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Scrapbooking is pretty hip these days.  For example, a mother I babysit for keeps a scrapbook for each kid; each page is an artistic creation (even if it all did most likely come out of a kit).

I’ve gotten into scrapbooking a little bit, though for the most part I find that I just don’t have time for it.  I started a scrapbook for my husband and I when we first started dating, and I’ve finished all the pages for our honeymoon — just need to find a book for them, and do our wedding album.  Scrapbooking is just time-consuming, and I’m so busy as it is that I don’t have much time for it!

If you do decide to get into scrapbooking, here are some materials you will need:

• A scrapbook.  There are a couple of different kinds.  I like the ones with clear plastic pouches that you slide the pages into.  To add more pages, you take apart the binding and expand it by adding metal screw-on post expanders.  The entire thing then screws back together at the binding.
• Colored or patterned backgrounds.  Scrapbook and craft stores sell pages that are already cut to scrapbook size (12 inches by 12 inches).  These come in a variety of colors, patterns, and themes.
• Die-cut stickers, shapes, and decals.  Some of these come in kits that also include the backgrounds.
• Paper cutters.  For instance, Creative Memories (a Colorado-based company that makes and distributes scrapbook supplies) has small guillotine cutters that they call personal trimmers, which are used for trimming photos and cutting out shapes using die-cut patterns.  When I worked at a preschool, we had electric paper cutters that created die-cut letters and shapes.
• Decorative pens, markers, etc.  I personally would rather do some of my own calligraphy than use the die-cut letters you can buy.  Pens and markers are always handy to have.

Scrapbooking is tons of fun, so if you have enough time — or enough memories worth preserving — I highly recommend it.  Just be aware that it is a time hog, and generally requires more time than most people have available for such a hobby!

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