Scrapbooking on a Budget
Memories are priceless, but the cost of preserving them can be high. Here are nine tips for making the most of your scrapbooking budget.
1.Be on the lookout for scrapbooking supplies everywhere you go. I once made the cutest shabby chic card with the corrugated cardboard liner in a light bulb box. Another example: you can buy 100 brass brads for less than a dollar at the local discount store and then customize them to match your layout with acrylic paint and/or sandpaper. Or look in the clearance bin for ribbon, fiber, and fabric remnants - or bouquets of silk flowers, which you can take apart and attach to your cards and layouts with brads, eyelets, bottlecaps, or button. You'll find all kinds of treasures at office supply, hardware, and dollar stores, as well as flea markets and garage sales.
2. Keep your supplies organized. When your papers and embellishments are logically arranged and easy to find, you'll always know what you have, which means you'll buy fewer duplicates. And you don't need expensive racks for storing your paper. The large 14" Ziploc bags are perfect for storing 12x12 paper. You can even hang the labeled Ziploc bags from skirt hangers to maximize your space. A few inexpensive baskets or plastic containers can hold your adhesives, pens and trimmers. And a common tacklebox is great for small embellishments. Or use resealable Ziploc bags to organize brads, eyelets and other small embellishments by type or color and store in a shoebox.
3. Here's a little known secret. You can join a scrapbooking direct sales company, simply to get the discount on your own supplies. Of course, you'll need to make sure the monthly minimums are low enough that you'll be able to meet them with your purchases alone. Here is one such company with monthly minimums of just $25 wholesale per month. Details are here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/wholesale-scrapbooking-supplies.htm
4. Use your scanner to create a unique patterned paper, perfect for your layout. Scan items of clothing, for example, that match the clothing in your photographs. Print the paper and use as part of your background or as a tag or other embellishment.
5. Do a google search for "free fonts" and "free scrapbooking." You'll find thousands of free templates, fonts, and other free resources for scrapbookers.
6. Check your local paper for 50% off coupons at large discount crafting stores. Save these coupons for your larger purchases. Subscribe to Joann.com's email newsletter at the store's website: http//www.joann.com. This store frequently offers special discount codes to newsletter subscribers. But keep in mind, when you are shopping the sale aisle, a good deal is not a good deal if you never use the product. Buy only those things that you love - and know you'll use.
7. When shopping for tools, keep quality and versatility in mind. Investing in quality tools will ultimately save you money, because you won't need to replace them very often. You'll also want to look for trimmers and cutters that allow you to replace only the blade - and not the entire cutting system. The Coluzzle, by Provocraft, is one of the most versatile cutting systems available. It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, you can cut a huge variety of shapes and alphabets, as well as envelopes and tags - all with very inexpensive templates.
8. Save and organize your scraps. It's amazing when a small scrap is perfectly suited for a card of scrapbook. And you can always use the backside of white-core cardstock or patterned paper when you need white. Or give your scraps to your children. My kids are constantly making friendship cards out of my scraps. They each have a basket on the family scraptable, and at the end of a project, I divvy up all my scraps in the three little baskets. They love the new art supplies, and I love to share my love of scrapbooking - and my time spent scrapbooking - with them.
9. Network with other scrapbookers for more low-cost ideas. Arrange a supplies swap with your scrapbooking friends. And read through the scrapbooking magazines for more money-saving ideas. In the last few issues of Scrapbooks, Etc. and Memory Makers, for example, I've read (and then used) the following ideas:
(1) Take photos of interesting signs and cut out the letters for fun, eclectic alphabets.
And (2) make your own stamps from your favorite font or images with a computer printout and some foam board.
You can subscribe to these magazines at significant discounts online. I've compiled the best deals on the industry-leaders here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/scrapbooking-magazines or see if you can check out current issues from your local library. Scrapbooking magazines often feature sweepstakes, drawings, and layout contests, in which you can win free supplies, as well.
You can also save on scrapbooking idea books and techniques books by shopping online. Overstock.com often has these books at an even greater discount than amazon.com, and their shipping is usually much less, too. http://www.overstock.com
Copyright 2005 by Susie Cortright
About the Author: Susie Cortright is the founder of momscape.com - http://www.momscape.com and Momscape's Scrapbooking Playground - http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking - devoted to helping visitors record and preserve their cherished memories. Susie also trains and supports new scrapbooking instructors with a new and rapidly- growing direct sales scrapbooking company. Find out how to join her team here: http://www.momscape.com/scrapbooking/busine ss.htm
 Google News Updated : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:48:44 GMT Westbrook has fractured ribs; status in doubt - FOXSports.com
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U.S. News & World Report - By Serena Gordon MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Just keeping the air moving around a bedroom seems to dramatically reduce a baby's risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), new research suggests. Fan in baby's room may help prevent SIDS Fan Use Is Linked to Lower Risk Of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:06:28 GMT Miley Cyrus' sweet 16 birthday bash at Disneyland - Los Angeles Times
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ESPN - Nebraska coach Bo Pelini blames himself and his staff for the Cornhuskers' early problems with penalties. Nebraska ranks 115th nationally with an average of 9.2 penalties per game and 110th nationally with an average of 74.8 penalty yards per game. Pelini says there's no proof a player spit on Missouri's Daniel Nebraska game at ISU to kick off at 11:30 a.m. Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:53:35 GMT Dow plunges below 10000 amid global sell-off - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - NEW YORK (AP) - Wall Street suffered through another traumatic session Monday, with the Dow Jones industrials plunging as much as 800 points and setting a new record for a one-day point drop as investors despaired that the credit crisis would take a ... Video: Wall Street Tumbles Amid Global Sell-off Dow Plunges 700 Points Amid Global Sell-Off Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:41:28 GMT SAP warns on Q3 earnings, cites turmoil in financial markets - Computerworld
Computerworld - By Chris Kanaracus October 6, 2008 (IDG News Service) SAP AG reported today that its third-quarter financial results will be below expectations due to a drop-off in sales late in the quarter - a surprise occurrence that the software vendor blamed on ... SAP saw sudden drop-off in software sales SAP Warns on Q3 Earnings, Cites Economy Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:08:54 GMT Make Money Online |
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