If you can make a card...

NEWSFLASH!
If you can make a card, boy do I have news for you!
You can definitely make a scrapbook page too!

I know, right!
I’ve heard it said and read it from crafty mavens on the Internet:
“I’m just a cardmaker. Scrapbooking intimidates me.”

If this is you, I’m here to tell you one thing: you’ve got this!

The skills used to make a pretty, handcrafted greeting card are the exact same skills needed to create an inspired scrapbook page!

In cardmaking, the first step is to choose a base and fold it appropriately. Some people choose to score before folding. Similarly, in scrapbooking, the first step is to choose a base. What are you going to build your page on?

In cardmaking, the next step is usually to choose a recipient and the occasion. Cardmakers apply a sentiment to specify the occasion the card is marking.  In scrapbooking, this would usually be the time to choose the pictures and a title.

In cardmaking, this is the fun part—the addition of embellishments! Guess what we are all lined up to do to the scrapbook page? Add the pretty! Embellish!!

In cardmaking, after the embellishment is added, and the card is finished, it’s time to write a personal note inside. In scrapbooking, we call this journaling.

See what I mean?
Exactly the same steps.
So no more complaining that you’re "only a cardmaker" okay?

But wait...there’s more!
Let’s put this to the test!

I shared this concept in a group of stampers about two years ago, along with the following examples.

Here’s the card:



Here's a scrapbook page:

Here's the card:

Here’s the scrapbook page:

Don't sell yourself short.

You are a creative and crafty person.

If you can make a card, you can definately build a scrapbook page!

Until next time,

--Sarah

Layout Share: Cake and Pocket Scrapbooking Cards

Please note: I'm in the process of migrating the content of my stamping blog to this page. This post was originally shared over there. All the no-longer-relevant links have been removed. We are all just here for the pictures anyway, right?! :)


It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood,
A beautiful day in the neighborhood,
Won't you be mine, won't you be my neighbor?

They have many names--Project Life Cards, Project My Life Cards, cards, pocket scrapbooking cards, 3x4 journaling cards...whatever you call them, I think most paper crafters are familiar with the concept of using small, printed cards as accents and enhancements on handmade cards and scrapbook pages. There are so many ways to incorporate these small cards into your crafting--I thought I would take a few minutes and demonstrate a few of those ways for you today.

These pocket scrapbooking cards usually come in collection packs and include multipe thematic designs. Some are lined--ostensibly for journaling, some are decorative. You can choose to slide the cards into pocket pages along with your photos for easy pocket-style scrapbooking or you can also use them in a more traditional way by incorporating them as elements on a card or scrapbook page.

Remember, pocket scrapbooking cards are all about the POSSIBILITIES! You can do so many things with them!  I like to use them as accents on regular 12x12 pages. That's what I did today.

Instead of having to cut into a full sheet of polka dot patterned paper for this layout, the polka dot pieces of paper is actually two pieces of a single 4x6 pocket card. The small strips of pink on each side of the photo are a single card that I ripped into three pieces, which you can see here:

If you hang around people who use pocket-style scrapbooking products, you know that a huge topic of conversation among them is the state of the corners. The looming question is always "do you prefer rounded corners or square one?"

I can go either way. For this particular use, I chose to round the corners of the pink pieces.

One final look at the details:

I also used a horizontal card as the base of my title. I don't do vertical designs very often but I do love them.

Remember, pocket scrapbooking cards equal POSSIBILITIES!

This incident is one of my first memories. I was at my maternal grandmother's house and this cake just proved to be too much temptation. I remember that green table so clearly--it was so smooth and cool to the touch in the hot summertime.

This is one of the pictures that I got from my mom. I was so disappointed that it was kindof tarnished by years of handling so I took a picture of it using an iphone, edited it a bit to clean it up and had it reprinted. I dont have the patience to spend too much time editing and such, so I kept it super easy and I am very happy with the result.

If you have pictures that are deteriorating, try taking a new picture of them and reprinting.

Until next time,
--Sarah

Layout Share: MARTA and Using a Sketch

Please note: This artwork was originally shared on my stamping blog last year. I'm currently in the process of migrating all the stamping blog posts to this page and removing the links that are no longer relevant. Sometimes that means just keeping the artwork. :)

Close to my Heart offers an idea book filled with sketches for scrapbook pages called Make It From Your Heart Volume III. Previous editions of Make It From Your Heart have been for cardmaking, so Volume III is very special. Each sketch is a double page spread (which I almost never do) and has two full-color example spreads included. Volume III includes sketches for 36 double page spreads. There are cutting guides and measurements included as well. 

These sketches are designed to be used with the most common photo sizes such as 4x6 and 3x4, and include 4 to 8 photos on each spread.  (You know I never use that many photos, so I adjust as I go.)  As you might expect, 100% of the supplies used in the page designs shown in Make It From Your Heart are manufactured by Close to my Heart but it's fairly easy to substitute supplies from other sources.  

As you probably know, sketches are simple recipes for design that can be copied exactly or used simply as a jumping-off point. 

Let’s just be totally honest here—I have a very difficult time following directions of any kind when it comes to scrapbooking, so I tend to use sketches as a jumping off point. I don’t look at the number of photos in a design because I use only 1-3 photos on a page and I basically never create a 2 page spread. So you might ask, do I actually use and like this book?

In a word, YES! Using a sketch as a jumping-off point insures that I know where I’m going creatively and helps me know when I have have arrived. I’m not a literalist...a sketch showing 7 pictures and only a few sentences of journaling in the book can magically and easily feature 1 or 2 pictures and a ton of story on my page. I find that starting with a sketch enhances my creativity by giving me a basic framework from which I can invision my finished page, while allowing me to enhance it with other items I have chosen, such as patterned paper, story, title and embellishments. 

For this layout, I used Pattern 27 from Volume III,  the left side.

This layout features flowers cut from the Gimme Some Sugar paper and the Marker Alphabet Stamps! I went with the flowers to convey the princess-y feel referenced in the journaling. The card in the upper right corner is the actual MARTA ticket.

Never let your design be locked up by the sketch. Instead, make it your own by:

• Flipping it around. 
• Changing up the number of photos. 
• Adding extra journaling. 
• Making the page larger or smaller. 
• Using just the left or just the right side of the design. 

Using a sketch is like wearing a little black dress. You can wear the perfect little black dress 100 different ways because in truth, it’s not about the dress--It’s all about the earrings, necklace, bracelet, shoes and the handbag! Am I right? 😁

Thanks for stopping by. 

