Books:

Discovered! 505
Odd Enterprises

Hidden Dollars

How to Make
Money at Home

Small Business
of Your Own

You Can Own
a Business

As time went on my interests changed. However, through the years my enthusiasm for making scrapbooks and my appreciation of them has not decreased. Each year I find this personally compiled library growing more valuable to me.

In recent years I have embarked into the field of free-lance writing. Many times I find these scrapbooks provide interesting subjects for my writing as well as supplying me with information that I cannot find as conveniently elsewhere.

On one occasion, as I idly thumbed through the scrapbook that carries the title "Hobbies," I came upon a clipping concerning a hobby that had become exceedingly profitable to a friend of bygone years. The success story had been printed in our hometown paper and told of how this crippled woman had made and sold hundreds of pincushion dolls from scrap materials, thereby avoiding the necessity of outside financial help. I had fondly pasted the clipping in my scrapbook years ago and often found inspiration in reading of the courageous manner in which my friend had faced life. As I again read the story I sensed it would be a good subject for me to use as a doll hobby story. At the time I did not have her address but through mutual friends I was able to contact her at her California home.

Delighted in the thought that I wanted to write a story about her work, my friend immediately sent me all the information I needed concerning the making of the pincushion dolls as well as a pattern for making them. I wrote the story, giving it the title of "Mammy Pincushion Dolls," and it was published in a magazine issued primarily for those interested in doll making and collecting. In lieu of cash payment for it I received $10 worth of advertising in the magazine. Since at the time I was selling some of my craft work by mail, ultimately I benefited more than would have been the case if cash payment had been made. Later I used the same material in writing an article, "Pin Money from Pin Cushions," which was published in a Canadian hobby and craft magazine. My "Hobbies" scrapbook should be given partial credit for the profits I reaped from those two pieces; it was through the clipping pasted in it long ago that I was prompted to contact my friend who in turn sent me the necessary information which enabled me to write the pieces.

On another occasion the scrapbook titled "Crafts" came to my rescue when I was more or less put on the spot by an editor. In the writing of an article on shellcraft work I failed to give as complete directions for making certain items as was needed. Fortunately, the editor gave me an opportunity to clarify the weak points. The aforementioned article concerned the work of a friend who, since giving me the data on her work, had left on an extended trip; it was, therefore, difficult for me to contact her for additional information.

My own knowledge of shellcraft work is somewhat limited so it was necessary for me to search for an authentic source of information on the subject. Suddenly I remembered having seen an article on shellcraft work in my "Crafts" scrapbook. Hastily I scanned the pages of that particular book, and much to my delight, I found just the information I needed. In my own words I re-wrote the descriptions in a clear and understandable manner. Immediately it was accepted by The Workbasket to the tune of forty-one jingling dollars.

WHILE MOST of the articles I make, and often write about, are in every sense original, frequently the spark that kindles imagination in my mind is touched off by something I have read or seen pictured in my scrapbooks. Such was the case last year when I developed an idea for a clever tally card from a short item found in my "Ideas" scrapbook. The adaptation I made of the idea was so different than that given by the writer that I could truthfully submit it as original. Country Gentlemen paid me $10 for the tally and a brief description of how I made it. Better Living paid me slightly less for a similar idea.

Knowing Better Homes & Gardens sometimes uses suggestions for party favors, invitations and birth announcements, I made up several such items and submitted them, together with directions for making them, to this friendly magazine. While the only help I gained from my "Hobbies" scrapbook in working out these suggestions was the inspiration I found as I read an account of a hobbyist in another locality who made unusual party favors, I feel some credit is due to that particular scrapbook for my good fortune in receiving another $10.

My mirth-provoking scrapbook of jokes is another source from which I glean a wealth of valuable material. By restyling and reslanting epigrams, jokes and humorous verses I have been able to sell such writing to Grit, Boston Sunday Post, Christian Science Monitor, Capper's Weekly and other publications.

Legends, folklore and odd customs are frequently used by magazines. My scrapbook that covers such subjects is perhaps the most used of all. Periodically I tap this source of information and I credit it with aiding me materially as I compile factual and mythical articles of a seasonal nature. A group of Easter legends, part of which were rewritten from this scrapbook, brought me $10 from Hearth and Home. The beautiful illustrations, supplied by the magazine's staff artist, added religious significance to the piece and it made a colorful and inspiring addition to the scrapbook which is made up exclusively of my own writings.

Last year I wrote "Merry Christmas—Here and There" and "Facts About Holly" for a hobby magazine. "Valentine, Past and Present" also rang the bell with the same editor, all rewritten from my "Legends" scrapbook. As each holiday season rolls around I clip and paste more and more pieces into this much-used scrapbook, all potential material to be rewritten and sent out at the proper time.

