Scrapbooking

This can be a super expensive hobby -- literally thousands of tools available and then come the papers, embellishments, adhesives and so much more!

It doesn't have to be that expensive, you can stick to the basics of paper, something to stick the pictures on and a pen to tell the story of the picture.

Regardless, that isn't why a lot of us ladies do it! This is the new "coffee clutch" for women of the new millennium! Weekend crops are the way to go -- a group of ladies getting together for a weekend to get a few pages done, and vent about husbands, share ideas for the kiddos and let our hair down so we can recharge our souls and go home happier people.

I found the best of both worlds - how to have plenty of getaways over a year and get my scrappy goodness paid for! I organize weekend crops at a local hotel that start on a Friday and go through Sunday afternoon - all for $35 a person. I pay for the meeting rooms, organize the group dinner on Friday night, take them to the local scrapbook store (LSS) on Saturday morning and have a class or make n take for them Saturday afternoon.

I have a large tool table that I let everyone use - when I make extra money off a crop, I invest it in new "toys" that get brought to the next crop.

This is how my hobby pays for itself, I get time with the girlies and avoid professional therapy........(any married woman with children can relate!)

My family is now conditioned for these weekends: when I come home, they like to look over all the new pages I have done (usually at least 30), and whatever esle I have created.

If you want to know more, I have a basic site set up that covers my crop information, just check out --> http://madisonscrapbookingfriends.tripod.com

I really treasure these weekends with the gals...it's an awesome group of ladies who are creative and special!

Are you into scrapbooking? How do you keep it affordable.