Scrapbooking

http://leisurefocus.heinle.com/scrapbooking.html

The dictionary defines a scrapbook as "an empty book for collecting and preserving photographs, newspaper articles, and other papers." Today, scrapbooking is also a verb—and a popular new hobby. We talked with Diane Lucas, who runs a scrapbooking club.

What is scrapbooking exactly?
When I make a scrapbook page, I take a few of my family photos and put them into a "layout," which is a page that uses fancy paper, stickers, drawings, and words to show the theme. For example, I'm working on a page about my son called "First Day at School," so there's a photo of him and one of his drawings, and I decorated it with alphabet stickers. I use lots of things on my pages—ribbons, stickers, beads, and much more. When you make a scrapbook, you put words and pictures together to show the important times in your life. It's like a personal history.

How did you get started?
When I was a child, I always saved bits of paper. Things like movie tickets, vacation postcards, and even paper napkins. I loved looking at them and remembering. I made my first scrapbook ten years ago when my father died. When I looked through his desk, I found the most wonderful things—like my parents' anniversary cards and photos from his army days. I couldn't throw away anything, so I made two scrapbooks, one for my brother and one for me.

How do you learn about new scrapbooking techniques and trends?
The Internet is a great resource for new ideas. Many new "scrappers"—people who make scrapbooks—work from their computers, using digital photos and special software. But my favorite place to get new ideas is at scrapbooking trade shows. These shows feature new materials and techniques, offer workshops, and are a great way to meet people with the same interests.

Why is scrapbooking so popular these days?
I think people want to preserve their family history and display it for other people to see. When you make a scrapbook, you can pass the stories on to your children and your grandchildren. So many people today want to do that! In the U.S. alone, there are 2,500 LSS's (sorry, that's Local Scrapbooking Stores!) that sell paper and other supplies for scrapbooking. If you go online, you'll find scrapbooking websites from Norway, New Zealand, and South Africa. It's universal. We all have boxes of pictures and we all want to keep those precious memories. That's the real meaning of scrapbooking: sharing your family experiences and your story.