Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Scrapbooking: Finding a new perspective

Sometimes we get discouraged as bloggers. I've been feeling this way recently and haven't blogged for a couple of weeks as a result. Sometimes it's hard to judge the response that you will get for publishing a post, or whether you will get any response at all. I apologize in advance if this post seems somewhat gloomy, but I'll try to end on a positive note. Lately, I've been feeling overwhelmed by craft things. There's just so much. Pinterest, social media, product shopping- all of these are online just to start with- and then when you actually craft something, the amount of supplies is just unfathomable. 

Why can't we simplify? The variety in craft products available is in a way, crossing the line from memory-making to cold consumerism. Why do we really need a million different letter stickers to tell a story? Granted, I love scrapbooking and craft supplies just as much as the next crafter/blogger, but at the moment it's rather overwhelming. It's not fun anymore. I need to find a new perspective, a new way to create, one without that doesn't leave me feeling stressed that I didn't use enough supplies, or the "right" ones, or just that I didn't complete enough. This being said, I'm going to try and find a simplified approach to scrapbooking.

I decided to just order some of my photos from Snapfish, rather than spending hours editing them on the computer and printing them in varying sizes at home. 4 x 6 prints will still tell my story. Katie has been telling me about Project Life and while I like the idea, even it requires MORE supplies, more consumption. I want to use what I have without stress. So, here's to trying a minimalist approach. One where I scrapbook just to tell a story. I'm no longer going to be so concerned with creating a "trendy piece of art." I'm going to try and find the purpose of scrapbooking again.

Has anyone else felt this way recently or at some other point? What's your stress-free scrapbook style?
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1 comment:

  1. I totally know how you feel! I love scrapbooking, but I feel like too many new products come out way too fast! I want to buy all the newest paper lines, but I'm on a strict budget and I can't afford to do it. It's so hard when everyone seems to have it all! But to be honest, I see women all over the Internet confessing that they've spent upwards of $500 in the past month on scrap supplies, justifying it by assuring everyone that they have no debt, the bills are paid, etc...or saying, embarrassed, that they hope their husband doesn't find out! And I realize that I don't need to or want to live like that. As long as I have supplies that I like, supplies I will use, I'm happy. There will literally always be something new out there that I want, but nothing I can't live without! The good thing about the fact that new lines hit the stores nearly every 3 months is that I know that by the time I can afford to make a purchase, there will be plenty on my wishlist. So please don't feel bad for feeling the way you do. I'm sure it's not just us, either--there are plenty of people who scrapbook gorgeous pages without the "latest and greatest", plenty of people on strict budgets that might not include much at all for craft supplies. Maybe they aren't as vocal about it, but I know they're out there.

    As for my scrapbook style, it's not totally stress-free. There are still days when I wish I had money for a big purchase of new supplies. But most of the time, here's what I do: I scrap 8.5x11 so I can use cheaper albums (just regular binders), cheaper page protectors (they're thinner, but still acid-free, etc, from Target--50 for less than $5), and get more out of each sheet of 12x12 paper. I print all my photos at 4x6 in big batches from Walgreens with a coupon. I'm working on using the paper I have before I buy any more, and I care more about whether or not I like something than whether or not it's current or trendy. And while the style of my actual pages does tend toward "trendy", I mostly use patterned paper, card stock, stamps, and washi tape. I don't think I've ever bought a pack of pre-made embellishments.

    I'm pretty sure this comment is about as long as your post, but I have a lot to say, apparently. Maybe I'll blog about this myself. Thank you for bringing it up, and good luck getting back into the scrapbooking groove!

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