These ideas need to be updated as products change. This file includes group presentations, craft shows, etc. Also see Open Houses, Workshops, Classes and the Consultant Section.



Craft Shows/Auctions

(I put this sign on a table using a fancy font and displayed examples.)

Creative Memories albums and supplies make great gifts for everyone!

HUSBAND - make an album for his job, hobby, etc. (or, better yet, make an album together)

WIFE - we have those new products she has been wanting (also gift certificates are available)

PARENTS - give them an album with photos of their grandkids, add to the album throughout the year

GRANDPARENTS - help them start a heritage album

YOUNG CHILDREN - make an ABC book or use the 12 x 15 album for school papers

TEEN-AGERS - get them started making albums for school, sports, hobbies, etc.

TEACHERS - give them border rulers or pens (or work with other parents to make a class album)

BUSINESS PEOPLE - our 12 x 15 albums make great portfolios

NEWLYWEDS - our wedding album make wonderful wedding or shower gifts

EXPECTANT PARENTS - give a baby albums along with paper, die-cuts and stickers

EVERYONE - even non-scrapbookers can use the tape runner, cutting system, pens and stickers


Donation to a Charity Auction

Remember Christmas 20** Forever!
Enclosed is a Creative Memories Christmas Album and supplies that will allow you to preserve your Christmas memories forever! Fill it with photos from the past and for years to come.
Contact Creative Memories Consultant Bev S---- for a FREE class on how to preserve your memories.
You have purchased a wonderful item that is guaranteed for a lifetime and will become an heirloom to be passed on to your children's children. Your gift contains everything you need to complete your Christmas album. For your book to remain acid-free and photo safe, use Creative Memories adhesives and stickers. Use pens to write meaningful messages to your family. As you complete your pages place a page protector over each one so your family can enjoy the book without harming the photos.
Also included in this package is a FREE class for you and five of your friends to learn how to make safe and creative scrapbook photo albums.
Please contact me to set up a date.


Kits to sell at Open House
I made kits to purchase as gifts. I included my newsletter, brochure and certificate for a free class in each kit.

1.) Baby (baby pages, splits, black pen, bib and duck die-cuts, baby stickers, lavender and opal curling ribbon inside plastic wrap)
2.) Black Tie Extras (black and white paper, splits, black pen, five different black, white, or red stickers such as roses, hearts, top hat, etc., red bow die-cut)
3.) ABC kit:
four sheets primary colored paper staggered to show each
three die-cuts to represent A, B, C
box photo splits
black fine tip pen
A-Z die-cut letters in primary colors
charms stickers
toys stickers
several curled pieces of blue and green curling ribbon inside the plastic


Display Board Tip

Get a package of tiny bag clips at the dollar store. Attach Velcro to the back of the clip. Then put a sticker, like a blue CM sticker to cover the mini clip words, and you have easy display clips.



Group Presentations


CPR Quiz

(There are MANY versions of the Critical Photo Rescue presentation and it is easy to change to fit your needs)

Group Presentation by Karen P. (about 15 minutes)
Hello, everyone. Before we get started, I'd like you to take a moment to relax. Close your eyes and imagine you are sound asleep in your bed. It's 2 a.m. You had a busy day and you are in a deep sleep. Suddenly there is a banging at the front door. Groggily you get up and go see who it is. You open the door and there is a man from the Army Reserve. He tells you there is a gas leak in your neighborhood and you have thirty minutes to pack your most valuable possessions and leave. They are not sure if your house will be there later.
What would YOU pack if you knew you might lose everything that you DON'T take with you. They would be things that could not be replaced, right? And for most of us that would include our photos.
My name is Karen and I can teach you how to make your photo albums safe, meaningful and creative. Creative Memories believes in and teaches the importance of preserving the past, enriching the present and inspiring hope for the future. I feel this is important work because it maintains family values and has given me the opportunity to do something I love.
Not only do I preserve my heritage and protect my photo investment, I have a family activity that provides endless hours of enjoyment. Not only do I educate others how to protect their precious memories, my business contributes financially to my family while giving me the freedom to spend time with my kids.
I want to thank you for inviting me to share some CPR techniques - "Critical Photo Rescue." You didn't know you were going to be taking a quiz did you? You will find a sheet with poems on your place setting. If you turn it over there will be a tally sheet. Please take out a pen or pencil and let's get started.

