Confessions Of A Scrap Addict...

DAY ONE:

Dear Diary,

The damage has been done and there is no going back. I took that fatal first step of attending a scrapbooking lesson today. Everything I thought I knew about creating and happiness, has been thrown out the window. I am now a junkie who will need her daily fix of scrapping. Please send help! But I honestly fear I cannot be saved.

Having that "a-hem" moment, when you realise this is it! This is what you have been searching for. All these pretty papers, glitters, paints, chipboard, ribbons, flowers, things that sparkle, tools that do amazing things, stickers, rub-ons, and an endless supply of embellishments, that all come together to create a layout that tells "your" story and can be kept forever in an album. English, history and art, all combined - for me, it doesn't get better than this!

DAY THIRTY:

Dear Diary,

They never warned me that the addiction is real. I eat, drink, think and sleep scrapbooking. Things I never, ever thought I would hear myself say - "Let me save that ribbon from the parcel - I can use it on my layout!", "You can't wear that colour top, it will clash when I scrap the photo!", "Oh, look at those pretty paper straws - I could add them to my layout!".

Everything is now thought about in terms of its relation to scrapbooking - can I use it as an embellishment on a layout, can I use it to create texture on a layout, can I copy the design for a layout, can I use those colours on a layout? Nothing is safe. Everything is fair game.

DAY FIFTY-TWO:

Dear Diary,

There are not enough hours in the day. How does my family expect me to clean a house, wash clothes, work, and make dinner when my need to scrapbook must be fulfilled. I guess sleep is over-rated after all...

Maybe I should hire a maid?

DAY SEVENTY-NINE:

Dear Diary,

Apparently, there is such a thing as a scrapbook retreat. Well, who knew! I get to go away to a lovely location for three days and two nights, food is provided, a scrap store is on-site, and I get to scrap with like-minded women, I don't have to take my children with me, and I don't have to cook or clean dishes. What's the catch? I'll let you know when or if I work that out!

Mental note to self - don't leave the photos you want to scrap on your table at home. Why? Because it's a two hour round trip to go back and collect them. Yes, I really did drive all that way just to get my photos.

And if you thought men were bad when they get together to talk, they have NOTHING on a group of women who know how to have fun. This fun may or may not have included a scrapper who was also a balloon artist, with a dirty mind, and who had a fantastic supply of colourful balloons, in all shapes and sizes. I will leave the rest to your imagination because...what happens on retreat, stays on retreat...shhh!!!!

But I can tell you, my ribs were so sore from laughing that I struggled to carry all my supplies back to the car when it was time to pack up.

Note to self - bring Panadol to all future retreats. I'm too old to deal with these hangovers.

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND ELEVEN:

Dear Diary,

They say that practice makes perfect. I do not believe them! Why? Because there are super-scrappers, and then there is me. I remember attending one retreat where a lady completed more than two dozen layouts. Can you imagine? For this perfectionist, that was a mind-blowing eye-opener.

I can only do 2-4 layouts in a day (at the very, very most), and my obsessive-compulsive desires mess with my need for details and perfection. I am a slow scrapper. That is not EVER going to change, regardless of how much practice I get.

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY:

Dear Diary,

I need to accept that I am a scrap addict and hoarder. As a result, I need a bigger house. My stash is overflowing, and I can no longer find places to hide all my purchases. Seriously, how many pieces of paper does a scrap-booker need? (Don't answer that question!).

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIVE:

Dear Diary,

Did you know that it's impossible to find a paper cutter that cuts straight? I keep purchasing one after the other, but not one cuts straight. They are all out of alignment. How many have I purchased? I hate to admit it, but more than I need - Cutterpede, Making Memories, Couture Creations, and Kaisercraft to name a few. All hopeless. And a waste of a lot of money.

But then I walk into Aldi and buy a portable Fiskars cutter that was on sale, and lo and behold - IT CUTS STRAIGHT! Go figure! I wish somebody had told me about this before I spent all my money. Often, the simple answers are the best solutions - this also applies to all things in life. I just had to learn the hard way.

DAY THREE HUNDRED:

Dear Diary,

We have sold the house and are moving to a bigger home. Yes, this definitely did happen. I may or may not have insisted we do this for my sanity. Don't ask me questions that may require me to incriminate myself.

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY:

Dear Diary,

What do I need for scrapbooking? Tools! Lots and lots of tools (let's not also mention the papers and embellishments that also come with this hobby). How many pairs of scissors does a scrapbooker need? Take a guess! I'm at 9 and counting. I have this fear of not being able to find the right pair of scissors for a job at any given time, so I just keep adding to my collection. Need a sewing machine? Take up scrapbooking - purchased a new sewing machine and it's only ever been used for sewing paper.

DAY THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE:

Dear Diary,

They lied. Everyone told me that scrapbooking was cheaper than paying for therapy. My receipts tell me otherwise. My endlessly growing stash of supplies tells me otherwise. Buying a bigger house tells me otherwise. But the women who have become my friends, who support and encourage each other through life's ups and downs, make every dollar spent worth it! I have made lifelong friends that make my life richer and happier.

So, is scrapbooking cheaper than therapy? Probably not! However, it is a lot more fun and much more rewarding, so I guess that is a good enough compromise for me.

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