How to Use Your Handwriting on Scrapbooking Pages
The digital age has even affected the scrapbooking hobby. Digital scrapbooking software lets us make entire page layouts on our computers. Traditional scrapbookers who may like the more tactile materials on their pages still like the neatness of computer fonts for their journaling.
Your handwriting may not be as neat as a printed journaling block from a computer. Yet, your families will find it so much more meaningful and personal than anything typed.
Why do we hesitate to use our own handwriting in our albums? There are a few reasons. The most common one is concern that our handwriting is too messy or won’t be able to be read by others. We should all try to get beyond this and realize how important it is to our family to preserve something as unique as our handwriting. Think about those handwritten letters and recipes from a grandparent and how important they are to you now.
Are you worried that you will make a permanent mistake with your journaling? Handwriting errors aren’t difficult to correct. Try using a paper journaling block first. You can use a second one if you mess up the first. If you’ve already attached it to the page, just glue another one over it. Use other page elements to cover your errors. Stickers are a simple way to cover a handwriting mistake.
Handwriting success depends on using the right pen. You should first consider the type of paper you are using. Choose a pen designed to write on that type of surface. Some pens will run or smear on certain types of scrapbooking paper. Width is also important. Using a wide tip pen on a small square of paper is not going to be successful.
Always practice your journaling before you glue it to your page. Write a draft on a piece of scrap paper. Slowly, read it aloud. This helps you spot errors in your grammar and spelling. If you have someone available, ask them to proofread it for you. Always remember to test the pen on the paper as well. Practicing on a draft first also lets you see if you have enough room available for all of your journaling.
Many of us need a straight edge to handwrite or we tend to write on a slant. Pre-lined journaling blocks are a useful tool for those you often write uphill. You can make these using a pen and ruler or you can use a lined-journaling stamp made for this purpose. Your local scrapbooking store will also have pre-lined journaling blocks usually with decorative accents. Patterned paper can work as a guide for your handwriting. Try writing along the lines in striped paper. Print along the outside of a frame. You even can write along the edges of scrapbooking borders.
There are few things as personal as our handwriting. Handwriting is unique. Like our signature, it is a statement of who we are. When you use your handwriting on your page layouts it adds character to your scrapbooks. It will tell your family and anyone who looks at your albums about your mood and your personality. Your family is sure to treasure your scrapbooks even more. Let your handwriting add depth and emotion to your pages, not a computer font.
Christine Perry is an avid scrapbooker and has more than 10 years of scrapbooking experience. Her favorite scrapbooking subjects are her reluctant teenagers. She invites you to her website, http://www.intoscrapbooking.com for more scrapbooking tips and information on Mother’s Day cards for scrapbooking.
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