I am obsessed with scrapbooking and I know you are too! I think about it, talk about it, and do it any chance I get. I love to shop as much as I love to crop. My blog will have: product reviews, show reviews, scrapbook organization, my shopping finds, and just general scrapbook topics. There are so many scrap blogs out there where the author journals about their life and shares their pages. I wanted my blog to be a little different. Hope you enjoy!
Isn’t it cool that twice today it was 7-8-9-10-11-12?? In honor of this auspicious occasion, ELIZABETH KARTCHNER had THIS post on her blog…a fun little contest, and I decided to play. I’ve copied the rules below:
=================
Last night Collin thought of this cool idea to have everyone take a photo at the same time! Are you in? Here’s how to play:
1 Have your camera handy on July 8th-this Wednesday mary’s birthday! :)
2 Take a photo of whatever you are doing when your clock says 10:11 am or pm. (we won’t worry about timezones)
3 Challenge yourself to think outside of the box in how you take the photo or don’t worry about that part and just snap one real quick!
4 Post the photo on your blog or an online gallery. Leave a comment on my blog linked to your photo and be entered into a giveaway.
=================
HERE is Elizabeth’s post on her 10:11:12 photos. And here is the photo I snapped at 10:11. Now, the stupid clocks on my computers say 10:12 and 10:14, but my iPhone said 10:11, so that’s what we’re going with, LOL!
At 10:11:12 today, I was taking a break from work for a morning snackie. I work from home as a medical transcriptionist. The Macbook you see is my own computer which is usually on a pretty ocean slide show while I work and listen to music (PANDORA.COM) on low all day. But I opened it to show the clock and, what do you know, there is my Twitter page, LOL! My headphones are hangin’ on my laptop and that’s my fruit to the right….kiwi, banana, and watermelon. My Windows work computer screen sits up behind my laptop but I purposely cut off the screen ~ confidential, dontcha know. Sorry it’s such a dark pic. The room I’m in is west-facing so it’s quite dark until about 2pm when the sun crosses over the house.
Well, that was fun. That’s what I was doing on 7.8.09 @ 10:11:12 am….
Well, this is probably anticlimactic, since you’ve already seen The Box contents HERE. But I took photos of what I got and will post them anyway, along with the retail price of each item so you can get an idea of HOW worth it this purchase is. {I have rounded the prices up by 1 cent for ease of use, and did not show prices on my favorites at the bottom if they were already included in a prior photo}.
(7) sets of cardstock letter stickers {retail $2 each}
(7) sets of rub-ons in black and silver {retail $4 each}
(1) spiral sticker book, 191 pieces {retail $4.50}
(1) set of rub-ons {retail $4}
(2) sets of acrylic stamps {retail $14 each}
(1) sheet of paper {retail $.70}
This is my favorite sheet of regular paper. My kids have been eating orange cream popsicles this summer, so this paper was just made for me.
(1) sheet of shaped paper {retail $1}
This is my favorite shaped paper. Love the scallops and the lines for journaling…
My favorite acrylic stamps. These make me very happy :)
My favorite set of letter stickers. I love the bright color and this is one of my favorite letter sticker fonts ever. I just wish it included punctuation (brackets, asterisks, etc.) like some of their other lines do.
My favorite set of rub-ons…so classy looking.
(1) sheet of paper {retail $.70}
This is the only thing in the entire box that I don’t care for. Just not my style although the colors are great.
This is the sneak peek of one of their new lines for CHA, “Twilight.”
This was the only double-sided sheet of the bunch. It has a distressed black polka-dot on the back. I wonder if all their new lines will be double-sided? Not that there’s any doubt which side of THIS paper I’ll be using. Isn’t it cool?
If you’re now a Pink Paislee convert like I am, or have always loved them, HERE is a link to sneak peeks for the CHA-Summer releases later this month. I have to say, this kit totally converted me. Prior to this, all I had of PP was about 3 sheets of paper and some transparencies that I got in a monthly Memory Works kit. My LSS or any store around me has never sold PP, so I had NO idea how rockin’ it was! But seeing how cute it all is and what great quality, they are now in my top 5 favorite scrapbooking companies.
