A fellow blogger posted this question over on the 2peas message board (thread is HERE). I thought I’d share my answer, well, on my blog! Here is what my answer was:
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I started my scrapbook blog over 3 years ago because I am truly obsessed with scrapbooking and I wanted someone to “talk to” who would understand. I have IRL friends who scrapbook but I only see them at crops every few months, and we talk about scrapbooking for hours while we scrap. But I got tired of holding all my good info for crops, LOL! DH calls it “crap-booking,” so you can see I get no support at home, lol …
So I started my blog as a place where I could write down all the thoughts I was having on the industry (which was much more hoppin’ and not quite so depressing at the time). I also wanted to share the deals I found, talk about SB events I went to, what was going on at my LSS’s (used to have 7, now have none), drool over new products, tell scrappers what TV shows and movies featured scrapping, etc.
About a year ago, I started incorporating my thoughts and experiences about being a scrapbook consultant, in the hopes that I can save others from making any mistakes I did, share what’s been successful for me, and again … drool over all the new products Also, I’m often asked questions about becoming a consultant and it’s nice to have one place I can refer people to for information.
Due to the economy, I’ve had to work a lot more hours and I don’t get to blog as much as I used to, and I REALLY REALLY miss it. I so enjoy the comments people leave … even just looking at my blog stats and seeing that people do read what I’m sharing. It makes me feel really good inside. I truly enjoy the exchanges I have there about scrapbooking and I think I’ll keep doing my blog forevah!
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So, why do YOU blog?
Basic Grey recently announced they will have some mid-releases due out in June 2010. As a big BG fan, I was excited to hear this and even more excited when I took a peek and fell in love with these two new lines … let’s start with some pretty good teasers …
And here are links to the entire OLIVER and OLIVIA lines on the Basic Grey website ~ yahoo! {To get a closer look at each item, hover over it with your pointer and the photo will enlarge}.
As you can see, each line has a TON of items in it, including some new kinds of embellishments like Cozy Posies, Decorative Clips, Gummies, and my personal favorites, CANVAS TAGS and PIECES.
I’ll admit I’m not totally crazy about the little animal guys, and would probably only use them on baby pages, but there are so many papers and embellishments that don’t contain them, I’m sure these collections will be joining my own personal collection :)
And as if Oliver and Olivia weren’t enough summer excitement, Basic Grey is also going to add elements to their BASICS line in June 2010! Talk about a hot seller! I notice that Memory Works has already sold out of some of this line (although the owner assures us the stock will be replenished soon). I also noticed on the Basic Grey website that a lot of the current Basics items show “out of stock.” Hmmm … just letting you know so when the new Basics items come out in June, don’t hesitate or you might not be able to get any right away.
To get the whole scoop, read Kelly Goree’s blog HERE. Please go and see the gorgeous layouts she’s already making with “Oliver” and “Olivia.”
Go HERE to see what the Peas have to say, and if you’re a member of Scrapbook Sisters Studio, you can see our chat about it HERE.
On the MEMORY WORKS consultant message board, I posted my excitement over all the new BG goods and the owner confirmed that we WILL be carrying all of these new Basic Grey items. Made my day, it did. So when June rolls around and you decide you need this new Basic Grey, give me a HOLLAH!
What do you think of Oliver, Olivia, and the new Basics items? Is it a “hit” or a “miss” for Basic Grey this time around?
On May 1st, I had some CONTESTS on my blog for prizes. I picked the winners Monday morning (with the gracious help of RANDOM.ORG) and notified them by e-mail. I heard back from all the winners so without further adieu, here are the lucky girlz:
Contest #1 – Scavenger Hunt
Winner: Karen!
She won her choice of a Simple Stories LIFE DOCUMENTED KIT or a package of 25 pocket page protectors by WE R MEMORY KEEPERS; she went with the page protectors. Great choice. They are so flexible, easy to work with, and can make for some quick projects :)
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Contest #2 – Your Favorite Products
Winner: Julie!
She won up to $25 worth of scrapbooking products from my Memory Works WEBSITE! Here is what she chose:
Girls Paperie: Theme Set – On Holiday $7
Pink Paislee: Theme Set – 365 Degrees $5.50
BasicGrey: Theme Set – Basics Kraft $5.50
I have the PP “365 Degrees” theme set and the BG “Basics Kraft” theme set, and know she’s going to love them. I’ve been wanting the Girls Paperie “On Holiday,” so Julie, you’ll have to let me know how you like it when your goodies come in the mail.
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Contest #3 – Inspire Us
Winner: Gloria!
She had her choice of any scrapbooking or card sketches book from SCRAPBOOK GENERATION. Gloria chose “Sketches for Scrapbooking, Volume 5.” Good choice … you can’t go wrong with these books.
Here are the 4 entries received for the Inspire Us contest and what supplies they used that are also sold byMEMORY WORKS.
A sweet layout with some really cute kids by ERICA. She used Jenni Bowlin BUTTERFLIES.
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A gorgeous layout by JULIE (winner of game #3!), using QUEEN BEE papers from Pink Paislee and a great sketch from the MY LITTLE SKETCH BOOK blog.
I’m so glad we have a special day just for us, aren’t you? LOL I hope you’re turning this into National Scrapbook WEEKEND and having a blast gettin’ your craft on!
