Why do you scrap?

[faerywings]

I was going to make this into a poll but I don't know how or if you can with the new forum. Instead of voting in a poll, I am going to ask my question this way.

Why do you scrap?

1. To keep memories, such as family events, vacations, holidays, etc.
2. Mostly for memories but some artistic endeavors
3. Mostly for artistic endeavors but some some memory keeping.
4. For artistic purposes, such as photoless pages or non-personal photos, art journaling

The reason I am asking is that I recently finished an album of my nephew for this tenth birthday. I started documenting his years after he was born and I have made a book every year since. When I started all those years ago, my kids were in middle and high school and still mostly willing for me to take photos of them to scrap. I began paper scrapping when they were babies so my entry into all scrapbooking worlds was strictly as a memory keeper. As they grew older and my skill in digital scrapping got better (as much as it is worth hahaha!), I have moved farther from memory keeping to more artistic. At the same time, there is no way that can break totally free from the original aspect of "how I began" and it is easier for me to scrap my personal photos than ones I find on Pixabay or Unsplash.

I would love to hear about how you see your reasons for scrapping and if you moved in one direction or another. Do you scrap in one way most of the time, but around the holidays or life events in a different way? No right or wrong answers!

 

[faerywings]

BTW- my answer would be #3!

 

[timounette]

My answer is #2!
This is not for me but for my children.
When they were younger, they wanted to look at my childhood photographies. So I decide to make scrapbook for their own children (if I 'll become a grandmother one day).

 

[MSMAUK]

I could answer all 4 at one time or another depending on how much I know about a photo or event. Mostly I scrap to spend time with my children and grandchildren in photos that they send me but I have fallen in love with the artsy side of scrapbooking. I will scrap the same photo multiple times in different styles. I will copy their words from text or FB or I'll make up the story to go with them. Since I don't routinely print out my LOs I guess they are for me as much as they are for them. I will scrap any photos that they send me or that I find on their FB. I don't scrap random photos from the Internet.

 

[AZK]

Right now I'm at #3.5, lol. For a variety of reasons, including the pandemic, I have not had a lot of photos of friends and family to scrap for a few years now. I'm strongly inspired by challenges at various sites, so unless I have a personal photo to work with I have grabbed the occasional stock photo from pixabay, something I never would have done even a few years ago. I have considered re-scrapping older photos but haven't acted on that too often.

 

[Cherylndesigns]

I tried to make my "poll/unpoll" answer "#3 but since you weren't sure how to do it, I'm still making it #3. I started to put the laughing emoji, but I didn't want you or anybody else to take it the wrong way. WHY do we have to worry about anybody taking anything the wrong way????? PC has run AMUCK!!! I tell ya.

Okay, when I FIRST started my answer would have been #1. Now, nobody (well hardly anybody) cares. ROTF so I'm mainly doing it for ME!!!!! What's wrong with that, anyway???

Okay, I must be serious here. I LOVE that you asked this question, Chris. We all scrap for different reasons. In the beginning, I thought that I was "the family memory keeper" (not that there's anything wrong with that). Now, I mainly do it for me.

Digital scrapping is my greatest creative outlet and I love learning new things and adding to my "bank of knowledge."

 

[Betty Jo]

Mine would be #3. I designed scrapbook graphics for a lot of years. By the time I got finished creating the graphics, I was tired of looking at them and didn't want to scrap with them. But, now that I've retired from designing, I'm making up for those years and enjoying using the beautiful graphics of the awesome designer's here at the O. Occasionally, I scrap memories, but mostly just for artistic endeavors and just plain fun!! ♥

 

[faerywings]

My answer is #2!
This is not for me but for my children.
When they were younger, they wanted to look at my childhood photographies. So I decide to make scrapbook for their own children (if I 'll become a grandmother one day).

A couple of weeks ago, Caitlyn and I were looking at some of her old baby/toddler scrapbooks. She loves them and giggles over the little journaling bit of things that she said and did- mostly things that I would have forgotten by now. Neither of my kids wants kids of their own so I might be forced to make scrapbooks of their pets instead.

I have really enjoyed watching your kids grow up over the years too!

 

[faerywings]

I could answer all 4 at one time or another depending on how much I know about a photo or event. Mostly I scrap to spend time with my children and grandchildren in photos that they send me but I have fallen in love with the artsy side of scrapbooking. I will scrap the same photo multiple times in different styles. I will copy their words from text or FB or I'll make up the story to go with them. Since I don't routinely print out my LOs I guess they are for me as much as they are for them. I will scrap any photos that they send me or that I find on their FB. I don't scrap random photos from the Internet.

Same here, I think that the number I would pick could be any and all of the choices I gave depending on what the day is.
I do the same thing, I steal my SILs photos and info off of her FB and scrap them. There are times that I struggle with that since I have to scrap someone else's activity but I figure that a 10-year-old boy is mostly happy to ready about himself hahah!!!

 

[LSlycord]

I am number 1 still. I love the memories. I started paper scrapping when my first niece was born. She will be 31 in June. Then, when I had children of my own, I started scrapping them. I got so busy living life with them that I didn’t have time to scrap. But I did take oh so many pictures. So I figure I have enough to keep me busy for the rest of my life. And I have a new great nephew who should keep me busy for awhile and just found out that she has a cousin who will be arriving in October so let the photos continue.

