Of Scrapbookers and National Craft Month

It's March!

For those of us stuck with short days and little sunlight, the clouds around our ankles and snow up to our necks, or swimming in the rain and blown along by the storms …

From where I'm sitting these are only slight exaggeration … so, I'm sorry, little sympathy for those of you who have hot sunny weather! Me jealous? Never … well a little … did it really show? Bears and birds have it right: winter's for hibernating or flying south! And just think what all that fasting or exercise would do for the waist girls! … and the hips … and … no I'll not go on, you get the point, I'm sure.

Anyway, I was about to say there's hope just around the corner. The long winter is drawing to an end and Spring will be here soon.

And it's National Craft Month …

Across the nation retailers are offering demonstrations, tips, projects and special offers, tempting people to join the phenomenon that's crafting today. And as eager scrapbookers it's the special offers we want to hear about. So pop into your local craft store and see what they are up to, or send the mouse over to JoAnn.com click here to see their special offers.

But let's not be mercenary. We have a wonderful craft in scrapbooking that many would like to learn, so why not take some time this month to introduce a friend to your favorite craft. If you don't know where to start have a look at our Getting Started page.

So why do we craft - or specifically why do we scrapbook?

If you were introducing someone to scrapbooking, what reasons would you give for why you scrapbook? To unwind? Because you love photography and want an interesting way to display your photos?

As Scrapbooking Gems is still very new, we are not accruing much mail from you yet, so for answers I've looked at various magazines and comments in the many forums around to find out why other people scrap. There are various ways to describe the same ideas and some are more eloquent than others, but the gist is the same. Here are some of the main reasons I found:

to relax, to unwind, to de-stress
I'm an artist at heart and scrapbooking combines the two loves of my life: craft and family
for posterity
for my kids
I want to record my family history, the past and the present, for the future

If for no other reason, it's worth talking to our friends about scrapbooking because so many folks are looking for ways to relax in our stressful modern society. As long as no one thinks they have to scrap every photograph they've ever taken, then they will find scrapbooking a wonderful way to relax while remembering the fun their families have had together, and creating something beautiful in the process.

Another example of when folks might want to scrapbook is following a bereavement. When you're ready, make a point of scrapping the positive times and it will be good therapy too.

That's not to say we should ignore other painful times in our lives, but sometimes extending forgiveness is the better healer for those circumstances. The person who chooses to forgive hands the guilty party over to God's judgment and frees herself to move on with life. There will be scars, but as on the rest of our body they will heal with time if we don't keep picking and poking at the wound.

So, who are you going to introduce to scrapbooking this National Craft Month? As keen scrapbookers, strengthen a friendship or build new ones as you introduce friends, kids, grankids to scrapbooking.

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