Thank you for stopping by. In celebration of this wonderful day, I’d like to invite you to play 2 games and enter a contest for some pretty nice prizes.
Now, I’ll admit that a set of 3 “somethings” that a vendor was going to send me ~ and I was going to RAK to you as prizes today ~ did not arrive as yet. But I’ve happily supplied some other prizes and we’ll just have to have another special giveaway day later, won’t we??? It’s a win/win for you, my sweet scrap buddy :)
So here we go … And please note these are open to US players only (rules at very bottom) …
GAME #1: SCAVENGER HUNT
1. Go to the SIMPLE STORIES ONLINE CATALOG (this is a .pdf that may take a bit to load).
a. Page 1 (after the title page) – If your party has $250-299 in total sales, how much does the Hostess get in free product?
b. Page 9 – How much do the We R Memory Keepers 12×12 D-Ring Linen Albums cost?
2. Go to the Memory Works SPRING 2010 CATALOG, Basic Essentials (again, it’s a .pdf file) and answer these questions:
a. What is the first product you see?
b. Page 46 – What is your favorite color of Stickles on this page? (There is no wrong answer, as long as the color you like is shown on this page)
c. Page 50 – How much does a Glue Glider Pro cost?
3. Go to MY MEMORY WORKS WEBSITE, and click on Shop Our Products:
a. Click Clearance Sale, then American Crafts. Two types of AC items are on Clearance … Thickers and ___________?
b. Click on New Art Tools and Metal Stamps. What is the brand name sold in this section?
c. Click on Fancy Pants. What color is the “My Family” alphabet?
d. Click on New Cardstock. Memory Works used to carry Prism cardstock. They now carry which brand?
E-mail your answers to scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com by the deadline down below. Each entry that is 100% correct will be entered to win …. (drumroll please!) …
Your choice of a Simple Stories “LIFE DOCUMENTED” KIT ($16.99 value) or We R Memory Keepers PAGE PROTECTORS, 25-pack of 4×6 horizontal ($11.50 value)!!!
GAME #2: YOUR FAVORITE PRODUCTS
This game is SOOOOOO easy … and fun! Just go browse around MY MEMORY WORKS WEBSITE. Click on Shop Our Products and then click on each brand or category as you wish. Then come back and tell me in Comments (by the deadline below) what you would buy if you had $25 to spend @ Memory Works. The retail value MUST be $25.00 or less total. You know why? Because the prize for the lucky winner is … $25 worth* of Memory Works products! And I want you to receive exactly what you want. Just think of me as The Scrapbook Fairy … I want nothing but scrap happiness for you :)
*Retail value, not counting tax or shipping and handling (total prize worth upwards of $35!)
Please choose items that are in stock right now. If the item(s) you’ve chosen become unavailable by the time I place the order, I’ll contact the winner to negotiate another selection they are happy with :)
“INSPIRE US” CONTEST
Make a layout or card using ANY product shown on my MEMORY WORKS WEBSITE. Seriously, anything. There are tons and tons of products shown. Find a sheet of paper, a flower, a Stickles color, or use a tool that Memory Works currently sells and you happen to have in your stash. If you don’t have any products in your stash that qualify, use a product that’s similar and explain what you did (“I used black Thickers that are similar to the puffy ones that Memory Works carries.”)
Post your layout or card on your blog, to your Flicker, your Facebook, whatever. Then come here and leave a link in Comments. If you have nowhere to post it, e-mail it to me and I’ll post it on my blog; my e-mail: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. All entries posted by the deadline below will be placed in a drawing for the prize of … a SKETCHES FOR SCRAPBOOKING or CARDMAKING book by SCRAPBOOK GENERATION ~ your choice! That’s a $12.99 value, my friend … {If for some crazy reason, you don’t want one of these fabulous sketch books, we can chat and I’ll send you something of equal value from Memory Works, K?}
I reserve the right to show off ALL entries on my blog. I hope you will inspire us!
PLEASE NOTE: For all games and contests, the deadline to enter is ****Friday, May 7 at 12 midnight PST****. One entry PER GAME per person (you can enter all 3). Open to scrappers with a United States mailing address only. If you win, you’ll need to provide a mailing address to me via e-mail. If you don’t leave a way to contact you, I will not enter you in the drawing(s).
When you leave entries via Comments, make sure it links back to you or I won’t be able to contact you if you win! If you don’t have a blog or website to link, e-mail me, K?
We’ve had GREEN AT HEART and KIOSHI for a while, and I showed you HERE the new line in stock called “BASICS.” Well, we also now have in stock “CAPPELLA” and “MAX & WHISKERS.” Yes! I’ve been waiting for these as I know many of you have. Today I’ll post about Cappella and next time will be about Max & Whiskers.
Without further adieu, let’s take a look at what you can order:
“Cappella” by Basic Grey
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Okay, I’m going to make an embarrassing confession: When this line hit the Memory Works website yesterday, I quickly proceeded to order 2 of the theme sets and 1 of just about every other item in the line (I didn’t get the buttons, the rub-ons, or the card kit). Wanna’ know why I went so crazy? Because I’ve been looking for years ~ YEARS, I tell ya! ~ to find a line that is worthy of scrapbooking my wedding photos with. And I have found it … Basic Grey “Cappella.” I should’ve known it would be Basic Grey {swoon!}.
