Photo courtesy of Jazmin Quaynor/Unsplash
One of my big projects for 2016 was something I had put off for years: making for my family eight individually-specific memory books of my son Tim who died in 2008.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to perform this labor of love, you understand. It just seemed overwhelmingly daunting to me. I have never enjoyed or excelled at any endeavor related to “crafts.” I don’t knit, sew, or crochet. I don’t draw or paint, and neither am I into stamping or making jewelry. Just looking at some of the do-it-yourself projects in the Martha Stewart magazine causes me to break out in hives. I have made the statement, “I’m seriously not good at crafts,” many times.
But knowing I wanted to eventually make those memory books led me to be on the lookout for interesting scrapbooking materials. I randomly bought “stuff” here and there over the years. I had this huge box where I’d toss in the latest purchase, not really paying attention to what was accumulating.
One item I came across is called Project Life, developed by Becky Higgins. For a dozen years Becky had been Creative Editor for Creating Keepsakes magazine. With the suffering economy in 2008, she realized that scrapbooking sales were down since some of the material is seriously expensive. And for those “craft-challenged” people who really wanted to participate in making memory books, making a quality book could seem daunting. So Becky started her own company and simplified the process by creating kits that enable people to create books in an affordable way. I bought packages of her beautiful small cards, some with wording and others left blank for personal wording.
While I didn’t use the Project Life cards exclusively for my memory books, the simplicity of them inspired me to BEGIN my work last fall and complete the books by Christmas.
Remember my telling you earlier how I kept making random purchases over the years? My storage box held card stock, stickers, tape, ribbon, the Project Life cards, and much more. Let’s just say I have quite a bit left over. You can define “quite a bit” however you’d like.
Hint: Think “paper hoarder.”
What to do with it all? I’ve made the decision to go outside my comfort zone and make my own cards for my personal use. Since I like to write, the inscriptions will be personal and meaningful and NOT written by a nice stranger at Hallmark. I’ll do my best to keep my handwriting legible.
My cards will represent just a little bit of me going out to friends and family…a piece of paper that shows I love and care about the recipient.
Yep, this is way outside my comfort zone, but it feels good. I’m tossing out the limiting belief that “I’m seriously not good at crafts.” Because maybe I’m not too bad at them after all.
To my readers: How do you demonstrate your creativity?
Norma, let’s be honest – you and I weren’t born with the “craft gene.” You either have it or you don’t. I always tell people that my husband can sew a button on a shirt better than I can – not kidding. When he was a senior in high school, he took a home economics class where he made himself and me matching shirts! I have a good friend who can crochet, quilt, sew, and make anything on this green earth. She has tried to get me interested in some of these projects – to no avail.
However, I will say, Norma, that I will cherish my personal memory book of Tim that you made . You know how special he was to me – and it showed in all the pictures, cards, and notes that were in my book. It was beautifully done, and I’ve shared it with all my family. Who needs a “craft gene” when you have a “love gene?”
Thanks for making your little sister cry. I love you too.
After my mother passed away I found a box full of black & white photos of her grandparents, parents, her & her siblings; photos of family gatherings, holidays,etc. I arranged the photos in chronological order with names & dates (thank goodness they were marked on the back!). Also in the box we’re photos of my dad & his parents & siblings. That created the first “Smith family” scrapbook. I made a scrapbook just of my mother , from toddler through her nursing retirement (there were report cards from elementary through high school!!!) Then I made a scrapbook of my parents & my siblings & I & our extended families. That inspired me to create a scrapbook of the “Gaston family” with my ex & I & our girls from infancy through high school. My daughter’s & granddaughters love paging through these books of love, into the past. It saddens me that with digital technology these days, our photos are on our phones or stuck in our PCs & no one looks at them. These scrapbooks I hope will be passed on to next generations.
A lovely story, Joan. I agree that there is nothing warm and fuzzy about “paging” through an online album. I can see your girls (both big and little!) smiling as they turn your scrapbook pages. It reminds me of my sister Beverly (the historian of our family) telling of how Laura enjoyed looking at all of Bev’s albums and trying to fix in her young brain who all the relatives were and how they played a part in her life. Thanks for the memory.
Norma one of the things I am looking forward to when I retire is making my own cards using my photos. So much more personal. I am sure your cards will be special, you are such a kind and thoughtful person and write so well, they will have such meaning. I can’t wait to receive one!
Well, you have a retirement coming up, so I’ll make you my first Happy Retirement card!
I have to say that the card you sent us recently is so amazing, creative and thoughtful. We were overwhelmed by your compassion to always remember our son’s birthday. As you know Russell left us 3 1/2 years ago, at the age of 23, from a terrible accident. We just returned from Farmville, Virginia, the home of Longwood University, where we celebrated his short life with his Gamma Psi brotherhood and his sister sorority, Alpha Beta Psi, and friends and family. Your beautiful card went with us so that we could share your love for our family with others. You are such an incredible and inspiring woman and we are honored and blessed to call you our friend.
You are so fortunate that Russell left this legacy. He will continue to influence lives of people he never even knew.