Scraporium's Loyal Following Keeps Artsy Business Going Strong

These days, paperback book purchases are on the decline. And, handwritten letters may be a dying art.

But paper still reigns supreme when it comes to scrapbooking.

“Some people do digital scrapping, but so many more people don’t want to do it digitally and say I want it to be hands-on,” said Denise Hopkinson, owner of Scraporium, a Lutz craft store that specializes in scrapping. “It’s fun. … People are artsy and want to play.”

Hopkinson’s store seems to have every conceivable product for scrapbooking and paper crafting. Inks, charms, antique photos, diecuts, stickers, sea glass and, of course, lots and lots of paper.

Scraporium opened the business 15 years ago.

“We were the first one to open in the Tampa area … and the others have closed,” she said. “We’re the first and the last.”

When she first opened Scraporium, scrapbooking was mostly about fancy paper and stickers, what she called “the basics.” Today, it’s decidedly artsy. It even has its crafting celebrities such as Tim Holtz, who has a line of products under his name (yep, Scraporium carries these, too).            

“He is the Elvis of scrapping,” said Hopkinson, who has a picture of herself with Holtz.

The biggest competition for Scraporium is people buying supplies off the web. But longtime customers encourage scrappers to patronize the shop.

“We do have a lot of dedicated people,” Hopkinson said.

The 3,000-square-foot business has an outlet section where items are 50-70 percent off as well as a classroom space.

“We … offer fun and unique classes from learning to use Copic markers to technique card classes to mini albums and everything in between,” the website reads.

Those classes attract people as old as 80 and as young as 6, Hopkinson said. Scraporium last year organized a trip where passengers could scrap as part of a Royal Caribbean cruise. They’re doing so again this year.

Scrapbooking may be all the rage, but Hopkinson said it’s no flash in the pan.

“I think it’s here to stay,” she said.

More Info:

Scraporium
16518 N Florida Ave.
Lutz, FL 33549
813-269-7946
www.scraporium.com 
Scraporium's Facebook page
Link to Scraporium's class schedule

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