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Post by mehardy on Apr 2, 2022 17:37:18 GMT
Sometimes, I think people who make the kind of comments mentioned really don't comprehend they are being rude. (it just doesn't actually occur to them.) It pops into their head and they blurt it out. Maybe no one ever told them when they were growing up, "just because you think something doesn't mean you have to say it, especially out loud!"
I'm not sure why someone would be so concerned with what someone else does or doesn't document. If they aren't MY scrapbooks, and I'm not the one doing them why the heck should I care about what's in them?
I'm married, with furry "children." And I document all kinds of stuff. Me, my husband, our pets, our house, DIY projects, Nature (flowers, trees, garden, outside animals, sunsets, rain etc.), Food, new recipes, interesting wine/beer/cocktails, vacations, family, sports (I'm the fan), what were watching or listening to, occasional current events, a super relevant meme, Work, holidays, and just anything that i like at the moment and I want to include.
At the end of the day, all that counts is if you like what you're documenting and it matters to you. In a nice way, screw what anyone else thinks or says.
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Post by wallyagain on Apr 3, 2022 3:56:11 GMT
I started scrapping in about ‘96 and it was mostly about the kids and what we did as a family. If you look at those pages, I barely exist. I took the photos, for the most part.
Now, I do a hybrid PL / layout style, about our life. Our boys are grown and live far away, so we see them maybe once a year. Our cats are now a big focus, but also our yard, the weather, current events, just life. And I do exist more now.
Even though I scrapped the kids, I got comments about pens, paper and punches I used. Some people just say the most ridiculous things.
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Post by Citygirl on Apr 3, 2022 13:40:10 GMT
Ugh. I never understood this mindset. The purpose of a hobby is enjoyment. There are no qualifications. Do they ask any other hobbyist this stuff? I scrapbooked for 20 years before having my first at 39. I heard this same stuff at crops. Highly irritating.
All I can say is that my life was VERY full pre-kids. I did more, went more places, saw more people, and traveled a lot more than I do now with two little ones. We were very involved with rescue and volunteering. I had plenty to scrapbook!
My style hasn’t changed much post kids. I didn’t run out and buy any baby/kid line. I still do all the same projects and many of them are just for me.
Now when I go to crops people seem aghast that I left my little ones alone with their dad for an entire weekend 🙄🙄🙄
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,459 
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Post by scrapnnana on Apr 3, 2022 13:48:07 GMT
For what it’s worth, our kids are grown, and we don’t see our grandkids that often. COVID made those photo ops even more rare.
However, my DH and I love going places together. We have a lot of photos of places we’ve gone together. He nearly died a year ago. If I were a widow, I would still be taking photos for scrapbooking. They don’t necessarily need to be of family, and often, the photos that I take even with family are of scenery, or other aspects of the places we go.
Why do people assume that scrapbooking is exclusive to those who have kids? There are so many wonderful places to go, and photos are great for remembering the places we’ve gone. Before I got married, my mom, my sister, and I went to England, and almost none of the many photos that I took included any pictures of the three of us. Scenic photos are wonderful for scrapbooking, too.
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Post by lisacharlotte on Apr 3, 2022 15:42:21 GMT
I’m married with one child, but didn’t start serious scrapping until DS left home 10 years ago. I have not scrapped any of his childhood. Most of my scrapping is Project Life. It’s my diary with some guest stars (family). I also started an album for our dogs and cats, those are 12x12 layouts.
We all create in our own way and I couldn’t imagine judging someone based what they choose to scrap. I’ve had people tell me Project Life isn’t scrapbooking. I’m embarrassed at their acknowledged ignorance.
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Post by Sparki on Apr 3, 2022 18:24:05 GMT
Married, no children, age 45. I scrap tons. I have so much to document, including loads of photos of my dog and cat. I scrap my garden each year. I have cows and horses and people seem very interested in those. I scrap them, but also post things on FB. I include my nieces and nephews in my scrapping even though we live many states apart. Based on feedback from FB, other people are very interested in my lifestyle.
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Post by joblackford on Apr 4, 2022 2:59:32 GMT
I've never been to a crop so never dealt with this kind of comment directly, but I understand that some people only scrap because of a need/obligation they feel to document their kids' lives. Kind of a shame IMO but to each their own.
I do think I would look through my albums more if I had kids or a bigger extended family, but we have plenty to document and we share our photo books with other family members too. I have kids in my life (niblings, friends with kiddos, etc) and I understand the drive to document how they grow and change so fast, I enjoy documenting that too. But that's not all there is.
People who make these comments should also be aware that they may be speaking to someone who wants kids and can't have them. I can think of 2 well known scrappers who struggled with infertility and I became more aware of how hurtful comments/questions about childbearing can be when a relative had at least 9 miscarriages in her 30s. I happen to be childfree by choice (I've been told so many times I'd change my mind, even into my mid-40s) but people's relationships and childbearing are so deeply personal, there's often more to the story.
