History
With the advent of affordable paper, precursors to modern scrapbooks became available to a wider array of people. Beginning in the 15th century, commonplace books, popular in England, emerged as a way to compile information that included recipes, quotes, letters, poems and more. Each commonplace book was unique to its creator's particular interests. Friendship albums became popular in the 16th century. These albums were used much like modern day yearbooks, where friends or patrons would enter their names, titles and short texts or illustrations at the request of the album's owner. These albums were often created as souvenirs of European tours and would contain local memorabilia including coats of arms or works of art commissioned by local artisans.[1] Starting in 1570, it became fashionable to incorporate colored plates depicting popular scenes such as Venetian costumes or Carnival scenes. These provided affordable options as compared to original works and, as such, these plates were not sold to commemorate or document a specific event, but specifically as embellishments for albums.[1] In 1775, James Granger published a history of England with several blank pages at the end of the book. The pages were designed to allow the book's owner to personalize the book with his own memorabilia.[2] The practice of leaving pages to personalize at the end of books became known as grangerizing.[2] Additionally, friendship albums and school yearbooks afforded girls in the 18th and 19th centuries an outlet through which to share their literary skills, and allowed girls an opportunity to document their own personalized historical record[3] previously not readily available to them.
The advent of modern photography began with the first permanent photograph created by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826.[4] Photography became available to an ever-widening population with the invention of George Eastman's paper photographs in the late 1880s and the mass production of the Kodak Brownie, a camera designed to be simple (and inexpensive) enough for a child, in 1900.[5] This allowed the average person to begin to incorporate photographs into their scrapbooks.
Old scrapbooks tended to have photos mounted with photomounting corners and perhaps notations of who was in a photo or where and when it was taken. They often included bits of memorabilia like newspaper clippings, letters, etc.
Modern scrapbooking United States
Marielen Christensen of Spanish Fork, Utah is often credited with turning scrapbooking as what was once just the ages-old hobby into what is now the actual industry--meaning stores that officially sell and manufacturers of scrapbooking supplies, which didn't exist before. She began designing creative pages for her family's photo memories, inserting the completed pages into sheet protectors collected in 3-ring binders. By 1980, she had assembled over fifty volumes and was invited to display them at the World Conference on Records in Salt Lake City. Marielen and her husband AJ authored and published a how-to book, Keeping Memories Alive, and opened a scrapbook store in 1981 that remains open today.[6]
In addition to preserving memories, the hobby is popular for the strong social network that scrapbooking can provide.[7] Hobbyists, known as "scrappers" or "scrapbookers," get together and scrapbook at each other's homes, local scrapbook stores,[8] scrapbooking conventions, retreat centers, and even on cruises.[9] The attendees share tips and ideas as well as enjoying a social outlet.[7] The term "crop," a reference to cropping or trimming printed photographs, was coined to describe these events.[10]
The scrapbooking industry doubled in size between 2001 and 2004 to $2.5 billion[11] with over 1,600 companies creating scrapbooking products by 2003.[7] Creative Memories, a home-based retailer of scrapbooking supplies founded in 1987, saw $425 million in retail sales in 2004.[12] In 2007 a survey indicated that this hobby had surpassed golf in popularity in the U.S.: one in five households has someone playing golf; one in four has someone involved in scrapbooking.[13]
As scrapbooking grew, many small independent stores opened and large chains devoted an increasing amount of shelf space to scrapbooking supplies. Over time, many of the independent scrapbook stores went out of business, as owners were unable to maintain a financially viable business. During this time, a number of multi-level direct sales companies were formed. Several were closed due to mismanagement, while others weathered difficult times. Scrapbooking also gave rise to a new breed of business - the home-based retailer. While vendors had traditionally stayed away from the home-based market due to fraud, they began to warm to the idea of the non-traditional sales channels as a way to get their products in front of more consumers through home parties and workshops.
[edit] Scrapbooking media
[edit] Scrapbooking materials
The most important scrapbooking supply is the album itself, which can be permanently bound, or allow for insertion of pages. There are other formats, such as mini albums and accordion-style fold-out albums. Some of these are adhered to various containers, such as matchbooks, CD cases, or other small holders. When scrap artists started moving away from the "page" and onto alternative surfaces and objectives, they termed these creations "altered items". This movement circles back to the history of art from the 1960s when Louise Nevelson was doing "Assemblages" with found objects and recycled parts.
Modern scrapbooking is done largely on 12 inch (30 cm) square or letter-size (US Letter (8.5 by 11 inch) or A4 (210 by 297 mm)) pages. More recently, smaller albums have become popular. The most common new formats are 6, 7, or 8-inch (15, 17.5, or 20 cm) square. It is important to many scrappers to protect their pages with clear page protectors.
