What would you do if…….

I started scrapbooking when there was only Creative Memories available. I was so excited when a small scrapbook store opened only about 30 minutes from my house. (We lived out in the boonies.) I taught classes there. Then a new LSS opened only about 10 minutes from my home, so I switched to teaching classes for that store. It was fun. I got to know so many scrapbookers. They were the last LSS to close. A paper arts store opened about 30 minutes away, but I didn’t get there as often. About 6 to 8 of us kept scrapbooking together, until 3 of us ended up moving to different states.

I do miss those days, but I found a new paper arts store only about 25 to 30 minutes away. I spent an afternoon there painting 3 cute gnome projects. A couple of other gals were there painting, too. The store offers junk journal and home decor projects there, along with scrapbooking supplies. My one afternoon of painting my wood projects there was nice, and the staff were friendly. However, with a disabled DH, it’s not like I feel that I can spend a lot of time there getting to know the staff and other customers, and it’s just easier to do my crafting at home.

I agree. It has changed over the years, and the popularity of it as a craft may still be waning, but it will continue in one way or another. Most people adapt to changing circumstances as needed.

When I started this thread, I did not know what was about to happen regarding trade with China, even though our family was watching the situation closely, since our two youngest sons have a business that relied heavily on products that they bought from China. They are adapting.

I am hoping to get to the LSS tomorrow. It’s been a month or more since I have been able to go. I will probably call first, since the last time I went, most of her stock had gone with her to a convention, so there wasn’t much in the way of physical products for me to buy. I’d rather not get there tomorrow and find the shelves bare again, even though it might just (hopefully) be for convention.

I started scrapbooking in 1996. There weren’t nearly as many products available back then. I often used stamps to make my embellishments for my pages. Then dies came on the scene, followed by electronic die cutters, and nicer products, and all of it was a wonderful improvement. It almost seems as though we are having to go back to square one. If we can’t buy the products that we are used to buying, will we start making our own embellishments again? Or rely more on digitals (or in some cases, start using digitals for the first time)?

I know that before Heartfelt Creations went out of business, they tried to switch to digital designs. Many of their customers were older gals like me. However, my DH made his living with computers and dragged me into the computer and digital age when it first appeared, so I loved the digitals. Many older gals weren’t as comfortable with digitals, though, and HC folded in a relatively short time.

So now I am adding another option to my original post’s question: even if you have never used digital designs to scrapbook, would you be inclined to supplement your stash with print and cut digital designs, if all of the scrapbook stores disappeared?

Just to clarify, I do not design, nor do I have any interest in designing digital files to sell. I’m a hybrid scrapbooker, but that is a recent interest. I’m wondering if others are feeling pushed to use digitals out of necessity as I was.