jenn mccabe

why i scrap

why i scrap
jenn mccabe, Jan 2, 2021
Description:
MOC Day 2 | Journaling: Why I Scrap?
(526 words)

MPM Create | Lilypad Designers
MPM Add on: Create Mini Sampler | Sahlin Studios
Yolo Mini Kit | Designed by Soco (solid white paper)
Imagine | Designed by Soco (heart enamel)
Listed Elements | Pink Reptile Designs (small circle stamp)
Get Your Read On Elements | Pink Reptile Designs (heart brad)
Happiness Stamps | Paislee Press (camera)
Making Waves | Elif Sahin Designs (splatter)
Us | Elif Sahin Designs (splatter)

not sure if mine is readable so here's the text:
I first heard about scrapbooking while pregnant with my first child back in 1999. I was always a creative person and loved anything crafty. Without hesitation, I ordered a huge scrapbook kit from QVC and tried to learn as much as I could about the hobby before my baby was born. I collected supplies and tools . I devoured scrapbooking magazines.

And then he came ... and I was too exhausted to even think about scrapbooking. I took tons of photos though, to record all those memories for the day when I would finally feel the energy to start. My second child came soon after my first, and I still hadn’t started scrapbooking yet. So I finally decided to just jump in and give it a try. With my first page, I was hooked despite the mess I created every time I made a page. I even dabbled in making scrapbooks for others and created a small hand made card business.

I enjoyed both the memory keeping aspect of the hobby and the creative outlet it gave me to express myself. Over time, that small handmade custom card business turned into a busy Etsy shop making felt accessories. I wholesaled around the world and couldn’t keep up with both the mess paper scrapping created and the mess my handmade business made. Something had to give ... and paper scrapping lost.

I still subscribed to scrapbooking magazines to feed my love the for the hobby. One day I came across an article on enhancing photos digitally - adding textures, words/word art, digital frames and selective coloring. It was a free class at a digital scrapbooking site so I signed right up. I meet a whole community of like minded people. People who were recording their memories digitally. I down loaded a trial of PSE and was amazed at what Photoshop Elements could do. I took a few classes in digital scrapbooking and it renewed my interest in the hobby as it was a way to create layouts again but without the mess. Pretty soon I was upgrading to the full version of Photoshop. I spread out to other digital communities and eventually settled down at TLP, my scrap home. I’ve never stopped scrapping since.

Some years I’m more productive .... and other years I can only scrap a little, but never-the-less I enjoy the hobby for so many reasons:

I love the way it makes me want to take photos and record our moments,

the way it helps me save those memories in a beatiful and shareable way,

the people I’ve meet along the way,

and how it gives me time to myself to just sit, relax, and create something.

I dabble in hybrid projects every now and then too .... mostly planners and pocket letter
exchanges. Creating hybrid projects allows me to return to the tactile pleasure of creating with real product. It’s still as messy as it ever was. So whether I’m creating in Photoshop digitally or making something with real paper and product, I scrapbook to capture memories and have a creative release. I love this hobby and can’t imagine my life without it.