So, back in April the word at Embsay Crafts was that they don't want to accommodate the monthly 'Crop' Group. Where else to I go for inspiration? - perhaps time I learnt some new scrapbooking skills and found out what Copic pens do and learnt my Cricuts from my Sizzix.
In the nick of time my Mum found a leaflet for Portfolio Arts & Crafts in Blackburn (www.portfolioartsandcrafts.co.uk)- monthly scrapbooking class by Mel Heaton of Craft & Create TV Channel - a TV channel for crafts??!! - well I never!
I proudly showed Mel all my ongoing albums including the 25th Wedding Anniversary explaining why I had chosen the themes, where the pictures were taken and why I had included them. Mel admired my pretty 'photograph album' asking who the people in the photos are (wasn't it obvious!?), how I felt when the photos were taken, was it raining, sunny?
I discovered I have missed the whole purpose - Scrapbooking is about the 'story', a memory album for future generations who won't know the events and may not know the characters, but this is way of maintaining a connection. Albums with no journaling are as much benefit as a shoebox full of jumbled up photos. Apparently, the starting point is the story - not how much space is left at the end!
Thank goodness I have just met Mel - with only a year to go to hand over my book to John I've a lot of work to do. I also learnt about colour - having a habit of always choosing the colour which most stands out, ie a dress, a background or wedding year theme, I have often drowned out the faces in the image.
On returning home I wrote for Victory! Even deciding to go back to the story of how John and I met and deciding that really the album has to contain a wedding day photo to be complete.
What a journey!