If you’re on the fence about this warehouse sale, I would definitely recommend buying it. I haven’t done the math but there is CLEARLY a huge value here. Just the 2 sets of acrylic stamps alone account for 1/2 the price of the entire box including shipping {$28 of $55}. They shipped very quickly and it was packed very well, nothing damaged. But you’d better hurry….SALE ENDS THIS FRIDAY, JULY 9!!
I got the box! I got the box! Pink Paislee box that is. By the time I got home yesterday with it, it was too dark to take photos. So, I just took pictures this morning and now I have to work all day. I will edit the photos and get everything posted tonight, so check back tomorrow.
I also hit Tuesday Morning and Michaels while in “the big city” yesterday. Look for posts about those stores later this week.
Otherwise, I’m preparing for my crop this Friday/Saturday. It’s the first one I’ve done since my “hiatus” from Memory Works from September 2008 til March 2009. I only have a few people signed up each day but enough to juuuuust break even on the room rental. If I don’t get any more attendees, I’ll lose money on the food/drinks and prizes. I don’t anticipate there being very many MW orders placed either. Have I said this economy sucks? Cuz it does. When a scrapper can’t even afford to go to a crop and buy a few goodies for her stash, something is DEFINITELY wrong. And, yeah, that’s what I’m hearing from my friends….they can’t even afford the crop fee right now much less doing any shopping. At least my mama will be cropping along side me both days, and I’ll get to see a few friends I haven’t talked to in a while, so it’ll be a fun weekend either way :)
We had a WONDERFUL day on the Fourth of July. My husband had to work most of the day/evening, so it was just the kids and I, but we were going and moving the entire day, and fell asleep on the couch at 10pm watching an old Katherine Hepburn movie.
As my kids lay beside me on the couch, passed out from the all the fun, with the black and white movie on low volume flickering on the TV, I was thinking about the awesome day we had had together. I started, you know, having a dialogue in my head with them and, no, I’m not flipping out on you. Still totally sane. But I’m sharing this because I think that moment led to what’s going to be some pretty good journaling on a future scrapbook layout.
I was thinking, in my mind saying to them, “I hope you remember the truly important things that happened today.” And it went a little something like this….
————
I hope you don’t ONLY remember that you got to eat a waffle cone downtown while we shopped, play with friends at a barbecue, and watch fireworks. I hope you remember all the other things that made the day so special to our family.
I hope you remember that, although your dad wasn’t with us today, it’s because he was working to provide for our family, so we can afford things like waffle cones. I hope you remember how much he loves us and takes care of us.
I hope you remember how much fun we had making our traditional Fourth of July desert on Friday night, Puppy Chow….how everyone took turns, cooperated, and made something yummy together.
I hope you remember how much we laughed today. I hope you remember that, when you were growing up, your family had a great, wicked, sarcastic, hilarious, laugh at the top of your lungs, sense of humor; how much we tease and push buttons, yet forgive and move on.
I hope you remember all the hugs we gave each other and all the kindness we showed each other, and showed others. Don’t forget that you kids held the door open for people when we entered stores, and said please and thank you to everyone we encountered. Remember how you were complimented by several people today for your manners.
I hope you remember that it was beautiful weather on this day, that God gave us sunshine and warmth during the day, and a clear night sky to see the fireworks (even though we were freezing!). I hope you never take for granted how lucky we are to live in this beautiful and amazing place.
I hope you remember, while we drove to all the places we went today, that you kids weren’t plugged into iPods or engrossed in GameBoys, but that we talked the entire time, about To Kill a Mockingbird, the President, random questions you had, what Independence Day means, and about how excited we are that Grandma is coming to visit.
