Scrapbooking Addicts Go “Buggy” in Kitchener/Waterloo

Kitchener, Ontario — By introducing imaginative concepts such as “Bug Blogs”, “Bugabonazas”, “Bug Clubs” and “Bug Galleries”, The Scrapping Bug, a scrapbooking store in Kitchener Ontario, has been influential in the rise in popularity of scrapbooking throughout Ontario, and through their online store, has had an impact throughout Canada, the USA, and as far as Europe and Australia.

By offering their customers a myriad of scrapbooking products, instructional classes, and plenty of inspiration, over the last several years, The Scrapping Bug (http://www.thescrappingbug.com), has won over many new scrapbooking enthusiasts. Voted the number two scrapbooking store in Canada and number twenty-seventh worldwide, The Scrapping Bug is the longest operating scrapbooking retail outlet in Ontario, and on November 1, 2007, they celebrated their seventh anniversary in business.

In North America and around the world, scrapbooking is a hugely popular hobby that is growing in leaps and bounds. Between 2001 and 2004 the scrapbooking industry has doubled in size, generating billions in sales annually. According to the Craft and Hobby Association, scrapbooking is more popular than golf as a pastime. They report that as many as one in three households have someone who is a scrapbooker, compared with one in four household with a golfer. Just key in ‘scrapbooking’ on a Google word search and over 19.5 million scrapbooking related sites appear. In comparison, the word ‘golfing’ brings up only 11.5 million golf-related sites. Clearly scrapbooking is a rising phenomenon both in the virtual world and in the homes of everyday families.

Scrapbooking has been around for a long time. Traditionally it was seen as a way of preserving items of personal interest such as photographs, printed media, and memorabilia in a scrapbook or album. However, the pastime of preserving memories has changed over the years. It has gone from pasting photos and clippings into generic albums to carefully crafted books that are themed and artistically decorated. As well, digital scrapbooking is becoming extremely popular. Simple to use scrapbooking software programs appeal to people who want to creatively showcase their photographs quickly and easily.

“When we established The Scrapping Bug in November 2000, our mission was to assist our customers by offering them all the latest scrapbooking materials and techniques, the sharing of ideas, and the preservation of special memories,” states Jones.

Kim Jones, owner of The Scrapping Bug, believes that scrapbooking has become popular not only because it is so much fun and just a little addictive, but also since it is important to preserve memories.

“Our retail store has grown over the years, both in physical size and in the number of services and classes that we offer. We continue to make available the latest and most up-to-date products in the industry and keep our prices competitive in our ongoing effort to be Ontario’s most complete scrapbook supplier. In 2002, we introduced our online store. The addition of our online store has added a strong following of loyal scrapbooking customers from coast to coast across Canada, the US, and as far as Europe and Australia. Our website provides our customers with a wealth of scrapbooking information, through online clubs, blogs, and message boards. Club members can even showcase their scrapbooking creations online,” says Jones.

Scrapbooking is a craze that will keep building, because people will always have the desire to preserve memories and mementos. Part art form, part craft, and part historical record keeping, scrapbooking has also become a social outlet for many. While there are those that choose to “crop” and paste by themselves at home, a growing number of scrapbookers enjoy getting together with like-minded enthusiasts in classes, clubs, and informal gatherings to practice their hobby. For some “scrapping” has become a way of life.


The Scrapping Bug is a Scrapbooking Store in Kitchener Ontario that was created to assist people in the scrapbooking learning experience, the sharing of ideas, and the preservation of special memories through the wonderful world of scrapbooking. For more information, please contact Kim Jones at 519-895-0554 or visit http://www.thescrappingbug.com.