One very bitter cold day in January of 1996, armed with my class gift certificate, a large cup of tea, several pictures from Christmas 1995, and a friend as a companion I made may way to Stickney, Illinois to attend my first scrapbook class.?
I was a bit nervous, as I headed west on I-55 from my northside Chicago apartment. I figured cutting my pictures would not be so bad. I had done that already when I created an album of my trip to France. But my friend was a gifted artist. She had 4 children and the title pages of their baby books were BEAUTIFUL! I thought that whatever I put together would never be like hers. And what if I could not get any good ideas?
Well, my fears were put to rest when we got to the class. First of all I was put at my own table. Since I was a beginner, I was able to have a little instruction to help me get started. My friend and another woman were experienced scrapbookers and could begin working on their projects right away. The host gave a short presentation, talking about photo safety and the best way to start my project. She encouraged me to select three or four pictures for my first page and then she told me that everyone has a story to tell and that simple pages would help me tell that story. That was encouraging for me. I figured that I did not need to have pages look just like my friend’s. And a little paper to match my pictures and a colored pen got the juices flowing!
I completed one album page that day, front and back. I was proud of my accomplishment and could not wait to show my husband. I felt like there was some magic in the colored paper, pens and templates that I used so I bought those from the woman who taught the class. I also bought a pack of stickers, highlighting several events during the year. I may have even considered doing what she did–leading classes, teaching storytelling and photo preservation–on a regular basis, but she never asked.
Heading home, I shared with my friend, the one with the beautiful albums, about the pictures I had put on my pages: My husband getting a new job, just in time for Christmas. . . time of connecting with my sisters and a venison dinner shared with my grandpa; simple stories, yet here they were told. Just opening these pages today helps me relive those moments, and I am so thankful for the memories.
[Click on the images to see my first pages!]
Really liked this post. I especially like the way you expressed how the pages help you relive the moments. I think that’s something so neat to pass down for generations. When you have it like this, it is a visual for your grandchildren and on down. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Angie, Thanks for stopping by. I love to see my children enjoying the albums that I create. It has also been a joy to share album making with them and see memories through their eyes.