I have been told recently that people want more of me in my blog.... more life. So okay, here goes.
Anyone who knows me understands that my biggest fear is that scrapbooking, my beloved craft is dying. I worry that they will stop making my beloved 12 x 12 paper, my acid free adhesives and all those fun little embellishments I love to play with. When my best scrapping pal tells me that she is losing the joy for her craft, and is probably quitting, a panic rose inside of me. This is one of those times that I am hoping my trick ear was playing tricks on me.
As one of my all time favorite authors, JK Rowling, put it "Those were dark times, Harry, dark times." I know these are tough times for everyone, and I am no different. But here is the thing that I think we all need to remember, Scrapbooking is the only craft that leaves a lasting memory that can withstand the test of time. Digital photos are great, and yes it is easy and fun to play with your digi scrapping programs and all those fun fonts, but I think that something gets lost in that. We are all so wrapped up in everything technological. Teens walk by each other with their noses buried in their texts, adults sit at lunch focused on their laptops and ipads, barely communicating in anything other than type. We are losing the art of communication.
In the deep old days women used to gather to create a quilt for a young lady as she bridged the gap from child to woman. Today we gather to create lasting memories for our children as well. We talk and laugh and have fun together, just as they did all those years ago.
I love to go to a crop or a retreat... it is where I get to visit and laugh and enjoy people I don't normally get to see outside of the typed word. It is where we can see each other, touch each other's hearts and help one another through good times and bad. There is no emotion in a written word, they are just words and things are often misunderstood. Typed words are no replacement for the hugs and sincere laughter that happens at a crop. I am often sore to the cheek by the end of the weekend from smiling so wide and laughing so hard. I come out of it with multiple layouts that I always love. It rejuvenates my soul in a way that nothing else can.
Last week I was helping my mother in law sort through a box of recipies, and we discovered an old fashioned card, probably 50 years old. The fibers were a little worn and the paper felt almost fragile, but as we opened it and found her mother's handwriting inside, scrawled in the ink that came from a pen that she held in her hand it suddenly had more meaning.
As I am creating a layout there is something about it being handmade, hand written. I hope that when my daughters or son look through their book long after I am gone, they will look at it as a treasure, a lasting memory of their mother and her creativity.
Being a stay at home mom, my life is laundry, cleaning, cooking, paying bills with little to nothing, and chasing around my two year old cleaning up one mess after another all day. Occasionally I manage a few hours at the end of the day or during naptime to write my book or scrapbook. I do this because I choose to take those rare moments for myself.
For me, Scrapbooking is the one place that I can go and complete a task without it being torn to shreds five minutes later. It is therapeutic for my soul and I refuse to let that go. So chin up my friend, remember that your pals are here when you want them, and you know where to find us, scrapping away in our own unique styles with the scissors and our glue, creating lasting friendships that will forever endure.
Anyone who knows me understands that my biggest fear is that scrapbooking, my beloved craft is dying. I worry that they will stop making my beloved 12 x 12 paper, my acid free adhesives and all those fun little embellishments I love to play with. When my best scrapping pal tells me that she is losing the joy for her craft, and is probably quitting, a panic rose inside of me. This is one of those times that I am hoping my trick ear was playing tricks on me.
As one of my all time favorite authors, JK Rowling, put it "Those were dark times, Harry, dark times." I know these are tough times for everyone, and I am no different. But here is the thing that I think we all need to remember, Scrapbooking is the only craft that leaves a lasting memory that can withstand the test of time. Digital photos are great, and yes it is easy and fun to play with your digi scrapping programs and all those fun fonts, but I think that something gets lost in that. We are all so wrapped up in everything technological. Teens walk by each other with their noses buried in their texts, adults sit at lunch focused on their laptops and ipads, barely communicating in anything other than type. We are losing the art of communication.
In the deep old days women used to gather to create a quilt for a young lady as she bridged the gap from child to woman. Today we gather to create lasting memories for our children as well. We talk and laugh and have fun together, just as they did all those years ago.
I love to go to a crop or a retreat... it is where I get to visit and laugh and enjoy people I don't normally get to see outside of the typed word. It is where we can see each other, touch each other's hearts and help one another through good times and bad. There is no emotion in a written word, they are just words and things are often misunderstood. Typed words are no replacement for the hugs and sincere laughter that happens at a crop. I am often sore to the cheek by the end of the weekend from smiling so wide and laughing so hard. I come out of it with multiple layouts that I always love. It rejuvenates my soul in a way that nothing else can.
Last week I was helping my mother in law sort through a box of recipies, and we discovered an old fashioned card, probably 50 years old. The fibers were a little worn and the paper felt almost fragile, but as we opened it and found her mother's handwriting inside, scrawled in the ink that came from a pen that she held in her hand it suddenly had more meaning.
As I am creating a layout there is something about it being handmade, hand written. I hope that when my daughters or son look through their book long after I am gone, they will look at it as a treasure, a lasting memory of their mother and her creativity.
Being a stay at home mom, my life is laundry, cleaning, cooking, paying bills with little to nothing, and chasing around my two year old cleaning up one mess after another all day. Occasionally I manage a few hours at the end of the day or during naptime to write my book or scrapbook. I do this because I choose to take those rare moments for myself.
For me, Scrapbooking is the one place that I can go and complete a task without it being torn to shreds five minutes later. It is therapeutic for my soul and I refuse to let that go. So chin up my friend, remember that your pals are here when you want them, and you know where to find us, scrapping away in our own unique styles with the scissors and our glue, creating lasting friendships that will forever endure.
