With the end of the old year and the dawn of the new year, I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share of “Year in Review” posts floating through your Facebook newsfeeds. Some people argue that things such as this have replaced scrapbooking layouts and albums. This is the new scrapbooking, they say. We no longer turn pages; we scroll them. So why then do some of us continue to use paper to preserve our memories? Is scrapbooking with paper still important? Well, let me tell you what I think.
The things that pop up in our newsfeeds often become irrelevant within mere hours of being born. Their permanence is as fleeting as dust in the wind. People will click through maybe once or twice, but after that, few will even remember they were there. When we upload pictures to Facebook, it fails to leave us with the same sense of satisfaction that comes from the whiz of a paper cutter or the stickiness of fingers spotted with adhesives. And when we type out our words, we lose the intimacy of handwriting and the beautiful way a personality dances its way through the shapes of the letters.
This is why I love National Papercrafting Month. It’s a wonderful reminder at the beginning of the year of why I fell in love with scrapbooking in the first place. It reminds me why we still spend time preserving memories with paper in a world that is slowly turning into pixels.
Working with paper will ground you in reality and in the beautiful subtleties of our physical world, which is why I think the Year >> Noted kit is so nicely suited to this month. In the rush of a new year and the memory of an old year, it not only keeps me grounded, but also gives me a place to tether my dreams, making my big goals seem so much more in reach!
Life is a continual cycling of beginnings and endings—don’t get lost in the whirlpool. Take the time to write down those things within your heart that will one day become the whispers of your past. Ground yourself in paper. Because when you hold a real, finished project in your hands, the rush and the hurry fades away and the only thing you feel is contentment.
And trust me, when this new year becomes old and the time comes to reflect, you’ll be happy you have something real to hold and to remember. Let this kit become a time capsule filled with little pieces of who you are in this moment. I promise you that when you take the time to remember, your heart will fill with gratitude for not only who you are, but also for who you are becoming.
Happy scrapbooking!
Jeanette
Beautifully said!
So beautifully said…this is exactly why I love to create with paper.
So true. Nothing will ever replace the album that is made with love from beautiful papers
You are so right Jeanette, I have been scrapboooking for over 40 years now, and I love picking up my albums for a trip through memory lane, especially when a loved one has past, or a big birthday is happening.My grandsons too love to pick up their albums to see how they used to look.
Such true words Jeanette. This is what I am trying to get through to my four children … that even though Facebook and Instagram and Snapchat and all seem to give them so much now, they will eventually pass through this ‘need for instant gratification’ stage, and they will want to remember how much fun it was being the ages they are now. They love looking through what I have done of their albums so far, and I keep giving little nudges that they might start helping then taking over! I live in hope!!
I can’t thank Shaunna enough for getting me to start MY album a few years ago. It wasn’t something I’d ever thought I’d want to do, but putting photos on pages and writing the memories that go with them was quite cathartic for me, and has given my kids lots of amusement, but also given them an insight into the me of then which is where they are now.
Thanks so much Jeanette for reminding me of the importance of my ‘why’, and giving me further ammunition to remind my kids!!
Thank you for reminding us of the importance of what we are doing spending many hours preserving our past for future generations. Not only do I have my wonderful scrapbooks to share but through hands-on scrapbooking I have spent many fun filled hours with my friends, many of whom I would never have known if not for our common interest in scrabooking and paper crafts.
So well put Jeanette. Because of scrapbooking I have made many wonderful new friends and we have such good times together.
This is so true Jeanette! I love the way you think. I am one of those people who see something and then it is gone from memory. However when I sit and look through all my albums over and over again those beautiful memories are relived and enjoyed. Thank you for sharing xxx