It’s now in stock on my Memory Works website and I’m SO stoked! I was lucky enough to get a box of this pre-release so I can tell you first hand – it is aMAYzingly gorgeous and fun. You are going to love it. Or should I say {heart} it?

Just click right HERE to see the whole line and place an order.

PS: Please don’t be skerred to order from me just ‘cuz I’m a ‘consultant’. I won’t add you to an annoying mailing list or bug you for future orders. I’m more like an online store – just fill your cart, check out, and I’ll send you a Paypal invoice right away. Once payment is received, I approve the order and it’s shipped straight to you from our home office in Utah within 1-2 business days. {Monday is a holiday so I would order today for maximum speed, lol}.

Well, if you can’t wait until then to see this SS goodness in person, check THIS out! Free printables from the “I {Heart} Summer” line! Yep, just click on the link, open up the .pdf file, and print ‘em out on white cardstock for use in your layouts and Project Life albums.

Here are some of them – sorry they’re HUGE:

It don’t get much better than that.

Word.

PS: You can find a bunch of other Simple Stories free printables HERE.

Thank you Simple Stories!

Click HERE for the HSN program guide to see the airings for your time zone.

Click HERE for Lisa Bearnson’s blog and scroll through recent entries to see all the cool items she’s going to feature.

Please come back and let me know if you bought anything! I’m thinking about getting THIS item.

Here’s a layout **from the Simple Stories blog** to tease you:

Isn’t it lovely?

And did you know that Simple Stories has a new marketing director? It’s a name you may recognize from the scrapbooking industry: LAYLE KONCAR. {Pronounced like “Gail” with an “L”}

And she is ~ to quote the name of another SS line ~ AWESOME! I’ve seen her doing great outreach around the scrapbooking interwebs and I’m sure she’s doing more amazing things behind the scenes as well. For instance, check out THIS THREAD on the Two Peas message board. Isn’t that cool?

Speaking of how cool Layle is, look at what she sent me ~ a pre-release box of the new line, “I {Heart} Summer” !!!

THANKS LAYLE and SIMPLE STORIES!!! You rawk. Srsly.

Isn’t that amazing!?!? I was so excited to see this line in person. Believe you me, I unwrapped and fondled every stinkin’ piece, LOL. Let’s just say there was a lot of paper sniffing goin’ on in the hizzy ;)

Recently, I was fittin’ to scrapbook some photos from a weekend we spent at the beach. I wanted to get the photos and journaling in an album while the amazing weekend was still fresh in my mind.

But once I heard this pretty box was on it’s way to me, I put that project on hold sista’! I didn’t think on the surface that this line would be perfect for beach photos. It brought to mind more summer, picnic, BBQ, fishing, and swimming pool pages like these:

***LAYOUTS COURTESY OF SIMPLE STORIES BLOG***

But when I took a closer look at it, I realized how perfect it is for my beach weekend photos. There are images of surfboards, beach umbrella, “Beach” sign, sailboat, anchor, flip flops, clouds, fishies, and lots of distressed, beachy-looking wood. I can’t wait to start scrapping!

So do you {heart} this new Simple Stories line as much as I do? What are your favorite pieces? Do you have any photos in mind to use it with? I would love to hear your project ideas :)

PS: This line ships to vendors the week of 05-20-13. Of course, I would be really honored if you’d order through my MEMORY WORKS SITE. Once it’s in stock, you can find it HERE. Thank *U*

New washi designs???

Adorable puffy stickers that will look super dooper cute in my PL?!?!?

Just when I thought I was being good and my CHA shopping tear was over and done. Then you show me this stuff?!?!? Tell you what: Why don’t I just send you my paycheck every month? Send me all you got, and then whatever $$ is leftover. Deal?

{You can see it all the new stuff for May here: Freckled Fawn May Update}

PS: If you let The Power of Washi overtake you – at Freckled Fawn or anywhere else – make sure to check out a FREE ONLINE CLASS coming up that’s all about washi! I mean, assuming you want to do something more with it than admire all the pretty colors in a glass bowl :)

Monica Bradford, washi guru, will be joining Lain on 05-17-13. According to Lain, “Monica will wow you with her prowess as she wrangles her washi and makes it do her bidding. You’ll never look at washi the same way again!”

Here’s What You’ll Learn:

~ ALL NEW tips and techniques for using washi tape on your projects

~ How to incorporate popular trends using washi

~ How to create your own washi tape

~ Storage ideas for your rolls

~ And more!

Click here to learn more or sign-up for the FREE scrapinar! By clicking, you are not committing to anything. It just takes you to an info and sign up page – you can enter your e-mail address if you’d like to join in! If not, no worries. Just close the page :) Btw, don’t worry if you can’t make the exact class time. No prob. Lain will e-mail you a free replay after the event. Coolio.

I also wanted to mention that if you use the above link to sign up, you’ll be offered a coupon code to save $10.95 on Monica’s FIRST washi class called “Washi Tape Wahoo!” Whereas if you just go straight to that sign-up page, you’ll pay full price. No, no, noooooo …. we can’t have that! So use “the Free scrapinar” linkee above, girlie.

If you can’t wait until Friday 05-17-13 to get started learning and having fun with Monica, here’s one more link for ya’:

Check this out if you want to take Monica’s “True Scrap 4″ class replay about journaling.