I hope you remember our deli lunch not just for the Doritos and cool sandwich, but for the warmth of the sun on our necks as we sat outside, and the empathy you felt for the homeless man as we watched him scrounge his change together for a hot cup of coffee.
I hope you never forget that the Tea Party event we went to in the park wasn’t all about the hot dogs and the bounce house, but it was about our ability, our right, and our duty to speak up for what we believe in, no matter what it is and who agrees or doesn’t. You know in your heart what is right and wrong, and we will always support you in peacefully expressing it.
I hope you remember that you worried about the puppy being home alone while we went to watch fireworks, and that you ran to check on him on the second we got home. Because you are caring and responsible and good.
I hope you remember the big smile you gave me every time one of you said, “Thanks, Mom, for bringing us here. This is so fun!” or “Mom, thank you for getting that for us.” Your deep sense of gratitude brings tears to my eyes.
I hope you remember how lucky we are … to be the family we are.
I hope most of all you remember this: How amazingly much I love you, and how blessed I am, every holiday and every day, that you are in my life…
Love,
Mom
————
Actually, I didn’t take very many photos on Saturday {chose to “be in the moment” instead of “being in the camera” for once}, so this journaling may end up being the largest part of the layout, LOL. That’s okay, sometimes the journaling is more important than the pictures anyway, don’t you think? I often have these “quiet moments” where I talk to my kids or my husband, in my head but from my heart. But I’m always “too busy” or “too tired” to write them down. This time, I made myself do it and I’m so happy I did.
Have you ever had journaling come to you this way, the way mine did? I would love to hear about it …
No, I did not get my Pink Paislee box today. Because I went to the post office to pick it up….and they were closed. Due to the 4th of July holiday.
I’m in the kind of hell they send you to when you order THIS box of goodies from PINK PAISLEE, one of your favorite scrapbooking companies ever, and then hold the box that should rightfully be yours like some kind of scrappy hostage behind the locked doors and silver fold-down screen of a federal building.
But I’m not bitter.
Okay, to cheer myself up {or torture myself, depending on how you want to look at it…}, I’ve found OTHER ladies who have received THEIR Pink Paislee box and will share them now. As I sit here without my box. But that’s okay, ladies, you go ahead and enjoy your boxes. Really. I don’t mind. At. All.
Okay, here we go….
Gorgina from JUST TOO RANDOM blog posted hers HERE… she posted 4 pix over there.
Rebecca at PETEY’S PAGES blog posted her loot HERE…and here are her pix….
Rebecca also posted a list of all the things she got in her Pink Paislee box, and shows the new CHA sneak peak paper…go see on her blog.
HERE is where my AMR friend Julie posted about her box. She has lots of photos and even separated the goodies by line. Great post…go check it, home slice.
Okay. I can’t decide if that made me feel better or worse. But I did it for you ‘cuz you said you wanted to see pictures. I would do anything for you, really I would. You are my sistas from anotha’ motha’.
Hey, if YOU ordered a Pink Paislee warehouse sale box, let us know if you’ve received it or not. If ya did, leave a linkee to your blog so we can come drool…
Nope, it’s still not here. I signed up to get e-mails from USPS, to track it’s progress to me. I feel like a kid on December 24th, watching the satellite thing they have online that tracks how close Santa is getting to your house.
The e-mail I got at about noon on Thursday showed that my PINK PAISLEE BOX had shipped through Liberty, MO, processed through Kansas City, MO, processed through the LA area, and then the name of my town with “Notice Left” at 9:58am on 7/2 (Thursday). I hope that means it has arrived at my PO Box!! I wasn’t able to get to town today and check {what could me more important than that? I know!}. So, I’ll be up there when they open their doors in the morning and if it’s there, I’ll post a pic as soon as I can. If it’s not there, I just might cry. Scrappy tears.
