Scrapbook of the Dead

by Mollie Cox Bryan

  “Humph. That’s what they all say,” Randy said, making the women laugh.

  “What are you going to do now?” Vera asked when the laughter died down.

  Annie shrugged. “I don’t know.” In some strange way that felt good. It felt good to not have her life planned to the nth degree. She was looking forward to spending more time with the boys and her husband, reading, watching some old movies, spending time with her friends—and writing. Writing fed her—not just stringing words and facts together as a journalist.

  The doorbell rang, interrupting Annie from her reverie. Sheila rose from the table. “We’re all here. I don’t know who this could be,” she muttered.

  Annie heard the sliding glass door open.

  “Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Sheila said.

  Annie turned to see Pamela and Jorge standing there with pies in their arms. Pamela held a bottle of something under an arm.

  “I’ve heard so much about this crop,” Pamela said with a flourish that only she could manage. “Just look at you all.”

  Jorge stood sheepishly beside her and looked Annie’s way. “This is for you, Annie. I made it myself.” He spoke quietly with a slight accent. He handed her a pie box with a card on top of it. “Thank you for everything and I just wanted to say . . . sorry about Irina.”

  Annie’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest. “Jorge, you don’t need to apologize for her.” She took the pie and card from him. She knew what kind of pie it was without even looking inside the box. Everybody knew how she adored that chocolate-cherry pie. “Thanks so much for the pie.”

  “What do you have there?” DeeAnn said to Pamela.

  “Chocolate and banana cream.” Pamela walked over to the counter where all the food was set out and slid her box next to some chocolate chip cookies. “Who wants a slice?”

  As Pamela doled out the slices of pie, the crop took on even more of a party atmosphere. Annie looked around at her friends, both old and new. Pamela was her usual vision of perfection in her fitted red dress and rockabilly style. Jorge was quiet, yet appeared more centered than the other times she had seen him, as he spoke with Randy off to the side of the room. Pamela handed out glasses of champagne, which Annie happily helped her with.

  “I want to make a toast to you all,” Pamela said and then cleared her throat. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know each one of you over the years. I thank you for your patronage and your friendship.

  “Jorge and I want to thank Annie, in particular, for her dogged determination.” Pamela took a deep breath. “And for putting her life on the line. We are so glad you’re okay. In fact”—she looked directly at Annie with a tear in the corner of her eye—“if it wasn’t for you, Annie, I’m not certain either one of us would still be alive. Irina was on a path of destruction. We could have been next. You stopped her. Thank you.” She lifted her glass.

  Annie felt her face flush.

  “Hear, hear,” DeeAnn said and lifted her glass.

  “To Annie!” Randy said, as he and Jorge joined the group and they all lifted their glasses to her.

  Tears pricked at Annie’s eyes. She was speechless. She had never been thanked like that before. “I’m, ah, not sure what to say.” She smiled, willing the tears away.

  Cookie put her hand on Annie’s shoulder and she suddenly felt a bit more at ease.

  “You don’t have to say anything. Just soak it in.” The light in Cookie’s green eyes was back.

  Annie took in the rest of the people in the room and felt a surge of warmth. For years, she had searched for good friends and now she had them. DeeAnn, skinnier, and on the path to wellness; Sheila, the artist-scrapbooker, still finding her way, but keeping her family at the center of her life; Paige, whole and happy now that her son was home; Randy, who had become so dear to Annie and Vera, the dancer and maybe-chocolatier, living with the most ineligible bachelor in Cumberland Creek. It was quite a group.

  They were all scrapbookers, gathering weekly to share photos, techniques, and stories about their lives and families. It created a bond as they laughed, shared, and ate together. Who knew when she’d accepted Vera’s invite five years ago, that she would still be there, pressing memories into albums? As she looked around the table at the women surrounding her, toasting her, she looked deep into her own heart and knew their stories and connections weren’t just about scrapbooking. The hobby had brought them together, but it was the friendship that kept them going strong.

