h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Scrapbooking Basics - A22883862
Author: Skankyrich [?] - home - U931109

Not my chosen specialised subject, but hopefully a good PR rescue.

Old PR thread: F4676845?thread=3231751

Original Entry: A12984717

I'm quite happy for anyone with specialist knowledge to contribute more for this collaboration

Hi Skankrych,

I know a bit about scrapbooking, having been a rep for a paper craft company for a while and doing demos at shows & shops.

I'm a bit rushed for time right now, but I'd be happy to offer some suggestions later. It's got the structure, bones and basic content to do the subject justice, but it's a bit outdated.

First off though, the embossing can be taken out. No beginner would emboss a scrapbook like that and it's dubious if anyone else would now. Also, scissors are a bit old hat, having been superceded by rotary cutters. Scissors are still used of course, but they are of secondary importance nowadays.

Hmmm

I'll put that in a coherent whole tomorrow, when my eyes are open

I look forward to that, SWL! I just think too much work went into this for it to be abandoned entirely. I'm not a scrapbooker (though I've made travelogues that could be loosely described as such) so I'd appreciate 'professional' input

Just one typo-

"...larger photographs make terrific foal points."

Should be a focal point, I'm guessing.

I'm afraid I know nothing about the subject either, but it's a good read regardless.

Done that Thanks very much, I must've been thinking of Dartmoor ponies...

Right, I've never helped co-author a piece so I'm not sure of the protocols

I've put my version here A23183093

The original, IMO had too much that was superfluous for the beginner and as a "Scrabooking Basics" entry, I felt it was a bit confusing. The section on embossing was entirely unnecessary, requiring extra equipment and a degree of expertise that the beginner wouldn't have.

However, that is only my opinion

That's great - thanks SWL!

I can just copy your version over this one and add you as a co-author if that's ok with you - it looks good to me. My only question is what happened to tip four?

Embellishments are the biggest marketing con in the papercrafts industry. Packs of paper tat worth around 5p that sell for up to £4 Used sparingly and appropriately, they can enhance a page but far too often people go overboard and embellish a page to death. Very often "less is more" and if I'm teaching a beginner, I steer clear of them. As this is a basics entry, I thought it inappropriate.

Actually, you can make a really attractive scrapbook with just an album, paper & glue. Tearing paper and being creative gives a really good effect.

Where's Mikey nowadays? She'd have a lot to say about this.

Sadly, she handed in her scouts badge a few months ago, FM and hasn't posted for a few weeks.

I've copied your version over, SWL, and added you as a co-author Thanks for your help with this one!

If Mikey is throwing in the towel then things must be getting bad. Despite our personal differences she was one of the pillars of this site and did a huge amount of work for the project. To turn her back on all of that indicates more than personality issues, it belies a profound parting of the ways.

Absolutely. Mikey was an inspiration to me, and she's missed for more than just her Scouting.

Is the elegy done?

>>Scrapbookers, however, try to keep all sorts of things that stir memories in one place.

"In one place"? How specific. yes, of course. For example, I have a scrapbook in a box in my closet. bags full of brochures, postcards, photographs, ticket stubs... there's even an empty album in the box, to recall the memory that I would one day place the stuff inside.


>>With so many scrapbooking supplies out there, it's easy even for an experienced scrapbooker to get confused about what's truly necessary. This brief guide will show you the basics you'll need to be on your way to scrapbooking bliss.

Whatsa scrapbook? Perhaps define or describe it at some point.


>>The first thing you'll need is an album. You'll want to take size into consideration. Some scrapbookers want all their albums to be the same size, while others like for them to be different. There are two standard sizes available: 8” x 8” and 12” x 12”.

Pshaw. Most albums here come with slots for two 4x6 photographs per page. Do you mean *magnetic* albums or *scrapbook* albums?

Where did you get those numbers from? My sister went through a scrapping craze and there were around 6 different sizes in the catalog that was her bible. Plus, if you go to a discount store, they have all sorts of non-square sized magnetic albums around.


>>The smaller size is easier for beginners as not so much work is required to fill a page.

What if you have tons of memorabilia for everything and you want to cram it on? Then a big page is better.


>>The choice is up to you, and you can always change your mind.

Not once you've started!


>>You'll also want to find an album with a colour or pattern that fits the theme of your scrapbook.

Give an example? Like brown or hunter green for a foresty/natural experience, or some staid blue with maybe gold trim if you're documenting your first corporate job.


>>re cutters

Don't forget specialty stampers and snippers (I don't know what they're really called, maybe spend some time on a scrapping site) that give your photos round edges or turn them into stars, oblongs, ellipses, parallelograms, and other things that can turn scrapbooking into a lesson in geometry.



>>Non-toxic adhesives are preferable, especially if you're working in an area that isn't particularly well-ventilated, as the fumes can make you feel light-headed and give you headaches.

