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Summarized by Joyce H Feustel
Scrapbook Craze Seen As Mormon
Sacramento CA Bee 1Feb00 D6
By Carlos Alcala: Bee Staff Writer
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA -- Fans say "It's a cult. It's an addiction. It's
a drain on family budgets." Scrapbooking has come from nowhere to be one
of the biggest hobbies in America since 1997 when it made its
first appearance at an industry trade show.
Scrapbooking is more than putting photos on scrapbook pages. Its
practitioners, take photo pages and embellish them with stickers, paper
lettering, construction paper frames, stencils, cut-outs, glitter
paper, textured edges -- and a lot more. Scrapbookers transform
snapshots into something that, at times, approaches art.
"I thought, 'This is the stupidest thing in the world,'" said Robin
Greenslade, 18 months after she attended her first party. "The next
thing I knew, I was addicted. She calls it "the new age version of
Tupperware." Parties are held at the home of a "consultant" who sells
supplies.
"Most scrapbooks reflect family milestones -- weddings, births,
vacations, graduations, sports accomplishments -- but they can be about
anything. Scrapbookers see themselves as heirloom creators and keepers
of memories. Most work with acid-free paper to make sure the books will
last generations.
Because it is also important to members of the Mormon Church, many
tie scrapbooking to the church and to Utah, according to a Hobby
Industry Association official.
"It's not an official program of the church, but it's an understandable
outgrowth of our beliefs in maintaining family history," said Dale
Bills, a church spokesman in Salt Lake City
"It's an addiction. It's like a high. It's a rush," said Tamara Sortman,
who started a business, Scrapramento, which is now exclusively online.
Sortman's high comes from the equipment: She's the one with 389
punches, "and more to come."
About 20 percent of American households had someone scrapbooking in
1998, says Susan Brandt, spokeswoman for the Hobby Industry Association.
The industry has grown by $50 million a year. "Hot!" she said. "It's
very hot!"
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