Thank You's long over due.

My last two blogs have expressed my delight at scrapbooking again. I think I realize why. Today as I was scrapping yet another page (that's a book and 2 pages done in a week). To some hardcore scrapper's that may not seem like much, but for me it's alot. You see for me scrapbooking means so much more than just a pretty book for my grandchildren to see, there is a meaning deeper and more important. This is my history of scrapbooking story.

I can still remember the first time I sat down at a table to scrapbook I had nothing....no bag, scissors, paper, stickies....nothing. I was invinted to join J and L. J had invited me and asked me to "just bring a couple of pictures and we'll show you what to do." I just kept saying I didn't have the money to start a new hobby...or a hobby at all. I went, at that time in my life I didn't say no to J about anything, anyway there the 3 of us were sitting at J's dinning room table I watched them for a long while and knew I was sunk. I watched them use paper stickers cutters and other various utensils to create beautiful pages wrapped around a few carefully chosen pictures. I fumbled around borrowing everything from them and making a lot of mistakes (I actually cut a picture into a circle using scissors) I laugh now but that was what I knew then. When the evening was over and I went home I mentally compared my page to thiers all the way home. My didn't quiet cut the cheese. It was elementary compared to the finished product they had produced. However something amazing did come out of the evening....I was hooked. The very next week I took $100.00 and went to the scrapbook store, the only one at the time, and bought all the "basics" or what I was instructed were the basics. I then went home in a frenzy and started going through photos and pushing out pages. When I look back at them now I think they are still very juvenile in style, but I was progressing. Every week or so I would purchase more paper or stickers or a new cutter of some sort, just things I would see in the store and think I would put to good use. I was scrapping almost every night after I put my daughter to bed, and sometimes when during the day when the "housewife" duties were done. I thought that was it I was a scrapbooker.

J and I had a falling out as most everyone in my life does and she was gone. I no longer had any one to share my thoughts and finished products with. I'm not sure how much time went by, or how exactly it happened, but L and I became really good friends. Better than good....great. She introduced me to what I personally think is the true reason and possible the best thing about scrapbooking altogether. L taught me about scrapbooking with friends. I'm not sure what exactly to call it there are a lot of names for different examples of this gathering, but the first few time's we did this was truly a magical experience for me, one I have yet to thank her for. The "gathering's" went as follows. We would decide who's house to overtake for the evening. Then someone would bring creamer and someone would bring a fun snack (usually something with chocolate) something we would never normally sit around eating. Then we would pack up all of our supplies in our bag(s), part of the basics. We would converge on the chosen location start the coffee and open the snacks. Pull out the project or project(s), as was the case more often than not with L, and the fun began. The coffee flowed like rain in the summer in kansas, as did the conversation, the chocolaty snack's the laughs. I was something unexplainable....it was a moment in time when we were exactly where we wanted to be. We would talk about everything and anything. It was.....magical truly magical. For awhile, I'm unsure how long it went on like this just the two of us enjoying these female bonding experiences exchanging ideas and giving critics on pages. It was perfect.

I remember the night T and I were dupped into scrapping together, L has since told me she didn't do it on purpose, I think otherwise. Whatever the case this would prove to be another milestone in my scrapping history. You see T and I were not really friends. Any way we showed up at L's and did what women do in these situations. We didn't talk to each other, we both spoke to L and we both would make comments and add what we chose into the conversation, but I don't recall ever really speaking to each other that first night. The next time we got together it was at T's house L called to invite me, I was hesitant, "are you sure she wanted to invite me"? L assured me it was fine and I should just come and scrap. I was new to this community scrapp gathering thing....and I loved it, and any way my moma taught me how to behave even when in a situation of tension. So I went. It was a wonderful time my pages were coming along beautifully and with the extra input I was growing confidence and priceless expertise from more experienced, and more talented women than myself. It was a great time we all took turn's it became something we did every couple of weeks or so. It was a given that we would get together and scrap it was just a matter of when where what. A friendship began to bloom between T and I we lived in the same town so even when we all couldn't get together T and I would and it was once again a magical experience.

T is one of the most influential people as far as my scrapbook creativity, and technique goes. She taught me the fundamental basics, the basic do's and don'ts. It's sad to say, but you can tell when we began scrapping together just by looking at my books. My work become's more creative, more embelleshed, more mature. I learned more than I thought possible just by watching her work and playing with whatever new toy or tool she had purchased. I don't think I would own an eyelet tool today if not for her. How sad would that be. She taught me to expand my thinking. It doesn't always have to match. Always matte your pictures. Inking is proof the gods love us and want us to be happy. You can never have to many buttons. Life without ribbon isn't worth living. Mini albums can be fun. If they have pretty scrapbooks to pass down generation after generation the kids don't need to go to college. When in doubt buy the paper in every color. The internet is a great sorce of ideas. Scrap lifting is ok just put your own spin on it, and give credit where credit is due.

During my divorce I didn't scrap at all....not at all. I was depressed and I had broken ties with T and L. I didn't have that female bonding experience to lean on and enjoy. The magic was lost. I was also busy trying to create my life from nothing, and therefore mentally spent. There were no creative juices. And therefore I just let it lie....for months....then a year. Then T and I found our way back to one another. Or she found me or I found her, I'm sure i'm romantisizing it a bit, but the point is we eventually found our way back to scrapping together. I was so excited that first time. This out of everything I had lost in the divorce was what I had missed the most. This was the reason I wanted to scrap so bad again. I wanted the flowing of conversation and coffee and ideas and critics. It was wonderfull.

I am sure some of you are wondering what the point of all this is....well here you go. T and I no longer talk and no longer scrap together. L has been out of my life for a long while now. I didn't scrap for a long time after T and I had our falling out. I just kept thinking something was missing it wasn't right to just sit and scrap by oneself. In actuality I have come full circle. I started scrapping by myself, and I have recently learned I can do it still. I don't have to have the "gathering" to scrapbook. It makes the experience much more fun and it is a magical experience that I would encourage any woman to enjoy. It isnt the only way to do it though. I once thought all my creativity was derived from the women around me. That like a coven of witch's we gained creative ability from the "gathering". I have recently discovered, I can be creative by myself, and I can scrap beautiful pages even with out input and commarderie.

I will never forget my history of scrapbooking and I will always remember the feeling of magic that was in the room during those perfect evenings. I have never thanked these women all three of them for nurturing me and my creativity for taking the time to show me I was capable of something meaningfull and beautifull. For letting me glue the mistakes down before telling me what the problem was so I would learn the joy of undo. I have found my own style or am finding it. I have found my own passion and desire to scrap and had it not been for these women I would never have even know it was there.

I thank you all J, L, T. For the introduction the conversation the coffee the input the use of tools, paper, cutting utensils, and so many more thing's I am forgetting. I have a way of self expression I wouldn't have without you. Thank you all for the individual and important way you have brought me to a place where I am confident, passionate, and driven enough to scrap by myself and in some way's for myself. I would love to have the magically moments back and someday perhaps we can all have a "gathering" together again. Until then I wish all of you beautifull pages, endless stickies, perfect measuring, flowing creativity, and most importantly wild abandon with your craft. I have and always will be a little piece of all of you and in a way a 4 dimensional walking talking tribute to you and your ability to pass on a truly great and wonderous gift. I will be a page you all collaberated on and if I do say so myself you did a beautifull job!