Monday, January 22, 2007

Scrapbooking

I started scrapbooking last year and made a gift to my MIL. I discovered that I really enjoyed donig it and regretted giving the book away. So, as a tradition, I decided to scrapbook every year. I collect photos over the year and organize them in monthly albums on an online photo webpage. The online photo services allow you to input descriptions and tags. So, I did just that. It is a good system because once I'm ready, I can send all the pictures for printing and they will arrive in the mail. I prefer matte to glossy type of paper.

I did buy some tools and experimented with them but I find that embossing or pattern punches are too restrictive. I get more uses out of styluses, patterned scissors and glue. I also happen to love ribbons and would buy them at sales. Finally I found a way to use them. I also love beads. All these really add to the dimension of the scrapbook.

Now, I wonder to myself ... why don't I save money and just do digital scrapbooking. Nah ... I think I like the feeling of working with my hands and being able to turn unattractive looking scraps of papers into something interesting.

Scrapbooking also opened my eyes to nature's beauty. Trees in silhoutte gives me inspiration to create a page with shadows. Large leaves with yellow spots inspire me to cut the ugly bright yellow paper into simple shapes but compiled into a pretty pattern. Flowers will never be the same. I think of ways to draw them or to use whatever scraps of papers I have to resemble them.

I like scrapbooking. Heh.

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