"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12
I've been scrapbooking for nearly four years now, and I've developed my own list of favorite products based on my experience. These reviews are purely my opinion. Others may or may not agree, but ultimately there is no right or wrong when it comes to scrapbooking. If the product you are using is photo safe and pleases you, that's all that matters.
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ALBUMS:
- Creative Memories: The personal favorite of scrapbookers everywhere, CM albums feature a strap-hinge style where the pages themselves are attached to the album. The scrapbooker works on both the front and back of the page, so while each page can be rearranged, one cannot change the arrangement of pages affixed front to back of each other. Creative Memories is a direct-marketing company, so you'll only find these albums sold by consultants via home parties and classes. CM albums are available in 12 X 12, 8.5 X 11, 5 X 7 and 12 X 15 sizes in leather and cloth bound, with a bookshelf binding or open spine. They are touted as top of the line and worth their higher price (they do come with a money-back guarantee), but I've found that I prefer a more economical and flexible style album.
- Westrim: A copy of the CM style (which consultants everywhere will claim that CM is trying to get off the market), this album also features the strap-hinge style. The Westrim album is offered in leather or cloth in 12 X 12 or 8.5 X 11, with a bookshelf binding. The pages are a little thinner than CM, and both album and refills come with fewer pages than CM, but the cost is considerably less in some areas. Westrim stands behind their product, and will replace defective products--just ask! I was able to purchase one of these albums at a tremendous discount, and while it is quite nice, I wasn't won over by the style.
- Pioneer post bound: Postbound albums feature top-loading page protectors with cardstock that can be moved around and rearranged at will. The posts hold the page protectors rather than the pages themselves, and allow the pages to lie flat. Pioneer albums are available in 12 X 12, 8.5 X 11, and 5 X 7 sizes in a wide variety of colors. The album itself is a bargain at $10-12, but refill pages and post extenders run $4-5 for 5 pages, which adds to the cost quickly. Though the albums hold "unlimited refills," I think the paper spine cover looks cheap when the album is too full. I put a baby book together for a friend using a Pioneer post bound album and it worked quite nicely, but I think for everyday use I will save my money for a better quality album. Pioneer also manufactures a "Deluxe" album under the name "Family Treasures," which is sturdier, nicer looking, and a little more expensive than their standard album.
- Westrim post bound: A near replica of the Pioneer, this album (in the 8.5 X 11 size) retails at Wal Mart for $14.88. It is also available in 12 X 12. Again, refills and extender posts can only be purchased together, and costs can add up quickly with these. I purchased several of these albums on clearance and ended up taking them back. I needed extender posts and couldn't find them, the spine cover looks cheap (I even tried taking mine off and just letting the edges show), and the album itself seemed rather flimsy. Like the Pioneer, this album might be fine for a special project with a limited number of pages, but I'd rather stick with something else for the long run.
- Hiller 3-ring: This is the album I currently use. It is an oversized 3-ring vinyl-covered binder available for either 8.5 X 11 or 12 X 12 pages. They are padded, have reinforced corners, 3-inch D rings and come in a variety of colors. They retail for around $14 dollars and hold approximately 100 pages, so they are a very economical way to scrap when you consider that you can use any (photo safe) page protector and cardstock with them. Unfortunately, the design of these albums was recently changed and they look and feel much cheaper than they used to. I'm still looking for a comparable replacement! A common complaint with binder-style albums is that they look like plain old school notebooks, but these albums (at least the old style) are quite nice looking. Another drawback is that you can't turn a page without those darn rings always being in the middle, and their size sometimes makes them quite cumbersome. As a whole, though, I have found these albums to be a great bargain and easy to work with.
- Canson spiral bound: These albums have a spiral binding, thick pages typically in black or white, and available page protectors. While the addition of page protectors has made these albums more versatile, I would still choose them less over the other styles because of the limitations of the spiral binding. Pages, being already bound into the book, cannot be rearranged, and if a page rips out it must be redone, most likely out of order. I found this type of album to be most applicable to a heritage-type album, one which wouldn't be handled frequently by young children. I completed an album of this type for my dad of pictures from his childhood, and the black pages complimented the black and white photos beautifully. Various sizes are available, the most popular being 12 X 12, 10 X 10, or 5 X 7.
- CTMH post bound: Similar in price to the CM album, these top-of-the-line post bound albums by Close to My Heart feature top loading page protectors and bookshelf backs. Pages can be moved around at will, even those placed front to pack. They are available in 12 X 12 or 8.5 X 11 sizes, leather or cloth, and can be expanded to an unlimited number of pages with extention posts. I bought one of these albums for my family album because I had heard of others getting hundreds of pages per album. In my case, however, they don't hold any more than my 3-ring binders, which in my books is about 40 pages (80 front & back). The CTMH albums are beautiful, and I hear the leather is to die for, but unfortunately they didn't work for me. CTMH is another direct-market company, so these albums can only be purchased via a demonstrator.