I did recently scrap an O birthday card that had no pictures. Lol. And I do some bird photos that will never get printed. So I’m moving a little bit to the artistic side.
Great question @faerywings

 

[faerywings]

Right now I'm at #3.5, lol. For a variety of reasons, including the pandemic, I have not had a lot of photos of friends and family to scrap for a few years now. I'm strongly inspired by challenges at various sites, so unless I have a personal photo to work with I have grabbed the occasional stock photo from pixabay, something I never would have done even a few years ago. I have considered re-scrapping older photos but haven't acted on that too often.

This past year, I think I have taken less than 100 photos, the majority being my pets, and food and decorations for the Theme Nights we did over the summer. Very few of people since I didn't actually see people other than my husband and kids. 100 sounds like a lot but compared to what I typically would take, it's next to nothing. Hopefully, this upcoming year will be better- as long and NJ and MI can get their cases down. *eye roll*

 

[faerywings]

I tried to make my "poll/unpoll" answer "#3 but since you weren't sure how to do it, I'm still making it #3. I started to put the laughing emoji, but I didn't want you or anybody else to take it the wrong way. WHY do we have to worry about anybody taking anything the wrong way????? PC has run AMUCK!!! I tell ya.

Okay, when I FIRST started my answer would have been #1. Now, nobody (well hardly anybody) cares. ROTF so I'm mainly doing it for ME!!!!! What's wrong with that, anyway???

Okay, I must be serious here. I LOVE that you asked this question, Chris. We all scrap for different reasons. In the beginning, I thought that I was "the family memory keeper" (not that there's anything wrong with that). Now, I mainly do it for me.

Digital scrapping is my greatest creative outlet and I love learning new things and adding to my "bank of knowledge."

You made me laugh! but-- I am sure that your family appreciates the photos that you scrap of your new home and its progress.
As for doing it for yourself, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that and it is a lesson many women should learn and accept- how many of us do things for others first and never consider our own needs? *puts feminist soap box away before I start yelling* hahaha!!

 

[faerywings]

Mine would be #3. I designed scrapbook graphics for a lot of years. By the time I got finished creating the graphics, I was tired of looking at them and didn't want to scrap with them. But, now that I've retired from designing, I'm making up for those years and enjoying using the beautiful graphics of the awesome designer's here at the O. Occasionally, I scrap memories, but mostly just for artistic endeavors and just plain fun!! ♥

That sure would take the enjoyment out of it. It is awesome that you scrap for fun!

 

[faerywings]

I am number 1 still. I love the memories. I started paper scrapping when my first niece was born. She will be 31 in June. Then, when I had children of my own, I started scrapping them. I got so busy living life with them that I didn’t have time to scrap. But I did take oh so many pictures. So I figure I have enough to keep me busy for the rest of my life. And I have a new great nephew who should keep me busy for awhile and just found out that she has a cousin who will be arriving in October so let the photos continue.

I did recently scrap an O birthday card that had no pictures. Lol. And I do some bird photos that will never get printed. So I’m moving a little bit to the artistic side.
Great question @faerywings

Same as I said to Sandrine, I have truly enjoyed watching your kids grow up over the years!
Even as they get older, you still have some terrific subjects with your pups and new babies in the family

 

[scribler]

I definitely started out as a #1. I started as a paper scrapper in 1997 when supply choices were nothing like we have today. Especially in the small town I lived in at the time I started scrapping. Plus my paper layouts were definitely not very artistic.

When I switched to digiscrapping in 2006, it was mostly #1 although there was also the challenge aspect of it to see what I could do in Gimp (the program I used for years). I wish it was still mostly about memory keeping but I don't think anyone is going to care about my memories when I'm gone since we were never able to have children. So now I'd say I'm a #3. Not that my talents are anywhere near many of the other members of digital scrapbooking community.

 

[scrap-genie]

I guess my answer would be YES. My first interest in digiscrapping in 2004 was to do family history for my genealogy, but it immediately began to be current memories as well. Birds got into the mix then and "artistic" stuff wasn't far off though usually has a bit of the memories too. And sometimes I do photo-less ones as well. Before scrapbooking I did keep books on some of our big birding trips but they were not in a similar format but in 2007 I did a combination of things for a trip we did on our own. I've done annual books of various lengths, books for my BIL, one on DH's guitar things and a family history one for my sister-in-law.

 

[Nickel]

I once started with paper scrapping but I loved the artistic graphic effects you can get with photoshop.
I also love to tell stories so I go for 3

 

[felis]

For compliments! My honest answer is that I do it for attention, so from the poll this is number 3.
I scrap what is necessary, even when I'm not always satisfied from the challenge's recipes. Sometimes I go back later and take down pages that don't fit my inside feelings.

 

[faerywings]

I definitely started out as a #1. I started as a paper scrapper in 1997 when supply choices were nothing like we have today. Especially in the small town I lived in at the time I started scrapping. Plus my paper layouts were definitely not very artistic.

