..about scrapbooking.
Oh. I'm feeling in a devilish mood today. Devilish enough to play - devil's advocate. So I'm throwing a few thoughts at you. Just for fun. I'm pondering instead of sticking...what if everything you've ever believed about the process of scrapbooking turned out to be wrong?
Let's see..
- "Coordinating paper collections make things fast and easy." Oh, come on - you pull together an outfit every morning and it's fit for the day. Of course you can pull papers on your own!
or
- "Everything on your page has to support your theme." Mmm..maybe you should simply use it because you like it
or
- "Inspiration is all around and just there for the taking." What about - whatever is in your own head is perfectly you, perfectly fine and you are going to love it. Think of the hours you don't need to spend on the computer.
or
- "Every page needs a picture, every picture needs a story." How about - you want half an hour's relaxing with some scissors in your hand becasue you like cutting things up and sticking them down. And that's enough already.
or
- "Trends are pointless." In the grand scheme of thing I guess they are. nut maybe they're fun and something new is always worth a try. At the very least all the banners will give us something to smile over in five year's time.
or
- "Everything needs to be carefully preserved and acid free." Now, as a librarian I should be recommending deacidification spray and telling you to look out for foxing. But, know what? There are plenty of Medieval manuscripts still around. At the rate we keep buying kindles and sending emails we won't have any written words left to preserve anyway. So, you know - keep writing, keep sticking, don't worry.
And that's enough to get started! What scrapbooking rules do you think are made to be broken? Any rules you never follow at all? Any here you agree with or vehemently dislike? Let's talk..
Oh, and a photo for today? I couldn't find my devil horns, though I did turn the dressing up box upside down. Would Minnie Mouse ears do instead?
45 comments:
some interesting points here Sian.
not having a scrapbook shop nearby or access to kit clubs when I started and using Simple Scrapbooking and Cathy Z as my touchstones, I never 'learnt the rules'. I agree with your counter point in all of the above.
I'm with you on much of the above! Though the message I seem to hear most about trends is: "It's important to follow them, or you'll be so last year." To which I might reply: I can play with them, nor not play, and that's fine too. Which I guess takes me to a similar place to you!
I go with what I like I don't buy kits very often I mix and match papers to suit my taste I use very old paper with newer ones I am with you on nearly every point my motto should be 'if you like it use it'.
Ha ha...you are so full of controversy, my dear! I don't do rules ( as a rule ) because I like to be free. I don't follow trend because I like to be different ( but I am tempted by the banner, the patchwork, the paint splash...from time to time ).
Ha Ha..your counter arguments are definately mantras I have been trying to adopt over the last few months and they have really helped release my creativity.
It's great to have the inspiration and ideas but it is even better to adapt it to you.
As for keeping up with trends? The half finished LO on my desk is using Urban Lily papers from 2006!!!
Hmm -very interesting points Sian-It's easy to get caught up in the so called' things of the moment'- they are fun to follow but like everything soon fade away..I tend to fall in the trap of always using the same things that I like.As in life - I just love flowery stuff - dresses - tops- wallpaper...food for thought! Wonder if I could make a layout without flowers or butterflies!!!
Great post Sian..I'm sure many of us are in full support of your counterarguments..sometimes it just all gets too serious!
Alison xx
Like many other things (photography comes to mind), I think it's good to know the rules, and then to break them when it feels right.
Yeah :) bring on my posts like this. Sometimes we take our love of scrapbooking way to seriously :) although you've made me want now to do a layout without any photos :)
Rules? There are no rules! Though I wish a few more manufacturers and magazine editors and challenge blogs would realise this. The trouble with trends is that they are manufactured, then written about and then we are challenged to include them. I like ink splats, I like misting, I like banners ... just not EVERYwhere!! Still, if I stayed away from the computer a little more, perhaps I wouldn't get so annoyed!
I don't believe in the rules. I don't think there is such a thing as a "right" way or a "wrong" way to scrapbook. Anything that you like or that makes you happy works! And any form counts!
Funny post, I had to giggle about the banners trend, I figure that one will be around until I figure out how to make them look good, and then it will disappear overnight (you can thank me then)!
loving the minnie mouse ears. i'll have to find my bunny ones for a photo op,
jo xxx
I love this post. And I totally don't follow alot of those rules! HAH :) I pick my own paper 99% of the time, I definitely don't even blink at the acid free-ness of it all and I'm in love with Trends :) great post!
What a relief to read someone else who doesn't buy into everything on the page must support a theme, and you should find inspiration in everything and make a scrapbook page from it. Whew.
I agree with you! Scrapbooking is all about having fun while getting some stories into albums, be they with or without words. As long as you like your own page that is all that matters. And thank you for the link to 'foxing', now I know what is happening to my skin! I'll just tell people I've been 'foxed' LOL Sounds so much more interesting than 'sun spots'!!!! :-D
Ooh you little devil you! I agree with a lot of what you say Sian. I'm not really a follower of fashion when dressing myself or scrapping my photos. I am rather fond of bunting though!
Yes,Yes,Yes......but I do find it really hard to have a page without a photo.....nothing to do with it being a rule though.
Great thoughts to ponder! I agree with the whole acid-free thing. I scrap for me - now - and am not worried about whether my pages will still be in existance long after I'm gone.
