Scrapbooking offers an enjoyable pastime

Over the years, I have grown to hate those parties that people held where someone tries to sell products to the guests. I found them to be very annoying.

Sadly, while I was living in Michigan, I went to many cosmetics, candle and jewelry parties. Most of them were given by my best friend, who bribed me into going by offering a free dinner.

Well, one evening my best friend called me to chat and to see what my weekend plans were. That was usually a clue that something was up.
I listened as she explained she was having a party where the presenter would demonstrate scrapbooking techniques. Eventually, I agreed to our usual deal of dinner at a restaurant I chose.

I was told to arrive with some photographs, so I brought several pictures of my nephews. After I got to the party I was very pleased to see that no one was trying to sell me anything and the presenter basically just wanted to share the joy of scrapbooking.

Once I saw that I was able to get comfortable and enjoy the creative process, it ended up being a very fun evening filled with laughter and stories. That evening I left with purchases that I knew I would use for a long time.

As long as I can remember I have loved taking pictures to document life events, so I have acquired a large collection of photographs. The first step is to organize them by categories like family and friends or by dates of events.

I then like to display them on scrapbook pages that are acid-free. It is very important to use acid-free materials to preserve the pictures. I like to experiment with the pictures, such as cutting into shapes or making fancy edges and corners.

After putting a colorful background on the page, the fun begins with taping pictures to the page. My favorite part is decorating the page with stickers and making picture headings.

The last step is to journal what each page means, which is another one of my favorite things to do.

I have found this activity to be a great release for my creative energy. I also love the idea of preserving my life story to share with everyone.

I treasure each of my scrap books especially since I have moved to Massachusetts. It provides me with a great way to “visit” home every day.

On another note, I find it funny since I moved my friend has found she is tired of hosting parties. You can visit these scrapbooking Web sites to learn more: www.scrapbooking.com and www.creativememories.com Carrie Barrepski, a native of Livonia, Mich., lives in Western Massachusetts. You can learn more about Carrie at her Web site, www.carriewrites. adalaw.net She can be reached at carriewrites@yahoo.com

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