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Crafts and community
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Florence Hosler (right) crafted with her friends, the mother and daughter team Julie VanDevender (left) and fifth-grader Olivia VanDevender (center).
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Club creator Jo Anne Kaschak worked on a Christmas-themed scrapbook page during the club’s Jan. 30 meeting.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Florence Hosler is a new addition to the group, and admits she is more of a crafter and sewing fan than a scrapbooker. She was added to the group to offer her crafting skills as another artistic endeavor to guests. On Jan. 30, she sewed bows to socks to send to young girls in Haiti.
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Sharyn Fees (right) is the club’s resident card-making expert. She shared her expertise with crafting newbie Mary Ellen Maruschak (left) during the scrapbooking club’s Jan. 30 meeting.
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The scrapbookers and cardmakers of the St. James Scrapbooking Club gathered for an informal picture to show off their unique collection of young and old crafters.
By SARAH FOOR
The St. James Scrapbooking Club, organized out of St. James Episcopal Church in Boardman, started as a simple crafting club hoping to foster some community among church members. Since its creation, however, the club has opened its doors to all and have found that making cards, crafts, and scrapbooks does a lot more than just create beautiful art.
“We started and still are a social club at heart,” explained club founder JoAnne Kaschak. “We mostly just sit and talk and craft, but amazing things happen when people start to talk. We find out about each other’s lives so easily by working on scrapbooks with old family photos. We talk and it’s our own little therapy.”
Sharon Fees joined the group to offer her expertise on cardmaking, and also appreciates the warm atmosphere of the club.
“Crafting with these ladies makes me feel like a kid again. I clear my mind, and it’s just easy and fun .”
“That’s what I hope for,” Kaschak added. “I tell my group to leave their worries behind and focus on the task ahead. Remember the good stuff.”
The club is a core group of about 20 members, but still growing and always welcoming guests. Experts on scrapbooking, cardmaking, and crafting are available to give advice and opinions, and work with novice crafters to masters.
In recent months, the club has focused on outreach programs, including sending holiday cards to nursing homes and war zones, and sending decorated socks to young girls in Haiti.
The club has also begun to span generations with the addition of crafters like Olivia VanDevender, who is in fifth grade.
“I did a book report on Amelia Earhart last year, and my mom gave me some papers and stickers to start with. I got an ‘A’ on the report and I’ve been hooked since then,” she explained.
Fees reflected on the unique service the club offers its members.
“Crafting is a lot like life — you figure things out my making mistakes. That’s a lesson that applies to everyone, no matter how young or old.”
The group meets every other Sunday, and its next meeting is Feb. 20. The meeting is open to the public.