Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
Hi Everyone: I posted several questions on Stamping 101 and got some terrific responses. I would like more feedback on ...
What brand and style scrapbook do you prefer for stamping and accomodating layers of cardstock and embellishments?
My style will be to do random, out of sequence pages until I get up the nerve to do my baby books. So... should I go with a 3 ring binder style or post style? How hard is it to add to the post style? I've heard to stay away from the strap and hinge if I'll be out of sequence.
Brand and style suggestions?
I am not as concerned with price (within reason) as I am concerned that it be of lasting quality and humidity resistant.
Thanks!
__________________ Margaret64
Last edited by Margaret64; 05-13-2005 at 04:33 AM..
Reason: clarification
if you are doing your pages randomly the 3 ring one is a good way to go. I have the 8 1/2 x 11 linen one from SU and I love it. I also have a 7 x 7 one from Creative Memories that I am using for our wedding pictures. I think overall I like the look of the CM one better, but I really like how I can randomly do my pages in my SU! one, it would be a pain to pull the pages out everytime I wanted to add another one in.
I would probably go with the ring based upon what you have said you will be doing.
__________________ I'm a loser ~ 19.2 pounds gone...lots more to go!
I scrapbook in a similar method as you ( out of chronological sequence). What I have done is purchased a 12 x 12 3 ring binder ( I got a very sturdy pleather one at Walmart) and I use this for my "workbook". This is where I place my pages that are in progress and ones that are finished but don't have a permanent albumn completed. Once I have enough of the same topic (complete year of my son's layouts , our wedding etc.) I shop for a Post Bound Albumn that fits the mood of the layouts ( or just a nice leather albumn) and move all the layouts over there. Even though the binder is setup for 12 x 12 with its page protectors , you can use it to store any size page you are working on ( 8*11, 6*6 etc). The workbook only cost me 9.95 @ Walmart.
HTH,
Sharon
Last edited by sperez; 05-15-2005 at 06:48 AM..
Reason: grammar
Wow. Great suggestions so far. I never thought of postponing purchasing the album until I actually had enough to make an album. I like the idea of your "workbook". I plan on purchasing so much new SU stuff this summer, that's one less expense for my husband to give me a hard time about.
In your case, the 3-ring probably is the best. I am a Creative Memories "loyalist" when it comes to albums. I like the strap-hinge albums and you can change the page order if you need to. I don't embellish pages with a lot of dimensional things, so this type of album works for me. My albums are pretty chronological, but I never worry if I get things out of order. People looking at it don't care. I journal enough that they know when and where things are going on.
Just another tip... I have started scrapping everything that is current as quickly as possible so it's all fresh in my mind. I'm going back to do past years as I have time. That way I'm not constantly adding the pile of filed pictures.
Sperez, I love your workbook idea. I need to try that and get my workspace more organized instead of having pages, embellishments, and pictures stacked everywhere and sticking out of various books that I am working on. Terrific!
I started out using strap-hinge but changed over to top-loading after I discovered those. I LOVE my top-loading albums -- so easy to change pages around and no worries at all about doing pages chronologically. There are a lot of great albums out there: SU, SEI, K & Co. to name a few that I have and love. Really great idea about a "working" album -- I have one and love that too!
I really prefer top loading albums, and I LOVE the leather ones from SU! Awesome quality! The postbound looks nicer than a ring binder, I'm in the process of converting to postbound right now, just soooo much nicer!
Have to have a top loading page, and I would probably recommend a 3 ring type for you... K & Co had beautiful books. I also received some products from Me and My Big Ideas (MAMBI), their "Scrappy Chic" line as a prize for a scrapbooking contest, and got a very elegant scrapbook. But, I prefer the post type for myself, as my books tend to get heavy and then the rings open up if I use the 3 ring type
__________________
You don't have to take on the world, just get on its good side.
Dumb question, but I assume that if I do mine with 3 ring pages and then convert to post bound, all that I do is slip my pages out and put them in the new page protectors, right?
I won't use anything but Creative Memories unless I find somebody else with the same gaurantee. Strap-Hinge is much easier for me to use than post-bound.
I started scrapping with strap-hinge and after I finished my wedding album, I sold the other strap-hinge albums I had purchased. I absolutely hated them. In fact, I had to take my wedding album to my consultant and have her fix my album. I soooo love top loading post bound albums! 3-ring album would be my second choice because they are bulkier, but anything over strap-hinge. My MIL did an album for my DH, then sent some additional pages. I refuse to add the pages because the album is strap-hinge. One of these days I'll run into a CM consultant and have her add them. I hate them just that much! :(
I like the look of postbound and the fact that when you're doing a two-page layout, the pages are closer together, which makes it easier to see pictures or read a title that overlap.
Adding pages to a postbound album isn't that difficult, it's just a little more time consuming. What I do is I unscrew the album at first to add my additional protectors (because there's never enough supplied with the album, right?). I then put my pages in the protectors as they're done (I don't scrap chronologically either). And once the album's filled, I then pull it apart, place my pages in the right order by shuffling the protectors and put it all back together again. And that's it!
I started in Strap Hinge CM but switched to Post Bound Top Loading on album # 3. I haven't tried the SU, but I understand they are very nice. I like the Jill Renner for Colorbok albums. They have three posts instead of two, so are much sturdier.