Monica Bradford is a fun and funny chick – as you can probably tell from her picture above. I love everything she does and I think you’ll enjoy her, too. And for such a low cost {ummm … FREE!}, you’d be kinda’ cray-cray to not at least check out the upcoming webinar “Washi Wahoo Too!”

I’m all signed up myself. See you there, my scrappy friend :)

{Darn economy! Stupid Pinterest! Lame-o digital scrapbooking! LOL}

So I was very happy to discover a new online scrapbook magazine called “LIFE. PAPER. SCRAPBOOK.” It’s from those fab Aussies but features scrapbookers from all over the world.

HERE is their first issue.

HERE is their website.

I know, I know. You can thank me later. {I love Starbucks gift cards, Pashmina scarves, and turkey jerkey, in that order}.

Here is what they’re about, from the LPS website:

Life. Paper. Scrapbook is an Australian quarterly, online publication that is dedicated to showcasing designers from all around the world to inspire each other, explore current trends and techniques and most importantly to celebrate our love of scrapbooking and paper crafts. This is a place to share our style, designs and creations with like minded crafters from around the world.

“Life.Paper.Scrapbook” has it all, including:

New products
Mini albums
Traditional layouts
Info about featured scrappers
Project Life layouts (yeah!)
Just a few ads
and a simple yet lovely layout

What’s not to love? The first issue was 100 pages of pure yumminess. Next issue is scheduled for June 2013, with project submissions due by 05-31-13. Tick tock, get on that, would ya’? I expect to see some of my own peeps in there next time, mmm kay?

So go sit in the bath with your iPad and get all wrinkly while you check out this great new addition to your life.

Cheers!

Today I have another addition … well, additions. Multiple. There are several typos on the MAMBI Project Life-type cards I blogged about HERE.

But the cool thing is: MAMBI has publicly acknowledged the mistakes and gone above and beyond to try and do right by us. To see what I’m talking about, read their blog post HERE.

In case you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to click over … {I know, exhausting, right?} … here is the important part:

To remedy this problem, we have corrected all the errors and they are all available here as free downloads. We have also included 4 exclusive cards available for free download. These cards are our way of saying, “OOPS”, please forgive us.

I can’t think of another instance where a scrapbook company has come out and acknowledged that they messed up. Much less issue printable corrections. Much less provide other free items.

Much less with such a sense of humor about the whole thing:

So all I have to say is … Good on ya’, MAMBI. Good on ya’.

{LINK to e-mail}

I’m very sad to hear this news, as I am whenever any part of the scrapbooking industry suffers a setback. I’ve never been to an ARCHIVER’S but it’s on my bucket list fo’ sho! Archivers is like The Mecca of All That Is Scrapbooking. Like Bass Pro Shops is for a fisherman. Like Dick’s Sporting Goods is for an athlete. Or a teenaged boy Nike ho’. Whatevs.

I think the e-mail does a good job of explaining their position, how they got there, and what they plan to do now. I’m happy to hear them say “we are not going out of business” because, I swear, that’s the first thing people jump on when they hear “Chapter 11.” Which is just a legal way of saying you’re having problems and need to reorganize. Yes, it’s a drastic move but it does NOT mean a company is immediately ending … although I have heard of individual stores closing lately. I wonder if that will continue?

So take heart, Dear Scrappers. Archivers may just take this opportunity to survive and thrive. Here’s hoping! ‘Cuz if they ruin my Bucket List by going out of bidness, I’m gonna’ be hotter than two hamsters fartin’ in a wool sock!!

Okay, now just TRY to get the hamster image out of your head and answer this please:

As an Archivers customer/potential customer, what should they do to remain viable? Would you change or add anything to the way they do business?

HERE IT IS!

Click on the link and it will take you to a gorgeous color .pdf version of the Spring/Summer 2013 catalog. {Because of all the graphics, it can take a while to load}.

So grab your beverage of choice, get comfy, take your time, and savor all the scrapbooking goodness . . . ahhhhhh . . .

If nothing else, you have to click over and see the the cover – could it BE any cuter? I don’t think so.

In case you’re not familiar with Memory Works, we carry all the popular scrapbooking brands including:

Simple Stories and Sn@p!
In fact, the owners of Memory Works own these two lines as well ;)

If you’re a project lifer or pocket page scrapper like me, you can see the new line of Sn@p 6×8 and 12×12 leather albums and divided protectors with tons of options. Those items are brand new, due for release in late April/early May 2013.

Other brands are Basic Grey, My Minds Eye, Studio Calico, American Crafts/Dear Lizzy and Amy Tan, Lily Bee, Echo Park, and lots more.

MW also carries products like flowers, mists and masks, a washi tape dispenser, the popular WRMK envelope maker, bling, shadow boxes, adhesives, cardstock, and YES wood veneers! {<- my most recent obsession}

My shopping cart already holds the Sn@p 6×8 calendar pages, Carta Bella ‘So Noted’ line, and Echo Park ‘Perfect Summer’.

{I would have said Simple Stories ‘Urban Traveler’ and ‘Vintage Bliss’ but I already own much of those lines, lol!}

I hope you enjoy the new catalog! Please tell me what your favorite items are :) Most of these items are in stock HERE if you’re ready to shop or would like to see bigger photos.

PS: Pssst! If you look at the catalog and see pages 14 and 15, you’re going to get some VERY GOOD NEWS!! Check it, chica!