How I Started Scrapbooking

by Joe Morgan
(Ohio, USA)

Joe & Elphaba

I started scrapbooking in early 2009, but have been collecting supplies and memorabilia for at least 3 years. It started with my attraction to rubber stamping and the urge to make my own Christmas cards. While browsing for stamps, I started seeing all the cool scrapbook papers and supplies. After that I started thinking about all the cool artsy things I could make, so I started buying supplies I liked.

About three years ago, I began to save ticket stubs, playbills, and pamphlets with scrapbooking in mind. Now I have a huge file cabinet drawer full of stuff that will end up in scrapbooks someday.

In early 2009, a friend invited us to a monthly crop at a woman’s home who sold Creative Memories products. So we packed up our supplies and spent the day cropping. My partner and I had gone on a cruise in November of 2008, so I made that my first scrapbook. The first few pages started off kind of basic, but as you work your way through the book, the pages look better and better.

My second (and current) project is an 8x8 book about my three year old cat, Elphaba. I am still working on that one. When I finish it, I am going to make a book just for Halloween. I am going to put several years in one book. I plan to put the year on each page, and then just add a page or two every year.

I haven’t been to any crops other than the one I started at, but I have gone to a couple of holiday card make & takes at one of our local scrapbook stores. I think that a couple of the things I like the most about scrapbooking are the huge amount of supplies & techniques available, and also the fact that there is no right & wrong – so you can be as creative or simple as you want to be.

See Joe's winning layout here!