{"id":36370,"date":"2018-08-09T16:48:43","date_gmt":"2018-08-09T21:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creativememories.com/apps/thepages\/?p=36370"},"modified":"2018-08-09T16:50:36","modified_gmt":"2018-08-09T21:50:36","slug":"the-stages-of-scrapbook-obsession","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativememories.com/apps/thepages\/2018\/08\/09\/the-stages-of-scrapbook-obsession\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stages of Scrapbook Obsession"},"content":{"rendered":"

They say the first step toward overcoming an obsession is acknowledging that you have one, and it usually takes a defining moment to recognize it. For scrapbookers, maybe you feel the sunrise on your face and realize that you worked on your album throughout the night without any sleep. Maybe you\u2019re spending so much time taking pictures that your grandkids start to call you \u201cGrandma Camera.\u201d Maybe you\u2019ve been told you\u2019re mumbling in your sleep to \u201cpass you the Tape Runner\u201d and you\u2019re starting to find paper scraps and Foam Square backs in your shoes.<\/p>\n

How did something that began as an innocent hobby turn into a full-blown, awesomely fun addiction? There is a natural process to becoming a scrap-addict \u2014 it\u2019s a slow journey, one that happens something like this…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The First Timer<\/h2>\n

\"BMS_Instructions_Step5_RGB.jpg\"Nobody is born trimming paper, placing stickers and arranging layouts. But, that doesn\u2019t mean that it isn\u2019t in our blood. Some of us are born into a scrapbooking family, while others discover it organically on their own. No matter which it is, nobody ever forgets their first time placing pictures on a page. You experience that immediate rush of creativity and realize just how endless the possibilities are as you feel the smile spreading on your face.<\/p>\n

Once the project is over, you understand why people do this as a hobby. The sense of satisfaction is matched only by the sense of pride you have as you look at your completed album. You make a mental note of this feeling, but don\u2019t think much more of it.<\/p>\n

The Occasional Artist<\/h2>\n

\"CM_Q2Catalog3025_retouched\"After this initial rush, you keep scrapbooking in the back of your mind until the next big event in your life. Maybe it\u2019s a holiday, a milestone for a family member or anything else particularly noteworthy and you catch yourself thinking, \u201cHey, this would be great to scrapbook!\u201d So, you hastily take out your phone or camera and snap a few quick pictures of the event. You don\u2019t pay much attention to the pictures you are taking and how they will look on the page; you just try to take as many as you can to avoid missing the moment.<\/p>\n

A few days later, you set out to create the scrapbook. You\u2019ve printed all the photos from the day in question and you get to work creating a layout. Whether you\u2019re following a sketch or going based on your imagination, you\u2019re able to create a finished product that you are proud of, and you can\u2019t wait until the next big life event comes around so you can further perfect your skills.<\/p>\n

The Weekender<\/h2>\n

\"CM_CatalogQ35198_retouched.jpg\"Suddenly, you don\u2019t wait for big life milestones for a reason to scrapbook anymore. You\u2019ve gone out of your way to find the extraordinary in the ordinary and have started to scrapbook more and more. Your camera is getting used often and you\u2019re starting to see more of your expendable income go toward papers, punches, stickers and other supplies.<\/p>\n

At this point, you would start to consider scrapbooking a hobby of yours. You would rather spend your weekends with a 12-inch Trimmer and Tape Runner than anywhere else. The challenge of coming up with new and exciting layouts keeps you hooked, and you love pushing yourself to new creative limits.<\/p>\n

The Daily Deviant<\/h2>\n

At this point, you\u2019ve definitely fallen in love. You\u2019re spending a good amount of free time hunched over the table in your craft room (yes, you have a craft room now). Friends and family members are all still adjusting to your new passion, but when they see the beautiful layout you made them that celebrates their latest birthday party, all their concerns are blown aside by gratitude and awe.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re still in control. You aren\u2019t scrapbooking this much because you have to, but because you want to. The thrill that comes from finishing an album is the fuel that keeps you scrapbooking every day, and you continue to improve your skillset with each and every layout you make. You\u2019ve improved drastically since your first project, and at this point you\u2019re head-over-heels.<\/p>\n

The Scrapaholic<\/h2>\n

\"Intro_Albums_RGB\"You don\u2019t want to stop\u2026 ever. Daylight? Never heard of it. Your friends and family sometimes claim they go days without seeing you, relying on only the sound of the Border Maker Cartridge punching away from your craft cave to assure them that you\u2019re still in there. The walls of your craft room look like they belong to a conspiracy theorist with all the sketches that are taped up there as you plan layouts, carefully selecting the perfect design for your page. But you don\u2019t care. The only thing that matters is the page in front of you.<\/p>\n

You couldn\u2019t be happier. You have found your true passion in life \u2014 what you were BORN to do. Everything that you see in your daily life turns into a mental photograph that you then place into a mental layout. You are fully obsessed, but more importantly, you feel alive.<\/p>\n

Keep On Scrapbooking<\/h2>\n

No matter how far along the path you are, we\u2019ve got your back \u2013 we believe there is no such thing as too much<\/em> scrapbooking (although, if you haven\u2019t seen the sunlight in a while, it might be a good idea to take your crafting outside). Scrapbooking is a fun hobby that can be shared with anyone, and in the grand scheme of things, there are far worse things that you could be \u201caddicted\u201d to. So, scrap on!<\/p>\n

What stage do you think you\u2019re at right now? Comment below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They say the first step toward overcoming an obsession is acknowledging that you have one, and it usually takes a defining moment to recognize it. For scrapbookers, maybe you feel the sunrise on your face and realize that you worked on your album throughout the night without any sleep. Maybe you\u2019re spending so much time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95570245,"featured_media":36371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advanced_seo_description":"Ever feel like your scrapbooking hobby might be more of a scrapbooking obsession? There are stages of scrapbook obsession. Find out what stage you're on!","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[14113],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-project-ideas"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6NsZA-9sC","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":114618,"url":"https:\/\/creativememories.com/apps/thepages\/2026\/06\/08\/add-extra-storytelling-space-with-this-faux-pocket-scrap-journal-layout\/","url_meta":{"origin":36370,"position":0},"title":"Add Extra Storytelling Space with This Faux Pocket Scrap Journal Layout","author":"Creative Memories","date":"June 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"If you're looking for a layout that feels a little different, this Weathered Indigo Scrap Journal two-page spread is a fun one to try. 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