CPR QUIZ
Question #1 - Have you heard of Creative Memories?
Give yourself this many points:
1 = yes
2 = no
3 = thought it was a gift basket business
Creative Memories was started in 1987 by a Montana homemaker and a business executive to offer a complete line of responsible photo albums and supplies. It started with six independent instructors and has grown to over 35,000.

#2 - How are your pictures stored?
1 = in albums of ANY kinds
2 = still in the envelopes or in a box
3 = in the little black film canisters all over your house
When you snap a picture, do you think "Wow, this picture is gonna look great with all those other pictures in that box under my bed?" I was the "magnetic album" queen! Chemically unstable albums overflowing with priceless photos.

#3 - Have you heard the terms acid-free, buffered and lignin-free?
1 = yes
2 = no
3 = if you think is has something to do with stomach indigestion
The album industry is not regulated. Many albums on the market today can harm your photos. When you place your pictures in this type of environment, you've placed them into a chemical sandwich, ensuring premature fading and discoloration.
Remember your ABC's (Acid-free, Buffered and Crucial - Lignin-free) so as not to accelerate the deterioration of your photos.

#4 - Do you remember what your favorite present was the Christmas before last?
1 = yes
2 = no
3 = if you can't remember what your favorite present was last Christmas
Photos without documentation are nameless faces without depth or value (hold up an old black and white photo - mother or grandmother as a young child and read following poem)

Who is this little girl? What happened on this day?
Did she grow up to be a mom? No one can hardly say.
Such a pretty little picture and its condition is quite good.
But no one ever placed it in the place they really should.
How proud and honored you'd be to look at yourself someday.
But nothing ever happened for it to be viewed today.
It wasn't ever enjoyed at all. Found in a drawer or box.
Stored right next to old letters, lingerie and socks.
So when I cam across your picture it made me sad to see.
For it meant your story's meaning has been lost in history.

Think of the photos thrown out by grandchildren who find them meaningless. Is that how you want your precious photos to end up? Recording your memories will become a rich heritage. And don't forget what pens you use in your albums and on the backs of your photos. Many pens bleed, fade or dent your photos. Look for acid-free, permanent, smudge-proof, fade-proof, and water-proof pigma ink pens. Don't lose family stories because of poor quality pens.

* 5 minute mark *

#5 - What does the word "creative" mean to you?
1 = if you thought "that describes me when I make homemade Christmas and birthday cards to send to family and friends"
2 = "that describes me ONCE a year when the kids are home from school on a snow day and we make slice and bake cookies"
3 = Creative describes the way you feel when you have done the laundry and folded the towels in a NEW way!
In the hands-on portion of my classes, you will learn how to crop (or cut) your photos, do attractive page layouts, and how to safely add color and memorabilia (such as newspaper clippings, postcards, drawings, greeting cards, brochures). You will be AMAZED at what a few SIMPLE techniques and the right tools can do.

#6 - When was the last time YOU played with colored paper and stickers?
1 = last week
2 = last month
3 = not since you had to put lick and stick stars on the attendance chart in Sunday School
A splash of color and simple decoration adds variety and interest to your album. Remember your ABC's! Construction paper and stationary are high in acid and lignin. Most importantly, it's the photos and words that capture the heart.

#7 - You are able to get out of the house and spend time alone OR with friends:
1 = at least every other week
2 = you THINK you did something like that last summer
3 = the last time you got out of the house was when you had a baby and spent the night alone in the hospital!
Scrapbooking is wonderful therapy! If you think about it, we usually take pictures of happy things and special people. Working on your pictures is such an uplifting and refreshing experience. I guarantee you'll agree that it was time well spent. I have regularly scheduled workshops to give you the uninterrupted time to work on your scrapbook project.

Last question.