  Annie didn’t know what came next in her life. She’d shared some of her best moments with her scrapbooking friends. She had also gone through hell with them. They’d seen each other through cheating husbands and divorce, hard financial times, health problems, and murder investigations. But they were all still there. Thanks to their friendship, Annie wasn’t too concerned about the next phase of her life. Lifted, strengthened, and loved, she was ready to move forward.

  Glossary of Basic Scrapbooking Terms

  Acid-Free: Acid is a chemical found in paper that will disintegrate the paper over time. It will ruin photos. It’s very important that all papers, pens, and other supplies say “acid-free,” or eventually the acid may ruin cherished photos and layouts.

  Adhesive: Any kind of glue or tape can be considered an adhesive. In scrapbooking, there are several kinds of adhesives. Tape runners, glue sticks, and glue dots are a few.

  Brad: This is similar to a typical split pin, but it is found in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. It is commonly used for embellishments.

  Challenge: Within the scrapbooking community, “challenges” are issued in groups as a way to instill motivation.

  Crop: Technically, “to crop” means “to cut down a photo.” However, “a crop” is when scrapbookers get together and scrapbook. A crop can be anything from a group of friends getting together to a more official gathering where scrapbook materials are for sale, games are played, and challenges are issued. Online crops are a good alternative for people who don’t have a local scrapbook community.

  Die cut: This is a shape or letter cut from paper or cardstock, usually by machine or by using a template.

  Embellishment: An embellishment is an item, other than words or photos, that enhances a scrapbook page. Typical embellishments are ribbons, fabric, and stickers.

  Eyelet: These small metal circles, similar to the metal rings found on shoes for threading laces, are used in the scrapbook context as a decoration and can hold elements on a page.

  Journaling: This is the term for writing on scrapbook pages. It includes everything from titles to full pages of thoughts, feelings, and memories about the photos displayed.

  Mat: Photos in scrapbooks are framed with a mat. Scrapbookers mat with coordinating papers on layouts, often using colors found in the photos.

  Page Protector: These are clear, acid-free covers that are used to protect finished pages.

  Permanent: Adhesives that will stay are deemed permanent.

  Photo Corner: A photo is held to a page by slipping the corners of the photo into photo corners. They usually stick on one side.

  Post-Bound Album: This term refers to an album that uses metal posts to hold the binding together. These albums can be extended with more posts to make them thicker. Usually page protectors are already included on the album pages.

  Punch: This is a tool used to “punch” decorative shapes in paper or cardstock.

  Punchie: The paper shapes that result from using a paper punch tool are known as punchies. These can be used on a page for a decorative effect.

  Repositionable Adhesive: Magically, this adhesive does not create a permanent bond until dry, so you can move an element dabbed with the adhesive around on the page until you find just the perfect spot.

  Scraplift: When a scrapbooker copies someone’s page layout or design, she has scraplifted.

  Scrapper’s Block: This is a creativity block.

  Strap-Hinge Album: An album can utilize straps to allow the pages to lie completely flat when the alb
um is open. To add pages to this album, the straps are unhinged.

  Template: A template is a guide for cutting shapes, drawing, or writing on a page. Templates are usually made of plastic or cardboard.

  Trimmer: A trimmer is a tool used for straight-cutting photos.

  Vellum: Vellum is a thicker, semitransparent paper with a smooth finish.

  Basic Card Making Tips

  1. Your handmade card begins with a blank card to decorate. You can either buy blank cards that are pre-scored so they fold easily, or make your own from cardstock. Pre-scored blank cards typically measure 5” x 6½”, which is a perfect size for mailing.

  2. Add paper. Patterned paper makes a great background on cards. You can either cover the card front entirely with paper or cut the paper slightly smaller than the card and glue it on the center. Papers patterned with small, all-over prints are easy to use—but don’t dismiss papers with larger designs. You can use papers made for card making, or cut up a 12” x 12” sheet of scrapbook paper . . . one sheet will cover 4 cards!

