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Scrap That Baby!

Baby Scrapbooking: 5 Tips for Creating the Perfect Scrapbook
By Linda Kerr

Although having a baby can be a shock to the system – all those dirty nappies, sleepless nights and bottle washing might not leave you with much time to make a scrapbook, it is something you really should consider. If you can take the time to document your child's life, he or she will be amazed to see what they used to look like.

#1 If you live in an area where baby scrapbooking classes are held, they are definitely worth a visit. Some speciality stores such as Archivers provide free classes

#2 Don't just begin your scrapbook with the birth of your baby, take photos of yourself whilst pregnant at baby showers and at hospital having a scan etc. You also might want to include photos of the doctors and nurses and ever fellow mothers

#3 Make sure you prepare well in advance so you don't end up rushing about trying to decide what papers and embellishments you want to buy. If you know the sex of your baby then you can decide on the colour scheme, otherwise choose neutral colors such as orange or yellow

#4 Keep a pocket diary or note book with you so that you can write down what happened in the day and how you felt. Make sure that you take note of their first words and when they first walked. A snipet of hair is also a nice touch

#5 The most important thing is that you actually make a scrapbook. If you feel that it will take too much effort then you can make life easier for yourself by buying a read-made baby themed book

Many people have the thought of creating a journal or scrapbook but then don't get round to doing it. Of course, they then regret it as their memories become hazy. Your book does not have to be perfect so don't worry if it's a bit rough round the edges. The most important element is conveying how you feel.

Struggling to come up with baby scrapbooking layout ideas? Too busy dealing with nappies and feeding? You can now create baby scrapbooking layouts easily with Scrapbook Baby Books.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Kerr
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Scrapbooking and The Law of Attraction

By Maureen Staiano

The Law of Attraction, its pretty much everywhere these days isn’t it? Once the creators of The Secret began showing up on Larry King and Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres it seemed as though it became the “hot” new thing to be involved in. That’s what The Secret is about, the law of attraction. Guess what? The law of attraction is not new. It has been around since the beginning of time and it has not been a secret. It has been operating in your life whether you have realized it or not.

The creator’s of The Secret were just brilliant in packaging it so that it would make an impact on the masses. Many others have been teaching it for years perhaps in just a less sensational way. It is a law just like gravity is a law. Not believing in it does not make it untrue.

With that in mind why not have some fun with it and just give it a try? According to the law of attraction what we put our focus and intention on is what shows up in our lives.

Even if you are a person who has not truly been aware of the law of attraction you may have seen it working first hand in your own life. Have you ever had a situation where you have been thinking of someone? You may not have seen or spoken to this person in a long time but for one reason or another they are on your mind. Not just a fleeting thought, something a little deeper so you have taken notice. Then shortly afterward either the phone rings or an e-mail shows up or a mutual friend mentions they saw this person. That in its simplest terms is the law of attraction at work.

I could go on and on but you get the drift. One of the things they suggested in The Secret was to create a dream board. In coaching we often call it a vision board. Whatever term you want to use it is basically a bulletin board or at the very least a poster board on which you have pinned, taped or glued pictures or items representing what you want to attract into your life.

What if you are a person who loves to demonstrate their creativity through scrapbooking? You already are extremely visual and know how to put together pleasing collages of things that are important to you. So perhaps instead of a dream board you could make a dream book with each page representing what you want to attract in different areas of you life.

You could have a page showing what your ultimate relationships would look like. Another one could represent your dream job. One page could bring to life what abundance is to you and how you want it to show up in your life. A page could be just devoted to the places you want to see in this world.

Think big. You already have a step up on many of us creating our vision boards, for you have been putting together mini boards for a long time. You have been creating pages memorializing the past. How about some beautiful pages of what you want to bring into your life today and in the future? Don’t let yourself be held back by any limiting beliefs. This is after all a dream book so let yourself go and dream big.

Once you have created your dream book keep it in a place that you can flip through it for a few minutes each day. That will keep the pictures of what you intend to attract into your life fresh and it will keep you energized. What you have pictured may not show up overnight but keep yourself open to what begins to be drawn to you.

Who knows, dream books may set off a whole new wave of scapbooking.

Maureen Staiano is a Life Coach specializing in working with midlife women and the unique challenges, opportunities and transitions we face in our lives. Please visit me: http://www.achieveyourdreamcoaching.com and receive your free copy of Building Better Confidence and Self-Esteem. Also please visit my blog http://www.mymidlifesafari.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maureen_Staiano
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A little levity

Editor's Note: This article was originally written for the Salt Lake Tribune, and we're posting it here on the NSA Voices blog because we believe that Linda Fantin (the author) makes a fantastic point about scrapbooking. The industry represents one aspect of scrapbooking, where the realities of our lives offer up very different subject matter.

