| Scrapbooks are not always meant just for photos. I | | | | alongside photos of the events they represent. Just be |
| tend to often date myself but, When I was a kid, my | | | | careful of bulky or uneven items as they can ruin the |
| sister had a scrapbook that I used to sneak into from | | | | pages on top of them over time when the book is |
| time-to-time. Of course back then she used plain paper | | | | closed. |
| and colored construction papers that are now yellow | | | | Common items that can destroy your scrapbooks |
| from the acids. She also used white school glue that is | | | | over time: |
| no longer holding anything in place. The important point | | | | * Pressed leaves and Flowers |
| I'm trying to make is that I still remember the contents | | | | * Newspaper Clippings |
| of that scrapbook. | | | | * Magazine Clippings or Articles |
| She kept theme park and movie ticket stubs, concert | | | | * Thermal Print Receipts or carbon copies |
| ticket stubs, and as she got older, I even found an old | | | | * Crayons and Most Felt Tip Pens |
| love letter from a boy she liked at the time. Other | | | | * Glitter or other sharp edge objects |
| things I remember seeing were school papers with an | | | | * School Glue or Rubber Cement |
| A+ on them, notes passed in class from her girlfriends | | | | * Synthetic Material or Cloth |
| and even pressed flowers and leaves. | | | | * Most Hobby and House Paint or Stain |
| Today, we can still preserve those kinds of memories | | | | Organic materials such as flowers and leaves have |
| by adding these little extras to our scrapbooks. The | | | | natural lingon and give off gases that will deteriorate |
| difference today is that we know that many of those | | | | your photos and papers. Newspapers and Magazines |
| types of things are destructive to our scrapbooks and | | | | use oil based inks full of acids and they get on |
| we know how to fix that by using digital scrapbook | | | | everything... just look at your fingers after reading them. |
| techniques. I always recommend making digital photo | | | | Thermal papers and carbons have lots of acids and it |
| copies of everything. Unless the original paper is | | | | takes very little heat to turn them totally black. |
| guaranteed acid free, it will yellow and crumble with | | | | Crayons, felt tip pens, house paints and stains use |
| time. So, keep the original in a memory box or other | | | | acids and other harmful chemicals to bind the colors |
| safe location, but use safe digital copies in your | | | | just like your white glues (school paste) and rubber |
| scrapbook. | | | | cements. Glitter has thousands of sharp little edges |
| So, what other types of "extras" are safe and what | | | | that cut, scratch and ruin your photos and other |
| kinds of things will destroy your scrapbooks? | | | | elements... not to mention that it gets everywhere. |
| Items that are safe: | | | | If you must use glitter, get the more expensive kind |
| * Old Report Cards | | | | that is totally encased in an acid free clear glue. While |
| * Short Essays or Poems | | | | it's not perfect, it keeps most of it in place and covers |
| * Birthday Invitations | | | | most of the sharp edges. |
| * Vacation City Maps and Post Cards | | | | Here's the whole point. There really is no limit to the |
| * College Brochures and Acceptance Letters | | | | items (and memories) that you can put into your |
| * Special Occasion Greeting Cards | | | | scrapbooks. Extra items can help capture the feelings |
| * Decorative Napkins | | | | and emotions as well as tell more of the overall story. |
| * Name Tags or Place Cards from Table Settings | | | | Just use a little caution. Check to make sure the |
| * Receipts from a Favorite Restaurant | | | | materials are acid and lingon free. If you are in doubt... |
| * Play and Concert ticket stubs and programs | | | | make a copy on your scanner or color copier and use |
| * Sporting Event Ticket stubs and Programs | | | | the digital version in you book. Keep the thick and bulky |
| * Old Drivers Licenses | | | | items for your shadow boxes or protect the pages |
| * CD Covers | | | | below and above them from the damage the thick |
| These items can be added to individual pages or they | | | | edges will cause. |
| can be left in tact and put into a sheet protector | | | | Above all... |
