Don’t Leave Grandma in the Attic!

This May 9 – 15, the American Library Association (ALA) will launch its first-ever Preservation Week at your library, a time when thousands will turn to libraries across the U.S. for information and expertise on how to preserve collectables, photos, family records and other valuable materials.

During Preservation Week at your library, themed “Pass it on,” participating libraries will offer special programs and services that will help connect you with preservation tools; promote the importance of preservation; and will strive to enhance knowledge of preservation issues.

“Libraries offer more than just books, they also are an excellent resource for high-quality information and expertise on how to preserve family keepsakes,” said ALA President Camila Alire. “Preserving items such as old photographs, letters, collectables and family movies, provides a map of the past and access to a full range of information that can impact the future.”

Why is preservation so important? Over 4.8 Billion artifacts are held in public trust by more than 30,000 archives, historical societies, libraries, museums, scientific research collections and archaeological repositories in the United States. Some 2.6 billion items are not protected by an emergency plan such as national disasters, and 1.3 billion of these items are at risk of being lost. If billions of items are at risk at our heritage institutions, than plausibly trillions of items held by the general public are at risk.

Just think how disappointing it would be to have all your pictures and memories destroyed in a natural disaster of some sort. This is one of the features I love about Cherish|BOUND, they archive all the books you create, so if anything were to happen to your books at home, you can re-order them. You won’t lose them forever. This is not a common feature of other photobook manufacturers.

Key environmental factors that place collections at risk include light, pollutants, moisture and heat. Items that can benefit from preservation both at home and in U.S. collections include books, manuscripts, photographs, prints and drawings, objects such as maps, textiles, paintings, sculptures, decorative arts and furniture. They also include moving images and sound recordings that capture performing arts, oral history and other records of our creativity and history.

Preservation Week  is a collaborative effort supported by the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, a division of the American Library Association, The Library of Congress, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

For more information on Preservation Week at your library please visit www.ala.org/preservationweek.

I Heart Collages

Wow, can’t believe I almost missed this one, especially since collages are my THING!

Been a crazy week already and it’s only Tuesday. Okay, so well I obviously have tons of options for collages to pick for this, but I wanted to show off one of my favorite photo collages of all time, it’s one of the first ones I did for a friend of her trip to Thailand when I was just starting my business years ago. The pictures just blended so well together, I loved it. I still love it.

I love that photo collages can tell a story and bring the pictures and memories to life. I love that I get to create these pieces for people all the time.

Visit I Heart Faces this week for more collage fun!

Unique Anniversary Gift, Give the Gift of Paper

The first year of marriage, so new and fresh and exciting! Wedding memories are still fresh in your minds. The symbol for the anniversary is paper and so traditionally a gift of paper is customary, but this does not mean a simple card will do it. Create a unique keepsake print of all your favorite wedding photographs, to be framed and displayed.

Gather up those photographs and have a beautiful, unique photo collage created. Your cherished memories are blended together in one unique photo print suitable for framing and take center stage on a prominent wall in your home. It makes a wonderful conversation piece for anyone visiting your home as well. Relive your memories everyday with all your favorite photos on display.

Husbands, this is the perfect gift for your blushing bride, surprise her with a sentimental gift. Brides, this is a great dual gift, wonderful to commemorate your first year with your husband and you’ll enjoy it as well. Mom’s and Dad’s, give a gift your daughter or son and their spouse will cherish forever.

Another idea is a to have a photo collage created of your first year together, starting with the wedding day. Include the wedding, honeymoon, any special events like the purchase of a first home, family events, birth of a first child, and any other special moments from your first year together.

A custom created photo collage of your lives together is the perfect “paper” wedding anniversary gift. A traditional symbolic gift with a new modern twist.

Picture My Memories Critter Frog

Picture My Memories is hosted weekly at Complete Organizing Solutions. How will anyone know how much something meant to us if we don’t share those memories?

This week I’m sharing a little blast from my past. I miss this little guy although he is safely tucked away in my closet I thought I’d break him out for a little photo session.

Critter Frog was an 8th grade Home Economics sewing project. We all had to make a frog. I made a new friend. Critter was filled with rice, not just any rice, but the good stuff, Italian Arborio rice, what else would we have had in my home? I made the little jean overalls for him and he went everywhere with me…Critter has been to Italy, Ireland, Florida, camping, in a canoe, heck I would have brought him on my honeymoon if I didn’t think my new husband would have run screaming from the plane for fear he had just married some crazy chick. That stain on his face, an accident on a flight to Italy, I spilled something on him. I was travelling alone(meeting family there) at 17 and he was my buddy. Critter went everywhere with me, he was my little piece of home always by my side.

How strange will my kids think I am if I start toting him around again? Just kidding. He’s going back in the closet.