This is why I love you :) This is exactly how I feel about not just scrapbooking but all arty creative things!
Must admit maybe my first one ofr two pages were archival and to the rules but I soon got bored of that. I rarely check now.
Fun post Sian! There are no rules in scrappbooking!! It's art!!! Thank goodness for trends as they do give us something to laugh about years after we have completed the LO. And yet, it looked just so awesome at the time! I am a sucker for buying the newest "stuff". It's the addiction I tell you!
Great post! I'm never bothered by what's 'in fashion' with scrapping, if I like it I'll use it & not if not! I've always liked that there's no 'wrong way' to create a LO & never wanted albums full of pages that look like everyone else's anyway!! For me it's just a joy to create & preserve memories for when I'm old & senile....& beyond maybe?!!! :D
Food for thought! It's funny how following trends can date a layout and I guess we are all guilty of buying something new because, well - it's new! I never buy loads of any one thing in particular because it would be just my luck for something new to come out straight away that I loved even more.
Love the post today (and your picture). My least favorite scrapbooking rule is:
"Learn to love white space. It gives they eye a place to rest."
HA! I'm going to fill every bit of space on my page if I feel like it.
Rinda
I've never been able to afford whole collections so I've always mixed and matched but I am only breaking out of the need for themed embellishments. One of best things about this hobby of ours is the lack of rules
Smart post Sian - although i am a "go with the flow" kinda girl!! Does this make me a trend follower? not sure - but i do like it when i see something new although usually its just come around again...but better!!
I can count on one hand the number of kits i've ever brought and all the acid free malarkey reminds of the CM days!
The one thing i like about scrapbooking are "that there are no rules" As I toddle of to clean the bathrooms and hoover i'll be a pondering your thoughts
xx
I echo a lot if not all of your thoughts and I don't think I've ever used anything that's acid free, well not knowingly.
Interesting post Sian. I have never bought a kit. I think they are great but my fun comes from making my own things....that said I love a few pages that have themed embellies from the same range...but sometimes it feels too easy, almost like i'm cheating. I am firmly in the whatever you like should go on it whyever! x
Plenty of things to consider, some aspects of scrapbooking I've never really thought about before.... I wonder what the next trend will be??
Interesting post Sian. I tend to make my own rules and when I am true to myself I'll incoprorate upcycled, printed digital paper and embellishments, and papers from my scrapbook stash. I also have some co-ordinated papers but never buy kits. Anything goes in my rulebook! What ever takes my fancy.
Rock on!
When I read your post this morning I had to chuckle because, you are absolutely right Sian - we do seem to be able to leave the house put together! I don't follow too many rules, I even stopped using the rule of using three embellishments in a triangle - yes I know it is a very important design concept, but really? Anyway - I think you are on to something here ;)
I'm with Cheri - the whole lot of it is for fun - this is a hobby .. do whatever you like!
But, I think it is very healthy to poke a little fun at what the industry says we must do! ;-)
Oh my, are there rules we are supposed to know about! For me, as long as I'm having fun, it's perfect. It took me years to find the creativity hidden within me and I'm not about to let any rules discourage it now. LOL
I'm thinking I should have put that word rules in quotes! "Rules", there, just like that. No, of course I don't think there are rules. There are design tips and tricks, but that's a different thing completely..
..and thank you everyone for all your wonderful responses! And just knew you would have plenty to say :)
I read this on the train yesterday and came back to read all the comments - it certainly has provoked alot of! When I first started scrapbooking I almost wanted some "rules" due to my lack of confidence it what I was trying to acheive but then my aha moment came when I realised it is all about the story - it dosn't matter what your style is!
There are "Rules"? really? You mean proper rules that should be obeyed or the kind of folklore rules that spring from the obsessive corner of some control freak's mind?
I have rules.
1. butt out! it's my book I'll do what I want!
2 I am a mother and mothers are always right - even when they are wrong
3 See rule one.
I think that covers it.
Interesting post Sian and I love the Minnie Mouse ears!
Interesting post Sian. Trends - I definitely do not follow them, couldn't keep up with them even if I tried - I just stick to my KISS (keep it simple stupid) plan and get it done. :)
blog catching up here....I wholeheartedly agree with your entire post! I have always just done my own thing (shhh I haven't done a banner or patchwork yet and I've never sewn on a layout) That's not to say I don't love seeing trends in people's creations but I do what works for me and what makes smile when I have finished it. hmmm my rule...You don't have to spend an inordinate amount of time on a layout, don't spend 3 hours on a layout about going out for ice cream, do it in 30 minutes then go out for more ice cream ;)
I agree with all of your observations. I've been known to break all the rules except one: I always make double page spreads and believe that they should coordinate with each other. Right now, I'm "in" to the trendy hexagons. I'm just making sure that those pages are going in separate albums.
Amen to ALL of those things, especially the bit about cutting and sticking because you like it. I sat opposite a lady over the weekend who did 52 pages, yes 52 pages not photos. She had 4-10 photos on each page. Me? I did about 11 and used no more than 5 photos. For me, the creation is the thing.
At the beginning of my classes I used to do the 'acid free' 'conservation' talk, now I do a 'don't worry just cut it and stick it'. Complete change around.
Great fun and yep the only rule I usually follow is - picture side up for the photos! Well, unless you want to show the handwriting on the back...
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