So I had to search no further for inspiration than the amazing blog of KELLY GOREE. Here is a wedding layout she did using “Cappella” which I just adore.
LAYOUT BY KELLY GOREE for BASIC GREY
Gosh, that’s so dang pretty! I think it’ll be perfect for my wedding photos. A few months ago, I got some of Basic Grey’s old line “BLACK TIE.” I wonder if these two lines will coordinate? Hmmm…
Anyway …. If you’d like to order any of the new Basic Grey lines, my Memory Works website is HERE. Instructions for how to order are HERE. My contact information is HERE if you have ANY questions or would like me to place your order for you.
I take Paypal or check/money order. The shipping is very quick and great customer service. (US residents only)
Order all Basic Grey “Basics” HERE or e-mail me and I’ll get them ordered for you: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com!
PS: We also have Basic Grey “Max & Whiskers” and “Capella” that we’ve all been waiting for! I’ll blog about those tomorrow but you can order them as of NOW :)
The company I’m a consultant for, MEMORY WORKS, now has 4 very special promotional items in stock to celebrate the upcoming National Scrapbook Day.
Here, I’ll give you a hint:
We have 4 kits, all from the My Minds Eye “Laundry Line” collection and each one is only $18.75!
Considering they’re a $50 value, that’s an amazing price. It’s a savings of 63% …
Each kit includes:
18 glittered 12×12 papers
an assortment of rub-ons
adhesive chipboard borders
adhesive chipboard accessories
cardstock die cuts
chipboard die cuts
journaling cards
titles
Below are the 4 kits by My Minds Eye (MME).
~ The first photo of each kit is what actually comes in the MME kit sold by Memory Works for $18.75; this photo is from the Memory Works website.
~ Below that, I have added photos of each ENTIRE line from the MY MINDS EYE website, so you can have a closer look at the items.
*** TO CLARIFY:
The first photo shows what actually comes in the kit.
The additional photos are merely to show what some of the items you’re getting look like. (Disclaimer? DONE!) For example, the MME-website photos might show “trims” and “stamps,” but the kit from Memory Works does NOT include those. The MW kit DOES include a lot of the papers, titles, die cuts, borders, etc. shown in the additional photos.
The MME-website photos are SO kewl, with their glittery, moving pictures, that I had to share them. I think they also give a better view of the products.
Okay, let’s go peep some awesome My Minds Eye, shall we?
My Minds Eye – Laundry Line – SUNDRESS KIT ORDER HERE
Similar kits are being sold on Amazon.com for $29.99. Go ahead, click HERE if you don’t believe me!
I put one of each in my shopping cart for now, so they don’t sell out before I have a chance to look at each kit more closely and decide which one(s) I want :) If you’re interested in a kit or two, I’d do the same thing. Something tells me these kits ~ for this price ~ will go fast.
Yes, these scrapbook kits are in honor of National Scrapbook Day, which is May 1st, 2010, but they are available NOW! If you have any questions, or I can help you place your order, please contact me: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
I went to a crop with friends last Saturday and had a blast. I took my laptop, little Epson Picturemate PRINTER, and all my SIMPLE STORIES stuff so I could try and get caught up with my PROJECT 365. I’ve been seriously lagging, gurl … mmm hmmm! I’ve continued to take photos every day (well, I thought I had, ha) but I hadn’t scrapped or journaled anything since (gulp) early February.
At the crop, I spent the better part of 7 hours just choosing, editing, and printing 10 weeks worth of photos … yep, 70 photos! Yike, that was intense. As I went along, I realized that I hadn’t been taking an actual “photo a day” like I thought I had. There were definitely 7+ photos per week but some days I had none, other days I had 10, kwim? So printing out my photos took WAY more time than it should have, because I had to first print out photos that had for each actual date, then try to find “filler” pics that weren’t day/date-specific to fill in the blanks with.
I thought about just switching my project from “photo a day” to “7 photos per week” but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Yet in a weird way, I hated the “fibbing” that I had to do in order to have a photo to print for each day. Isn’t that psycho weird? I know. I can’t help it. I also hated that it took so much extra time and effort … It made something that should’ve been fun into a chore, a hassle, and that’s SO not what I want this project to be.
So I came away from that little nightmare experience recommitted to taking, literally, a photo per day. I put a Post It note on my kitchen cupboard that I’ll see every day to remind me. I definitely have no shortage of photo subjects, I just get so busy, I forget to take the photo sometimes. My photo today was of all the (non-perishable) stuff that was still sitting on the kitchen counter from my Costco trip yesterday. I HAYTE putting Costo groceries away. They’re even worse than regular groceries. Can I get an “amen”?!?!?
That might seem a silly thing to take a photo of, and pre-Project 365, I never would have taken that photo. But I think it will be a fun thing to look back on in years to come … “The things we used to buy at Costco and how mom hated putting them away so much, they would stay on the counter for a day or two.” Cuz that’s real life around here, folks! And that’s what my Project 365 is all about.
