Scrapbooking Lingo, Terms and Definitions - You’ve heard all the terms, now what do they actually mean?

© Unique Scrapbooking 2008

When I first started Scrapbooking, I remember hearing and reading so many strange terms/definitions and lingo that I was left wondering what I had gotten myself into!

What did all of these words mean? Acid-Free? Lignin Free? What are Embellishments and what do I do with them? It was all very overwhelming… all I wanted to do was ‘Scrapbook’, but it seemed that there were too many things I needed to find out about before I could start. Thankfully I quickly realised that it wasn’t as bad as I thought, and it didn’t take long before I was talking like a pro, and terms such as ‘Punches’ didn’t make me think of juice!

I hope that by compiling this list of common Scrapbooking terms and Lingo, that you too can gain a better understanding of Scrapbooking basics.

I couldn’t possibly list every term, but hopefully, this quick run-down will have you talking like a pro in no time while gaining a little knowledge!

Happy Scrapping!

 

ABC Album: A themed Album that generally follows the Alphabet in sequence eg: the first page would be the letter A - Angel. The second page the letter B - Baby.

ABC albums can be on any subject theme - your imagination is the only limit!

Acid: A cheeky little compound that loves to destroy your Scrapbooking Layouts and should be avoided at all costs for the longevity of your layouts, cards and treasured keepsakes!

Unfortunately, Acid is commonly used in the manufacture of paper to break down woody fibers etc. due to this, photographs, papers, cardstock etc. will eventually disintegrate. In order to provide the best possible protection for your layouts, it is vital that you only use Acid-Free products – that is having a pH of 7 or above.

Acid-Free: The term Acid-Free relates to any product that does not contain acid – acid-free products are the only products you should be using. A product that is acid-free has a pH of 7+, and has had an Alkaline substance added to the manufacturing process, rather than an acidic substance. Using acid-free products will assist in ensuring the longevity of your layouts.

Acid Migration: Acid Migration is the process of acid migrating/transferring to an acid-free product/substance that it comes in contact with. When creating your layouts, you need to be mindful to not mingle acid and acid-free products together – if you were to add a newspaper clipping/ticket stub/fabric swatch to your layout that is not acid-free, you whole layout will in effect become acidic.

If you wish to add a product to your layout that does contain acid, there are a few things you can do to stop acid-migration:

-         If adding a newspaper clipping/magazine article etc. either scan the clipping, then print onto acid free paper, or photocopy onto acid free paper

-         Place the item in an acid-free plastic sleeve/protector before adding to your layout

-         Treat the item with an ‘Archival Mist’.

Adhesive: Any substance used to adhere items/products together. Generally such things as glue pens, tape, glue dots, foam mounts etc. are used to attach photos, papers, ribbons and assorted embellishments.

Archival/Archival Quality: Archival refers to any product/Substance that has been treated in such a way to deem it as chemically stable, durable and permanent and as such is ‘safe’ to be used for archival purposes. Currently there is no set standard for how long something ‘Archival Quality’ will actually last, so please do be cautious and remember that your main focus should be on Acid-Free and Lignin Free products.

Archival Mist: Archival Mist is a substance used to prevent paper from becoming brittle and yellowing whilst neutralising acids found in paper.

BOM: Book Of Me – Have you ever noticed how we will readily Scrap our family and friends but always seem to forget about ourselves? Dedicate some time to creating something dedicated only to you (how selfish!)… who knows, maybe one day your children will want to know all about you!

Brads: Brads are a basic item that I simply love to use! Brads are available in a huge range of colours, sizes and shapes. Brads can be used for threading, borders, attaching, framing, or for decorative purposes.

Brads are extremely easy to use: pierce a hole in your cardstock/paper, and insert your desired brad. Once you have inserted your brad, flip over your card/paper and flatten the 'prongs' on the back of your brad to secure.

Buffer/Buffered Paper: A buffer is an alkaline product (generally calcium carbonate) that has been added to paper to make it acid-free. Buffered Paper is paper that has been treated with an alkaline product (generally calcium carbonate) to neutralize any acids within paper products, to assist in longevity. 

Cardstock: The term Cardstock refers to a heavy-weight paper, generally used as a cover/base for albums/layouts etc., to matt photos, make die-cuts, cards – an essential part of your stash!

Colourfast: A dye/pigment that will maintain its colour when exposed to heat, light etc.  

Crop: Generally a fantastically fun and educational meeting of fellow Scrapbookers to create, share ideas, tips, techniques etc. and scrap all night long, while also fitting in a healthy amount of general chit-chat. Be prepared to make a few friends, partake in games/competitions etc. and have a heap of fun!

If you would like to join/attend a ‘Crop’ a good place to start asking, is at your local Scrapbooking store, your favourite forum, or you could always start your own!

