Hi Jenna,
I love your column as always, but had a question about the vellum that you
recommended putting behind a heritage photo. The question is, is it safe?
I have read (and wish that I kept the source) and also seen on packages of
vellum from Catherine's papers (who makes a lot of the beautiful printed vellums), that vellum is acidic. All vellum. Has something to do with how
it is produced or something. Do you know how we can find this out for sure. You seem to have lots of good sources so I thought I would ask. If there is
some safe vellum, I would like to use it. I never tested it with a pH pen, because I trusted that the packaging was true when it said "not acid free"!
:o)
Thanks for your help,
Theresa
Dear Theresa,
The vellum I use I have been assured is either safe or minimally acidic. The safe vellum I use is from my local scrapbook store; they make it a point
to carry only safe things. I have some other, which has a pH of 7.6, not normally what I use in my albums, but it was beautiful and marbled
and I couldn't resist. So, if I used it directly next to the photo, I cut a piece of white buffered stock the same size as my photo and placed it where
my photo would go. That, pardon the pun, buffered it from the vellum, but still gave me the look. Also, I never mount pictures permanently, so if
this looks like it hasn't worked I can still change it.
Dear Jenna,
My grandmother gave me an old christmas box that contained very thin parchment paper on which she had written when my grandfather proposed to her
and when he went off to war. The writing is becoming faded and even though I love to open it and read it over and over, I know this can't be good. I
would appreciate any suggestions on how to display this wonderful memory.
Thanks, Judy
Dear Judy,
It sounds like such a neat thing to have and I know you enjoy it. Have you considered color copying it? That way, you'd have a permanent record of
it which could be enjoyed and used in a scrapbook, but safely. You could also make a shadow box with the copies and any other memorabilia or pictures
you have. After you make I copy, I think I would encapsulate the original. If you can put the papers in page protectors, that's OK, but there are other
options. You can find Mylar sheets and safe adhesives to make a sealed bag around the paper that will fit any size. It's reversible, since you can cut
the bag to get your item, but it will be a safe environment. I have seen these sheets at Light Impressions - they have a catalog or a web-site,
www.lightimpressionsdirect.com though it doesn't have a complete catalog on-line. HTH
Dear Jenna:
My parents are celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary this year. We are planning a surprise party for them and my sister and I would like to create
a scrapbook. I wrote all their friends and family a letter asking them to forward pictures to me for this albums. They have sent wedding photos, 25th
anniversary photos, Christmas photos documenting their entire marriage. I would like to have a theme that runs through this book and each page to
resemble the last. In other words I don't want to create a hodgepodge album. Any suggestions?
I did a tribute album for my grandmother last year and had the same sort of
problem. I solved it by using a consistent color scheme in the album - all the pages were a medium rose and the cards people wrote on were pale pink.
Also, I used the same stamp of a bouquet of roses on each page. It was an elegant and simple image. Apart from that, I had no other decoration and it
pulled together beautifully. I'd choose a color scheme and, depending on the size of the album, choose one or two coordinating things to decorate it.
HTH
And one of our readers had such a great idea I wanted to share it with you.
I am currently organizing old photos by inserting a piece of white card stock into a plastic sleeve. This gives me two sides to place photos. I
then place one or more like photos on either side of the sleeve. Next I arrange pictures on the pages and secure them with Scotch removable magic
tape (I double it back on itself to make it double stick tape.) I can arrange these pages as needed before finalizing plans for the archival safe
photo album. I have purchased very light weight PVC free plastic sleeves at Office Depot at 100 for about $8.00. I use a three ring binder for
organizing.
The only thing I have to add to this is that you may want to rethink the
adhesive. Both Tombo and Liquid Paper Dryline adhesives come in temporary and photo safe forms. That way, if it's a long time before you remove it,
your pictures will not be damaged.
That is it for this month,
Jenna