Have scrapbookers cropped out their sense of humor?

It's time to bring a little levity to poker-faced pages

By Linda Fantin
The Salt Lake Tribune

Article Last Updated:11/12/2006 11:22:48 PM MST

Workshop x 'Revenge' page
    Materials: Patterned Paper by My Mind's Eye, flower by Bazzil, large brad by Imaginisce, alphabet tiles by Provo Craft, rub-ons by American Craft and parentheses by Around the Block.
   
    Congratulations to Cheryl Baase, winner of The Tribune's first - and possibly last - scrapbooking contest. The challenge was to create a scrapbook layout using an embarrassing school photo, and Baase's 12x12 page about her grandson's preschool graduation was colorful, simple and funny, the best of the entries. All six of them.

    I could blame the poor response on inadequate advertising, except that the contest was posted on Web sites and in newsletters that reach thousands of scrapbookers nationwide.

    It's true that getting published in a newspaper is no big deal to scrappers aiming for Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame status. On the flipside, the $100 cash prize, four times the typical reward in retailer-sponsored contests, should have been an adequate incentive.

    And so, dear people, I have concluded that the reason our contest was such a flop is simply that scrapbookers have misplaced their sense of humor amid a smothering sense of possibility.

    Walk into any scrapbook store and you'll see what I mean. The place contains all the drollery of Deseret Book.
    When it comes to inspiration, scrapbookers often are at the mercy of suppliers who are stuck in an obvious rut. What product designers lack in originality, they make up for in volume, cranking out stamps and stickers and metal tags and ribbon and zipper pulls and key tags filled with the same uplifting commands.

    Hope. Dream. Believe. Aspire. Trust. Create. Cherish. Share. Reminisce. Discover. Succeed. Live. Laugh. Love. And, my ironic favorite: Imagine.

    Just once, I'd like to pick up a sheet of rub-ons and read the language of my life: Procrastinate. Gossip. Leftovers. Truthiness. Comfy Pants. Overdraft Protection.

    Or pick up a quote book that doesn't contain Abraham Lincoln's saying: "All I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother."

    I'm all for citing Lincoln on liberty, but when it comes to dear old mom, I prefer Stewie Griffin from The Family Guy.
    "Hello, mother. I come bearing a gift. I'll give you a hint. It's in my diaper and it's not a toaster."

    Religious figures are a fine reference for scrapbookers, but so is Homer Simpson.
    "I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman."

    On family matters, it's hard to argue with the LDS Church slogan "Family. It's about Time."

    Or with Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons: "Families are about love overcoming emotional torture."

    You'd think scrapbookers would have a more developed sense of humor given how often we are ridiculed. My all-time favorite is a hilarious story from "The Onion." The 2004 parody, which panned the sugar-sweet, censored nature of scrapbooking, was headlined "Local Woman's Life Looks Bearable In Scrapbook."

    It reminds me of a recent conversation with Making Memories spokeswoman Kelly Mooney who told me that a few years ago the company was planning a farcical Web site, http://www.fakingmemories. com, to poke fun at the industry. It even made a $15,000 commercial for it.

    "At the time, the industry was too serious to get by with it," Mooney said.
    This, by the way, is the same industry that makes millions of dollars from glue dots and squiggly scissors and painted paper clips. Scrapbooking isn't Life's Little Instruction Book, a confessional or an homage to eternal optimism. It's about reflection and capturing moments and avoiding housework.

    And if the "industry" was smart, it would see that humor and optimism are fashionable again. Programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are household names. A mockumentary, "Borat," just debuted No. 1 at the box office. And the Democrats have taken back Congress.

    So here's my challenge to scrapbookers: Go ahead and have your Elizabeth Barrett Browning. But make room for a little Voltaire. In the French philosopher's words: "All styles are good except the tiresome kind."
    ---

A story sometimes needs to be told.

Editors Note: Wanda Santiago is an NSA member and a long time, well-known scrapbooker in the online community.  She has shared many personal stories in her projects - this is one we have received permission to reprint from her blog.

I have wanted to record this story so my kids will have a legacy of all that makes our life. I want to honor this man I love so much not only with words but celebrating him. He is such a wonderful person and sometimes that gets lost in traslation. The story you are about to read is true and at the time it was a changing force in our lives.

I have always loved Jose but after this day I not only loved him I learned that love can conquer all. Twenty three years ago our lives changed forever and to this day I have not been able to sit down to write what happened that day. The experience while it made us stronger almost took you away from me and it is hard for me to think about this and be calm about it. I was pregnant with Giovanni on April 3, 1983 we had just found out and while you were happy about this, Nyome was only six months old and you were concerned about me not being strong enough. I think we now laugh at that but at the time it was a real concern. The day started as any Sunday in our house bottles breakfast and the usual running around. You had some coffee but you were not hungry enough to eat so you left to go visit your Mom. She lived up the street so if I needed you all I had to do was send Joey to get you. I remember the sound that ripped my heart in two and lives in my memory forever.

