It's contagious, addictive, and it's taken over Utah. We're talking about scrapbooking.

News Specialist Ruth Todd explains what's happening.

It's no longer just a hobby. Scrapbooking used to be confined to just a few in-home parties. But it's grown in to a quarter of a billion dollar a year industry.

At Lace Place, their stock has grown from a few supplies to everything you need to preserve all your memories. And those who do say it's easy to see why it's booming.

Does this sound familiar?

Diane Jones/Scrapbooker: "I GOT TIRED OF MY PICTURES BEING JUST IN BOXES."

Carrie Sanders/Scrapbooker: "WE HAD THESE COOL PICTURES, BUT THEY WERE ALL IN A DRAWER."

Heidi Sanders/Scrapbooker: "WE ALL HAVE PICTURES AND WE NEED SOME WAY TO MAKE IT INTERESTING THAN JUST HAVING A PILE OF THEM."

These women have a solution for you - scrapbooking.

In the old days, we could just glue a few Polaroids to a piece of paper, stick them in an album, and call it good.

But times have changed. Acid free paper, special pens, die cuts, mini personal paper cutters, dozens of scissors. Stores dedicated just to scrapbooking.

It's not brain surgery, but it's close.

Jackie Benavides of Lehi is a scrapbook veteran.

Jackie Benavides/Scrapbooker: "THIS IS SEVEN YEARS OF COLLECTING STUFF."

Sandra Starley of West Jordan has several scrapbooks going all at once.

Sandra Starley/Scrapbooker: "I HAVE DIFFERENT BOOKS FOR MY SON, FOR OUR VACATIONS, ONE JUST FOR OUR FAMILY."

And Lori Henderson of Centerville may be setting a record.

Lori Henderson: "I THINK I'VE COMPLETED SEVEN BIG BOOKS IN TWO AND A HALF YEARS."

It's natural for scrapbooking to be huge in Utah. After all, genealogy is almost Utah's unofficial pasttime. But the Hobby Industry Association of America says it's not unique to the beehive state. It's grown to a nationwide $250-million industry. The Association estimates that one in five U.S. households contains one person who scrapbooks.

Here at home, it's gotta be more than that. Nearly every weekend, as many as 50 women gather for what can turn into all-night-parties.

Some do it for emotional reasons.

Something her mother said motivated Lori.

Lori Henderson/Scrapbooker: "SHE DIED OF ALZHEIMER'S TWO YEARS AGO. A FEW YEARS BEFORE SHE DIED, SHE MADE THE COMMENT, SHE SAID, TELL ME ABOUT MEMORIES, I DON'T HAVE THEM ANYMORE."

Others find scrapbooking an easy way to keep a family history.

Carrie Sanders/Scrapbooker: "I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE KEEP JOURNALS, THEY KEEP FAMILY HISTORIES. I DON'T DO THAT. I'M NOT A WRITER. I NEVER HAVE BEEN. I NEVER WILL BE. SO FOR ME, THIS IS MY FAMILY HISTORY IN PICTURES AND WORDS."

If you start - they say watch out - you might not be able to stop.

Dixie Peterson/Scrapbooker: "IT REALLY IS ADDICTING AND YOU DON'T WANT TO STOP UNTIL YOU GET CAUGHT UP."

Kelly Hunt/Scrapbooker: IT'S ADDICTING THOUGH. ONCE YOU START DOING IT, YOU HAVE TO KEEP DOING IT."

But that might not be such a bad thing.

Carrie Sanders/Scrapbooker: "IT'S VERY ADDICTIVE, AND IT'S VERY THERAPEUTIC."

Those who scrapbook say it's not a fad - it's not going to go away. They plan to preserve their memories this way for the rest of their lives.