As some of you may have noticed, last week’s scrapbook issue featured only women – not a single scrapbooking male was mentioned. That wasn’t on purpose, we promise, but when Fred Graf and Mike Kappler e-mailed to point out the gender imbalance, we knew we had to make things right.
Mike made that really easy for us by responding to the same Q&A that last week’s scrapbookers did. Plus, he even sent us a photo. Thanks, Mike, for helping us get out of the dog house.
Here’s the message from Mike:
I loved reading the article “Discovered: Scrapbookers in Concord!” Deb and Jackie have a very nice business, and I enjoy shopping at their store. My question is, why weren’t there any men interviewed for the article? I know I’m not the only male “scrapper.” Using the same questions you asked the ladies, may I offer a man’s view?
Lawrence “Mike” Kappler
71, Raymond, state representative
How did you get involved with scrapbooking as a hobby? My daughter was a Creative Memories consultant, my wife has boxes of photos, and I needed a stress reliever pastime, so I thought, why not?
On average, how much time a week do you spend scrapbooking? I work in spurts. Once I start a project, I have to finish it now. The first week of February, I did a 60-page, 12-by-12 album in five days. One day I started at 9 a.m. and worked straight through until 2 a.m.
How much space in your house is devoted to storing scrapbook supplies? The whole bottom on my large closet is crammed with organized containers of supplies. Once I start a project, it covers 95 percent of our dining room table.
Are you working on any projects now? No, I’m too busy at the State House working on various legislative bills.
What’s the scrapbook page or project that you’re most proud of? An album I did for a good friend who took a multi-country European vacation. She took a ton of photos, but by the time she got home, forgot what the scenes were of. I spent days in books and on the Internet identifying objects and scribbling down the information.
Any scrapbooking disasters? No, when doing a project, I start by lining up all the photos in page order. Then I do two color-coordinated pages at a time before attaching them into the album. When you open an album, I like to see the side-by-side pages match.
If you were to make a Concord scrapbook, what would it include? The State House – it’s the only part of Concord I’m familiar with.
Has your family ever staged or thought about staging a scrapbook intervention? No, my wife loves my work and is happy to see me relaxing at home.
Is “scrapbooker” the appropriate term for someone who does scrapbooks? Most people I know call us a “scrapper.” However, some call us “nuts.”
What’s your biggest scrapbook-related frustration? Being able to restock your colored paper with the same color. Colors come and colors go. I’ve learned that if you need two sheets, buy five; if you need four, buy 10.
What tips do you have for someone who wants to try scrapbooking? Besides caution when buying paper colors, be sure it’s acid free. Also, always have the names of persons, places and things and put them on the pages, so years from now, you will remember who, where, and what they are.
What else do you do in your spare time? A lot of conservation volunteer work with the Lamprey and Exeter Rivers, NH DES VRAP and VBAP testing, Cub Scout leader, BOD Raymond Coalition for Youth and funeral service ministry.
