A Triple Dog Dare

[Sonshine]

I've seen this done on other scrapbook message boards, and it's a lot of fun - - IF YOU DARE. Post your very first ever attempt at a scrapbook page. (kits don't count, sorry) Or your very first card - if you still have it, although I assume you've long since sent it on it's merry way to a new loving home. And include a short story of what that first page meant to you. I'll be brave and go first since I've started this thing. Let's see how far it can go.

We had our very first grandchild on the way, and we had just bought a little cabin in the woods of northern Arizona, two of my life-long-dreams coming together at one time. I decided I was going to start scrapbooking. And I was sure I could complete it in a weekend at the cabin. (6x6) My small bag containing all the scrapbook supplies I thought I would ever need (quit laughing) was a small pair of Fiskars scissors, a desktop Fiskars cutter, a bottle of ELMERS[I] glue, some woodsy paper, a Sharpie pen, a package of small paper oak leaves, a sheet of pine tree stickers, and a package of super puffy pop dots. (Didn't know what to do with them - but they looked totally cool and essential.) And this was my first page. Yes - that is REAL tree bark (the sap finally stopped running, thank goodness) and those are real pine needles (used to be green once). And that was the MOST FUN I have ever had scrapbooking. No rules, no visual balance, no color repeating, no rules of thirds - just plain child-like FUN!! And those pop dots DID come in handy afterall - you can see one oozing out the side of my tree bark there. :D:D Of course I didn't finish it that weekend, but little did I know I started a flame that weekend that would change my life FOREVER. I still love to scrapbook at the cabin, but now it takes a couple [I]rolling totes instead of that small shopping bag. Isn't life grand???

[craftynana]

Wonderful page, I don't think I dare add my first one. LOL Trish :)

[Sonshine]

Trish - your first page is probably beautiful - but that's not the point. I think each one of us remembers clearly the fun we all had in creating our very first pages. The pride you felt and the sense of accomplishment that "yeah - I can DO this". And it's just to bring those fond memories out. New artists a lot of times feel intimidated to show their hard work on message boards like this, and I've seen from experience how showing them your humble beginnings gives them hope and encouragement, that they have NOTHING to be embarrassed by. It's kind of a 'baring your soul' kind of thing. When I taught painting and had a new batch of students CONVINCED they could never paint like that, I bring out my very first project. The smiles would come out, and they were less intimidated, more relaxed that they were doing just fine. Besides - it's not about the artwork - it's about the JOY you experienced in it's creation. It's a way of expressing yourself. I don't know - maybe this wasn't such a good idea afterall. :(

[kasiahbug]

I'm gonna have to dig out my firsts. I started with only scissors, paper and glue. I didn't even have tape or embelishments. I was able to print some things on vellum and I cut all of my pictures. It was a lot different than what I do now that's for sure.

[Heather]

This is my first page here (http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/pg.asp?cmd=display&layout_id=38868). It was so hard to do, as I used Diamond Dust paper, and nothing would stick to it! I can never start easy on anything I do. lol But I was so proud of myself when I got it done.

[Sonshine]

You were SO brave girl- to start out your very first page with something so complicated - this is great! :D:D I know what you mean about not starting with something simple - I definitely have a K I S S problem with everything in my life. But wasn't it so fun - there's something SO special about those first pages. But at least you didn't have friggin' tree sap and pop dots oozing out of your embellishments. Thanks so much for sharing!

[Sonshine]

Oh and by the way Heather - I'm a Michigander originally too. Born in Royal Oak, married and lived in Centerline for 8 years, then moved to Traverse City to be with my family for another 9 years before settling out here in metro Phoenix.

[Heather]

You were SO brave girl- to start out your very first page with something so complicated - this is great! :D:D I know what you mean about not starting with something simple - I definitely have a K I S S problem with everything in my life. But wasn't it so fun - there's something SO special about those first pages. But at least you didn't have friggin' tree sap and pop dots oozing out of your embellishments. Thanks so much for sharing!

LOL Yes, I never learn something and then start out simple. The first thing ever did when I learned how to knit was a sweater! :D

[Heather]

Oh and by the way Heather - I'm a Michigander originally too. Born in Royal Oak, married and lived in Centerline for 8 years, then moved to Traverse City to be with my family for another 9 years before settling out here in metro Phoenix.

I still live in the small town I was born and raised in. I love Michigan. And, I did visit Phoenix back in '06.:D I won a contest on a different message board and got to attend the Scrapbook Answers Girls Weekend. We got to stay at the Biltmore. That was soooo fun!

[Dee_Dee]

I've never even been to Michigan or Arizona, let alone lived there, but I can relate to being a beginning scrapper. Sonshine, your page has photography, journaling and embellishment. That shows a good understanding of what we're all doing in this hobby. You told the story and that's the whole point! It's early Easter morning here (Happy Easter, btw) and I don't want to wake everyone up with a loud scanner, so I'll forebare to post my first page, at least now, but it certainly didn't have all the elements of a successful page. I went out and bought everything I thought I would need because it was so much fun to do. It's more fun now than ever, but I sure did think WRONG when it came to having all my equipment!

