Build your own book of dreams
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Venture beyond mere photo albums with Mindmemory, a treasure trove of materials, tools and ideas for creative scrapbooking
THITIPORN Anurakamolkul has been doing handicrafts for as long as she can remember – knitting and crocheting but mainly scrapbooking. She and her sister started the website Mindmemory in 2007 and in 2011 opened a store at the U Centre, a university-student dorm in Bangkok’s Sam Yan district. What they offer are scrapbooking supplies imported from the US and Japan and workshops on the hobby led by experts.
Scrapbooking enjoyed a boom soon after, and the original shop started to feel too small, so in 2013 they found a new home on the fifth floor of Central Rama IX. With Christmas and New Year coming up, they’re busier than ever at the moment thanks to all their great gift ideas.
“My sister gave me my first scrapbook and I really loved it,” Thitiporn says. “I learned all about the intricacies of scrapbooking from the Internet. It’s really easy, though, and you can have hours of fun creating your own photo album and tying in all sorts of other things so you can cherish your good memories.”
Thanks to the millions of other people who enjoy building books of pictures, clippings, ticket stubs and other keepsakes, there are quite a few brands offering scrapbooking tools and accessories, and Mindmemory stocks them all.
“We also show our products at the handicraft fairs around Bangkok and they’ve become quite
popular as gifts,” says Thitiporn.
The store resembles a stationery shop, with a separate room for workshops. “The workshops show beginners how to match materials and veterans can get up to date on the latest techniques.”
A dozen US brands are available,
including American Crafts, known for its theme paper and accessories, Graphic 45 with its scrapbook pages that have a vintage look, and Project Life for photo-ready albums.
K & Company catches the eye with adorable stickers related to special occasions like weddings and
birthdays and tourist destinations such as Paris and London.
Famed homemaker Martha Stewart contributes paper-punchers that make holes in the shape of hearts and flowers, along with non-toxic acrylic paints, glitter and silk-screening tools.
Tim Holtz has “Distress Markers” with a fine tip at one end and a brush at the other, plus acid-free dyes, sprays and stains and wooden stamps that imprint images of animals, fruit, a bicycle or Mount Fuji.
“America has the biggest scrapbooking-supplies market and we
choose the products that best suit Thai tastes,” Thitiporn says.
If you’re keen to have a fancy scrapbook of your own or to give someone else but lack the free time, the sisters will make one for you, with the price depending on the materials and the concept.
UNFORGETTABLE
Mindmemory is in Room 505 on fifth floor of Central Rama IX and open daily from 10 to 10.
Call (089) 527 6762 or visit the “Mindmemory” page on Facebook.