Happy sketching,

Sarah 

Why Does It Work?

Do you ever get on a creative roll and really really feel like you have this thing we call scrapbooking handled like a boss?

Typically, when I experience this feeling it’s because I’ve been dedicated to my crafting process with regularity and have really pushed myself to finish certain projects.

This is one of those layouts—it just works for me. It makes me feel like I have this scrapbooking thing under control!

So let’s ask...
Why does it work?
What is it about this particular design that makes it work for me?

1-The color scheme. Chocolate brown, birdegg blue and lime green sing for me.

2-The title is funky but readable and is unique. I love a title that makes the reader want to know more and I feel like this one does that. I also love a stamped title.

3-There's a specific memory on this page. I love scrapbook pages that capture a memory that I don't think anyone else (namely the boy in the picture) will automatically recall later in life. It's not a monumental moment--it's a quiet memory that could easily be shoved into the background of life unless I write it down. It speaks to who this child is. I like that.

4-This page utilizes a unique accent--a Post it note. That small square of paper with the quotation marks on it is a Post-It note. I love being able to incorporate everyday things (especially office supplies) into my scrapbooking.

5-This page is 8.5x11. I love this size.

Until next time,
--Sarah

A Hot July Moon

I am not a girly girl but every month a black and white striped box of mostly girly scrapbook supplies from Felicity Jane shows up on my doorstep and inspires me to let the super girly crafty flag fly!

This layout is one of those!



I'm very much in love with those puffy black alphabet stickers--they are so striking and yet, easy to read. I prefer a title thats easy to read.

Part of my recent revival of the blog is a rededication to keepng the story in my pages. To me, a good scrapbook page involves a picture, a title that draws the viewer in, a little bit of pretty and a whole lot of story. That doesn't necessarily mean that the story has to be long or arduious. Indeed, not. The story can be a simple thought or a poingnant quote--as long as the story is there.

In this particular page, I documented the story on the journaling card that's hiding in the glassine envelope.





Until next time,
--Sarah

All About the Blogs

So I recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with The Scrap Gals about the state of scrapbooking blogs and where we see blogs going in the future as a scrapbooking tool and also as just one more form of social media. Its always nice to spend a little time chatting with Tiffany and Tracie about topics we care deeply about and have opinions on.

I've been blogging since 2003, mostly about scrapbooking and cardmaking, with a few family adventures thrown in for some fun. The world of scrapbooking and scrapbook marketing is changing rapidly(and has been for a while) and I have felt for a while that blogs just aren't the prime media outlet that they once were. So many--ok almost all the blogs I used to read regularly have gone inactive or been removed.

 I did a little bit of research in preparation for the show and it seems that crafty blogs surged in proliferation about 2004-2010. Since that time, with the influx of additional avenues of marketing via all the different social media platforms, its become apparent that in order to move forward, there are several questions that have to answered by bloggers:

1. Is my blog just a landing pad or a place to store my extended content? Or is my blog my online home where people who want more of my offerings go? Is my blog to be considered the "fall back place" or is it the "primary outlet"?

For me, with 16 years of content already stored right here, I see my blog as my primary outlet. Lets face it--I'm wordy. I enjoy Facebook and Instagram but I have come to realize that I really do prefer the space to show all the pictures and write down all the words and thoughts. I think I got sidetracked as of late because both Facebook and Instagram offer one thing that blogging seems to lack--instant responses.

2. What does it take to remind people to make the leap from a social media platform such as Facebook or Instagram over to a blog page?

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure. I read a ton of scrapbook message boards and Facebook groups and the general answer to this quandary seems to be "entice me". It seems that a blog will only survive and grow a readership if all the other social media platforms used by that writer are pointing potential readers to the home base and dropping crumbs of inspiration for them to follow along the way. Let's be honest--social media users tend towards a very short attention span. (Myself included!) Where it used to be that people were in the habit of going to individual blogs on a regular basis--now it seems that the habit is completely broken and as a blog writer seeking readers, you have to reach out and almost drag people into your blog space. and you definitely have to make it worth their while with usable content and top-quality ideas.

3. Is my blog a marketing tool for my business or a personal pursuit?

Obviously, this is an easy question to answer. I am not selling anything on my blog--its completely about the passionate pursuit of memory keeping and the paper-crafting life. I'm not marketing a creative business, although I do believe that blogging is an obvious and excellent tool for doing so. I'm a student of marketing in general and yes, blogging is a fascinating way to capture stories and share creative content the on the web with people who are like-minded and searching for creative inspiration.

I think there is great value in being a single voice with a blog offering continuity of style and topic. However, for those who are interested in the use of a blog for marketing a creative business, the team approach to content creation seems to be a very popular option that yields productive results. Obviously, having a steady stream of content from multiple creators (each bringing their own following to the fountain) will enlarge one's reach and do exactly what social media marketing was designed to do--expand the reach of everyone. Its simple math.

I have quite a few friends who are direct sales marketers for crafting organizations. The decline in blog readership doesn't seem to have impacted them the way it has the single-voice blog writers. I think perhaps its because they are finding ways to support each other. If all the Close to my Heart demonstrators are participating in a certain blog "hop", then they are all reading each other's pages and yet none of them will be gaining new customers as a result of their efforts...but big high readership numbers make them feel like they are investing their time into something that "works".

4. What exactly is my goal in blogging?

Certainly there are as many possible answers to this question as there are bloggers in the cloud. I see my blog as a tool to log experiences in paper-crafting, document creative pursuits and have a digital record of the things I've done with paper. If blogging is in fact old enough to have an "old-school" style, that's what I want to do.

One voice, one unique experience.
Documented on the internet, with pretty pictures and all the words needed.

In my chat with The Scrap Gals, I was reminded that there is an intrinsic value to having an online, easily-accessible journal of sorts. If something malicious happened to the physical scrapbooks in my home, I will still have the digital format to fall back on. I like that idea imme

The episode of The Scrap Gals podcast will air in a few weeks. You can subscribe for a tiny monthly fee at www.podbean.com/thescrapgals

So where does that leave me?

--Still believing that blogging (for me) is a contribution to the creative universe in which I participate as a maker and a writer.

--Still wanting to preserve memories and crafty pursuits and watching others who are also doing so.

