it has been 20 years since my dad passed away, it's hard to believe i am getting close to the age he was when he died. a few years ago i gathered some of my favorite pictures of him and our family, and put together a memorial album on an 8x8 black board book. that's my brother and me on the front with dad, playing with a newly unwrapped toy, christmas circa 1972. i was pleased to find out that a crop-a-dile tool punches holes into the thick board stock just like butter, which makes decorating with grommets easy. the black surface is beautiful, it doesn't need to be painted or covered with paper. rub-on transfers stand out really well against the black too. inside with the pictures, i included clippings of his handwriting, cartoons about his name "fred", things that reminded me of his desk, the first card i gave him as a child that i signed myself, a newspaper picture showing him and mom with friends, and quotes from his memorial service.
what i love most about using board books for scrapbooking instead of regular photo albums—is that they can stand up with the pages fanned out. i keep my special scrapbooks like this one displayed on my hope chest where i can always see them.