I was sitting down giving Nyome her lunch and as usual she was not to happy about it. All of the sudden I hear the sound of bullets being fired. I remembered you told me never go out when you hear that noise, but something told me I had too and I told Joey to stay with the baby and I ran out in my house dress and sandals to see what was going on. I can’t really explain with words the impact of what I saw and how it changed my life forever. I lost my innocence in that one moment when I saw you trying to stand up your shirt full of blood and people yelling you had been shot by a drive by shooter. I ran to you as fast as I could and held you in my arms and started yelling for someone to bring a car so we could take you to the Hospital. I remember that trip so vividly you were lying down in the back seat trying to calm me down I could see the blood in your face in your stomach and in your legs. I was not sure how many times you had been shot but you kept telling me to be calm that everything was going to be ok. I tried I really tried, you asked me to make sure they did not take your boots because they were your only pair of boots. I promised I would make sure no one stole your boots. These are the things I remember  - the doctors taking you in the emergency room and starting to cut off your clothes and take off your boots.

They ran with you to the x-ray room and I was not allowed there because of my pregnancy. I stood at the door and watched while you were bleeding out your kidney and they debated if the bullet that had hit your face was in your brain because they could not find an exit wound. I could see you had a tube going out that was filling with your blood but you never lost your consciousness. A surgeon came in and started looking at your face and saw a small little hole right next to your nose and said this is the exit wound let get this guy to surgery. I remember as they wheeled you out of there you grabbed my arm and asked me for Joey and I said he is home with my Mom don’t worry. You said I love you and I just wanted to cry but I remembered I needed to be strong then you said where are my boots and I ran to see the orderly and asked for your boots. The guy said you were going to die anyway what was the point. I said he asked for them I guess he needs them. I got the boots and ran to the surgery floor and the longest hours of my life were about to begin.

You had suffered multiple gunshots to your leg, your back, and your face. The bullet that entered through your back traveled all around before it exited out of you body. You lost your left kidney and you had five perforations in your stomach, duodenum, and colon transversal. The surgeons came out when they could not save your kidney and told me right now it a 20/80 chance he will make it. I looked at him and said oh he will make it he needs his boots. Those boots that I held in my lap for more than 12 hours while they tried to repair your broken body. They came out again to tell me they could not do anything with the bullets in you leg because it would do more damage than good so the shattered bones would have to heal with the bullets inside of you. When the surgery was over you were put in intensive care and I could only see you for ten minutes everyday. You were connected to machines and you had a colostomy, you had a cast in you leg and your face was a little bruised. You were alive and that was all that mattered.

I would go home and pray that you would make it through the night. One night you stopped breathing and they had no idea what was going on. You were gone for a minute or so and I was home on my knees praying for a miracle at that time. You came back and after that two days later you were allowed to be out of intensive care and in a regular room. We spent the next month and a half in the hospital you could not eat or drink for a long time. You had to get used to the colostomy and I slept on a chair next to you almost every night. I have no idea who took care of the kids I needed to be with you. All I could think about was he needs to get stronger we need to get out of here.

I left one day to see the kids and get some clothes for you the doctors had been talking about letting you go home. I wanted to make sure I had your clothes, we had to move to my mothers house so I could take care of you since you could not work. We could not afford to live in the house we rented. The doctors where worried about my pregnancy but I was stubborn and would not leave. When I came back happy at the thought of bringing you home the surgeon was coming out of your room with this face that made my world stop. He said to me that there was a problem with your colostomy they thought your intestines were dying and you had necrosis inside. I just looked at him and said we need a second opinion. I don’t know where I got the courage to be so strong and advocate for you but I did. The baby inside of me was suffering enough I was not going to lose his father because someone was making a wrong diagnosis. They came into the room with a team and started talking like we were not there. I said hey we are both here and we are not stupid will you please talk to us.

One of the surgeon was arguing that what happened was when they did the colostomy they had hurt a small blood vessel and the blood stopped flowing so you developed a piece of skin that had died but that everything else was fine. The others thought you had necrosis and you would not survive more than 36 hours. The surgeon then took the bag away from your colostomy took a bottle of distilled water and started cleaning you and the piece of dead skin fell of and the other surgeons just stood there and watched.

