Serendipity Challenge

I love Serendipity Scrapbooks...shameless plug time...and for the blog challenge on that site, we are to talk about when we started scrapbooking...etc...so here I go

I started scrapbooking when my #2 son was born...I'd never heard of it before then and about the only one on the bandwagon then was CM (Creative Memories)...so I scrapped the CM way...as I have walked this road for 11 years now, CM went one direction and the industry went another direction...as CM got simpler and simpler, I was also exposed to other scrappers who really went all out on their pages and I loved the look much better than my pages...so about 10 albums into my scrapping journey, I have totally changed my look...makes me feel sad for my older albums, but I am so far behind that I probably will never get back to re-do them...I love that this is a RELATIVELY (think knitting, quilting, cross-stitch, etc) quick way to creatively express yourself while preserving a legacy to pass onto your children...
If you are new to scrapbooking, I would like to encourage you to:
1) journal in your own handwriting...the computer fonts are cool and there are so many, but in 40 years, that will mean nothing to your family, but your handwriting will be precious to them
2) Scrap your faith...for me, my faith in Christ is something that IS...let that come out in your journaling...again, this will be precious years from now...I do this some, but need to do it more...
3) Scrap about yourself...your favs, dreams, difficulties, etc...
4) Get one of those ATG adhesive guns...expensive at first, cheap refills, and as Kim says, "adhesive on steriods" This is AMAZING adhesive!
5) DO not be afraid to cut your pictures, but I would recommend that you do not cut into a whole bunch of cute shapes....a couple of years down the road, you will wonder why on earth you did that.
6) Sign up on the Serendipity Message board and gallery...you will get SO much inspiration ( www.serendipityscrapbooks.com )...there are MANY other message boards as well... (I am clueless to what the really great ones are!) www.cropaddict.com is another fav...Serendipity is owned by a friend though, so a little favoritism is allowed...
7) If at all possible, set up a PLACE to scrap...if it is out, you can sit down for smaller time periods and get pages done by degrees...this is not my preferred method of cranking out many pages, but when life is happening, sometimes it's the only way to get things done...I mean dinner for my beloved husband and children REALLY IS MORE IMPORTANT than that page I would REALLY like to get done..., but if I am set up, I might be able to crop photos, or get papers adhered to a page, lay down some stickles...you have to wait two hours anyway...etc...while dinner is in the oven!~
I hope that helps...also, do not worry about being like so and so famous scrapper or Sally Sue down the road...the way you scrap is perfect for you...that being said, do not be afraid to try something new or come out of your box...you never know what you'll discover!

Carrie