A very happy 2008 to all our readers and contributors.

We have a busy crafting year planned, so stay tuned for our new team of writers and craft specialists.

Despite all the openings online to store your digital pictures and news on social websites and blogs, the art of scrapbooking remains an extremely popular craft.

It appeals to kids, adults, women of all ages, and especially in classrooms. in short, anyone who wants to create a memory to last a lifetime, and wants to do it with a dash of creativity and personal input. It’s almost like a crazy quilt made with photographs, paper, and memories.

Anyone can do it. Scrapbooking kits are available in every craft shop, or just buy a plain paper exercise book. You can add all kinds of snippets to the cover (see picture) and create an ongoing story of pictures and text inside.

Perhaps the most famous scrapbooks of all are the works of Alfred Wainwright …

… who meticulously drew the landscapes of his native Lake District in the north of England, and lovingly added text around them in a fine caligraphic style.

So popular did they become, a top publisher published them all, just as they came. The scrapbooks now make up the finest guide to the mountains and lakes of the region, and are still in print.

Never say you can’t make a career out of scrapbooking.

The Crafters’ magazine Craft Beautiful now has an exclusive online club.

Crafters’ Companion Membership Pack

They say : “Our aim at Crafter’s Companion is to make your life easy. Save time and money with our innovative scoring tools and Craft CD ROMs designed for crafters by crafters. Take time to browse our carefully selected range of products and our ever growing customer gallery to provide inspiration and help tease out your true creative potential.”

The club comes with a membership pack of goodies :

The actual Membership Pack is a fantastic A5 ring binder which is chock-full of hints, tips, projects, inspirational ideas, templates and more! We’ve given it wide appeal across the board so it’s ideal for everyone regardless if you’re just starting out or a seasoned crafter.

Contained within the initial pack you will find 5 sections of crafting help and advice containing the first piece of inspiration from each of the following sections.

Project Ideas
Techniques
Hints & Tips
Templates
Layouts.

Find Crafters Companion here.

If you’re anywhere near North Adams, Massachusetts on September 29, head on over to the Autumn Arts and Crafts Festival.

The press release says :

North Adams, MA - The Autumn Arts and Crafts Festival takes place on Saturday, September 29th from 10:00 - 3:00 pm on the sidewalk of the north side of Main Street, featuring the work of nearly two dozen crafters, artists and artisans.

Photographs, handcrafted jewelry, ceramics and more will be available for sale. Local craft and artisan shops will also be represented and food will be available. All work is handmade by the artist/crafter and of good quality. There are still a few slots available, but this popular event will be closed to registration soon.

Call Sharon Leary at 413-664.5404 or Rod Bunt at 413-664-6180.