--Combining all my blog content into one single page. This includes the most recently written content that was shared on my stamping blog over the past year. Links that are no longer active will be removed but the creative projects will still be shared.


Welcome to the reboot!
--Sarah

No Room for the Story

Stories are super important to me and in my world, stories are basically *the point* of scrapbooking. The story matters! Without the story...well it's just not right (to me). However, as people who love page design, sometimes great blocks of written journaling present a design dilemma--

what's a more appropriate use of real estate--the journaling or the pretty things?

#scrapbookerprobsright

So once in a while, I give in to the designer side of my crafty soul and stick the journaling  in a less obvious place--today it's *inside a flap*. 

Yes, that title is stamped on vellum. 

This reminds me...this is another installment in my "If you can make a card, you can make a scrapbook page!" series. Look again. That flap hiding the journaling is basically a card. 

I used a good bit of vellum on this page. Vellum is so dependable. It is always a good way to give your pages points of contrast. It is so easy to use! There are several things I particularly love about vellum. 1) It's easy to run through the printer. 2) It tears beautifully. 3) It tones down busy or bold patterns. 4) It's an easy way to direct the viewer to look at a specific part of a page. 5) You can stamp on it! 

The stamped title on this holiday layout was created using alphabet stamps and my favorite ink--Momento Tuxedo Black Ink. Not all inks work well on vellum, but Momento certainly does and it's readily available at most craft stores. 

(This post originally appeared on my stamping blog last year and links that are no longer relevant have been removed.)

#stampinginthescrapbook

Merry Christmas!

--Sarah

Scrap the Boys Challenge

So I ran across a neat Australian blog called "Scrap the Boys" and couldn't help but participate in the April challenge there. I mean...#boysaremylife. 

The challenge was to document multi-generational pictures. 

 

You can read Scrap the Boys at http://scraptheboys.blogspot.com

I'm enamoured with the rather-sizable navy blue puffy alphabet stickers from Pink Fresh Studios. They are so easy to use and #hellonavyblue. 

I needed more room than one journaling card allowed to tell the whole story so I did a little cut-n-paste on it, making it just long enough for my story. (Journaling cards are from a Project Life kit but I have no idea which one.) 

--sarah

Dear New Scrapbooker

In a Facebook group that I'm a member of, someone posed this question:

Ok quick question. If you were just wanting to learn about scrapbooking, what are some of the things you wish someone had told you before you got started?

With 20 years of scrapbooking experience, I have a few ideas and pieces of advice for anyone who is new to scrapbooking. 

1. Copy what you like! You have access to so much inspiration via the internet...don't try to reinvent the wheel with every layout. Copy! 

2. Do not (under any circumstances) begin scrapbooking with your wedding photos! I'm begging you...do not do this. It will take you a little while to find the techniques you truly love and to learn what you don't enjoy. Don't let your important photos be your guinea pigs. I promise, you will thank me for this advice in a few years.

3. Scrapbooking doesn't have to take over your life or your house, but don't be surprised if it does. Making things with your hands is very good therapy and is something many people enjoy. Scrapbooking is very rewarding and the community of scrapbook enthusiasts is rich with connections. 

4. Scrapbooking doesn't have to be expensive but there are a few things that I advise you to never go cheap on--albums, page protectors and adhesive. These are the most important, staple items that you will buy. Choose wisely.

5. Not every photo has to be scrapbooked. Not every photo deserves to be scrapbooked. Choose the pictures that speak to you--the photos with a story you want to telll. Scrap those! Scrap the best, store the rest.

6. When building a page, don't put off the journaling. I see this happen quite a lot and it breaks my heart. Without journaling, a scrapbook page is limited in its lifespan. Unless you write the stories that go along with your pictures, those stories will be lost when you are gone. Don't discount the value of the written story. From the start, make the journaling just as important as every other element in your page. 

So now you know. 

Start with the Story: Water Equalizes

Recently, I had the most awesome adventure of attending a scrapbooking weekend retreat with some friends--something I haven't done in a while. It was extremely enjoyable and relaxing and I was very productive. Y'all know I don't keep up with the quantity of pages produced but I came home feeling both refreshed from the extra sleep I got in a super comfortable nature-filled atmosphere as well as very happy with the pages that I worked on. 

This was one of the products of that work session. 

 

This is the journaling:

 

I considered covering more of the page in sequins, but that's a little tedious and I got bored. 

Using the scraps from a painting session as embellishment on a page is a new thing for me but the scraps from a cut-down painting on watercolor board are too rich to throw out. I'll be using them again for sure as I have a lot leftover. 

 

For me, 2017 is the year of *Start with the Story*. I'm focused. Pictures, contrary to popular scrapbooker idiom, do not always tell all of the story. There's always more to the story. #tellthestory

If you are new to these parts, please understand that I approach scrapbooking a little differently than most people. I don't scrap every photo. I rarely put more than one or two photos on a scrapbook page because I believe in the importance of the story. And stories take up real estate. For me, scrapbooking is about quality of story more than quantity of pages. I rarely scrapbook a birthday or a Christmas--I scrapbook the stories I want to remember and the ones I want my guys to remember. 

--sarah

It's a Cruise Scrapbook--Products and a Page Plan

It's a Cruise Scrapbook! 

A step-by-step guide to creating a story-filled cruise scrapbook.
(A new installment published every Saturday!)

Now that we've broken that big stack of photos into smaller, manageable groups, let's take a few minutes to consider the products we want to use. As I said previously, I create a great many cruise pages and beach trip books (when we travel for pleasure there is always a beach involved) so I am always on the lookout for products that are thematically related to travel, cruise, beach, water, nautical or anything that could work in those categories. I keep these items stored together in my scrap space for easy access. 

Fortunately, most every major scrapbooking company has put out at least one collection that's relevant to cruise scrapbooking so we have plenty to choose from. All the major stamp companies offer stamps that can be used for cruise scrapbooking. Shopping for products is not a chore and there are many many options out there.

When you are shopping, don't limit yourself to just items in the cruise theme specifically, especially if you are shopping online and using search features. Here's my list of associated images you may want to search with:

anchors
waves
sailing
palm trees
life preserver
flip flops and sunglasses
pier
surf and sand
seaturtles
bubbles
Hibiscus flowers
Sandpipers
Seahorses
Starcharts
margarita glass
sand castles
beach umbrellas
nautical
rope

In truth, products you can use in your cruise scrapbook can be lurking in just about any category of scrapbook supplies.