I’m sorry to say that I don’t have any completed pages to share. Since I was SO far behind, I decided the best way to get caught up was to use a “one step at a time” approach. Instead of printing the photos for a week, choosing the papers, embellishing, and journaling, I got ALL the photos printed and put in the page protector slots (or at least an approximation of where they will go). Then I chose the Simple Stories paper/strip/cards I would use as the base for each open slot. And that’s as far as I got.
Now I need to embellish and journal 10 weeks worth and I’ll be caught up. Well, let me rephrase that: I’ll be caught up through April 11, 2010. And then I’ll be only a week ~ no, make that two ~ behind, LOL! Wish me luck that I can get caught up by this weekend … that’s the goal.
If you’re doing Project 365 this year, how’s it going for you? Please tell me you’re not in the same dire straits as I am! And if you’re not doing Project 365, doesn’t my post make you happy that you’re not?!?!? Yeah, that’s me, a cautionary tale for Project 365.
~ You know how for the last many months on my blog, I’ve been torturing you with lame photos I’ve taken with my iPhone because my camera bit the big one? Well, I’m happy to report that I FINALLY got a new camera! It’s nothing super fancy, but it takes WAY better photos than my phone, LOL.
Here is the lovely I got:
It’s a Kodak Easyshare Z915 and the feature I love the most if the 10x zoom! It’s basically the updated version of the camera I used to have, the Kodak Easyshare DX6490, which I luh-huh-huved. My new camera retails for $200 but I found it at WALMART.COM for $121 and a few dollars shipping.
Happy happy joy joy!
~ NATIONAL SCRAPBOOKING DAY is coming up: Saturday, May 1st! I’m going to have something going on here at the Scrapbook Obsession blog that day, including a contest and a game, with PRIZES! I hope you’ll put that on your calendar and stop by on May 1st, or soon after :)
~ I was contacted recently by someone with a cool scrapbook-related product. They’re supposed to send me several free items to give away to you, my lovely readers. I don’t want to say too much until the package arrives, but consider yourself teased!
~ Word on the street is that MICHAELS will soon be resetting their scrapbook aisles and the reset will include OCTOBER AFTERNOON and SASSAFRASS! A rumor could be just a rumor, but it would make sense given all the things they had on clearance lately, the empty racks, and the fact that products from CHA-Winter 2010 are hitting the market as we speak. I hope Mike’s really does get the October Afternoon. Without an LSS, I don’t have anywhere locally to get any and I love their new lines (samples below), THE THRIFT SHOP and FLY A KITE, respectively:
~ Speaking of new products hitting the market, I haven’t given you an update of what MEMORY WORKS has new in stock … but I will soon. However, I do want to point out right now – since so many people are looking for these – is that we do have a bunch of the CHIP ART TOOLS AND METAL STAMPS by GCD and MELODY ROSS!!! Here’s a peek at just one of the many items we carry:
I saw these demo’d recently and think this will be the new “frenzy” item, aka the hot thing that everyone wants. Check out the GCD BLOG to see some projects the Chip Art products have been used on. I would love to help you get these GCD items! My website is HERE. Directions on how to place an order and how to contact me with questions are HERE.
As I mentioned HERE, the new Memory Works catalog is out for Spring 2010, along with a lot of the new scrapbooking items from CHA-Winter 2010. As soon as I heard the catalogs were out, I placed an order right away and, as always, it arrived within just a few days.
I’m gonna share pics of everything I ordered so you can see what it REALLY looks like, K?
My favorite part … opening the box … it’s so fun! Here are the catalogs right on top, and a peek at the embellies I ordered.
In case you’d like to order a catalog (how to do that is HERE), I thought I’d show you some sample pages of what it looks like inside.
Here are the pages for DEAR LIZZY by AMERICAN CRAFTS, and a company that’s new to Memory Works called GIRLS PAPERIE. I’m so excited to have them on board. Their products are very cute. I’ll have to do a separate post about them later.
Here’s two of the pages showing our new SIMPLE STORIES products that have been amazingly popular.
Here’s a line that’s going to BE very popular, I’m sure: BASICS* by BASIC GREY.
*Basics is not released yet so it will currently show Out of Stock at the above link, but it’ll show as available as soon as it’s in stock. Not too much longer, I think!
Okay, now the fun goodies. Here’s the Dear Lizzy premium RIBBON including that adorable rose ribbon that I’ve been dying to have.
These are the front and back sides of the “Dear Lizzy” THEME SET.
I got these “Flower Child” FLOWERS by BO BUNNY to use with my Simple Stories album; the colors will coordinate very well. I ordered an extra to sell at crops. I love how they’re embossed which kind of gives them a rounded petal, and the dark red large flower is such a deep red, it’s gorgeous.
Here are the “Green at Heart” RUB-ONS by BASIC GREY. They are definitely prettier in person; the colors are bright but not super, blind your eyes bright, kwim?
These are “DELIGHT LEAF” Thickers by American Crafts, and they’re made of fabric.
I tried to take a closer photo with my iPhone to show you the texture, but it doesn’t look like I succeeded. {I finally ordered my new camera and should have it in a week or so. I can’t WAIT!}
Here is the “Kioshi” THEME SET by Basic Grey. The colors are SO amazing in person! This reminds me of the Old School BG that I knew and loved. {Front and back sides}.
