This came out recently but I haven’t been able to find it on my local newstands :( Have you seen it anywhere? I only have Walmart, Target, and Michaels. I ended up ordering it from THE CK WEBSITE. I had a free shipping code but it’s since expired … maybe search and see if you can find another one?
The Peas are talking about “Creative Spaces” HERE (including a Pea whose room is IN the magazine!).
I happen to really disagree with the negative opinions of it posted HERE. I’m finding it to be very inspirational and, as MARTHA STEWART would say, “aspirational.” I’m different from some of the posters in that thread because I *don’t* want to see scrapbook spaces of “everyday” scrappers that are a hodge podge of furniture and organizational bins. I can look in my own non-designer space if I want to see that, LOL!
When I plunk down $15 for a glossy magazine, I want to see all the fancy schmancy scrap digs I’ll never be able to afford. Kinda the same theory of Architectural Digest showing amazing homes you’ll nevah, evah be able to afford, or Vogue with its clothes you can’t afford worn by women (um, teenagers?) who weigh as much as your pinky finger. It’s all about the eye candy, baby! And, yeah, maybe you’ll pick up tips here and there that you can incorporate into your own life.
As it happens, I am finding MANY scrapbook organization ideas in this magazine that I can incorporate into my space. Whenever I get a few minutes of quiet time, I sit down with this amazing issue and take my time with the articles and photos. I think it’s very well organized with great pictures and ideas.
Have you seen this issue? If so, what did you think of it? As always, diverse opinions are welcomed :)
No, not my very own … I didn’t succumb to the temptation. But I posted about the Sassafras Mystery Box HERE and thought you might like to see what was inside.
Vanessa from the Delightfully Bright blog has posted the contents of her box HERE.
I’m glad I didn’t go for it because not enough of it is my style. But WOW there is sure a lot of bang for your buck in that box. {Ahhh, alliteration, how I love thee!}.
I was wondering what scrapbook companies WOULD push me over the edge to purchase a mystery box. I was initially going to say BASIC GREY or OCTOBER AFTERNOON. However, I already have so much of their stuff, I would probably just get duplicates, LOL. Hmmm … maybe ECHO PARK or LILY BEE. I like them both but don’t have much of either.
How about you? Are there any scrapbook companies who, if they put out a mystery box, you wouldn’t be able to resist?
It seems the hot item of Spring 2011 (erm, now “Summer 2011”) is the “Smash Book” by K & Company. What in the heck is a Smash Book, you ask? Check this out:
Already a hit before it has even released (coming this spring!), SMASH is an exciting new program from K&Company that takes scrapbooking back to its roots. Simplistic, on-the-fly, and with no rules and no special crafting ability needed, you can Smash your everyday life between the pages of our contemporary-style Smash Books.
An ultra-convenient combo glue pen/journaling marker comes attached to each book so it’s always at hand when you need it. Now, how cool is that?!
So, what do you Smash? Well, it doesn’t have to be a life event, just the special little moments and mementos of your day—some of that stuff in your junk drawer, for example. A snapshot, a ticket stub from that movie you loved, a newspaper clipping, a magazine snippet, a cardboard coaster from a favorite restaurant, your child’s first crayon doodle…get the idea? Smash it, jot a note or add a caption sticker, and go!
Here is a video of the Smash Book set-up at CHA back in February 2011 from Noell Hyman at PAPERCLIPPING.COM:
{By the way, I’m listening to the latest Paperclipping broadcast while I blog. CHECK IT}.
As you can see, this isn’t your traditional scrapbooking, but a cool twist, a fun new way of keeping your memories … unstructured, unfiltered, unencumbered by convention. For some of us, Smash Books may bring back memories of our childhood or teenage years when we kept books with doodles, ticket stubs, photos, quotes, and random writings.
One of the reasons these books are so eagerly anticipated … is that they were supposed to be available in April 2011, but K & Company had a manufacturing delay. They weren’t sure when the Smash Books would be ready to ship, then came out with projected dates in May … exact date dependent on when each retailer receives them.
On their awesome SMASH STORIES BLOG, they then did two things that somewhat appeased the masses: They did a giveaway of the mini-Smash Books (I was lucky enough to get one, thanks to my friend Abby tipping me off!), and they did weekly giveways of a full-size Smash Book each Monday.
I’ve heard comments on the message boards that, because of the delay, some people are “so over” the Smash Books. They got tired of waiting and lost enthusiasm, wanted them for grad gifts and it’s too late now, etc. I understand the frustration and wish the delay wouldn’t have happened. I do think it cost K & Company some sales … but think in the long run, this will still be a VERY popular product.
