So long and thanks for all the brads!

It's depressing. When I started scrapping seven years ago, my first experience in a scrapbook store was on its closing night liquidation sale. At the time I didn't realize local scrapbooking stores were on their way out.

Fast forward a couple of years and there are two thriving scrapbook stores close by as well as the big box chain--you know the one I mean. They were great. I'd run low on cardstock and pop in for some Bazzil basics and come out with a bag full of the latest goodies. It was a joyful experience. Spending an hour or more browsing through the papers, admiring the different chipboards, felts, ribbons, inks, stamps, stickers and trinkets. Leafing through the final sale paper bins one sheet at a time and finding little treasures at 90% off.

Then a couple of year ago, I discovered the joys of online shopping. A whole new world opened up! I found online stores from Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba and some "local" stores in Kitchener and southern Ontario. These were great, particularly the out of province stores, because of the unfamiliar lines of paper and products. The French lines in particular, which I haven't found available anywhere else, had fantastic and creative designs I had never seen before.

But those days are in the past. The local scrapbooking stores are gone. Only the big box craft store remains. And my favourite online stores are dropping like flies. I was particularly upset by the closure of www.monscrapbook.com. This online store offered a fantastic variety of product and ideas for projects. It also had the best customer service of any scrapbook store I've dealt with--online or in person.

But more than the loss of places to "get my fix", I mourn the loss of the communities around these stores. The online galleries and forums, the local scrap nights, the knowledgeable and creative owners and saleswomen, the beautiful projects and fun classes. It's not just part of the retail market that has been lost, it's a wound to the sisterhood of scrapbookers; a sisterhood that draws many for the community, support and friendships we find there. I think this community is at the heart of why scrapbooking is so popular. It's not just a hobby, it's not just a solitary activity (though it can certainly be those), it's a gathering of women for sharing, learning, creativity and pleasure.

So, when we lose our scrapbook stores, we're not only losing part of that community, we're losing the nucleus of the community--the place where we gather, meet one another and learn new things. If it weren't for the defunct stores The Scrapbook Academy and Scrapbook Emporium I wouldn't have met half the wonderful women and talented scrapbookers I know today.

So, the moral is: support your local scrapbooking store and take advantage of the community in your area.

My Links

Here's a short list of my favorite online shopping sites:
Ninabrook Designs
eyeletcanada.com
The Scrapping Bug
Scrapbooks and Smiles
The Crop Stop
Sassy Scrapping