Passionate Beginnings

"Tell me-what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Today...today, I'm trying something new-BLOGGING. I'm not usually one to jump onto the latest technology. I am scared when it comes to programs I don't know. But, for the cause of scrapbooking- I have decided to figure it out. I've rarely meet an art supply I'm afraid to experiment with so the computer should be no different. And, so I have decided to blog.

I hope to use this as a place to share my thoughts, opinions on the scrapbooking market, cool new stuff I've discovered in my artistic journey, books I'm reading and any bits of new information about what's happening at Scrapbook with Passion. For those of you who are curious about what Scrapbook with Passion is all about-let me fill you in.

Scrapbook with Passion is the name of my art studio. I am currently authoring a book on scrapbooking techniques, so you might see me discussing the ups and downs of my new life as an "author". I also design products for the scrapbooking and craft market so I may discuss "my life as a designer" stuff- what has led me to this point in my career, and thoughts about the future of the industry. Maybe, I will share some of the thoughts or tidbits from my speaking engagements as well.

One of my main goals at Scrapbook with Passion is to help every scrapbooker look and feel like an artist. I don't think very many of us look at our scrapbooks as ART. For so many years I have almost felt the need to apologize for the fact that I scrapbook. You know-someone asks you at a party the dreaded "What do you do?" "Well, I have three boys, I teach art one afternoon a week and I scrapbook." After I actually signed a book contract, my friends around me started to add to these conversations stuff like "she is writing a book". For the first time, it was like my work was somehow validated. Now, finally it is important. But, what about the 7-8 years I have spent scrapbooking and teaching in my local scrapbook store??? As a scrapbooking community, we need to embrace the idea that we ARE "scrapbook artists". We need to know what that is, we need to know what that means about how we approach our work and we need to share those ideas with others.

I think this blogging thing could be fun...