Besides coming up with a sketch of your layout, you should jot down a collection of "ideas" for scrapbooks. In other words, as we mentioned in a previous post, the reason why we scrapbook is for preserving the memories of family, friends, activities, special moments in our lives, and celebrations, to name a few. Whatever idea or ideas you come up with, make sure you jot it down now. It may be that you never start a scrapbook with a particular them you made in your notebook, but it can jar your creativity to make a new idea for your next scrapbook. Sometimes we get inspired to make a scrapbook just for the fun of it.
The tools you need for your idea notebook should be a vinyl folder notepad that can hold a pen and a legal pad of paper. The next thing you should have is a collection of magazine articles, newspaper articles, or even interesting online articles that you print out from what other scrappers are doing. You know, just about every scrapbook idea has been tried and used, but you can put your own "twist" on it.
Along with keeping your ideas in one organized place, make sure you have enough pictures and other archived items to fill out this new scrapbook.
When you start your sketch sheet from an idea you have chosen from your idea notebook, make sure you take the time to choose a binder that reflects the "mood" of your theme. If you are in a "black and white" mood for a topic, make sure you have black and white photographs and lay it out in a binder that is black and white or gray in color.
A scrapbook comes alive when it aligns with your particular "mood" you are in while planning and starting to put together the scrapbook. The number of ideas in your scrapbook notebook is only limited by your imagination.
Filed under Idea Notebook, about scrapbooking, art, create scrapbooks, design scrapbooks, scrapbook, scrapbook ideas, scrapbookers, scrapbooking by 
A great strategy before you start a scrapbook is to sketch out the layout. This is often the most basic step for any scrapbooker. Pay attention to the theme you plan, gather your pictures, and on a legal pad, sketch out the placement of most of the items. Don’t worry, you can always change things later. The most important part is to get the feel for laying out things. When a beginner first starts out on scrapbooking, the largest fear is getting the sense of design. You see, designing the layout on a scrapbook is no different than a highly paid Madison Avenue art designer. You must know what comes natural in placement of items to make a pleasing arrangement.
1) Draw the rectangles or other shapes of where you want to place the photos on the legal pad.
2) Draw rough shapes of the decorative items or letters you want in and around the pictures.
3) Draw the outline of the pages and additional design patterns that you want around the whole page
A good example of a scrapbook planning sketch can be found here.
In the example shown on that link, the theme is a father and son theme.
Filed under about scrapbooking, art, crafts, create scrapbooks, design scrapbooks, scrapbook, scrapbook ideas, scrapbookers, scrapbooking, scrapbooking resources by
