Why Scrapbook??

Dear Friends,

I have been surfing the Internet today as I do on occasion and I have to tell you about a site I found and an article I read on that site. The site is The Angel Company™ . The Angel Company™ was founded in Salina, Kansas in 1997 by Mischelle Smith.

The article she wrote is entitled "Why Scrapbook?" Here it is:

"Why Scrapbook?

I’ve always considered myself a die-hard stamper–not a scrapbooker! Everything I’ve stamped, I’ve given away, keeping only a handful of items. I was happy knowing that I was sharing my stamping "creations" with family and friends.

But. . . something happened a few years back that I have never forgotten. We were celebrating Christmas with my husband's family and it came time to open the presents. Like most people, I like to think that I'm giving really GREAT gifts.

I mean ... I really think about the gifts I give. I want them to be perfect! I spend a lot of time trying to find that something special.

As we went around the room opening up gifts, my mother-in-law opened the gift from my sister-in-law. It was an album ... I believe a 6x6. This little album was filled with highlights of my niece's year. And that was her gift. At that moment, I knew the answer to "Why Scrapbook?"

As perfect as the gifts I bought were, they were just "things" without emotion, without memories. That little album represented bits and pieces in my niece's life that will now never be forgotten.

That Christmas, I realized I had NOTHING recorded about my children, their lives, my husband, our life together, our families. . . NOTHING! NOTHING to pass on to my children. NOTHING like that little 6x6 album! That album was truly a gift from the heart! That moment has been engraved in my mind ever since, and it has changed my life!

Since that day, I've changed. I bought my first digital camera and I'm snap happy! I successfully completed my first album last fall. I take pictures like there's no tomorrow, and I create with the pictures I take!

What I have discovered is that through scrapbooking , I am becoming a better person. When I scrap, I'm usually thinking about what I want people to remember about this day or this moment years from now. I'm reflecting on what matters most, and I'm learning how to celebrate life!

The time I spend reflecting on my children, my husband, my family, my friends ... it makes me cherish them even more. I want to be a blessing to them. I want to make a difference in their lives. I want to be a dream maker. And I can. I am truly living. And I'm having fun doing it!

I now realize that I HAVE to scrapbook so I can leave behind bits and pieces of myself, my life, my emotions, my memories, my hopes and dreams that would otherwise be forgotten. In my pages, I hope to touch the hearts and lives of my children, my family, and my friends; and of their children, their family, and their friends for generations to come."

I would like to highly recommend this site to you and if you haven't started scrapbooking yet, that is something you really need to consider especially if you have small children or like me, grandchildren.

As Mischelle said, this is a way to perserve those wonderful moments in your life on paper and in a central location (the scrapbook) so your children and ultimately, your grandchildren will have this record when you are not with them any longer.

With the many wonderful ideas on Mischelle's site and the Cricut Expression®, you should be able to create any number of terrific pages.

Until next time...

Della

Calling all Scrapbookers

Dear Friends,

I have always been a person who loves crafts. I love cross stitching, quilting and other types of crafts.

One night I couldn't sleep and was watching TV and happened onto one of those Infomercials. It was about the Cricut® Expression. Well, I just fell in love with it. It is perfect for folks who are scapbookers or for those of you who make those cute invitations for baby showers or wedding teas. This machine will even cut vinyl. You can use these pieces of vinyl to create stencils to do glass etching.

You will not believe how many things this machine will do.

Well, I just thought that I would like to take Dogwood Square into another area. So I contacted the company who manufactures the Cricut® Expression, ProvoCraft, and became one of their retailers.

So now you can buy the Cricut® Expression from Dogwood Square. I'm really excited about this new area of interest.

Until next time...

Della