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Scrapbooking fever reaches RP

Scrapbooking fever reaches RP
May 21, 2006
Blooey Singson, Contributor
Inquirer

Published on page B2 of the May 21, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
SCRAPBOOKING is a craft that has seen tremendous growth in recent years. All over the world, scrappers (scrapbook enthusiasts) get together and scrapbook at each other's homes, trade dealerships, clubs, conventions and even cruises.

In the United States, the scrapbooking industry is worth about $7 billion and is growing by about 27 percent yearly due largely to multi-level marketing enterprises.

Scrapbooking has even surpassed golf in popularity—research shows that one in four households in the US has someone playing golf, while one in three households has a scrapper.

Today, the scrapbooking craze has started to catch on in the Philippines—scrapbooking supplies are fast filling bookstore shelves and specialty scrapbooking stores are starting up.

Happy scrappers

Every human being seeks a way to leave his or her mark in the world. This is why scrapbooking takes a powerful hold on consumers. With the frenetic pace of today's increasingly high-tech society, the appeal of putting a personal creative touch in one's environment is undeniable.

Scrapbooking, the craft of compiling significant memorabilia into decorated albums, not only allows them to unleash their creativity; it also serves as a way of enhancing relationships with others. No longer just a grandmother's hobby or a child's school project, scrapbooking has evolved into a significant personal craft that allows one to creatively collect and share memories.

Avid scrapper Kat Azanza says, "scrapbooking gives me both an emotional and artistic outlet that is all my own, one that no one needs to judge except me. It is also one of the most wonderful gifts I can leave my children."

Mayet Villarosa, who has been scrapbooking for years now, shares, "scrapbooking is a very unique and personal way of keeping memories, and it's a beautiful legacy you can pass on to future generations."

Scrapbooking entrepreneur Nenette Madero adds, "a scrapbook is the storybook of your life. It's the art of preserving memories that matter most to you, to create a link to your past so that you can look back and remember."

Not just cut-and-paste

Anybody can scrap about any topic under the sun, but scrapbooking isn't randomly sticking a mishmash of items onto a piece of paper.

"There are basic design principles that can help you in your layout. While there are no strict rules to follow, there's some deliberation that goes into it. Take pictures, for instance—you don't plaster all the pictures from your album in your scrapbook. You have to choose pictures that say something or bring out a certain feeling," says Madero.

A scrapbook has three main components: pictures, title and journal. The journal component sets scrapbooks apart from photo albums. Accompanying texts bring to life the story behind the pictures.

Embellishments also contribute to the aesthetic appeal of the scrapbook. They come in the form of stickers, die-cuts, metal accents, ribbons, rub-ons, etc. Embellishments usually follow trends in fashion, in terms of styles and colors.

Scrapbooks can be thematic, documenting milestones and important events such as birthdays, holidays, and vacations.
"People normally scrap events," relates Madero, "but everyday moments can be just as meaningful. You don't even have to scrap chronologically; you can start with whatever catches your attention."

Scrapper's attic

Filipino scrappers bemoan the lack of scrapbooking materials in the local market. An avid scrapper herself, Madero decided to bring in scrapbooking products from the US so that Filipino scrappers could have more choices available to them.

"I have a group of friends who usually get together to scrap. When I brought in scrapbooking supplies from my US trips, my friends usually bought from me. So I decided to put up an online store to make a wider range of products available to more people."

Madero's website, www.mylittleattic.com, was named for her attic, where her scrapping group frequently meets. It features an online store that has practically everything a scrapper would need. The store carries patterned papers, card stock, adhesives, embellishments and charms, albums and page protectors, cutting and embossing tools, foam and rubber stamps, paint, chalk, and an assortment of threads and ribbons. Customers deposit their money into Madero's account, and once the payment is cleared, deliveries can be made within one day for Metro Manila, or two days for provincial orders.

"The items are brought in from the States but in the future, I aim to come up with locally made embellishments, with our wealth of indigenous materials," says Madero

The website also features a gallery, forums, and useful links. Scrappers can also apply for free membership to a scrapping club, which entitles them to newsletters, scrapbooking updates, tips, contests and even private sales.

Scrappers can also visit the My Little Attic booth at the Scrap Fest on May 21 at the roofdeck of the Prestige Tower, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas, from 12 noon to 5 p.m. The Scrap Fest is open to all for a registration fee of P300, inclusive of materials and snacks. Activities for the Scrap Fest are demonstrations, workshops, scrap fest challenge, and raffles. For inquiries, email nenette@mylittleattic.com.

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