You will find videos like THIS, THIS, and THIS. I love it. This is a girl totally after my own heart, LOL! There are other videos on scrapper’s “hauls,” too. After you search “scrapbook haul” and get your list of results, then use the drop down menu in the top middle to Sort by Newest. Just so you get the more recent ones….don’t want to get all excited about rushing down to Tuesday Morning for a great deal you saw….only to find out it was posted in August 2007, LOL.
Happy watching! And thanks ABBY for the first two linkees…you know me too well :)
My buddy CHRISPEA e-mailed today with a surprise…she made a new blog header for me! Don’t you love it. Her hubby MATT is an artist and she made him combine two of his drawings because she wanted the pink cell phone and the bird. They are both total sweethearts. Thank you so much Mr. and Mrs. Chrispea! I love it to pieces…
Now I just need to find some free help for the rest of my blog format (which I hate) and I’ll really be in business, LOL!
Yippy skip! My latest MEMORY WORKS order arrived last weekend. They always send things in these 13×13 boxes with lots of padding so nothing gets crushed or bent. That’s one thing I really like. This is a mix of items for myself, and things I’m going to sell.
Here’s a bunch of Cosmo Cricket cardstock stickers, rub-ons, and the free Cosmo Cricket tie I got from Memory Works as a promotional item.
Finally! I got some BO BUNNY “ABBY ROAD.” Ever since I saw THIS layout by Chrispea, I’ve been wanting some. I’m totally going to scraplift that.
—–
And then there’s BO BUNNY “CALYPSO” for all those fun summer layouts. We have a pool, we go to the lake and the ocean all summer, and we barbeque a lot. This looks like the perfect line for me, don’t you think?
This is the back side and closer look at two of the papers. These especially rock, in my opinion.
This is the cover sheet thingee from the CRATE PAPER “BLUE HILL” theme set {oops, no linkee, it’s already sold out! you gotta’ move quick around here, LOL}. I just luuuurve this color combination. Have you ever seen Crate Paper in person? It is THE best quality patterned paper. It’s cardstock thick and has a slight texture to it. It feels so luxurious…ROWR…
You get two of each paper and I alternated both sides so you can see them both. For instance, from the left, there are two sheets of that paper with the teal/peach pattern on one side and the solid teal on the other.
Here is the rest of the stuff I got in this special “retreat” pack, i.e. leftover class kits or things sold at the Memory Works retreat in June 2009. This was a great deal…all this Crate Paper stuff in one pack for $17.50.
This was also a special from the MW retreat…a birthday card set from the BASIC GREY “CUPCAKE” line. I’m going to offer them as make-n-takes at my crop. {No linkee here either, already sold out. Sheesh, glad I ordered when I did!}
And now my whining about not having any COSMO CRICKET “EARLY BIRD” will cease because it now holds it’s rightful place in my stash. Sweeeeeet!
This the front side of the papers in the theme set….
…and this is the back side of those same papers.
This is the Early Bird ELEMENTS and STICKERS. I got 2 of everything ~ 1 for me, 1 to sell. Again, loving the color combo, and those cherries are so stinkin’ cute. I’ve seen lotsa inspiration on various blogs for how to use this line and I can’t wait to get started.
It’s like Christmas in July, I tell ya’. What’s funny is I get the same amount of joy from receiving the items I’m going to keep and those I’m going to sell to customers. I don’t mind selling products that I have in stock and may really love … but I get to touch them first ;-)
Remember the Pink Paislee goodie box I talked about HERE? Well, I just got a shipping receipt and it’s on it’s way here! It left Kansas City, MO today. Whoo hoo! Come to mama! It should be here in the next couple days. Don’t you want to know what’s in it??? Don’t worry, I’ll show you, I promise.
ETA 7/1/09: Kristen at the EVERYDAY CREATIVENESS blog ordered the Pink Paislee box and received hers. Here is what she got:
Kristin lives in Switzerland. Erika lives in California. What is wrong with this picture? Hee hee, just giving her a hard time ‘cuz I’m jealous. Thanks for taking a pic, Kristen, so we could see what’s in the box!