Two days later we where sent home and our lives would change forever. Crutches, colostomy bags, adhesives and cleaning supplies became a normal part of our lives. Dr’s appointments, and late night massaging you knees and calf because the pain was so horrible and you could not bend your knee. I remember sitting on the floor and massaging you for hours. Until the knee started moving and bending some. I was getting big with child and we needed to find a place to live. I would go to the government offices and wait hours to see someone to talk about an apartment.

In October finally when I though I would have the baby living at my mother’s house we got the apartment and moved. I remember those stairs that fourth floor apartment and no elevator and not being able to help during the move. Giovanni was born and three months later we went to my grandfathers church to present him to God and the congregation. I wanted to remember that day forever and I took these photos of you holding Giovanni and that look on his face that reminded us of all the suffering he had while he was inside me. He was your boy everywhere you went he wanted to be with you. I remember he refused to take bottles so you would take him and bring him back so I could feed him and then off you two went. I think that is when he started smiling, when you showered him with attention.

I found these photos I taught I had lost when we moved to Wisconsin and I could remember so clearly why these photos where so important they show a boy with his father but they don’t tell the tale of how we almost lost you. I wanted that to be a part of the book of our lives. The good the bad and the ugly is what makes us what we are today. It is hard for people to understand why we had two more kids after that but you wanted eight my compromise was five. I look at our family and realize twenty three years ago if I had not listened to my heart you might not be here today and the photos that are part of this collage would never exist. I don’t want to dwell on what happened we have moved on but I want our kids to remember that everyday we have with you is a blessing that we should never take for granted. I have always loved you 33 years and counting and to me that day we became one. Everyday I thank God he let you stay with us. I don’t know what my life would be without you. You are not perfect but you are perfect for me and that is all that matters. As our kids get older the story might not be remembered but now it will live on. Not to dwell but to celebrate that you are not a victim you are a SURVIVOR.

Events happened April 3,1983; the Journaling August 25, 2006. The layout is a collage of my kids our grandson and a 23 year old photo that means so much to me. I am glad I have a way to capture these memories.

They Call Me Tatoo Mary

Editor's Note:  NSA member Mary has taken it upon herself to open new doors in the scrapbooking world with her online group and blog. She has quite a story to share, and her article is thought-provoking and enlightening in several different directions of thought.

If you told me a couple of years ago that I would end up an avid and passionate scrapbooker, I would have laughed you out of town. I have always been against anything mainstream, of the establishment, politically correct, and definitely not agreeable with anything cute or craftsy. I have always identified myself as an artist, although as of 2 years ago my creative expression had laid dormant for a number of years. 

My 17 year old step daughter and 10 year old daughter somehow discovered scrapbooking and had fallen under the spell of the trend. I had been financing their new hobby for a few months, actively encouraging them to not only express themselves, but also to pursue this thing that brought the two of them closer as sisters. One day after a trip to Michael's for scrapbook supplies I was watching them dive into their new goodies. I said to them, "I want to try and make just one page..." I put together a 12x12 layout about my garden. Even as I was creating this first project, I realized that something inside of myself had been awakened and that this was the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

 

Let me backtrack a little...before I began to scrapbook, before my artistic expression had taken on this new direction, I had been struggling with trying to find success in recovery from chemical dependence - unsuccessfuly. I had tried for years to make it work and failed time and time again. Through this odyssey I had suffered great loss in my life, including custody of my daughter. All of the sacrifices, all of the guilt, all of the shame - it made me a very depressed person. I was no longer able to be the woman I set out to be. I was not capable of achieving goals I set out for myself. I found myself emotionally paralyzed and spiritually bankrupt. I felt hopeless and unable to bring myself up out of the void my life was in.

 

My husband and I relocated and put our family back together. After countless failed attempts I achieved sobriety, finally, and actually had some momentum going with it for the first time. We regained custody of our children and put a life together for us all. We were blessed with another child, a son Cody, who is now just over 3 years old. All of this, the miracle of us being given a second chance, was wonderful. I thank God on a daily basis for giving me back my family and my good health. But still I felt as though something was missing. I still had this emptiness inside of me that I didn't think I could do anything about.

 

Scrapbooking turned out to be the missing piece of the puzzle that I had been seeking for so very long. I had not realized that by ignoring the artist in myself, I was not bringing all of myself into the recovery process. I saw that I needed to replace all the negative energy that consumed my life for so long with something that I could be passionate about - something that could give me a natural high.

 

I went into scrapbooking so wholeheartedly and with so much passion that it was a complete turnaround for me. I discovered a couple of online scrapbooking communities and joined them. I made friends - healthy, sober, productive,and supportive friends - and created a whole social life for myself which was an intregal part in my getting a healthier lifestyle. Instead of seeking different anti-depressants to try and fix my state of mind, I started seeking new and exciting art supplies and scrapbooking materials to stock my studio. For the first time in years I was truly passionate about something that was just for myself, and that was a healthy outlet. Instead of napping the afternoons away, I scrapped them away, only stopping because the kids were home from school and I had family responsibilities to attend to. And then after the children went to bed at night I would resume where I had left off, making page after page, commemorating and honoring everything which was dear to my life through this paper art.

