You read right. This blog is not about being married to a scrapbooker from a male's point of view. It is about being married to a scrapbooker from a female's point of view.
My husband scrapbooks and so does my younger brother. They both started on the same day in March 2003 at The Scrapbook Oasis in Irvine, CA. (Which is the most FAB store, I just wish they weren't so far away so I could go there every single day! but I digress..) Previous to this day my hubby was always "Scrap-Supportive" since I began Scrapbooking in 1997 meaning that he would occasionally help me draw, cut out things, create paper piecings by hand, and ***GASP*** even go to a Scrapbook Stores with me. Whenever I wanted to go a 12 hour+ crop in Irvine he would drop me off and go see several movies with my brother and pick me up when I was done.
Then came that one fateful day in early March 2003 when I asked the men if they wanted to come to the crop with me and not just drop me off. At first I was met with a weird look akin to "Have you lost you mind? Why on earth would we want to stay cooped up in a room full of women for 12 hours?" Over the next few days I convinced them to try it just one time, and if they didn't like it I would never broach the subject again. Mind you in the months prior to this Sean kept joking around that "You better watch it because I might become a Scrapbooker" when he kept seeing at the cool SB Tools that they were coming out with. And my brother's nickname has been "Uncle Johnny Kodak" since high school. So the convincing part wasn't that hard. Fast forward 4 years later and they are both hooked, but no where near obsessed. They both still attend crops and after some initial "What are MEN doing here looks?" they fit in just fine. Although I tried I wasn't able to convinced then to go to CKU, however the hubby is taking a Wishblade class at the Ontario Scrapbook Expo in October.
L to R: The Hubby, Myself, & The Brother Cropping @ The Scrapbook Oasis
Here are just a few facts/observations/realities that make our household different from the majority of homes with women only Scrapbookers:
- We can't just all sign up for a SB retreat. When I wanted to go to the Crop Inn for my birthday, we had to buy out all 6 spaces for the 3 of us. The retreat hosts felt that women wouldn't want men in the house with them and they were probably right :-) It was actually wonderful to have the whole space to ourselves even at the higher cost.
- I never once had to hide ANY Scrapbook purchases from my husband. In fact he usually is there with me when I shop and encourages me "If you want it, get it"
- We get doubles of many supplies or tools. For instance I see something I like and he wants it too.
- We have to consult with each other on the photos we plan to use on our pages so we don't do too many duplicates.
- Since he is as familiar with Michaels as I am, there is no second thoughts when I ask me to pick up a Staz-on for me on the way home.
- I almost always never have to lug any of my own bags to a crop. ((BONUS))
- One of the strangest things is that the men never look at anything for inspiration. No website, magazine, or books involved. All their designs come from the top of their heads. It's amazing.
Some of Sean's handiwork:
Some of Johnny's handiwork:
