The Gateway Drug

In my world, SCRAPBOOKING is the “Gateway Drug” into all sorts of other wonderful Paper Crafting Goodness. Oh yeah, I forgot, you may not know my world. Stop, rewind, let me introduce myself….. I am Sarah Hodsdon, your new SCRAPBOOKING Editor. I am, according to the “formal” biography a mixed media artist, designer, author, and instructor. Informally, it is a fancy way of saying I am a Jill- of- all- trades crafting junkie with a particular affinity for paper. I have been “scrapbooking” since I could pick up a crayon and document my day on the wall behind the big chair in the living room. In those days, I suffered a lot for my art as they say. Today, I teach scrapbooking, artistic journals, stamping, mixed media collage, metal embossing among other things, and business workshops that help artists( young and young at heart) market and brand their handiwork. That’s me in a nutshell….

So, why *IS* Scrapbooking the gateway drug….because for many, it is the first time they have ever felt that the thoughts in their heads were worth the effort to document. This is important. The first time you look at something (a picture, a ticket stub, a quote, or a bit of ephemera) and say to yourself, this is something I want to remember AND I want others to remember it too, is HUGE! A magical thing happens when you share that first lay-out with someone, you realize that what you think and what you made both have value. You have made your mark there on the timeline of history by making sure that whatever it was there on that paper is preserved for posterity. It is addictive and euphoric, and it sets the ball in motion to want to create more pages and document more of those crazy thoughts in your head in only the way you could possibly do. For many, this experience opens the door to all sorts of new embellishments, techniques, surfaces, products and artforms. It is the Gateway to an expanding Creativity!

Your voice is important! I want to hear from you. Look, we are in this thing together. We are all memory preserving and thought documenting addicts sharing this spot on the timeline with eachother! Let’s make this the place where addicts are created and amazing things are discovered and shared….. Publishers, Manufacturers, Authors, Folks wanting to Pay It Forward to the rest of the Scrapping World, help me help you. You can email me directly at [email protected]

In the meantime, take a peek at these loverlie bracelets (Smoy PhotoCuff)- the perfect way to let the world know about your Scrapping/Memory preserving addiction!