Brand new and need help!

[allysonsmith1987]

Hi I just joined. I am pretty new to scrapbooking and the like. I have a few smashbooks, only one that I have started a few pages in. I love being creative and doing stuff like this but this is the third time I have gotten started and I'm just so overwhelmed and don't know where to begin! I really need help. I got a few kits tonight trying to get going, but I don't even know what to use the stuff for. I got a ton of journaling cards. I know I can make little mini journals with them like gratitude journals, but I would never keep up with it, surely there has to be more uses. I just feel overwhelmed, any help is appreciated!!

[wavejumper]

Hi and welcome!

Let's start at the beginning. What would you like to do? Do you want to art journal, make cards, scrapbook...?

In the long run you can do it all! But let's just start with the one you want most first. Sounds like art journaling.

Imo, and others will have theirs-art journaling to me seems to be about just doing whatever you feel like. It can be a way to experiment with techniques or to make collages/mix media images....or express how you feel that day like a visual diary. it's whatever you decide! I know, that wasnt a lot of help but I just want you to know with journals there are no rights or wrongs or rules. Its very free-form.

What do you have to work with? Ink pads? Stamps? Stencils? What's in your kits?

What do you like to do? Do you like to draw? To color? Doodle?

How did you come to have the smash books? Did you watch a video or take a class or what? What motivated/inspired you? That gives us something to work with.

[parkes]

Hi Allyson and welcome from New Zealand! You sound like me - I am also often overwhelmed by choices and I have to say that wavejumper has excellent advice for working out where to start. Don't think 'what should I do' but 'what do I want to do'. Indulge yourself in the here and now, listen to your inclinations and don't try to justify them. If you want to make a swirly, finger painty, mess with acrylic paints then do it! Start with the basics - colour and paper - and work up to the kits.
Stephanie

[MariLynn]

Welcome. What I found useful were the daily challenges:

Splitcoast Challenges Forums: Daily Challenges Throughout the Week

They gave me a starting point. They also gave me confidence to try new things and then to eventually get to the point where I just have fun.

[wavejumper]

There are also a lot of tutorials you can get to from the top of the page here, as well as online...go to You tube and just ask How to X...and lots will pop up.

This place is just amazing-you are going to be so happy you found it! So many very talented and giving people here.

[allysonsmith1987]

Thank you Parkes and MariLynn!!

Wavejumper, I would love to art journal. I unfortunately can't draw AT ALL. I have wanted to all my life and have taken a few classes, but I'm hopeless. I can't even doodle, or paint or anything which is really depressing for me because I feel like I have all this creativity in my head and I can't get it out.

My whole life I have kept journals. But, they were just writing about my day. I quit keeping them when I was 18 (27 now) and started up again a few years ago, only to vent strong emotions. But I'm a mom now and I need an outlet! I need something for me. I recently became inspired by journaling prompts and stuff like that, and maybe just creative writing. I get really inspired when I sit outside on a cool day, and words just start flowing usually.

I got my first smash book 2 years ago. I came across it in target and I was like "Look at all the cool journals they have these days, they didn't have these when I was growing up!" and I opened it and fell completely in love. I brought it home and seriously wanted to smash everything I could into it. But soon became depressed about it because... I don't have much of a life, I'm VERY introverted, I don't do much, don't have many momento's or much to smash into it really. I tried really hard and got a lot of scrapping supplies, but gave up after a few months because I just didn't know what to put in it. (Gave all my scrapbooking stuff away)

Yesterday, I bought a "Snap" kit, that had different sized journaling cards in it, along with some little tag things that says stuff like "hello weekend" "hey there" "Monday" etc... I have 9 washi tapes, some sticky tab paper things, that say "grand" "glorious" "pretty" "very nice" etc. 1 book of 50 sheets of designer paper (not card stock) A Smash stamp that does the dates but you can choose from 10 quotes to put in front of the date, and one black ink pad. 2 little books of journaling cards (they were on clearance for a dollar, they're from Recollections) and I have 3 smash books, pink blue and red. The pink is the one I started a few years ago. And that's all I have.

I have a couple projects right now. A smash book that I want to put stuff in and journal/art journal in it. I have a blank sketch book that I am trying to make into a "boyfriend" diary for my hubby to give to him next year on our anniversary. I bought a sheet of fancy white card stock and some little clock things, and I want to make him a nice card for our anniversary April 3rd. Time themed, obviously And then just my regular journal that I write in, with no art or scrapbooking stuff or anything.

So thats where I'm at =\

[wavejumper]

No worries! We got you! People will jump in now and you'll get all kinds of ideas!

