SME News Q2 2026/ 10 Celebrating Every Family Many consider childhood as a series of milestones to be checked off a list, formative memories slowly fading into the background as we grow and adult life takes over. But in reality, childhood is a rich unfolding of personality, connection, and everyday moments that deserve to be remembered forever. This is a belief upheld by Colour Chronicles, creator of the renowned memory books designed to give families a place to record their child’s unique perspective of the world as they grow. We spoke with Founder Ruth Sturdy below, as Colour Chronicles is honoured in the Business Elite Awards 2026. “From the fleeting first year to the evolving conversations of later childhood, our books are designed to grow with families, honouring every kind of story and every kind of family.” Founded in 2018 by Ruth Sturdy, Colour Chronicles is on a mission to help families of all kinds to have fun, see things through each other’s eyes, and save special memories year upon year. The business creates thoughtfully designed memory books that provides families with a place to record not only what happened, but who their children are becoming, capturing and keeping stories from babyhood, through childhood and beyond. The Book of You is Colour Chronicles’ flagship product, designed to grow with a child from age one to 16. Each yearly section includes carefully designed prompts and a dedicated Make Your Mark page for a handprint, drawing, or photos to create a record for growth. From The Book of You to The Baby Book of You and The Book of Me & You to bundles suitable for all of the above, Colour Chronicles offers a range of special keepsakes that will soon become a treasured family tradition. The story of Colour Chronicles came from Ruth’s own experience as a parent, following her daughter’s third birthday. Ruth wanted to find a way of recording both the big milestones and smaller funny moments of her childhood. At the same time, she also wished to capture life from her daughter’s unique point of view, with questions that she could answer with a three-year-old’s perspective. On her search for such a product, Ruth struggled to find a book that was non-assuming and judgement-free. “That gap became the foundation for The Book of You,” Ruth told us. “The Book of You exists because I couldn’t find a childhood journal that invited the child’s voice as well as the adult’s. That clarity of purpose continues to shape our innovation, our product development, and our steady, valued-led growth.” This is precisely what sets The Book of You apart; rather than focusing solely on baby milestones, Colour Chronicles’ books follow families to capture personalities, voice, and connection. Its focus on the long-term perspective means that families do not create a simple record of events, but a layered, evolving portrait of their child and the people who love them. Furthermore, Colour Chronicles also places great importance upon maintaining inclusivity throughout its products. Traditional memory books often assume a narrow family structure, which no longer reflects modern realities. All Colour Chronicles’ products hold space for every kind of family, with language, prompts, and designs that are intentionally inclusive and adaptable for all. Over the next five years, Colour Chronicles will focus its efforts on deepening, not diluting, its operations. Instead of rapidly expanding into unrelated categories, the team intends to thoughtfully evolve the memory-making space by building products that extend the lifecycle of storytelling within families. One key area of innovation for the team is to broaden the ways in which families can keep shared history beyond childhood. This includes developing complementary journals that capture intergenerational stories, family traditions, and milestone moments, creating a cohesive ecosystem of intentional memory-keeping that reflects Colour Chronicles’ position as the Best Childhood Memory Journal Brand 2026. Colour Chronicles is currently exploring the development of a School Year Memory Scrapbook. A natural extension of its existing range, this new concept will focus specifically on the keepsakes and creations that shape school life. By creating a scrapbook where children can keep mementoes collected throughout the academic year, Colour Chronicles hopes to encourage children to take ownership of their achievements and experiences, gradually becoming more involved in curating their own story as they grow. “This product remains in development, but it reflects our wider ambition to thoughtfully expand the ecosystem of intentional, inclusive childhood storytelling,” Ruth concluded. “Our broader goal is to position Colour Chronicles not simply as a product brand, but as a category leader in intentional, inclusive memory-keeping. We want to redefine what a childhood memory book can be: manageable, collaborative, design-led, and long-term.” Contact: Ruth Sturdy Company: Colour Chronicles Web Address: www.colourchronicles.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/colour.chronicles TikTok: www.ticktok.com/colour.chronicles Facebook: www.facebook.com/colourchroniclesthebookofyou
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