I plan to get one … or several. I don’t even know what I’m going to use Smash Books for yet … I just know that I must have them, LOL. The accessories are SO cute. Sure, you could make your own version of a Smash Book but I think this version is super cute and unique … also, I assume, archival safe … which a composition book, etc. you make on your own might not be.
A few ideas I have for my own Smash Books are:
Everyday stuff ~ Quotes, random photos, ticket stubs, grocery lists, sticky notes (I *live* for sticky notes!), observations, etc.
Kids book ~ Funny or interesting things my kids do or say, milestones, photos that won’t be scrapped with another event, etc.
Weight loss ~ I just started a weight loss journal, a plain lined notebook about the same size as a Smash Book. But if I get a Smash Book soon, I may re-start it and include photos, measurements, before/during/after photos, recipes, menus, etc. The cute stickers and add-ons could make a quite boring job a bit more fun. And when (not IF) I reach my weight loss goals, I’ll have a cool little book to look back on. A cool PRIVATE little book. Ahem.
What would you do with a Smash Book?
Here is a sample Smash Book from the Smash Blog:
I am SO happy that Memory Works will be carrying a bunch of the K & Company Smash Books line. You can find it on my website HERE and place an order soon. (As of this blog post, availability is expected on May 20, 2011!!!).
I’ve known for quite some time that Memory Works was going to carry Smash Books and contemplated taking pre-orders for them (like I’ve done for the very popular SIMPLE STORIES lines). But I was too nervous, given the delays they’d already had and unpredictability of when Memory Works would actually have them in stock.
According to our online Product Availability list, Smash Books are due at Memory Works on May 20, 2011 … a mere 2 days away. So *now* I feel comfortable posting about them. I hope you’ll consider ordering your Smash Books and accessories from me! To entice you, I’m going to post photos of the different colors available and a peek inside to some of the pages ~ so you can pick the best style for your project …
Do you have a favorite? I think I’m leaning toward the PINK if I could only choose one.
Okay, I’m going to shut up about the Smash Books now :P
I’m going to pass just because ~ although their stuff is very cute ~ they’re not one of my favorite companies and I’m not sure I would use everything. But that is a screamin’ good deal … Are you gonna’ order?
Apparently, something was installed on the PIN pads themselves that allow your account number and PIN to be collected. This raises some interesting questions: Was it an inside job? If not, how were these machines – which sit right on the counter near the cashier – tampered with? Why were Michaels stores targeted?
I’m also wondering why, if 80 stores in 20 states have been affected, why only 100 customers have reported thefts? You would think that total would be higher. Maybe there are still unreported cases, whether the customer realizes the theft and hasn’t reported it … or the customer isn’t aware yet that they’ve been victimized.
I don’t know what the timeframe is for sure because the May 12, 2011 STATEMENT from Michaels says “February 8 through May 6” but one of the Peas reported it going back as far as December 2010.
Speaking of statements from Michaels … some customers report receiving notification of the debit card problem via e-mail while others, even those who live near the affected stores, did not get any such e-mail. I’m on the e-mail list but didn’t get one … did you?
ETA 5/17/11: I found THIS in an old e-mail account I rarely check. Weird. It was sent there but not to the one where I currently get Michaels e-mails. Oh well.
If you would like more information on this issue, just Google “Michaels debit card” and tons of articles have been written about it. There was even a GMA segment on it but I can’t pull it up right now because my computer is being a total bitch :P
If anyone who’s reading this has been victimized, please leave a comment and tell us your story. And to all scrappers who shop at Michaels, please be careful. Maybe a personal “cash only” policy would be a good thing for the time being. And that’s better anyway since it’s harder for hubby to track your purchases that way HOLLAH!
It’s time for HSN SCRAPBOOKING again! Although maybe my post title should say dayZ since there are two days of shows!
Friday, May 6th
6am: Martha Stewart
10am: Martha Stewart
3pm: Martha Stewart
4pm: Scrapping & Cricut
Saturday, May 7th
2am: Anna Griffin
6am: Scrapping & Cricut
Noon: Scrapping & Cricut
3pm: Anna Griffin
4pm: Scrapping & Cricut
These times are Eastern; please adjust for your time zone if needed :)
I have my DVR set and ready to record! How about you? Do you watch the HSN scrapbooking shows? And speaking of NSD, are you doing anything to celebrate this year? There’s a local crop but my mom is here visiting so we’re going to just take over the dining room table and scrap this weekend whenever we’re not busy with other fun stuff and enjoying our Mother’s Day Weekend.
Btw, President Obama STILL hasn’t answered my (many, annoying, begging, pleading, stalkerish, fully outlined, and factually supported) letters asking him to make National Scrapbook Day a Federal Holiday. Yeah, I want the banks and post offices closed, the whole schlemeel.
