A fellow blogger posted this question over on the 2peas message board (thread is HERE). I thought I’d share my answer, well, on my blog! Here is what my answer was:
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I started my scrapbook blog over 3 years ago because I am truly obsessed with scrapbooking and I wanted someone to “talk to” who would understand. I have IRL friends who scrapbook but I only see them at crops every few months, and we talk about scrapbooking for hours while we scrap. But I got tired of holding all my good info for crops, LOL! DH calls it “crap-booking,” so you can see I get no support at home, lol …
So I started my blog as a place where I could write down all the thoughts I was having on the industry (which was much more hoppin’ and not quite so depressing at the time). I also wanted to share the deals I found, talk about SB events I went to, what was going on at my LSS’s (used to have 7, now have none), drool over new products, tell scrappers what TV shows and movies featured scrapping, etc.
About a year ago, I started incorporating my thoughts and experiences about being a scrapbook consultant, in the hopes that I can save others from making any mistakes I did, share what’s been successful for me, and again … drool over all the new products Also, I’m often asked questions about becoming a consultant and it’s nice to have one place I can refer people to for information.
Due to the economy, I’ve had to work a lot more hours and I don’t get to blog as much as I used to, and I REALLY REALLY miss it. I so enjoy the comments people leave … even just looking at my blog stats and seeing that people do read what I’m sharing. It makes me feel really good inside. I truly enjoy the exchanges I have there about scrapbooking and I think I’ll keep doing my blog forevah!
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So, why do YOU blog?
I just posted THIS over at the AMR MESSAGE BOARD, and thought I would post it here too, since so many of you use Blogger…..
Usually when I leave comments on your Blogger blogs, there is a row of little icons down at the bottom of the Comment form. I click on the WordPress icon, and my blog address will pop in after I type just a few characters. It saves me from having to type out my whole long blog addie. (I think one of the other options it gives you is Typepad). Lately, the last couple weeks I guess, every Blogger blog I’ve gone to, those icons are missing. On some, I click on the Open ID option, and WordPress is in the dropdown list. But on others, there is nothing. Did Blogger reset recently or something? I love to leave comments on blogs, but have given up on many lately because I don’t want to be “Anonymous” and then type in all my info separately, kwim?
Blogger Girlz, will you please enable your WordPress option so I can leave you some blog love? Thank you so much!
My buddy, EILEEN, left a fun comment on my UPDATES post the other day. I wanted to respond to it by way of writing this new post. What’s weird was, I went to go copy/paste her comment into this post….and it was GONE! Snikees! Wassup with that noise??!? See, this happened about a month ago too, when my girl DREA left a fun comment on a post and then **poof** it disappeared. I think she didn’t believe me (L☺L), but she was kind enough to leave another comment to replace the poofed one. And now this with Eileen’s comment. Not only am I wonderin’ what happened to those two comments, I’m wonderin’ if other comments have disappeared too?? So, if you’ve ever left a comment here (which wasn’t p*rn spam, LOL), and it disappeared, please don’t think I deleted it. I very rarely delete comments. I even keep most of the ones that are mean or make me look stoopid (NOT a difficult thang to do). I figure if I can dish it out, I’d better be able to take it…
Luckily, I have my blog set up to e-mail all comments to me so I don’t really think I’ve missed any. I was able to restore Eileen’s comment to the proper post. And here is the part I wanted to quote from it:
“I love it when you get wordy. I need the updates…otherwise I think you’re bored with us and I couldn’t stand it if you quit posting! I think I’ll go get wordy myself! {{{hugs}}}”
So, Eileen (and all you dear readers), I wanted to assure you that I could NEVER EVER get bored with you, nor could I EVER quit posting. Shutting me up would be as impossible as getting Nicole Richie to eat a Subway sandwich! Just NOT…GONNA…HAPPEN. I’m far too opinionated and far too obsessed with scrapbooking to be silent. Viva la Scrapbook Obsession!
My favorite part of writing the blog, other than venting and enabling, is reading the comments you all leave. Speaking of “obsessions,” it’s quite embarrassing to realize the number of times per day I check my Dashboard to see if any new comments have been left on my posts! Yep, my favorite addictions: Diet Coke, Starbucks, scrapbooking, and Checking Blog Comments. So, PLEASE keep them coming and know how much you’re making my day whenever you stop by and say Hey.
The reason for the longer pauses between my posts lately? Well, beginning September 1, I went back to work full-time. Kicking and screaming, but I did it. And, in the ultimate display of rudeness ever witnessed, my new employer does not let me use the internet at work – to surf, to post, or to contribute to time suckage in any way. I’m left to surf on my iPhone during my lunch hour and after work at the gym (recumbent bikes are one of the greatest inventions ever!). In other words, I lurk in and out all day, but just don’t have the time to post like I used to. I try to log on at night, but most nights, these dogs are barkin’ and it’s all I can do to watch some Reality TV before falling asleep.
Thank you for understanding, for putting me in your feed or stopping by once in a while, and for taking the time to leave comments. Unless I win the Lotto, tip a Brinks truck, or become a highly-paid surrogate mother anytime soon, my full-time job is here to stay. But don’t worry, Eileen, I can still get wordy with the best of ‘em! Wait until you see my next post….
