Being a Guy in a Girls Scrapbooking World

Hey all,being that my blog is about scrapbooking from a guy's perspective, I think its time to post something more about my life. I entered the scrapbooking world about a year and half ago as a way to adopt my newly adopted twin boys heritage since they came from an orphanage and had no history. I logged onto www.meetup.com and found the Nashville Scrappers and Stampers group. Well I knew kinda going in that alot of women did this so I was kinda worried about attending one of the local meetups. Finally after much deliberation, I found out that at this event they were going to have a yardsale, so I decided go and see what it was all about. Being new I had no idea what to even get but I arrived and introduced myself to a lady named Karen and she showed me to the yardsale table and told me to look around to let her know if i needed anything. Well being a social butterfly, I decided to look around in addition to yardsale shop and spoke to some of the ladies there. They were totally nice to me and begged for me to come join them sometime.

Well fast forward, and I am home and I get a message from this lady named Nicole, who was intrigued by how a guy would be interested in scrapbooking. She told me to feel free to email her and that I was welcome to come over to her house and she would teach me the craft. Nicole became my best girlfriend and my scrappin mamma almost instantaneously. She is one to the best friend that any guy scrapbooker could have. She encouraged me to come to the first crop of the meetup group and I finally broke down and went. Everyone was super friendly. They accepted me no matter what and offered help.

Well almost two years have pasted now and these ladies have become some of my best friends. They are intrigued still yet as to the things that I talk about. I can go into the local Hobby Lobby and craft store and have a group around me talking in minutes about the do's and don't of both beginner and advanced scrapbooking and guess what!!! Paper Crafting and rubber stamping. They want to know how i got into this and where I hang.

I have since become one of the assistant organizers of the Nashville Scrappers and Stampers meetup and am constantly bringing new members to the crops. I host with Nicole's help a locally monthly crop at my church and we always have a waiting list of people that want to come. If i show a new product at these crops, ladies are really fast to listen and gosh I feel on cloud 9!!!

All this being said, I really am a paper crafter and scrapbooker now and this goes to show that MEN CAN BE IN THIS WORLD!!! Spread to the word to all and share this blog with others, that there in no shame in being a guy in a Girls Scrapbooking World.

FYI, I am now working on being a guy Stampin Up Rep. If you know anyone out there that is looking for an excited guy to promote their product, send them my way.

Make Your Own Glimmer Mist

This week I have been researching Glimmer Mist that is used to spray on your cards, tags, and layouts to give them a cool effect. Being that these little bottles of spray can be expensive if your buy them, about $7, I wondered a way to make them on my own. I found out there are 2 different ways to make them using a product called Perfect Pearls or Pearl Ex.

Method #1: Made with Perfect Pearls

Supplies needed are a Package of Perfect Pearls, Bottles of Re-inker, small spray bottle, popsicle stick and water.

Pick Your favorite color re-inker and add to spray bottle. The more you add the more intense the color, then take popsicle stick and dip out a small amount of perfect pearls on the end and add to the spray bottle. Next add water to fill about a 3rd of the way up. Shake all this up and you have the instant glimmer mist of your choice. Remember you can mix and match re-inkers and different colors of perfect pearls to make your own assortment of glimmer mist products. FYI: I use the small travel size empty hair spray bottles from Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby to mix mine up.

Method # 2: Made with Pearl Ex

Supplies Needed include a package of Pearl Ex, small travel size bottle of hairspray,optional food color.

Take a popsicle stick and dip out a small amount of Pearl Ex and add to travel size hairspray and shake it up. You can add food color or re-inker to make the color change more but they are not needed if you because Pearl-Ex has its own color. You now have your own glimmer mist.

These are just two ways that I found to make this product and I hope it helps you to me more frugal and save some money with your paper crafting. Let me know if you have any other methods or try these with success.