did you start scrapbooking on your own Or by going to a crop?

[newholidayx2]

Ive been to 2 crops, 1 Creative Memories show.
Havent scrapped on my own yet

what about you? how did you start?

[BernardandMissBianca]

I started on my own, I bought tons (as in way to many LOL) of supplies and just jumped right in. Now I go to a CM crop once a month (but I use other products not just CM) and I go to a few crops at my LSS (local scrap store). I don't get a lot of free time at home, I have 4 kids, so my crops help me escape for the day. I do a little scrapping at home but mostly I just kit my pages to work on at Lisa's (she's a DIS'er too).

[Spinning]

good question!
I guess I started on my own. In high school I kept a scrap book that was mainly ticket stubs, napkins, programs etc....
Then I branched out a wee bit and mad a memory book for my grandma of our trip to Florida (scary to look at it now but also I love it! She has since passed!) Then I started a book when my DD was born...now that is scary! It is the cling pages...with over kill on decorative sissors....I am in the process of redoing her book....
then 2000 my DD kindergarten was a CMC. She invited me to her house for a crop....she hooked me! I have moved on to CM but so glad DD had this teacher!

[Mrs.Charming]

I started when my friend became a Creative memories consultant and invited me to crops. Back then I was only scrapping the "simple pages" CM way. Then I started going to scrapbook stores and realized how much cool stuff was out there and branched out to "fancier" scrapbooking. I still attend CM crops but usually only use CM albums, tape runners, and pens. I also attend crops & classes at my lss.

[Faerie]

I started with Creative Memories WAY back in 1999. Now, I don't use anything of theirs and crop every couple weeks at my LSS

[Raenstoirm]

I started scrapping years ago, before scrapping was "cool." I used a sketchbook and taped all sorts of actual relevant scraps (to me at the time including movie theater stubs for some reason) to the book and then little paragraphs about what each was, just like Spinning. In 2005, I got into modern form of scrapbooking with color and embellishments and photos. If I ever get caught up on my current books (yeah right!) I will go back and modernize all of those old books.
I have never been to a crop. I just have too much stuff to actual go and be productive, but I would love to go and just see what others are doing!

[Kim1964]

I started on my own last year. I've never been to a crop, but I have learned a TON from the scrappers on these boards. I've been to one show, but it was more stamping than scrapping so it was a bit of a disappointment. I don't know that I could ever be organized enough to bring everything I needed elsewhere to scrap, but who knows? I never thought I'd own a Cricut (let alone TWO) or participate in a swap (which I'm doing right now!), so maybe someday I'll find myself at a crop:).

[New England Eeyore]

I started completely on my own back in 2000 when I wanted to come up with something to represent our Disney trip and most of our pictures were lousy. I just made a few visits to AC Moore and kind of taught myself. I attended a CM party after I had been scrapping for about 4 years - and my style was way too different at that point to mesh with theirs. I never attended a crop until I met some people here on the DIS that were local.

[Lisa]

I started by attending a CM crop.:)

[TPCShauna]

The mom of one of my Girl Scouts was a CMC and she invited me to one of her monthly workshops. I went thinking and saying that I didn't get the whole scrapbooking thing and would never do much. That day, I spent about $25 on a 7x7 CM Disney album and spent 6 hours making my cover page and one 2 page layout for a multiple Disney trips album.

That was 3 years and about $8,000 worth of products, tools and materials ago. I have always enjoyed paper arts so scrapbooking is a natural fit. I used to attend lots of crops but I find that I get don't typically accomplish much. I've started kitting my pages now and that seems to be making somewhat of a difference.

Even though that original CMC was a nut job, I'm happy I went to her workshop because I have a wonderful, life affirming hobby and great friends because of it!

[rlovew]

My very first scrapbook was back in high school- pictures and souvineers of a Disney trip with a friend for her 16th birthday. I then did a little bit of just adding journalling with my poictures and finishing off an album my mom made for our wedding (She did up to the wedding but lewft me to do the wedding and honeymoon.) I did a little more but really got started doing things when I found this section of the disboards and started swapping- I wanted a creative outlet and hobby and it seemed to be a good fit.