MY COLORADO home town is probably much the same in most respects as any other town in the United States of comparable size. However, it is unusual in that it boasts of a highly romantic name—Loveland. Any writer would be neglecting a "natural" if he failed to commercialize on the town's name in connection with writing pieces slanted for St. Valentine's Day. I confess until two years ago I let such opportunities slip through my fingers. Suddenly awakened to the possibilities that were all about me, I wrote an article which was published in the Christian Science Monitor. I gave it the title of "Sentimental Insignia Gains Fame for Town in Colorado." Slanting my article for St. Valentine's Day publication I told how some years ago the post office at Loveland began receiving valentines from scattered parts of the country, the senders asking that the valentines be remailed on St. Valentine's Day so the envelopes would carry the romantic Loveland postmark. As time went on more and more people did the same thing. When the discovery was made that people from all over the country were interested in the town's name the Chamber of Commerce had a special cachet made. Now, along with the regular postmark, each envelope containing a valentine is stamped in red ink with this cachet. The design of the cachet is a heart pierced with an arrow; in the background is pictured the front range of the Rocky Mountains. It also carries the words, "A Valentine Greeting from Sweetheart Town, Loveland, Colorado." I related that last year more than 50,000 valentines were sent to this town for remailing.

One might justifiably ask how any of my scrapbooks benefited me in writing these particular articles. As a longtime resident of Loveland I should know all the pertinent facts about the town without having to delve into books to find them. However, facts and figures never were easy for me to remember, so I find it exceedingly helpful to refer to my scrapbook, "Home Town Happenings" to find needed information. For instance, I had completely forgotten that a well-known radio singer on N.B.C. once sang "There's a Lovely Lake In Loveland" as a tribute to Loveland and also gave an informative talk concerning the town's valentine mailing service. A clipping in my scrapbook refreshed my memory about that fact and others just as interesting, and proved to be most helpful when writing my valentine articles.

A clipping found in this same scrapbook regarding "Rag Day," which is staged each year by students of the local high school, reminded me that the Christian Science Monitor might be interested in publishing an account of this unique custom. With the help of clippings I had saved through the years telling about the various stunts put on by both faculty and students I wrote such an article and it was published under the heading, "Big Fun Event of the Entire School Year." I joined with the high school kids in thinking their silly antics really worthwhile when I received a check for nearly $10 for writing about the event.

I have lots of material for another scrapbook but I take no delight in collecting for it nor shall I bother to make a pretty cover for that collection since it is nothing I can proudly show to my friends. Fact of the matter is I keep this material all hidden in the very bottom drawer of my filing cabinet. Rejection slips—that's what I'm talking about. Now, just who would want to keep such dull and discouraging things? I like to keep them just as a reminder to keep my feet on the ground when I'm tempted (because of a streak of unusually good luck) to walk on air.

SOME MAY think it a waste of time to make one's own scrapbook library when a wealth of information may be found at public and school libraries. While I often use my scrapbooks in conjunction with reference books available at these institutions, I find the material I have personally compiled in these scrapbooks is more easily found and is more in line with what I need than that which might be found elsewhere. Also it is often inconvenient to make a trip away from home in search of needed material. I can stir the gravy with one hand while I'm thumbing through one of my scrapbooks with the other as I search for that certain "something" I need for the story I have in the making. This is a curious illustration I'll admit, but I hope it proves the point that I eventually save time by having my own scrapbook library. I try to use discretion in selecting clippings (which I keep in cardboard boxes until I have time to post them) for, at best, it does take a certain amount of time to paste them into the scrapbooks and there is nothing to be gained by saving useless clippings.

I obtain material that goes into my scrapbooks from many different sources. By yearly subscriptions, over a dozen different publications come into our home daily, weekly or monthly. Among these are homemaking and hobby magazines, farm papers, writer's magazines, regional newspapers and, church and lodge magazines. Besides these, I buy different publications at newsstands whenever I see certain issues that particularly appeal to me. Frequently I receive unsolicited sample copies of magazines through the mail, sometimes finding worthwhile scrapbook material in them. Friends, both local and from distant places, who know of my scrapbook hobby, often give me magazines or clippings.

Each winter different organizations in town hold "white elephant" or rummage sales when, among other things, back issues of all manner of publications are put on sale for a few cents a copy. I find this a very satisfactory and inexpensive way to get additional scrapbook material. Even though this is a fast-moving age, many ideas, especially along handicraft lines, do not quickly become obsolete; for that reason such magazines often yield much usable material. It goes without saying that most printed material is copyrighted and, therefore, the exact wording should not be copied. However, there are no copyrights on ideas, providing they are re-styled. Ideas gleaned from old publications, rewritten in an up-to-date manner, often prove to be most saleable.