First-Slow your roll there girl-you DO have a life! You are a wife and a mom! While that may seem like drudgery sometimes on the 4000th diaper and you are missing the freedom to go out with the girls-it is wonderful! But I totally hear you that you want some "Me" time. Who doesnt? And it's healthy for you and your relationships with others. And what's great-while it's tons of fun to play with people, this is something you absolutely can do on your own. At some point maybe you can sign up for some beginner classes at a local stamp store-do you have one? Is there an Stampin Up rep near you? They have demo days. No one expects you to be chatty Cathy your first day in a group. And you will find people who go to classes are NICE. They are supportive. They are not nasty mean people.

Next thing-of course you can doodle! ANYONE can doodle! Have you seen the Zen doodle books? All they are doing is making shapes and then putting in stripes or dots or whatever and then making something out of that. You CAN do that. Take a look at the cards for sale on Etsy...some of them are just stick drawings with a clever saying. You could do that if you wanted to! This is your journal-you are not going to be trying to sell it. It just has to make sense to you. Try getting a zendoodle book and working it. They have not expensive ones that are like coloring books.

Everyone started out from point zero and had to learn. I am not brand new but I would say..I'm like a toddler now. Plenty is still new and fascinating and I run from one bright shiny thing to the next. lol. And that's fine. It's fun! I may never settle down into one kind of thing.

Do you belong to a church or other groups? You might be surprised to find out they have a card making circle you could join. Your local stamp store might know. Maybe the way for you is to start by making things for others. Then you will find your creative voice to express yourself in your smash book.

Quiet people are fine! Dont worry about it! Beats the loud one who says very inappropriate things!

[allysonsmith1987]

Wavejumper,

Thank you The only thing close-ish to me is Hobby lobby and Michaels, and I'm sure a Joanns that I havent been to yet. They're about 15 mins away. Do they offer the classes I need? I have not heard of Stampin Up so I'm willing to bet the closest one is more than an hour from me, I only have one car between my hubs and I so traveling is hard

The zendoodle sounds cool!! Can you link me to one on Amazon you recommend? I would love to try it. I tried to doodle a phone the other day, one looked like a banana, the other looked like a magnet lol.... I searched for them on amazon but the ones I thought I would need they only had for kindle...and I need to be able to hold it in my hands lol (no printer yet)

I just moved to the city I'm in, so no church yet its always been rough finding a church my hubby and I agree on lol.

Thank you for your support and encouraging words I already feel better about trying to do this!!

[poppydarling]

I'm just getting into art journaling, and the great thing about art journals is they aren't just about being able to draw! Stamps and stencils were made for people who don't have drawing ability LOL There are so many products and techniques, it can be overwhelming, though.

Julie Balzer does some amazing journal spreads that are mostly handwriting with some doodling, stenciling and stamping thrown in. Balzer Designs

Jennibellie is another fantastic art journaler who uses a lot of repurposed/recycled and smash book techniques to do her journals — love her low-key style.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hHGIetwbB6M?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I got started by searching YouTube for tutorials on various techniques, and when I saw a project I loved, I checked the supplies list and bought as many as I could on the list to re-create the project. You can build up your techniques skill set and your stash pretty quickly that way! And "stealing" from the best has improved my crafting in a big way. Welcome to SCS!

[wavejumper]

Yes you can do it.

I dont have particular favs.

Here's a vid with 30 doodle patterns.
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gldYsoTIun8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You dont need to buy it-you can just do it with a black pen. You might want to have a few with different sized nibs.

Just check you tube. How to zen doodle and it brings up tons of stuff.

Michaels does offer classes but I dont know if they have them on smash book at your store. You can ask.

If they dont, there will be tons of stuff on line. Look around. Poppy gave you two good leads.

For sure Barnes and Noble will have books on it but probably so does Michaels.

[UnderstandBlue]

Hi Allyson!

Welcome to Splitcoast - we are happy to have you here!

Have you seen our mixed media forum? I got such great advice there that I actually started art journaling - I had always been afraid - and I can't draw either . I started a calendar art journal, so I just do a small square each day - and you end up with a year's worth of art and notes (if you want).

Here's the forum: Mixed Media - Splitcoaststampers

Here's our art journal gallery: Stampin Up! Gallery: Art Journal Pages - Page 1 - Cards & More - Splitcoaststampers

Let me know if I can help you with anything!

[allysonsmith1987]

Thank you so much UnderstandBlue!!!! I'll definitely check it out, and the calendar art things sounds awesome

[Copperkids]

Just start drawing in your journal. It doesn't matter if it is good , bad or looks like a banana. It's YOUR time. Your outlet. Your escape. As long as you are happy that's all that counts. You are not displaying your journal so just create. It will really help release the tension with a being a new mom - moving to new city.

Start watching some YouTube videos with Jennifer mcguire or Kristina Werner. I really like their styles. You don't need a lot of supplies - use what you have and then make a list of what you need / want and get it then. Also check out websites like Simon says stamp. Or marker pop. Or oozak.com. They have a ton of supplies.

I would advise to start with one thing such as art journal and then expand to cards or mixed media. Whatever order you want. Start small and start! That's what I am trying to say in a long winded way !