Do kits count??? It wasn't exactly a goal but I had to put together
50 make-n-take tag kits for tomorrow. I've been asked to be a panel speaker on scrapbooking for an older adults conference. After the speech I'm to have a table for one hour where people can come look at album an see the tools and techniques associated with scrapbooking/ archiving. I promised I would make tag kits for people to make at the table or take with them to work on at home. I finished the kits last night. I have 25 "Birthday Wishes" tags and 25 "thank you" tags.If you care to read on, I've cut/pasted my speech.
-- Amy L.
Change comes to us every day in many forms. Sometimes change is joyous in the form of a birth, a wedding or a holiday. Sometimes change comes to us as the passing of someone we love. How we cope with change is unique to every individual. I'm here to share with you how scrapbooking, or archiving, can help people cope with change.
By sharing your memories with friends and family, you connect your past with your present. By experiencing the events and activities of the present, you connect today's events with memories of the future. Sharing memories verbally is enjoyable for both the storyteller and for the listener, but what happens when the storyteller is gone? In special cases, memories become legend - "Remember when Uncle Joe caught that 30# catfish down at the lake in '62?" More often memories become lost forever - "Do you know if your Grandmother had a special toy or blanket when she was a child?"
Journaling is a scrapbooking technique that tells the story or shares the memory behind the picture. One of my favorite journaling experiences I like to share comes from a photo that I took of my, then
19 month old, son. There was no purpose behind the picture other than the love I felt watching him enjoy the freedom of walking around after being cooped up in the car. I had the camera in my hand because I was taking LOTs of pictures of the town where my mother grew up. When you look at this photo in the album, all you see is a toddler running on some grass with the wind blowing his tawny hair. What the journal tells you is that this toddler is enjoying a few minutes in the sun on the exact same spot that his great-grandparents, his Gran, and his great uncle celebrated the end of World War II with a picnic and fireworks. If I had not documented this story in his album, what would my son feel about that photo when he looks at it when he is 60? I think he would feel something very different.I believe most people here today have experienced the inheritance of a photo box when a loved one has passed. You know these photos were cherished by your Aunt yet you are frustrated because you can't identify most of the people and/or places. You know that many of these photos are part of your children's genealogy. You know that putting these photos in the trash would be a crime so you just hold onto them. What will happen when your children inherit the very same box? Will they have the same emotional tie to your aunt? The connection will most likely be lost completely. For anyone who has made an attempt to track their family genealogy, knows how difficult it can be because our ancestors did not archive their lives. Unless we make the effort to archive our own events, we propagate the cycle. With the materials available to us today, it is easier than ever before to archive and preserve our memories.
Scrapbooking takes many forms. Scrapbooking is for the young, for the old, for men, and for woman. Most men relate more to the archiving form of scrapbooking. Focus is on the preservation of the photos and the event journaling. Very little effort is given to embellishments and artistic flare. Because scrapbooking has become so popular it is easy to find paper and other supplies that meet the archival requirements. You can rest easy knowing your cherished memories will not be harmed by acid or similar chemicals Traditional scrapbookers introduce an artistic touch to layouts to make the photos fun to look at even if you don't know the people or the event. Scrapbookers are expressing the emotions and telling the store behind the picture. Scrapbook layouts range from very simple to works of art. If you stop by the scrapbooking table after lunch I have a range of examples to share with you.
Many people ask the question, "How do I get started?" People generally know the answer to this question but what they really mean is "I'm so overwhelmed with memories that I don't know where to start." I found it easiest to start with something recent...your last vacation or Christmas. These events are still fresh in your mind so the journaling will come easy. As you become more comfortable, the inspiration will come for what to work on next. If you stop by my table, I will share with you some tools and techniques. A rule to scarpbooking is there are no rules. If you like it, then you succeeded!
Change comes to everyone. Scrapbooking helps us to embrace change.