I went to a crop Saturday, the one I talked about HERE. Only 4 of us ended up being able to go. I talked more than I cropped, and we stopped to eat twice (lunch/dinner) so I didn’t get much done. I completed 5 pages and started a 6th, and I was there from about 11:30 to 9. One thing I did different this time is that I promised myself I would get the journaling done AT the crop. I can’t tell you how many unfinished layouts are sitting on my desk from past crops, that were done, they “just need the journaling.” Ya’ got any of those on your desk? I mean, they’re, like, 30 minutes of effort away from being in a scrapbook for everyone to enjoy and yet…they’re on my desk. Why is journaling something I put off? I really do like to write, it’s not that. It’s like I lose my mojo to work on that layout once I leave the crop. But anyhow, that’s why I forced myself to journal these layouts and I’m glad I did. They are going straight into the album, baby!
Another new thing I tried was a technique that’s been around awhile but I’m always late to the party. I had a white Bazzill background, and I laid out the title of my layout with letter stickers (a block style of cardstock sticker alpha by American Crafts; $1 from Big Lots, LOL!). Then I went over the title in a circular motion with deep turquoise chalk ink by Martha Stewart (it’s just like the kind by COLORBOX). Then I removed the stickers and, voila! The white Bazzill showed through the turquoise ink and it looks rad. The only problem was some bleeding around about three of the letters, but it’s not that noticeable. At least, that’s what my sweet crop friends told me, LOL! I learned my lesson, though…make sure those suckers are stuck down pretty well before you rub the ink on. I like this technique so much, I used it again when I started that 6th layout. I used a different kind cardstock alpha sticker, made sure the letters were stuck down really good, and it came out great.
The Memory Works “party” part of it didn’t work out because, like me, everyone is broke, LOL! The hostess ordered some things and I’m going to split shipping with her and throw in something with her order. I can’t decide….the new Basic Grey ‘Junebug’ or ‘Lemonade’ (see them HERE and HERE), or Little Yellow Bicycle ‘Traveler’ (which I shared HERE). Tough decision. If you could get something from these lines, what would you get?
I’ve also been eyeing this for a while…THE COTTAGE Theme Set by Scrap Within Reach, which is a company that’s new to me and I have nothing of theirs yet. I’m curious what the quality is like/what it’s like in person. I love the colors and it seems a very versatile set to work with. And the price is good ~ you get six 12×12 sheets of double-sided patterned cardstock paper for $5.75, so less than a dollar a sheet for double-sided cardstock PP…not bad.
I just posted all the new BG ‘Lemonade’ stuff that’s now being carried by Memory Works HERE. Now, I want to show you ‘Junebug’ by Basic Grey, which we also just got in stock. {To place an order, please click on the bold product name}.
HERE is some inspiration from the Basic Grey website.
My favorite things in this line are the Woolies and the Alpha Stickers. Oh, and that Navy Doilie is sooooo pretty! Did you see the dogs in the Chip Sticker Shapes? The pink poodle is especially cute.
I think my favorite products are the “doilies” papers; love the intricate cut outs. Also, the Take Note die cut transparencies with the backing. Such a unique product…don’t think I’ve seen anything like that before.
What are your thoughts on this new line from BG – like or no like?
Well, my bags are packed and I’m going to a small crop with friends today. There are 6 or 7 of us who try and meet up every few months, which I love, because I never seem to crop at home anymore. The only time I get anything done is at crops. Anyhoo, since I’m starting up doing MEMORY WORKS again, I asked the hostess if she wanted to turn the crop today into and MW “party” so she could have the hostess credits. I was happy she said yes. So what happens is I take new catalogs and some products with me today and sell/take orders. Everything that’s ordered will be shipped together to the hostess and she distributes it to everyone. Which is easy, since we all live near each other and see each other often. The cool thing is you “share the shipping” that way instead of each customer paying it themselves. And the best part is the hostess, if we reach $150 in orders, gets a hostess credit. It’s a win-win. Actually, I’m a bit concerned with so few of us that we won’t meet the $150 minimum. It’s such a tough economy and I know everyone can’t afford to scrapbook spend the way they used to. If we get close to $150, I may add my own items to the order, so that my hostess can earn her rewards. But I just spent the last of my birthday money on THIS, so I don’t have a ton to spend right now either. Well, I’m just hoping it works out.
