Luisa’s Scrapbooking IdeasCapture Family Memories With Fun Scrapbooking Ideas

Paper is one essential supply for scrapbooking. Many artistic effects are possible if it is used correctly and creatively. Scrapbooking paper can be used for background, embellishment or borders, and decorations are possible in many shapes and designs. And much of the final effect depends on the quality of the scrapbooking paper. Here are some types of scrapbooking paper you may find useful to work with as well as the challenges that accompany various applications.

Rice paper adds elegance and a special style to a scrapbook page. You should use such scrapbooking paper only in those parts of the project that require something extremely fine. The very opposite of rice paper is papyrus, that enjoys a great appreciation for its coarse texture. When used as scrapbooking paper, papyrus gives a very exotic touch to any project you create. Papyrus is very hard to preserve which makes it difficult to work with.

In case you are interested to achieve some homemade paper look, then you can use candy and soap molds to design the wanted embellishments. Such scrapbooking paper choices make excellent options for children’s artwork, baby announcements and much more. Read some tips on how to get a variety of homemade paper, and get creative. There are plenty of websites that provide step by step guidance for such matters, helping you get some very original results in the end. Go on! Read!

For special album effects, you can use textured scrapbooking paper. The pages of your album will look fuller and more special thanks to the special paper pattern. Textured paper highlights items on the scrapbook page, and it works perfectly fine for borders and backgrounds too. There are numerous patterns and colors, it’s up to you to select those that match your purposes. You will find such scrapbooking paper in almost any office supply store.

Be truthful to the theme and match the colors and your patterns to it. Thus, scrapbooking paper represents one of the numerous supplies used for album design, but it certainly needs to be coordinated with the photos, the topic and the background. Depending on the case, the right choice of patterned paper will add humor to your project or it will render  some dramatic effects to it.

Paper is the background or backdrop for each page in your scrapbook, therefore choosing the right paper is a very important decision. You want scrapbook paper that is acid and lignin free, as well as paper that has a high archival quality and has the proper PH level. Below we’ll discuss what each of these terms mean and why they’re important for your scrapbook.

Acid Free - Have you ever noticed how an old photo fades and turns yellow? This is because the paper it’s printed on contains acid. The acid is removed during the paper processing, making it “acid free”.

Lignin - What is lignin and how does it affect photos and the paper they’re on? Lignin is the natural element that holds wood fibers together. Have you ever noticed how quickly a newspaper turns yellow and starts to look frayed? This is because the paper contains lignin. Like acid, lignin can also be removed during the processing of the paper. If you want to include newspaper articles or prints in your scrapbook, copy them onto off-white acid and lignin paper for an authentic look. This will help preserve the precious memories without ruining your pictures.

Buffered paper - Buffered paper is created by paper manufacturers adding a buffering agent such as calcium carbonate or magnesium bicarbonate to neutralize contaminates. Buffered papers have a PH of 8.5.

PH level - Speaking of PH, the PH factor refers to the acidity of the paper. Acid free papers have a PH of 7 or above.

Archival Quality - Another term you’ll often see on scrapbook paper is “archival quality”. Archival quality is a term used to indicate paper that has undergone laboratory analysis to determine whether the acidic and buffered content is within safe levels.

Where to find Quality Scrapbook Paper - For a great selection of paper, including different patterns, colors, textures and designs, see this Scrapbooking Supplies site. Not only will you find a huge selection of high quality scrapbooking paper, you’ll also get great deals on all your scrapbooking supplies.

Luisa Carpino

Hi, my name is Luisa and I am a scrapbooking enthusiast! I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and I scrapbook everything and anything. I have tons of great ideas that I’d love to share with all of you on all kinds of scrapbooking themes. Scrapbooking is a popular creative pastime as it involves preserving all your special memories and life stories in a way that allows future generations to truly know all about you.

Scrapbooking is also a great way to relax, find peace and explore your creative side!  Did you know that some people have a hard time being creative?  That’s OK!  This website will help you to find your creative side.  Everyone has it…you just need to invest time and energy to find it!  I hope you enjoy all the tips and ideas on this site!  Happy Scrapbooking!