Monrovia Shopowner Pieces Scraps Into Life Stories

Elizabeth Tuch knows how to shape pictures and mementos into stories, and for the last four years she's provided a community space for Monrovia artists who want to explore their creative impulses as well as preserve memories for future generations.

The owner of local scrapbooking store hosts numerous classes for locals who want to express themselves through paper, art, and photography in their craft room.

In addition to classes, the store now hosts private parties, bridal showers, baby showers, and birthday parties. Tuch said that often the guest of honor will leave the party with a complete scrapbook.

"It’s almost like the old quilting bees. It’s a social thing," she said.

The stores recently expanded when a tenant next store left, and Tuch wanted the new craft room she installed to have natural light, comfy chairs, solid tables, and most importantly, a welcoming atmosphere.

Tuch said she got the store’s name, "Scrap N’ Yap," from her son and daughter, who also have done their share of scrapbooking in the four years the store has been open. In return, she named a corner of the store "Sammy" and "Jaclyn" after her two children.

The store features a wide variety of styles in the paper section with themes that include travel, pets, weddings, babies, birthdays, kids, weddings and holidays. They also have themed paper for branches of the military, fire department, and police department. Their papers feature the logos of many local schools including , , , , , , , and others.

While Tuch’s store caters to numerous tastes, she said that her main love is for vintage ephemera. She personally treasures objects that stimulate her memories of people, like the oilcloth from her grandmother’s house, and even broken pieces of costume jewelry.

"I like things that make us feel something," she said. "I like old things."

Some examples of the vintage items in the store include early 20^th century sheet music and magazine pages sealed in cellobags, vintage coffee bags, vintage ice cream containers, vintage milk tops and vintage butter boxes.

"I like dimension. I’m very tactile. I like things that pop out at you," she said. "When I create a layout or do an art project I like to incorporate a piece of my past."

In addition to stocking vintage items, Tuch also enjoys bringing back the latest merchandise from her travels, so that she constantly features something new in her store.

"I love going to the trade shows. I get so inspired. It’s like a shot of vitamin B-12 or something," she said.

Tuch also enjoys learning new craft techniques at shows, which she can then bring back to her customers.

"A focal point I want is for you learn a technique. You’re learning something you can carry on to any event," she said.

Classes at Scrap N’ Yap can cover a wide variety of topics, including layouts, quilling, sewing on paper, and mixed media. People of all skill levels, from beginner to experienced, have attended the classes, and many are able to learn a new crafting technique each time they attend.

Up and coming classes are listed on the store’s website. The website also features their annual "Shop Hop" which they are participating in along with 39 other scrapbooking stores in Southern California. From now until August 14, customers can bring their Shop Hop passports to Scrap N’ Yap and explore featured items based on a Shop Hop theme, which for 2011 is "Destinations." Tuch has chosen Southern France as the store’s Shop Hop theme this year.

Tuch said that she enjoys having a business in Monrovia because she loves "the small town feel close to a big city."

"We have the best of both worlds," she said.

She also is grateful to the staff of five who helps her keep the business running.

"I couldn’t run this store without the ladies that work for me," she said.

Tuch said that one of the most rewarding parts of the business is being able to see the customers’ creations and albums, and know that they helped them create something they can pass on future generations.

"It’s your life story or a story for somebody else," she said. "I love my store. People come here because they want to be here. It makes it a wonderful business."