 

After a while, and much web surfing, I realized what a subculture this whole thing was! I discovered other forms of paper art, like collage, artist trading cards, assemblage, and altered art. I dove right into it all, with glee, and haven't looked back ever since!!

 

Professionally, I am a tattoo artist, and I am  amidst putting an effort into melding the two. I want to bring my artistic influences from tattooing into my paper art, which is very challenging and such a unique concept. Right now, this is what is on my mind.

I love scrapbooking because it is such a multi-media art form. You are free to use anything and everything at all on your layouts - no real rules! I like that the use of memorabiliaia can be such a strong part of it. Along with that, the whole concept of scrapbooking - of recording your stories and memories - has been so incredibly theraputic for me. I have been able to turn a painful and turbulent part of my life into a beautiful form of art. Through my quest for recovery, I have gained a lot of insight and wisdom. I have often felt that I was compelled to share it with the world, in the hopes of being able to help others to ease their suffering and help them find peace with themselves through the recovery process. This medium is the perfect forum for that! Along with my passion for scrapbooking I have also formed a Yahoo group called Outlaw Scrappers, which is a group of scrapbookers who doesn't neccessarily fit within the "norm" of the average light hearted paper crafter. It is an oasis for those who seek a safe and trusting environment in which to freely express themselves. Tolerance and acceptance is my motto at Outlaw Scrappers. I have started a blog which I am delving into all of this as well. I really want to reach people, and after 2 years of exploring scrapbooking and paper art, I feel that I am comfortable enough with myself and strong enough in my convictions to really make a difference out there - somehow, some way.

Scrapbooking definitely changed my life in a very true sense. I have rediscovered myself, become empowered with my newfound confidence and creativity, and expanded my horizons in countless ways. In reaching my true self, and finding this way to make myself feel whole, I have become a better mother , a better partner, a better person. The positivity that consumes me now is intoxicating. The self confidence that has come into me has effected everyone around me, most especially my family. I am so thankful to have been able to find myslef through this art form. I am so grateful to have gained so many wonderful friends through this journey. And I am very glad to be here, telling my story.

Rock Isn't Just for Teens

Editor's Note:  NSA member Courtney combines her two passions, scrapbooking and rock concerts. Many of us loved rock concerts when we were kids but couldn't imagine carrying that passion into present time. Here is an article and project talking about enjoying a bit of "headbanging" into adulthood.

So as far back as I can remember, music has always been a part of my life. I love music. I have always had the radio playing in the background whether I was reading, studying, playing cards etc. It never interfered with whatever I was doing but was just that constant security blanket with me. As I got older I found I love live music, rock concerts to be more exact. There is something about being in a venue with the music pumping and the lights flashing, living and breathing the music. Music is a living thing and to really experience it, you must experience it live. About 10 years ago I made the transition from photographing soccer on the National level to photographing rock bands. I started out small with a few national acts that allowed me to shoot their shows. Slowly my list of bands grew that allowed me to shoot and I launched my own music website. The website gave me the opportunity to shoot my favorite bands as well as other bands and to also give me an outlet for my writing. I started scrapbooking way before I photographed bands but I was always giving away my books as I made them for soccer players. When I started shooting bands, I starting to make scrapbooks for me. Sometimes the pages make it into my books and sometimes they just get framed and hung up on my wall! Music is a visual experience as much as it is an auditory experience and with scrapbooking I can express myself more in depth.

 

To me music is also about balance in my life. Even though in a way having this website it's like having another job, being out in a venue seeing a band perform gives me balance. My job that is my career is a stressful one and this calms me down. I know many would say that being in a venue with loud music would just give them more stress but not me. Saving lives and dealing with sick children is stress for me. I'm a pediatric operating room nurse and if I didn't have my music and scrapbooking, I would burn out. Scrapping my concerts gives me cool down time at home which is needed with this hectic lifestyle! So as far back as I can remember, music has always been a part of my life. I love music. I have always had the radio playing in the background whether I was reading, studying, playing cards etc. It never interfered with whatever I was doing but was just that constant security blanket with me. As I got older I found I love live music, rock concerts to be more exact. There is something about being in a venue with the music pumping and the lights flashing, living and breathing the music. Music is a living thing and to really experience it, you must experience it live. About 10 years ago I made the transition from photographing soccer on the National level to photographing rock bands. I started out small with a few national acts that allowed me to shoot their shows. Slowly my list of bands grew that allowed me to shoot and I launched my own music website, earplugsrequired.com . The website gave me the opportunity to shoot my favorite bands as well as other bands and to also give me an outlet for my writing. I started scrapbooking way before I photographed bands but I was always giving away my books as I made them for soccer players. When I started shooting bands, I starting to make scrapbooks for me. Sometimes the pages make it into my books and sometimes they just get framed and hung up on my wall! Music is a visual experience as much as it is an auditory experience and with scrapbooking I can express myself more in depth.

