Scrapbooking is one of the largest grossing hobbies in America, today. A multi-billion dollar industry made up of a fw thousand mom-and-pop retail stores and a couple of big chains. That’s pretty incrediby, if you ask me.
Pioneered by Creative Memories, the industry has grown and grown to the point where no one can say that they’ve never met a scrapbooker — if they aren’t already one themselves.
And the hobby has found its way into Europe, too. It’s spreading the globe like wildfire. So, how come it doesn’t exist amongst Israelis? Being half Israeli myself (on my father’s side), I grew up with looking at photo album after album of trips abroad and around Israel, weddings and bar mitzvahs, of every possible grand moment you can think of being shoved in my face my Israeli family. Yet, as the scrapbooking industry has grown, still Israelis do not understand the whole concept behind photo safe materials to preserve the life of a photograph. Fascinating.
So, what’s keeping this country in the dark about scrapbooking and archival safe scrapbook supplies? I am baffled.
Well, I can say this much. I look forward to the day when Israel has caught on and scrapbook supply stores exist around town, crop sessions are the coolest place to hang out and getting inspired by someone else’s album is another moment in a day. Until then, check out the new online scrapbook supply store which ships to anywhere in Israel. It’s certainly about time!
-The Scrapbooker
As a scrapbooking fanatic and soon-to-be-olah, I was wondering the same thing myself! Congrats for taking the initiative to bring scrapbooking to Israel and glad to hear I can continue my hobby after aliyah
Good luck with your new supply store Hadar!! So much fun!I am looking forward to see LSS all over too .I just hope it won’t be only a dream,lol.
Hi Hdar, and congratulations on your new site! I got the link from a friend. Scrapbooking is just budding in Israel, but in the last two years there have been tremendous developments. There are currently 4 large online stores (albumart.co.il, albomy.co.il, mypunch.co.il, netanella.co.il) that bring the newest materials, and one “real” store up North, the owner of which is now in CHA in Anneheim. There is a very lively scrapbooking forum in Tapuz: http://www.tapuz.co.il/tapuzforum/main/forumpage.asp?forum=1767 and there have already been cropping get-togethers. I scrap, and I love it, I’ve been to a scrapping weekend in Holland and I buy a lot from the States, and I’m really happy to say that scrapbooking really is becoming more popular here!
Scrapbooking definitely exists in Israel and its here to stay; maybe you weren’t looking in the right places…
I actually find your statements quite patronizing, “it doesn’t exist amongst Israelis” that’s quite an inclusion and a false one I might add. As an Israeli scrapbooker I have thousands of photos that nobody shoved in my face still I find them inspiring and I must say that I understand and am well aware of the concept behind photo safe materials, I invest quite a lot in it and so do my friends.
This country is not in the dark, turn on the light and look around you, we have supply stores, we have on-line stores, 5 to be exact – http://www.albumart.co.il, http://www.albomy.co.il, http://www.mypunch.co.il, http://www.netanella.co.il, http://www.artishok.net, we have scrap sessions and gatherings, we get inspired by other albums, we swap and we have scrapbooking challenges, we have forums and blogs, we share our knowledge, we share ideas, we encourage and support one another, WE HAVE IT ALL, that’s what I find fascinating.
I wish you lots of luck with your new on line store, us Israeli scrapbookers that shop locally and internationally are always keen and enthusiastic to spend money, just one advice; you have to get familiar with your target audience and your target audience is a knowledgeable, experienced and up to date (-: