What I really am wanting though is a forum for people to learn how to design better scrapbooks by learning some of the tricks, tips, and principles used by graphic designers. Those things such as, composition, line, color, texture, use of space on a page – they are applicable to all the visual arts and could be of great use for anyone who likes scrapbooking.

In art schools, there are reviews or critiques of the student’s work (which can be devastating to a person who isn’t at all sure of themself). I wouldn’t want to inflict that kind of pain on anyone. But maybe some review tips would be good. You know, like if I show an example of a layout and give some pointers as to how it could be improved? Would anyone care? Our society sometimes capitulates to the “line of least resistance.” This would be when people tell someone they loved their singing when it was really awful. I’m not planning to be the Simon Cowwell (for those of you in a cave, he’s the mean judge on American Idol) of the scrapbooking world and strip people of their illusions of their design abilities. I just want to help people improve their pages and layouts!

So, to me the Scrapbook Underground is where secrets to better scrapbooking are discussed, reviewed and shown. So, if you want some tips to make better looking scrapbooks, come back and visit. Hopefully, I haven’t scared you away for good!

There is a place for those who don’t know squat about design – if you are willing to learn, maybe some stuff on this site will give you new ways to scrapbook and ideas for your layouts. Forgive me if I sounded like a meany – I really didn’t plan on coming off that way.

Technorati Tags: art, critique, design, layouts, pages, reviews, scrapbooking

This is what bothers me (enough to make a blog like this one) – most of the scrapbook stuff I see that is posted on the web is tacky or boring. Many if not most of the layouts I’ve seen are just a jumbled mess. I really was hoping to see some cooler designs in the scrapbook world and I’m so dissapointed. And don’t even get me started on the colors! Perhaps having a background in graphic design is the source of much of my dislike of what I’ve been seeing. So, there must be some other graphic artists or people with better taste who like scrapbooking around – where are they?

Maybe because I am not a mom, I am feeling left out of the whole “mom’s who crop” thing. But really, there has to be a large number of people who like scrapbooking who are not mothers… I guess it’s just not trendy or cool to say, I don’t do scrapbooks in between getting the kids off to school or making dinner, I just do it whenever.

So, not being a mom eliminates all those cute names to use like “mom’s who scrap”. Non-mom’s who scrap just doesn’t seem to work, and the “barren scrapper” is just an awful thought! You don’t have to have kids to like scrapbooks! You don’t have to be married, speak English, live in the United States – there should be no borders or stereotypes for scrapbooking. So, why do I feel like I don’t fit in?

Well, i’ll get back to you if I ever figure that out. For now, I’ve created this super secret site for people like me who are running away from the average and boring and seeking to find more inspiration and quality in scrapbooks. I sincerely don’t mean that moms or married scrapbookers aren’t welcome here – I just wanted to let some stuff off my chest about how it feels to be in the (possible) minority.

And I hope this won’t sound like a bitchy, bitter person wrote it, because it’s really meant to just push some buttons and question the “accepted norms” in an industry that is growing rapidly. I think as more people require a higher level of creativity and become interested in seeing better designs in scrapbooks, the industry will benefit – and so will I!

So, welcome to my secret scrappin’ rappin’ happenin’ blog. And yes, there’s a place for people like me who don’t settle for “average” and that place is RIGHT HERE!

Technorati Tags: cool scrapbooks, creativity, design, graphic design, quality, scrapbooking