Basic materials include background papers (including printed and cardstock paper), photo corner mounts (or other means of mounting photos such as adhesive dots, photo mounting tape, or acid-free glue), scissors, a paper trimmer, art pens, archival pens for journaling, and mounting glues (like thermo-tac). More elaborate designs require more specialized tools such as die cut templates, rubber stamps, craft punches, stencils, inking tools, eyelet setters, heat embossing tools and personal die cut machines such as Cricut.
Various accessories, referred to as "embellishments", are used to decorate scrapbook pages. Embellishments include stickers, rub-ons, stamps, eyelets, brads, chipboard elements in various shapes, alphabet letters, lace, wire, fabric, beads, sequins, and ribbon. The use of die cut machines is also increasingly popular; in recent years a number of electronic die-cutting machines resembling a plotter with a drag knife have hit the market, enabling scrappers to use their computer to create die cuts out of any shape or font with the use of free or third party software.[14].
One of the key components of modern scrapbooking is the archival quality of the supplies. Designed to preserve photographs and journaling in their original state, materials encouraged by most serious scrapbookers are of a higher quality than those of many typical photo albums commercially available. Scrappers insist on acid-free, lignin-free papers, stamp ink, and embossing powder. They also use pigment-based inks, which are fade resistant, colorfast, and often waterproof. Many scrappers use buffered paper, which will protect photos from acid in memorabilia used in the scrapbook. Older "magnetic" albums are not acid-free and thus cause damage to the photos and memorabilia included in them. Gloves, too, are used to protect photos from the oil on hands.[15]
The designation of 'archival quality' of paper does not always mean acid-free. Additionally, if a paper is acid-free at the time of production it might not stay that way due to contamination with other elements on the page. Storage is critically important as pollutants and airborne chemicals can alter the acid/base balance of any paper left exposed. Temperature and humidity can also impact the archival quality of paper, and of embellishments. Another concern for scrap-bookers is adhesive migration. Double-sided tape, rubber cement and some material-specific adhesives migrate into the paper and can contaminate photos, newsprint and embellishments. Tape, double-sided or not, is not removable without damaging the item affixed with the tape. When some tape gets old, it cracks, browns and stains the underlying document. The best solutions for adhering items are synthetic, acrylic-based adhesive or wheat-starch or rice-starch paste, available at craft stores or bookbinding outlets.
An international standard, ISO 18902, provides specific guidelines on materials that are safe for scrapbooking through its requirements for albums, framing, and storage materials. ISO 18902 includes requirements for photo-safety and a specific pH range for acid-free materials. ISO 18902 prohibits the use of harmful materials, including Polyvinyl chloride(PVC) and Cellulose nitrate.
Digital scrapbooking
The advent of scanners, desktop publishing, page layout programs, and advanced printing options make it relatively easy to create professional-looking layouts in digital form. The internet allows scrapbookers to self-publish their work. Scrapbooks that exist completely in digital image form are referred to as "digital scrapbooks" or "computer scrapbooks."[16]
While some people prefer the physicality of the actual artifacts they paste onto the pages of books, the digital scrapbooking hobby has grown in popularity in recent years.[17] Some of the advantages include a greater diversity of materials, less environmental impact, cost savings, the ability to share finished pages more readily on the internet, and the use of image editing software to experiment with manipulating page elements in multiple ways without making permanent adjustments.[18] A traditional scrapbook layout may employ a background paper with a torn edge. While a physical page can only be torn once and never restored, a digital paper can be torn and untorn with ease, allowing the scrapbooker to try out different looks without wasting supplies. Some web-based digital scrapbooks include a variety of wallpapers and backgrounds to help the users create a rich visual experience. Each paper, photo, or embellishment exists on its own layer in your document, and you can reposition them at your discretion.[19]
Furthermore, digital scrapbooking is not limited to digital storage and display. Many digital scrappers print their finished layouts to be stored in scrapbook albums. Others have books professionally printed in hard bound books to be saved as keepsakes. Professional printing- and binding-services offer free software to create scrapbooks with professional layouts and individual layout capabilities. Because of the integrated design and order workflow, real hardcover bound books can be produced more cost effectively.
Early digital scrapbooks were created from digital photos uploaded to an external site. Over time, this moved to a model of downloading software onto your personal computer that will organize photos and help create the digital scrapbook on your machine. With the growth of Web 2.0 functionality, digital scrapbooking is going back online, to avoid the hassles of having to download and install PC software. The availability of cheap online storage (e.g., on Amazon's S3 service), and the desire to leverage pre-uploaded online albums (e.g., on Yahoo's Flickr) make it more convenient for users to directly compose their digital scrapbooks online. Print on demand fulfillment enables such digital scrapbooks to effectively supplant traditional scrapbooks.
