Baxter Village getting a new crop of scrapbookers

The Charlotte Observer

When Isabel Medel saw the invitation to an ‘Open Crop’ at Noah’s Art on Baxter Village’s Market Street, she didn’t hesitate. Although she had never scrapbooked, she has friends who do. So she joined a group of avid ’scrappers’ who meet from 7 to 11 p.m. the third Thursday of every month for cropping.

Cropping refers to the practice of trimming photographs for display in scrapbooks, and a ‘crop’ is the practice of getting together to work on scrapbook pages. Some have called crops the ‘quilting bees’ of today. Just as women once got together to stitch a quilt as a family keepsake, now they make scrapbooks to preserve family memories.

The cutting, taping, writing and arranging is paired with conversation and shared suggestions and techniques. ‘We don’t just scrapbook, we talk about all kinds of things,’ said Darci Carter. She says she enjoys being around others who share her interest.

Darci is coordinating the effort to create a ‘Crop Club’ and says the club is open to anyone. ‘Beginners, veterans, stampers as well as scrapbookers come when you can and stay as long as you want.’ Darci describes her time at the crop as ‘a nice little outing.’

Because she has young children, finding a place where she can work without interruption is a challenge. That’s why she was so pleased when Wendi and Brian Bojanowski, owners of Noah’s Art, offered to create the crop night. Darci is hoping there will be enough interest to expand the offerings to include a Saturday crop and add classes for people who want to learn a specific technique.

Brandy Vandergriff has been scrapbooking for years, but she says she needs more opportunity for practice: ‘I love coming here. I have four hours of uninterrupted time.’ So far, Brandy has come to every crop that has been offered because time and space are big issues for her. ‘If I had a room just for scrapbooking, maybe that would be fine,’ but with two young children she knows that’s not possible.

Scrapbooking is now a $3 billion industry, and one in three households has someone who scrapbooks. That’s why Baxter resident Kimberly Trimberger quit her job in sales management last May to become a full-time scrapbook consultant. She scrapbooked as a hobby and loves it. Kimberly regularly offers information about new techniques; at the last session, she introduced software for digital storybooks. It’s a free software download at Kimberly’s Web site, www.mycmsite.com/ktrimberger.

While today’s scrapbooking is dominated by women, it is neither a new hobby nor one exclusively for women. One of the biggest supporters of scrapbooking during the late 1800s was author Mark Twain. He loved the hobby so much that he devoted entire Sundays to the creation of his personal scrapbooks.

No matter how it’s done, scrappers will tell you it is more than a simple hobby to display their latest photos. They see it as a way to preserve the past for their family members. If you need more information about the next crop, e-mail Darci Carter at darciandjeremy@mac.com. Noah’s Art allows the Crop Club to use tools and supplies it has on site for $10 per person per session.

Baxter springs into fall

On Oct. 20, master pumpkin carver Tom Webb kicked off the fall festivities in Baxter Village with a lesson in pumpkin carving. Some amazing jack-o’-lanterns are now on display on the Community Center front porch. But that was just the start of the fun.

Saturday residents were to have the chance to dress up Fluffy or Rover (and themselves, if desired) and turn up at the community center for the 2006 Pet Parade. There are plans for a kids’ Halloween Party and Parade starting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, followed by some serious trick-or-treating in the neighborhood.

That will all culminate in the annual Fall Festival and Market Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. There will be vendor booths, and Denise Bates, activities director for Baxter Village, says there will be hay rides, children’s activities, games, music, food and drink. Denise says the event is open to anyone in the area. You do not need to be a resident of Baxter to attend, and she reminds everyone the event will be held on Market Street this year rather than on the community green. For more information, e-mail Denise at denisebates@comporium.net.

With all of this planned, it should be no surprise that Baxter residents are getting into the Halloween swing of things. According to a recent national survey, approximately 65 percent of us will decorate for Halloween, and wherever you walk in Baxter Village, that seems about right.

The practice of Halloween decorating has been around for hundreds of years, with the jack-o’-lanterns Tom Webb helped everyone create as good examples. Legend says that Stingy Jack was notorious for his miserly trickster ways and offended both God and the devil. When he died, neither wanted him, dooming him to travel aimlessly, carrying a carved turnip with a candle in it to light his way. Folks in the British Isles started putting the carved gourds in windows to keep Stingy Jack away. They brought the tradition with them to the New World, substituting the pumpkin for the turnip.

So remember to light that jack-o’-lantern Tuesday night to keep Stingy Jack away from the door. You don’t want him tricking you and making off with all of your treats!

Gwen Kodad

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