When I switched to digiscrapping in 2006, it was mostly #1 although there was also the challenge aspect of it to see what I could do in Gimp (the program I used for years). I wish it was still mostly about memory keeping but I don't think anyone is going to care about my memories when I'm gone since we were never able to have children. So now I'd say I'm a #3. Not that my talents are anywhere near many of the other members of digital scrapbooking community.

Yes, *very* hard to be super-artistic with paper scrapping, isn't it?

 

[faerywings]

I guess my answer would be YES. My first interest in digiscrapping in 2004 was to do family history for my genealogy, but it immediately began to be current memories as well. Birds got into the mix then and "artistic" stuff wasn't far off though usually has a bit of the memories too. And sometimes I do photo-less ones as well. Before scrapbooking I did keep books on some of our big birding trips but they were not in a similar format but in 2007 I did a combination of things for a trip we did on our own. I've done annual books of various lengths, books for my BIL, one on DH's guitar things and a family history one for my sister-in-law.

hehe, I guess I should have put Option #5: All over the above in varying rates depending on time/subjects/mood etc
I think that the really cool part of digi-scrapping is how versatile and flexible it is. It can be memorializing a moment in time like a birth or holiday. Or something abstract and artistic. Or both at the same time.

 

[faerywings]

I once started with paper scrapping but I loved the artistic graphic effects you can get with photoshop.
I also love to tell stories so I go for 3

This is the biggest reason I simply cannot do paper scrapping anymore. I tried a few years ago and all I wanted to do was Ctrl-T things, recolor them, and ya can't.

 

[faerywings]

For compliments! My honest answer is that I do it for attention, so from the poll this is number 3.
I scrap what is necessary, even when I'm not always satisfied from the challenge's recipes. Sometimes I go back later and take down pages that don't fit my inside feelings.

You are too funny, but yes, that is a part of it, attention!

 

[Madi]

I hope you did not create #4 just for me!
I started out scrapping pictures, but these days is just play with all the digi stuf to create anything that I like.
So I could say I scrap for fun.

 

[faerywings]

I hope you did not create #4 just for me!
I started out scrapping pictures, but these days is just play with all the digi stuf to create anything that I like.
So I could say I scrap for fun.

LOL! You are so good at the art doll style- I adore your pages so keep it up

 

[Nickel]

This is the biggest reason I simply cannot do paper scrapping anymore. I tried a few years ago and all I wanted to do was Ctrl-T things, recolor them, and ya can't.

I try Mixed Media and I still forgot that I don't have crt Z too...

 

[Kythe]

1-geneology and 4 artistic
I have never paper scrapped. I couldn't stand the mess. I did paint for a while but that was a mess as well and I wasn't that good at it. So when I discovered digi-scrapping I found my niche. I started with the family album from back in the early 1800's- 2012. which included my daughter growing up. Once all those pictures were used I moved on to purely artistic efforts which I do just for fun.

I have no problem using web based photos which are way better than anything I could take and much more versatile in subject matter. For me it is all about how I can take any photo and transform it into something more than just a photo. My main purpose is to keep learning new skills and applying them in many different ways.

 

[veer]

Actually, I do them all, a mix of ...

 

[Cherylndesigns]

You made me laugh! but-- I am sure that your family appreciates the photos that you scrap of your new home and its progress.
As for doing it for yourself, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that and it is a lesson many women should learn and accept- how many of us do things for others first and never consider our own needs? *puts feminist soap box away before I start yelling* hahaha!!

I had to quickly get off my soapbox. LOL I HAVE enjoyed documenting the building of our new home! I think that's one of the favorite projects I've EVER undertaken! I have documented everything from the time this property was first looked at.

 

[zanthia]

great question - probably between 3 and 4 - the past year i have never taken so few photos

i am not an artistic scrapper ( wish i was ) but i dont do memory keeping either . but i did get into scrapping to create memories of my furbaby cooper who is no longer with us. I made a ton of pages of him - he was very photogenic so it was easy to create pages.

like kythe i am totally fine with using stock photos or from photogrpaher i have permission to use to create pages. quality wise my personal photos are not good at all.

 

[Betty Jo]

1-geneology and 4 artistic
I have never paper scrapped. I couldn't stand the mess. I did paint for a while but that was a mess as well and I wasn't that good at it. So when I discovered digi-scrapping I found my niche. I started with the family album from back in the early 1800's- 2012. which included my daughter growing up. Once all those pictures were used I moved on to purely artistic efforts which I do just for fun.

I have no problem using web based photos which are way better than anything I could take and much more versatile in subject matter. For me it is all about how I can take any photo and transform it into something more than just a photo. My main purpose is to keep learning new skills and applying them in many different ways.

I paper scrapped for about two days! I couldn't stand the mess either, and had glue dots stuck to everything, including me!

"For me it is all about how I can take any photo and transform it into something more than just a photo. My main purpose is to keep learning new skills and applying them in many different ways."

Well, said! Photography is my number one hobby, especially the processing of photos. But, I agree about web-based images. I love your main purpose too, and, if you don't mind, I'm adopting that as my own!