Is that the only reason? Don't they also kill brain cells? Hence, "toxic"? I mean, lots of things make me feel lightheaded and headachy that aren't toxic. Like or finishing an arduous term paper.



>>Temporary adhesives let you move things around on the page until you are happy with your design.

Give an example so I recognise it when it leers its face at me?

You mention gluesticks, which is good, but why not mention why they are superior to, say, elmer's glue? (Cuz they don't run, blob, and wrinkle.)


>>Cardstock is the base of your scrapbooking page

Whatableep does that mean? Would it be too hard to say that cardstock is the thickness of the album page? Or are you talking about something else?



>>If something doesn't work out like you thought, you can always use it later.

escuzemoi? You mean if my painstakingly cut paper swan sillouette looks like a chicken I can use it for a scrapbook about a visit to the farm? Or what?


>>inally, don't forget journal pens.

Funny, I found this under a heading about *cardstock* and *paper*. I guess it wandered out of a section entitled "Pens" and got lost. Even managed to append itself to a paragraph about mixing up paper textures.



>>If you do calligraphy, you may want to also check out the great calligraphy pens available with various sized tips.

If you do calligraphy, you probably already know about them!



>>Black ink is the most popular, but you may want to have several colours to coordinate with your scrapbook colour scheme.

If the cover is dark you automatically go for light shades for scribbling the name on it. Only non-serious scrappers think they can do everything in black. Like me.



>>Again, don’t hesitate to experiment with different colours and tip sizes to find your individual style.

What is this an exercise in self exploration? Why can't you just use different colours and tips to acheive the effect you're looking for?



>>Because when it comes to scrapbooking, that’s what it’s all about!

Oh, so it is self-exploration. Dang, I thought it was documentation. No wonder I was never successful. I couldn't even find myself with a map, never mind start *exploring*.


>>A lot of people don’t like to write in their scrapbooks, (this is called journalling), as they think their handwriting is bad.

Here's something that really does make me cross: using "as". Is it a British thing? Cuz here in the U.S.A. we prefer "because" or "since" except in the beginning of sentences.


>>However, your scrapbook may be passed on to your great grandchildren and they will be absolutely thrilled to see entries written by the person who put the scrapbook together. Your handwriting will be part of their heritage and will help make it a precious memento.

You think they'll be so thrilled if they can't read it?



>>Matting matters. When matting a photograph, you should always select colours that compliment it, not overwhelm it.

Leo's definition of "Matt"
1. something Lil drags around
2. a h2g2 researcher with a taste for toilet humour
3. what you wipe your feet on when you enter the door, assuming you don't live in a bachelor's flat or a cave
3. variation: Matte - a finishing texture for photographs
4. matted - hair in the morning
5. matting - something matted in the manner of 4, often for the purpose of 3.

Which are you referring to?



>>onsider the shape. Then matting your photograph, it's easy to get stuck in the rut of limiting it yourself by following the shape of the photo.

Grammar? Sentence structure? Something is awry. Then? Then? Maybe When? Can't you be fluent in at least one language?!

Limiting it yourself? What does that mean?


>>Following these quick tips will help you create dazzling focal points on your scrapbook layout pages. And hopefully they'll encourage you to get creative and come up with some great focal point enhancing ideas of your own!

That's it? matting a focal point is all there is to know about scrapping? What about the rest of the bleedin' page?

Once I wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes, I'll address these points

I just want you to know that none of the above is meant to deter you from thinking that your entry is just great, because it is - absolutely wonderful. I don't know when I've last seen such a complete and well-written entry on scrapbooking.

The above points were just a few *suggestions* to help you develop the entry's potential to its fullest, because our job as Scouts is to help you become great and write great entries to contribute to the great Guide. However, the Guide is above all a people's Guide, so even if you don't listen to any of the suggestions, we'll still think you're great and your entry is great and use it anyway, because we're all one big happy family and we don't want to hurt your feelings.

So thank you for submitting this great entry! It's wonderful! I love it! I can't wait to see it on the Front Page! Feel free to consider any of my suggestions for making it just that teeny-tiny bit better - that small step it needs to take from AWESOME to PERFECT, though I must say, it's incredibly close, and of course you can disregard anything I said that you think is invalid.

Bravo!!!!

I want whatever she's drinking



*hands SWL a hanky to wipw his tears*

Sorry, SWL. You're the victim of Leo's attempt to wind me up, in a friendly sort of way...

Bravo!!!!

I want whatever she's drinking



*hands SWL a hanky to wipe his tears*

Flarkin' busy site

I'll get me coat

SWL doesn't seem to mind so much...

Anyway haven't you got the editing rights? What are you doing with editing rights to someone else's entry? What's a collaborative entry these days if all you do is cut and paste someone else's work?