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Post by chlerbie on Jun 27, 2014 2:13:32 GMT
With the people I know in real life that are scrappers--it either enhanced their scrapping experience or had no effect. Some of them do PL, but everyone still scraps. I never got into it as I have all I can handle just with my regular old scrapping, but I like looking at what other people do.
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Post by momof3pits on Jun 27, 2014 3:56:42 GMT
I think there are so many things that are factoring in to what is going on in the industry right now. I do think the popularity of project life is one part. I think with project life came a way of scrapping that is supposed to be all about simplifying and flat pages. Well that means some people will not be buying the big bulky embellishments anymore. You can really get away with just buying paper and or journaling cards.
I think another big factor is that when companies saw scrapbooking gaining momentum, they capitalized on it. They flooded the market and tried to set up this mentality amongst scrappers that we need to buy, buy, buy and have the latest and greatest to compete with each and stay relevant. It became less about the pictures and memories and more about product and artsy layouts using different techniques.
Well then we all bought into the buying and hoarding craze, but at some point, unless you are fabulously wealthy and/or own a warehouse to store your product, that level of buying power can only be sustained for so long. So we stopped buying because we had so much, and maybe some stopped buying because you don't need much to be successful doing a project life style of scrapping.
At the end of the day, I just do not want this hobby that we all love to be gone.
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lisavb
Full Member
Posts: 148
Jun 25, 2014 21:49:19 GMT
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Post by lisavb on Jun 27, 2014 4:20:44 GMT
Yep, my store is www.awdml.com please check it out. We are working on a whole new website so don't get too comfortable with this one.  It's been a year in the making so hope it will be awesome!! |
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Post by katiescarlett on Jun 27, 2014 4:21:13 GMT
I don't think the hobby will ever be gone. My grandfather died last week. When we were going through stuff at his house, we found a box of photos. Many of them were glued to black paper and my grandmother had written little notes and captions on them! It is photos of her and her brother when they were children. So I discovered that my grandmother was a scrapbooker! I treasure those photos and all they are are photos glued to construction paper with some journaling.
Don't get me wrong, I love a beautiful scrapbook page with all the trimmings too. And I have plenty of them in my albums. But at the end of the day, for *me*, I want to preserve the memories and document our life together. And I can do that if every scrapbook store closes, as long as I have my photos and some paper to write on!
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Post by TracieClaiborne on Jun 27, 2014 4:29:46 GMT
I can't decide if it's hurt it or helped it, really. That would be a great podcast topic! I might think about doing it.
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Post by cmpeter on Jun 27, 2014 4:33:44 GMT
I was at a class at my LSS tonight. All the PL stuff is marked down. The manager said that they were going to clear it all out because they can't compete pricewise with the big box stores. She said it would be replaced with something even cooler, but no hints as to what. I think the store is doing well, lots of inventory, always have new stuff...my class was full 18+ students.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Nov 22, 2024 9:28:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2014 4:35:49 GMT
No. Project Life is a kind of Scrapbooking. There's plenty of room for all kinds.
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Post by michellelunruh on Jun 27, 2014 4:36:41 GMT
I think everything has its ebbs and flows. Look at how quilting and knitting and cross stitching has come and gone. I remember 15-20 yrs ago there was so much more stitchery things out there than now. Seems quilting kind of faded for awhile and is now making a come back. I don't think scrapbooking will ever completely leave. The whole concept has been around for ages. Think back to the days when your parents and grandparents used to glue things in a book. Photos, cards and other memorabilia.
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kristy8420
Shy Member
Posts: 13 
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Post by kristy8420 on Jun 27, 2014 4:45:37 GMT
I don't think it is. I've never done PL, because I like the challenge of making a layout. Plus I love the "open-canvas" feel of creating a 12x12 layout, cards and Smashbooks. No PL for me!  |
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Post by pierogi on Jun 27, 2014 4:47:42 GMT
I've also branched out into more art journal work. This may not involve traditional kits (which I like,) but has given new life to my stencils, inks, and thickers. Plus I'm experimenting more with traditional art supplies, which many LSS carry, which helps business.
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,446
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Post by amom23 on Jun 27, 2014 12:56:43 GMT
I think the biggest problem is the fact that so many people don't print their photos anymore. There are millions of photos stuck on computers and cell phones. If you don't print them you certainly won't scrapbook them. Also, digital albums are pretty easy and inexpensive to make. So a good alternative to those who don't wanna fuss with paper and adhesive.
PL has no doubt filled a niche in the scrapbooking world. It's probably kept some in the game who no longer had the desire to spend the time making traditional pages.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Nov 22, 2024 9:28:31 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2014 16:02:29 GMT
I think PL style has been great for some who still want to be creative, but in a more simple manner than traditional scrapping.
