Now more than ever, the world or scrapbooking seems very daunting. With so many more products and mediums out there than there were 5 years ago, it can be really confusing for the "newbie" who wants to start scrapbooking. This guide should help relieve some of your fears in not knowing where to start, by putting you on the right path for the least amount of money possible, to get you started in style!

First, let's start off with the basic supplies that you are going to need:
•Album ~ The traditional album is a 12x12 top loading post bound kind. But now there are many other options out there, from as small as 6x6, to mini matchbook albums and paper bag albums. You choose whichever you feel the most comfortable with, and which one you feel you can accomplish

•Paper Cutter/Trimmer ~ While plain old scissors will work just fine, you will find it much easier to cut and crop your photos and paper if you have a paper trimmer. This makes it easier to measure and cut straight lines, guaranteeing no boo-boo's when it comes to your precious photos

•Adhesives ~ A good adhesive will guarantee that your photos stay in place while protecting them for years to come. Pick a good Acid free adhesive to be sure your photos will not be damaged. Tape Runners are probably the most popular choice of adhesive. Little double sided tape strips are easily dispensed in the handy dispensers. These work great for scrapbooking basics (adhering photos, mats & paper together). There are other kinds of adhesives aswell, for other purposes. Foam Squares are great for giving an embellishment a "raised" look by "popping" it off the page. Mini Glue Dots are great for the smaller, harder to attach embellishments like fibers, ribbon, buttons etc.

•Paper is going to be your next purchase (and probably your first addiction)! There are so many beautiful patterns and textures that it can be hard to choose. Base your choices on the type of album your are going to do (for example if you are going to do an album for your in-laws 50th wedding anniversary, you aren't going to buying lots of bright pinks and oranges, unless of course that's what they like)! Also take into consideration the types of photos you are going to be preserving. If there are lots of black and white photos, you are going to want to choose paper that will coordinate with the black and white tones such as monochromatic colors, or pastels which really make black and white photos stand out. You don't have to stress over colors too much though. Remember, scrapbooking is a personal thing...if you think it looks good, and you like the colors, then use them! A scrapbook is no fun looking at, or creating, if you don't like the colors you are working with! Paper Packs take the guess work out of coordinating for you. You can choose from many different themes and colors to suit your projects needs, making it so much easier for you in the long run, rather than trying to coordinate single sheets separately.

•Cardstock and patterned paper go hand in hand. You'll want some beautifully colored and textured cardstock to help with your matting and framing.

•Journaling Pens are going to be essential to your pages. You'll want great working pens, that will provide you with smooth writing so you can jot down names, dates, and little phrases about the pictures. Afterall, the biggest part of scrapbooking is telling they story behind the photos!

•Embellishments ~ Another addiction coming your way! My advice? Start Simple! Don't be overwhelmed by all the different embellishments and do-dads out there. Start with the simple things like Buttons, Brads, Ribbons, Fibers & Stickers. Chose two or three of the items you like best and work your way up to more!

While that list may seem long, and like alot of stuff, it really isn't. As you learn and grow and create...you will soon discover that these items really are the basics! However, with these basics, you can create a beautiful album!

Now what? Well, now that you you have collected your basic items, you are ready to get started! Vision your scrapbook one page at a time. Start with your first page by selecting 1-4 photos you would like to include. Choose your papers and cardstock that you want to use with those photos. Start placing your photos on your background page and rearange them, to get an idea of where you want to place them. Then start cropping your photos to get them to the right size. Try tracing objects over your photos like the bottom of a glass to get different shapes, then cut them out. Mat your photos by cutting a piece of patterned paper slightly larger than the photo itself and ahere the photo to the mat. You can even double, triple and quadruple your matting with different patterned paper and colored cardstock for a spectacular effect! Next, think about creating a title piece. A title piece sets the theme and tone of a page, giving the viewer a first glance as to what the page is about! Once your photos are matted, and your title piece created, adhere them to your background paper where you decided they would look best. Next, create some journaling spots by either cutting out pieces of cardstock or paper in different shapes (even plain squares look great) or use pre-made tags. Add your journaling to your tags, then adhere the tags to your page (you can simply just stick them in place, or use different embellishments such as brads, buttons, ribbon and fiber to attach them). Now it's time to play around with your other embellishments. Add stickers and buttons and other items to dress up your page!

Don't worry if it takes you several hours to complete one page. Actually, I'd like to say that as you get more experienced you get faster, but that's not always the case. As you learn more techniques and start using more embellishments and mediums, it can take even longer to create your pages! But that's what scrapbooking is about! Taking your time and putting lots of effort into your work, to ensure that you will have beautiful memories that will last longer than a lifetime!

And don't forget to check out online photo galleries for inspiration. Even the most creative people need a little help. And it's perfectly acceptable to "scraplift" (borrow others ideas) for your own personal use.

Most of all, have fun and be creative!