How did you start?

[gracielou]

I would love to know how you got started scrapping. Was it someone or some event that motivated you on this journey?

For me it was the birth of my first daughter. I had tried scrapping before that but it really clicked with me when she came along. My first scrapbook is so sad. I didn't know anything about archival safeness or anything like that. I used construction paper and cheap stuff I found around. I love seeing where I started from though to where I am now.
I am also so glad I started when I did because when my daughter was 15 months my first husband passed away and I was so glad I had all those memories preserved for her because she really wouldn't remember him. She still drags out those books and goes through them.That's when I realized the importance of what I was doing and it became more than just a hobby for me.

[nesser1981]

I had cheesy scrapbooks in high school. I used all those funky shaped scissors and stickers. That's how I scrapped until DD was born and I somehow managed to get really behind, when she was 18 months old, I had only scrapped about 4 months of her life.

I'd taken up signature making at ivillage when I was pregnant with Keira and I met a bunch of the girls that hang out here now, Katrina, Jac (Mrs_jb), Karrina, Jamie and I think there are a couple other girls too. Meridith Fenwick, we all use to do signatures together and I'd slowly started stockpiling digital stuff for siggy making for myself. Keira started daycare and they wanted a page for their wall of her family, so I decided I would make a page for that. Just an 8x10 and had it printed at walmart. I totally fell in love with how it looked. So I made the leap. And haven't looked back.

I scrapped 18 months of Keira's life in 6 months, I've learned to journal, which I didn't do much when I started, but I still like to scrap in order, I feel all out of sorts if I don't. I'm completely caught up through Feb. 2008, all my layouts printed, which I'm very happy about. I think I've done 12 shutterfly albums and tons of regular prints before I found shutterfly.

[nesser1981]

So sorry about your husband. She will treasure those photos. My dad died a month before I turned 3 and if it weren't for pictures, I don't know what I'd do. That's why I scrap too I think.

Originally Posted by gracielou

I would love to know how you got started scrapping. Was it someone or some event that motivated you on this journey?

For me it was the birth of my first daughter. I had tried scrapping before that but it really clicked with me when she came along. My first scrapbook is so sad. I didn't know anything about archival safeness or anything like that. I used construction paper and cheap stuff I found around. I love seeing where I started from though to where I am now.
I am also so glad I started when I did because when my daughter was 15 months my first husband passed away and I was so glad I had all those memories preserved for her because she really wouldn't remember him. She still drags out those books and goes through them.That's when I realized the importance of what I was doing and it became more than just a hobby for me.

[gracielou]

I too have to scrap in order. I am obsessive about keeping up. I get all off balance if I get really far behind. Crazy, I know!

[Becca Bonneville]

Originally Posted by nesser1981

I had cheesy scrapbooks in high school. I used all those funky shaped scissors and stickers. That's how I scrapped until DD was born and I somehow managed to get really behind, when she was 18 months old, I had only scrapped about 4 months of her life.

I'd taken up signature making at ivillage when I was pregnant with Keira and I met a bunch of the girls that hang out here now, Katrina, Jac (Mrs_jb), Karrina, Jamie and I think there are a couple other girls too. Meridith Fenwick, we all use to do signatures together and I'd slowly started stockpiling digital stuff for siggy making for myself. Keira started daycare and they wanted a page for their wall of her family, so I decided I would make a page for that. Just an 8x10 and had it printed at walmart. I totally fell in love with how it looked. So I made the leap. And haven't looked back.

I scrapped 18 months of Keira's life in 6 months, I've learned to journal, which I didn't do much when I started, but I still like to scrap in order, I feel all out of sorts if I don't. I'm completely caught up through Feb. 2008, all my layouts printed, which I'm very happy about. I think I've done 12 shutterfly albums and tons of regular prints before I found shutterfly.

I got more into digi scrap via siggy making too. It definitely gets you addicted to it all and you want to start doing more than just sigs.

[newfiemountiewife]

I started hoarding kits last January or so, then I started scrapping in June/July. I really didn't get into it until the Fall. I did make siggies with Vanessa, Karrina, Katrina, Jac, Meredith, Jenn, Rochelle, and a few others, and we all seemed to make the leap. I think for me it was the taking an hour to make a siggie for someone else to use for a brief period of time vs taking an hour and making a page for myself to keep forever. Because I didn't have much free time, I couldn't do both and had to make a decision. I can't imagine not scrapping anymore, it's become a part of my day.