#8 - How many photos would you guess a 12x12 album would hold? (hold up full album)
1 = around 200 pics
2 = if you think it's more like 400 pics
3 = or approximately 600 pics
Figure out how many pictures you take per year and that's about how often you have to buy a new album to keep up with your photos! Our albums expand up to 45 pages! That's ninety sides with seven photos per side totaling 630 photos per album! That's a LOT of photos!
Most people who attend my classes are totally overwhelmed so you're in good company! I can teach you some practical techniques for getting your photos organized and into safe albums where you can enjoy them.
It's time to tally up! If you had between:
8 - 12 points: You're organized and on top of things! Now all you need to do is get those photos into safe albums.
13-17 points: You try - you really do! This is one area of your life that you can conquer and have fun with!
18-24 points: Wow are you ever glad I'm here today! You need lots of help and you and I are going to get well acquainted as you work on your photos and I help motivate you!
Did anyone have 24 points? 23? 22?.
Tie Breaker: Add one point for every camera you own. If still tied use closest birthday to today.

* 10 minute mark *

This looks like so much fun! What do I do how?
1. With Americans taking over forty million pictures every day, you can see I have a big job ahead of me. If you want to you can talk to me about the great home business I have and how you can do this too. I have a packet of information you can take home with you today.
2. You want to get your family and friends together and have me teach them a private class. I have a coordinator handbook for you to take plus a free gift for setting up a date today.
3. You want to get started on your albums right away. You are all invited to learn more at a beginner's class. Not only will the class be more than you expected, you will never look at your photos or through the eye of your camera in quite the same way. After class, you will go home and do something good for and with your precious photos and I will help you in any way I can.
I have newsletters available and a class sign-up sheet for classes on the table.
For the first time in your life you are going to spend money on something that is priceless. If you bought a house for $100,000 and were offered $300,000 would you sell? I bet you would! The same goes for a car, piece of clothing, jewelry, and so on. Would you ever sell your album? almost everything in our lives has a price. except our pictures. Can you put a price on your precious photos? I can't!
100 years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in my bank account, nor what my clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because I was important in the lives of my family. And I think this is a great way to document that!
I didn't have time to teach you today but I hope I have encouraged you. I feel that what I'm doing is affecting families for generations. I'm not saying photo albums are going to solve the world's problems but I do believe that they can serve to strengthen families, help children feel good about themselves, give us a sense of continuity in our ever changing society, and provide hours of enjoyment.
Something I believe my Mother (hold up black and white photo from beginning) would have approved of.
Hopefully you have all had the chance to look at some finished albums. If not, please do. I will also be available for questions.
Do we have time for a couple of questions now? (Q and A if time left)

Thank you and have a picture perfect day!


Genealogy Society Presentation

Get a bunch of old photos (don't need to be really old - but at least black and white). Have one at each place (or a few on each table). Have people look at them and think of three things they would like to know about the people in the photo - then tell them that there is no way to get the answers because no one bothered to label the photos.
Another idea is to find damaged photos or old letters to use as examples of what happens when things are not preserved correctly.
If you don't have old letters or photos start your talk with questions, such as: Does anyone here have old photos that you know are relatives but don't know who they are because they are not labeled?
Does anyone have old photos with labeling that does not help at all (such as "the kids at Christmas" or "me and my car")
Does anyone have an old photo where someone wrote on the back with a ball point pen and the ink has bled through and ruined the picture?
Does anyone have old newspaper clippings that have crumbled so much as to be unreadable?
Does anyone have old letters that were stored folded and can no longer be read where the folds are?
Think up as many things that you can that our products would prevent.
Then talk about ways these problems could have been prevented and ask something like:
Do you wish your ancestors would have made Creative Memories albums?
One thing to remember about genealogist is that you can focus on two separate area - most of them want to preserve their past items to prevent further deterioration but they also need to be reminded that their descendants would like them to save their own photos and memorabilia.
Some products we have that would be of special interest to genealogists are photo corners, photo mounting sleeves and portrait pages (point out that the 8x10 portrait pages can be used in the 12x12 albums). The black pages and silver pens are great if people want to duplicate the look of an old black page photos album but have things in a safe environment. (Denny)


Giving a Group Presentation

Do not do your regular Creative Memories class speech in a presentation because if they come to a class, they will hear it again. I gave a talk on photography and photo preservation. I made a display board showing before and after album pages and some really yellow, yucky pictures in a magnetic album page.