Perhaps your design sense takes your cruise scrapbook towards all things nautical, using strings of flags, images of ships, ship's wheels, life preservers, rope, and lighthouses, and of course, featuring lots of red, white and blue.

In that case you may like a few of the following collections:

Carte Bella's Ahoy There collection (available at Hobby Lobby and Scrapbook.com) 

Carte Bella's Yacht Club Collection (available at Scrapbook.com)

Anna Griffin's Seafarer Collection (available at Scrapbook.com)

Photoplay's Nautical Bliss Collection (available at Scrapbook.com)

Stampin' Up has several related sets that have been retired but can still be acquired on ebay quite often--especially Open Sea, From Land to Sea, Schooner, Ship's Ahoy and By the Tide.

Close to my Heart offered a nautical kit in their last catalog called Regatta. (You can find it on ebay occasionally.)  In an old catalog there was a kit called Seaside that I really like too. There are two stamp sets by CTMH that are appealing: Seaside Greetings and Nautical Nantucket.

Kaisercraft's Coastal Escape Collection (available at Scrapbook.com)

Paper House's Nautical Collection (available at Scrapbook.com)

These are just the collections that are mostly red, white and blue and traditionally nautical-themed. In future posts I will round up the products that are naturalist and beachy as well as cruise-themed.

(My list are not intended to be exhaustive and I don't receive any compensation from any companies linked here in exchange for linking.)

Of course, if you aren't planning to use coordinating products throughout you cruise scrapbook, this step is less important for you. I have done the "wild and free" method in other cruise scrapbooks and have really enjoyed pulling from every company imaginable to assemble a book that features pages of varying styles and color combinations. You don't have to limit yourself if that's not appealing to your process.

 

Creating a Page Plan
Wait!
Don't close the door on the idea of a page plan just yet. I know it can be a tedious chore but it can also be very beneficial to have while you are in the throes of creating pages for your cruise scrapbook. Trust me on this!

Don't complicate your page plan. Take a few minutes and flip through your photo stacks. Casually make a list of pages that you know you are going to want to do. Don't worry...you can always add to or take away from the list as your make progress. If you have ideas for pages that maybe you don't have photos to go with yet, put that on the list too. (Sometimes I steal images from Google or Instagram to complete a page, if needed.)

Also, you will want to think about the five or six things that really made your cruise trip special--the most memorable things. Make sure those most memorable things are well-represented in you page plan.

It's pretty easy to assemble a list of the basics:
--the facts of your trip such as the name of the ship, travel dates and intenerary
--Glimpses of the Ship from Outside
--Glimpses of the major parts of the ship inside.
--Your stateroom.
--At least one food and drink photo.
--On-board activities
--Embarkation
--A photo of the people you are traveling with
--Excursion activities
--The view from your room (assuming you have a room with a window, at least.)
--Formal night photos

Some additional pages ideas that might also be included:
--the art on board the ship
--anything special you had to do to prepare for the trip (shopping, hair/nails, travel to your departure port, packing, etc)
--your favorite places on the ship that are "out of the way"
--more in-depth about the foods and drinks you enjoyed on the cruise
--a study in the relationship you share with the people you travel with
--did you enjoy a little bit of luxurious living on the ship--go to the spa, have room service, sleep late, etc?
--how was the music? Did you dance all night?
--did you meet any neat people on the ship?
--did you post to Facebook or Instagram while cruising? Print and include these in your scrapbook too.

Here's my Page Plan as it stands right now:
 
In next Saturday's installment of It's a Cruise Scrapbook, we will begin looking at actual pages and explore some journaling ideas.

It's a Cruise Scrapbook--Before You Start

If there's one kind of scrapbooking that I know about--it's cruise scrapbooking. 

Cruise scrapbooking is perhaps my favorite kind--the pictures are good, the memories are awesome and story-rich and let's be real, I love going on a Caribbean cruise so, of course I'm also going to love scrapbooking about them as well.

I've had the pleasure of quite a few Caribbean cruises (thanks to my husband's work) and have created many pages about cruising.

With that in mind, I think it's time to share what I know about cruise scrapbooking. Welcome to It's a Cruise Scrapbook! --a step-by-step guide to creating a story-filled cruise scrapbook. 

I love a travel scrapbook that's all-inclusive! One trip, one book. I generally divide our trip memories into four sections:

1- the ship

2- the trip

3- the people

4- everything else

However, since four of our cruises have been on a single ship--Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas--I'm breaking from my tradition and putting all four cruises into one single album. (Let me tell you...this is a major departure from my usual method of organization.)

Let's start at the beginning. Before you begin creating your cruise scrapbook, you need to make a few decisions.

1. Are you going to use a certain cohesive style of page and or product throughout the album? Alternatively, would you prefer the wild and free method of scrapbooking design for this album? 

If you want to carry a cohesive design throughout your cruise scrapbook, there are many way to do so. 

One of the easiest ways is to choose a certain collection of paper to incorporate throughout the album. You may choose  a collection assembled for you by a certain paper manufacturer or assemble your own collection of papers from many manufacturers.

If you are going the route of a incorporating a cohesive design throughout your book, you may want to assemble a small kit of chosen supplies--letter stickers or alphabet dies for titles, a few colors of cardstock, brads or dot embellishments, ephemera and accents, stamps, journaling tools, ribbons or textiles, etc.

Assembling a kit for yourself to work out of will save you time (no hunting for stuff) and help you make design choices in a timely fashion. 

 

Don't forget to keep a few bits of inspiration close by...I like to keep this old jar of sand and shells right on my desk when I'm working on layouts about the sea!

2. What size album do you want to create? 

3. How many pages are you going to include? Choose your photos and get them printed. See where your photos take you. This will probably be a lengthy process, if you are anything like me. I admit it--I overprint. I like to have a lot of photos to choose from and I know that if a certain photo doesn't get used in my scrapbook, it can be used in other craft projects or on a page in another scrapbook. 

Generally, I choose about two hundred photos and work down from that number. Yes that includes the excessive food shots. 😀

When the photos arrive (or when you have gotten the printing done), my first step is usually to sort them into general groups.

My groups usually include:

-- Photos of the ship and all its details

-- Photos of people (us and the people we travel with that don't go into any other category)

-- Photos of our adventures and activities 

-- Photos of food and drinks

-- Photos of the sea

-- Everything else 

 

(These are my sorted photos.) 

