Growing Up Creative Memories

I have always been the type of kid that would rather sit and chat at the adult table than play with the other kids. Their conversation was usually much more interesting. Looking back, I was most likely the annoying one that would always try and give her intellectual opinions on some pretty deep subjects. So when my mom asked if I would want to go to “Scrap Camp” with her, my aunt, and their friends; I was in.

Yes, I am wearing an afro while eating snacks. Things got pretty wild.

My mom’s good friend (now my good friend) and her sister put on a Creative Memories retreat three times a year for the weekend. My first time at “Scrap Camp”, I was eleven. I hauled my totes full of Creative Memories paper, stickers, corner punches, and of course my beloved tape runner. The excitement of getting your new album and organizing your pictures was just as high as a the night before a major holiday. Many conversations were had, snacks were devoured, and life lessons learned.

As you can tell by my photos below, I was definitely eleven. But using all of the CM tools, journaling, and utilizing as many stickers as I could made me so proud!

I have since gone to many “Scrap Camps” throughout my years, and have grown in my scrapping style. Once I got a digital camera of my own for Christmas, I ventured into CM Storybook Creator. After the digital switch, I never really looked back. Digital became a quick and easy way to create your books, without hauling or storing the countless amount of paper scraps. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the process of traditional scrapbooking. I actually just completed a small book using some Polaroids I took on a trip to California. But when it comes to the big projects, like my wedding book, digital was definitely the way to go for me.

When you get married, the photographer gives you a bajillion photos. Trust me, I would love to traditionally scrapbook the memories and create a handmade keepsake to pass on throughout my life. But being a young newlywed, and preparing to move across the country, I wanted a quick way to put the photos into a tangible book to bring with me. I created a digital book on an online program, and got it printed.

The convenience of digital is great for the stage I am in right now. This stage being living out of boxes and never fully unpacking. I was so happy to be able to use my creativity and continue my love of scrapbooking through other means of keeping memories!

In the age of everything being online and instantly at our fingertips, tangible books seem to be fading with my generation. Getting pictures off of your phone and into your hands is something that I will always continue to do. My love of scrapbooking started early, and I still believe that it is important to keep those memories available to relive whenever we want. We’re in front of screens enough these days, lets make something we can open up with our families for years to come.