If you're looking for an easy way to meet other crafters who share your passion for scrapbooking, there are many scrapbook message boards available to suit your needs. Message boards offer scrappers a chance to share their layouts, read product reviews, learn new techniques, join scrapbooking challenges, and organize swaps.
Popular Scrapbook Message Boards
Although there are many message boards that discus scrapbooking, you may find it easiest to stick to one of the more popular websites. Asking questions or requesting feedback on a message board that receives minimal traffic can be a frustrating experience.
Popular scrapbook message boards include:
- Scrapbook.com: Boasting over 10,000 members, ScrapJazz offers general scrapbooking information, challenges, games, contests, and a classified marketplace. If you're looking for a scrapbooker in your area, you can also use this site to search for crafters by U.S. region.
- ScrapGirls: With photography, journaling, and design tips, ScrapGirls is a great place to visit if you're committed to taking your layouts to the next level. This forum also offers areas devoted to card making, altered art, home décor, and miscellaneous paper crafting projects.
- Split Coast Stampers: If you frequently use rubber stamping techniques to create your scrapbook layouts, this forum offers helpful product reviews, advice, and tutorials.
General Message Board Etiquette
When using scrapbook message boards to visit with other crafters, it's best to remember a few general rules of etiquette for successful online communication. For example:
- Don't type your response using all capital letters. It's considered to be the online equivalent of shouting.
- Be careful when using sarcasm. Since it's impossible to use body language and tone to communicate online, your comments could easily be misinterpreted.
- Proofread your work. Responses on a message board don't have to be completely perfect, but making an effort to use proper spelling and grammar is generally appreciated.
- Think twice before revealing personal information. As a scrapbooker, it's natural to want to share your thoughts and feelings. However, revealing too many details about your personal life puts you at risk for identity theft or cyber stalking.
- Report racist, sexist, or inappropriate content to the website administrator.
Posting Layouts
If you have access to a scanner or digital camera, posting your layouts on scrapbooking message boards is a great way to build your crafting skills. In fact, many scrapbookers who current work on manufacturer design teams began their careers by creating galleries of their work on internet message boards.When posting layouts online, however, it's smart to remember a few simple rules:
- If you used someone's layout as the basis for your work, give credit to your source of inspiration.
- Try to provide a list of products used on your layout if possible.
- If you are instructed in receiving constructive criticism, ask.
- If you want to share your journaling, copy and paste the text below the layout image. It's generally too difficult to read journaling on a posted photo.
- If you think the subject of your layout wouldn't appreciate having his/her image posted online, use digital image editing software to blur the photos on your layout.
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