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Why I Just Don't Like Scrapbooking Anymore
Posted on Jul. 9, 2007 at 11:32 AM
In reaction to the craziness known as Two Peas in a Bucket -- particularly the NSBR [Non-Scrapbooking Related] board -- a series of snarky "anonymous" blogs have sprung up across the internet. There, readers can leave anoymous comments on topics from how crazy this or that 2peas member is, how crappy the current Hall of Fame picks are, what magazines/editors/designers/HOFer/pea/etc we hate and why, and so on.
Now obviously, everyone posts anonymously so no one has to stand behind their comments. And, also obviously, that means people are being far meaner than they would be to someone's face.
That being said, to me, these blogs are also a place where people can express what they really think, feel, and do. There is a truth here that I have always perceived running under the happy happy pink and green joy joy rah rah BS that is the scrapbooking industry and hobby. I've posted now and again, peripherally, about these issues. The scrapbooking itself is almost a side issue at this point. There is rank and class, a distinct pecking order, popular cliqués and the kids who get picked on for being "strange," popularity based on how close one gets to the "inside" and rules for judging levels of status, and more.
I saw a lot of it at CKU, just blatantly laid out like a giant disgusting buffet table of sludge. The wonderful people I met there and the incredible generosity of many people in the scrapbooking world kept me from raking that whole experience across the coals here.
To me it reminds me of feminist issues with patriarchy. It is simplistic and untrue to claim that feminists "hate men" when in fact, individual men are absolutely wonderful. Men are also victims of partriarchy -- because patriarchy is an oppressive structure and all those who live inside it, suffer. Feminism draws a line betweeen suffering and oppression -- but neither are ideal states.
That's how I feel about scrapbooking. While I have enjoyed the process of scrapbooking, and many of the individual people I know who also love scrapbooking, the underlying structure of scrapbooking culture makes me physically ill.
Anyway, this debate is over the "realness" [if you will] of the scrapbooker who makes items, pages and albums for strangers and then sells them on ebay, vs. the so-called "true artiste" scrapbooker who scrapbooks only her own pictures, her own family, her own life, and does not demean herself with the crassness of commerce. Instead she submits her pages for publication, attends the large Craft and Hobby Association Show [like prom for the rich kids only], is "friends" with designers, manufacturers, other published "artistes", goes to CKU [at $400 a pop] for "fun", and has "a name."
This is all from the comments page on one entry in one of these blogs. It reminds me of the movie "Mean Girls." But because we are supposedly out of high school [ha], it degenerates into "If you were good enough, you'd be able to attract a man who could buy all that stuff for you. How sad that you actually have to work for what you have, yourself."
If you are not dating the captain of the football team, if you cannot afford a $400 dress for prom, if your parents don't buy you a car, if you don't have an iPhone... then adult-wise, you are the equivalent of a fat, chain smoking soccer mom with no class and no taste.
This is an idea that comes up again and again, in scrapbooking. It's smeared all over the magazines like feces. The stench that arises from the scrapbooking messageboards, and even worse, the happy-happy-joy-joy blogs devoted to all things scrapbooking.
I just can't take it any more.
