Family History-wont be forgotten (Scrap Books)

Member Name: Meggysmum

Product:	Scrap Books
Date:	03/06/09 (40 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy hobby that gives something lasting.

Disadvantages: Can get expenseive if you get carried away!

I began scrapbooking about three years ago after being introduced to it by a friend. It is a hobby that has been around for a very long time in various forms. The Victorians kept very ornate scrapbooks and as a child I had great fun sticking postcards and tickets into colouful paper books, I distinctly remember making a whole book about the Queens Silver Jubilee. The scrapbooks I produce now are completely different in appearance but the point is the same- to preserve memories for the future.

I have been given boxes of photographs from members of my family that contain pictures of people and places that we no longer know anything about. I find it sad that if my grandmother had thought a photograph was so important that she kept it throughout her whole life that I now know nothing about it and the history is lost. With the rise in interest in family trees and our ancestors scrapbooking fits in well as it can give a visual representation of what information you find out.

Scrapbooks are made up of individual pages known as layouts, the main feature of the layout is usually a photograph or sometimes several. The story about the photograph is recorded as journalling, sometimes this may be as simple as names, date and place but often it contains more. Journalling will often tell about events that occured or feelings or thoughts in a situation, this may be on show for everyone to read or it may be "hidden" behind something if the sentiments are more private.

Each layout is created using coloured card as the main background and then embellishing the page to give an interesting appearance. This my husband refers to as my "sticking and gluing" time. All sorts of things can be added to the layouts such as patterned paper, ribbons, buttons, memorabilia such as tickets,and brads (known to us oldies from Blue Peter days as brass fasteners!)of various colours. The embellishments look nice but they are also there to help convey feelings and atmosphere.

All products used in Scrapbooking should be archival safe, that is they shoud not contain acid or lignane as they are the chemicals that age paper, the stuff that makes your newspaer go yellow! Specialist companies retail all the necessary products. Equipment can start off as scissors and glue and end up with expensive cutting machines, most scrapbookers collect equipment as they go along and start with the basics. However for most of us it is not a cheap hobby as there is always some lovely paper or irrisistable ribbon that we just cant live without!

It is a hobby I enjoy as with two children I want to preserve things so that they can remember stuff as they get older. Photos and stories together can remind them of what they were like at a certain age or which part of a holiday was most fun for them. My daughter is now 15 and has started scrapbooking and regularly goes to a local craft shop with her friends for several sociable hours of "cropping" (term used for time spent actually scrapbooking). Overall it is a relaxing way to spend my time, there are no rules and no right or wrong way to make a layout. Everybody has a different style and most scrapbookers love sharing their ideas so it is an easy way to make friends if you have a local craft centre that offers crop time.

Summary: Creative pasttime that doesn't need artistic ability.