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PAPER:
- Cardstock: Widely available everywhere, it's important as a scrapbooker to look for acid-free, lignin-free, even buffered stock (see Scrapbook Beginners Guide for more information on what these terms mean). Scrapbook stores feature cardstock of this quality, but usually at around 20 - 40 cents per sheet (for 8.5 X 11--higher for 12 X 12). I've ordered from Memories, and Pebbles In My Pocket with good results. Their cardstock is generally cheaper, you know it's a/f, l/f, and buffered, and it comes in a wide variety of colors. I've also picked up a ream of white stock at Office Max for around 4 cents per sheet. I tested it with my acid-testing pen and it proved to be acid-free, lignin-free, and buffered.
- Pattern paper: Nearly everything under the sun exists in this category, from border prints originally intended for laser printers, to specifically coordinated theme packs. My personal favorites are:
- The Paper Patch, for their variety in both color and design.
- Keeping Memories Alive, for the simple designs and colors in their cottage and fabric brites collections, which are so easy to mix & match.
- D.O.T.S./CTMH, for having a wide variety of colors and simple patterns not available elsewhere.
- ProvoCraft, for their soft watercolors line.
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ADHESIVES: So many adhesives, and each with a specific application. I have several favorites:
- Canson Photo Squares: It's so easy to stick one of these tiny squares of double-sided adhesive onto each corner of a photo, pull off the blue tabs, and mount it on a page. Canson is just one of the manufactures of this type of adhesive, also called Photo Fix (3L) or Photo Splits (Creative Memories). They come in packs of 500 for around $3-4, and are ideal for photos.
- Hermifix squares: While the adhesive itself is the same as the photo squares, Hermafix is different in that it has an applicator and no tabs to peel off. I'm sold on my Hermifix dispenser--no more little blue squares for me! Tab dispensers cost around $12-14 and come loaded with 1,000 tabs. Refills are $5-7 for 1,000 tabs. Hermifix also makes a "dot" dispenser, which leaves a small circle of removable adhesive. Again best for photos, but can be used on just about anything.
- Tombo Mono Adhesive: Packaged in a small, hand-held dispenser, the Tombo adhesive leaves a thin strip of clear double-sided tape in either temporary or permanent bond, each sold separately. The permanent bond is extremely sticky and works well when bonding one page to another, such as in creating a border behind your page. Because it is so tacky and hard to reposition, I would avoid using it on photos. Mono Adhesive costs $4-5 for the dispenser (refillable) and $3-4 for the refills.
- Zig 2-way Glue: The Zig 2-way Glue pen comes in a variety of tip sizes, and features both a temporary and repositional bonds. It works best on lightweight paper items, such as die cuts. Cost is $3-4, and it is occasionally slow to dispense.
- Sailor Glue Pen: This adhesive is basically the same as that in the Zig glue pen, but in a roller ball-type tip. If item is adhered when the glue is wet (blue), bond will be permanent. If the glue is allowed to dry before adhering (it dries clear), bond will be temporary. Glue flows quickly, and pen can be "pumped" if flow slows, forcing more air into the chamber. Sailor pens retail for around $2.50 and are perfect for small paper items like punch art or cut out letters.
- SCISSORS: There are many different types and styles of decorative paper edgers, and it's not necessary to own every one. I bought several when I first started scrapbooking, and ended up giving all but a few away, and even those I rarely use. All of mine are Fiskars brand, and have performed perfectly. Decorative edgers are also manufactured by Family Treasures, Frances Meyer, and more. My favorite designs (Fiskars) are:
- Deckle
- Pinking
- Mini-Pinking
- Scallop
- Ripple
- Seagull
- PENS: My personal favorite is the Zig Writer, which comes in somthing like 100 colors. Zig Writers have a dual tip, one thick for doodles and lines, and one thin for journaling and accents. I have a handful of colors, mostly the basics, but I use black more than anything. Zigs also come in calligraphy, scroll/brush, and fine/chisel tips. They cost from $2-3 each.
- MAGAZINES: I know of five different scrapbook magazines, and while I like to leaf through the different magazines, I have a subscription to only one. Here are my thoughts on a few:
- Creating Keepsakes--Debuting in late 1995, I believe this was the first of the scrapbooking magazines. I bought my first just a few issues later and have seen it grow and improve, though I loved it from the beginning. The articles are informative and fun, with lots of layout examples scattered throughout. Both 12 X 12 and 8.5 X 11 layouts are featured. CK has a talented team of designers, and tend to feature creative layouts with only a picture or two per page. CK publishes 10 times per year, which works out to monthly in every month but July and December. Check out Creating Keepsakes and request a free issue.
- Memory Makers--This magazine is also one of the originals, starting out as a quarterly but quickly switching to a bi-monthy format. Articles tend to feature more advanced, time-consuming techniques, and layouts are more geared to the 12 X 12 size. The style is more "Creative Memories," with more white space and lots of cropped circle and oval shapes. I'm not sure if they offer a free issue or not, but stop by Memory Makers and check them out.
- PaperKuts, Ivy Cottage Creations, and Snapshot Memories are also available scrapbook magazines, but ones I'm not as familiar with.
For many more reviews on these and other products, visit Scrapbook Addict Product Review.
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