As time goes by, I see more crossover and even mutual respect for the two very different sectors of the scrapbooking industry: paper and digital. This post is not to forecast the future of scrapbooking, but instead to encourage cross-fertilization of ideas and sparks of creativity.
As a scrapbooker who dappled in paper, dove headfirst into digital and now happily has a foot on either side, I’d like to share some baby steps for digital scrapbookers who might like to dabble in hybrid or paper scrapbooking. On Thursday, I will follow up with several ways a paper scrapbooker can test the digi waters.
3 Ways to Cultivate a Paper Life
1. Buy a kit – Digital scrappers know kits, so purchasing a month from a kit club like Studio Calico or Cocoa Daisy can provide just the right amount of coordinated supplies for several new pages and projects.
2. Make a card – Cardmaking can be like scrapbooking in miniature. Try your hand at using a paper trimmer and adhesive with an easy birthday or holiday card project.
3. Take a class – Local scrapbooking stores almost always offer project classes where the supplies are included in the price. Try your hand at something new without committing to investing too deeply in a wide range of products.
Getting started with paper scrapbooking can be as simple as having a paper trimmer, adhesive and a few additional supplies on hand. I’ve personally found the experience of working with paper very soothing and helpful for my creative process. It forces me to let go of perfectionism and focus on the art and story.
Do you have any additional suggestions for simple strategies to try paper scrapbooking?
I am strictly digi scrapper, but I have signed up for the Jessica Sprague / Heidi Swapp hybrid class, I wouldn’t mind making more decor items and maybe cards, but I am still nervous about the mess 🙂
Trying a kit is a great idea. I first dove into paper scrapbooking after a couple years of digi scrapping with minibooks, first hybrid and then gradually more and more paper. When I first started trying to do regular layouts with paper, having a kit really helped my process and continues to motivate me. I love seeing what I can do with a handful of coordinated products, and I’m less likely to get overwhelmed by choices that way. Because I find paper more difficult than digi, I appreciate all the help I can get!
I’m a big proponent of mixing pictures and mementos in a scrapbook. If you have ticket stubs/papers/cards that you’ve saved that go with the pictures you have, you are somewhat forced to stick a toe in the paper scrapbooking pool.
Plus, I find that when you are scrapbooking mementos along with pictures, it’s easier to get inspired. The items “speak” to you a lot more and it’s easier to layout and complete. I always get serious “scrappers block” when I’m dealing with a page of photos only.
I am the reverse, I went to digital from paper. But I really ramped up my paper scrapping when I was in Club Scrap for a year. Then I looked at the physical size of my stash and stopped buying paper entirely.
I’d suggest that a digital scrapper befriend a paper scrapper and share stashes to create hybrid projects.