I usually purchase at least a few professional photos taken on-board as well--especially the ones of our group and of the ship. Be sure to incorporate those into your scrapbook planning as well. 

And yes, there's a small stack of photos called Stolen Accent Photos. Any photos that I missed out on taking myself are collected post-trip from google or Instagram. 

I'm glad you made it to the end of part one. In part two we will begin scrapbooking!! 

If you use Instagram, please check out the hashtag #itsacruisescrapbook and use it too when you share your cruise pages! 

 

Start with the Story: When I Can't Fight These Feelings Anymore

After listening to a recent episode of The Paperclipping Roundtable with Noelle Hyman, featuring Ali Edwards, and a discussion of scrapbooking and mental illness, I spent some time thinking about the stories that go untold. 

In the scrapbooking world, there's a whole movement of "scrap yourself"...started many years ago by Angie Petersen's Book of Me series. Scrapbookers of that time were commonly the mother class and were, by and large, constantly leaving themselves out of much of their scrapbooks. There were many reasons for their omission, but most of them revolved around "I don't look good in that picture"..."I'm overweight"...and "I'm focusing on my children." 

This was obviously unacceptable and I think most people eventually got on board with being included more often, even if they felt the images of themselves would be judged harshly in the future. 

Why am I relating this bit of modern scrapbooking lore to you? I think it's pertinent that we become ok again with telling stories that reflect on us as imperfect strugglers. I'm mean...that's who we are, right? Shouldn't our pages tell the real truth? 

I have faced difficult things in my adult life and I have the scars to prove it. I stare down the twin dog of scary and difficult most every single day. Sometimes I win. Sometimes the snarly dogs win and I just sit on the porch. It's my story. 

I mean, who doesn't wish that every scrapbook-worthy moment of our lives involved uber-cute children playing idyllically on a sugar sand beach in the azure blue surf on a cloudless day? It would be nice, for sure, but that's just not where I live. 

If I scrapbook for myself, don't I owe myself the truth? If I scrapbook for the people who come after me, don't I owe them the truth?

I'm saying yes.

So this is my truth. It's not always about pretty flowers but there are pretty flowers involved. 

 

Here's the journaling:

 

With apologies to REO Speedwagon. 

Be scrappy.

--Sarah

Start with the Story: We Overcame

So I'm taking a class on journaling by Scrap Gal Tracie Claiborne. You can find her classes at www.tracieclaiborne.com I'm up to lesson 8 of 12 plus a bonus and I've found it to be very inspiring. Journaling is something I've done all my life and it comes very naturally for me, however, I feel like this class has helped refine my skills and narrow the focus of my sometime spastic brain. Tracie has a way of verbalizing things I have always known but have never been able to articulate. Sometimes she says exactly what I am thinking--it's the weirdest thing.

This is the first layout I have done since starting the class. One of the strategies Tracie recommends is to look past the obvious story of a photo and write about the unseen. 

 

Here's the journaling:

May 7, 2015

This was a monumental day for Julian and me, on many levels. On the face of it, we had overcome more than a thousand miles in the car, traveling from Texas to South Carolina, taking Grandma Bonnie to visit Great Grandma Hammond, who was in failing health. That was certainly no small accomplishment!

On a deeper level, even though this time at the beach was incredibly short--only a few hours--it was spent in peace, entirely without conflict and full of just plain fun. We walked back and forth along the waters edge, quietly taking in the sacred of the water and the sky and the sand and everything we love about the beach. That, too, was no small accomplishment.

As often happens when I'm on the beach, I was overcome with emotion and cried it all out right there on the beach. Julian and I have walked a difficult path the last two years--a single year ago he was spending time at Vanderbilt's Psychiatric Hospital, learning new behavioral techniques for coping with his anger and adjusting to new medications. I was seeing a counselor for all the same reasons. At that time, I wouldn't have even considered taking a two thousand mile car trip with him. He screamed at me often. Sometimes, I screamed back. We were not good together because we were together way too much. Anger was destroying both of us.

Spending time with Grandma and Papa saved us both. Time apart gave us healing. And life experiences apart. What a gift! Julian got a sense of humor and I learned to breathe again. Moving to Texas made us all feel less alone and brought our whole family into our lives on a daily basis. Our village got bigger and stronger and we are better for it. 

That day, Julian and I had lunch at a little cafe right on Wrightsville Beach, then we walked for a few hours before a spring thunderstorm came rolling in and dropped some rain right on us. Driving back to the hotel that night, Julian took a nap in the car and I had a little time to reflect on our newfound kind of peace and be grateful for it. It was a day of redemption for both of us--a day for which I will always be grateful. 

 

The 6x6 pattern papers on this layout came from last month's Simon Says Stamp card kit. I do like these papers but this is a definitive example of there being something included in a card kit that I never would have picked out for myself. This kit stretched me, for sure. 

And bonus points: I used that piece of background paper as the base--it's by Creative Imaginations. The line was from approx 2009 called Dead Men Tell No Tales. I can't even remember when I bought it. 

I do love a good scrapbook page that tells a story! Don't you?

--Sarah

Start with the Story: She's just a Child!

For me, scrapbooking is all about the story! My favorite pages tell a story. 

Might be a big story.

Might be a small story.

Might be an account of an event.

Might be just a thought that is important to no one but me.

But a story is a must.

I am a fan of the show, Top Chef. I always really enjoy the episodes that allow the chef contestants to show who they are as a chef without a bunch of crazy twists or requirements. Just let them cook! I like it when they say "this is me on a plate."

In that line of thinking, this layout is "me on a page"! It's clean, it tells a story, it has a title and a photo and is mostly cardstock. 

 

Start with the story!

--Sarah

Using the Alphabet Punch Board

Recently, I picked up an Alphabet Punch Board by We R Memory Keepers after watching a presentation of it in HSN. I don't shop at HSN but I was intrigued by the board so I picked it up at Michaels, using a coupon. (The posted price was $34.99, with a coupon it was $20.)

The premise of the punch board is that you can create every letter of the alphabet using the punches and cutter on this one board in a large size. Every letter starts from a rectangle of paper cut to 3"x5"...which means you can cut 8 letters from one sheet of 12x12 paper. Score points for efficiency.

The board comes with an instruction booklet that shows in pictures step-by-step how to correctly punch each letter. Score points for easy-to-understand directions.

