Hi everyone
I started scrapbooking only a few years ago, so I'm relatively new to all this.
When I began puchasing all my scrapbook supplies I was told it was important to use ALL ACID FREE PRODUCTS as this would protect the life of your precious photos and albums. So that's the rule I apply to all my photo projects.
I have also been told that it's safe to use non-acid free items if they're not actually touching the photos, but even so, the non-acid free products will deteriorate through time.
YouTube and other web sites provide a vast source of information and tutorials from very helpful and some very artistic scrappers. This information is viewed by a very large number of people. The projects, hints and techniques are used by many. Quite a few are selling their scrapbook mini album kits. This is a valuable source to many scrappers who are not as confident with their ability to put together a mini album with co-ordinating supplies.
However, there are many scrappers out there who assume that all the products supplied in these kits are ACID FREE. What about all the young scrappers out there? What are we teaching them? Maybe we're naive, or just too trusting, to think that all the bits and pieces in the kits are photo-safe. Mostly they are, however there have been quite a few lately that I've seen using paper bags, old book pages, cereal packaging for chipboard, corrugated cardboard, used envelopes, pictures printed using non-laser printers, etc. What about giving these mini albums as gifts? Does the recipient know exactly what has been used in the making of these minis?
What I cannot understand is why we are paying a lot of money for our scrapping supplies (papers, inks, chipboard, embellishments) and then we go and use non-acid free items in the project! Why don't we just use cheaper paper? Non-acid free glues and tapes?
So what is scrapbooking?
The Oxford dictionary defines the word scrapbook as "a book of blank pages for sticking cuttings, drawings, or pictures in". So technically you can use any medium you prefer on your albums.
Confused? I still am. Are there no rules at all? Each to their own? I would like to know however, that for any kits I may want to purchase, whether or not they are 100% acid free. So all you talented scrappers out there selling kits - pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase let us know if there are any non-acid free items in the kits, then it will be up to us individually as to what we do with the items if we purchase the kits.
Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts :)
