I’m really enjoying the class I’m taking at BPS. Cathy’s worked hard and given us some great information, and the handouts are useful, too. I can definitely see reusing quite a few of the pieces she’s designed.

There are a lot of reasons I signed up to take class. Primarily, I teach scrapbooking, and I wanted to be better able to explain why a layout was working or not. While I know what the basics are, doing this class will give me samples to show people when my mouth disconnects from my brain. (A not uncommon occurance, unfortunately.)

Another reason I signed on is because I love her design sensibilities. I like the simple, structured approach to scrapbooking. While I appreciate the more artsy things you see in magazines lately, that’s not the style I’m comfortable with. I want to create things with lasting beauty, and that’s more likely to happen with a simple design approach.

And the final reason I signed up? I wanted to make more pages. I have made hundreds of scrapbook layouts, but have very few of them here. Most now live with other people, and while that was the intention when I made them, I miss having the tangible reminders of what I’ve done. I want pages for myself, and for my family. And it’s working. Tonight while he was supposed to be going to sleep, my eldest came in and read the journaling from every layout I’ve done so far, and exclaimed over the pictures. He got real enjoyment out of the pages about himself and his brother. This is why I scrapbook.

Thank you BPS and Cathy Z, for helping me get our stories told.