I stopped scrapping for 3-4 years, because I moved and when I packed up my traditional albums I couldn't believe how bulky and heavy they were. I thought ahead if I kept scrapping like that how much space my albums would be taking up and what I would do with them long term. So I stopped entirely for a few years. Then I saw something online about scrapping in the pocket style page protectors. I knew it was for me! I can still work with paper and stickers but totally simplified. I don't do the PL life in a day style, just regular scrapping of events and holidays. I love having a creative hobby again!
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Post by pamc on Jun 27, 2014 16:12:20 GMT
Thinking about people I know who scrapbook...it seems to be more of a product over-load issue. Too many people producing product that pretty much all looks alike. I love Dear Lizzy for example, but really, can you tell her collections apart? A lot of us have enough supplies to last a life time and only buy when someone actually has something different to offer. Scrapbooking is stress management, an artistic outlet, and a way of memory-keeping for me. Not just a place to store my photos.
Another problem with shopping is although I live in a large area, no LSS. Michael's and AC Moore - mheh. So, I shop online. NO ONE HAS AN ENTIRE COLLECTION FOR A DESIGN! (calming down) So, unless the company sells retail online, I have to shop from more than one store and pay ridiculous shipping for each purchase.
All that being said, I will send a shout-out to Scott at Bluemoonscrapbooking.com. Excellent, excellent customer service.
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Post by triplettkarla on Jun 27, 2014 16:13:29 GMT
PL is just an old idea reborn, it came back when we have so many photos and we take so much more than we used to. It is so much easier to document the every day life then we used to. It is a another choice in this vast hobby, I love the options we have now, the beautiful pages with the mutimeadia art aspect to the fast and furious of PL. I dont think it hurt scrapbooking just gave us another option with the technology.
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Post by songbird on Jun 27, 2014 16:56:12 GMT
Personally I don't think it's any one thing. 1. At the beginning of the "decline" was the stores closing that didn't have any business opening in the first place. You know the type...the ladies opened the stores thinking they would get their supplies at wholesale cost and scrapbook all the live long day. No business sense at all. 2. With all of these stores opening up, manufacturers produced collections at an alarming rate. Unless you were in a suburban area with hundreds of ladies shopping in a day/week it takes a long while to sell through 25 sheets of paper. And they have never really backed down from that schedule of churning out so many collections a year. Stores just got inundated with inventory and couldn't keep up. Then customers started to complain that there wasn't anything "new" at the store. Well ya, that can't happen until you buy the stuff already in the store. That's the only way to free up space AND cash to buy the next best thing. 3. Customers know way too much about the inside workings/gossip/etc of the industry. I don't know many industries that show sneak peeks of their new things coming down the pipeline. Do you see twitter/instagram photos from your favorite clothing store when they're at market? I don't...the only way I see new stuff is to actually shop the store. Then, how many other industries allow customers to get into the trade shows? Ever try getting into a gift market, jewelry show, stationery show, etc without a ton of credentials? With CHA it pretty much is buy a $150 membership with a Tax ID and you're in. CHA doesn't care to protect the integrity of the industry, only the dollar signs. 4. With the buying frenzy surrounding a new collection, customers were taught to buy it now because they won't re-print the collection again. So they now have rooms full of papers, embellishments, etc that they haven't used yet, and don't have any more room for the new stuff. If a Christmas paper is timeless, why is it "out of date" by next Christmas? Now I understand you don't want to use the same paper every Christmas, but do we really need 15 papers in a Christms collection from Echo Park? Much less 2 every Christmas from them? 5. Most items made for the scrapbook world are overpriced. I'll admit it and I'm a store owner. But what do I do? The manufacturer sets the MSRP and I need to get the most margin I can from the sale to pay for my site, shipping, store, electricity, insurance, etc. etc. etc. 6. There are some horrible store owners. I'll admit that too! some are in it just because they opened up and had great sales in the heyday. Now they're struggling to keep afloat and they're stressed and crabby and angry. Some are in it because they genuinely love the industry and want to see it back as popular as it was before. 7. Project Life came around and told people they could scrapbook with just an album, some cards and their pictures. No tools necessary...THANKS Becky  8. Digital scrapbooking became somewhat popular. People have started to make Snapfish/Shutterfly books because it's fast. Lots of people don't necessarily like the quality/look of these albums, but hey, it's cheaper and faster than scrapbooking the traditional way. 9. People just DO NOT print out their photos. They are stored on SD cards, CD/DVDs, in their phones, etc and just post their picture on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram and call it good. I really think this a huge reason why our industry has shrunk. With the invention of the digital camera, people take 10 pictures because they can just choose the best one to print. But they don't print them out. 10. The economy hasn't helped at all. Disposable income has shrunk and our hobby isn't a necessity. People are paying more for gas, groceries, insurance, etc and they just don't have the money. There..there's my two cents (well maybe $1.25) on why we're at where we're at. I personally LOVE this industry and am doing everything I can to keep it afloat and vibrant. I'm doing everything I can to keep my store alive, relevant, stocked with great product, classes and workshops scheduled regularly, etc. I'm just in a bad location in the middle of nowhere Iowa. LOL I will have to look up where you are in Iowa for the next time I'm back home in Nebraska! Thanks for your thoughtful reply...I think you make many valid points! |
