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!

by marylc

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.

by marylc

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.

by marylc

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.

by marylc

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.

by marylc

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.

by marylc

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.

by marylc

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.


Comments (16)

  1. Kathy Schroeder

    Great interview!! So good to get to know you a bit more! Lovely, lovely pages!!

    October 21, 2011 at 7:46 am Reply
  2. User Avatar
    Didi Lord

    Absolutely gorgeous pages! I’ve never left a comment here, but felt compelled to comment!

    October 21, 2011 at 9:21 am Reply
  3. User Avatar
    Lorie Starcher

    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.

    October 21, 2011 at 11:51 am Reply
  4. Doris Lynch

    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.

    October 21, 2011 at 1:57 pm Reply
  5. 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!

    October 21, 2011 at 7:14 pm Reply
  6. User Avatar
    Nann

    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.

    October 22, 2011 at 7:30 am Reply
  7. User Avatar
    marylc

    I am thrilled to be the recipient of this honor. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    October 22, 2011 at 8:52 am Reply
  8. Sue Alg

    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.

    October 22, 2011 at 9:17 am Reply
  9. Andrea Graves

    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! 🙂

    October 22, 2011 at 9:15 pm Reply
  10. Jan

    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!

    October 23, 2011 at 12:43 pm Reply
  11. User Avatar
    Fox57

    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!!!

    October 26, 2011 at 4:04 pm Reply
  12. User Avatar
    marylc

    Your kind comments are sincerely appreciated!

    October 29, 2011 at 4:53 pm Reply
  13. Donna Odom

    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)

    October 30, 2011 at 12:08 am Reply
  14. User Avatar
    Shirley Lewerenz

    Oh, your pages are ALL wonderful. It is so nice to get to know you better. You deserve this honor . . . NO DOUBT!

    October 31, 2011 at 12:16 pm Reply
  15. 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!

    November 2, 2011 at 4:20 pm Reply
  16. User Avatar
    pattya

    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!

    February 22, 2012 at 2:50 pm Reply
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