A Stark County scrapbooker, Beth Martin of Massillon, has turned her scrapbooking hobby into a business,
Scrapping With Beth.
Beth begin working in paper craft in 2002.
"I went to one of these Creative Memory parties," she explained. "That's when I started scrapping."
Beth wasn't interested in scrapping before she attended the Creative Memory party; she attended the party as her daughter's guest.
Her first project was a scrapbook page of pictures from her wedding.
"My main thing was regret that we didn't have a photographer at our wedding," she said. "Even though I didn't have very good pictures my doing the page made the pictures more special and memorable."
Looking back, not surprisingly, Beth isn't impressed by her first scrapbook page, but she is able to see why the hobby was appealing.
"The heritage and the memories," she said, are what appealed to her "Leaving a legacy, for my children and grandchildren, something to connect their heritage to."
While she was hesitant about becoming involved Beth was soon passionate about her new hobby.
"Before long," she pointed out, "I had a whole room full of products (purchased at stores such as
JoAnn Fabrics)."
It wasn't long before Beth had friends join her for scrapbooking sessions.
"I set up a room and had people come to my home for scrapbooking and fellowship," Beth said. "People could learn from each other and share creative ideas along with building relationships."
She's continued to focus on those subjects, while developing an interest in working with other scrapbookers.
Beth said, "Over a period of eight years that (family heritage and preserving memories) has remained a priority, but adding to that I have developed an interest in sharing the activity of preserving memories and photographs with others."
It was in 2006 that Beth began to think about a scrapbook-related business.
"As I was becoming more active in scrapbooking in my home, in my mind many times I contemplated opening a scrapbook store," she said. "A few times I investigated it as far as looking into places
for rent and grants."
She noticed, "a lot of scrapbooking stores were going out of business because of overhead costs" and didn't pursue opening a store.
"The more I looked into it the more unrealistic it felt to me," she said. "I didn't feel you could cover the overhead associated with having a store when you're selling paper at $1.00 a sheet."
She continued, "the overhead makes the products cost too much. The turnover of the products is so fast you have to make the price down to get rid of it, so keeping (an inventory of) products on hand doesn't make sense."
It was another scrapbook party, in 2008, which opened a new door for Beth.
"I attended another party, this time it was a Stampin' Up party and that took me to card making and
paper crafting," she said.
This time it was a new friend who was hosting the party.
"She was a new friend who came to my home to scrapbook all the time," Beth noted. "I was interested in creating a strong connection with her so I went to the party."
Beth explained that Stampin' Up is a company that markets scrapbooking, card making and other paper crafting products through home-based businesses."
Stampin' Up's products impressed Beth initially, but she wasn't interested in becoming involved in the business. That would soon change.
"I was impressed with a few of the products that were demonstrated at the party," Beth said. "I made a rather large purchase (for me). My daughter and I spent about $100."
Of Stampin' Up as a business opportunity, Beth said, "I left the party with no desire to pursue that company any further."
In a matter of days, Beth Martin became a Stampin' Up demonstrator. (Click any of the
Stampin' Up links to check out Beth's "store.")
"A few days later, out of the blue, it struck me I wanted to be a demonstrator for this company," she said.
Beth explained that she saw involvement with
Stampin' Up as a chance to have a store without the overhead cost.
"All of a sudden I picked up the phone, called the demonstrator and said I want to be a demonstrator and buy my kit," Beth said. "I met her at Starbucks at about 10:30, p.m., and that was the start of my
Stampin' Up career."
She immediately found that there was much to learn about
Stampin' Up's extensive product line. Two years later she continues to be impressed by the company's offerings.
"On a daily basis I'm amazed and satisfied that there are many advantages to their products over products from other company," she said.
Learning about
Stampin' Up products and tools showed Beth that there's a connection between scapbooking, card making and other paper crafts.
"I realized at that party if I learned card making and paper crafting I could incorporate them into my business," she said."
A portion of Beth's business,
Scrapping With Beth, involves selling products and tools related to make making and paper craft, including scrapbooking.
"The more things you can use the products and tools to create, the more benefit you can get out of them," Beth pointed out. "That makes paper craft a more cost effective and fulfilling activity."
Beth initially utilized
Stampin' Up products and tools to create package tags and gift/treat packages as well as altering products such as notebooks, tin cans and picture frames.
Over the past two years her experience has expanded to include creating wall decor, decorative mini scrapbooks, shower favors, invitations and calendars.
Beth honed her skills by attending
classes at Archivers, a national chain store which markets scrapbooking products, and the McKinley Museum. She's attended numerous crops, demonstrator classes and card swaps to learn new techniques and processes.
In July, she attended the Creating Keepsakes "Valley Forge" Convention.
While she's continued to host friends for crops, Beth began to become more involved in the business aspect of scrapbooking and other paper craft in mid-2009. The included workshops and card clubs.
"We meet once a month and people buy a minimum amount of products in order to produce cards," Beth said.
Participants receive premiums, in the form of free products.
She also conducts "stamp a stack" classes, where a large quantity of season cards are produced.
Over the past year Beth has prepared and instructed workshops for Womens' Ministries on three separate occasions. She also prepared and facilitated a workshop for a pre-teen birthday party.
Last month she earned the designation of Senior Supervisor with
Stampin' Up, due to the growth of her business.
What hasn't changed is the importance of relationships.
Beth emphasized, "My business is still secondary to developing and building relationships."
For more information, check out the
Scrapping With Beth website. If you're on Facebook you can become a fan of
Scrapping With Beth.
