All the Memories | how I started memory keeping

Since we’ve been talking about memories and memory-keeping over the past couple of months, I thought I would share my story of how I started scrapbooking and memory keeping. It isn’t a grand or dramatic story, but it’s what I remember about this part of my creative journey.

When my siblings and I were growing up, my dad was the memory keeper in our family. He was the one who consistently took our photos, printed them and organized them neatly in photo albums. This was back when everyone still used film cameras and printed pictures. He put the “scrap” in scrapbooking by literally using paper scraps to make our amazing baby albums that each of us immensely treasure today (there are three of us and we each have at least one!). Because of him, we are now able to pull out those family albums and laugh, reminisce and remember all those memories from back in the day.

Those were the initial stages of any exposure I had to the idea or concept of scrapbooking and memory keeping.

The first time I remember making a real scrapbook album (ie. 12×12 spreads) was when our family first came back from a trip to Australia in 2005. We had purchased some patterned papers from the Australian K-mart while we were on vacation and collectively worked on the album together as a family to document our trip after we returned. This was before I even knew about acid- or lignin-free products. All we wanted to do was to get our photos and memories recorded.

Then in 2007, my dad brought me to our local scrapbooking store and together, we learned about scrapbooking basics. After our conversation with the owners, my dad very promptly (and generously) bought me my first set of scrapbooking supplies of acid- and lignin-free glue and paper that day.

And I haven’t looked back since.

Thus, my journey in scrapbooking and creating 12×12 layouts “officially” began. For a season, I also loved making mini books and have a basket-full of them now.

In 2012, I started hearing more about Project Life and contemplated jumping on the bandwagon, before I eventually decided to take the plunge. While I finally made the leap, I never quite made it through my first year. Discouraged, I didn’t continue in 2013. But I decided to intentionally document with Project life in 2014 and I loved it. (Confession: I’m still working on finishing my 2014 album, and still need to start for 2015 – but I’m getting there!)

Sure, there have been times where scrapbooking has taken a backseat when life has taken over and the inspiration has run a bit low. But this creative/scrapbooking/memory-keeping part of me runs deep and strong and I reckon it won’t be going away any time soon.

Through the years, my family has supported my paper addiction, enduring all those seemingly unending hours in the scrapbook store as I perused and ooh-ed and ahh-ed over all the paper goodies.

As much as I love how mind-blowing this digital age can be, there is nothing is quite the same as actually holding printed photos in your hands and flipping through a handmade album full of memories.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to start memory keeping and be a memory keeper because I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Are you a scrapbooker/memory keeper? How did you get started? I’d love to hear your story so let me know in the comments!

Missed the other posts in this series? You can catch up on them here:

• 5 reasons why you should be a memory keeper
• 5 ways to start memory keeping
• 12 ways to document your memories
• 15 memories to document in 2015
• Documenting with pocket scrapbooking
• 10 tools for memory keepers
• 5 ways to make time for memory keeping
• 10 embellishments for pocket scrapbooking
• 5 things I’ve learned from memory keeping

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All the Memories is a blog series talking about all things memory keeping – from memory keeping ideas to answering your questions. This is the year to get those memories documented!