Rebecca

[mommy2mrb]

I started in 1999 when I got preggers with DD. It was very simple and plain, but moved into more and more stuff over the years. I look back at my first album and think I should redo it, but DH says to leave it alone "it shows your progression in scrapping" I think he's afraid of how much more money I would be spending :rotfl2: .

I haven't been to many LSS crops, usually just work on my own or sometimes with a friend at our houses.

[CiaoBelle]

I started on my own about a year ago. Many people in my extended family scrap so it kind of pushed me into it. I love that I can give someone my scrap books and not have to sit and explain each and every picture. I haven't been brave enopugh to go to a crop yet, maybe soon.

[MazdaUK]

I put my wedding and honemoon photos in large photo albums with things like tickets and stuff, and on some of my (bad) photo albums I used to write what things were so I wouldn't forget. I got into scrapping because of reading trip reports ont hese boards - all these poeple kept talking about getting an extra menu for the scrapbook and stuff and I thoght "If I'm spending all this on a holiday I should do somehting like that". Anyway, I looked at the stuff in the shops at Downtown Disney and the parks and got :scared1: - what did I need, did I need it all? So when we got home I just bought another big photo album and slapped it in, with extracts from my trip report. From time to time I'd drift up and down the scrap aisles while DS's and DH were looking at boy craft stuff and think "What is that? Do I need it? How do I use it?" I ordered a scrapbook from a Homeware company, and some grab bags off e-bay and put them in the cupboard:rolleyes1 Does that count as starting?:lmao:
Then I founf CM were operating over here so I booked a party in December 2005 and invited a few friends along. The rest is history! I wanted so much stuff it was cheaper just to become a CM and get the kit. I just host a tiny crop at home twice a month in term time for a couple of the mums at school. I've branched out way beyond CM (thanks to help from swapping board - bad girls helping me spend money:rotfl2: ) but I still buy the albums, adhesives and pens, plus most new toys "to show my customers":rolleyes1
The rest is (credit card) history:rotfl:

[MaryJ]

I got started because of friends I met here on the DIS. We all went on a Disney cruise together. Afterwards, we were in the chat room one night and several of them were talking about making Circle Journals related to our cruise. I wasn't going to do it because I had never scrapbooked before, but they talked me into it.

I discovered I really liked it and about a year later I went to my first CM crop. A friend invited me. I still go to crops occasionally, but I use a lot of different products, not just CM even though DD is a CMC.

[Fran98765]

I must have heard about scrapbooking as I had decided I wanted to scrap my vacations. I went to our LSS which no longer exists and signed up for Scrapbooking 101 class. Took a few others as well. Never been to a crop.

[MontanaZoo]

One of my co-workers had a CM crop in our company kitchen way back in like 1991 or so. Creative Memories started in Montana (where I'm from) so at that time it was still a pretty small business without a ton of the CM products like they have now. I went to crops monthly both in that town, when I moved and when I moved back to my hometown we did the crops at my house :) Scrappers come and go, my sister did the CM consultant thing for a while but has dropped out but we still crop once a month at my house as now a non-CM thing so that it's free.

[ltldeb]

I pretty much started on my own. I had never scrapped before and saw a kit in WDW on one of our trips. I scrapped that trip and started the trip after that. I've been to a few crops, but prefer to scrap at home seeing as I have so much stuff and unless I plan my pages out ahead of time I'd probably have to bring too much stuff with me for those few hours.

[JandJ]

I went to a CM crop with a friend but didn't like the consultant so I didn't get into it. A few months later another friend invited me to her CMC's crop and I really liked her and I was hooked. That was January 1999. I was 100% CM for a long time but then I found so many cute things at LSS and craft stores that I've ventured into lots of new ideas. I have a craft room so I scrap a lot at home but I also go to monthly crops, and to conventions when I can.

