Quote:
Originally posted by nauadpi
Ok...so I am wondering if any other chapters have tried to do this, but I have taken on a fairly large project. I have decided to go through and scan all our old scrapbooks... This came on because I wanted to post some of the old pictures, but I found a lot of the scrapbooks are starting to fall apart... Time has just gotten to them, and also many of the pictures are starting to discolor... So now I am scanning the entirety of the scrapbooks when possible... I don't want our chapter to lose all these items... Anyways the point was if any other chapters have tried to do this?
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Ha - I too have started doing this for the chapter I advise. I am going through years of scrapbooks that have started falling apart. I was once a CM consultant -- so I am going to offer you some tips about the task at hand... (oh, and I no longer sell CM, so this isn't a big advertising message - just trying to give you some helpful ideas)
1) DO NOT try to pull any photos off a page that aren't coming off easily - they will rip. CM does make a nifty thing called a Pick Up Square ($2 retail) - This multipurpose, gelatinous Pick-Up Square removes…
* glue residue from the back of photos
* stickers from pages
* sticker residue
* light-leaded pencil lines (does not remove wax or grease-based pencil lines).
So - that is a nice tool to use to help pull up photos. In the event that you can't get it that way, take the page to a PROFESSIONAL camera shop (ie, not Wal-Mart photo) and get them to help. You may also want to buy a few of the pick up squares for future - you will need to replace them when dealing with lots of pictures.
2) DO NOT EVER USE GLUE OR WET ADHESIVE ON ANY PHOTOS. Wet adhesives are the devil - even if they say "photo safe" on the package. Often times they will seep through the pages, or even the photos. Plus, they will not withstand time for keeping it on the page. I personally prefer the CM tape runner - its quick, easy, and refillable -- plus they offer a "mini" size for smaller pictures and accessories -- but there are several good choices on the market also -- photo splits (or squares as they are called on the market) are nice too. They are pre-cut small squares that are sticky on both sides. The biggest down side to these are that you have to spend all your time pulling the back of the paper off to reveal the sticky part when you put it on your page. Make sure that you are using permanent adhesive too -- the "removable" kind doesn't have the kind of stick that you need. If you will need to remove a photo for later use, then use PHOTO CORNERS (also sold by CM and on the market) -- they are clear (usually) triangle corners that adhere to the page, and the photo slides into the pocket to keep it in place.
3) Your pages MUST be good quality. Whether you make your own albums, use the screw-in kind, the strap hinge kind, the three ring kind, etc... your pages DO matter. Never use construction paper for pages. Construction paper does not hold up well over time, will discolor, break apart, and the coloring in it could cause your photos to disintegrate.
I prefer the strap-hinge album because you can refill it very easily. Another plus to the CM albums and pages are that the page protectors (what covers your pages to keep them safe) go on SIDE TO SIDE --- NOT top to bottom. Why is this important?? When you use a TOP LOADING page (ie, slide it in and out from the top), that allows dust, water, dirt, etc. to fall in your album. Albums should always be stored upright -- ie, like a book -- not laying down. This prevents the pages from sticking together. One customer accidentally went through a car wash with her back window down -- her albums were in the backseat, but did not get damaged because the page protector kept the water from pouring down the pages.
If you get your album pages on the market, look for WT brand. They are good quality and photo-safe. I use them over the CM kind because the quality is there, but at a much lower cost.
4) Use page protectors to cover your pages -- you have spent a great deal of time and effort to restore (or create) these albums - cover the pages with these thin clear plastic sheets. Sold on the market, but I prefer CM because they are side-to-side coverage with the tops and bottoms sealed.
5) DO NOT USE RAISED STUFF IN YOUR ALBUMS -- it has become so trendy to use the cute metal tags, three dimensional stickers, etc -- the problem is that these will stick out on your pages, and create a dent on your opposite page. Those little "boutique" things are cute -- but they don't need to be in your books. Trust me, they will ruin your opposite pages. Stick to the regular stickers and die cuts -- they may not be so WOW, but they won't mess up your work either.
Okay -- so now that I have given you a few tips on this, I want to give you some on the Ebay CM stuff. A lot of what you see on Ebay costs MORE than what it does retail. I have seen a $36 album selling for $50. I have seen those little page completion kits (a die cut and sticker sheet) selling for $5 (okay, only consultants can buy these, but they cost us $4.10 for a pack of 12!) Plus, when you buy things on Ebay, you lose any warranty guarantee. CM albums are guaranteed for life.
Like I said, this is not a plug for CM -- I actually am quite ticked off at CM -- they are a HORRIBLE company to work for -- I spent a ton of money, just so I could "sell" their product. They don't care about their consultants, and often times look for ways to cheat us (which is why I finally got smart and quit). The 30% discount was not worth it for me.
But, I must say, that when it comes to quality - they've got it. They have a whole team of scientists who literally run thousands of tests (they even bake products in the oven!!) to ensure the quality is there. No scrapbook store can compete with that.
So - if you have any questions, or if you want to know the retail price of something (like if you are looking to buy something off Ebay, and want to know the real cost) please feel free to PM me.
Sorry to be so long - hope this helps!!
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