Biographies

Heidi Plach
My love for storytelling, hosting parties and taking snapshots of people, places and events can be traced back to my childhood. The combination of these interests was bound to lead me to be the scrapbooker I am today, or shall I say scrapaholic!

In 1996 I was introduced to the world of scrapbooking by my baton teacher and friend, Julie. Her scrapbooks were phenomenal. Not only did the pictures capture important moments in her life, but also, her journaling & decorative pages allowed me to enjoy and appreciate them too.

I quickly learned that almost equally as wonderful as the finished product of a scrapbook, was the process of creating them... the scrapbook get-togethers! I started working on my albums by attending Creative Memories day crops. This soon led to weekend getaways, hosted by various organizations. By 1999, I was organizing trips with my girlfriends to hotels & more affordable places, like my Aunt and Uncle's basement!

In 2001 my career as an Occupational Therapist began and my hobby as a scrapbooker increased. Through work, I met a friend/co-worker, Vicki who became as equally as enthusiastic about scrapbooking as I was. Vicki accelerated a long-term goal of mine, which was/is to be an entrepreneur. What better way to do it then to have it centered on scrapbooking, something I love!

• Work- my work as an Occupational Therapist in a mental health setting, allowed me to see client's self-esteem boost when they work on pages of their lives. Now that I'm a clinical instructor at UWM, I share this non traditional treatment activity with students.
• Friendships- they continue to grow long after graduating from college, as I routinely spend time with girlfriends during weekend retreats.
• Family- they appreciate and admire the way our memories are preserved for generations to come.
• Myself- I am able to focus, relax and be mindful when I give myself an opportunity, like a weekend trip to scrapbook.

Vicki and I are eager to invite you to join us in this life-enhancing hobby. You don't need a background in art, just a desire to escape and create. So be our guest at the next Scraplift Trip!

Vicki Durecki
I started scrapbooking in 1998, after I saw some basic supplies at a local store. I had never heard of scrapbooking...just thought it looked like fun. I was a newlywed and wanted to do something special with the many photos I had from the wedding reception. I started my book and did my own thing, mainly using fancy scissors, stickers, and plain paper.

I was introduced to the bigger world of scrapbooking by Heidi. She was a perky student doing her clinical work at my place of employment (Bell Therapy/Day One) in 2000, and was filled with excitement and interest in everyone. We discovered that we both scrapbooked. She told me about weekend scrapbooking events that she attended with her friends. I thought that she was pretty obsessed with the whole idea and kept doing my own thing.

In 2001, Heidi was hired as an Occupational Therapist at Day One. We got to know each other much better. One of us had heard about an overnight crop at a local scrapbooking store and we decided to attend together. Heidi picked me up in her car and was startled by the small amount of supplies that I brought along. I was shocked by all of her totes and supplies! I scrapbooked through the night with Heidi, and vowed that I would never have that many supplies or be obsessed with the hobby like some of those wild scrappers (although I enjoyed it immensely).

Within a year or so, I think I had accumulated more supplies than Heidi! The discovery of scrapbooking stores and conventions opened a whole new world. I attended a few workshops and learned new techniques. I knew I was hooked for life! I have always loved photography and arts and crafts. Scrapbooking provided a creative outlet that allowed me to share my memories, thoughts, and experiences with others.

As the years went on, more of my friends and family began to scrapbook. I regularly attended various scrapbooking crops and weekend retreats. Heidi and I had talked about organizing our own crops in the Milwaukee area, but did not actively pursue it. We decided to make cards and scrapbook pages and sell them to others at local craft fairs. While discussing the venture with my husband and friend at dinner one night, they convinced me to go for the bigger pursuit and organize weekend retreats. Heidi and I changed our plans a bit. We started our business and became Scraplift Store & More, LLC in July 2005.

Our goal is to provide productive, organized, and pampered weekend scrapbooking retreats that are fun and educational. We hope to teach others how to embrace the hobby by sharing ideas, learning new techniques, and having fun with fellow crafters.

Heidi and I both have degrees in Occupational Therapy and have experience working with individuals with mental illness. Our love for scrapbooking and cardmaking has allowed us to teach clients a new creative outlet. Many of them now enjoy making cards and scrapbooking memories. It's a delightful hobby that is also therapeutic and rewarding. We hope to continue sharing our love of crafting with as many individuals as possible.