Weighing it all up ...

Any guesses as to what is hiding underneath this pile of scrapbook albums?

Yep, a set of scales. Showing that these five beauties weigh ...

... just over two stone. That's about thirteen kilos for the metrically-minded. And this isn't all my albums: just the 12x12s. At this rate (and I am not a prolific scrapper - there's far more on my hard disk than there is in my albums), that'll be four stone in another five years, six stone five years after that ... You get my drift. Should we ever move house, we'll be needing a pantechnicon for the scrapbooking stuff alone.

I'm having a bit of a scrapping crisis. Go digi! I hear some of you call: less environmentally wasteful, easy to store, convenient to send to others, and cheap to transport ... what's not to like? And I do like digital scrapping. I love the way I can get a clean and graphic look, and Photoshop is no longer a totally arcane mystery to me. I can talk layers, clipping masks and .png files without feeling a fraud. The thing is - and I'm looking over my shoulder as I whisper this to you - I like holding something in my hands more. Touching paper, turning pages, is a kind of ... well, ecstasy. Always has been, ever since having measles as a child, on my birthday. Into my darkened room (the light hurt my eyes) tiptoed my Dad with a pile of exercise books and notebooks, all different shapes and sizes, and laid them gently on the counterpane. I remember opening one of them, lifting it up to my face to sniff the wonderful scent of new paper, and laying its cool surface against my hot cheek - then drifting off to sleep, feeling the weight of them on my chest as I clutched them tight, sensing the promise in them that one day I'd be feeling better.

So paper is special. Magical, even. I am not fond of the feel of plastic page protectors either. They're a little clumsy, a barrier between me and the page. I want to interact with my scrapbooks, get closer. I also need to travel lighter. On a sailing boat, there isn't room for excess weight or baggage - not if you ever want to leave the harbour ...

I've been having A Think, and done a bit of exploring. I have a glimmer of an idea for an alternative, and am waiting for something to come through the letter box any day now. I'll keep you posted.

Am I alone in this, I'm wondering? How do you all manage your scrapbook albums? Do you just put up more shelves? Or have you an elegant solution to share? I'd love to hear!

Oh, and you may be sad to know that International Clothesline Week is now over for this year, and Sheffield is recovering from the excitement. I did also unearth the fact it that it was also International Accordian Awareness Week. Truly. Don't you just love that word 'Awareness' ...

Comments

[Amy]

Well, I am currently facing this situation as well. I have been partially digi scrapping for a while and even contemplating a full turn into photo books - they are lighter and take less space. But .... the paper, the cardstock - forget about the embellishments - it's the paper, what will I do? You are certainly not alone!

[Jacky S]

I understand your problem...my shelves are heaving under albums.....sagging with discontent.....frowning at me.I've played with digital...your skill sounds greater than mine....but I love the touchy feelyness of 'real' scrapbooking.....and the layers....and the cutting and sticking...and...and!! I just accept I'll need a fork lift truck if we ever move....I'm more worried about which ones I'd save if the house caught fire!

[Julie Kirk]

Funnily enough, as I was cleaning my teeth this morning, I stood staring at the shelf unit I bought especially to share and display my albums at the top of the stairs .... which is already a little full. The solution in mind was to move it from that shared space and hide it in a spare room!!! Or maybe I'll just have a slight pruning and reshuffle?

Also - have my photo of the washing line all ready to scrap .... sadly I can't remember where I put the accordian ....

[Alexa]

So glad I am not on my own, Amy! Thinking cap is on ...

[Sian]

I made one of my first ever scrapbooks when I was sick in hospital at the age of 12. Every day my mum would bring in a stack of old Christmas cards and we we choose a subject for the day and cut and stick accordingly. I can remember feeling the weight of that book on the bed!

I'll always be a paper girl. No digi for me.

[lin thomas]

Well as you know Alexa I am a digi girl and you are a hybrid scrapbooker so you are already halfway there and your clean and graphic style does lend itself very easily to going digital. I went digi after my Dad died I couldn't scrapbook without floods of tears all over my pages, that was well over 4 years ago and I'm just coming back round to paper. I don't think I could ever give up on paper glue and scissors altogether and still love my card-making. I have about 6 12x12 paper albums BUT I also have about 10 8x8 digital albums, so, you see, you won't have any more space!!! I have mine printed at DS colour labs they were recommended on UKS. My husband and sons are especially pleased I went digi as I don't have to clear away all my stuff from the dining table before we eat!!!

[Helen]

I'm a paper girl, through and through. Wrists won't hold up to digi scrapping and work....
Love the image of you with your notebooks - think we've all had an experience like that. I vividly remember sneaking in to my Dad's bedroom and reading the books on his bookshelf when I was little - encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, most of them second hand, most of them tattered, all of them well-loved and delightful. What fun I used to have, sat there surrounded by all that knowledge.