Spotlight on Linda Crumm
Spotlight on Linda Crumm
By Jan Walker
If you love scrapping with family and heritage photos, you’ll love getting to know Linda Crumm (or, as she’s known in the Digital Scrapper Forum and Gallery, marylc). Mary Linda Crumm has one of the best collections of heritage photos we’ve seen, and her layouts really reflect the importance of family in her life.
One of my all-time favorites is her beautiful layout featuring a vintage photo of her father, down on one knee, proposing to her mother in 1921!
Isn’t it romantic?!
Of course, Linda also scraps contemporary family photos as well. You’ll see more of her work below. In the meantime, let’s get to know more about Linda!
JW: You have such a great collection of family photos. How far back do your photos go?
LC: I have a few photos of my husband’s maternal ancestors that were taken before the Civil War. The majority of them (from his family and mine) were taken from 1875 – 1950. I am fortunate that our ancestors cherished their family photos, and took special care to preserve them for future generations.
JW: Do you prefer working with the older, heritage photos from generations past, or your newer, most current family photos?
LC: If you had asked me this question a few years ago, my immediate response would have only been the heritage photos. They are still my favorite; however, with the advent of digital photography I find it fun and relaxing to create scrap pages using digital photos of family and friends.
JW: Are you creating or have you created any albums for your family?
LC: Yes, I have. In 2002, I assembled 4 huge loose-leaf binders that contained all of the genealogical information that I had collected to date. I spent months compiling all the records and attempting to restore/retouch our family photographs. Last year, I decided to create my first Shutterfly book using many of the same photographs. What a difference! No more big and bulky folders to print or store.
JW: Do you enjoy restoring older images?
LC: Yes, I do! I have been restoring my images for over 10 years using Adobe Photoshop. I started with Version 6, and am currently using CS5. My objective is to return the photo I am working on as close to the original as possible.
JW: You seem to have a very large family. Are you a close-knit one? Lots of reunions and family events?
LC: I do have a large extended family. I believe that the number of direct descendants of my parents is approaching 200. Though time and distance have separated our families, we do remain connected.
JW: Are you considered the memory management specialist in your family? Are you the keeper of all the photos and records? Or do your relatives supply you with images and details from time to time?
LC: Yes, I have taken on this role. When my Mother passed away in 1992, I asked her only remaining brother to tell me about their family history. His response was, “Mary Linda – I was too busy living history to record it”. At that moment I knew what I had to do. I developed and published two family websites in 2001 that remain online today. The response from family members has always been positive. They post many of the photos that I use for scrapping. My scrap pages generate conversation amongst the family and seem to encourage additional posting of family photographs. I love this because it provides me the opportunity to watch their children as they grow.
JW: What kind of kits do you like working with?
LC: It totally depends on the type of image I am working with. I definitely prefer neutral and muted shades with simple elements for my heritage photos. I love to experiment with different types of kit from different designers.
JW: Have you enjoyed hanging out at Digital Scrapper/Scrapper’s Guide?
LC: It has been a positive experience since Day 1! A friend of mine gave me a membership for Premier in 2008. I’m still here! I recently completed two Digital Scrapper classes, and would definitely recommend them to my dearest friend. The benefits of my Premier membership are wonderful! I get a spectacular kit each month, professional tutorials designed to teach me new scrapping techniques, and a more thorough understanding of how to use my Adobe Photoshop program.
JW: What are your goals for photography, photo editing, scrapbooking, and album creation in the future? Anything exciting on the horizon?
LC: Since I recently sent my children off to college, my plan is to condense those 4 huge binders that I mentioned into 2 (12″ x 12″) Shutterfly books. The books will contain updated genealogy information, and scrap pages to include all the descendants in my immediate family. It’s a good thing I am retired and have an empty nest, because this will be a huge project!
JW: What advice would you give to a brand new scrapper who wants to create beautiful family themed pages like yours?
LC: Remember that I (and others) have all been where you are – a brand new scrapper. I just happen to be a different level in my learning because I have been doing it longer. I suggest exploring the galleries to find scrap pages that appeal to you, and attempt to create similar ones. The idea is not to make an exact duplicate, but to formulate ideas in your mind of the type of scrapper you wish to become.
I think the most important advice that I can give you is to sit back in your computer chair and have fun as you create your scrap pages. Don’t allow yourself to become so intense that your hobby ceases to be enjoyable. You are your own unique person, and the person you must ultimately please is yourself.
JW: That’s great advice, Linda! Thanks for sharing your work — and your family — with us! To see all of Linda’s layouts, check out her marylc Gallery.
Great interview!! So good to get to know you a bit more! Lovely, lovely pages!!
Absolutely gorgeous pages! I’ve never left a comment here, but felt compelled to comment!
Linda, you know I am a huge fan of your work. I am so excited to see it, and you, spotlighted here so that more people can see your talent and learn from it. And so that they can also see what a wonderful person you are. Congratulations GF.
Congratulations Linda. It has been great sharing our scrapping on Simply Scrapping and other sites for the last 4 years. You certainly create beautiful heritage pages.
I so enjoyed reading about you, Linda! My head is spinning thinking of all the hard work you have put into preserving your family history! You are truly the master of heritage photos, pages, and albums!
So enjoyed getting to know you a bit better. Your work is just wonderful. It makes me want to get to work on some of my heritage things.
I am thrilled to be the recipient of this honor. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
As someone who has just begun the process of getting old family photos and history together, I can certainly appreciate all the work you have done. Your LO’s are extra-ordinary and thanks for the inspirations.
Linda, you’re one awesome lady! I just love your pages and you’re an inspiration for anyone wanting to scrap heritage photos, your pages are just beautiful. You’re so talented! Your family must be thrilled to have you and all your talents you use in preserving your family history! 🙂
Linda, you are such an inspiration! We would all love to have the wealth of family photos and historical data you have. And your eye for composition, too.
Folks, if you haven’t checked out Linda’s gallery yet, it’s a must-see! So many more beautiful pages there… wish we could’ve shown them all!
Linda, I am so happy to see you spotlighted! I truely enjoy your layouts… especially the heritage ones and it’s
so nice to get to know you better. It feels like family here at Scrapper’s Guide. 🙂 Congratulations!!!
Your kind comments are sincerely appreciated!
What a wonderful interview of a very special and talented lady. It has been such a thrill for me to know you Linda C ~ Congratulations on this honor ;o)
Oh, your pages are ALL wonderful. It is so nice to get to know you better. You deserve this honor . . . NO DOUBT!
Your work has always been awesome to see, Linda and it’s so great to see you getting the recognition here you so richly deserve. Congratulations on being the Spotlight Feature!
Linda–you are such a beautiful scrapper. I am so glad to read your interview and be inspired to scrap more of my family history. Your work is wonderful!