I have been a crafter as long as I can remember.  It started with my mother teaching me to sew, knit, and crochet. Later we did crafts such as liquid stain glass, tole painting, cut stain glass, and the list goes on and on.  Though I enjoyed the crafts my mother taught me, I never found one that I loved more than the others… until I found scrapbooking.

Let me create an heirloom that both you and your family will treasure for many generations to come – or give the gift that will not soon be forgotten.
 

When I was a kid, scrapbooking really only consisted of putting greeting cards and certificates into a paper book.  In high school, I was introduced to the 35mm camera by a foreign exchange student who lived with my family.  I knew very little about the technical aspect of it, but always seemed to be able to get the shot to look just as I had envisioned it in my mind.  I had an innate gift for taking pictures… and a love was born.  I just needed a better way than a photo album to show them off.

Not long after our exchange student arrived he achieved one of his main goals here in “the States” and bought himself a 35mm camera.  After that, we were gone every weekend taking pictures of everything.  I did not buy my camera until a couple years later.  And not too long after that, I went to Spain to visit the exchange student’s family.  I collected coasters, ticket stubs and other memorabilia from the trip.  When I came home I put it all in a magnetic L photo album.  (Unfortunately, that was all that was available at the time.  And ironically, everything from my trip to Spain is still in that album – I have been so busy I have not had a chance to move it to a new one.)  This is where the true “scrap” style of putting a book together first took hold with me. 

Fast forward a few years… I get married and take my husband and step-children to Disneyland for the first time.  I came home with so many pictures and memories from that trip hat I knew I had to immortalize them somehow.  This wasn’t too long ago, but even then scrapbooking products were not everywhere so I put a book together with what I had –  all the while thinking there had to be a better way to stick the pictures in the book.  And no matter how hard I tried, I could not find any scrapbook pages with shapes – not even one with something as simple on it as an airplane.

A few years later I took a road trip.  But before I put the book together for that one I was bound and determined to find a “kit” that would simplify the process for me.  What did I find…a Creative Memories consultant.  I had found a new and exciting way to spend my hard earned money, and boy did I spend the money. 

Pretty soon I ran out of stuff to buy from Creative Memories and began seeking other places to feed my new addiction.  So when someone asked me to a Stampin-Up Party I was skeptical about it aiding in my scrapbook creating, but I went anyway.   And even though I wasn’t interested in stamps at all, I was hooked.  Stamps provided me the perfect new avenue to explore.

Now I eat, sleep and breathe this stuff.  I love new products, techniques and most of all paper!!!  I put together a book or two and people kept commenting on how they wished I would make something similar for them… that they loved this stuff but did not have the time, effort or money to get started… or that they would buy all kinds of scrapbooking supplies, but never complete their books.  So born is a new business for me. 

A very good friend suggested that I make books in the scrapbook style, have them all ready to go, and people would buy them.  I thought she was crazy and that I wasn’t talented enough to do it.  However, here I am and people are paying me to do what I love to do.  And I am having a blast doing it!!!  And because my friend came up with the idea, I made the first book for her daughter (she loved it) and I have been going strong every since. 

I started making cards because they seemed to go hand in hand with scrapbooking and people had an interest in them, as well.  Since then, I have learned card techniques that have helped me with making books… and now I am quickly forming a love for bookmaking as well.  Many of my gift books are made from scratch  with some of the highest quality paper you can find.  I still use many Stampin-Up products as well.

I want to say thank you to all my clients who allow me to make money doing what I love to do, and doing it just a little differently than the next guy.

Stacey Fritz

Owner

Scrapbook and Card Designs by Stacey