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I like to be published because I like to set the trends. I like being on the inside and knowing the up and up before everyone else does. It IS an exclusive club and I've worked dam hard to become part of it. Anyone who says they don't want to be part of it are just jealous. If you love scrapbooking so much, how could you not want to be part of the up & up?----------
The thing is, if it wasn't for us designers, you all wouldn't know what to do with the supplies you have. We are the ones that start the trends. We are the ones that give you the fresh ideas. We lead, you follow. So LOL all you want. You wouldn't be on ebay or anywhere unless you had us. And WE have worked hard to get where we are so yes, we do deserve a little bit of awe and wonderment. You peasly little ebay nobody.----------
Whats wrong with the pubsters and the peas that want to get pubbed is, they think it's all about them. They think everyone who scrapbooks is interested in their journey to get published. They think everyone who scrapbooks, looks forward to CHA. They think people care about who is on what design team. When, in reality, the majority of scrapbooking buyers could give a shit less. They want to buy scrapbook product. That is it. Nice and simple huh. Only a small group of crazed women care about who is published and who is on what design team. But if you look at scrapbooking as a whole? All these women want to do is make their own pages and have fun doing it. That is what makes the pub world seem like a small bunch of crazy bitter psycho bitches. :)----------
When I think of someone who makes and sells [scrapbooking page elements on ebay], I always picture a big over weight woman in a mu-mu she's been wearing for 3 days straight. She has a ciggarette hanging out of the side of her mouth with a huge long ash just waiting to drop. She has 2 kids in diapers with flithy faces and cheeto gunk all over their hands and faces. There's cat poop in the corners of the room, old pizza boxes around and it reeks like hell in the house. But here comes this little precious tear bear with the sweet little eyes looking at her. It makes her sad existance worthwhile for about 2 minutes. Then reality hits, and she screams at her kids and shoves it into a box to be mailed off to some poor unsuspecting buyer. And that's what I picture an ebayer to be.----------
As I sit here in my mumu smoking my cigarette, I am planning my two week vacation to Hawaii with my six dirty faces little children and my stinky little dog named "powerseller". I will think of all you Debbies fretting about being discovered at CHA while at sipping drinks on the beach----------
I'm an ebay seller who bought my husband a big ol boat this spring. It really wouldn't be too hard to figure it out as I had it on my about me page on ebay not too long ago. I am thankful for my customers and I would never get to have such nice things without them. I also am glad for the people who want to be published as I am inspired by them and their creations. I subscribe to every magazine there is so I support the published world also. There is no reason why we can't be peaceful and support each other with out this big divide. Those who scrapbook for profit and those who scrapbook for recognition. Both are equal, both are worthy. Why do people have to make it so complicated?----------
So, great, boatlady buys a boat. Are we supposed to get excited? Delayney goes to disneyworld every year. Are we supposed to be envious? Who cares? Alot of us published peas don't need to resort to whoring our stuff on ebay. We have degrees and intelligence and decent jobs. We have married decent men that can afford all of that plus more.I go to disneyworld every year too. Does delayney stay at the Grand Floridian for 10days? Does she get to buy whatever she wants when she's there? I doubt it. We get to scrapbook for the fun of it. I think that's where the attacking of the pub peas and the envy comes from. Most of us are settled nicely and the ebay scrappers need their money to buy the extras. I see it as all jealousy.
So to the ebay sellers. Get a real job. Or be decent enough to marry a respectable man so you can afford scrapbooking as a hobby, without having to turn it into a job. That's desperation if I've ever heard of it. ;)----------
I've been to CHA every year for 6 years now. Most all of the designers don't need the extra box of supplies, or the $50 payout for their pubbed layout. I have to agree with 2:06pm. I think the jealousy with looking at the published peas, is most of them are doing it for the fun of it. They have the blogs that show their very nice life and the onlookers can't keep their envy in check.They see us getting together at CHA and going out to lunch at these fabulous restaurants and they envy. They see us all shopping and having a good time= envy. What they don't see is us working our tail off in the booths trying to support the companies we have grown to love and are honored to be designing for. They don't see our hard work we put in. We earned our places and by god yes, YOU SHOULD BE ENVIOUS. All of you denying it are just looking pathetic. So go ahead and keep bashing us. You're just bottom feeders.----------
So, the published world is the entitled well off rich kids group? And the ebayers are the poor unpopular kids? Is that what this all boils down to? Am I back in 1990 again? I feel like I'm in highschool. Where is my locker? Am I late for homeroom? Do I have a test I should be studying for? SCREAAAMMM!!!!!
There is occassionally an actual voice of reason...
OMG, as a person that also goes to CHA and enjoys being pubbed, I can not believe the arrogance I am seeing here. Live and let live, I say. Get pubbed, have fun, sell your stuff on ebay or to the mags, whatever floats your own boat. But quit looking down on other people who make different choices than you.
And...I don't think you should brag that you need your MAN to pay your way to these things. If this single mom is doing her thing on ebay, and paying her own way, good for her! It doesn't make her a freaking bottom-feeder. Marrying a man for his money is hardly the decent thing to do.
It's asses like you that give the rest of us a bad name.
and then of course...there has to be.....