[kasiahbug]

I found my first scrapbook I did--- please forgive the crooked lines. It's funny, when I did this I thought it was great. Now as I look at it, I wonder what was going through my head- especially about the one with the flower in the middle. Jeeze, I have come a long way.

All I had was some handmade paper, glue (but then a friend gave me some tape), some red 8X11 paper, one thing of wedding stickers and the decorative stickers. Now my room is full to the brim with things. I can't imagine what I would do without my tools I have now. :D

[kasiahbug]

Here are more

[kasiahbug]

And the last pages--- sorry for so many, they are all different and ummm let's just say 'creative" LOL

[fabyon]

What do you mean by kits don't count ? My first scrapbook page I used Bo Bunny papers with two pictures of nieces. I promised I would add some journaling but never got round it.

I was quite pleased with my first attempt as I use a scalloped ruler to do the edging and those rub-ons were quite easy to use. I showed the page to my nieces and they were completely non-plussed ! :):rolleyes: You know they are at that age. LOL

[DaDoodleDiva]

Oh, I just love your page and story. I think you did a fantastic job on your first page! Thanks for sharing.

To tell you the truth I don't even know where my first scrapbook page ever went. I started scrapbooking when I was a kid (ummm many, many moons ago) and I have no idea where my scrapbook got off too. I suspect it was one of those things my mother threw out. I had one of those acidic scrapbooks w/the construction type paper for inserts.. Yeh, I am telling my age here..;) Anyway, when I started scrapbooking later in life (after kids) I made my first album for my son. Of course, I went back later and ripped all the pages and pics out of it because I just didn't like the "style" of it. You have to remember when I made it to begin with I was told I needed to cut my pics with those decorative scissors that I now seldom use. Boy, did I have some cut up pics...I plan to re-scrap the entire album and salvage the pics that I almost destroyed...it is still lying in pieces in my scrap room..

[craftynana]

Trish - your first page is probably beautiful - but that's not the point. I think each one of us remembers clearly the fun we all had in creating our very first pages. The pride you felt and the sense of accomplishment that "yeah - I can DO this". And it's just to bring those fond memories out. New artists a lot of times feel intimidated to show their hard work on message boards like this, and I've seen from experience how showing them your humble beginnings gives them hope and encouragement, that they have NOTHING to be embarrassed by. It's kind of a 'baring your soul' kind of thing. When I taught painting and had a new batch of students CONVINCED they could never paint like that, I bring out my very first project. The smiles would come out, and they were less intimidated, more relaxed that they were doing just fine. Besides - it's not about the artwork - it's about the JOY you experienced in it's creation. It's a way of expressing yourself. I don't know - maybe this wasn't such a good idea afterall. :(

I know you are right so I will try and find my page, I think it is in my keepsake box in the loft - OH will have to go up and dig it out for me LOL. Trish :)

[Sonshine]

Hi Fabyon - your page is really wonderful - and I probably should have made myself clearer - what I meant by "page kits" is the kind of stuff I make up and sell on my websites - pages that are designed by a knowledgeable and experienced scrapbooker, cut out and sometimes even put together to the point where all you have to do is add photos. Something that requires no creative input by you at all. That's what I mean by kits. :D

You guys have FANTASTIC first pages!!! Wow - there are REALLY super creative people on this board!

And Angela - wow - you did some really complicated maneuvers in your very first album - that's precious. And so dramatic.

Yep - don't know what I'd do with all my tools either. But it DOES go to prove though what we can accomplish with very little.

I LOVE reading the stories, everyone. These are great!!!:p

[lillian]

This page was done when I first started to scrapbook ... I made two family recipe photo albums for my daughter and daughter-in-law as christmas gifts. I swore I wasn't going to be lulled into the scrapbooking "craze", but that was five years ago and here I still am (grin).

[Sonshine]

THIS IS ADORABLE!!! I SO want to do a recipe album. The idea has been nagging at me for over a year now to scrap a little receipe book. You did such a super job on this - absolutely love the old TV photo - - ha ha - I remember those!! I think that's responsible for me laying on the floor all the time to watch TV ;D Yep - when I was teaching painting, I was asked by the scrapbook teacher there if I would paint on a canvas scrapbook album for her. I agreed, knowing full well I was NOT going to get taken in by this new "craze" too. ha ha ha - like you said...5 years later, I'm still resisting. ;D
Thanks for sharing!

[Cheryl]

Boy, I can relate to the "never start simple" thing. The first scrapbooking I did was an album for my parents 50th wedding anniversary. It had over 100 pages in it! You would think such a difficult task would have discouraged me, but instead, I really got hooked! Here's my first page. (Please excuse the wash-out from the flash! I know how to take pictures better now too! :D)

[Sonshine]

Very, very nice page. Wow - you WERE brave - your very first album being for someone else. It's a good thing I didn't have that much courage - I'd be really embarrassed now had I made my first for someone else. Great job!!

