Need to vent a little

I took my first official scrapbook class last night at my favorite lss. The instructor was wonderful and the class was great.

Now I have taken national quilting classes and have taught quilting classes in several states as well. One of the first things I have always loved about quilters is their friendliness--you make instant friends, and a quilter will give you her last piece of green fabric if you need it. I guess I was expecting that sort of comraderie last night. I mean a chance to share ideas and make friends as well as learn something new.
Well, the class was a punch art class, where several different animals were made. The instructions were good, but you really needed to look at the layout to understand.
There were two rows of us and we were all close enough to the front to see the layout. When the teacher passed around the layout, the back row kept it! And kept it, and kept it and got irritated when we asked to look at it. One time I turned around, stood over the layout to look at it and the woman actually shoved it away from me towards her friend--when she saw the look on my face,she said very flippantly--"Oh, sorry". It wasn't a major deal--but it was very irritating and now I'm not really looking forward to the other two classes coming up that I signed up for. Is it me? are scrappers more competitive than quilters?

I can usually buy a book and figure out new techniques on my own--I mainly take classes for the comraderie and the stimulation and motivation it gives me. I guess that's why I am bothered by last night.

Sorry this is long, and I don't want to seem like I am whining, because it won't ruin my life--maybe I just have the wrong expectations about scrappers--
Maybe I was expecting a class of fellow scrappers from this board--very nice people!!
Thanks for letting me vent
Judi

You know Judi, I also sometimes find this to be a competetive thing, and it bothers me as well. I think one thing that might help is if you take classes with a friend so that you will have a chance to pig the samples too. I don't really mean this to be funny, being with someone you like in your free time should be your right, and if the class isn't offering this friendliness, bring it with you. After all the hulabaloo about the Hall of Fame I read on these message boards I decided I wasn't going to get involved in this competition thing, and infact, tossed color copies of stuff I had finally worked up the courage to submit. I do this for me, not for anyone else.

------------------
Nancy

Hey Judi!!

I would have to lean toward the idea that you just ran into some people that are probably snotty in everything they do. Based on my experience, you will find most scrappers to remind you of quilters.

May I suggest that you try your next class and see if you get a different crowd? And if you find the same thing again, you may want to cancel the third. You might even want to consider finding a new store...

I am sorry that happened. Some people just haven't grown up yet!

Pick up your chin, and put on a grin!

Moving onward and upward,
Nikki

Judi, I am very sorry that you had an experience like that. I have just recently started taking classes at my LSS and I basically take them so I can meet people and have a conversation with someone who knows more than 5 words! I have been scrapping on my own for the last 6 years by figuring everything out myself too. If that had happened to me, I probably would have just picked up the layout and said to the back row, "We need to have this up with us for a while now." and just left with it. That would have really made an impression. I would still go to our other classes. If these people continually become a problem, inform the instructor and the store manager/owner. Tell them what is going on. They don't want anyone to miss out. They will either say something very subtly to these people or make an extra effort to move the sample pages around themselves so that's not happening. If they don't, then I wouldn't take classes there anymore and make sure you tell them that too.
I don't think you're going to find a group more classier than this one--we're awesome! (hee,hee) Too bad we're spread all over the country! We would make great classmates!

Judi,
I agree with pretty much what everyone has said already, but you know I can't keep my fingers shut! LOL

I'm sorry you have had such a bad encounter with scrappbookers. I, personally, have found that scrapbookers are the NICEST group of people, as a whole, that I've ever met (well next to knitters and quilters).

You've reminded me of a story I must tell, bear with me. It's long and boring but I'm going down memory lane.

When I was a kid my mom would take me to all her knitting shops. It would take all afternoon, but I didn't mind, I loved spending the one on one time with her. Well, we would hit the 'circuit' of stores, saving her favorite for last. There we met Medrith, the store owner, her best friend and eventually her business partner. Well her store had chairs and tables, and cookies and lemonade. We would sit and talk and laugh and it was fun! Even at that age I thought it funny that a STORE would just let you sit and chat, without any pressure to buy anything. But hey! I was with my mom, and Medrith was a crack up, so I didn't question it. I just thought that's how that one store was.

Well, then I started scrapbooking. And low and behold, I WAS DOING THE SAME THING! I found the 'circuit' of stores I love to go to! Do my rounds, chat, laugh, and have an all around great time. It turns out that I'm not the only one who loves doing that, and it's not only Medrith's knitting store that encourages it. It's a fond fond memory, and I'm glad my mom taugh me how to enjoy everything about the hobby I love so much.

So my advice, try another store. Each store had their own 'gig' and it's perfectly okay if you don't 'fit' into that one of them. There ARE other stores, and customers, which will welcome you with open arms.

Thanks for letting me go on and on

Michelle

I'm going to approach this from the teaching standpoint. First of all, I'm sorry that you had to deal with that situation. It shouldn't have happened in the first place because one sample for a class usually isn't enough. I have learned from experience that the sample (if only one) needs to be posted at the front of the room. If it's too small for students to see, there needs to be color copies for students to work from. I would suggest that a phone call to the store owner requesting copies of the samples and explaining what happened to you is completely acceptable. The owner wants you to have a good experience, so does the teacher. My second suggestion is to take a friend with you to class or make one there. As a teacher, I've noticed that those who buddy-up have more fun. A note here is that buddies can get loud if not aware, and not notice that they are disrupting the class

I have found scrapbookers to be some of the nicest people on earth (right there with quilters and grandmas).

I've happened on Michelle at one of her stores before. She does enjoy herself and takes time to visit. Nice to know the background as to why you do that Michelle.

Good Luck, Judy,
Jill

I agree with Jill that it was the teacher's responsibility to provide enough samples for everyone to look at, or failing that, to make sure the one sample got passed around fairly. Having Selfish Sallies in the class doesn't help, either, LOL!

I think scrapbookers are just like any other group of people--some of them would give you the shirt off their back, and some would take your shirt and run off! I hope you can have a better time at your next classes--and don't be afraid to speak up if you're not getting fair treatment. You paid your money just like everybody else!

------------------
Janelle :-)

Well, those certainly weren't true scrapbookers. A true scrapbooker would have been looking over your shoulder to see the way you were doing it and would have immediately scraplifted your idea (LOL, that's a joke, i usually wait until i get home to scraplift a page).

Seriously, that was bad behaviour on their part. Please keep going to classes, someday you'll run into someone like me (who believes everyone should share everything especially if you happen to have a lettering template i need....) and then you'll see, we're very nice people.

Thanks everyone for your kind remarks--I knew there had to be more of us out there!!! As for the part about asking friends to join you -a great idea--and I do have a friend going to one of them with me--but in everything I have tackled in my life--if no one else can fit something into their schedule I have never backed away from doing some thing by myself--if I want to take that class or go to that movie or even eat at that restaurant--then I will go ahead and do it by myself--I have always met very nice people that way--I guess that was why I was irritated--but I agree--we just all need to take our classes together here from the board--we are all wonderful, nice, and beautiful (_____insert favorite glamorous move star look-a-like here!LOL) people!!
Judi