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I'm
asked many questions when I talk about scrapbooking, but the most common
question is:
"Why
should I make a scrapbook album? My photos are fine just where they
are."
Here
are the two most important answers to that:
First,
depending on your current storage method, those photos may not
be around long enough or in good enough condition for anyone
past the next generation to see them.
Acids from the
processing or current photo storage you're using (magnetic
albums, for instance) are deteriorating the photos, turning them
yellow and brittle.
Lignin, the gluey substance that binds
wood fibers together, is doing the same thing. And most
older albums are full of both lignin and acids.
If
you
just want your photos to last your lifetime, then you're
fine. But don't you want future generations of your family
to enjoy them? Don't you enjoy seeing photos of your
family from previous generations?
Second,
do you ever look at a photo you took and find yourself
wondering, "When was this taken? Who was that with us again?" I do
and I hate knowing the stories are never going to get any
clearer in my memory.
I started scrapbooking when I had my son in 2000.
Before that, I took lots of photos and kept some of them in magnetic albums, but
most of them were just sitting in boxes because honestly, who would care about
them after I was gone. Now, I want to preserve the stories that go with
the photos so my son will have some way of knowing who I was, what we did
together, and a way of
sharing that with his children some day.
Is there someone in your family or your past that you wish had
shared more stories with you? For me, it's my maternal grandfather. I have
many letters from him with lots of stories, but I still yearn for more.
And I wish I knew more about my paternal grandmother, with whom I never spent much
time.
These
are only the two most important reasons I have for starting your
scrapbooking albums today. There's also the social aspect
of scrapbooking, the current version of barn-raisings and
quilting bees. Attending an all-night crop is a GREAT way
to hang out with your friends, get something creative done, and
relax without the kids.
If
you'd like to know more about scrapbooking, please feel free to
drop me a line!
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Please
sign my "scrapbook" so I know you've been here to visit!
Thanks! |
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