I think living off a man is called whoring, or prostitution isn't it. I think marrying a man for what he could give me would be the same - a whore is a whore no matter where she sells her wares
This is what I've noticed for YEARS now. It gets on my nerves:
I think half of the problem that makes some of us pubsters look bad, is those fake cheesy ass blogs alot of published girls have. They are portraying themselves to have this perfect life which they do not. They make these posts of announcing to everyone that some company just sent them a big box of "scrappy goodness" that they get to "play" with, but they can't tell you yet! They try and make it like they're in some exclusive club that they'll only give you "sneak peaks" at. They post pictures of what the lastest trinkets they have bought on their latest FAB shopping spree. I think their main purpose is make their readers envious of these fake lives they want to make you believe they have. They aren't blogging just to tell about their everyday lives. They blog to make their lives look better. Maybe that makes them feel validated. But I and others can see right through it.
Then, every once in a while, they'll have this epic dramatic post telling the world that the "haters" won't get them down. That they are the "REAL" thing. That they are confident in what they do and that they were the "first". And they'll go on about how they always "tell it like it is" and how "This is who I am and if you don't like it, tough"... and then all the little blog readers will pat them on the bag and boost their ego once again. I see it happen about twice a year on every single one of the fake pub blogs. And I laugh, and I laugh, and I laugh. :)
I think I am not going to scrapbook any more. I can never find any supplies I like in any stores any way. The whole industry is just going in a direction I don't like and I don't enjoy being part of it.
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Comments on this post:
1.) sometimes it pays to be out of the loop
Posted by falwyn on Jul. 19, 2007 at 2:50 PM
wow... I had no idea. I've never gotten into message boards, just haven't. Now... maybe I'm glad, and maybe I won't. I'm sorry such horrible cattiness has turned you off to scrapping generally. And here I've been thinking it's about my memories, photos, some pretty paper... ah well, I will continue to live in my bubble of simplicity if I can manage it. [I say with a sad smile.]
Regardless I've always found your advice and perspective to be sound and refreshing. So thanks for that.
-www.falwyn.wordpress,com
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2.) Untitled Comment
Posted by me on Jul. 19, 2007 at 2:58 PM - Link
thanks falwyn!
Right now I am getting into gluebooks -- it's all the fun of scrapbooking without any drama. A gluebook is like a daily journal that is done all in collage. The only technique used is gluing things, using any glue at all. I use magazines, catalogs, sale fliers, junk mail, postcards, scrapbooking supplies, stationery, whatever.
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3.) Hey!
Posted by Moondaughter on Jul. 22, 2007 at 7:55 PM
Hey girl! I have been wondering what you have been up to in the scrapping area of life. I guess now I know. I can understand your frustration towards things these days. You know I haven't been scrapping that long, but I have picked up on some of those things too on message boards and such. I just keep trying to kind of do it for my own enjoyment and in "my" style and not worry about industry standards or who's who on message boards etc. Don't give up on scrapbooking totally though if you still enjoy the process. Just do it for your enjoyment and don't worry about what a particular magazine or guru says! Art is different for everyone. My pages are far from perfect, but they make me happy so I'll keep doing it. I have really enjoyed checking out your art and pages on your blog the past while so I hope you'll continue to post from time to time there of your new art interests and still keep us updated. Take care and have a great summer!
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4.) Untitled Comment
Posted by ~Kathryn~ on Jul. 28, 2007 at 1:38 AM - Link
stay away from the message boards !!
truly - i have never seen one that doesn't turn into the 'them and us' with the DT and published people etc - and the examples you have shown just make me feel sick too - people are nasty and spiteful - and some of that is just horrid
don't give up scrapbooking - give up the boards - and scrapbook the stuff you do - i've seen how you scrapbook - and that is LIFE !!!
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5.) OMG!!!
Posted by Drewzel on Aug. 25, 2007 at 6:56 PM
Maybe 'cause I live under a rock, I didn't know there was stuff like this out there! Now I have some validation for my fears whenever I see the sickly sweet women on the 'Scrapbooking Memories' show on DIY channel. Their suburban WASPy blandness scares me! But it's human nature, doesn't matter what group/board/forum it is, people will always reveal themselves to be ignorant turds. Who really cares if someone sells stuff on e-bay or not? People should just do their own thing and be happy with it.
By the way, I made my Gluebook for swap-bot last night, thanks so much for hosting the swap...love it!
~ Drewzel (www.birdmadgirl.wordpress.com)