  3. Accent with embellishments. Your card might feature a single stamped message or image, a cluster of silk flowers, stickers, rubber stamps, or metal and paper embellishments—just about anything! Lay out your card embellishments, then experiment with the placement until you’re happy. If attaching elements with brads, you might secure the brad to the paper before attaching the paper to the card front in order to conceal the brad prongs.

  4. Don’t forget the envelope. You can decorate the outside of your envelope to match your card—stamp it, or add stickers, for example. If you’re planning to mail the card, you’ll want to make sure the accents won’t get caught in the postal machines, but if you’re handing the card over, then you can embellish to your heart’s content!

  Scrapbook Essentials for the Beginner

  Getting Started with Scrapbooking

  When you first start to scrapbook, the amount of products and choices available can be overwhelming. It’s best to keep it simple until you develop your own style and see exactly what you need. Basically, this hobby can be as complicated or as simple as you want. Here is all you really need:

  1. Photos

  2. Archival scrapbooks and acid-free paper

  3. Adhesive

  4. Scissors

  5. Sheet protectors

  Advice on Cropping

  Basically, two kinds of crops exist. An “official” crop is when a scrapbook seller is involved. At an official crop, participants sample and purchase products, along with participating in contests and giveaways. The second kind of crop is an informal gathering of friends on at least a semi-regular basis to share, scrapbook, eat, and gossip, just like the Cumberland Creek croppers.

  1. In both cases, food and drinks are usually served. Finger food is most appropriate. The usual drinks are nonalcoholic, but sometimes wine is served. There should be plenty of space for snacking around the scrapbooking area. If something spills, you don’t want your cherished photos to get ruined.

  2. If you have an official crop, it’s imperative that your scrapbook seller doesn’t come on too strong. Scrapbook materials sell themselves. Scrapbookers know what they want and need.

  3. Be prepared to share. If you have a die-cut machine, for example, bring it along, show others how to use it, and so on. Crops are about generosity of the spirit. This generosity can entail something as small as paper that you purchased and decided not to use. Someone will find a use for it.

  4. Make sure the scrapbooking area has a lot of surface space, such as long tables, where scrapbookers can spread out. (Some even use the floor.)

  5. Be open to giving scrapbooking advice and receiving it. You can always ignore advice if it’s bad.

  6. Get organized before you crop. You don’t need fancy boxes and organizing systems. Place the photos you want to crop within an envelope, and you are ready to go.

  7. Go with realistic expectations. You probably won’t get a whole scrapbook done during the crop. Focus on several pages.

  8. Always ask what you can bring, such as food, drinks, cups, plates, and so on.

  9. If you’re the host, have plenty of garbage bags around the scrapbooking area. Ideally, have one small bag for each person. That way scrapbookers can throw away unusable scraps as they go along, which makes cleanup much easier.

  10. If you’re the host, make certain the scrapbooking area has plenty of good lighting, as well as an adequate number of electricity outlets.

  Frugal Scrapbooking Tips

  Spend your money where it counts. The scrapbook itself is the carrier of all your memories and creativity. Splurge there.

  1. You can find perfectly fine scrapbooking paper in discount stores, along with stickers, pens, and sometimes glue. If it’s labeled “archival,” it’s safe.

  2. You can cut your own paper and make matting, borders, journal boxes, and so on. You don’t need fancy templates, though they make it easier.

  3. Check on some online auction sites, like eBay, for scrapbooking materials and tools.

  4. Reuse and recycle as much as you can. Keep a box of paper scraps, for example, that you might be able to use for a border, mat, or journal box. Commit to not buying anything else until what you’ve already purchased has been used.

  5. Wait for special coupons. Some national crafts stores run excellent coupons—sometimes 40 percent off. Wait for the coupons, and then go and buy something on your wish list that you could not otherwise afford.

