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I have the privilege of contributing scrapbook-related articles to a local newspaper: The Town Charter of Aubrey, Texas, from time to time. As articles are published in The Town Charter, I also include them on LILISI, with additional complementary information. Articles: |
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Scrapbooking: A Vintage Fad? As published in The Town Charter, January 28, 2004. What is all the hype about scrapbooks, anyway? Can more than a million people be wasting their time? Not according to research firm, Unity Marketing. A 2003 mid-year report indicated that 20% of US households now have scrapbooks. The craft supply market doesn't feel that way either. Scrapbooking sales have grown 29% in the last year to $1.2 billion, and are expected to grow at least 40% more over the next five years. Scrapbook supplies have gone from half an aisle in craft stores to whole sections. In fact, in the Dallas metroplex alone, there are at least 23 stores dedicated to the scrapbooking craft. 15 years ago, scrapbook albums were bulky items with awkward manila pages. Pages were created using construction paper, rubber cement and magazine clippings - all products now taboo for serious scrappers. When did this scrapbook fad emerge? Scrapbooking has been around for centuries. Ladies in the Victorian era kept friendship albums with snippets of hair, poetry and drawings from dear friends. Common-place books were popular during Thomas Jefferson's day. He kept one of his presidency. By the early 19th century, common-place books had embossed, decorated covers and fancy clasps. The term "scrapbook" was derived from the brightly colored scraps of paper that filled albums during the late 18th century. Surprising to me, Mark Twain was an avid scrapbooker, and reserved Sunday's for his hobby. He also invented, marketed and sold self-pasting scrapbooks. Yet scrapbooking took a hiatus until the 1980's, when the Mormon community in Salt Lake City, began incorporating scrapbooks into their genealogy studies. This refreshed the industry, bringing scrapbooking to the masses again. Yet it wasn't until the late 1990's and early 2000's, that craft manufacturers provided products tailored specifically to scrappers. But can the fad hold out? Will the scrapbooking craze soon retire? I hope not. I have been scrapping for many years. I love preserving photos and memorabilia in creative layouts. Scrapbooking is a way to create art that reflects me, and provides an organized memory of the joys in life. One of my favorite past times is looking back over the albums I've created, and remembering the crazy adventures, dear friends and happy times. I suggest the growing interest in scrapbooking reflects the desire of people to focus more on the special times, and to capture the magic moments. It's not so much about documenting a chronology of one's life - but creating a cherished memento of how much we love our children, friends and families. Scrapbooking is a great way to pass a slice of life on to the next generation. With the challenging times our country has faced recently, our focus has shifted to those things which matter most: cherishing family and enjoying life. Whatever the reason, scrapbooking is sure to last for some time. Top of the page |
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A Vintage Fad: Scrapbook History Timeline A rough historical timeline of the scrapbook:
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