A friend sent this to me...Hope some of you enjoy it and will use it.. Fran Namotka "For the Kid in You You are making history Each of us is making history. Have you done anything to preserve your own history? Perhaps your parents have saved photographs of you as a child, or clipped your birth announcement from the newspaper. maybe you've set aside ribbons from a sporting event or a good grade card. Now's a great time to start your own scrapbook. That way, you'll have something to show your grandchildren when they marvel that you were born during the previous century, the 1900's. When you make your scrapbook, it's important to use materials that will not destroy your photographs and documents. Most paper today has a lot of acid in it. That acid causes the paper to turn brown and get brittle. It's important to protect your scrapbooj from heat, light, damp and pollution. HINTS FOR PRESERVING YOUR FAMILY COLLECTION 1. Don't put your scrapbook in the attic, basement, or garage. Keep in in a part of the house that is temperature-controlled. Store it in a closer or drawer where it is protected from light, water and insects. 2. Use acid-free or buffered paper for the pages in your scrapbook. Many hobby shops and camera stores sell scrappbook supplies. The label will say that the paper is archival or acid free. If you can't find archival or acid-free paper, look for stationery paper at an office supply store that is 100% rag or 100% cotton. [You can also check at craft stores for acid free paper.] 3. Use page protectors that are labeled archival. Don't use anything with vinyl or PVC because these give off harmful fumes that will destroy your papers or photographs. Safe plastics are madr from polyester (also called Mylar D), polypropylene. 4. Don't use tape to attach your photographs or papers. Some items can be left loose within the page protector. Use archival photo corners or acid-free glue sticks if you need to attach anything. Another way to attach your documents is to cut small slits in your scrapbook page to slide the corners in. Use a pencil to trace the outline of the photo or paper on the scrapbook page. Then cut a slit across each corner. 5. Try not to fold paper items. Mount them or put them in page protectors flat. 6. Include some black and white photographs. Color photographs fade and change color over time. Some black and white photographs have survived for over 150 years. 7. Treat newspaper clippings to remove the acid before you mount them in your scrapbook. Dissolve a teaspoon of baking sode in two cups of water, and soak your clipping in this solution for a few hours. Then, rinse the clipping in distilled water and let it dry between sheets of acid-free paper. [I suggest you try this on a "non-valuable" clipping first. I would also make a photocopy of the original clipping in the event something should happen to it. You wouldn't want to loose all the information and the clipping.] 8. Use a soft pencil or acid-free pen to label the items in your scrapbook. Normal ink is acidic and will fade over time. IT's ok to use your computer for some of the writing in your scrapbook, but remember to use your own hand-writing some of the time. Your grandchildren will enjoy seeing your hand-writing. 9. Write good labels for your items. Name the people in the photographs and list when and where the photograph was taken. Why were the people gathered together? Why are these people important to you? Write what the documents are and why they are important to you. For example, if you have a photograph and a program from kindergarten graduation, write what you remember about that day. Who was your teacher? What was your favorite activity? Who was your best friend in kindergarten? What did you learn in kindergarten? ACTIVITY: 1. Pick something in your newspaper that you think is important to save. Why? Clip the article and write an explanation that could go in a scrapbook along with the news article. 2. Write an aaccount of what your life is like for your scrapbook. You might want to include a description of what you look like, your clothes, your favorite subject in school, your friends, your chores at home, your hobby, your favorite book or movie, and a description of your home." [Along this same line, I talked to my mother. Or should I say, I had my mother do the talking. She was born in 1925 and for years I have heard so many stories she told. Did I even listed half the time to those stories about people, places and special times? Probably not. I wrote out a long list of names - her grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc... Then, I handed her a tape recorder and closed her in my quiet livingroom with the instructions of: "Look at the person's name and then talk intot he recorded about them. Tell EVERYTHING you can remember about them. Even the most minute detail." She did this. It took several days for her to get through that list. With this information I went through and transcribed it, titling it, "Memories of (her full name)". These memories of her will be precious when she is no longer here to tell me those stories. They will still be here for other generations to share and enjoy. It is really a great thing to add to my family history.]