Finally, the piece de resistance, all the MAMA-RAZZI line by BO BUNNY!!! I’ve been talking about Mama-razzi since way back HERE, so you can imagine how excited I was to get all this.
I got two packs of the LAYERED STICKERS; one for me, one to sell. Also, the iCandy glazed BRADS.
The stickers are 3-D … :)
Here are both sides of the CUT-OUTS. I can’t believe they’re only $1. Think of all the mileage you can get out of this one sheet. I’m going to order another one, so I can use both sides. I can’t see any parts that I don’t want to use.
These are the COMBO STICKERS, where you get border stickers, regular stickers, AND an alpha. Pretty kewl.
Could this sheet of die-cut paper BE any prettier!?!? I don’t think so. Love it.
It comes from the THEME SET, the rest of which is below (front and back sides).
Oh, and just ‘cuz I love Bo Bunny, I got these “Roughin’ It” CUT-OUTS. Won’t they be cute for camping layouts? This is the front and back …
Okay, I hope you enjoyed the tour inside my Memory Works shipping box, LOL! I’m so excited to get all of it.
If you’d like to order anything from Memory Works, HERE is my website and HERE are some instructions. If you have any questions, please e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
I just got my first look at the Memory Works Express (MWE) kit for April 2010 and thought I’d share. Is this stinkin’ adorable or what?
Here are some sample layouts and cards with the “Strawberry Kisses” kit.
I don’t currently get the monthly kit but I’m going to have to break down and buy this one. Come to think of it, I might just join up with a subscription again. I’ve really liked recent months of this kit.
For example, HERE was March 2010 called “Delight” …
THIS was the February 2010 kit called “Mamma Mia” …
And this was the January 2010 kit, “Beginnings.”
Yeah, I need to just break down and subscribe. I love every kit that comes out, and it’s definitely a good deal. Here is some information about the MEMORY WORKS EXPRESS KIT. If you would like to order a single kit, or subscribe for the monthly kit, check out my website HERE. If you have any questions about Memory Works Express, feel free to e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
Squeee! I’m SO excited! The new scrapbook items from CHA Winter 2010 have been rolling in to my Memory Works WEBSITE. I’ve been posting about some of them but not all. Here is what we have so far:
AMERICAN CRAFTS including Dear Lizzy, new Thickers, awesome new adhesives, and our NEW line of AC CARDSTOCK! (see my post HERE for the Dear Lizzy)
BO BUNNY Mamarazzi, Sophie, Flower Child, Paradise, and Roughin It (See my post about Mamarazzi HERE and you KNOW I’m so stinkin’ excited about that one! I already have 2 of each item in my shopping cart … 1 for me, 1 to sell :)
COSMO CRICKET Garden Variety, Material Girl, Joyride, and Tiny Type alphas (I blogged about them HERE)
JENNI BOWLIN Vintage Buttons and Embellished Butterflies
MY LITTLE SHOEBOX Flying High, Away We Go, Just Add Butter, and All Aflutter (What a great company! They’re completely new to Memory Works and I’m loving all the bright, fun colors)
MY MINDS EYE Jack and Jill, Little Boy Blue, and Little Miss Muffet. We also have all the “Lush” lines … Black Lush, Red Lush, Pink Lush, Brown Lush, Blue Lush, and Green Lush.
TERESA COLLINS BeBe Boy, BeBe Girl, Mr. and Mrs., and Welcome Home
THREE BUGS IN A RUG Great Outdoors, Savannah, Little Chick, and Animal Stackers
*If an item says Out of Stock, that just means it hasn’t arrived in the warehouse yet but is on the way. Please try back soon. If you’re waiting on something specific, e-mail me { scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com } and I can notify you when it arrives. Most consultants don’t do that, but I DO because I respect your scrapbook jones like no one else does :)
Okay, all of THAT is exciting enough, right?!?! I mean, MAMARAZZI people! Remember when I hoped so badly that Memory Works would carry it and now they DO! I am SO going to find that class kit and make that adorable mini-album with it.
So today home office also released our new Spring 2010 catalog, like, WAY early! We usually don’t get them until late March/early April. I have .pdf downloads (they broke it up into 4 sections for faster download times) and will post those soon.
Better yet, you can order a REAL paper catalog from me and I’ll mail it to ya. {JINGLE, did those cupcakes catch your eye? They are throughout the cattie, LOL!}
Here’s what I’m gonna’ do … I’m going to order 10 catalogs today. They cost me $3 each, and to mail them out costs about $2-3 depending on how far they’re going. Honestly, it’s always been a big money loser for me because I spend about $5 per sent catalog. I just can’t afford to do that anymore, I’m sorry :( But if you would like a catalog (and believe me, you do ~ they are SO pretty in person!), please e-mail me { scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com } and let me know. I’ll invoice you $4 via Paypal and send it right out. Sound fair? That’s a great price for such a nice piece of eye candy, and way cheaper than those “other” direct sales companies charge, am I right?
