It has been brought to my attention that…..

I have been getting a great deal of press on a smack blog within the UK. My OH only recently told me that he was watching a TV programme that highlighted the phenomenon that is a smack blog and the psychology behind it. It would appear that there now exists one in the realm of scrapbooking.

I am going to make this one off post a response to some of the comments that have appeared and give you some background. I do hope that you are able to take the time to read this.

As a person, I have full and demanding job, often my working week can be 70 hours. It is emotionally very demanding and as such I use scrapbooking, card making, crafting and painting as a means of catharsis, it’s merely how I relax.

Having been given a photo of a friends daughter to scrap I made a LO. I thought long and hard about the LO and title in the spare moments that I had when at work. I did this via a book that I keep in my handbag. It’s a little notebook where I keep sketches, titles and ideas that I see through the internet, books, adverts, etc. The latest entry of which I got from the side of a BP petrol pump!! (It’s a good idea – have a look and you will see what I mean!)

So having used my book I did my LO and input it on my personal blog with some nice text for the person who gave me the photo. I was pleased that I managed to incorporate in to this LO some items of vintage ephemera that I had been collecting.

During this last week at work I have hardly been at home. Those of you that know what I do will have some idea as to why, one or two of you know actually why. It has been a demanding week. Having logged on after a short 16 hour day I checked my blog to find two comments on there that really shocked and offended me.

These two comments were anonymous and vitriolic in their content. Regardless of the motives of the person that posted them, they caused me a great deal of alarm and distress. I was genuinely shocked that amongst all the genuine, kind hearted and Christian valued fellow scrapbooker’s that I have met and encountered that such venom could exist and be placed on my personal blog.

Weighing up the need to deal with this matter and the need to sleep, I chose sleep. I immediately amended the facility to post comments on my blog to prevent any further abuse. As it transpired this was the correct option as I didn’t return home for two days.

In those two days, I sought advice as to what has transpired and was given some legal information with regards to possible criminal legislation that these two posts represented as a result of the effect on me regardless of the intent of the author.

I can honestly say that I was really offended by what was posted and removed the whole post, comments and all and took all my LO’s (or thought I did!) from UKS. I decided that I wasn’t happy with my LO’s being in a domain whereby I had no control over what offensive comments could be added and decided to take back some control. On my blog I have now taken off the anonymous facility and will moderate any future comments that go on there.

I was next advised that I could find out who posted these comments via the IP (?) address. Unfortunately when I deleted the original post I deleted the IP address. I was unaware that anonymous comments are not actually anonymous! As such I added the post back in as best I could, stating that my inspiration came from many sources and adding a small section at the bottom of the post.

I strongly affirm that any omissions ref Stamping Up were and are plain and simply forgotten by myself. That is the truth and anything else written or said is pure conjecture or assumption. I.E anything other than this has been made up! Nothing more than a genuine error I am afraid.

I added the note about the legislation in the hope that the person who posted the offensive comments would leave another post with their details so I could find out who had done this, establish what their agenda was and decide what action if any I would take against this person. This person has never identified themselves nor left another comment on my blog.

I would be happy to discuss my LO’s and sources of inspiration with anyone that wishes to do so. I would also relish the same opportunity to do so with others. However, as adults I believe that this needs to be done in a manner and environment whereby we encourage open and honest constructive criticism rather than something that is destructive, sinister or offensive.

So there we go, I am sorry if my genuine error has caused anyone any offence, this certainly was not and never will be a factor that motivates me.

Next Saturday is a sad anniversary for me; it would have been my Mums birthday. Sadly a week after her birthday last year she had a stroke. This was debilitating and affected her body rather than her brain, She died on November 5th last year.

My mum was the source of my creativity. She played with me when I was a child and encouraged me to get grubby. When she was ill in hospital, she encouraged me with my scrapbooking as I had just joined the create club at Scrapagogo, I took what I now consider to be my ‘novice’ LO’s in to show her and she helped me with the name of my blog.

After her death I feel like I have been on a journey, one I am still travelling. Part of my bereavement process has been to scrapbook. This has been evident sometimes in the words or pictures I use. This has sometimes been evident in the many books and articles I read, or classes I attend. I hope that she is looking down on me from somewhere, pleased with what I am achieving and supporting the change and development in my scrapping style. I support change and development in everything I do and hope that my ‘style’ will constantly evolve. I am very lucky to have been accepted for publication in various magazines and I think the LO’s that have been excepted will be reflective of this journey.

I am offended that the blog comments degenerated to the point whereby someone cast aspersions on my sanity.

I hope that this post clarifies any points of concern. I shall not and never have made any comments on the Smack blog. Rest assured that should this stance change, that I would use my full details and name. I shall not be visiting the blog again.

I now intend that this will conclude this matter. I intend to draw a line under this incident and move on.