.... embarrassed to admit that your entire life revolves around this addictive hobby?

I was curious about finding out how the digital scrapbooking community feels about this subject, so I ran a survey at a few online communities that cater to digi-scrappers. In the survey, I asked these questions in a poll:

Do Scrapaholics Exist?

1. Yes - I am a Scrapaholic!
2. Yes - but I am NOT one of them!
3. OH YEAH!!! I am totally in therapy for it, too!
4. No - it's an urban legend
5. Maybe, but I don't know any...
6. What the heck are you talking about?

I also asked these questions and was pleased that I received so many answers:

1. How long have you been scrapping digitally?
2. How many layouts have you completed?
3. How many sites do you post to?
4. Do you purchase your supplies or do you only use freebies?
5. Estimate the total number of complete kits you have purchased:
6. Estimate the number of paper packs you have purchased:
7. Estimate the number of element only packs you have purchased:
8. Do you shop from Yahoo group ads?
9. Are you influenced by threads at DST to purchase brand new items?
10.How many times a month do you purchase digital scrapbooking supplies online?

After a few weeks, the survey had over 100 posts, many comments, and lot’s of interesting facts. Here are the results:

• A whopping 77% of all people who took the poll answered that YES, they are self-proclaimed Srapaholics!!!
• Another 20% said that they believe Scrapaholics exist, but they were not one
• 2% don’t believe that such a thing exists, and…
• 1% said “Maybe”

From the answers I received, I was surprised to learn that the average scrapper purchases items on a weekly basis! I also learned that the majority of digi-scrappers are influenced by posts of new products in their online communities and make new purchases based on advertisements there.

Some other data that was gathered from this survey includes:

• The average digi-scrapper has been at this hobby for 2.5 years.
• The number of layouts completed averaged 500!
• Most scrappers post layouts to an average of 4 sites.
• Purchases seem to outweigh freebies.
• Kit purchases were more popular than element and paper purchases.
• Most of the scrappers answered that they usually don’t purchase from Yahoo ads.
• And, last but not least, most scrappers ARE influenced by threads announcing new products.

So, after gathering all the data, I wondered just where this fun trend of memory preservation came from.....

The art of scrapbooking dates back to Ancient Greece, by some accounts, and modern day scrapbooking is said to have been made popular in the early 1980’s. But I still have the scrapbook my mother made me when I was 4 years old (1965) filled with school mementos, drawings and photos, and it’s in fairly decent shape, regardless of the fact that it’s on bad paper!

In the last 10 years, the popularity of scrapbooking has risen quickly, turning it into an international sensation and by most accounts is said to be the #1 hobby worldwide! I sure wish I had invented it and marketed it first; I could have been the “Bill Gates” of scrapbooking!

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Oh yes, I believe in Scrapaholics and I am definitely one of them! I’m on a few CT’s but still buy product and then wonder when I’m going to use it. I like to browse the galleries and see product in use rather than looking at the stores. If I see a new product in a newsletter or advertisement then I usually search the galleries to see it in use and love the store previews that include a few layouts.
~ Kirstie Ibrahim


After reading the featured article I realized that I am a Scrapaholic.  I really do everything I read on the article, almost everyday I love to scout and shop for my supplies.  My day wouldn't be complete without spending even a moment on my craft space just to scrap and think what will be my next project or just to get organized.  Scrapbooking, be it traditional or digital, is really addictive and is really a nice way to preserve memories.  I sometimes tend to spend beyond my budget and sometimes feel guilty about it when I think of my son's needs.  But I don't regret it since I see to it that I maximized the purpose of my scrap and paper craft supplies.

Sincerely Yours,
Janice Sevilla-Aruelo

Joy Kuoha
of Kuoha Designs Ink!

Are you a Scrapaholic? Send us your opinion!