Okay, so all this just totally made my day. Let me know if you’d like a catalog or for me to “scrap watch” any items for you. Also, you can order HERE any of the above fabulous new items, not to mention all the existing products we have :)
I know a lot of you have been looking for the new CHA RELEASES from BASIC GREY. Well, we now have 2 of the new lines in stock: “Green at Heart” and “Kioshi.” (^^^ Click on the Basic Grey link to buy some).
Here is a tease of the Green at Heart; these are just 3 of the products we carry:
THEME SET
STITCHED BRADS
PIECES
Here are 3 layouts of amazing inspiration from the crazy-talented KELLY GOREE (for Basic Grey).
I’m thinking this line is going to be great for all those Spring photos we have coming up. Seeing the warm orange, grassy green, and pretty pink makes me wish all this rain would go away (or snow for a lot of you, right?). I’m ready for some sunshine and flowers and the smell of fresh cut grass … ah, Spring!
Here is summa that Kioshi (this is just a portion of what we carry):
THEME SET
CANVAS TAGS
POISIES DOILIES
Kioshi makes me think of winter to spring, calm, zen, relax, and unwind. It’s got that Asian vibe, but not so much so that you can’t use it for just about anything. I love the soft color combo on this one. Ultra pretty … Here’s 3 more amazing layouts by Kelly Goree (for Basic Grey) …
Oh my. Kelly is SO scary talented, it amazes me. Year after year, she creates layouts that make you just want to gobble up that BASIC GREY. They are very lucky to have her. Thanks for all the inspiration, Kelly!
Again, if you’d like to purchase some Green at Heart or Kioshi, click HERE to link to my Memory Works website and order away! If you have any questions, e-mail me @ scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
Whoo hoo! Just got an e-mail from Memory Works saying that all the American Crafts “Dear Lizzy” papers have arrived. See my last blog entry for more details and all the eye candy …
I haven’t heard excitement over a new line like this for a while. It’s called “Dear Lizzy” by American Crafts and it’s the talk of the message boards and blogs. So happy to find out that MEMORY WORKS now carries it!
Before we get down to that, let’s talk about ELIZABETH KARTCHNER, the designer of this new line. Let me lay it down for ya’ …
~ Elizabeth Kartchner is also know as Lizzy K.
~ She was CREATING KEEPSAKES magazine’s “Scrapbooker of the Year” in 2007.
~ She is a wonderful photographer, has an adorable and fun family, and one of the greatest blogs around (I linked it above).
~ In November 2009, her idea book came out; it’s called “52 MORE SCRAPBOOKING CHALLENGES” {a follow-up to “52 Scrapbooking Challenges” by Elsie Flannigan, both published by Creating Keepsakes … make sense?}. Here’s another LINK to it.
~ She partnered with AMERICAN CRAFTS on a scrapbooking line which was introduced at CHA-Winter 2010, and Lizzy has started a LIZZY K CRAFTS blog to keep us in the loop about it.
And honestly, could she BE any prettier? Funny and cute, too :)
HERE and HERE are looks at the line from when American Crafts showed their sneak peeks of it prior to CHA. I’ve been drooling over it ever since, and am thrilled that the time has come to buy some!
Here are a couple layouts showing what you can do with the Dear Lizzy line …
BY ELIZABETH KARTCHNER, from the American Crafts blog
BY ELIZABETH KARTCHNER, from the American Crafts blog
Do we all want that rose ribbon or what???
Shipments from this line are just coming in to Memory Works, and some items are not “in stock” yet on the website. However, I’m going to list them all in this post anyway because I’m sure everything will be here soon :) Besides, TOTAL EYE CANDY!
If you click on BUY IT, you’re not committed or anything, LOL! It just links you to the item on my MW website so you can see the price and if it’s in stock.
Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Fabric Paper, “Apricot Afternoon” BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Fabric Paper, “Garden Gala” BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Clear Stamps, “Warble” large set BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Whistle” small set BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Large Fabric Brads BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Shiny Flair BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – Chirp Details BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Lovely” Ribbon BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – chipboard Thickers, “Bliss” accent in coffee BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Flutter” Dimensional Stickers BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Fancy” Phrase Stickers BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Pounce” Rub-On Phrases BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Fire” Thickers, Pink, Puffy BUY IT
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Dear Lizzy by American Crafts – “Bliss” Thickers, Coffee, Glitter BUY IT
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So, are you a fan of Elizabeth Kartchner’s? What do you think of her new line? Ya gonna buy* or “wish list” any of it? Here’s my Top 5:
1. Theme set … I need a little bit o’ all those papers.
2. “Lovely” ribbons … Got to have that rose ribbon fo’ sho’.
3, Thickers “Bliss” chipboard accents … Love that they are glittered.
Oh, and both sets of Thicker letters, of course, but those are a given, a staple, a ‘must have so why bother wish-listing it’ kind of item.
* Truly, NO pressure whatsoever to buy it from me {Go LSS! Go 2peas! I support them all!}, but if you’re planning to, don’t wait too long. I have a feeling it will sell out fast. If the listing says “Out of Stock,” it means we haven’t gotten it from the vendor yet. Once it’s sold out, the listing will disappear. Let me know if you have any questions: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com K, bye!
As I told you about HERE, I had a Scrapbook Open House on Saturday. My friend who holds a monthly crop for several friends in her development’s clubhouse was kind enough to let me display all my SIMPLE STORIES merch and invite all my crop buddies and customers to come check it out.
