Sue Mydonyk, owner of The
Dollar Klub in the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre has noticed a remarkable
growth in the popularity of scrap-booking as a hobby during the last
several years. “People of all ages, but in particular the baby-boomers,
are really taking to keeping scrap books for just about every occasion. I
think it shows that there is more and more interest in keeping and passing
on memories to future generations.”
Indeed, when one looks at
the wide variety of acid-free embellishments from which to select at The
Dollar Klub, it is easy to see why people would find the creation of a
scrap book full of photos and other memorabilia so interesting.
“The most attractive
feature of scrap-booking is that there are no rules,” Sue explained.
“Whatever you want goes so you can let your creative imagination run
wild.”
There also appears to be no
set season for scrap-booking. For example, Sue’s stock always includes
stickers and designs appropriate for Christmas, because, “People work on
a scrap book for a Christmas Gift all year long. It takes a huge amount of
time to create a good scrap book. After all, this is something that will
be kept forever, and will be used to keep memories alive. People really
put their love into these creations.”
The long-lasting nature of
the hobby is why everything used in scrap books is acid-free. Acid-free
products last much longer than acid based products.
Parents and grandparents
love making scrap books for their children and grand children. As one
grandparent stated, “You can buy anything you want from the store. But
when you take photos and other little items that mean a lot to you and
then put them into a scrap book, you are giving a piece of yourself. A
scrap book is a one-of-a-kind creation. There will never be another one
just like the one you give your child. It is something that will be kept
forever and will be passed on from generation to generation.”
Another parent explained,
“I have hundreds of photos that will never be looked at. If I take a
couple of years to arrange them into a scrap book that tells a story about
the life of my child, it is something that he will keep and show to his
children. It is also something that he will keep around in a bookshelf if
the cover is attractive.”
As for Sue Mydonyk, she
intends to continue to expand her scrap-booking department in order to
keep up with the tremendous demand of the local community.