Oceans Apart......

I scrap. I stick photos onto bits of paper and add journalling and stuff, and put them into albums for my daughters to have when they are older. It's not rocket science, and frankly there are only so many ways you can lay out stuff on a piece of paper that's 12" x 12". I love my hobby, and hope that the pages that I create are appreciated by my family in times to come.

Quite simple, really.

Well you would think so.

I am also a member of two different crafting forums connected with the hobby. Sadly, over the past few weeks and months, I have discovered that actually there are two very different ways that you can view scrapbooking.

Take one of the forums: let's for the sake of argument call it the 'USA forum'. On the USA forum, there are lovely members, who take delight in people sharing their scrapbook pages, regardless of design skills or choice of photos or perceived 'talent'. They love it when someone makes a page and shares it in the gallery, and if they have an idea they share it. They regularly post pages, and then encourage others to take elements of that design and use it in their own pages. Their aim is to help people actually get their photos out of shoeboxes, and onto pages. They are all pleased whenever anyone takes up this hobby, in order that they too may leave special memories documented for their loved ones. I love these people, they are gentle and encouraging, and love to share.

Now, the other forum: let's call this one the UK forum. Altogether a very different place indeed. For a start, there are those who 'got in on the hobby at the start'. Obviously we have to bow to their superior knowledge and network of scrapping friends, for we mere mortals are not worthy of note as far as they are concerned. I have even seen one of these people start a thread along the lines of 'I am not happy at the number of people who are joining in with my hobby, I found it first'. What??????? Did they invent scrapbooking?? I rather think not. I have seen people apply to be on design teams for shops, and create a huge fuss when they are not picked, literally going on and on about it to anyone who will listen. I have seen people start complaining threads, saying that not enough people have posted flattering comments about the layouts that they have shared in their galleries. Er, HELLO, why are you scrapbooking???? I rather wonder.

I may not make the most inventive, technically brilliant or best-embellished pages that the world has ever seen. I may not have hundreds of simpering comments on the pages that I choose to share, telling me how fabulously talented I am, dahhling, but I can tell you this. I scrap, because I want to. I scrap because I love to be creative. I scrap because I want my daughters to know who they are, and where they come from, and perhaps even understand me a little better as they get older.

So, if you can't find me? I'll be talking with my friends in the USA. They celebrated independance from England yesterday, and frankly, I don't blame them.