The good news is: There were 6 of us at the crop for most of the day and I got to chat and have fun with my friends. Several customers stopped by and I was able to show them how Simple Stories works, along with some new MEMORY WORKS products I had in stock.
The bad, well okay, decent news: I sold a “moderate” amount of stuff, LOL! It wasn’t gangbusters like I had hoped, but I did sell enough to make me happy I’d done it. I think the best part was that, even for the customers who didn’t buy anything, I was able to show Simple Stories to them and every single customer seemed interested. Maybe it wasn’t in their budget for now, but hopefully it will be in the future.
Thanks for cheering me on. I know you were with me in spirit. I did have a fun day, and made some progress on my Project 365 album. I took my laptop and little Epson printer so I could try to get caught up. For my photos, I chose, edited, and printed them right there at the crop and then scrapped them (with the Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit and WRMK pocket page protectors). I didn’t do any journaling at the crop ‘cuz when I do, I tend to make mistakes. So now I’m only 1 week behind in photos and 2 weeks behind in journaling. Hey, if you knew all the stuff going on in my personal life right now, you’d be impressed, I swear! LOL :)
Overall, a fun and worthwhile day. Hope you had a scrap happy weekend, too.
I know that most scrapbook consultants have parties as the main way they get their products “out there.” Well, you know me, I have to be different, LOL! In my 3 years as a MEMORY WORKS Consultant (just had my 3-year anniversary on 2-6-10, yeah!), I’ve never officially had an MW party. Instead I prefer to have crops, where my products are for sale and customers can browse/purchase at their leisure, and now I’m having my second Scrapbook Open House.
The way an Open House works (and this is my own definition; it’s not something that Memory Works promotes as an option, per se) is that you find a customer who would like to be the hostess (they get hostess credit), decide your hours, send out flyers to your customers, offer some incentives for them to come by … and then PRAY that they do, LOL!
The first open house I did was in November 2008. I had a fabulous make-n-take, a 12×12 2-page layout with MY MINDS EYE products, that was hugely popular. It was a class kit from Memory Works, so I didn’t even have to come up with the idea or put it together. The hostess provided cookies, hot cider, and such. Ladies stopped by, did the M&T while they chatted with scrappy friends and had a snack, or they just purchased the kit and took it home. It was a great success and lots of fun.
Now with a crop (which is what I do more often) you get reservations and payment ahead of time, so you know financially how you’re doing as you go along, how much food to provide, etc. But with an Open House, other than the few ladies who might RSVP on their own, you really don’t know how many will show up. So from my perspective as a consultant, that’s a wee bit aggravating … yet the nature of the beast, so that’s okay :)
For the customer, open houses are great because they are TOTALLY at your convenience. You can stop by when you have time, stay for as little or as long as you want, do a quick shop or relax and stay awhile, chat with your scrappy friends without having to lug all your stuff like you would to a crop, get to see new products, and touch base with your consultant.
And those are all the reasons I like to have an Open House once in a while. It’s truly a win-win-win, LOL. The hostess gets free stuff, customers have an easy event to attend, and I hopefully make my customers happy and sell some things. This time, I’m most excited about it because I get to show off SIMPLE STORIES in person. I’ve been selling lots of it online (thank you, my dear customers!), but this is the first time I’ll show it off in person.
I think my job will be pretty easy, as it really does sell itself. I do look forward to seeing that A-HA moment in ladies’ eyes when they see how easy and fast it is, how fun it is to work with, and what a solution it can be to some scrapping dilemmas they might be facing.
1. That feeling of being “behind” ~ We all have super busy periods in our lives, or you just lose your mojo to scrap. Then you feel like you’re so far behind. You’re still taking photos as you always have, but they’re stacking up (literally, or at least on your computer) and how will you ever catch up?
2. You took a family trip, remodeled your house, or had a new baby and the amount of photos you took is, well, kind of embarrassing really :) You want to show off all the amazing photos and not have to skip any of them, but if you do regular layouts for every photo, you’ll need at least 2 albums … and 2 weeks of home vacation just to have the time, LOL.
3. You’d like to do PROJECT 365, 52, or 12. You want to do a weekly GRATITUDE ALBUM. You’d like to do a Year in Review album with just the best pics from each month.
Yep, Simple Stories takes care of all of these Scrapper Issues :) I think that’s why so many people have purchased it and are excited about it. It’s just a bonus that the kit itself is so dang pretty and fun. Anyway, I look forward to seeing reactions in person and hope my IRL scrap friends like Simple Stories as much as I do (wait, is that even possible???).
My Scrapbook Open House tomorrow is being held at the clubhouse of a sweet scrappy friend. She hosts a group of friends for a monthly crop, which we love because it’s free, easy, and fun! You can actually go to the entire crop day without spending any money (nice when money is tight), if you bring your own munchies and drinks. And avoid the inevitable trips to Starbucks and Michaels, LOL.
Tomorrow happens to be the February date for our monthly ‘friends crop.’ Since she’ll have the clubhouse open anyway, she agreed to be the hostess for my Open House (LOVE her!). There are usually 4 to 6 of us cropping all day from 9am to 9pm; I’m not sure how many are expected this time. Then from 10am to 8pm, I’ll have my Memory Works area set up with products, some snacks/drinks, a quick make-n-take, and free gifts for those who stop by.