My first project with the alphabet punch board was a banner for a baby shower. The size of the letters was perfect for the chalkboard banner pieces that I picked up from Target's Dollar Spot a while back. There were eight letters to cut and I decided ahead of time that if I couldn't master this punch board and accomplish 8 letters in less than thirty minutes, the board and I would be breaking up. 

 

Cutting all 8 letter took less than ten minutes total. Score points for not taking "too long" and being easy to master.

I found the slicing tool a little difficult to get the hang of. It's fumbly...after about three tries, I just started using scissors for those steps. I'm handy with scissors.

I asked the peas what they thought of this tool and their predominant thought was that it wasn't really designed for scrapbooking as the letters produced are really really large. 

The letters are indeed large but I don't think that precludes the alphabet board from being a scrapbooking tool. 

The peas also noted that with so many scrapbookers now having a variety of electronic cutters, the need for a product that cuts one font in one size seems like a throwback. I can agree with that...but for the price and convenience, and as someone who has yet to dive into the e-cutter world, I can still see it as useful.

So I Took it out for a spin and here's what I came up with:

 

 

Unfortunately I haven't been able to locate many layouts using the alphabet punch board on social media. I'll keep looking. There is one video by Shimelle aka GlitterGirl that shows her use of the board for a page. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9IWQBHeiVk

So now you know. 

Sidebar: in the second page, you can see the small Project Life card used as an embellishment. Copier. I made a color photocopy of a PL card and reduced it to 65%. Printing on textured Bazzill just makes my day. :)

--Sarah 

Water coloring in Cabo

 So one of the things I have always wanted to do finally got accomplished on the trip to Cabo back in March.

For years, I have entertained this romantic notion that painting on the beach using water collected from the ocean would make for a more enchanting rich painting. It just seems like such a "live right here in this moment" kind of activity...I have no idea why I put it off for so long. 

I packed a very small box of watercolor paints, some brushes and a pad of paper and took them along on this journey. 

Just be quiet and reverent.

Right there.

On the beach.

Put water to paper.

Add paint and watch it work.

So as it turns out, the water in the Sea of Cortez doesn't make me a better painter but it does lend itself quite nicely to water coloring in general. I sat right here and painted for a couple of hours and it was just as divine as I imagined it would be.

 

 Joal snagged cups of ocean water for me as needed and I sloshed paint about happily. It made for a quiet and restful, restorative day on the beach.

Ironically enough, I was so busy painting, I totally neglected to take a picture. 

I was totally caught up.

Which was kind of the point...but I do wish I had photos of it all.

Later in the evening, we went back to our room and I sat on the balcony (fifth floor) and painted up the last of the paper with the last of the ocean water. Next time I won't bother packing all the paints--just the blues and greens and I will take a ton more paper. I could have painted every day. 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no real capturing of the true beauty of the ocean and the beach. You never do it justice. Only catch a momentary glimpse.

It's ever changing.

And enchanting above all else.

It's life.

I Like the Sound of That

While Rascal Flats doesn't strike a chord with me very often, I do like this song--I thinks it's well-written and I like its little twists and turns. I mean how often does Justin Timberlake get a mention in a country song, right?

The premise of the song makes me smile so, of course, I made my own list of sounds associated with my love and turned it into a scrapbook page.  And it was a good spot to use this photo that I really like (in theory) despite its less-than-lovely composition. It was taken while we were in Cabo. Joal was leading a Sunday morning worship hour for our traveling companions and I was a really lazy photographer that day. 

 

One design note...this is a totally random occurrence but interesting, nonetheless. Three of the cards that I used to surround the photo came from the Project Life Honey Edition Core Kit designed by Lori Whitlock. And in a totally random twist, the wood grain arrow paper on the right border, which I think is reminiscent of the guitar, is a sheet from the All About a Boy line by Echo Park, also designed by Lori Whitlock!! 

She's a pretty busy scrapbook gal... Lori Whitlock! 

 

Happy Scrapping!

--Sarah 

Scrapbooking with Stampin' Up!

Over the years I have been a little frustrated from time to time with the almost-complete lack of emphasis that Stampin' Up! has placed on stamping in scrapbooking. I don't understand it. If you conduct a Google search for Stampin' Up! scrapbook pages you will be rewarded with a bunch of pages that don't tell stories and generally are pretty but don't actually have actual photos.

A year or two ago, Stampin' Up! teamed up with Becky Higgins to create a few Project Life items for Stampin' Up!--an encouraging move that did bring a little bit of scrapbooking to the Stampin' Up! Army.

To me, a scrapbook page needs to tell a story. 

When I was a SU demonstrator, I wrote a blog called "Stamp Your Story"...that's how much I believe in this concept. In the years since, Hero Arts has taken up the Stamp Your Story mantle as well.

Renown scrapbooking enthusiast, Stacy Julian was recently quoted on a ScrapGals podcast as saying "I'd rather have stories without photos than photos without stories." I agree with her 100 percent!

It's the story that must be preserved.
The photos are just supporting evidence.

Finally, a few weeks ago I came to realize *why* I think Stampin' Up! does not fully embrace stamping in your scrapbook as extensively as I wish they would--the reason is very simple.

Completion. 

With card-making (Stampin' Up!'s biggest section), the process of creating a beautiful card--from the moment you cut the base to the moment it's ready to go into an envelope, is not (or doesn't have to be) a long process. We all know that there's a certain amount of gratification that comes with completing a project in a few minutes and knowing that very soon someone you love (like?) will be enjoying your creation.

I think, by and large, card-makers have gotten hooked on that gratification so much that they see completing a scrapbook page as a process that takes too long and may not be enjoyed by anyone else for a while. A scrapbook page usually does take longer to complete. There are more steps to the process and more elements to include. And the "canvas" is usually larger.

Just a note: you will never see scrapbook pages on my blog without photos. I don't believe in those. A scrapbook page is a personal creation and while I've done my fair share of those go-to-a-class-make-a-page-for-later deals, I now know that most often, they never get completed.  They become drawer dwellers.

In Sarah's world, a scrapbook page consists of four elements:

a story (the details you can't derive from just looking at the photo)

a title

a photo or two or three

a bit of creative embellishment

Please note that "the story" doesn't have to be some emotionally-charge, uber-observational, over-analyzed, life-altering, 8000 word essay on the meaning of life. While there may be a time and place for those pages,  "the story" can be simply dates and places, and other basic details.