Digital scrapbooking has advanced to the point where digital scrapbook layouts may be made entirely online using Web-based software. Users upload their photos, create a digital scrapbook layout using a Web page and digital scrapbook graphics. The layout can then be downloaded as a low-resolution JPEG file for sharing on the Web or as a high-resolution JPEG file for printing.
Scrapbooking industry statistics
Some people attribute the increased interest in scrapbooking to a renewed passion for genealogy, while others say that it is an outlet for those interested in photography and graphic design.
For evidence of the increased interest in scrapbooking, consider the following facts:[citation needed]
- Over 25 million people in the United States alone consider themselves to be scrapbookers.
- Almost 30% of all U.S. households have at least one family member who scrapbooks.
- Scrapbooking is the fastest growing sector of the craft and hobby industry and now considered to be the third most popular craft in the nation. From 2002 to 2004, sales of scrapbooking products increased by over 27% across the United States.
Common terms
- Scrapping and scrappin' ta sheet good are both terms used to refer to scrapbooking. DigiScrappin or digiscrap is a term used to refer to Digital Scrapbooking.
- Hybrid Scrapping refers to the combination of digital scrapbooking and paper scrapbooking. This technique allows for additional paper scrapbooking items to be added to a completed digiscrap page. This adds bulk and texture to a digiscrap page which cannot be achieved by graphics alone. Hybrid scrapping also refers to creating non-layout scrapped items (such as Candy Wrappers, Accordian Cards and other craft items) using a combination of digital and tangible materials.
- Faithbooking is the art of scrapbooking feelings, prayers, memories, and events related to one's faith.
- Cropping is gathering together to scrapbook at a home, scrapbook store, or convention. Such an event is called a crop. A person brings their own materials to create pages while socializing with other scrapbookers. An equivalent to a modern day "quilting bee".
- "Acid free materials have a pH balance of 7.0 or higher. Many papers are considered acid free immediately after manufacture, however, unless they have been buffered, i.e. treated with a neutralizing agent, chemical reactions with substances such as sizing or bleaching will cause the paper to become acidic over time. All plastic by its nature is acid free, but some plastic is unsafe for use in photo albums."
- Lignin free paper contains no lignin, a natural substance found in wood that slowly disintegrates into an acidic product. Thus, using lignin-containing paper is not advisable for scrapbooking.
- Buffered paper contains alkaline materials into the paper-making process, in order to offset or cancel out the effects of acids.
- Matting is putting a border around your pictures. Simply lay your photograph on a piece of cardstock and trim around the photo. The size of the trim can be any size. Matting is an easy and efficient way to frame a photo.
- Memorabilia refers to items that help recreate the memories. Examples might include programs, ticket stubs, postcards, invitations, awards, pamphlets, etc.
- Embellishments refer to items used to decorate the layout. Embellishments can include items such as stickers, artificial flowers, fibre, ribbon, eyelets, brads, charms, small metal frames, etc.
- Rub-ons are decorative accents that can be included on a scrapbook page. They are used in a similar way to stickers, but have the advantage of having a nearly transparent background, eliminating the typical sticker silhouette. Rub-ons are typically adhered using a Popsicle stick or bone folder. Vellum—a type of transparent paper that can be used to showcase pictures or particularly relevant quotations—is a type of paper commonly utilized in scrapbooks.
- Paper punches, available in a variety of shapes, are used for decorating and shaping paper. They can be used for things such as rounding corners, creating confetti, and can be small, significant additions to any scrapbook page.
- Self-mount album, is a widely used alternative name for scrapbook.
- "Design Teams" -- a quick look around the internet for scrapbooking sites, forums and on-line businesses will reveal a plethora of small design groups called design teams.
- "Scraplifting" -- this is a term that refers to stealing/borrowing (or taking direct inspiration from) the idea behind a layout or design and copying or modifying it for your own layout.
- Adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together.
Common scrapbooking idioms
Journaling
In addition to the collection of photographs, tickets, postcards, and other memorabilia, journaling is often a principle element in modern scrapbooks. Journaling is text that describes, explains, or accents the photographs on a scrapbook page. Contemporary journaling can take many forms. It can be reflective and story-like, take a reportive tone, or simply be a list of words. Journaling may also include song lyrics, quotes, and poems. The value of journaling lies in the fact that it provides an account of family histories that may otherwise not be preserved.
Many consider journaling one of the most important elements of any scrapbook.[20] Journaling is a personal choice and it can describe the event, the photographs, or relate feelings and emotions. Handwritten journaling is considered best by some scrapbookers who see handwriting as valuable for posterity, but many people journal on the computer and print it onto a variety of surfaces including vellum, tape, ribbon, and paper.
