Light up a child's life!

I will never forget my grandson's reaction (albeit delayed) when I gave him a photo album for his fifth birthday.  I had filled the album with photos from a week-long visit he had paid us earlier that year...memories of a trip to the Seattle Children's Museum, visits to the neighborhood park, swimming in our local pool, and rides at the Seattle Center Fun Forest.  As he opened my gift in the midst of other, more exciting gifts like Legos, trucks and games, he set the book aside without looking at even the first page.  "Oh, a book", he said as he reached for the next wrapped package.  I thought to myself that his appreciation for such a gift wouldn't come until he was a little older.  Later in the day, after all his gifts were opened and his mom and I were in the kitchen preparing dinner, he ran to me with the book in his hands.  "Look, Grandma," he said, "this book is about ME!!"

At that moment I knew that I had given him a special gift, and he had returned a special gift to me in the form of his smile and excitement.  He just recently turned twelve years old, and since that day seven years ago, I have made several albums for him.  He also has made his own album of photos from a trip he took with us to Yellowstone National Park.

The very first book I made for him was an ABC book, with photos of him and the people in his life.  I also interspersed scrapbooking stickers among the photos to make each page colorful, fun and educational.  For instance "M" was for Mommy and Matthew (photo of Mommy holding him), Messy (photo of him with a face covered with chocolate cake), and Motorcycle and Monkey (both stickers).

Children love photos of themselves, and presenting them in a book is one of the best gifts we can give them.  And it lasts MUCH longer than another toy!

Preserving your printed photographs

It is imperative that we carefully store our printed photos in order for them to last generations.  Here are some great tips from the Library of Congress:

http://www.loc.gov/preserv/care/photo.html

Here are some additional tips:
*If you have photographs in an old "magnetic" album, remove them immediately.  They are actually safer in a box than in that type of album.  Both black and white and color photos will deteriorate quite quickly in those albums.
*Never store your photos in the garage or attic.  Temperature extremes and moisture (both common in garages and attics) will damage your photos.
*Keep your photos out of direct light.  If you wish to frame a one-of-a-kind photo, make a copy to frame and preserve the original.  If you do frame the original, be sure to use photo-safe glass.
*When purchasing albums, remember that the word "archival" doesn't necessarily mean photo-safe.  Buy from a reputable scrapbooking store rather than a general craft store.  Make sure the albums and paper are both acid-free and lignin-free.  Creative Memories' albums and papers are acid-free, lignin-free, buffered and bleed resistant.  CM albums are also guaranteed.  Check them out at my website:  www.mycmsite.com/slewis
*When scrapbooking, make sure that non-safe items (brochures, ticket stubs, and other memorabilia) are not touching your photos.  Place them beside the photo, but don't overlap them.
*Make a backup copy of your digital photos on an external drive in case your hard drive crashes.  (And don't leave photos in your camera in case you lose it or damage it!)

What's the point of taking pictures if not to enjoy them, and preserve them for our children and grandchildren?  There is no better gift to a child than a history of his or her family through the wonder of photographs!

Questions?  Please post them in the Comments section, and I will promptly answer.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog!  Check here frequently for ideas on scrapbooking, photo organizing, photo preservation, how to take good photos, and lots more!

Do you have printed photographs stored in boxes?
Are all of your digital photos on your computer or memory cards?
Have you always wanted to make a photo album, but don't know how to get started?
Do you wonder how long your photos will last, and what you can do to preserve them?

You've come to the right place if you answered "Yes" to one or more of these questions!

Check back soon!