Check on the age of the group you are presenting too. For older people, stress the importance of getting pictures identified so they won't end up in flea markets because the family has no clue as to the identities. Show the stabilo pencil and explain its use. Talk about safe versus unsafe albums. For example: The albums I use are from Creative Memories and are guaranteed to be safe for all your precious photos. That gives them information but is not a hard sell. Do the same for the adhesives. Hand out a sheet on safe photo tips. Attach a customer sign-up card to the handouts. Ask them to fill out the name and address portion for a free drawing. If they were interested in hearing more about CM or attending or hosting a workshop, ask them to check the appropriate box. Collect all the slips and draw a name. That person receives a stabilo pencil with a poem about using it.
I took my camera and when I got to the podium I took their picture. It was a riot! I asked how many of them had a camera and where were they keeping their pictures. It really broke the ice.

Another great idea is the Victorian Lady Script.
You dress as a Victorian lady and begin by telling them you are their Great Great Aunt Victoria. "You do recognize me don't you? Why, I left you all of those pictures! I bet you love looking at all of our family's photos.
They bring back such memories. Where are they, lets see . . . ( look around the room) Oh here they are! (hold up an old box of photos, blow off the dust (flour) It's a bit dusty. You do look at them don't you?"
Continue by holding up old photos and telling them detailed stories about each one.
Aunt Victoria: "We had such good times didn't we? You must have heard these stories 1000 times. I'm sure my children shared them with my grandchildren who shared them with you. Didn't they?"
Hold up some more pictures old and faded "My what happened to these photos?
They've turned brown in spots and some of the corners yellowed. You know, I'm getting the impression none of these names and stories are familiar to you. How could that be? The photos are all here. Oh, I see, they are a bit disorganized, and not a word has been written. Oh, I'm sorry, how can I expect you to know all about what I've been saying? You did seem to enjoy my stories, I should have taken the time to record them. Please help me. Tell your children about their old Aunt Vicky, better yet write these stories down so they won't be lost and forgotten. Then, do the same with your own stories. I know your children will enjoy them even more then you enjoyed hearing mine."

another ending for the Aunt Vicky script:

Life goes go. This is a project that could be put off to a time when you think you'll have more time, but does that time ever come? I find I'm very good at filling my schedule, as I'm sure you are. But I still want to capture those precious times with your family, friends and children and hold on to them forever.
You are the only one who can keep your stories and memories alive and available for yourselves and future generations. Don't let your family tree wither and blow away because of a busy schedule or procrastination, because one day our pictures will be the antiques.
Who is this? (Hold up a photo). I don't know either, but that is the question asked by the person who inherits the big box of mysterious photos. The truth is, most of the photos in this box are a mystery to me. Some are my family, but most are ones that I bought at an antique shop. How sad, that our ancestor's memories are lost and their photos sold for a couple of dollars.
So, not only do I want to encourage you, I'd love to teach you. I believe that with some practical information, you can at least stop damaging the photos you already have. I can give you tips on how to manage them and incorporate your memorabilia.
Today I don't have the time to teach you, but I hope that I have encouraged you. I feel that what I am doing is affecting families for generations. I know that making and keeping albums won't solve the world's problems, but I do think that it helps strengthen family relationships and make us feel good about ourselves. Not to mention that they provide hours of entertainment! Something I think old Aunt Vicky would have approved of!

Go on by telling them your real name and that you can help them preserve their photos and memories for future generations.
You can show them examples of problem albums and tell them about PVC and acid . . . Tell them about your classes and how they can benefit from attending one.

You can also modify the Aunt Vicky skit into a modern version. I had a bag of groceries and came rushing in like I just got home and pulled out the pictures I had developed. I looked through them and oohed and aahed over them and then shoved them in a drawer - when I looked in the drawer I found some old pictures so I pulled them out and oohed and aahed again. After a minute I told myself I needed to fix supper or clean the house and not look at my pictures and proceeded to say that one day I would get them in an album when I had more time . . . then I proceeded to ask the group if they could identify with that? most could . . . then do a short spiel on the bad albums and I showed all the different types of albums I had done (family, child, ABC, Heritage) telling about acid free die-cuts and stickers etc. as I showed the albums. I had a little longer so I completed a 5-minute page to show how quickly it could be done. It did repeat some of the things that they would learn in a beginner class but most of the time we need to hear things a few times for it to sink in.

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