Hello! My name is Megan Hoeppner. I’ve been an avid crafter since I was old enough to hold a crayon. I love the creative process, the feeling of completing a project, and the opportunities I have to share my work with others. But there’s one thing about crafting that’s a bit more… habitual?
The product. I can’t get enough. I crush hard on crafting supplies, especially those used for one of my favorite crafts, scrapbooking. And while you probably know about paper and pinking shears, you may not know how much more there is to use and love in your memory-keeping.
So here are nine scrapbooking supplies I couldn’t live without:
9. Mini Albums: Make it mini with a small photo book. This bitty books allow you to create a start-to-finish story, whether you’re documenting a holiday or event, or you simply want to capture the day-to-day in bite-sized way. I adore the new 4”x4” Instagram Albums Made Easy by We R Memory Keepers, which are designed in a square format. They best part is, they also offer designer inserts that fit the pages of the albums, making it quick and easy to enhance your Insta-stories IRL (in real life).
8. Wood Veneer: Wood ya believe it? Veneer is here in a BIG way! These thin, die-cut pieces of wood are great for crafting. They look great on scrapbook pages, album covers, cards, and more—adding just a dash of texture to projects. Aren’t these sweets from Allison Kreft for Webster’s Pages the cutest?!
7. Rhonna Designs App: Photographers have fallen in love with this smart-phone app. It’s a way to quickly add designer touches to any image you have in your phone, which is perfect for memory keeping. Note captions, add titles, or simply adorn with decorative doodles. No matter how you use it, this app makes photo-documenting more fun!
6. Really Nice Pens: A key component to scrapbooking is journaling—i.e. writing out the story you want documented. And it’s far easier to tell your story with a proper writing tool. Awesome pens that write well are the best! Plus, they’re also great for doodling and other scrappy techniques. Currently, I’m hooked on the Zentangle pens by Sakura of America. Their fine points make achieving pretty pen work a piece of cake.
5. Sequins: Scrapbookers have always had a love affair with toppings. From glitter and rhinestones to flocking and pearls, adding a dash of sugar to the top of projects is often just the finishing touch a project needs. And right now, that finisher is sequins. They’re available in a variety of beautiful colors, finishes and sizes, making it easier than ever to get your glam on. Some of my favs right now are by Hazel & Ruby. They even come in cute test tubes, making storage a snap!
4. Watercolor Paints: At the moment, I know many crafters are hooked on this calming art form. Whether you use watercolor paints, crayons or pencils, this creative exercise is both refreshing and fun—simply pull the color across the page using water and a brush, and see what results. Add watercolor to layouts or try your hand at a painter’s canvas. Either way, I highly recommend you dip a brush in this technique pool soon!
3. Washi Tape: Can’t get enough of the stuff. This decorative tape is SO easy to use. It’s sticky enough that it stays put on projects but not so sticky that you can’t reposition it as needed without tearing your paper. It’s available more patterns, colors and sizes than one person can count. And it works in so many ways, from borders on scrapbook pages to a quick makeover for a light-switch plate. I’m telling you, this is a must have, no matter your crafting endeavors.
2. Your Camera Phone: That thing you have in your pocket? It’s so key for scrapbooking.
Thanks to these handy devices, documenting the everyday is easier than ever. Why? Because most of us always have a camera on the ready. The influence the camera phone has had on scrapbooking and will continue to have is remarkable and exciting!
1. Instagram: If smart phones are the peanut butter, this would be the jelly. Instagram is one giant photo book, where we can share our own photos while also being inspired by the images of others.
What does this have to do with scrapbooking? Well, the reality is, this IS scrapbooking. It’s capturing our lives and documenting them. In this case, that documentation takes place on your phone. Join me later this month in App to Archive to see how to transcribe that e-memory keeping into amazing projects.
And, if your craft budget leaves you a bit of extra to spend, there’s one covet-worthy device that’s worth adding to your Amazon Wish List:
The Instax Share Printer by FujiFilm: I’ve been stalking this product for years, waiting for it to hit the US market. And guess what?! The day finally arrived this May. This brand new (to the states) printer offers the instant-print feel of a the Fuji Instax Mini camera, which develops film directly from the camera (similar to a Polaroid), while also giving you the control of digital photography. You see, you can print your photos directly from your phone to Instax film, ensuring the image is the way you want it and giving you the oh-so-cute photo finish. L-O-V-E!
BONUS: You can’t have this printer without also including the ADORABLE crocheted printer cozy by Happie Scrappie. Inspired by the Instagram logo, she hand makes these cute pouches to order. She offers the colors shown here, or you can request a custom color combo. Seriously. THE cutest! Want to win one? Check out my Instagram account (user name: Megan Hoeppner) for more information. I’ve paired up with Happie Scrappie to kick off CreativeLive in style. Hooray!
I hope this list of goodies has you inspired and excited to create! They certainly have that effect on me. Thanks for taking a look. I’d love to know what your must-haves are when it comes to crafting. Please feel free to share here. And I hope you’ll join me in From App to Archive: Social Media Scrapbooking, where we’ll put all of these goodies to use in fresh and fun ways.
Cheers!