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Post by songbird on Jun 27, 2014 17:01:21 GMT
I think it may have revived it a little, it was starting to die off a little before Project Life. So many LSS closing. I'm using my PL kits for some trips and family activities scrapbooking, but mixed with 12x12 pages. My day to day life is way to boring to bother to scrapbook an official PL. Can anyone really sustain scraping every week of their life? I knew people that pocket scrapbooked way before Project Life, so with WR Memory Keepers, Simply Stories, and PL, and now even Michaels brand, there are a lot of options. I think more people just bought too much stuff they have yet to use. Well, maybe that's just my excuse. But if you have too much crap you can only buy so much more. I realized I bought more than I could probably use in a lifetime, so I just stopped. Probably a lot of people like me. I, too, mix my random 12x12 layouts in with my PL album. Maybe one day I will pull them all out into their own album, but for now this is best for me in terms of space and number of albums. Nodding my head on buying too much and not being able to ever use it all up.  |
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Post by songbird on Jun 27, 2014 17:19:22 GMT
Uh oh, I posted a digi PL layout on the Share a layout thread. I killed the thread and the industry, lol! I am just finding my way to PL and I love it. I am a digital scrapper and I use it for all those misc cell phone photos that I love but don't really need a layout of their own. This made me LOL! I do PL myself, so you definitely aren't killing a thread or the industry unless I'm right there with you. This is only my second year doing PL, however. I do enjoy it - mostly I think because I don't have kids, so I don't feel the need to do layouts or an album for each child. |
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Post by songbird on Jun 27, 2014 17:25:12 GMT
I don't think the hobby will ever be gone. My grandfather died last week. When we were going through stuff at his house, we found a box of photos. Many of them were glued to black paper and my grandmother had written little notes and captions on them! It is photos of her and her brother when they were children. So I discovered that my grandmother was a scrapbooker! I treasure those photos and all they are are photos glued to construction paper with some journaling. Don't get me wrong, I love a beautiful scrapbook page with all the trimmings too. And I have plenty of them in my albums. But at the end of the day, for *me*, I want to preserve the memories and document our life together. And I can do that if every scrapbook store closes, as long as I have my photos and some paper to write on! Big {hugs} for the loss of your grandfather, but what an amazing gift to have found those treasures!! I just love looking at and feeling those old photos. |
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Post by songbird on Jun 27, 2014 17:26:06 GMT
I can't decide if it's hurt it or helped it, really. That would be a great podcast topic! I might think about doing it. This is where I'm at I guess. Part of me feels like it's helped certain segments of the industry while hurting others. |
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Post by songbird on Jun 27, 2014 17:28:07 GMT
I think the biggest problem is the fact that so many people don't print their photos anymore. There are millions of photos stuck on computers and cell phones. If you don't print them you certainly won't scrapbook them. Also, digital albums are pretty easy and inexpensive to make. So a good alternative to those who don't wanna fuss with paper and adhesive. PL has no doubt filled a niche in the scrapbooking world. It's probably kept some in the game who no longer had the desire to spend the time making traditional pages. You know, I hadn't thought of this point that you and a few others had made, but I totally agree with you. I only print what I need for PL generally, and I only do that every couple of weeks. If it weren't for wanting to keep up with PL, I probably wouldn't have printed any photos in a very long time! |
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Post by songbird on Jun 27, 2014 17:29:01 GMT
Sorry for the run of posts - just having a chance to catch up on replies. |
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Post by janesays on Jun 27, 2014 18:28:57 GMT
I have thought about this too. BH encourages the cards and keeping it simple. Maybe there are less people buying the fun stuff like embellishments....
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Post by scrappykindofgirl on Jun 28, 2014 4:22:36 GMT
I was at a class at my LSS tonight. All the PL stuff is marked down. The manager said that they were going to clear it all out because they can't compete pricewise with the big box stores. She said it would be replaced with something even cooler, but no hints as to what. I think the store is doing well, lots of inventory, always have new stuff...my class was full 18+ students. What stinks is BH says certain retailers are going to be given an exclusive on said product when in fact she turns around and sells to everyone under the sun after a certain amount of time. I have NO PROBLEM with selling at different locations. BUT, be honest with the retailers and customers on this matter. The LSS gets it in the store and then they are stuck with it because anyone with a coupon can go get it 40-50% off when it first comes out at M's, HL, J's, etc. In that light, PL has hurt the SB industry.