[ariel & eric]

I had a friend who had been to a CM class get me going. She took me to a LSS to get a few supplies and I was hooked. I don't even want to know how many 1000's of dollars I have spent in the last 10 years. But atleast I have something to show for it unlike DH's golfing.

[vanyel]

I started reading the creative board because I had started beading. Then I started reading the scrapbook stuff and I was jealous that you all had such a good time :worship: Then I needed a gift for my dad's 80th birthday and I didn't want to do the same old gift - you know shirts, etc. So I did a scrapbook for him that turned out "pretty good" and I decided to continue scrapbooking. So to answer your question, I started on my own ;)

[boBQuincy]

I know a couple CM consultants and went to a party one had hosted. I really liked the scrapbooking but not all the stuff I had to buy.
In 2000 I bought my first digital camera and started digi-scrapping, and haven't stopped! :)

[dean_and_monica]

I started out by making programs for my wedding in 2004. I went to Archivers and took a free class. After we got back from our honeymoon a friend of my husband's at work told him I should come over and crop with her. I did and I never looked back. At first I'd go over to her house and work because she had all the "toys". Then I bought my own toys. I got to a CM crop once a month but I use all kinds of products. We also have a retreat here in Estes Park, CO that I love to go to. I'm going again in May before our WDW trip and I can't WAIT :)

[bigbabyblues]

I started because my neighbor was a new CM Consultant, and I went to some things at her house. I scrap at home now, when I can find the time and the energy. I have a new CMC now (neighbor moved), but her crops are always on Friday night, and DH works on Friday night. I use things other than CM too, but I only use their albums/pages/protectors and tape runner.

[MazdaUK]

But atleast I have something to show for it unlike DH's golfing
:lmao: :rotfl2: :rotfl:

[toverly]

I started when my son joined Cub Scouts. I purchased the Scout album with papers. It was an easy first album. All the papers coordinated and I could go to local stores to get solid cardstock in several shades. I think the problem with many new scrapbookers is that they get overwhelmed trying to find a starting point or going back too far. Good advice from a friend of mine, start from today. The next big event, be it a vacation, school play or house remodel. That will get you going without the pressure of doing a Wedding, Baby or Heritage album. After that first album, I hooked up with other scrappers and now I'm deep into my Disney album (of course). Now, I love the socializing as much as the scrapping.

[4greatboys]

I started on my own. I went to a scrapbooking 101 class and then started going to crops. I dont really like to scrap all alone. Finally I managed to suck in 4 of my other friends :woohoo: so then we just started cropping at someones house.

I started it because I had lots of the large pictures they take of you on the rides and when you enter the park and I wanted to be able to do something neat with them instead of just putting them away somewhere.

[Uncleromulus]

I went to a CM crop back in July. And I got hooked! With all the trips to Disney we take, it seems a natural thing to scrap them.

Now I'm buying up every scrapbook magazine I run across and cluttering the house with my scrapbook supplies!

I am going to a 3 day crop sponsored by a CM consultant that is going to be held in Bethany Beach Delaware in March. I'm looking forward to it as my sister and some close friends will be there, and it will be fun to socialize with them as we put our pages together.

Uncleromulus' Wife, Kathy

[graygables]

My mom called me back in 1997 and told me about this company she saw at a home show that I might be interested in joining called Creative Memories. I called and got in touch with a consultant, but before I could do anything else, I had an accident and broke both legs. So, I was situated in my wheelchair, on some serious drugs, when my dear CMC brought over my first 8x10 scrapbook, a pack of paper, couple of packs of stickers, the stars/hearts templates, a black pen and an idea book. She delivered it to my house and showed me the basics. I started with the trip to WDW that I took with my older DDs as a single mom, just graduated from college. I look at it now and think, "Wow! I did that with those things???". It's not nearly as elaborate as my recent work, but I love it just the same. I signed up as a CMC with my insurance settlement money (pain and suffering, ya know...:lmao: ), but I eventually outgrew CM and launched my own line of page kits and scrapbook apparel.