I’m kind of nervous that no one will come to the Open House. You just never know. I’ve stocked up on a bunch of Simple Stories PRODUCTS ~ kits, page protector packs, cardstock packs, and even an album.
I’ll have my album available to flip through and show samples of how you can use the kit, and the M&T is made from Simple Stories products. I have copies printed of the new SIMPLE STORIES IDEA GUIDE and CATALOG.
Please keep your fingers crossed that I make some sales Saturday!
I’m going to look on the bright side: Even if I don’t have many customers, I still get to scrapbook all day, right?
Just a quick shameless brag post, if you’ll indulge me. HERE is where one my favorite blogs, CRAFT GOSSIP.COM, linked to my Eco Scrapbooking post :) It’s kind of surreal to click on a daily blog read and see your own name staring at you. Surreal and COOL!
And HERE is where Amber (the OWNER of Memory Works!) picked my blog as the first one to be showcased on the SIMPLE STORIES BLOG. Well, she could clearly see how obsessed I am about the whole Simple Stories thing, right? LOL Anyway, she said some very nice things about my blog and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Here’s what she wrote:
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Blog Spotlight
It was so fun for us to scour all of the blogs and message boards – and we were seriously blown away with your blogs. There are some great bloggers out there and it was so fun for use to peek into our customers and consultant worlds. We are amazed everyday of how talented and inspirational you are. In fact, we were so inspired by what we saw that we’ll occasionally spotlight a few here on our Simple Stories blog!
I think it’s fitting that our first blog spotlight is that of Erika. I first tumbled on Erika’s blog as we had been receiving a large amount of hits from Scrapbook Obsession to our Simple Stories website and blog. Of course, I was curious to see what website this was as the hits just kept coming (and still do.) I was amazed – not only does she have highly fascinating, humorous posts she is a die-hard Simple Stories fan. Of course – that won me over J I loved how she shared her enthusiasm with her readers and even offered a pre-order option to her customers. LOVE that she puts herself out there and represents MemoryWorks in a positive, friendly and helpful way. LOVE that she’s a passionate scrapbooker and love that she doesn’t take life too seriously. So thanks Erika for brightening our day! (And Erika – don’t be surprised if you find a little goodie in your next MemoryWorks order…)
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Eeee! Did she say GOODIE???? Okay, I’m in Stalk the UPS Man mode, fer shure. {Gah, just for the legal record, I’m totally kidding about the “stalking.” It’s just a term we obsessed scrapbookers use to describe the way we jump up to peek out the window blind every time someone so much as coughs outside … when we’re expecting a scrappy package. No need to call the cops. There’s nothing to see here}.
Okay, now back to the music …
I said a hip hop the hippie to tha hippie the hip hip a hop
And ya don’t stop a rockin to the bang bang boogie
Say up jump the boogie to the rhythm of the boogety beat
Skippity we bopp we rock a scooby doo
A guess what America we love you
Cuz you rock & you roll with a so much soul
A you could rock till you 101 years old
Anyone know what song that’s from? If you do, you have my utmost respect. Hollah!
I can’t believe we already have it! Memory Works has the new Cosmo Cricket lines from CHA-Winter (just last month!). You can see them all HERE and place an order if you like. I take Paypal or check/money order; sorry, US orders only.
As many of you know who ordered Simple Stories recently, Memory Works has great customer service ~ your order is shipped within 1-2 business days of payment confirmation. Not to mention that I will be your consultant and I’ll treat you like a queen! The Scrapbooking Queen that you are.
Okay, get ready, ‘cuz I’m going to tease you with some previews of the Cosmo Cricket we have …
“GARDEN VARIETY” Theme Set
“GARDEN VARIETY” Cardstock Stickers
We also have the Elements, Chipboard, and Buttons. Cardmakers will be happy to know we have the “GARDEN VARIETY” 6×6 Mini Deck!
Oh! And these cool Paul Bunyan chipboard letters, that are so fun and different …
Now onto another line …
“MATERIAL GIRL” Theme Set
“MATERIAL GIRL” Cardstock Stickers
“MATERIAL GIRL” Journaling Cards
We also have the “Material Girl” Chipboard, Buttons, 6×6 Mini Deck, and the Flour Sack chipboard letters … oh, so cute!
The third line we have is called “Joy Ride” …
“JOY RIDE” THEME SET
Here are the “JOY RIDE” ELEMENTS
We also have the Cardstock Stickers, Buttons, 6×6 Mini Deck, Chipboard, and one of my picks, these “Blue Line” chipboard letters …
Last but not least, we have the TINY TYPE ALPHAS in Red, Blue, Brown, Green, Black, and Cream.
I will definitely be stocking up on these. I’ve always loved the similar alphas by Making Memories but I actually like this font better, plus you get those extra little stickers at the bottom. Besides, they’re only $1.50 each so why not?
MEMORY WORKS also has the new Three Bugs in a Rug that you can see HERE. We have Great Outdoors, Savannah, Little Chick, and Animal Stackers.
I’m always happy to answer your questions … just give me a shout at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
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