Today sees the end of my time on the Scrapbooking Memories Creative Team.
Scrapbooking Memories has been a big part of my scrapbooking life for the past five years. For the last three years I have worked with them exclusively, writing, creating and preparing samples and projects for the magazine including my regular Scrappin' Step by Step article.
So I thought I'd reflect on my time with SM... Read if you will...
It was 2001. I had been scrapbooking for about six months and I purchased a copy of Scrapbooking Memories magazine that had caught my eye in the newsagency. They had a competition which I thought I'd enter. I photocopied about six of my latest layouts and sent them into the magazine. And waited... and waited... and waited.
A while later I received a phone call from newly appointed editor, Lyndal Stuart. She was very polite and said she liked my work, but I needed to send the original layouts to enter the competition. It sounded like a lot of work just to enter a competition; pack up the layouts securely, get to the post office (I had toddlers, you know), etc, "too hard" I thought. Several weeks passed, and one evening Paul said, "you should send those layouts in, Lyndal wouldn't have bothered ringing you if she didn't want to see your work". So send them in I did.
One of those layouts was entered into the competition and was selected as a monthly finalist. I didn't go on to win that competition. I was beaten by a scrapbooker from the Central Coast.... her name was Rachel Greig. The other layouts, to my surprise, were all published in other galleries. I can still remember the buzz and excitement of seeing a layout of mine in the magazine.
Through 2002 and 2003 I kept submitting. Occasionally I was asked to prepare a step by step for My Reflections.
I even had a few layouts on covers along the way. It was all exciting stuff.
I was the winner of the inaugural Scrapbooking Memories Peoples Choice Award in 2002. I remember receiving my magazine in the post, opening it up to see my "Move over Gidget" layout had won. This is still one of my favourite layouts and one I return to often if I'm getting stuck with my scrapbooking. It has many elements which I still like to use today in my layouts.
At the beginning of 2004, Lyndal rang me again, asking if I would join the Scrapbooking Memories team as a Creative Editor. This was a huge step. I really did not know if I could do this. But I knew if I didn't give it a try, I would regret never knowing where that path would lead. So I accepted the offer and joined the wonderful team with Leah, Renata and Rachel R.
Over the last three years, I've worked with these girls at the Craft Fairs and they have become my friends. I have also become friends this year with Rachel G who joined the Creative Team for 2006. I have had the opportunity to work with and meet so many lovely people who share this scrapbooking hobby.
My last Scrappin' Step by Step will be in SM towards the end of the year and hopefully after that some of my work might still be picked up by the magazine. While this may be the end of this little journey, I will to be able to use the experience and knowledge I have gained over the past five years in new ventures.
If you have read this far... THANK YOU.
Have a good weekend everyone. I'm looking forward to spending the day out at Scrapabout Australia tomorrow with all the lovely ladies taking my classes.
Fiona
x