With this in mind, I'm going to transfer some of the scrapbook pages I have completed for the old blog (from a few years back) to this one in order to attempt to get all my stuff together in one place. (It's been a few years, so some of the products will be retired.)

Happy stamping and scrapbooking!

--Sarah

The Basics of Scrapbooking with Stampin' Up! Part Two

This article originally appeared on my blog "Stamp Your Story" in July 2011

In February, after being a scrapbooker for more than 15 years, I became a demonstrator with Stampin' Up! (You probably knew this already.) :) Since the scrapbook stores in our area are all more than an hour away from me, I needed a new source for paper and supplies and one of the fantastic things about Stampin' Up! is that it's *the scrapbook store that comes to your door*. 

Since then, I have been completely impressed--blown away, in fact--with the calibur of the handmade greeting cards that I've found on blogs and in online galleries created with Stampin' Up! products. Stampin' Up! people are the masters at card-making. 

Scrapbooking, however, seems to take a back seat. I have searched and searched for Stampin' Up!-based blogs and crafters who are passionate about scrapbooking and have come up short. It's a little bit disappointing to read time and time again -- "I'm a Stampin' Up! demonstrator but I'm not really into scrapbooking." or "I only demonstrate 6x6 mini-pages when my customers ask for them--and we don't use actual photos." 

What?! How can that be?

Scrapbooking utilizes all the *same* tools and techniques as cardmaking. Stampin' Up! offers fabulous tools and papers perfect for scrapbooking...so I do *not* understand the disconnect. If you can do it on a card, you can do it in a scrapbook.

Nonetheless, here we are. So, I'm embarking on a mission to prove that Stampin' Up! is for *real* scrapbookers. :)

Let's start at the beginning. If you are like most folks, you take pictures with some regularity, probably with a digital camera or even perhaps on your cell phone. You show them off to family and friends occasionally, but rarely print them. When you do finally edit them, upload them to a printing site or service and order them, you wait for them to arrive, then you glance through them once or twice and then set them aside. They sit in a shoebox or a drawer for a little too long...they stack up. You wonder what to do with them. They pile up. The pile gets a little daunting or perhaps even intimidating.

Your last vacation, your wedding, your child's birth, your mom's 50th birthday, your sister's graduation from college...all these memories, just sitting in a drawer, shoe box or worse, the printer's envelopes. Unused, unenjoyed, unloved and cluttering up your space.

Guess what. This is completely normal. 
And very easy to remedy.

What you need is an easy system for organizing the photos that you want to keep, a way to get them into a format that will allow them to be enjoyed, and a place to document the stories you want to remember that go with them. Sounds like a chore? No way. Trust me, this is easy...and that pile of photos can be transformed into something you can enjoy looking at and sharing with your family and friends, with just a little bit of effort and the right supplies.

Welcome to scrapbooking with Stampin' Up!

Scrapbooking has been around for many years. Thousands. From Aristotle and Cicero in the late 1500s to President Thomas Jefferson, scrapbooking--the art of preserving tidbits and "life evidence" has been a part of almost all civilized cultures. It's definately not a new thing. You've heard of Mark Twain? He dedicated entire Sundays throughout his life to the art of scrapbooking. 

It seems that throughout history, people have held close an innate desire to not be forgotten...to have their legacy remain after they are gone. Scrapbooking is but one way to preserve your stories and memories, your adventures, you life lessons, your achievements. Don't underestimate the value of your life story to those who come along after you are gone. 

Imagine what the world would be if Anne Frank hadn't kept a diary? 

Modern scrapbooking has risen in popularity as a hobby in the past two, perhaps three decades and with just a few tools and supplies, you can easily create your own scrapbook of treasured memories and photos. Stampin' Up! is the perfect resource for the supplies and tools that you'll need. If you have a history as a stamper and/or a card-maker (as so many people who love Stampin' Up! do), you probably already have many of the tools and skills needed to become a delighted scrapbooker...you just need a tiny bit of instruction and some time to expand your playing field.

All photos have one thing in common--they must be taken care of and stored properly to enjoy a long life. We are lucky to live in a technological era that makes taking snapshots oh-so-easy and inexpensive! Keeping your photos safe is not difficult.  Stampin' Up! offers products that are safe for your photos and will enhance your creative expression as you preserve your memories in your scrapbook.

Typically, a scrapbook page is comprised of three major elements--

the photo(s), 
the journaling (the title and the story), 
and the decorative elements (embellishments). 

When you've completed the assembling of the three major elements, you may choose to store your scrapbook pages in an album or have them framed for display. 

Whether you are facing down fifty years worth of photos or you've just started taking pictures, there's only one way to do this: pick a place to start and jump in with both feet. Take a deep breath and start with a step-by-step method that will help you create a scrapbook page or spread!

STEP ONE
Select a group of 1-5 photos that you want to work with...perhaps a birthday or other event. Consider the story you want to tell using these photos. Maybe it's obvious, (like the celebration of a birthday) or maybe not. Either way is appropriate. The number one rule of scrapbooking is this: *your scrapbook, your choice*.

Seriously, if you have a single photo that you love, why not scrapbook it? There is no edict from on high that demands that every scrapbook page you create must have 3 photos on it. If one photo speaks to you...go with it! The right picture can certainly stand alone, just like a painting in a museum...remember, no rules!

For this project, I'm choosing a set of 5 photos from a trip to the beach that I took with my boys earlier in the year. As it worked out, we spent my youngest son's 8th birthday on a beach in South Carolina. It was early in March, so we had the whole beach to ourselves and it was a wonderful day. Not quite the usual birthday for an 8 year old...but a fantastic one, nonetheless.

I actually took about 80 photos on the beach that day and printed most of them. (I adore beach photos.) One of the easiest ways to become accomplished at scrapbooking is to get past the *must scrapbook every photo* mindset. Pick the best photos...the ones that speak to you, the ones that really tell the story and develop your plan for scrapbooking around those. The remainder can be stored easily in pages designed to preserve and protect, for easy enjoyment, along with your scrapbook pages.

Could I use all 80 of those photos in a scrapbook dedicated to one day on the beach? 
Well, of course. 
But do I really want to? 
No. 
That would be super time-consuming and could get expensive. I'm not up for that...but I do love the pictures...so I will scrapbook a few and store the rest, photo-album style.