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Post by scrapcat on Apr 4, 2022 16:20:59 GMT
If you are single and/or childless, what do you scrap?
Me stuff, adventures/events with my SO, adventures/events with my family & extended family, nephew is the only "kid" I scrap, travel, ancestry, currently type pages, gardening, cooking/recipes, my cats, everyday life stuff in the form of storyline chapters weekly book which include current events/news, movies/tv I watch, music albums I listen to, books I'm reading, podcasts, etc.
Do you think not having children has affected your scrapping style?
In some ways I am relieved that I don't have the obligation to scrap kids! But no, I was a crafter/artsy/memory keeper person all my life, so it's just an extension of that. A hobby/interest.
eta: going back to read some of the comments, sorry to see so many have been subject to judgment. I was never outright told anything, but then I am the kind of person who I don't think anyone would say anything to, but I've felt the side-eye at times. Same as someone said, sort of ignored in crop situations. But honestly, when I was going to crops that was sacred time to actually scrap, I did not go for idle chit chat, so I was happy to be left alone and leave the rest to have their one-up kid brag chatter. Also, awesome how many of us value or lives/interests enough to ignore any haters!
Also in regards to the idea that you need to have someone to leave your scrapbooks to... One of my wknd hobbies is going to estate sales and I can't tell you how many photo albums, framed family portraits, beautiful scrapbooks and accumulation of sentimental items I see for sale. I actually sometimes buy things, like postcards or something I can turn into ephemera just bcz I feel bad that the person's family/kids didn't take it. Validating that need/want to document/archive/leave something behind.
Also - one of my inspirations in this pursuit regardless of if anyone ever sees it or cares is the story of Vivian Maier. Her street photography was discovered in a storage unit after death, there have since been books, documentary and museum exhibitions from her.
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Post by epeanymous on Apr 4, 2022 18:50:59 GMT
I started scrapbooking a few years before I had kids. I do things! I scrapbooked them! I do not know why that would be complicated for people.
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christinec68
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,438
Location: New York, NY
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Post by christinec68 on Apr 4, 2022 18:58:18 GMT
My answers are pretty much the same as everyone else. I do in fact have a life worthy of scrapbooking even though I don't have children.
The only time I came across something really negative about it was on a scrappy message board that was having weekend challenges or something and the person hosting on this one weekend came up with challenges that would almost exclusively pertain to someone with children. I thought it was "impressive" in that a lot of them couldn't even be flipped to being the daughter/son of someone. She said she didn't think about people without kids scrapbooking which is insensitive on it's own but the owner of the store/message board didn't have children either.
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Post by papersilly on Apr 4, 2022 21:06:48 GMT
no kids here. i just make all occasion stuff.
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Post by Night Owl on Apr 5, 2022 0:48:20 GMT
I was scrapbooking for 15 years before I had a child. I scrapbooked my vacations, outings with friends, work, then my wedding, honeymoon, new house.
I hated it when people asked me why I scrapbooked since I didn't have kids. The worst was at a Creative Memories crop I got bullied into by a coworker, the women there looked down at my "fancy" pages and acted like I was wasting my time since I didn't have children to scrapbook. Meanwhile they were cutting their pictures into shapes and slapping down sticker sneezes but I wouldn't be rude enough to criticize them for that.
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cycworker
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,409
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Post by cycworker on Apr 17, 2022 6:44:52 GMT
I scrap: -Trips be it day trips of vacations; -activities/outings with friends -life events -my work -my family And I'm gonna need a refresher on the Kristina Contes thing artbabe - I recognize the name, and I recall there was a big thing that would make your comment make sense, but I'm drawing a blank on even the basic details. Just that yes, she was the drama. |
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Post by grammadee on Apr 17, 2022 14:43:59 GMT
People scrapbook for all kinds of reasons:
To document history.
To document the present for themselves or others.
To play with pretty things.
As an outlet for creative energy.
To learn new creative techniques or try new ideas.
To tell stories.
To have pretty things on display or that can be enjoyed at some time in the future.
To make pretty or meaningful things to bring smiles to the faces of others
None of those require you to have children. Or pets. Or travel adventures. Or an exciting life.
We all do what we do for our own reasons. Sometimes we have more than one purpose at the same time. Sometimes we move from one motivation to another over time, or rotate through them depending on our mood.
We are not always the people we want to be. Right now I am hiding in my scraproom instead of interacting with my sugar overdosed dgs. But later there will be a page or two about our Happy Easter. And my voice on those pages might be documentary commentator, loving grandmother, snide/funny ironic comedy writer... Or maybe I will just make a page about the cat...