 

To me music is also about balance in my life. Even though in a way having this website it's like having another job, being out in a venue seeing a band perform gives me balance. My job that is my career is a stressful one and this calms me down. I know many would say that being in a venue with loud music would just give them more stress but not me. Saving lives and dealing with sick children is stress for me. I'm a pediatric operating room nurse and if I didn't have my music and scrapbooking, I would burn out. Scrapping my concerts gives me cool down time at home which is needed with this hectic lifestyle!

 

Come See What We Can Do!

Mom and Dad, but Not Together

Editor's Note: NSA member Lori wanted to document her parents' divorce in her 'Book of Me' scrapbooking project.  BOM's are very important as most scrapbookers are not predominantly featured in their other books/collections since they are typically the ones taking the pictures!  Remember, no scrapbook collection is complete without the story of the scrapbooker him/herself.

I can only remember bits and pieces. I was around 10 or 11 years old, fixing to go into middle school when the bomb hit. Dad moved out; Mom, Joey and I stayed in the house. I was so lost. They never fought or yelled. Was it my fault? Did I do something wrong? Where’s my Daddy?

As time went on, we visited Dad at least every weekend. I missed him so much. He was My Daddy and I was his little girl. I remember being so mad at mom one day that I called Dad to come pick me up so I could go live with him. I recall standing in the driveway waiting for him to pull up. Mom came outside and we talked, then dad came and we all talked. Mom asked me to choose. I was so mad, how could I choose, these are both my parents. I decided to stay with Mom. But now in the back of my mind what would have become of me if I went that day with dad? Where would I be at now? Would I still have met up with Fred? I am so glad I am on the road I am on now. I can’t imagine a life with out Fred and now Lauren. When Fred and I got married, I made a vow to myself to never do that to my kids.

You know there are not all bad things with divorce. Good things come out of it too. I have a large family now. I have a Step dad, step mom, half brother, a stepbrother and stepsister. I am not lost anymore. I have a family that stands behind me 100% and they all love me!

I love this picture of them together.

I can now stand tall and look at this picture with a proud heart and not a broken one.

Imperfect Families

Editor's Note: NSA member Linda contributed story of growing up in a dysfunctional family. People who scrapbook choose to handle such situations in different ways when telling their own stories.

 

I am so glad that having a perfect childhood or family is not a prerequisite for
scrapbooking my memories. In fact, many of us never would create the first page in an
album if a flawless family history were a requirement. Most families have members who
are either mentally challenged, emotionally ill, on the wrong side of the law, or just
absent. So how does one create scrapbooks that are honest yet not so blatantly negative
that the scrapbooker seems cold and bitter? How does the scrapbooker create layouts that
are "All About Me" when she/he would rather forget?

Like me, many children are reared in homes with alcoholics. The rules of 'don't trust,
don't talk, and don't feel' are taught early and strictly enforced. Children learn to keep
their feelings hidden to the point that the alcoholism isn't even discussed between the
family members in the home. It's as if there is an elephant under the rug that everyone
sees and walks around but no one mentions. The family's attempt to ignore the situation
causes children to question their comprehension. They ask silently, "Am I the only one
who sees what's going on?" or "Maybe I'm the one with the problem." Children from
dysfunctional families carry these hidden rules into adulthood. The journaling or telling
of the family's history is neglected and often forbidden.

In creating my scrapbook pages I have decided to journal truthfully. Through my
journaling my descendants will understand that even though my childhood was difficult I
had a mother who loved me. They will gain knowledge of how alcoholism affected our
family. I believe as a scrapbooker I can document my family's history in such a way to
tell our story honestly without prejudicing the reader.

I encourage scrapbookers with difficult family histories to write their stories; however,
they need to be aware that recalling old memories may create stress and/or depression.
They may find the need to discuss these feelings with friends or health care professionals.
I wish them well as they document their lives, past and present.

Life Isn't a Fairytale by Shauna

Editor's Note: NSA member Shauna shares her challenging story about surviving with cancer and how she scrapbooks to make sure her children and extended family know all about her with whatever might come.

