Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is a form of writing, namely, in preserving a record of written history. This recorded history can be in the form of collected photographs, printed media and personal memorabilia. The written history is stored in decorated albums which are called scrapbooks. Throughout history scrapbooking has been a celebrated tradition, much like storytelling. The difference with scrapbooking is that instead of repeating oral history, the events are told through visual means.

The History Of Scrapbooking


Scrapbooking has been a hobby for countless generations, as old as the art of writing itself, and definitely since printed material became easily available to the average household. Thomas Jefferson and Mark Twain were famous American scrapbookers who realized the importance of preserving the written history of their lives. Scrap booking with photographs is relatively new only because photography as a hobby became available to ordinary households within the last century. An antique scrapbook may consist of photos with photomount corners, newspaper clippings, letters and handwritten or typed journal entries. As a commercial industry, scrapbooking has been around for over 25 years, first started by Marielen Christensen of the world's first scrapbooking store, “Keeping Memories Alive.” In addition to starting the store, Christensen has also written books on scrapbooking and was responsible for creating the first commercial website for scrapbooking back in 1996.

Digital Scrapbooking

General scrapbook ideas do not change over several generations – they are still an album of collected media, representing one person's personal journey. However, the technology improves. Modern scrapbooks often feature computer-printed journals. There is also digital scrapbooking, which sees ideas saved on computer, such as through hard disk or CD. Digital scrapbooks are not only limited to storage and display functions. Some scrapbook pages and scrapbook layouts are printed out while others are professionally bound as books. There are also digital artists that can help scrapbookers with scrapbooking layouts and presentation, including creating an attractive background and touching up pictures.

You can find free scrapbooking layouts and digital scrapbook software online or buy more sophisticated programs in stores. Where can you buy supplies such as scrapbooking paper, scrapbook stickers and digital software? Scrapbook Paper.com offers a cheap selection on paper, stickers, embellishments and other storage supplies. The best scrapbooking ideas are free – because the art of scrapbooking is an individual achievement. You know your life better than anyone else, and only you know how to most effectively document important life events for your children. One of the best scrapbooking quotes suggests, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”