I combined several interests in my life to create Kollage by Kay. My main motivation was to help people to preserve their precious memories. As a Bible teacher and women’s retreat leader, I’ve taught the importance of honoring and blessing the essence of life within each individual, modeled on the ancient Jewish way of life. As a creative writer, I write vignettes to encourage others to nurture the creative spirit inside each one of us. As a historian, I research family history to preserve the connection to and contribution of previous generations. Also as a historian, I recognize the importance of every person’s individual story and the need to tell that story in words and pictures so the unique perspective is not lost for future generations. As a mother and grandmother, I know the joy of recording special events in the lives of my precious family.

       When my husband died suddenly in 2005, I began to digital scrapbook the events of the funeral and the family journey through the grief as a way of helping heal from the loss. Now I offer the same journey of healing to others who desire to honor their loved ones through a memorial DVD.
       
        I discovered the father of a friend of mine writing his memories by hand in a spiral notebook. I offered to help him and soon found myself absorbed in his stories of growing up on a farm in western Kansas during the Great Depression. The joy and satisfaction of seeing James publish his personal history for gifts for his family led me to become a consultant with Cherish Bound, a computer-based method for simply sharing your stories.

       I also design and sell digital scrapbook elements with two other creative designers. Their team is known as J2K for Julie Mead, Kay Eflin and Karen Aicken, selling their individual and team creations at www.e-scapeandscrap.net.

       Through writing and story-telling, preserving family photos and memorabilia, creating scrapbook collages, and memorable DVD slides shows, Kollage by Kay offers a variety of ways for you to Preserve Your Precious Memories.

       I started Kollage by Kay a few years ago. It all began when I decided to make a photo album for my oldest daughter. Most of the photos needed for the album were on 35mm slides taken with the Argus C3 camera purchased in 1963 as a wedding gift for my husband. That initial album began my exploration into digital software, slide scanners, and photo printers. Encouraged by an art professor, who told me that I had an innate sense of design, I began my self-taught journey to create computer-designed memory collages of significant events in the lives of family and friends.