Scrapbooking Mojo

I started scrapbooking in 2000 right before my first child was born. It took me about 2 years to get beyond CM and Michaels and then I got way into it. For years I devoted a lot of time to my scrapbooks. I even taught classes and was a rep for I Remember When...if you remember that home party company. At the end of 2008, the recession caused both of us to lose our jobs. It was a terrible time. We lost everything, including our house. My ex-husbands drinking was so bad and our marriage was (never good) completely on the rocks. I sold all my stuff before our house was foreclosed on.

2009 and 2010 were lousy for me. But in 2011, I was divorced and met Jeremy. I took the pictures from 2009 and 2010 and threw them into premade Shutterfly albums. I never, ever scrapbooked those pics. And I have left that dark time in my life alone.

In 2011, I had a whole new life with him and his kids too. So in 2012, I decided I would digital scrapbook. I did digital albums in Photoshop from 2011-2014. By that time I was in the thick of my masters program so I set all of that aside.

In 2016, I graduated and my DD went to the prom. I had all these beautiful prom pictures. And I just thought, they have to make it into an album. So one day, I ventured over to Hobby Lobby and bought all the supplies I needed to scrapbook those pictures. From 2016-2020 I scrapbooked off and on. I also crochet so that hobby was always running alongside my scrapbooks from 2002+.

In 2020, I realized that my albums were all out of order with pics from 2015-2020 and I was mostly doing pretty pages with no journaling and often only one pic. When I looked backward at my earlier albums I realized that the layouts I loved the most had good journaling. But teen stories are not necessarily as exciting as toddler stories. And well, my kids were mentally ill and not managing well either. So really who wanted to say all of that in their albums. Plus the kids were getting older and I didn't have as many pictures of them anymore and I realized that my life was taking a turn where my hobby was going to die if I didn't start making it more about myself.

For 2021 I pivoted to project life. And I have to say, that I love project life (pocket pages). I do it monthly so I group my pictures how I want. I have journaling but not too much, it is a great catch all for random one off pics and I love that because I'm no longer in the stage where I want to be an event photographer. I have simplified my stash as everything I now own as most of my tools and such are kept on two small carts and all of my paper/embellishment stash fits inside one dresser. I get a kit each month and I try to stick to the kit. But I will pull in other elements if something doesn't work or I need a little something else. I do keep full page protectors on hand in case I feel something needs a big layout and the pocket pages don't work.

I love this because it hits all my targets. I'm scrapbooking the everyday moments, it doesn't take me terribly long each month to put together the previous months pages, I keep my stash super small and manageable, and there is journaling.

Since my younger child died, I realize the importance of my albums. I appreciate very much the recorded memories. I want to continue that practice but I have other hobbies too so I don't want scrapbooking to consume me either. This is a perfect balance for me.

When my child passed away last year, I stopped. I stopped the whole year. I don't know if I'll go back and scrapbook those pictures from that time period. But I felt ready to pick back up in 2023. And I just did.

I know this is a long post but I wanted to illustrate that my interest has ebbed and flowed over the years. And I have changed direction many times on the way I scrapbook because different modes have suited me better at different times. All of this is alright by me. I accomplished my goal which was a photo record of our lives. And I continue with it because even though I don't want to spend all my hobby time on scrapbooking, death really causes you to reevaluate everything in your life and I cherish those albums so much more now.

When I lose my mojo, I sometimes just go through my stash and do a little purging and organizing. I am often reinvigorated by all the pretty things I forgot I had.

Also, forget "catching up". Just pick a photo or two that makes you happy and scrap it.

ITA. Start with something you love—a photo, a memory, a theme, a scrappy supply—and run with it. 

Give up on the idea that this page has to be special: just scrap it. 

For me, in scrapbooking as in the rest of life, inertia is a powerful force. Once I start I keep going, but for those first few pages, I have to stop myself from overthinking E.V.E.R.Y decision and just do it. 

I realize this isn't the solution for everyone, but what got my mojo rolling again was participating in the SCT Crop and Create virtual events. The cost was worth it as they have helped me get myself centered after a crazy (good and bad) and chaotic period of my life.

I had been scrapping since since about 1983 but as I entered the last few years of my teaching career, I scrapped less and less as the job became more demanding, and not in a good way. In May of 2020 I retired after 40 years of teaching. In 2020 alone I went from regular teaching to virtual teaching and retired without ever getting to say good-bye to my students, colleagues and the school I had taught in for 31 years. Then went immediately into building a home 700 miles away from the county I had lived in for 47 years. Anyone else try building a home during Covid??? It was nuts!! We traveled as little as possible, but trying to find a hotel then, when we had to travel, not to mention finding furniture and appliances when stores weren't open . . . . It was nuts.

Then we arrived in a place where we knew no one, and nothing was open. And it was the beginning of December, so we were even more isolated. My mojo was completely gone.

Anyway, looking for something to cheer me up, I ran across the SCT events and signed up for a card making one. I loved it and started making cards. Last Christmas I did the Holiday event, and discovered that I had a lot of fun making the layouts, and signed up for the Papercrafting event this spring. It got me hooked on scrapping again. It even inspired me to purge and clean my scrap room. I'm working on that now and am so happy to get my room the way I want it! I'm really excited about the possibilities for creating things of all sorts now.

I have had several dry seasons with scrapbooking. Typically it has to do with the amount of medical needs of my kids and just being stressed and tired and having to focus on their imminent needs. That can just take everything from me.

Typically during the dry spells, I am into other fun things though and I have always been okay with that. As long as I am doing something I enjoy I am good.

Just do what makes you happy and what brings you joy. If that is other crafts right now, it is okay. Just know that your supplies are always there and will be ready for when you are ready to sit down and play with them.

Don't force it. But maybe think about something you'd like to scrapbook and give it a try. Then see how you feel.

I'm looking for mojo. I've been out of actual crafting for 3 years. I have been sort of keeping up through this venue. I thank you all.
My journey back started in March by going to CKC in Hillsboro. Since then I have made 3 ATC sets, bought a Brother Scan and Cut, and signed up for EXPO Puyallup.

I did 120 pages by April 15th of this year. I haven't done another one yet. This past month we've been busy with some more home construction and getting the yard cleaned up from the winter. I have about 60 more baby marigolds to plant in the front planter and then I will head into my scrap room. I just give myself permission to take a break and not worry about it. My breaks usually last a month or two. I find if I get in my room and spend time with my pretties or if I watch crafting videos, it gets me going.

I definitely go thru phases. I've been scrapping regularly since 2003, sometimes doing solely digital, but mostly mixed. During the pandemic, I was so prolific because of having more time. I've had to adjust my expectations more lately. I also will fill in the missing mojo with other hobbies or cleaning/purging.

I figured out that I do not scrap for the finished product, but more for the process....the creating, the me-time. Even tho I have lists of photos/stories I want to scrap, I only do what I feel like doing. If it's not inspiring anymore, I put it away for a bit. I will never be "caught up" and don't feel any pressure to be.

It's also seasonal....I have more time in colder/winter months.

When I try to "re-start" I pick whatever I am excited about...a photo, story or product. Scrappy Adam and Scrappy Kathy, and I think Janet from RTS, have some videos on scrapping just from a product, like a sticker sheet. Sometimes it's fun to see what you can make work.