Scrapbook Memories

Valentine Memory Making Gift
The perfect way to say “I love you” this Valentine’s Day may just be a scrapbook.

Over the last several years, the hobby of scrapbooking has become even more popular, and Edmond is part of the trend. Scrapbooking is a way of preserving photographs while personalizing and embellishing the pages they’re on. People can use scrapbooks to preserve memories for the future by pulling pictures out of dusty drawers and putting them in albums that may be decorated with everything from stickers to handwritten sentiments to colorful cutouts.
Scrapbooking projects can be as simple or complex as people like, and scrapbook consultants and stores provide plenty of supplies and ideas.

Jessica Joshi, an employee at Just 4 Keeps on 33rd Street in Edmond, said most of their clients’ objectives are to turn memories into treasures. She said her valentine scrapbooking tip is to “take a picture of your child blowing a kiss and scrapbook that memory for a valentine page.” While pink and red paper are traditional for Valentine’s Day, she said romantic designs are possible with several other papers in stock.

Just 4 Keeps, owned by Jennifer Ehnert and Kathy Irion, has been in business since September 2005. The store offers a variety of classes throughout the week.

Deborah Jenkins is an Edmond independent consultant for Creative Memories, a direct sales scrapbook company. She has turned her passion for photo preservation and scrapbook creativity into a successful home business.

Jenkins holds regular classes, or “crop nights,” for people to work on their scrapbook projects. She said she enjoys teaching others the craft and helping them create heirloom-quality photo albums. Her “crop ‘til you drop” parties can last well into the night.

“I realized the value of picture organization and preservation after being told that many family pictures end up discarded or stuck up in the attic because they were never labeled and organized into albums,” she said. “After many years, the people in the photos are forgotten and their family members cannot name or identify them, so they’re tossed or sold at a garage sale. To me, that seems like a loss of a family legacy and is very unfortunate for the descendants.”

Jenkins has created a scrapbook entirely devoted to her husband’s life. She enlisted his parents to write notes in the scrapbook to make it special to him. The book was a way to express her love for him while conveying that she values who he is, she said.

Other clients have scrapbooked greeting cards and love notes to celebrate their relationships. For Valentine’s Day, Jenkins recommends creating a small scrapbook with pictures from a romantic trip or weekend outing. Don’t forget to journal what an enjoyable experience it was, she said, and always record the date and place.

The local business Scrapbook’n, owned by Ron and Connie Vance, is in its seventh year. Connie said they have seen many changes in the craft over the years.

“It used to be all stickers and die cut from a few papers … now the papers are extraordinary and everything has gone dimensional,” she said.

More people are now doing themed scrapbooks rather than family books, she said. But the nice thing about scrapbooking is that people can do it according to their preference and artistic level – very simple or embellished.
One of the newer tools at Scrapbook’n is a laser cutting machine that provides customers a chance to personalize their scrapbooks. Nearly any shape can be cut on any type of surface for an extra touch.

For those with little time or who doubt their creative abilities, there are several shortcuts in the world of scrapbooking. Digital photo albums that allow for journaling and graphic designs are available online at Kodak.com and Shutterfly.com. Digital photographs can be sent via the Internet, and within a few days, a completed and personalized scrapbook will be delivered to your door. Department and greeting card stores also sell scrapbook albums ready for pictures to be added.

Other websites, such a scrapbooking.com and creativememories.com, offer tips and ideas for getting started. Software programs, which can reduce the amount of work, are available at hobby centers and scrapbook stores.