One crafty hobby I haven't yet gotten into is scrapbooking. Right now, scrapbooking seems to be very trendy, but it's much more artsy than the simple photo album of yesteryear. There are so many trends in scrapbooking that just seem a little much to me—I have to admit, I don't get it. A whole page for a single photo, embellishments an inch thick, it all seems so excessive and in some cases downright funny looking. Now I've done cardmaking, and I was in yearbook all through high school, but I still don't understand how they come together.
So are you really putting these pages in books? Because they must be at least a foot thick! Is it still meant for preserving memories, or is it simply an art form? I'd especially like to ask Tessa of Perfectly Precocious, because even if they don't quite make sense to me, her pages are beautiful (and she reads my blog). I welcome any explanation of this hobby which is so common, yet so foreign to me. I really want to know, because it seems like scrapbooking is a lot of fun, if only I knew why.
LOL, love the post :).
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, to me, scrapbooking is about recording family and personal history. Second, and this is a close second, it is an art form, an expression of myself, and a creative process I love to get lost in after the daily routine of being a mom. I hope that my family looks back on my pages years from now, sees the effort I put in to each one, and can feel how much I love them in every bit of paper, paint, ink, and embellishment. Even if my children don't "get" a page, they know I spent the time to make it, and they love that. Does my husband care how I measured, painted, hand-sewed, fussy-cut, and made my own embellishments? No. He cares that I did it, and he is grateful for the creative record of our family.
In the past couple of years I've tried to scrapbook more of myself, including many topics that may seem off the wall. I want my future family to know the little things about me, too, not just what Christmas or birthdays looked like. The everyday stuff is important, also.
There are many different styles of scrapbooking and anyone's personal style will evolve. It's your layout, so if you want multiple photos, barely there embellishments, or a certain color palette, you can. The freedom to create whatever you choose is a wonderful feeling.
If you wanted to look into it more, I would suggest seeking out designer blogs like Ali Edwards or Stacy Julian. These two women have very different styles but their philosophies about being a life artist are very interesting. I'd look through galleries, too, like Studio Calico (http://studiocalico.com) or Scrapbook.com to find styles you like and don't care for. And next time you're in Lincoln come visit me and you can play in my scrap room.
Haha, I guess I have a lot to say about the subject :). I'm happy to answer any questions and take any criticisms you have :).