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Post by honeypea on Apr 17, 2022 14:52:53 GMT
I started scrapbooking many years before having kids. I’d scrapbook outings, dates and activities with my boyfriend/husband. I scrapbooked many pages if my dachshunds. This was Anne Geddes era and I was inspired by cute staged photography. I’d make little themed outfits for my puppers and pose them for little photo shoots and then scrap the themed pages to my heart’s content! I’d scrap pages of my niece and nephews sometimes. I never felt like I lacked material! I always had something to scrap about.
I can’t remember anyone ever giving me a hard time for scrapbooking before I had kids. I’m sure I’d remember that! I know it happens, but it was t my experience.
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Post by 950nancy on Apr 17, 2022 14:58:03 GMT
I've had kids for a long time now, but we waited 7 years after we were married to have kids. I laugh to think that I wouldn't have anything to scrap in those seven years. To be fair, I would have a lot more to scrap those years because I was out living life outside of my home a lot more than when I had young kids.
I am of the. mind that anyone not living my life doesn't really understand me or get me 100% and I really would have has a comment or two for those people.
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cbscrapper
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,483
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Post by cbscrapper on May 13, 2022 14:03:34 GMT
People scrapbook for all kinds of reasons: To document history. To document the present for themselves or others. To play with pretty things. As an outlet for creative energy. To learn new creative techniques or try new ideas. To tell stories. To have pretty things on display or that can be enjoyed at some time in the future. To make pretty or meaningful things to bring smiles to the faces of others None of those require you to have children. Or pets. Or travel adventures. Or an exciting life. We all do what we do for our own reasons. Sometimes we have more than one purpose at the same time. Sometimes we move from one motivation to another over time, or rotate through them depending on our mood. We are not always the people we want to be. Right now I am hiding in my scraproom instead of interacting with my sugar overdosed dgs. But later there will be a page or two about our Happy Easter. And my voice on those pages might be documentary commentator, loving grandmother, snide/funny ironic comedy writer... Or maybe I will just make a page about the cat... Life has been busy and I’m really behind on the board, but I wanted to say I absolutely love this grammadee! |
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Post by songbird on May 13, 2022 17:28:29 GMT
Married with no kids here (two pets).
I have struggled at times for content to scrap, but once I switched to PL, it didn’t matter anymore.
DD was a struggle for a few years, but now I take a different approach than making sure I have something for every day. This year I am thinking of doing a then & now DD or possibly highlighting some of my favorite Christmas decorations in between some of the regular festivities.
Imagine life being one dimensional and only worth living if you procreate. People can be so cruel and judgmental.
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Post by dewryce on May 13, 2022 19:48:39 GMT
Well, it wasn’t our choice but DH and I do not have children. I collected a lot of baby papers and embellishments but I’ll just use the ones that work on our baby pages and donate the rest.
As for what I scrap? Everything! I have just as much of a life to scrap, it’s just almost all geared for adults. Except when we go camping with my nieces and nephews and cousins, there are tons of kids 2 thru 18 there. But I find I still don’t use more child-geared embellishments when I scrap those images. So perhaps that has been an affect not having children has had on my scrapping style. But I suspect not. My scrapping style is a lot like my regular style. Simple. Geometric. Not a lot of embellishments.
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craftymom101
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,798
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Post by craftymom101 on May 14, 2022 0:40:14 GMT
I have kids (2 biology sons/2 step-daughters) so I hope by posting I’m not out of line.
Our kids are getting older (16,14,13,10) and my SO and I take advantage of our kid-free days when our kids are with their other parents. I scrapbook a lot of our photos that don’t feature kids! Date nights, vacations, friends, dinners, drinks, scenery, my garden… so many pages that don’t feature kids or kid themes. I have embraced these pages and some of them are now favorites of mine. My life is not defined by my kids and I scrapbook all the fun things my SO and I do together!
I think it’s incredibly rude for other people to comment on your kid-free scrapbook pages. Your life is no less meaningful than mine, or anyone else with kids.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Nov 29, 2024 3:37:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2022 17:15:01 GMT
Married 26 years and child free. I also got a lot of grief about why I scrapbook with no kids in early 2000s.
I have too much to scrap! I am soooo behind. Trips, holidays, friends, pets, daily life, food…
I was watching a Vicki Boutin Friday Night Live and she had great advice one night. Paraphrasing…she scraps for herself, because she enjoys it. If her kids have a big bonfire of all her scrapbooks when she is gone, who cares. She did it for herself and her own creative outlet. That made me feel good. (And there is no way her beautiful art would ever be destroyed lol!)
The best reason to scrapbook - winning bets. Friends get memories wrong. I always bet them and win by scrapbook evidence! 🤣🤣🤣
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