Online Scrapbook Stores Vs. Local Scrapbook Stores

Today, many Scrapbookers purchase their supplies at online scrapbook stores, hoping to save some money. I think that these online scrapbook stores can be useful, but fail to offer the full package of a local scrapbook store. Scrapbook stores are often small family owned businesses that stock several unique brands of scrapbooking supplies. I love to visit the local scrapbooking store because there is such a friendly vibe. Scrapbooking stores are great places to make new friends of all ages! There is nothing quite like bonding over sparkly stickers and embossing tools.

One of the best times to visit scrapbooking stores is during open scrapbooking. This is a time when the scrapbooking store will open up a room of tables with cutting mats and tools for Scrapbookers to use on their own. During open scrapbooking, you can spread out your materials and work at your own pace. The owner of the scrapbooking store will keep a tab of whatever you find in the store that you want to use for your scrapbook. This is a really convenient way to scrapbook, because then you only buy what you need at that very moment instead of purchasing a lot of unnecessary items. Sometimes, with online scrapbook stores, I find that I purchase a lot more than I need, or I buy something that ends up not fitting well into the theme of the scrapbook. In these circumstances, online scrapbook stores don't save me any money-they waste my money!

Another perk of local scrapbooking stores that online scrapbook stores just can't offer: classes and workshops. Scrapbook stores feature a variety of interesting and useful classes that cover topics like stamping, heat embossing, quilling, chalking, creating photo corners and many other scrapbooking techniques. The classes taught at scrapbooking stores are usually inexpensive, or even free. Sometimes, the scrapbook store will offer a discount on all products you purchase while taking a class at that scrapbooking store. This is a great way to get scrapbooking materials you need at a discounted price.

I like to use scrapbooking stores as a source of inspiration and ideas for new scrapbook projects. Many scrapbook stores will have professionals put together scrapbook pages to use as examples or decorations for the store. Observing these scrapbook layouts displayed in scrapbook stores helps the beginner identify what makes a quality scrapbook page, and gives many ideas for embellishments and layouts. And since they are so well-done and beautiful, the displayed scrapbook pages in scrapbooking stores are fun to look at for no reason at all.

There are many great online scrapbook stores that can offer a scrapbooker discounts on necessary supplies. But in the end, you get the best scrapbooking experience when you visit a local scrapbooking store to purchase supplies, participate in open scrapbooking, and take workshops and classes.