Isn’t this a gorgeous card? Well, the quality of the photo is my fault, but the card itself is lovely. It arrived in the mail the other day from KELLIANNIE whom I know from CKMB and the AMR message board. Her title, in fact, at AMR is “Queen Card Designer” and she constantly inspires us with her beautiful card designs. Miss Kelli has even posted a card-making TUTORIAL on her blog to help us neophytes who can’t design our way out of a paper bag (um, that would be ME, by the way!). I think she could sell these babies and make a nice scrapbook budget, don’t you?
Here is an awesome layout from Kelli, that was part of her non-HOF entry, LOL. Isn’t she a cutie?:
She even has really cool music on her blog (another DMB fan, yahoo!) so go check it out; it’s called YARD SALE KIND OF LUCK. And THANK YOU FOR THE CARD, KELLI! You made my day :)
I wanted to share this awesome scrap room with you. Someone posted it on CKMB, which led me to BENITA’s GALLERY at 2peas, which led me to her BLOG. Having posted pics of my own space several times, can I say this: I wish people who leave comments would take more care in how they say, “Man, you have too much stuff!”. I think how much each scrapper has is dependent on a lot of things, and I’ll use myself as an example:
~ Amount of disposable income
I used to spend, maybe $100-150 per month on scrap supplies when I worked full time. We made a very nice living and we could afford it. Believe me, DH would not have let me go overboard because it IS a luxury, not a necessity. Now that I work part-time, I spend whatever I can make with Memory Works. It creates a lot of extra work for me, but I can spend on scrap supplies guilt-free!
~ Level of interest in scrapbooking vs. other hobbies
Scrapping is it for me. I used to make jewelry, but have gotten rid of most of my tools and beads. I don’t knit, don’t read as much as I used to (scrapping now!), don’t buy a lot of DVD’s or music, etc.
~ How well you shop
I am a DEAL shopper! I use every single 40% and 50% off coupon I can find, wait for sales to buy things, buy from the Target and Mike’s dollar spots, use my LSS punch card for “free” purchases, look for good deals on HSN/QVC, etc. I use 40% coupons to buy Stacks ~ $20 minus $8 = $12, for 180 papers, that’s only 7 cents/sheet, what a steal. I don’t internet shop if I have to pay too much extra for shipping and try to buy during free shipping specials. If I order something for myself from Memory Works, I wait til I can combine it with a customer’s order to share shipping. It takes more time and effort, but now that I work less and make less money, what I’m rich in is time. I’m going to Target weekly anyway, and ~nice~ Mike’s is right next door. No gas money wasted.
~ Accepting free scrap stuff
I love freebies and have never turned away a free scrap product. I happen to have some very generous scrappers in my circle. They have very specific styles or don’t like “repeats” whereas I could care less ~ I love it all! If it’s something I won’t use, I stash it for my kids to make cards or to give to the school. I’ve seen “scraps” thrown away at my crops that are, like, 1/2 sheets of perfectly beautiful Scenic Route cardstock PP. I save that stuff and it does get used. But it makes my stash bigger than yours. I got TONS of free stuff from the CKU’s, bus shopping trips, and cruise I went on (and I say FREE meaning I only paid hundreds or thousands of dollar on the event to get it for free, lol). Again, my mom scraps 8.5×11, so she has handed me several 12×12 albums from events, papers she didn’t care for, and lots of embellies!
~ Being a consultant
Many of us are consultants for scrapbook companies and have to keep things in stock. I have several containers of stuff for sale. But if you looked in my scrap room, you’d assume it was mine.
~ How you choose to spend your disposable income
I don’t get my hair or nails done, don’t spend a lot of money on clothes (luvin Old Navy and Target), don’t need the latest gadget (no iPod here and my cell phone is 3 or 4 years old), don’t download music, don’t take vacations (we’re homebodies), don’t have expensive camera equipment, don’t go to pro sports, don’t belong to a gym (wait, I probably should!), etc. I mean, this is pretty much IT. By choice, because it’s what I love to do. There are months we’re totally broke and I buy nothing.
~ How long you’ve been scrapping
I’ve been scrapbooking for I guess about 5 years now. Of course I’m going to have more than someone who started 2 years ago.
So, there you go, there are lots of reasons why some scrappers have more “stuff” than others. I don’t think it’s fair to say someone’s area looks like “a store! can I come shop there?”, just because they have it well organized. And to question does someone really have time to do all the stuff they say, if they spend so much time in their scrap area. I mean, that would hurt my feelings to be questioned like that. I looked at Benita’s blog, and she seems to live a pretty full life to me.
I look at LOTS of scrap spaces that are posted online, and usually try to read the comments left by others. The comments on Benita’s room are pretty representative of what is usually said. I remember the one awhile back about someone’s gorgeous Scrap Cottage got a lot of doosies! Maybe it’s misguided jealousy, or misunderstanding, or a misguided attempt at a compliment. All of this said, I don’t think people INTEND to be hurtful, I really don’t. But I just wish we would be more considerate of each other when we post comments on each other’s spaces. How about, “I love the way you…” or “Where did you purchase that great …?” or “Excellent job organizing” (and leave off “All that gobs and gobs of stuff you have!”), LOL. Didn’t mean to make an example of Benita, but she is just the latest one I’ve seen where she posted her room to share her creative space with others, and gets comment after comment about “all your stuff”. Please put yourself in the person’s place and imagine how you would feel (um…defensive? hurt?). I think this is just one more area where we can be more supportive of each other instead of (accidentally) tearing each other down. What do you think?