Cancer sucks. There's no doubt about it. There isn't any way to say it nicely. Or even easily. The words don't roll off my tongue voluntarily. I have to force them out. Each time I say it, I can hardly believe it. It's hard to accept. I have cancer. It's true. Thinking or feeling otherwise doesn't change it. It's still there. No matter how hard I try and forget. I have cancer. Those three words have changed everything.

 

It's my new normal. If you can call it that. I can't change it. I can't control it. I can't make it all better. I can't pretend it didn't happen. I can't make it go away. I can't explain it away. I can't justify it. It just is. I just have to accept it and deal with it and live on the best i can. For my family and my children. I have to make the most of it, learn from it, become a better person because of it and fight like heck so I can be there for my two children as they grow up and experience what life has to offer. I don't want to miss a single moment. I want to be there when they get their first girlfriend/boyfriend. When they graduate from high school. When they go off to college. When they get their first job. When they get married and have kids. I want to see them win Olympic gold medals. And I want to be a grandmother. I want to live to be 90 and die of natural causes. Not cancer. Cancer sucks.

 

I also want them to grow up with a mother who loves and knows them like only a mother can. I can tell by just a look if they are coming down with something. If they are sad, happy, etc. I know them like I know my own heart. They are my heart. Everyone needs their mom, even when they are 40 years old like myself. I want them to feel my love and draw strength from it. To know I will always be there for them. In good times and bad. I want to nurture them, love them, care for them, protect them and inspire them to be great human beings. And I want to be there to see how they turn out. It's what I look forward to most. But it's possible i might not be there to see it. Because...I have stage 4 cancer. And cancer sucks.

 

There is no cure. Only hope that they will find one someday soon. Hope that the 3 days of chemothearpy every other week for 6-12 months to indefinately will manage the cancer. Hope that it doesn't grow back. Hope that I will win this fight and be in remission. Hope that I will live to see my children blossom into teenagers and adults.

 

So it's so important that I scrapbook for them today. I want to leave a piece of myself for them. So if and when I'm gone, they can look and read through their scrapbooks and know how much I love them, whether I'm here on this earth or not. I want them to know how I feel, what I think, what I'm like, what I love, and how very proud I am of them. I never want them to forget me and my love.

 

Cancer sucks, but life doesn't. Cancer actually has affected my life positively, if you can believe that. Had I not been diagnosed with cancer on June 10th, 2006, I would not have known the strength and love of my community -  from my family, friends, neighbors, children's school, my husband's and my work (Hot Off the Press), soccer teams, gymnastics/dance teams, supporters of the high school basketball team my husband coaches, the online scrapbook community (I have this amazing scrapbook full of strength and love from my online group "The Cropping Cactus"), to total strangers that read about me in the local paper or HOTP Inside Scoop, etc. I can honestly say I have a whole army behind my family and I, supporting us. Bringing us dinners, cleaning our house, calling, sending emails, cards, letters, organizing playdates, carpooling my kids and I (I can't drive during chemo weeks) to our various activities, sending gifts, giving pedicures and massages, scheduling movie night s, donating plants for the "healing garden" in our backyard, etc. I honestly find it very hard to feel sorry for myself when my family and I are being spoiled rotten to the core. Through and through. It's been nothing short of amazing. We appreciate it so much and are so very thankful and grateful and lucky. It's like I got cancer and won the lottery all in one day.

 

Through this experience I've learned a great deal. I've definately learned how to become a better friend and member of the community from the examples that are being shown to us. I've learned to not sweat the small stuff. It's not important. "Nothing is more important than this day" (My friend Paris Dukes gave me a bracelet that says that on it). I've learned to be thankful and happy for each day. To make and take time for the important things. To give more hugs and kisses. To tell everyone I love them on a daily basis. To talk on the phone more. To go on playdates with my friends. To slow down and enjoy the ride. To be more tolerable and patient. I've also learned how strong I am and can be. It hasn't been an easy summer. That's for sure. Our world was turned upside down in a day. Without warning. But I survived the summer and I'm doing well and tolerating the chemo and everyone tells me how great I look. I believe it has to do with all of the positive thoughts, wishes, praye rs, etc. that have come my way via the community. It gives me hope. I tuck them all into a little pocket of my heart and draw strength from them. I must have done something right in this lifetime to deserve the love and support I'm receiving. I am so thankful for it.

 

One thing I do have difficulty with is accepting help. I'm learning how to do that too. People want to help. They want to do something, to feel like they are making a difference. They care and want to show it. It's hard for me, an independent woman who is used to giving, to receive. But I'm working on it and it's making me a better person and in turn it's making my children better people too. Everyone around me is affected positively. It's quite extraordinary.

