We often find that a customer might walk into a Lincraft store an expert in one area, and come out a beginner in another. For example, a pretty scrapbooking embellishment might catch the eye of a seasoned knitter, inspiring them to try a new craft for the first time. With that new craft comes a whole new language. Recently we ran a glossary on crochet terms for those brand new to crochet.

This time, we’re translating the basics when it comes to scrapbooking terms so you can decipher the world of scrapbooking ideas available out there in web land.

Acid: enemy numero uno! Acid makes paper and photos discolour over time, ruining all your hard work. Look for acid free pens, glue, paper and stickers always.

Archival Quality: acid content is stable

Lignin: the bonding element which holds paper fibres together. It can cause discolouration, or brittleness. Lignin can be removed during manufacturing. Always make sure your scrapbooking paper is lignin-free.

Matt: the piece/s of paper that frame the photos on your scrapbooking page

Mounting: involves sticking a photograph on a coloured frame or using photo dots or corners to make it a feature

Templates: Card or plastic cutting stencils that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Used to cut out or crop photos or decorations.

Journaling: the writing on the scrapbooking page. Handwritten, stamped, embossed, printed or stickered.