WOW! This was a never ending box of goodies! Michael sent the following in his box:..ahem... a 7 piece vanilla home fragrance set "sniffing" an adorable red rooster windchime (getting ready to hang that bugger up) eco friendly shopping bag (I've been meaning to get one of these) fragrant flower garden seed mix..it has 11 different flowers and covers 100 ft..(I know just where this will go!) scatter and grow wildflower garden seeds (this will go great right over there "pointing") silver metal flower planter (good for herbs) flowered plant pot PINK: garden shears, claw, hand shovel, kneeler, hose sprayer and flower pot (now I can feel girly even when I'm filthy!) pretty smelling hand lotion "paint your own knome"..this is the cutest thing and I've never seen one before! little knome with shovel (he'll go in my fairy garden) magnatic weekly wipe off garden calendar (this is going to be really handy) my garden journel (this will make it easier to keep track of what I'm doing) small metal watering pitcher (good for those hard to reach places) sun stake with matching metal fencing ( I have the perfect place for it) plant markers (do we ever have enough of these???) flexible garden ties (I can use these for the tomatoes) magnetic refrig list (I'm always writing on these!) well, Michael, I think you outdid yourself! I'm extremely happy with my box....and now it's your turn..."rubbing hands together"...

Oh my goodness! First of all let me explain that this hobby is ADDICTIVE!!!!! Second let me say that it's TONS OF FUN! I would suggest going to some classes if they are available in your area first, but if not go easy on the supplies at first as it will not take long before you have a house full! I would suggest getitng several photos together with a common them, ie Birthday, Boating, Vacation, etc. with at least 3 good photos per theme, then buy the stickers and paper for just those photos at first to see if indeed you like doing this. You will need at least the following supplies: Acid free paper, glue, scissors, one multi shaped template for cutting photos mats, and stickers to match the theme of the photos you are going to be doing first. You can buy single sheets of paper at Micheal's, and at most scrapbook stores. DO NOT LIMIT YOURSELF TO ONE COMPANY! There are a few suppliers who will try and tell you that their product is SAFER, BETTER ,etc, this is just not true, acid free is acid free, PERIOD! So don't get trapped into the more expensive products, this craft is expensive enough already. You will need page protectors for the size of paper you buy, which is either the larger 12 x 12 or the smaller 8.5 x 11. Either is fine it is just a personal preference which you do. Make sure you get a GOOD idea book and READ it BEFORE you cut your first photo, make sure you have double prints or at least the negatives of photos you start out with because you will get better at this craft over time and you don't want to start with Grandmas pictures! Check out many links on how to's BEFORE you start, and feel free to ask any question here you need to. Love and good luck Penny Here is a link that might be useful: scraplink

How about using the resealable polypropylene bags? Or FoodSaver? Just a thought here if you want to seal them from dirt, etc. Here is a link that might be useful: Bags Unlimited

Creating Keepsakes magazine has helped me a lot. They have a lot of layouts and there are a lot of concepts you can adapt to many applications. Gracefulbee.com also has a ton of great ideas. I spent a whole lot of time there before I started my first album and got to the point where I said to myself, "Stop gathering all these ideas and tips- you have too much to choose from as it is! Quit it and get to the actual scrapbooking!" :) I also spent a lot of time- several days, actually- on message boards like this one gathering ideas and info. Don't be afraid to directly email posters and ask for further details and clarification on a specific post, either. We all love to share. If we didn't, we wouldn't have posted in the first place! Besides, we've all been newbies at some point and got help from others and we'd all like to return the favor. Good luck and happy scrappin'! -Sarah Here is a link that might be useful: Graceful Bee