[ZaCola3]

I also started out making Signature Tags...I started using a few scrapping supplies in my tags before I tried a template to make a page...and from then on I was hooked!
NSD will be my 1year anniversary!

[crecia27]

Good question! I was always one who swore I'd never do digi because I was on the computer all day at work. But I wanted to make a customized calendar for friends Christmas of 2005 - figured digital would be faster - and I don't think I've pulled out my paper stuff since!

[chloe]

That's interesting!

Amanda, I'm sorry about your husband, but I'm glad you could preserve those memories.

I started to get interested in something creative around the end of 2005, and from stamping to polymere clay, from photography to paper scrapbooking, I ended up downloading a trial version of PSP and started TDC's weekly workshop "A Chick's Life". Doing a LO every single week really got me hooked!

[ScrappinFlo]

Amanda, that was a special thing you did for your daughter. She will never forget about her father.

I started digiscrapping in 2006 when I had this grand idea to give DD's grandmas for Mother's Day a brag book of hers. This is before I discovered Shutterfly. I printed, cropped and arranged them in a 7 x 7 (I think) brag book from Creative Memories and gave them as present to all three grandmas.

I was never really a paper scrapper. I just couldn't get the hang of it for some reason. The odd thing was I was a die-hard Stampin' Up card maker. So go figure! LOL!

[joelsgirl]

So sorry that you lost your husband, Amanda. What a blessing that you have those memories preserved.

I made my first scrapbook in 8th grade (1990), because i used to love to look at my mom's yearbooks. I wanted to be sure I remembered what everyday life was like. It truly was a "scrap" book, because it has newspaper clippings and notes and movie tickets and all that good stuff.

I went the way of CM in 2001; discovered Simple Scrapbooks in 2002; from there I found 2Peas in July 2004, and at 2Peas I kept getting annoyed when I'd click on all these cute layouts and they'd be digital. I wish they'd get their own gallery, that's what I thought. lol And by the time 2Peas STARTED a digital gallery, I was posting in it.

i LOVE digi; I tried to do some paper pages last year, and I HATED it. I really like being able to change my paper ten times till I find the right fit and being able to recolor ribbon and make my own alpha.

[gracielou]

I was wondering if there were any CM starters here. I guess that is how I first heard of scrapbooking but I didn't really like the style. I was an independent consultant for "Close To MyHeart" for a couple years. I enjoyed all the new people I got to meet through it and was sad to let it go back in September but felt there was no since in keeping it up since I will never go back to all the paper and the cutting and the gluing now that I have my computer.

[MelissaL88]

You can count me as a CM starter, too. But, I have pulled apart all my early pages. They were truly dreadful All those funky shaped pictures and the stitckers...Oy!

Anyway, I started back in 2002, I think. A good friend invited me to a CM party. So, I played with paper (and not very succesfully) until Dec 2004, when I found Digital Scrapbooking 2 Magazine in a Michaels. I was HOOKED! I have been strictly digital over the last few years, until late last year when I got the bug to try hybrid. I will never go back to paper, but it is fun to do those mini albums from time-to-time.

[ashleyprugh]

i started with paper. lol. i look back at those and ew. but everyone loves my old paper layouts.
but i got into digi after i graduated high school. and had all of my graduation pictures. those layouts are LONG gone. though, i'm slowly redoing them. i stopped digital scrapbooking for a couple years. but, i got back into it a few months ago.

[pbumbaca]

WOW Amanda, that is so awesome that you have those memories of your first husband preserved for her! So sorry for your loss tho!

I too got started because I got invited to a CM party by a neighbor. I did a few pages but never really got into it. One day at work a girl who I barely knew had brought in her scrapbook for people to see, I saw it and asked if I could see it. Her pages were amazing. I asked her how she learned to do all that and where she got all the fun stuff because I had never seen any of it, she told me about Creating Keepsakes Magazine and the LSS. After that I was totally hooked, went to CKU a few months later and never looked back. Then when everyone was doing digi I swore I would never try it but I had to see what all the fuss was about. I did my first 3 pages on 12-30-04 so three and a half years ago. I am pretty glad I did now. I love it. I would never give up my paper scrapping but I love that I can do digi when I don't want to get everything out and make a mess!

[gracielou]

That's great that you still do both. Which do you think you do the most - paper or digi- or is it pretty equal?

[kscwgirl]

So sorry for your loss Amanda... but what a great thing for your daughter to have!!

I started sig tagging as well.. made the move in March of 07.