Also, a great tip I learned here. Go to Home Depot or Lowes and look in the specialty connectors sections. Buy a long post extender and replace the ones in the book. You can buy them as long as you want - no more post extenders that get wobbly. I used a 1.5 inch in my album and I was able to combine two into one. Now I have a whole album to start in. Be careful how big you make it as it will get very heavy. I wouldn't go much more that 1.5 inches.
Also another tip - when I buy a new pack of page protectors, I use the cardboard that comes in them for the page spacers. Just punch holes with an old fashion punch and you are good to go. I don't put a spacer between every page, but I do use lots of them in the book.
Top Loading albums are easy to rearrange if you want to . Evn though I scrap pretty much in order, I love the versatility of the top loading - I hated taking the Strap Hinge apart - I always had a hard time getting the m back together tight enough.
I recently switched to the Scrapworks Scrapsmart albums and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them! You can scrap as little or as much as you want with this system.
Here is an example of why I love this album. We take a ton of pictures. I had over 40 pictures, fabulous candid shots, from a group dinner at a local restaurant and I couldn't bear to not have all of the photos in my album. With the ScrapSmart system I scrapped all those photos in less than an hour. I journaled, embellished, decorated, etc.,.
This new system is wonderful for me. It is so liberating and I'm getting tons of photos into my album.
I really like my SU three ring linen scrapbook, I have a 6 x 6 and the 12 by 12 (I haven't used yet). My niece has the 8 1/2 by 11. I also have a post bound SU. It looks like the three ring binder might hold more, it is easier to add pages, but how often will you add after you have completed your book? Anyway I like them both, but partial to the three ring binder style....I feel like I have more flexiblity, whether or not I really do, who knows?????
I have something to add about the "Workbook" concept. I now keep a workbook scrapbook in which I put one page protector for each intended layout. I created a little form in word that I can fill in. As soon as I get my pictures, I sort them into intended layouts and fill out the form for them. Here's what I included on my form:
1- which album the layout is eventually intended for (I work on about 4 simultaneously--whatever strikes my mood today)
2- potential title of the layout
3- Journaling (I take the time to write a rough draft or at least a brief outline of what I want to say so that when the time comes to do the journaling I can remember)
4- Ideas what colors I will use
5- Ideas what stamps I want to use
6- Ideas what embellishments I want to use.
The back of the sheet is blank. I use it to do a sketch of the layout that I want to use.
Now, understand, I don't always fill the form out completely Usually I get the first 3 done right away, then if I am in a dull mood and uncreative, I go through my workbook and think about adding details to the other questions. I use a lot of pics in my layouts so I like Becky Higgins sketches for layouts.
Sometimes, if I get a sketch for the layout worked out, I crop the pics and number them on the back and then number my sketch on the back. This way, if I get pulled away from the project, even for a long time, I can quickly get back up to speed on where I am with it.
I'm a very random worker. This is why I needed this system. Some nights I feel my creative juices flowing and I am ready to embellish and "finish" a layout. Sometimes I am pooped but I want to get work done. These times I do the grunt work of sorting and even starting layouts with sketches done or even assembling a rough of the layout including only the pictures and decorative paper/cardstock, but no embellishments or stamping yet. Right now I have about 15 of those kinds of layouts waiting for when I feel a creative vibe. When I finish a layout, I put it into it's intended scrapbook. But it can just as easily be left in my workbook until I am ready to organize them into order and "finish" a scrapbook. Right now I have 3 finished books and about 6 or 7 in process.
I hope this helps. Oh, by the way, I really like stampin up's post bound books for my finished books, but I just bought a 2-pack of leather books from Costco for 12.99 and they were of similar quality to stampin up. If you have a costco, it is really worth checking out.
__________________ Life is too short: eat chocolate and stamp up a storm. It will come out OK in the end.
I prefer topload because I can throw pictures that I know I want to scrap together into the pages and that way I don't need a photo storage box as well.
Since I am an SU demo, I prefer these albums. Most of the decorator albums are plastic covered so I don't have to worry about water as much as my other albums. I find the plastic sleeves have plenty of room for multi-layered, embelished covered pages. Plus, the great thing is that you don't HAVE to undo the album to move pages around. It is topload so you can just say "Hey, this page is out of order, let me move it over here!" I am working on my wedding album out of order, but since I have put the pictures into the pockets I have a general idea of where the pages should go ahead of time.
Hope this helps!
__________________ Michelle Thomas Craft Well, Wrap Often, Stamp Much!! I FiNallY DiD iT - TAC AnGeL #2645
I, too, prefer the top loading books. Can rearrange pages any way you choose and can add pages easily. Example: working on my dd Kindergarten book this year and her teacher just passed out a bunch of photos that she had taken throughout. Want to incorporate them in and with top loading all I have to do is move around a couple a pages. I have purchased all kinds and find these work the best for my style of scrapping! Actually have found some really nice ones at Target. Good luck!!
__________________ Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. - Victor Hugo
I can't add to the great advice and perspectives you've been given above, except to suggest you go with a brand of scrapbook that includes a sleeve or box for the book to rest in on your shelf. Kind of like when you get a box set of a series of books, and the multiple number of books fits into a lidless box that lets you see the spines, except for only one scrapbook. Now that I've suggested that, I have only ever been able to purchase such a scrapbook from Anna Griffin, and it came in a lidded box. I like the box/sleeve option because it protects the tops of your pages from dust, etc. while it's on the shelf.
Great suggestion. I live in the Middle East right now and at the end of a week EVERYTHING has a thick layer of dust. I'll probably have to store them in trunk ...
What Brand Scrapbook to Buy