The main thing is this….I GET TO SCRAPBOOK TODAY!!!!! Even if the MW order thing doesn’t work out, I’m one massively happy camper. I was up late packing for the crop last night and am fairly disorganized. I’m here at the computer this morning printing photos (and order forms). So we’ll see how it goes. Hopefully, I packed enough of the right things to make some kickin’ layouts, LOL!
Hope you’re having a fabulous weekend. Do you have any plans for creative time?
11.75×5.75 paper tablet designed to work with the chipboard album.
I have to admit, I’m kind of a collector of travel-themed papers. I’ve scrapped some long trips (12 days in Europe, 8 days in northwest US, etc.), and have a few more on the Scrap To Do list. I’m always on the lookout for cool travel papers and I really like this line. The colors are bright but distressed (did that even make sense?), and the color combo will go with just about any travel photos. No, I promise I won’t dress my family in navy polos and orange jackets on our next trip! Really, I won’t (wink). Nah, this line will match the photos on it’s own.
I think my favorite item is the Journaling Tablet. Yeah, you know me, a sucker for journaling spots…. And I love the paper shaped like a highway sign, with the journaling lines.
HERE is a link to their website gallery with some great inspiration ~ projects using the LYB Traveler line…
What do you think of this new line, “Traveler” by Little Yellow Bicycle?
HERE is a link to Shabby Green Door, a division of DAISY BUCKET DESIGNS. So far, their site shows one complete line called “Farmer’s Market.” Here is a peek, some of my favorite pieces:
Next, we have a new company called NIKKI SIVILS, SCRAPBOOKER. As of this writing, her website isn’t up yet, so I’ve also linked to her BLOG. Nikki’s blog, if you scroll back quite a ways, is a very interesting read on the process of starting a scrapbooking product line. Here are 2 of the 6 upcoming lines:
“Victoria’s Dream Street”
“My Sweet Cherry Pie”
Both of these new companies are debuting at CHA Summer in July 2009. I so admire anyone who’s making a “go” of it in this industry right now. I wish them the bestest of luck :)
…Chris Hertel aka Chrispea. Woot woot!! I am honored to “know” this talented scrapper through 2peas and AMR, and she always leaves nice and fun comments on my blog. Read about her exciting win HERE. {Hint, she will be PUBLISHED in CK!!!} HERE is where Miss Chris celebrates on her wonderful blog. And HERE is where all the AMR girls say Congrats!
Oh, I forgot the most important part. Here is the layout that will be published.
“Birthday Cake & a Cookie” by Chris Hertel
I voted for her because I love the 2 page layout, that it was paper not digi (like some of the other nominees), that she got so many photos, her title, and the colors. Well, I could go on and on. This is one I will definitely scraplift … now THAT is the sign of a good layout! If you have time, please go to Chris’ BLOG and leave her some congratulatory love, won’t ya?
Something told me I’d better not hmm and haw on this this one or I’d miss out. I went ahead and ordered a box. I’ve never taken advantage of one of these warehouse sale or grab box kind of things, and I always regret it when I hear what cool stuff everyone else got. So I just went for it this time. I had some birthday money waiting for something special and then Pink Paislee presented a deal I couldn’t resist.
Oh, what’s that you say? You would like to know what I’m talking about??? Oh, yeah, HERE is the link! Happy shoppin’…Let me know if you ordered and we can be giddy together!
ETA 6-23-09: These boxes “begin shipping on 6/29, first come first served,” so I expect mine in early July. I will DEFINITELY show you pics of what I get! I’m so excited…eeeeee!