Also, a lot of my friends that are new-be scrappers buy like $100 worth of stuff and just don't follow through on actually scrapping-like adult ADD lol. I think all the other random Pinterest projects have made scrappers drift off to other crafts too.
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Post by blueswede on Jun 28, 2014 5:01:58 GMT
I think the flexibility that it offers has expanded the hobby. It brings in people who want to complete an album quickly or who aren't interested in lots of embellishments or design decisions.
The product can also appeal to traditional scrappers if the 3x4 and 4x6 cards are used for journaling or layering.
I completed one of Becky's albums but decided not to continue in that fashion because I thought my daily photos were boring. But I still use some of the newer products on my 12 x 12 pages.
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Post by melanell on Jun 28, 2014 12:53:11 GMT
I use divided page protectors now, but absolutely no PL products whatsoever. So for me, it has led to me buying more traditional scrap supplies than ever. I buy all regular stuff and cut it down to the sizes I need manually. I'm not following any PL format and I don't want pre-made cards. I just like the smaller "canvases" of the individual pockets. I always did better the smaller the page, so these are like a series of coordinated mini-pages to me. |
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Post by marykate on Jun 28, 2014 13:41:40 GMT
For me the biggest impact (other than the economy in general) is that the trend toward very artistic pages has scared people off. I have to say I am pretty stuck in the era of the sticker sneeze and cardstock, and I didn't feel any pressure then to put a page together. Now I find myself feeling like my pages just don't cut it as opposed to those very artfully designed ones. I have a strong personality, so I say so be it and I do my own thing, but I think others may just not participate if they don't feel they can create a page like that (based on either talent or financial reasons). IMHO. I think you're onto something here. I've thought about this re: the demise of the scrapbooking magazines (which I really miss). On the one hand, they were a great source of inspiration. But on the other hand, they were probably too intimidating to attract loads of new customers (which any industry has to do in order to survive). The 'celebrity scrapper' trend, those fabulous scrapbooking spaces that the magazines started to feature, the whole 'scrapbooking as lifestyle' idea ... for me, as a strictly amateur scrapper, it was always fun to read about the pros, and drool over their incredibly artistic pages. But apparently not sustainable as a business model -- maybe because the magazines made scrapbooking seem like a highly specialized pursuit requiring loads of time and talent, rather than a fun hobby that anyone could try? I've never been attracted to PL, but I don't think it's killing the SB industry. I think PL is more a response to the industry's decline -- an attempt to make it more doable and less intimidating. |
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tagsie2000
Junior Member
Posts: 53
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Post by tagsie2000 on Jun 28, 2014 14:44:42 GMT
I don't think it harmed scrapbooking, if anything I agree that it gave it a temporary lift. I think what is doing more harm to traditional scrapping is the technology; digi scrapping is so much cheaper and most of the younger people I know make photo books or just post to social media sites. Hobbies that are popular at one point wane over time and then if we are lucky come back, knitting is a good example. I am a traditional scrapper and love the feel of the paper so would be really sad to think the ranges may become less and less, but I do think it will happen even if it takes a while. Good job I have a stockpile LOL.
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julied
One Post Wonder
Posts: 1
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Post by julied on Jun 28, 2014 15:05:26 GMT
I had tried day in the life, still trying, but I still like the old traditional way. It more satisfies my creative need. I feel like PL boxes me in, no pun intended. The only online type scrapbook I ever do is for kids who's grad pictures I take. They each get one as a grad gift.
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anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,405
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
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Post by anniebygaslight on Jun 28, 2014 15:56:43 GMT
I'm one of those people who didn't 'get' scrapbooking at all. I'd go to a crafting session where participants can do whatever they like. I'd usually take my crochet. I'd observe the scrapbookers spending hours, and a small fortune creating a single page and agonising over their journalling. Then someone came with a Project Life kit and ended up giving us an impromptu tutorial. I 'got' it, and have invested in some stuff. Will be buying more from SU pretty soon. I now go around whipping my iphone out at the drop of a hat and taking pictures all over the place to put in my album. I find Project Life enjoyable and relaxing. I don't think I would ever have got on with traditional scrapbooking. I wonder if my experience is typical of the average Project Lifer.
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Post by cme37 on Jun 28, 2014 19:06:48 GMT
I don't think it hurt the industry, but she is in danger of saturating her market. She is releasing kits so fast that even if you were a die hard pic a day Project Lifer, you could quickly become overwhelmed with the kit choices.
I've been pocket scrapping for years. Anyone remember Scrap Works? I have a bunch of their divided page protectors. They were black and fit in their Anthologie line of albums. They sold 12x12 paper that you could cut up to fit in the different pockets.
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It's been a year in the making so hope it will be awesome!!
