Tiff's Scrapbook Philosophies

My last post got me thinking that if I'm going to have a scrapbook blog, perhaps I should let readers know how I scrapbook, what works for me, why I've stuck with it, and what I love about my hobby (actually it's more like an obsession :)

Here are some facts about how I scrapbook: I keep chronological scrapbooks, sizes 8.5 x 11 in 3-ring binders. My husband loves photography, so he takes most of the pictures and I do most of the scrappin. So far, I have 26 detailed scrapbooks of my life. Each of my children also has a scrapbook that I keep for them until they turn 10. (My kids can take over when they turn 10, although I still organize their memorabilia and keep their pictures in photo albums with labels and dates for every picture.) Two of my children are older than 10 now, so I consistently keep up on 4 scrapbooks- mine and my 3 youngest children.

I have decided to stick with 81/2 x 11 pages because all of my pages get scanned and organized in computer scrapbook folders and power point presentations. I burn them to DVDs and keep them in important document folders. I also have copies "out west" where my mom and mother-in-law live. That way, all pages I've made won't be lost forever if something happens to them.

I also have a "scrapbook corner" in my house next to the fireplace. I have tall skinny Billy shelves and white storage boxes from IKEA on all the shelves. My corner is in my living room and I sit facing the TV so that I can be with the family while I scrapbook (it wouldn't work if I wasn't.) I have to scrapbook whenever I get a spare minute, so my corner looks a bit cluttered 24/7. But...because my stuff is out, I don't waste much time having to take out and put away my supplies every time I sit down. My kids are finally old enough to know that they cannot enter the scrapbook corner, so I done away with the safes and locking boxes that I used to have. I am in my corner as often as possible, but my best scrapbooking time is in the evenings after my little ones are in bed.

I have stuck with scrapbooking because of the awesome tools, embellishments, and creativity involved in making each page. I love working with my hands. I also love collecting things. Scrapbooking definitely provides me with plenty of things to collect! I love the techniques, the magazines, the blogs and the scrapbook conferences too.

I think scrapbooking should be done your style and your way, or you will never stick with it. What works for one certainly doesn't for another. I also think that you should not be upset if every page isn't a magnificent masterpiece. Some pages are wonderful, others...aren't. But you will always be grateful that you made those pages. Your children and those of future generations will be grateful that you made those pages.

All in all, scrapbooking works with my life and is the perfect hobby for me. I don't waste time in front of the TV because I'm always making something. I can take scrapbooking with me when I go places. I am keeping a record of my family and our history. I have documented myself by recording how I feel and the many experiences of my life, so that others will know me through those books.

And scrapbooking even helps me to fulfill my philosophy that "my day isn't complete until I've purchased something" because I can get great scrapbook stuff for not much money to get my fix.

Thank goodness for Scrapbooking!

Scrapbooks Pages with Quilling

These are my favorite pages with quilling. Quilled pages certainly take quite a while to make, so I have to confess that there aren't very many in my scrapbook collection. I have a bunch of quilled designs ready to be used on pages though. (Like I said, I quill whenever I don't feel like scrapbooking!) I keep a few of the cutest and most intricate quilled designs as examples for quilling demonstrations.
The funniest thing about these pages is that most were made before I had my 4th and 5th children. I guess it's sad but true...I have less free time than I used to. It's also true that I really like 3-D quilling now too. 3-D quilling pictures are coming soon!

Layout and Tags featuring Beginning Quilling

I started quilling designs for pages not long after I learned how. Since scrapbooking is my main hobby, I tried to find techiniques that lend themselves to scrapbooking. Quilling is sturdy on pages and doesn't add a lot of bulk. I absolutely love how it looks. Quilling does take time, however! I have learned over the years that if I quill when I don't feel like scrapbooking, I can have designs ready when I need them later. Most of my quilled pieces here were designed by Ali Bartkowski of Quilled Creations. I am a big fan of hers!
These are really simple page layouts, but you gotta start somewhere!

2 of my all-time favorites

Here are two of my all-time favorite scrapbook pages. They both feature my son, Brock, who was a blue-eyed, chubby-cheeked, adorable baby. Whether it's the subject, or the colors, or the design of the pages that I love, they've at the top of my favorites list!
I made the "Baby Mine" page at a scrapbook store-sponsored crop I attended, and I entered it in the page contest there. It came in 2nd place. Both pages show off a technique called tearing. I love how tearing looks on scrapbook pages!

Mom's Mother's Day Scrapbook

I keep chronological scrapbooks for my kids and I, and don't often make gift scrapbooks. BUT... about 7 years into my scrapbooking endeavors, I decided to make an 8 x 8 album for my Mom for Mother's Day. I called it "15 Things I learned from you, Mom... When you didn't know I was watching."
I like how it turned out, but looking back on it, I would definitely put in better photos of myself :) You see, since then, my husband has taken up photography. We're a match made in heaven! He provides me with awesome pictures, and I scrapbook them! Great pictures really inspire great scrapbooking!
Here are a few of my favorite pages from the album... (notice the quilling on page #14!)

My Favorite Hobbies

Hello! My name is Tiffany and I am a craft-a-holic! My 2 main addictions are SCRAPBOOKING (a craft that brings memorabilia, photos and journaling together into a keepsake album) and QUILLING (the art of rolling strips of paper into shapes.) For the past 12 years, I have spent almost all of my spare time (and lots of time when I should have been doing other things) crafting.
I have always loved doing crafts, but I started scrapbooking "full-time" about 12 years ago when my first little girl was born. I decided early on that I wanted to document her life so that I'd remember her at every stage. Scrapbooking was my answer! I lived in Utah at the time, and awesome scrapbook stores were easy to find. One trip to Pebbles in my Pocket and I was hooked! I've been scrapbooking ever since, and my 5 children, husband and I have bookshelves full of scrapbooks documenting our lives.
I went to a craft show at the middle school close to my home in Michigan in 2003. That's where I met the lovely ladies from Quilled Creations. They were selling quilling supplies and demonstrating quilling. I bought their beginners kit and have been quilling ever since. At first I only used quilled designs to embellish my scrapbooks, but now I do a lot of 3-D quilling projects. I love the intricate designs in quilling! I seem to have the patience to make projects that take awhile.
This blog will showcase some of the projects and pages I've made over the years. I'd love to have your comments. Enjoy!