Scrapbooking In Singapore

Scrapbooking is gaining awareness and popularity in Singapore in the recent years. People start to learn of this hobby and become part of this great movement to preserve life's memories.

What do they mean?
Acid Free
Acid is a chemical substance that cause deterioration in papers and can eventually cause photos to brown and become brittle. This againg process is slowed significantly when acid is removed from paper during the manufacturing process.

Not all scrapbooking materials are photo-safe, so be sure your paper, glue and markers are labeled acid-free or archival-quality before you buy them.

Lignin Free
Lignin is the natural bonding element which holds wood fibers together. Newsprint contains lignin -- you will notice how brittle and yellowed a newspaper becomes after just a few days. Like acid, lignin can be removed during processing to make scrapbooking paper safe.

Archival Quality
This is a term used to indicate materials which have undergone laboratory analysis to determine their acidic and buffered content is within safe limits.

Photo Safe
This is a term similar to archival quality but more specific to materials used with photographs. Acid-free is the determining factor for a product to be labeled photo-safe.

Embellishments
This is the term used to describe a great array of additional page treatments that adds to the overall theme page. Embellishments include eyelets, brads, nails, tags, stickers etc.

Try to remeber that embellishments should enhance your photos and memory, not overpower it.

Memorabilia
It is essential to include in your album any memorabilia (keepsake) that helps preserve the memory. Often these items may not be acid free but should still be included as are a huge part of the memory. There are now many keepsake pockets on the market which you can safely place these items in and include on the page.

Memorabilia may include tickets to an event, newspaper clippings, locks of hair, coins from an overseas trip, plane tickets, etc.

Album Sheet Protectors
These are made of plastic to slip over a finished album page. They can be side loading or top loading. It is important that they be acid-free.

Journaling
Every memory is made up of more than a photograph and whilst a picture can paint a thousand words, a photograph alone won’t preserve the memory. Journaling is where you fill in the blanks by recording all that you would like someone to know about a point in time. Journaling is not writing a description of the photograph but is more about including why it was special enough to take the photo in the first place. As a very basic guideline, remember to include who, what, where, why, and when.

Journaling doesn’t have to be about the photograph at all, it may be about something special or important that you want remembered.

It is easy to add journaling to your page by producing it in a fabulous font from your computer but I would encourage you to record as much as possible by hand. Remember, these are the things that you can never replace. Do you have a piece of your Great Grandparents or Grandparents handwriting? How about something more recent, something from your mother or father? As time passes, these simple things become more precious.

If you are worried about making a mistake, journal onto a piece of cardstock or paper and add it to your page once completed. Cardstock can be handy if you make a mistake as you can always turn it over and use the other side.

Why Scrapbook?
Most of the photos albums sold contain high levels of acid, which end up destroying your precious memories. That is why it is important to use materials which are of archival quality, acid-free and lignin-free materials.

While today there are many photos albums sold that are acid- free, but is that the only thing you should be concerned with?

Definitely not. Your reason for scrapbooking is as personal and unique as the album you are about to create.

#1. Scrapbooking preserves your photos.
Have you ever looked at your albums and notice how they look faded? Well that’s because many older albums have a high acid content in the paper. Acid causes photos to fade and to become brittle. Scrapbooking Cove products are acid free. This means your photos will look great even for your great grandchildren.

#2. Scrapbooking is easy.
Anyone can put a scrapbook together. If you can use a pair of scissors, a pencil and place stickers then you can scrapbook!. There are so many ways to decorate album pages and they are all easy from paper dolls to stickers. You will be surprised at how simple it is, to create great looking pages.

by julie TAN@Scrapbooking Cove

#3. Scrapbooking preserves your unique stories.
You are unique! And you have a unique story to tell. Your photos, your words and your point of view can all be incorporated into your album.

#4. Scrapbooking reflects your unique personality.
Each element of scrapbooking reflects a part of you. From the actual photos used, to the page layout, to the method of decoration and to the journalling of your thoughts in your own hand writing, every scrapbooking page you create is unique!

#5. Scrapbooking can also include memorabilia.
Having memorabilia like your child's birth notice from the paper, locks of hair, coins from an overseas trip, theatre tickets add an extra dimension to your album. These memorabilia items will also be preserved along with your photos.

#6. Scrapbooking helps heal.
A tragedy, whether it is suffering personal illness or the loss of a loved one, can leave you staggering with grief. When the pain has subsided, you may wish to scrapbook about your experience, your thoughts and feelings. Scrapbooking is a wonderful tool for reliving the good times and moving past those that are difficult. It can be extremely therapeutic.