Interview - Katie Roose - Experienced Scrapbooker

As I have stated before, I have begun to scrapbook. I have enjoyed working on my first scrapbook and I completed 12 pages over the weekend and I have almost completed my first album. As a beginner, I had lots of questions. None of my friends are scrapbookers so I decided to interview Katie from Three Blondes and a Redhead because she is an experienced scrapbooker.

Interview with Katie:

1. I noticed a picture on your blog showing a binder with your scrapbook pages instead of an album. Is there a specific reason you use an album?

I just started using the 3-ring binder scrapbook albums a couple of years ago and I LOVE them. They hold more pages, but the main reason I made the switch (I asked for a few for gifts each year so I didn't break the bank by transitioning all at once) was because on the spine of the binder is a tag where you can label what's IN the album. I was starting to get out of control albums and needing to peek through each one to try to find the layout or pictures I was looking for. Now I have them labeled (April, 2002 - September, 2003, for example) and they're really easy to reference.

2. Where do you seem to find the best deals on your scrapbooking supplies?

I started accumulating scrapbooking stuff slowly about 10 years ago. And at the time, I only bought from the scrapbook stores because Michael's and Joann's primarily carried stickers at the time. Now their selections are better and I save up my 40% coupon in the newspaper each week and go and buy one item at a time (unless there's a sale). It's the only way I can afford to keep up my "habit." :) But I've been known to drop $50 at a specialty scrapbook store before...it's so easy to do. Now I'm more careful with what I buy, try to get things that I can use for multiple projects and only spend the big bucks on stuff I LOVE. Don't save the 40% off coupons for big-ticket items only. I will use them for a $2 item if that's all I need at the time...and I'm not ashamed to admit it!

3) I am trying to be creative and thrifty and think of items that I already have that I can use in my scrapbook. I thought about using old Christmas and Birthday cards. I read that I should use an acid free spray. Have you ever done this? Do you have any other "thrifty" suggestions?

You know, I'm not sure I completely understand how the whole concept of "acid free" products work, but you have to keep that in mind before putting anything in your scrapbook. Maybe I just haven't had my pictures long enough and maybe the acid will eat them away over the years, but most scrapbooking supplies are safe nowadays. The problem with using greeting cards is that you don't know if they're acid free and safe for your scrapbooks, so you need to decide if that's important to you. (ie if you want your great-grandkids to look at the albums and see them exactly as you see them today with no fading, discoloration, etc.)
As far as using the adhesive spray, I have used it and it seems to work well, but it gets all over, so I'm not a huge fan. I'd just use your regular adhesive or find something a little stronger, like "Zots" brand glue dots. Those things are crazy strong.


4) What is your favorite scrapbooking item that you couldn't do without?

Hmmm...I don't know if I can pick just one. I have a list of my favorites that I'll share, though.

* My guillotine paper cutter is the best and I don't need to buy refill blades. I got turned on to that after using one at my office years ago, then found out that it wasn't much more expensive than the other paper cutters you see at the craft stores.
* I love my circle punches. I have them in a few different sizes and I use them for accents a lot.
* My inexpensive, grade-school ruler is probably my favorite tool, come to think of it. I measure so much on my layouts...I just can't "wing it."
* I love using letter stickers and rub ons. I usually only buy the white rub ons b/c I figure I can print black or other colored titles on my printer if I want, but I can't do white.
* I use photo corners a lot...like the ones they used back in the early part of the century? I like those.
* I also have a corner rounder to take the sharp edge off the corner of the picture. I like the variety, I guess.
* One last thing is my adhesive remover. It's a small square gummy-like product that pics up adhesive if you happen to get over excited with your tape runner.


5) Do you have any other tips to share for someone just beginning?

Here are a few starting pointers so you don't get overwhelmed:

* Work backward - Start with a recent event, like Christmas, and scrapbook that. Then do your trip to the pumpkin patch in October, then your kids' first day of school, then fun summer memories...you get the idea. If you start by scrapbooking your wedding and work forward, you'll never feel a sense of accomplishment. I'm convinced that's why people give up. I've never scrapbooked my wedding and, at this point, I may never get around to it. I did put together an "our marriage before kids" album when I got pregnant for the first time. That had a 2 page summary of our wedding, but covered everything from dating to deciding we wanted a baby and everything in between. Just decide what's important to you. A whole album about one day of my life isn't necessarily worth all of the time and effort, but my kids can peek at our early-marriage scrapbook and see how in love we were before they came along and complicated everything. ;) *I'm kidding.* But seriously, by working backward, I'm usually "caught up" with my scrapbook pages about twice a year. And, unfortunately, most scrapbookers always feel perpetually behind in this hobby.

* Keep a list - Another way I keep on task is to decide what I'm going to scrapbook and make a list of the events, then jot down which pictures I want to include. This summer, I didn't scrapbook much, but there were a ton of events: we had both kids' birthdays, tons of swimming pictures and family fun days that I wanted to remember, plus a million daily moments I knew I wanted to record. By September, I was so inundated that I sat down and made a list of what I wanted to scrapbook, primarily so I could order the pictures, but also so that I didn't have to go in chronological order if I didn't want to. I've continued using the list and it keeps me sane and on task!

* Stay organized - Keep your stuff in like piles/buckets/bins so it's easy to find. The last thing you want to do when you're scrapbooking is to spend an hour looking for your stuff. Don't run out and spend a bunch of money on organizational tools right away. First use baskets and containers you already have in your home (you'd be surprised what can be re-purposed), keep your eye open for good deals, decide what needs to have a more elaborate organizational system (I finally gave in and bought 12x12 paper trays online and can't remember how I lived before them!) then make your purchases from there. Also remember to check Craigslist and eBay for people trying to downsize their craft collection.

*Use idea books - I am an admitted scraplifter! I get ideas from sketch books all the time, whether I copy the layout exactly or just get a little inspiration to give my creativity a jump start. I love the sketch books that Becky Higgins has put out over the years. She also has a monthly sketch column in Creating Keepsakes magazine, which I subscribe to for additional inspiration. Not only are the sketches helpful, but I like Becky's clean, simple style. The focus of each layout is on the pictures, not all of the "stuff" added to the page.

*Don't buy tons of embellishments - When you DO buy embellishments, buy them for a specific layout or project. My new strategy is to print my pictures first, then bring them with me to the scrapbook store to pick out paper and embellishments. (I like to pick coordinating colors, personally) You'll establish a "stash" of extra stuff soon enough. You'll be surprised what's leftover after you use 1-2 cute things out of a package.

Good luck starting this amazing hobby! I read recently that someone labeled themselves "the family historian" and I loved that idea. It's not just a fancy way to store pictures for me...I spend time journaling about the memories I'm recording so the books can tell a story in years to come.

Thanks to Katie for a wonderful interview. I really do appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. I hope we have encouraged and inspired others to begin scrapbooking. I have enjoyed scrapbooking for the past couple of weeks. I have a sense of accomplishment when I finish a page. This is something that I plan to continue. I hope my scrapbooks will be enjoyed for years to come.