Heller, an operations director for a government contracting firm by day, opened Your Scrapping Cafe in May 2008. She set her business apart from other scrapbooking locations from the start. The cafe offers space for groups or individuals, but it is not a retail store. Limited supplies are available, ordered from a “menu” organized into starters, entrees and desserts. The supplies are stored in the “pantry.”
“I wanted to be something outside the box,” Heller said, adding many of her regulars appreciate being able to work without the distractions found in a retail store.
“I had a scrapbook of my own when I was in school and in Girl Scouts,” she said. Few people know it, Heller said, but one of the pioneers in the scrapbook world was Samuel Clemens, better known as the author Mark Twain.
Once a month, the cafe becomes a road show, with Heller assisting residents at Bethany Village in preserving their memories on paper. She questions them to elicit details to include on their pages, or helps them create a special box for all their secret homemade recipes. Many of the residents are seniors or in assisted living, Heller said, but have not missed the new look of scrapbooks.
“They’re familiar with the newer trends in scrapbooking,” Heller said.
One resident is her star student, who was skeptical of the hobby in her first session. Since January, she’s completed three scrapbooks.
“She tells people it’s a sickness. She’s definitely addicted,” Heller said with a laugh. “It’s been very rewarding to watch her grow.”
Heller also hosts special events, including birthday parties, baby and wedding showers, in which guests make a scrapbooking page for the guest of honor. Often, Heller has to educate people about the proper preservation of items, such as newspaper clippings. For scrapbooking, articles or newspaper photos should be copied or scanned, with the copy going into the scrapbook, Heller said.
Heller also can create miniature heirlooms using computers. She pulls out a miniature version of a greeting card her son made for her when he was a child. She has produced a digital animation of the four volumes she created for her son’s 30th birthday.
“I feel scrapbooking is a very personal project. It’s about your memories,” she said.
Your Scrapping Cafe is located at the Glenn Tech Center, 4200 Col. Glenn Hwy, Suite 200. Hours are 5 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Make an appointment for Wednesdays and Fridays. For more information, call (937) 367-0433 or visit www.yourscrappingcafe.com.
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