I go to Scrappers Dream Vacations as a vendor and try to get some scrapping done while I'm there. I love wandering around and looking at what everyone is creating...simple or elaborate, it's all beautiful!

[jmc_in_disney]

A friend dragged me to a CM party in the summer of 2006 (I swore I would never get into such an obsessive hobby like scrapping! :rotfl: ) Well, I loved it, and bought an album to scrap our 2005 disney trip and the whole kit that comes with the bag right then and there. I also agreed to host a party, which I did the following month, which got my sister and some friends hooked as well. The following year I borrowed a friends Cricut and bought one the following month - I'm now officially the obsessive scrapbooker and saving my pennies to get the Expression!!

That same friend that got me to the party has been trying to get me to go to a crop but I've resisted so far. I don't really like the CM consultant and she's very strict about doing things the CM way, which I don't. I did try one crop this past December, that our LSS was having, but that was a mistake. It was held at a local restaurant and it just wasn't like scrapping at home. First, they told us we could bring our own cricut, but the outlets turned out to be fake - there was no power! So, the only outlet was on the other side of the room, and were being used by the owner's machines (with very long lines for them!). I had planned to work on my christmas cards, which I was stamping and coloring in with watercolor pencils - but the lighting was so dim, I couldn't see what I was doing. I ended up doing not much of anything. While I know that another crop would be different, that kind of soured me on them. I like scrapping at home, whenever I can carve out time and having all my stuff with me. Everyonce in a while I have 2 friends come over and we scrap together, but mostly, this is my "me" time!

[pjlla]

I can't remember ever NOT being a scrapper. I actually have my original scrapbook from the early-mid 1970's... just basic plain paper scrapbook with pictures, postcards, and momentos glued and taped in with some handwritten journaling.

Then I did a version of scrapping in those old magnetic photo albums in the 1980's. Cut out shapes from construction paper, added quotes and comments cut from magazines and newspapers, photos, and momentos (movie tickets, etc).

When DD was born in 1995 I started what you would consider "modern" scrapbooking. But the supplies were really limited. LOUD patterned papers, basic color cardstock, decorative scissors, rubber cement. But I still didn't know ANYONE else who scrapped, nor had I heard of CM. I bought almost EVERYTHING I could find, when I could find it, because supplies were so limited!

I put the scrapping aside for a few years after DS was born in 1998, as I didn't seem to find the time. (And everything I had, including albums, fit in a milk crate!!:lmao: ) But I picked it up again in about 2000 and haven't looked back since!

I attended my first (and only) CM party/crop in about 2003 and while I was impressed with how quickly the pages went together with the CM method, I wasn't sold on it. Other than that I have only attended two other "away from home" crops... one at church as a Ladies Night event in about 2002 and another one just this past November (I went alone and didn't know anyone else, so I got lots done... no gabbing!). My mother actually signed me up for that one and watched the kids for the day:hug: . She knew I was struggling to find time to scrap.

ANYHOOOOOO.... the short answer is, I started and continue to scrap on my own. But I find a lot of help and inspiration here on the DIS and in scrapping magazines. HTH...................P

[uratoon]

I started scrappin' in 1995 before most people around here knew what it was. I had 1 friend who was doing it also, so we spent a lot of time trying each others ideas, then we started doing CM. In 1999 I became a CMC and really enjoyed it. I stopped in 2002 because I needed a 'regular' job with insurance, etc.

Now I find most of my Ideas while in the craft store walking down the aisle's. Hubby likes to go with me and pick out stuff too!

[Camicar]

I've never been to a crop and never will go to one. It's not that I'm anti-social. Not at all. I've enjoyed it when I scrap with others...

In my home.

I reallly need to be with my own stash in my own home. I am a serendiptious scrapper and regularly change my mind half way thru a page. So there is no way I'd be able to plan ahead and put a bag together and go to a crop. It would be a waste of time.

[dean_and_monica]

I take everything i own with me :rotfl: I am trying desperately to get my last vacation done before we hit WDW in May. The only way I can force myself to do that is to only take those pics with me to a crop. If not, i'd find myself wandering to other projects.