Much of scrapbooking is about chooosing what suits you and what appeals to your sense of style. I may make three or four pages about our trip to the beach...on the other hand, you might choose to make a whole 20-page album that documents one vacation trip or event. It's good to have choices!

Remember the rule: Your Scrapbook, Your Choice!

Especially if you are just getting started with the whole "scrapbooking thing", choose pictures that you really really like, as you'll very likely find them easier to scrapbook. Photos you like give you pages you like.

You will notice that most modern scrapbookers work with albums that hold pages that are 12x12. Since most photos printed are 4x6, this size works well. Stampin' Up! offer several varieties of scrapbook albums in the 12x12 size (the internal pages are 12x12), as well as 6x6, 8x8 and 8.5x11. Select a size that works for your project.

STEP TWO
Choose a focal point. Usually this is pretty easy...and with a little bit of practice, you'll be able to do this without even thinking about it. 

Which photo stands out?
Which photo most captures the story you want to tell through this scrapbook page or spread? 

Answer these questions and you have your focal point.

STEP THREE
The most common supply you will use is paper! For the most part, scrapbook papers fall into two categories: solid color cardstock and patterned papers. Stampin' Up! offers a wide selection of both! Enjoy the process of choosing papers...there are many many styles and designs to choose from! 

For my project, I selected 2 pieces of 12x12 cardstock in the pale yellow color--So Saffron--as the base of my pages. I plan to use the photos (uncut) spread across the two pages, along with some embellishments (decorative themed elements) as well as the journaling. I like the "sunny" color and the subtle texture that this particular paper offers.

Don't let the many paper options overwhelm you as you get started. Choosing paper will get easier as you get more practiced at scrapbooking. 

When choosing paper, quality is important. You will notice that some papers are a heavier weight than others, some papers have texture and some are smooth.

STEP FOUR
What are you going to use to hold it all together? I bet you noticed...We need an adhesive to put it all together!

Stampin' Up! offers several styles of adhesive including a tape dispenser called Snail, which happens to be my adhesive of choice. Picking one that works for you is part personal preference, part job-specific choice. Your Stampin' Up! demonstrator can help you choose if you need project-specific advice.

STEP FIVE
Arrangement. Arranging the elements of the page in a visually-appealing way is the big trick. Are there photos that you really want to feature prominently in the page? Consider enlarging that photo or matting it with a special color to draw the eye to it first. 

Do you prefer clean, balanced lines? Or are you drawn in by a less formal, more whimsical look? Do you prefer that all the photos are the same size or do you want to adjust the size of some? (That's called "cropping", by the way.)

Finding what arrangements appeal to your eye takes a little bit of time and whole lot of experimentation. Take your time. If you see something that's appealing on a website or in the Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog, by all means, copy it! 

STEP SIX
Embellishments and decorative elements can add a spark of creative play to your pages. Decorating with papers, stamps, ribbons, brads, tags, punches, paints...and a thousand other possibilities is what keeps a scrapbook from being a photo album. Just like you probably don't have only white blank walls in your house...you probably don't want them in your scrapbook.

Stampin' Up! has taught many many people to be super creative card-makers over the years. It's those same products, techniques and tools that you can use to bring decorative elements and spicy fun to your scrapbook pages.

I selected to create several suns, using a circle punch and the Petite Pennant Builder Punch for this layout. Nothing says "beach day" like a sun right? I stamped some surf boards for a little pop of bolder colors. 

Did you notice how easily the embellishments on this *scrapbook page* could become a card?

STEP SIX B
In the selection of decorative elements for your page, you may also choose to incorporate a title. Stampin' Up! offers multitudes of products to help you create an eye-catching title for your page, including alpha dies, alpha stamps, chipboard letters, alphabet stickers, rub-ons, etc. Dress your title up or down, make it big or go smaller. 

In my experience, choosing a catchy title is one of the easiest ways to make a page really jump out to those who will view your pages. Look for ways to create a little intrigue, rather than going for the obvious. One of my favorite tricks for great titling--song titles! 

For the title of this layout, I chose to go with die-cut letters--the Simple Things alphabet.

STEP SEVEN
Journaling is the telling of the story of the photos. In some ways, scrapbookers are like journalists in that they record the details of the stories as a way of preserving them. You can start any page with the basics of who, what, when, where and why...but don't be afraid to continue with the deeper story or the story that might not be so obvious in the photos. 

You may choose to write the journaling by hand directly on your scrapbook page or print it using a computer and add it to your page. There's no *correct* or *incorrect* way. This is your scrapbook--do what feels most comfortable for you. Incidentally, you don't have to commit to just hand-writing or just computer-generated printing. Try both! 

Stampin' Up! offers tools for journaling. (Shocking--right?) Pens are perfect for journaling in a coordinating color. Some of our stamps offer a lined image portion that can easily aid you in keeping your handwriting in a lined up fashion. If you prefer to use a computer, our cardstocks can be used in conjunction with most printers.

I chose to print my story on a die-cut (from the Top Note die).

I've included the journaling at Step Seven because for most people, the process of scrapbooking begins with photo selection, moves through the choices of paper and decorative element selection and finally ends with the writing of the story. However, for some, the process can just as easily work in reverse. Don't be afraid to experiment. If there's a story you want to tell, do the journaling and see where it leads you with regard to photo selection and adding decorative elements. Using photos to illustrate a story is just as much "scrapbooking" as any other step-by-step process. The final product is a scrapbook page or layout that you love...that's the goal.

STEP EIGHT
Assembly. Once you have all the elements arranged in a way that appeals to you, make a permanent commitment to it and build your page by attaching all the elements.

FINALLY
Ask anyone who's been scrapbooking for more than about a day and they will tell you that you will evole as a scrapbooker. As you learn new techniques and come across new products to incorporate into your pages, your style will change and develop. *That's a good thing.* Do what makes you happy on your pages. Use photos that speak to you and tell your stories, even if they aren't perfect. Most importantly, keep learning about your craft. Keep having fun scrapbooking with Stampin' Up!

At some point in the process of scrapbooking, you may want to get all your photos organized. If you have a large number of photos...or a large number of boxes of photos...I *don't* recommend doing any organizing before you actually start scrapbooking--I've seen too many people get completely overwhelmed by the daunting task of *getting all caught up* and it can be paralyzing. Keep a narrow focus...one group of photos at a time.

Scrapbooking should be a fun hobby--something you can enjoy the process of, not just the final product of.

Happy Scrapbooking!
--Sarah