[Stacey42]

I did sigs as well, then a friend of mine on a mommy board showed us a couple digi layouts she had done. She shared the tutorial site with me and I have been digi scrapping ever since. That was Aug 2005.

I was never a paper scrapper. Scissors & I do not get along.

[rach3975]

I love reading about how people were drawn into digi. Amanda, I'm sorry about your husband, but it's so nice that you were able to preserve those memories to share with your daughter.

When DS was born, I got frustrated every time I printed photos because I couldn't record the story behind the photo or the milestone that I'd captured on camera. I saw some scrapbooking supplies at a local craft store and decided to give it a try. By my 2nd layout I'd done everything on the computer, printed the parts, cut and glued them on cardstock, and added a few purchased accents. This was March 2004, and a few days later I discovered Scrapbook Bytes and was hooked on digital.

[twentytinytoes]

I am so sorry for your loss, As Vanessa & Jamie said I also started with making sigs, then Vanessa started scrapping and always showed us her pages i loved them for a year before i finally got up the nerve to start. I've been scrapping ever since. (Jan 07)

[mrs_jb]

Well my stories been told, LOL! Started with sigs, and then after I went into business for myself, I stopped doing anything fun with PS, it was all work. Jamie drug me into digital scrapbooking over this passed winter and I'm SO glad she did!

[~Julie~]

I started making sig tags on my pregnancy board when I was pregnant with my youngest.

[tuneskids]

I started doing web page graphics and sig tags for my online friends. I do have a diploma in graphic design, but I only use it for personal use.
I stumbled upon scrapbooking stuff when I was looking for web graphics, and I kinda got hooked. I didn't really have the desire or the budget to do much - thankfully I met Kristin CB in a chat at SBB shortly after discovering it, and she motivated me to continue.
So if it weren't for Kristin, I wouldn't be here today. lol In more ways than one, since I probably wouldn't have found all you wonderful ladies if she weren't here!!

[momtoknjl]

I started paper scrapping when my husband joined the Air Force and was gone to basic training. I was pregnant with our first child and living with his parents while he was gone. I did this to give me something to do to pass the time and to scrap about our life together. I then continued with it and started with our dd and then our sons. We have four kids and I have struggled to keep up with all of their books. My dh went back to school and I went back to work so I then got really behind. I started digiscrapping just this last December and was immediately hooked. I love it and I do not plan on going back to paper. I love being able to work on it even if I only have a hour or two. With paper it was too much to get everything out for a short period of time. I have done more pages in the last few months than I have in a long time. It will take a long time to get caught up but I am making progress!!!

[rochelle789]

Wow, there are lots of former sig makers here. I'm one also. I made sigs over at I-village along with Jamie, Karrina, Vanessa (she may not remember me though), and Amanda (amandabaraugh). So that's how I learned PS. I had done some paper scrapping in 2005, but never really got into it. At some point in early 2007, I got sick of making sigs for people, and just starting dabbling in digital scrapping. I think I found SSD in spring of 2007 (thanks to Karrina), bought a bunch of stuff and did some pages, then took a long hiatus while I had some health problems and went through my pregnancy. Earlier this winter when I was on maternity leave I got back into it, and I'm hooked now. So it feels like I've been scrapping forever, but the actual time is probably about 6 months or so.

[gyllenhaalic]

Amanda, I'm so sorry about your husband. How wonderful that your daughter has something to look at and treasure.
I started off making signatures over at the Signature Showcase message board on iVillage with Jamie, Katrina, Vanessa, Rochelle, Amanda and Jac. I had been buying/hoarding kits to make signatures with for a while but it wasn't until we had a challenge to make a signature using scrapbooking elements that I decided to try my hand at digital scrapbooking. That was April '07 and I've been hooked since. Might I also add that SSD was my first home.

[Becca Bonneville]

Originally Posted by gyllenhaalic

Might I also add that SSD was my first home.

Same here!!! Love it here too!

[Dottie]

I found didscrapping through an online course that was for enhancing digital photos using photoshop. I had trouble trying to get my head around layers. I managed to finish the course and that was that. Then about 12mths later while going through old emails, came across the course emails. Followed the links in the emails to various digi sites. I was amazed at what people were able to do. Still I am to this day.

I came up with the brillant idea that for my mother's b'day in less than 3 mths time I could do a 40page bound photo book. I still had no idea how to use photoshop, but I learnt - very quickly along the way. It was worth the stress as she loved it. Since then I have been hooked!!

I am sorry about your husband, but glad that you decided to record his memory for your daughter.