Scrapbookers craft for veterans' valentines

Some do it for family. Some do it for friends. Some do it for self-preservation.

Some do it - simply for the love.

Scrapbooking. The newly minted national pastime that over the last decade has grown to become a $2 billion-a-year industry domestically with an estimated 4.4 million new households joining in since 2001.

A coincidence that the decidedly sedate activity of creating handmade cards, photo albums and family history books has come of age during an age framed by rapid-fire technology?

No, said Donna Jean Anderson, who opened her local scrapbooking shop County Purr Farm Scrapbooking in 2005, expanding it six months later.

"I think every time someone gets a handmade card, or records their family history this way, it's meaningful - it lasts," she said. "With e-mails, you can just hit 'delete' and it's gone for good."

Anderson hosted almost a dozen local scrapbookers Saturday to create handmade valentines for residents of the VA hospital.

"It's something we try to do for the veterans each holiday," she said. "We've heard from nurses and volunteers when they get their handmade cards - it makes their day.

"We do so much to remember our troops that are serving -and that's important. But we also need to honor those who have served and are still around today."

Some 150 custom-made valentines were produced Saturday to greet veterans during their Valentine's Day breakfast on Thursday.

Creating the cards takes anywhere from "five minutes to an hour and a half," Anderson.

Each participant had a slightly different technique.

Jenny Haas said her card-making strategy was using the "Nike model."

"I've got a little assembly line here, and my motto is to 'just do it,'" she said to a chorus of cordial laughter from her contemporaries.

Others, like Kathy Smith, took a more free-form approach.

"You just start building the card and then one thing leads to another."

Anderson provided the team of card-makers with cardboard, construction paper, cutting and pasting utensils - and, of course, plenty of rubber stamp hearts.

"I think everyone here has some kind of connection to a veteran," said Beth Gee, the self-described events coordinator for County Purr Farm. "You go around the room, and everyone here has a veteran for a husband, a son - a father.

"So, this is a personal experience more than anything."

As if on cue, Anderson produced a memorial plaque signifying her great-grandfather's service in World War I.

"When you think about who's come before us - and that we can still do something to honor folks that have served - it just makes sense," she said.

While loathe to say which holiday or occasion is her favorite for crafting hand-made cards, she did hint that cupid's arrow has struck the entire group.

"Who doesn't like a special valentine?" she said.

• Contact reporter Andrew Pridgen at apridgen@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.