Remember when you first started Scrapbooking?

I've just logged back in here after what must be a break of over 10 years. I moved house a couple of times and have finally got my hands back on my crafty stash and a nice space to put them in - feel like time is right to get back my Scrapbooky skills - not before a quick natter though (that's why I was never a prolific scrapbooker!!)

When did you first come across scrapbooking? Mine was on a trip to Florida... Brought back the old red sizzix machine - remember the one with the big pushdown handle and a load of dies - A Michaels 40% coupon - I was so excited by all the things in that store. Jeez our bags were so heavy and full coming back. I still have it and the dies - Whats your oldest gadget?

What was the first UK scrapbook store you went to? Fairly sure mine was Scrapbook House, were they on QVC?

Did/do you have a regular crop / go to events - how did you find out about it? I found out about mine at one of the Scrapbook shows at the NEC - they were such a big thing then.

What were your fav shops and why?

Did you go on Retreats / holidays with your scrapbooking friends - I had a blast with mine - would give anything to turn back the clock!

Anyone else fancy a reminisce

Hey Dani, I started scrapbooking after accidentally coming across Alicia on create and craft a billion years ago. I googled and found ukscrappers, and my local scrapbook shop. The qvc had a special value item that had holographic wheelbarrows in it and I was done for ��
I may have attended a few retreats, the last being ten years ago. They do have one here but I’ve never been the local scrapping community isn’t exactly inclusive which is odd for Canada because most people here are nice.
I taught scrapbooking at a Michael’s (craft chain, think hobby craft) but the head office set the pages and I couldn’t adapt them at all and what sells in Texas where head office is didn’t sell at all in the frozen north. It was depressing so didn’t last long.

I discovered scrapbooking while in Colorado, there was a Creative Memories stall at a summer fair we visited, must be 20+ Years ago.
I think a lot of people started with CM.
My first tool was a Fiskars trimmer, still have it but don’t use it any more as I can’t get new blades ! Our trips to the US always involved bringing home suitcases half full of stash !
Managed to find Creative Memories here in the UK, then Alicia took over the scrapping scene and I went to two or three of her retreats, think I discovered UKS around that time too.
There was an actual scrapbook store in Newark for a little while, really miss not having a bricks and mortar shop, I’m not good at online shopping !
I used to love all the scrapbook magazines for inspiration

Alicia! yes was trying to remember her name - I think she inspired so many to get involved :).

Glad to hear you've got your crafting stash all set up again Dani. :)

I was already into card making and it was my niece's 21st birthday coming up and I saw scrapbook albums and kits on QVC. It was K&Co then and I ordered some and made her album as a 21st present.

We had a local craft shop Courtyard Crafts at the Albert Dock and they also had a place at Brimstage on The Wirral but they both closed one after the other.

I think one of my first main craft tools was the Fiskars Shapeboss for dry embossing, I still have it with all the stencil sheets and tools.

I've never been on a retreat and don't even have anyone who crafts unless it is knitting and that tends to be a more solitary pursuit I think.

Dani, who doesn’t/didn’t love Michaels? I’ve spent hours in the store on Hilton Head, sadly I don’t know when/if I’ll ever get back there again. I was living in France when I discovered scrapbooking through a friend who lives in Dallas, Texas. My early purchases were all on line until I went to a huge scrapbooking fair in Paris, then I was really hooked. I have been to just one retreat but hope one day to go to others. This year I’ve enjoyed on line crops and challenges as well as all the challenges UKS has to offer every month. Really happy to have you join our team, Scrap That, and to scrapping with you.

I found scrapping through the DIBB and Bev as she ran UKS and the scrapping section of the DIBB. I had been scrapping properly for about a year though I now realise I had been scrapping since I was a little girl really.

I bought my first proper supplies in 2002 in Florida but started in earnest in 2003 when we got 2 Bengal kittens ... Kira and Fiki

I used to ... and still do ... buy loads on our trips to the USA.

The first real store I went to in the IK was Artbase

I used to go to lots of retreats... Bonanza every year ... the first one I went to was Ascot? Scrap Fever retreats every year and Scrap Manic And several others but the names have dropped out of my head.

I used to teach at a local crop each month and was on the DT for several UK magazines. A group of friends and I also set up The Design Collective

I was invited to Creative Memories party by my neighbour. It must have been about 2003/4 and then I started looking into scrapbooking a bit more. Looking at the date I joined UKS it must have been 2002 or 3 because I was a lurker on here for a while :)
I went to that Bonanza at Ascot too Karen :) and at least one at the NEC I think. I think Scrapbook House would have been my first IRL scrapbook shopping experience. I also watched Alicia on QVC
I also came back from a few holidays in the US with a lot of stash. We had to buy another bag one year LOL following trips to Joanns and Michaels
I used to go to a couple of local crops but they have closed as far as I'm aware
I'm lucky that there is a shop/warehouse nearby that sells limited scrapbooking stash but other than that it's online shopping for me

I got into scrapbooking just after hubbys mother died and he came home with the family photos. Shortly after i read an article in a craft magazine and decided that would be the best way to preserve them. Went to a craft fair at Wood Green animal shelter and Capture the Magic was there bought a heap of stuff and the rest is history.

I am pretty sure it was watching a craft channel that got me started and very soon after found Uk scrappers. I LOVED Artbase and was so sad when it shut down. I usually shop with ATDML and Papermaze. I miss the monthly crops at Wyverstone with Janice - I had such fun. As for retreats, I usually go with my sister " Muckyfingers" . We used to go to Debden each year but not been for sometime. We try to go to ATDML retreat each winter. Still scrapbooking ( but not as much - 26 yr olds don't like having their photo taken as much as 6 yr olds)

Great idea for a thread, Dani.

I used to make cards. I didn't have many people to make for, so when I read about scrapbooking in one of the crafting magazines, I started down that road.
I think it would have been 2005/6, as I joined UKS in 2006.
It know it wasn't as early as 2004, because we went to Florida in 2004, and although I saw some scrapbooking papers, I didn't buy any stash at all - can you believe it!! And we've not been back to the States since.
However I discovered that scrapbooking was alive and well in several European countries, so I used to pick up bits and pieces on holiday. France used to be a great source of magazines, and I bought every single edition I could get my hands on. By 2019 I could see only one or two titles were still going. I still have some gorgeous Rouge de Garance papers I bought in 2010 in Paris.

Locally, there was Lakeland, one good art shop that carried some papers, and a really good craft shop locally, but the craft shop is online only apart from if they take a stall at the bi-annual craft show that is/was held at the SECC in Glasgow (currently being used as a hospital). There's a Hobbycraft, but it's a good 10 miles from me, and I'm rarely out their way. Online shopping is easier, and 2 of our sponsors did well out of me this Christmas!

I started after meeting a lady called Jane from Bridlington...I could get gingham paper!! joined UK scrappers, then dicovered Artbase, and a shop somewhere in Brighton, and went a bit more classy...went a bit Goth with Shimelle...joined enough kit clubs to sink a battleship! I did the milton keynes Bonanzas, those retreats in Holland, and a lovely one in Leeds,. Spent a fortune, and wish those times would come back! (remember staying up late to get the Bonanza tickets?).