  6. If you have Internet access, you have a wealth of information available to you for free. You can find free clip art, ideas for titles for your pages, or even poems, fonts, and so on.

  Digital and Hybrid Scrapbooking

  Digital scrapbooking involves using your computer and a photo-editing program to create part or all of your scrapbook page. Hybrid scrapbooking is a combination of digital scrapbooking and traditional paper scrapbooking. For example, you might print off some online scrapbooking elements, cut them out, and then use them on your traditional paper scrapbook page.

  Digital scrapbooking allows you to do the following:

  1. Print an element out on photo paper to put in a scrapbook album. Remember a scrapbook page can be 8½ x 11 inches or smaller, so you can print from your home printer.

  2. Send files to a print shop for printing—a good option for bigger pages.

  3. Upload an image of a page to an online photo gallery for sharing with others. (I highly recommend Smilebox for this purpose and as a way of getting used to the idea of digital scrapbooking.)

  4. E-mail a copy of a page to family and friends.

  5. Burn a copy of a page to a DVD for safekeeping or use a USB flash drive for this purpose.

  Great Ways to Learn Digital Scrapbooking

  A really good way to transition from conventional paper scrapbooking to digital scrapbooking is to explore these Web sites:

  1. Smilebox (www.smilebox.com) is a very user-friendly Web site that allows you to choose a scrapbook design and personalize it with your own photos, embellishments, and journaling, and then share your scrapbook via e-mail, social networks, burned DVDs, and print.

  2. Digital Scrapbooking HQ (www.digitalscrapbookinghq.com) offers a blog with great tips on digital scrapbooking, as well as tutorials and sometimes freebies.

  3. Sweet Shoppe Designs (www.sweetshoppedesigns.com) is not only an online shop that sells digital scrapbooking supplies, but it is also a repository of good information and a source of plenty of freebies. My advice it to rely on freebies as much as you can until you see if you like digital scrapbooking. There are many digital scrapbooking freebies on the Web.

  Digital Scrapbooking Apps

  You can approach digital scrapbooking by using apps for your devices and/or apps for your computer.

  For your devices (apps I’ve used on my iPad):

  1. Coolibah. This app is free and easy to follow, and I highly recommend it. But here’s the rub: you can use only the kits they have in their gallery. They h
ave plenty to choose from, but if you want more or a different kind of design, you must look elsewhere.

  2. Martha Stewart CraftStudio. This app is designed so well. For instance, it has little digital drawers to hold all the materials, including paper, and you open them with just a touch. It offers glitter, stamps, pens, and glue. It’s great fun to play with. This app is best for greeting cards and mini scrapbooks.

  For the computer:

  1. Photoshop Elements (PE). PE is a less complex version of Photoshop, and while I can see that it is user-friendly, it’s just a bit too complicated for me to learn with the hectic life I lead. But I’d like to learn more.

  2. MyMemories Suite. This is what I like using the most. You can jump right in and scrapbook with simplicity. MyMemories Suite allows you to do more complex techniques, like layering and shadowing, which I have yet to get into. They offer paper, elements, types, and more, but you can also import your own.

  If you enjoyed Scrapbook of the Dead be sure not to miss Mollie Cox Bryan’s

  A CRAFTY CHRISTMAS

  Christmas is just around the corner, and the ladies of the Cumberland Creek Scrapbook Crop are thrilled when Sheila wins the first place prize in a scrapbooking design contest: a ten-day scrapbook-themed cruise in the Caribbean. Vera and Paige decide to tag along, which should pose the perfect opportunity to learn some new techniques, mingle with fellow croppers, and get in some rest and relaxation before the chaos of Christmas. But when Sheila finds a famous crafter dead, and investigators determine she was poisoned, the luxury cruise veers toward disaster as Sheila becomes the number one suspect—or was she really the intended victim? Just as the croppers begin unwrapping the truth, a storm strands them at sea, and they’ll find it’s harder than ever to survive the holidays with a killer on deck . . .