Saturday, January 18, 2014

Who I Am and What I Scrap

A scrapbook kit company sent an email asking me to complete a survey about what I look for in scrapbook kits and products.

I took the request to heart and below is a snippet of my response.

I would like to see more of a variety of items and less "common" themes.

I no longer have children or pets in my home. I have a handsome husband and friends who I meet up after work or spend time with on weekends. I attend wine tastings, love live music and great shoes and handbags. (Note: we are all over 35 years old ).
I live in a large city. I WORK-- downtown; for a large, global corporation. I attend meetings, make presentations and interact with professionals in my and other industries. I shop, go to museums, try new restaurants and travel (not to France!) Last year I went o to New York (twice), San Francisco and several road trips to small towns in my state.This year it will be Seoul, Korea, Chicago, maybe Seattle and a few more road trips in my state).
I live in a warm climate -- no snow, no icicles, "brrr" moments, mittens, snowflakes, etc. Here, life is not run by traditional seasons -- we can golf and exercise outside all year. Today, in mid-January the high temp will be around 70 degrees.

Also no autumn. Here leaves turn brown and die. In the fall, we attend football games and sometimes festivals downtown or nearby towns -- but we mostly watch football. 
There are no cute woodsy animals, air balloons or wild mushrooms in my life.
I own a laptop, a tablet, an iPhone, a Selphy, a Cameo, etc. I like and embrace technology and social media. I don't spend much time daily on Facebook or Instagram; but I think they are fun tools.
And oh yes... I am a minority (racially). I embrace diversity in all forms. I wish more manufacturers did the same.

I have disposable income to spend on my hobby and would love to belong to a kit club again -- however, I am tired of seeing so many things that do not apply to me.
I am not addicted to certain manufacturers. I look for products that speak to my life. 
I can think outside the box -- and I challenge you to do the same!
I don't live a flowery, pastel life. My life is lived in bold colors and adult activities.
This is who I am; what and how I scrap.
I have scrapbooked since I was in high school, Now it's a creative an industry with opportunities for many more voices to be heard.

How about you? Do you feel you are represented by scrapbook manufacturers and kit clubs?

6 comments:

  1. Very interesting... Iam French but only went to Paris once, so I wouldn't know what to do with Tour Eiffel pattern or embellishments either, lol ! I haveI often look at kit clubs but was always afraid to get unusable (for me) items. But I would really like to try a kit club !

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  2. I too don't care for the common themes. I also find the industry tends to jump on whatever manuf is popular and replicates it to death. I don't do kit clubs because frankly most of the stuff just doesn't fit into my life as well. Sometimes I wish manf would take a walk down the fabric asile. There are some great colors and patterns that could easily be translated into the scrapbook world.

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  3. Hi Fawn,
    Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting on my Project Life! You wrote a great post here, and I totally relate to the trepidation about joining a kit club - a lot of the items usually are not my taste or I have something similar.

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  4. Fantastic post! I can truly relate. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Great post! As the owner of a home based kit business for almost 13 years, I took great interest in your survey responses. :) Though most of my kits are geared toward kid/grandkid themes, you would be pleased to know that my customizable kits featuring our exclusive dolls have always been ethnically diverse with a variety of skin tones, hair colors and hair styles to choose from. With all of the recent changes in the scrapbooking industry, I'm wanting to be open to changes that will help my business be more relevant to the scrapbooking community, so I thank you for your openness and willingness to share your thoughts!

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  6. Great post. I stopped over to see what finds you got at Tuesday Morning and was really glad I did. My kids are older and we do have a pet. However, they are not all there is to me. Thanks for speaking to the needs of those of us who need a more adult ( and diverse) product selection.

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