Cropping: Cropping is cutting/trimming your photos/accents as a way of enhancing your photographs and mementos. You can do this by cutting off irrelevant sections of a photograph, cutting to a desired size or shape, or to accentuate an aspect of a photograph.

Die-Cut: A letter/shape/pattern that is cut into cardstock/paper with the aid of a die-cut pattern and machine. There is an enormous array of die-cuts available to suit every occasion.

Embellishments: An embellishment is anything you use to ‘decorate’ your layouts. Embellishments cover a vast range of products, anything from brads, eyelets, charms, buckles, ribbons, flowers, blossoms, chipboard, tags, buttons, stickers etc. the list is endless!

Embellishments are great for adding colour, dimension, texture, to define ‘spaces’ and generally to add some spunk to your layouts.

Ephemera: Ephemera generally refers to any printed matter that is intended to be used for a specific purpose/timeframe, and then discarded. Some such items are: menus, brochures, bus tickets, movie stubs, calenders, stamps, postcards, tickets, newspapers, bookmarks etc. Ephemera items are often collected and used on scrapbooking layouts and cards etc. Ephemera items are especially popular when creating time specific layouts.

Eyelets: Eyelets are small embellishments generally made of metal. Eyelets are available in assorted colours, sizes and shapes. Use them on your layouts to secure items, thread ribbons, fibers and wire, to frame photos and mementos, as borders, or simply for decoration. Eyelets generally will need to be set with an eyelet setter, although there are some available that can be set with a pen such as Quicklets and Easy Eyelets.

Hand Tinting: Applying colour to photographs with the aid of dyes/inks etc. Photographs used are generally black and white. Hand Tinting on black & White/Sepia photos is especially useful when wanting to create a focus point on your photograph.  

Journaling: Photographs are fantastic – but they can leave a lot untold. Combining Journaling with your photos will truly help you ‘relive’ the moment you captured your photo.

There are no rules when it comes to journaling – you can be as descriptive o as simple as you like. There are however four main things you should try to include: Who, What, Where and When.

Lignin: Lignin is a natural substance found in trees/plants. Lignin provides trees with their strength and rigidity whilst also binding fibers together.

Products that contain a large amount of Lignin will over time turn yellow/brown, a perfect example of this is a Newspaper. It is for this reason that you should use products that are Lignin-free (less than 1%).

Mat/Matting: To ‘mat’ a photograph, you place your onto a larger, and at times decorative (either has a border or is patterned) piece of cardstock, which is than placed on your layout. Matting Photographs is an easy, fool-proof way to add colour and dimension to your layouts. Don’t forget to experiment – you are not restricted to only using one piece of card to mat your photo – try using layered mats! Matting a photo, is also known as adding a border.

Mijemoo: Mid-gee-moo is an Australian company that produces highly versatile templates made from clear acetate. These templates/guides can be used continuosly and make placement of brads, eyelets and stitching a breeze!

Mijemoo Guides are available is assorted designs for Brads, Eyelets and Stitching.

Neutral: Any item that has a rating of 7 on the pH scale.

Page/Sheet Protectors: A plastic sheet (normally made of polypropylene) that is used to store your layouts in. Page protectors are available as either top or side loading and come in an array of sizes.

When you are purchasing your page/sheet protectors, look for those marked as photo-safe and/or archival quality.

Paper Fasteners: Please see 'Brads'.

Red Eye: Red Eye is the annoying pink/red circles found on photographs around the eyes of animals and people when taking photographs with a flash. Red Eye can be removed easily in most Photo/Graphic editing programs, as well as with Red Eye removal Pens.

Scraplifting: It has happened to all of us at some point, the dreaded 'creativity block'. Often in such a case, you will go looking for Inspiration; flick through a magazine, look online, seek out sketches etc. become inspired and create either the same or similiar layout - this is called 'Scraplifting'.

Scraplifting is generally viewed as a positive thing to do in the Scrapbooking community. Designers are often flattered/honored to know that you have enjoyed their layout enough to re-create it, whether it be by simply recycling a title, colour scheme etc. or by completely re-creating the layout and just adding your own photo. Quite often we will Scraplift without realising we have!

Although Scraplifting is looked positively on, there are a few basic courtesies you should observe:

-         If you are using your layout for personal use, feel free to replicate the layout to any degree you desire

-         If submitting your layout to an online gallery/group, give the original artist credit for their design

-         Don't submit a 'lifted' layout to a magazine, publication, or similiar for any form of compensation. Do not claim the layout to be an original, do not claim it as your own. 

Vellum: Originally, Vellum/Parchment was made from Calf, Goat and Sheep skin that was cleaned, de-haired and then stretched… luckily it is no longer made this way!

Vellum is nowadays made from treated wood pulp and/or cotton fiber. Vellum is lovely to work with – it is available is both a lightweight 60gsm up to heavy text weight at 110gsm. Vellum is semi-translucent, with a low gloss finish and is often used for invitations etc. Vellum is available in a huge array of colours and patterns.