HK Memory Chest
Since photography went digital, most of us have countless photos stored on hard drives that we rarely look at. Scrapbooking can be a great way to curate and share these memories. With photos, album and assorted paraphernalia in hand and devoid of inspiration, I decided to polish my rusty craft skills at a scrapbooking class.
HK Memory Chest holds classes that offer variations on a theme or introduce different techniques. I signed up for a folder mini-book class. A few days before the class, the organisers e-mailed me a list with the number and sizes of photos I would need, as well as samples of the kind of folder we would be making, so that I could select a theme and print photographs accordingly.
The HK Memory Chest shop in Sheung Wan has a cosy, workroom feel. There was a space with glue, pencil and clipper laid out for the participants, and we could select a set of papers to work with. We could also choose another paper from the shop, as well as stamps, glitter and punches. We were, of course, free to pick and pay for anything additional from the shop.
The instructor patiently took us through the folding, cutting and sticking. She made suggestions on how we might best use our chosen paper and tweak her design. Once the basic folder, journal and inner pockets were done, she showed us how to embellish with stamps, glitter, or stencils. I appreciated having a template to follow and systematic instructions as well as a demonstration of how the things one sees in scrapbooking shops could be used. Having access to tools such as a board cutter certainly helped.
The more experienced scrapbookers worked faster and incorporated more of their own little touches than I did. The two hours flew by too quickly and we just about completed the folder, without having stuck in photographs. This proved to be a good thing because I realised I had been too ambitious with my theme and later printed out a different set of photos. I completed my folder fairly quickly at home over the weekend. I also came away with templates for pull-outs and envelopes that I can use in my own layouts at home.
Verdict: A very organised class, rich in content but easy on newcomers as well.
File Folder Mini Book Class, HK Memory Chest, HK$380, Room 202, Hing Tai Commercial Building, 114 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, tel: 2559 0175
