Scrapbooking for the Soul

I've been scrapbooking since 2003,  and find it is the one creative outlet I often go to when I feel the need to relax and let go.  I have delved into many different types of crafts my entire life, but scrapbooking has been my one constant.  The one hobby I turn to almost daily.  I love knowing that through my words and pictures, I am recording our story.  The stories of our family, the kid's, the husband's, mine, even our pet's stories.  I am putting down on paper the what, where, when, why and how.  The purpose of all this record keeping is to remember, and to tell our story, for ourselves, as well as for future generations.

My dream is that one day when the three little chickadees are grown, they will treasure these books which hold my thoughts and feelings about their lives.  Happenings they may have forgotten without the words and pictures to remind them.

I wish I had a scrapbook of my childhood.  What kinds of things did I like when I was three?  What was my favorite toy when I was seven? What did I like best about preschool?  How I would treasure such a gift.  Will my children feel the same way I do about their books?  Only time will tell.  However, it is my hope they will.  It is the reason I create.

I usually do one scrapbook for each child per year.  I am, on average, one year behind. However, I am now two years behind because I did take "a year off" from scrapbooking to knit.  Because I had learned this skill again and was enjoying it immensely, all of my needs to be creative went into knitting.  And I am so glad I did.  Knitting also seems to be a hobby I will continue for life or until I get arthritis and/or go blind.  In either case, I guess I won't be scrapbooking either!


Anyway, here are the books that have been completed (almost) to date and a sampling of some of my first and most recent pages:

Completed (just about) albums.

One of the pages from J's first year (made in 2003)

The last page I did (not even complete!) 2 years ago. (The red is not part of the page)

One of A's first pages. (2003) Could that tushy be any cuter???

One of the last pages I did for A two years ago.

One of C's very first pages - getting ready to leave the hospital. (2006)

A page form C's 2nd book just before is 2nd birthday. (2008)

Tomorrow:  My new scrapbooking favorite!


P.S. Some day I will learn to use my camera to take amazing pictures and with some luck and a lot of begging, maybe The Husband will get me that scanner I've been asking for for 4 years now.  Then maybe, just maybe, the pictures I show you will look beautiful and not so amateurish.  I want to thank you for looking anyway.