 

The cancer diagnosis has impacted my scrapbooking a well. Afterall, scrapbooking has been my job for the last 7 1/2 years. I'm on short term disability now and haven't worked since the week I was diagnosed. Everything happened so fast. I miss it so much. I have this need to create. I am full of ideas and need to get them out. I miss working with the new product and doing magazine work. I miss my co-workers.  I miss creating. I miss having assignments and deadlines. I miss the product development meetings. I miss it so much it hurts.

 

I've been journaling a lot since this all happened. It's so important to get the words down. Especially with 'chemo brain'. I've gotten so forgetful. I haven't been able to scrapbook yet due to a number of reasons. One being that my mom moved down from Seattle and into my studio while I was in the hospital for 13 days. When I came home from the hospital, my scrapbook stuff was now in my living room, in piles and boxes and cabinets. I had no idea where anything is. I'm a very organized person and feel the need to organize my stuff before I play. So I've been working a little bit on that each day, organizing my stuff into my living/dining room space along with my husband's office. It's taking a lot of creativity to make all of that work! In the process though, I'm touching all of my "stuff" and getting ideas and getting excited to play. I can't wait. I've been doing a lot of shopping too!!! Another reason I haven't scrapbooked yet is that the chemo knocks me out for the whole week and then I spend the next week trying to catch up before I have to do chemo again the following week! I basically have 2 weeks out of the month that I feel well enough and have the energy to accomplish things. I need to move scrapbooking up on my priority list!

 

I expect that my style might change some due to those circumstances. I'm a very detailed, involved, product oriented scrapbooker. I'm guessing that with less time and energy I will become more of a simple scrapbooker, spending less time on pages and adding more journaling. Because like I mentioned before, the words are what I want to leave behind for my children. I want them to hear my voice along with the photos (I also am letting others take the photos so I'm actually in some photos now). One thing chemo and the menopause (forced at age 40 due to a total hysterectemy) has done is give me insomnia! So I keep a booklight by my bed and journal down all my thoughts and ideas and page titles and quotes etc. as they strike me in the middle of the night!

 

I'm also keeping a journal for each child where I write to them nightly/daily and they have the opportunity to respond to me in the journal. This is difficult for them to go through at their age (11 & 7) and having them have a safe place to record their thoughts, feelings or ask questions of me, is very important. We've tried so hard not to disrupt their lives, but how can it not?

 

So as you can see, I'm not "living happily everafter" like the fairytale I had planned in my head, but I am "living" and I'm "happy". It's hard. Don't get me wrong. Cancer sucks. But like in the fairytales, you've gotta kiss a lot of frogs before you get to your happy ending. Cancer is just one of my "frogs". My life is now a "fractured fairytale".

Scrapping the Unconventional

Editor's Note: Contributed by NSA member Cheri, she describes coming to grips with changes we all go through in life...getting older.

Got Ink?

I created my first “scrapbook” when I was about 10. It was filled with stupid notes from my friends, movie stubs, popped balloons from a party and the paper blow-out portion of a party favor. There wasn’t a single picture in it! But I think back to that silly scrapbook, long since gone from moving, and it takes me back to age 10 and that wonderful slumber party. I have lost touch with all the other girls that were there, but I still smile and giggle when I think back to that silly Saturday night.

And isn’t that the point of scrapbooking, anyway? The memories?
I love to scrap just about anything. I've scrapped everything from my children's hospital bracelets to a piece of linoleum from my grandpa's basement. I think it helps keep those great memories vivid in your mind and provides wonderful stories with visuals. It's a great way to reflect on a moment in time and provides reminders of why you wanted to preserve it to begin with.

Which is exactly why I wanted to document the event of my very first (and likely only) tattoo. I really never imagined myself having a tattoo. Ever. When I told my husband I was contemplating a tattoo many months ago he laughed. He just figured I would never go through with it. I’m a big wimp when it comes to needles so he figured it was just a lot of talk. I didn’t have anything specific in mind. I was just tossing the idea around. And secretly, I thought maybe I was too “old”.

But at 41 I was having my own version of a mid-life crisis. I found myself making plans to fly off to “tropical Michigan” to meet internet friends in person. By myself. Then I hinted at the tattoo again with my husband. After almost 4 years of stressful personal struggles, I had a vision of what I wanted inked on my body. I still wasn’t entirely sure that I could go through with it so I made my friends promise me they would not let me back out. After I got through a small panic attack on the way there, we entered the tattoo shop and I knew this was it. It was a one-time event and I did not want to leave without pictures documenting each step of the process. It hurt as much as I imagined it would.

Click to enlarge photo

My mini mid-life crisis is over. For now. I have this single event scrapped and already in my album. I’ve looked at the layout everyday since I finished it and it makes me smile every time. It was something a little out of character for me. Something unconventional. An event I’m still trying to figure out how to tell my mother about.

Maybe I’ll just hand her my scrapbook.