My Scrapbooking Story (blogged on Two Peas)

Okay, okay, I will admit that I am a newbie by scrapbooking standards. Now, what on earth do I mean by that? I don't yet have a style of my own. I don't have products that I use over and over again. I usually find it difficult to generate my own ideas. I am in what I will call "stocking up mode!" I have mentioned that I started scrapbooking when I was 13. Back then, my idea of scrapbooking was slapping about 4 or 5 pictures on a page, making polka dots all over to fill in the space and writing down the names of the people in each picture. Tadda! Finished! Each event that took place was a new page to scrap. However, only the big events starred in my books. The dance, 8th grade graduation, homecoming, prom, and each season of cheerleading. I had no idea that more than one page for the same even was totally acceptable. I also had no idea that less than 4 or 5 pictures was acceptable! I went by the "rules" although I couldn't tell you what those rules were. Looking back, they might have been something along the lines of: 1)use as many pictures as you can, 2) cram them all onto one page, 3) the only words should be the names of the people in the picture, 4) Be very afraid to get creative, and 5) The less color and pattern, the better!
So I finally made it to senior year and that is well known as the best year ever, right? I stepped up my game a little bit there. I learned to use a little more color, I learned how great pictures look when matted or framed, I learned that more than one page is fabulous, and finally, I learned that creativity helps to tell the story. My pages got a little better. They were at least something more like art and less like a plain jane photo album.
After graduation I forgot all about scrapbooking. I had way too many things going on in life to do that....yeah right! I took about a million pictures, but I had no intention of actually taking the time to scrap them. One year, two years, three, four, five....time just kept adding up. The pictures kept piling up.
That brings me to now! hooray - the present! I decided that if I did not hurry up and get these pictures scrapped up then, I was going to forget the important things that made them such great pictures; such great memories. I had by this time forgotten a lot of the details of all the events, so I sort of went back to the beginning stages of throwing them onto a paper and jotting down what I could remember. I got through the first two years alright. There were some pretty lame excuses in there though for a scrapbooking page. However, there were also some really great pages that somehow, by the power of miracle, turned out pretty cool. I was relatively proud of my book which I names California. I named it this because it documented the two years that I lived in California! How original, right?!
Then, abrupt halt again....I went on a vacation with my hunny to Australia. Now let me tell you that this vacation was amazing! I loved loved loved every second of it. I didn't want to forget a thing. Every little detail was just so important. I took 1011 pictures in two weeks! Yeah - A lot! Too soon the vacation was over and I ordered my pictures. Good grief, no! I did not order 1011 pictures. I brought it down to 465 pictures! they came in the mail from Kodak. That night, I sat on my living room floor and separated them into piles for each thing that happened, or each thing we saw or did. that was a lot of piles! Then the overwhelming feeling came to me! What on earth was I going to do? I wanted each page to be perfect. I wanted each page to tell all the details. I wanted the book to be just right! The problem was....I was not inspired to be perfect.
Solution....Two Peas! Hooray! I got onto the website, and although my pictures were staring at me and begging to be played with, I spent two weeks just looking through the gallery. Let me tell you, this is no easy feat. Do you know how many amazing things are in the gallery? Do you understand how many inspiring pages there are? Holy Cow! I had all the inspiration I could take. I was about to burst I was so inspired. I just had to start scrapping... oh yeah, I forgot one thing! I didn't really have any cool scrapbooking stuff left. To the shopping page I went. And oh boy, did I shop. I shopped and shopped and shopped! Even after I placed my order, I kept shopping and adding to my wish lists for later orders.
Finally the items arrived and I started scrapping! I learned quickly to scrap-lift, to use ribbon (which I am now addicted to), to mix and match pattern, to love rub-ons, to cluster, to layer, to frame, to leave unframed, to use one photo, to use 8 photos, to use one page, to use 3 or 4 pages. I learned color and journaling. I learned so many things. I owe it to Two Peas! My creative juices are beginning to flow. I still don't have my one unique style. I still do not have that one product that I use over and over, but I do have inspiration and creativity, and a huge new addiction. Scrapbooking is taking over my free time....I love it so much and it is all because of Two Peas and because of all the wonderfully talented artists that share their memories and inspirations in the gallery. thank you so much Two Peas and everyone else! You have got me scrapping' for real now and I can't stop! Truth is, I don't want to stop. If you are interested, Here is my Two Peas album so far....only uploaded about 18 layouts, but I have nearly 50 now. I'm far behind on the upload part because I just can't get enough scrapping!http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/album_display.asp?album_id=80902