A casual walk through

So this evening I walked through the local scrapbook store that is just a couple of doors down from the kids' karate place. They were open and it is getting too hot to sit in the car and scrap on my computer like I usually do. Since I arrived at the karate place early, I thought I'd just wander through the scrapbook store and have a "browse" before I head in to sit with my laptop at the karate place. That's where I am now. Great idea! I have to say, I was rather bored. It was a crowded little shop. At least the isles at Hobby Lobby or Wal-mart or Michael's aren't this crowded! I wanted to just touch the paper. Touch it. Feel it. The whole texture thing.

I had previously talked to a friend of ours about how much it would set me back to print some of these digital designs I spend so much time on. He owns a printing business. He was talking a textured linen paper. Higher end, etc. I need to sit down with him with a couple of papers that are typical for scrapbooking and just have a discussion with him about the whole thing. The whole this is what I need/want conversation. Unfortunately, you can't get by with less than runs of 1000 sheets. Yikes! You'd have to be willing to (1) set down some cash and (2) be prepared to bite the loss if it doesn't sell. At least, that would be the case for a whole paper pack. I'll have to keep thinking about that some. Get more details. It was my husband's crazy thought for me to talk to this friend in the first place.

I have another friend of ours who used to own some paper scrapbook stores a few years ago. I need to talk to her about things too. She wants me to show her how to do the whole digital scrapbooking thing. I am excited about that. I will have to get with her soon. But looking at it from a designer standpoint. . . I want to know what it takes to get into the stores and other things. You never know, I might venture and partner with her in something of this nature on a digital level. I don't know. Just thinking out loud here. I haven't talked to her about what she did and how she did it, etc. I need to have that conversation before I have crazy thoughts about other possible ventures.

But I have digressed from the whole local scrapbook store adventure I had this evening. I didn't feel any pangs of lust and desire when I was in there. I didn't feel the need to buy anything. I didn't see any spectacular papers that I just had to have. I found some solids that had some very nice texture to them. I just wasn't super impressed. I don't know if it was that particular store or if I have officially lost all desire to scrapbook in the "traditional paper" format.

The realization is that I really do enjoy what I do - digitally! I LOVE IT! Digital is the way to go! I was looking at the papers and the kits and stickers and embellishments and the alphas and. . . and. . . and. . . I was delighted with my own creations. I do create things that people want even if they don't sell well yet. I really need to get some serious marketing going on. I think Kat needs to really do some market research for me and find out where and when to advertise and whatnot. She is my lone Creative Team member and has been appointed my Creative Director.

I walked into a scrapbook store and did not buy one single thing. *doing the digital happy dance*