It is from Loveland's two newspapers that I gather most of the clippings that go into my "Home Town Happenings" scrapbook. The title indicates that all the clippings pertain to local happenings but, after making the cover for the scrapbook, I decided to include items of interest concerning the scenic attractions and various projects that have and are making the whole Rocky Mountain region famous. For instance, facts such as these are to be found in this book: "Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park, is the highest continuous highway in the nation ... The Big Thompson Irrigation and Power project, developed by the Federal Government at an estimated cost of $164,000,000, will soon be completed. The longest of the twenty-four tunnels, 9 feet, 9 inches in diameter and 13.1 miles long, is believed to be the world's longest irrigation tunnel and is reputed to be the longest tunnel of any kind in the United States driven exclusively from two portal headings ... tunnel men, working on each side of the mountains, met in four years at a point three-fourths of a mile beneath the crest of the Rockies. The headings were "off" less than one inch of meeting exactly ... 215 different birds find sanctuary in the Rocky Mountains ... Colorado's state flower, the blue columbine, is one of 700 species of blossoming plants to be found in the Rocky Mountain region." Items such as these came from regional newspapers and from folders put out by business agencies and travel bureaus. Such data is helpful when submitting items from "fact" columns.

Some magazines are of a type that I want to keep in their entirety; for these I make covers, book fashion, from stiff cardboard, re-enforcing them with cloth binding. Each cover is made large enough to accommodate the issues of an entire year. Using black ink, I write the year and an abbreviation or the name of the magazine on the binding of the covers. With the exception of a very few copies that were lost in some way, I have complete files of Profitable Hobbies since I became a subscriber 'way back in 1946 when the magazine first came into being. I do not fasten the magazines into the covers, preferring instead to have them free for removal of single copies when wanted for reference without having to handle the weight of the whole binder.

While most of the clippings that go into my reference scrapbooks are arranged according to topics, an exception is made when I paste clippings into my personally written scrapbook. This is done partially because my published topics vary greatly, but principally because in the excitement of having new pieces published, I give little thought to arranging them in an orderly fashion, my chief concern at the moment being to increase the size of the book. Because these particular scrapbooks are kept primarily for my own satisfaction rather than for reference, it matters little that a thirty-word joke is pasted along side a 3000-word article of a serious nature.

TO THOSE who may want to start a scrapbook library, here are a few hints that may help you to avoid some of the mistakes I made in the past. Do not crowd too many subjects into one scrapbook. Material is much more easily found if only one or two subjects are kept under the same cover. A title signifying the contents of each book should be clearly marked on the cover or binding.

In making my first scrapbook of poems, to save space, I sometimes trimmed the poems so closely that, if the poet's name was at the end of the poem, it was cut off completely. I found this to be quite a disadvantage when I wished to quote such a poem in connection with a certain piece I was writing; with the name of the poet missing I was unable to give proper credit to the one who had written it. The source of any quotation used should be given so it is, therefore, advisable to keep the name of the publication, the date and the name of writer with each clipping.

Whatever type scrapbook is used, factory-made, loose leaf notebook or home constructed, the covers should be sturdy and the pages of good quality paper or cloth. Once you become addicted to using scrapbooks as a reference library you will find they should be well constructed to withstand frequent usage. Beautiful covers on scrapbooks are not of the greatest importance; it is what you put between the covers that will make them of real sentimental and commercial value. Never forget that today's happenings may be stale news tomorrow, but many such happenings if kept in the form of a clipping scrapbook may prove to be of literary value in years to come.

Two short words, "My Own," is all the decoration that adorns the front cover of one of my most treasured scrapbooks. When I first had some of my writings published a few years ago I made this scrapbook—a simple affair, cloth-covered back with front cover of sheet cork. It is large size and I recall that while I was inserting the blank pages between the covers my husband jokingly chided me, saying I was very optimistic (and a little conceited) to think I would ever fill it with just my own writings. Months ago that feat was accomplished, much to his surprise and, frankly, to my own as well. Now a new scrapbook is in the making. I have no child-like illusions—I know it will not burst its binding overnight. I only hope it will outgrow itself as rapidly as did my first one. The labor involved in making a new scrapbook cover is soon forgotten as I paste clippings with my by-line between the covers.

Material gleaned from scrapbooks made in bygone years has helped substantially to make possible the filling of the pages of "My Own" scrapbook. The contents of this particular scrapbook represent many hours of toil, but it's been worth it all.