[Heather]

Wow! Those pages are great! Lillian, I love the tv dinner on your page. Cheryl, that is very impressive, 100 pages in your first album!

[mommyoftwogirlz]

Those who have posted their pages are so brave. For me, I started over 10 years ago and there were no embellishments and only decorative scissors and textured paper. I will get my camera out and post one soon. I look back at them now and want to change them but then I think...no. It's my progression of creativity.

[Sonshine]

Those who have posted their pages are so brave. For me, I started over 10 years ago and there were no embellishments and only decorative scissors and textured paper. I will get my camera out and post one soon. I look back at them now and want to change them but then I think...no. It's my progression of creativity.

I haven't been scrapping that long, maybe 4 years - it could be 6 years the way time is fying by - But I know exactly what you mean. I help out with a local dog rescue, and a woman had donated BAGS AND BAGS of old scrapbook magazines. Some of them have never even been opened. I know there's probably a market for them somewhere - but I'm too stingy to let go of them without looking at all of them first :o But I know what you mean about lack of embellies back then. Scrapbooking has changed drastically in a relatively short time span. I can't believe all the time that went into those pages back then. Titles were done by hand (no one thought to use a computer???), paper piecing was really big (making a comeback though now), and in a way, people had to really dig deep into their creativity to make do with what they had. Very interesting.

Anyway - don't be shy - get that camera out and start shooting. And NO - DO NOT change your pages. Think of it - that's real scrapbooking history you've got there. I think all of us are tempted to go back and re-do, but I keep thinking of the great fun I had (ignorance is bliss they say) while making it, so I wouldn't change it for the world. Well - unless it suddenly develops bugs or something from all the plant material I put in it :D

[curriekidsmom]

I totally agree. I started scrapping right after my oldest daughter was born & she's now 11. Time certainly flies!! While looking at some of those early pages, I noticed that on many of them, I just used pics, paper, adhesive, & scissors. I'm not sure I would have ever started if there had been as many choices than as there is now. I think I would have been overwhelmed. I agree, we should post some of those early lo's -- not my first though. I was a disaster, but I was hooked anyway. I'll post some of mine as soon as I figure out how to get my pics off our camera. That's on my to-do list for the weekend along with finishing the 8 or 9 pages that are partially done and spread out all over my dining room table.

Happy scrapping.

[fabyon]

I totally agree. I started scrapping right after my oldest daughter was born & she's now 11. Time certainly flies!! While looking at some of those early pages, I noticed that on many of them, I just used pics, paper, adhesive, & scissors. I'm not sure I would have ever started if there had been as many choices than as there is now. I think I would have been overwhelmed. I agree, we should post some of those early lo's -- not my first though. I was a disaster, but I was hooked anyway. I'll post some of mine as soon as I figure out how to get my pics off our camera. That's on my to-do list for the weekend along with finishing the 8 or 9 pages that are partially done and spread out all over my dining room table.

Happy scrapping.

I think it's normal to start simple and if you hear Cathy Zielske plea on her books it's all about the pictures and your journaling. We shouldn't get obsessed (by that I don't mean you are curriekidsmom) about too many embellishments. I find that for scrapbooking less is definitely more and I'm still at loss at times when I want to put on the LO just that little extra ! LOL

Good rule of thumb is 'if people ask about your embellishments and they're not crafters ....you've made a mistake !' on the other hand 'if people just want to know more about the picture and the story behind it' then BINGO ! :)

[cardz for u]

That's right Fab. Less is more!

[cantstopstampin]

My goodness - your pages are fabulous peeps ! Well done to you all. I started out making cards ! - I am STILL not very good at making cards and I cringe now to think of the cards I sent out in the beginning . However after making about 50 cards I suddenly thought - what am I going to do with all these cards (made them in about 3 weeks !!) - so I threw away a lot of the very rubbishy ones and kept the others which have been sent out over the last 2 years that I have been paper crafting.....................I saw an 'every which way book' online 18 months ago and decided to have a go - this started me on 'scrapbooking' - I will DIG out my 'every which way' book see if I can photograph it and post it for you to see - that was my very first ever attempt at mini albums/books - I'm now ADDICTED to mini albums/books - I have tonnes of them.

I do love scrapbooking, but my real love is mini albums etc.

[cantstopstampin]

very basic stuff - but started me on the scrapping road -

[cantstopstampin]

and the rest

[Sonshine]

These are great! You did a wonderful job. Like you - I have a love affair with small books. Whenever we do something special, it's not uncommon for my daughther and I to take two or 300 photos. I usually will do a double layout for inclusion of the event in a 12x12 album, but the real fun comes in making a mini book all about that event. YOur albums are very precious. Our future heirs will actually know something about their ancestors, and that's very important. Great job! Thanks for sharing those.

[cantstopstampin]

Just starting yet another mini book - entitled 'You, You, You, You, You' - all pics of DD (again). I wonder what my kids will do with all these mini books when I've gone? Hope they don't just throw em away!

[Sonshine]

They will CHERISH THEM! :)

[Heather]

Oh what a fabulous book! Thanks for sharing with us!