By Joline | Leave A Comment
I was recently asked,
Why do you spend money and time on manual scrapbooking when you can just create photo books electronically through several websites?
After all, photo stores and online photo developing sites can do this for me. For less time, and possibly cost, I can choose the page design and the mattes, quickly upload my photos, and create scrapbooks to be delivered to my door.
My simple answer?
Scrapbooking is an offering of my creative handiwork for my children.
I do not knit, crochet, paint, draw, sculpt, or create ANYTHING with my hands. There will be no treasured samplers to pass down to my children. No, “oh, my mother made this” when my children share our family heirlooms with their children.
I realize that I could save time and money by going the electronic scrapbook route, but if I did:
- The finished product would be missing my personal touch: my handwriting, my unique page designs specific to each child, even my smudges and mistakes.
- I would miss out on valuable fellowship with my friends, as we sit around at these “crops” talking and sharing our lives (which are literally scattered all over the work space) with one another.
- I would wind up spending even more time in front of the computer, rather than with people. And let’s face it, I already share many a cup of coffee with my computer.
For me:
- Scrapbooking is an example a my handiwork to pass down to my children.
- Scrapbooking is a form of fellowship.
- Scrapbooking insures that a computer addict, like myself, chooses “face time” over “screen time.”
Are there any pieces of handiwork, items created by the work of your own hands, that you are planning to leave behind for your children?
Photo by angelsk
ABOUT Joline
Joline's musings can be found at Cuppajo, never decaf, never an empty cup, the "stage" on which this{read more}
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I so agree. I get asked that quite often, too … but I have no desire to replace the work I put into my handmade scrapbooks. Nor do I want to replace the fellowship of my all-day crops.
Neither my husband nor I grew up with even a family photo album. We knew that we wanted something different for our family.
After the first baby or two, everyone told me I would take less and less pictures for future children. Nothing could be further from the truth. I LOVE taking pics of all 13 of my children, and I LOVE scrapbooking all of our family memories.
Laurel
I have a totally different take on Why I digital Scrapbook vs. Traditional.
As much as i love the look of the finished product that Traditional Scrapbooks have, I simply don’t have the space for all that is required to do the traditional scrapbooking. I could take away my kids toys room but, I think they appreciate that now more than knowing mom is busy working on capturing memories for the future in what was once their sanctuary. Also, the mess that i would make in the creating process would be obscene! LOL
If traditional scrapbooking was my only option, I probably wouldn’t create that many pages. For me personally, digital scrapbooking allows me so much more creative freedom! 20 mins here, 20 mins there, no fuss, no mess! I love the look of the pages once they are printed and in albums.
I do think their are a lot of misunderstandings regarding digital scrapbooking. We don’t just look at them on the computer, they do for the most part get printed. ALL of my scrapbook pages have my personal touch.. even more so since most of what i create with, I create myself in regards to graphics. The scrapbook pages that i create has my little creative touch all over them and they were created with just as much love as a traditional page
I think that Scrapbooking in general holds the appeal, how you choose to do it, Digitally or Traditionally…. doesn’t really matter in the end. Its all the same. Its nice that our children’s generation will be able to cherish and remember more memories from their past, its what it is all about… No matter how you choose to do it.
Thanks for the perspective, Carrie.
It sounds as if digital scrapbooking has been amazing for you! I didn’t even think about the space issue, for when I work, I spreak out. EVERYWHERE. This is why I scrapbook at “crops” with a dozen or so women and long tables . . . I rarely scrapbook at home.
I think, for me personally, it came down to wanting to hand my children something I had literally made with my own hands – cutting, gluing, handwriting, smudges, mistakes, etc. I also really enjoy the time with other women, as I can very easily escape to my computer and hide there. I know my weaknesses and the computer is one of them. So, this is one way that I can insure that I am spending quality time with others.
However, all that being said, I just learned of a fabulous way to take my BLOG and turn it into a book – digitally. I am going to do this for sure. There is just no way I can take years of posts and cut and paste them. I am going to make blog books for my kids via computer.
Thanks for allowing me to see the beauty in digital scrapbooks – you’ve spurred me on to get going on my blog book project!!!!!!!!