now you cant figure out a way to use them!
Sam

My advice is to keep it simple. Sometimes less is more.

Scrap from the heart and try and get into journalling from the get go. I look back at my first pages from years ago and I didnt say enough and now I have forgotten the smaller details.
Sometimes Less is most definately MORE
I also LOVE that camera strap.

My advice is don't compare with anyone else. You don't have to create masterpieces.

Don't get caught up in having to have every tool out there. Just get the basics & go from there!

I wish someone had told me not to but so much!! I feel so overwhelmed sometimes with all I've purchased but the more I use the better I feel. Thanks for the chance to win, I LOVE that Soda Fountain but am on a scrap spending freeze :)

My best advice for a new scrapbooker is to keep up and don't get behind. It's so hard to catch up!!!

scrapbooker advice::
make a scrapbook about yourself to start. be creative with different style, materials. don't go spend $250 on supplies. use old photos. magazine picutres. envelopes. create just for the sake of creating- and see what works for you.
once you find your niche, don't be discouraged if you work for an hour and have only finished two pages. don't rush. be inspired by the memories you are preserving.
pick one thing (event, person, season, holiday, etc) and focus only on it's completion. it's much easier than trying to micro-manage a lifetime of pictures and momentos.

My advice - don't spend too much in the beginning. Buy real basics - a craft knife and ruler, cutting mat and glue, neutral cardstock - and just a couple of sheets of paper that you really love. Build up slowly from there. And if you love it, it is "right", there's no wrong in scrapping.

I wish someone had told me to just think of it as art--the fun kind where you get messy and there is no wrong way. I love Stacy Julian's saying (paraphrasing) that it's just paper and paint--no biggie if it doesn't work out.

My advice would be don't be afraid to try !

Don't try to go chronologically! That is my best advice. I see so many people stressing because they 'want' to scrap new stuff but the 'have' to scrap old stuff, and really, they can do a little here and a little there and then sort their albums how they wish!
Great sponsors, this week!

Scrap what you want with what you want. Don't feel like you have to buy every tool and every embellishment out there. Scrap it the way you like and and don't compare your work to the magazines, use them for inspiration, don't use them to judge against your work.
Thanks for the great giveaways!

Scrap yourself too. You want to know about your parents, your kids will want to know about you.

I would tell a new scrapbooker that there are NO RULES!!! Have fun, and remember why you started :)

Just start! It doesn't have to be perfect!

i wish someone had told me to just go with it. after a few years of scrapbooking, i'm finally figuring out that my favorite pages are the ones where i just went for it - not as much planning, no time spent worrying if it was perfect, just getting the story down.
that, and "paper is like gold" - you can never have too much paper. envelopes, actual scrapbook paper, little finds from your day, coasters, movie ticket stubs - paper is gold!!! be sure to collect it everywhere you go.

I wish someone had encouraged me to go with what I love. Sometimes I worry too much about it being perfect. There is no such thing!

You don't need to scrapbook every photo, and you don't have to scrap them in order, either! Just pick something you love and are inspired by and go, go, go. Every story you document is a story that might have gone untold. So, just be happy with what you do get done, don't lament how much you don't.

There is just so much STUFF out there. Do not get to caught up in all the stuff. Focus on the pictures and the story.

Buy your "staples" tools (trimmer, adhesives, corner rounder...) but don't jump on the first new tool available, try it first at your local scrapbook store, see if you will use it and then buy it!
I have a second one: Stay organized! Alot of the products (inks, stickles....Tombo markers) come with color charts, mark them down when you buy one and keep that in your purse to make sure you don't buy in doubles!

First, start scrapping the "present". Don't even think about all the old photos you have. Have fun. There is no right or wrong, just do whatever makes you happy. You'll soon be addicted but that's alright too!

My best advice for a new scrapper is scrap the stories you want to remember. Don't worry about doing things in order or just the events. Scrap whatever photos "speak" to you. You will likely never be able to scrap all your photos so don't stress over that. Just start by picking your favourite memories and go for it!