To celebrate the impending National Scrapbook Day, I wanted to share my very first layout. If you’ve ever taken a class with me, it’s highly likely this page has been trotted out as I am wont to do with it. I mean, I’ve got a scan in a folder and it’s pretty much always ready to go. So why not?
Where do I begin?
The year was 2001 and after seeing how people were using their computers to create journaling at Two Peas in a Bucket, I thought: Hey, I can do that, too!
My photos were taken with that Kodak Color-Processed black and white film (anyone? remember that?), and I had them printed at my local Walmart, because Walmart used the Fuji Crystal Archive photo paper (anyone? remember that?).
Notice how I used the patterned paper? In a strip. Down the side.
Notice the creative matting of photos. In deep bluish-purple?
I printed my journaling onto white copy paper using my laser printer. I didn’t realize that laser ink would rub right off of cardstock. Learned that one that hard way weeks later.
But this was the one that got me in the door.
I tried a whole heck of a lot of other styles after this and then just ended up coming back to where I started: simple pages with words and photos.
Do you remember your first page? If so, by all means, share the story.
Please consider joining me on National Scrapbook Day at Big Picture Classes for our free, day-long online event. Click here to register.
I’ll also have some free printables available to celebrate! Newsletter subscribers will get them a few days before NSD. To sign up for my newsletter, click here.
Johanna says
Here, here! I remember Fuji Chrystal paper! As for my first page – uh … it’s one of the two I have 🙂 A photo layered template with polaroids making up a heart (awwww …) and a white one, with no photos, only stamped words.
cathy says
Nice!
Karina K says
Love seeing your first layout and the story behind it!
I have always kept albums since I was young but I guess I didn’t think of it as scrap booking to my senior year when I made my first “scrapbook album” for my senior year of high school and I have been addicted ever since. Wow it’s crazy to think that was 15 years ago!
Za says
Oh, yes, remember the first things I scrapped and it was a mini album for my mum’s birthday, and not long after a page that I thought to be really clever. And I’d say now, a few years later, that they were ugly (I’ve a right to judge my own work, don’t I). Maybe I could pick the same pictures and try and create a newer, less ugly version of the things. But no! I’d rather go for something new…
{vicki} says
My first page was at a Creative Memories party.
It was of my son with all his grandparents. He is the reason I started scrapbooking in the first place.
Christine says
First was at a Creative Memories party in 1997. That was my gateway drug. The page can be summed up as photos cut into weird shapes and sticker vomit. It’s part of a first year book I made for my mom about my son. I still love it. It’s like my kindergarten art work. I can still see myself in it but have chipped away the crap to find a truer self.
Barb in AK says
First layout: completed on July 4, 1997. It was going to be my son’s senior year and I decided I would present a scrapbook to him of his life up through his senior year. So as a committed chronological scrapper, the first layout was, naturally, a photo and embellishments of Dear Son, Day One 🙂
Ten months and FOUR albums later, the gift was completed. But instead of presenting him with it [them], I offered to let him look at what he would one day inherit. What’s that quote? Oh yeh… “Pried from my cold, dead hands.” 😉
Barb in AK says
Cathy, I just wanted to let you know I’m on the newsletter mailing list. Thanks so much for the freebies!!
See you on Saturday at Big Picture! Looking forward to NSBD 🙂
Helen H. says
Ahhh, the first page. Sometime in 2005 celebrating my first wedding anniversary.
The use of vellum for journaling and photos along with a few keepsakes made it a page worth remembering. . .after that I was hooked!
It’s this blog that keep me going though. . .thanks Cathy!
Louise says
Sticker sneeze! My first page comprised Basic Grey (still love their paper), Bazzill cardstock, a gazillion stickers, and photos of the cat 5 hurricane that had ripped apart my home. It was a story I wanted to tell (and have since re-told, sans stickers.) But from that first evening class – sometime in the summer of 2005 – I was hooked.
Jana says
Hi Barb in AK – it’s me, Jerrene` from dMarie 🙂 (Jana Rene`…) So many good memories from those early scrapping days chatting at dMarie 🙂 ha. Hope all is well with you and yours!
Sorry Cathy for hijacking your post – I’ve started scrapping again this past week after taking almost 10 years off. My first page was also at a Creative Memories party – I’d been looking for a way to put my photos in pages that weren’t those magnetic photo albums!! Happy almost SB day!
Barb in AK says
Hey Jerrene! You gotta come back to Dmarie and catch us all up! There are some of us that still hang out there 😉
dawn says
Hi Cathy, I can’t believe this is your page. Your style has changed and I am kinda glad, love love your style and it fits what I like most too!
I was dragged to a CM party and from the first sight of the corner rounder they gave me was HOOKED!! My first page was from that night and it was my oldest daughter’s sweet 16 birthday photos, lots of matting on mine too and stickers everywhere. I bought the little mini Disney album kit they had and when that was done dove right into baby albums for all the kids then into family and fast forward to now, only Project Life makes me happy.
I’m not sure what I will be doing tomorrow for NSD, might try to scrap just for the sake of doing it. My PL is all caught up, thought about taking it all out and starting fresh tomorrow, lol.
Can’t wait to see what you make! Thanks for the fun freebies!
Jenny B. says
Inspired by you, Cathy, I posted my first scrapbook page. It was neither digital, nor hybrid. It was not Creative Memories. It was Magic Marker. 🙂 Here’s a link: http://familybees.blogspot.com/2014/05/1990-was-so-rad.html
cathy says
Gateway drug. LOL.
cathy says
Ha! Love seeing people “meet up” here!
cathy says
Okay, that takes the cake! Love!
cathy says
You know, i did go to a CM party too, a few years before I started scrapbooking. Not sure why it didn’t click. I think i was feeling too broke from quitting my job after Cole was born and thought, “Um yeah, I can afford to add this!” LOL!