Treasured Memories

I've rediscovered an old friend...much changed and altered...following a new leader...and thriving! 

When I first started scrapbooking 8 or 9 years ago there was one store in my area that I patronized.  As scrapbooking styles changed and new products were developed, more stores opened and I changed my allegiance from Treasured Memories to another one nearby.  And then I started shopping on-line instead of in the stores.


Yesterday I went back to TM...and I'm so glad I did.  There's just something inspiring and exciting about  handling the papers and seeing all the embellishments in real life. 

But that's not what impressed me most about Treasured Memories.  The father of the new owner is a photographer and antique collector - a very creative man who decorated the store for his daughter.  It's a wonderful place to visit now.



Besides all the beautiful papers and tools and embellishments and stickers and bling, interspersed among the 'working' scrapbook materials are many little surprises.

Right inside the front door there stood an old sideboard/hutch unit, the paint old and rough looking. It was filled with a variety of antiques and antiqued pieces and really set the tone of the store.

There were many different antique cameras on display.  The one shown here is exactly like my first camera, a Brownie Box Camera that took size 620 film.   Mum had used it to take baby pictures of me and my sister and gave it to me when I was a teenager.  Most of my pictures from my teens were taken on that camera - and to think it's now considered an antique!!!

Lots of creative artwork - the kind of stuff scrapbookers like to display.  Isn't this one clever.

There were more antique globes than cameras in the store - I particularly liked this 3 ft. high glass display dome filled with real globes.  It was tucked away in a corner under a display of embellishments.

Of course there was also scrapbooking products...my favorite, shown here, is bling - anything glittery or jewelled or shiny.  I love them on my pages.

This beautiful old wringer washing machine was at the front of the store just in front of the check out.  Its contents change with the seasons and specials.  I remember when I was getting my Girl Guide (Scouts) laundress badge back in 1961.  We all used this type of washer so doing the laundry was a bit more of an art and exercise than it is now.  I loved putting the clothes through the wringer.

On stumbled, literally, on this guy as I was moving down the aisle looking at the display of bling.  He was sitting right there on the floor watching me.  Not your usual scrapbook store display.

This is how the store looks as you walk into it...a wonderfully creative entrance display.

These globes, and more, floated above a display of antique cameras on top of the patterned paper shelves.

This is a closer-up shot of the antique cameras above.

...a beautifully transformed mantle clock...

...and an old Underwood Standard Typewriter.  Thank goodness they were no longer in use when I learned to type - those secretaries from the 1940s must have had very strong fingers.

Even the restroom (La Toilette the sign on the door said) had it's charm.

And it wouldn't be Canada without a moose.

I thought this was so clever.  What a gorgeous spiral staircase.

 A beautiful decorated dressmaker's form - about a foot high.

This was on the top corner of one of the large display cases - I used to collect eggs but never had one this large - with a chicken in it as well.  And another old camera.

 These Mason jars are really old and filled with equally old buttons.  Buttons are a common embellishment used by scrapbookers.  And yet another camera.  After all, what would scrapbookers do if we didn't have cameras to document our every activity.

 And, of course, the store was full of pretty papers, cardstock, chipboard and stuff.  All the antiques were just eye candy.  They sure made the store a fascinating place to visit though...even if you're not a scrapbooker.

And that was my adventure for today.

Pat