Tuesday 12 May 2009

Scrapping - An extreme sport.

None of the tools us scrapbookers use come with a warning - perhaps some should. I've been having a seriously scrappy time lately - which is why you haven't heard from me for a while. Friday, Saturday & Sunday were scrap-orientated days (Thank God - really - for a scrapbook tolerant husband). I completed 3 double-layouts & they weren't simple. As I am now designing pages for Reminisce ( & will be teaching there occassionally) I attempted - with my 2 latest design team layouts, due this week for Journaling Junkie & Little Shop of Sketches to produce double-page layouts of teaching standard.

The funny thing here, in South Africa, is that, apparently, EVERYONE attending a class only wants to do a double layout. I learnt to scrapbook in Zimbabwe, doing single layouts & it was only when one of my classmates was scrapping a double layout that the option even crossed my mind. When I asked her why she did "doubles" she said it was because she always scrapped double layouts when on holiday in South Africa, so I wasn't surprised to see that this was how it worked here.

I don't mind if I scrap singles or doubles. I'm not fussy about my scrapbooks. To me, the whole word "scrapbooking" conjures up life being recorded in all it's authenticity so I am not obsessed with uniformity in my scrapbooks. However, I notice now that double layouts seem to be gaining popularity elsewhere in the world. I had planned to submit some layouts to Creating Keepsakes, for their Amazing Pages October Edition, but never managed, as I needed to complete the 3 layouts I did this weekend as more of a priority. They advertised that they were looking for "Multi-photo Layouts - Double Page" so perhaps the single-page, single photo layouts are losing popularity at last. I like them at times, for special photos, but obviously there is a time & a place for single AND for double layouts, depending on the number of photos to be scrapped. That, for me, is the deciding factor.

As you can imagine, by Sunday I was taking a bit of strain from all the standing (I can't scrap sitting down - I've always stood), so, instead of working OVER my desk I leant back against the window ledge behind me with my feet out in front of me, say 12 inches from the wall. Directly below my hands - BAD MOVE. I was cutting around some chipboard letters that I had covered the night before & was cutting around. I had decided just the night before to replace my Making Memories Craft Knife blade, as I hadn't replaced it in ages, & it was cutting rather "fluffy". I noted at the time how similar it looked to a scalpel - all stainless steel & noticeably heavy. As I was cutting around the letter - mid air, I dropped the knife accidentally & watched as it fell in a perfectly straight vertical line, blade down, INTO MY FOOT - THROUGH MY JEANS!!! And there it stayed... It was surprisingly painless initially as the blade was super-sharp.

I stood there stunned & looked on at the knife, now firmly embedded in the top of my foot & realised that I had to pull it out as it was still PERFECTLY VERTICAL (an indication of how deeply it had "stabbed" me!!!) I bent down & pulled it out & watched in horror as the blood simply gushed out a.l.l. o.v.e.r. t.h.e. p.l.a.c.e...Quite Disgusting! 48 hours & 8 Myprodol later I am now fully recovered. I had to continue to stand for the entire day to get my layouts completed & after a few hours was in serious pain & wondering if I had sliced through some muscle/tendon, etc - but it seems to be fine now ;-)

This is my 4th scrapping injury in 6 years, not bad I suppose??? I've cut my fingers twice on my craft-knife & once cleaning a pair of scissors with some Benzine to de-glue them. Nothing as serious as this to date tho! So now I have a real injury tale to tell & surely a first, or has it happened to any of you out there?! My friend France, from Reminisce, sliced her leg open on her craft knife at Oliver Tambo Airport last year in September, just after we landed to attend the (notorious) Scrapbooking Convention there & ended up with 8 stitches!!! I think I've told that story on my blog before, at the time (rings a bell???). Let's hope that there's nothing more serious in store for me (a.k.a "Butter Fingers"). I've never bought a guillotine for the very reason that I fear I may end up fingerless,lol!

9 comments:

Bernadine said...

Been missing you and wondering why you have been MIA!!! Hope it gets better soon. I think we need medical aid for scrappers!!! lol. If you have bruising, buy some Arnica. In our family it is known as the bruise "mooty" and works wonders for bruises. Look after yourself and don't go and put anymore cutting knives into your foot!!!!

topkatnz said...

OOOOps!! I don't think I've ever had ascrapping injury myself ... but Glen has, cutting something for me and ended up with stitches in his leg ... and modified clothing!!!
Glad to here you have been scrapping up a storm ... it's not there for me yet ...
Going to pick up my BG Wisteria papers later today ... cool. I scrap whatever way I feel like/need to at the time ... but, I def do less double-pages than I used to ... and I still find my albums co-ordinate ok.

Vicki said...

Wow, now thats an injury alright!!! Best you do stay away from a guillotine then. So far, I am injury free.

Lynette Jacobs said...

I never realised how dangerous scrapping can be...I thought the only danger it had was to my budget.

Hope your foot heals well...and be careful!

Stefanie said...

Wow, I haven't suffered anything bar the odd paper cut!
Hope you're feeling 100% soon.
Be careful of infection and even tetanus - depending on how deep it went in.

Jenny in Durbs said...

Ok the blood would have had me passed out (I once seriously wanted to be a nurse but can't stand blood !!) I am glad you are ok though. GREAT news about Reminisce, please make sure you update her website with your classes - it'll be super to have you teach a class. Looking forward to it.

CathQuillScrap said...

Sounds like you have been busy busy... I also got injured scrapping... got stabbed in the finger with a screwdriver... silly me trying to help a friend tighten the screws in an album!

Jacqui said...

Sorry to hear about your injury and glad to hear all well with you now. Just goes to show - cant keep a good woman down!

Michelle Ramsay said...

I must say I prefer double pages because I always have lots of photos, except for the older ones where there are a few and a single page is warranted.
I sliced my thumb open using my craft knife, but it wasn't whilst scrapping!!! No injuries as yet.
Hope you foot is feeling better.