I’m so baffled as to why he won’t enact this no-brainer of a law. And, NO, I *have NOT* been sniffing my Glossy Accents … (sniff) again. Srsly. (sniff) I haven’t!
Can you believe it? My little ol’ Scrapbook Obsession blog has been around for almost 4 1/2 years and, as of 4/30/11, has received over 874,000 hits. I *know*, right? Pretty cool.
Hold up for a second. Do you ever watch the Miley Cyrus skit they do on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE? “Pretty cool.”
Okay, now you see why saying “pretty cool” made me think of Miley, right? But back to the actual topic of this post …
Let’s cut to the chase: I want to hit the 1 Million Views landmark by December 31, 2011. That will be just prior to my five-year blogiversary in January 2012. Do you think we can do it?
I thought I’d look at my stats from the past and see if this is even a do-able goal:
I’ll need to get 126,000 more hits in the next 8 months. I’m thinking it can be done! Here are some topics I predict would help generate enough clicks to put me over the top:
Donna Downey Contro #3
Photos of new items at Michaels, Tuesday Morning, Big Lots, etc.
Anything Martha Stewart
Hee! That’s all tongue-in-cheek. But my blog definitely gets more looks when I post about scrapbook industry controversies, fo’ sho’. Other popular posts are the shopping ones. Yeah, there are a bunch of you scrappers after my own heart. The shopping is a VERY crucial part of scrapbooking, no doubt about it :)
There have been 4,307 comments left and I have 145 active subscribers (THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!). I hope to reach 5,000 comments and 200 subscribers by my deadline of 12/31/11. These goals might be harder to reach but I’m going for it.
What kinds of posts are your favorites or what kinds of things would you like to see here?
Other than this kind of thing, I mean …
Because I don’t post gratuitous beefcake photos. This is a scrapbooking blog, people! Stay focused!
{Wait. Maybe we could get Patrick Dempsey to pose shirtless with a scrapbook. That would work, right? Okay, I’ma have my people call his people and see what we can work out}.
Okay, now let’s get started on this million hits project, shall we? Sheesh.
Word on the street is that BIG LOTS has THICKERS again. I found them the other day, along with a few other cool things.
This is a Basic Grey’s “Do Me a Favor” favor boxes from the Eskimo Kisses line.
Here’s the “official” product photo which shows what’s on the other side of the package, with the favors this kit makes. It retails for about $7 and I got for $1 … that’ll work.
I don’t plan to make favor boxes ~ have no use for them ~ but I figured for a buck, I could use just the flower, heart, and journaling box punch-outs in my scrapbooking.
Here is a varsity-style sticker alpha by American Crafts. You could use these on sports, cheerleading, or high school pages. Again, you can’t go wrong for $1, right?
Ah, the target of my search: THICKERS! They were $2 a pack vs. the usual $4-5. That’s why I love stocking up at Big Lots on my favorite alphabet stickers. I decided to get more than one pack of the black font since it’s so cute and different yet versatile.
Don’t ask me what I’m going to do with a whole set of green glitter NUMBERS because I have no flippin’ idea … but but but … I got caught up in the Thickers Frenzy and just grabbed one of each that they had. Without thinking. Or using any discernment or judgment. Or common sense.
Ah, what the hell. It was only 2 bucks.
Here’s some darling Dear Lizzy and KI Memories chipboard stickers. Now that the rain has finally stopped and the sun is out, I’m itching to use these spring-y and summer-y colors.
All this writing about Big Lots finds reminded me that I’ve never shown you pics from my last shopping trip there a few weeks ago.
I just can’t get over their prices. I don’t care that this stuff is “so last year” or whatever. I enjoy seeing what the trends are but they don’t impact my scrapping one iota. If I like something and it’s cute, I use it. So I’m going to have fun with this “old” stuff.
I bought the “Woodhaven” paper pack because it’s such a good match to the colors in my scrapbook area. I’m thinking of either framing some of the pretty papers as is, or framing some layouts made with them.
I also found these storage cubes made of fabric that uses similar colors.
Here is one of the papers held up next to the bins on my shelves. The colors aren’t an exact match but they’ll do. And I love the birdie designs … so pretty.
So that’s my last two trips to Big Lots. I think my favorite finds are the Woodhaven papers and the Thickers, of course.
Isn’t it nice in life when something you’re waiting anxiously for actually gets here EARLY? I thought I had to wait until 4/25/11 for my favorite new scrapbook line to become available … but it came out early, ya’ll. Yeah baby!
Pictures and details about the line are HERE and HERE.
If you would like to place your order now, you can go HERE.
SQUEEEE! I’m so excited to get this! I’m ordering it now along with some NEW CATALOGS. Guess I can start stalking the UPS man next week, yeah? “Just hand over the Memory Works and nobody gets hurt, Mister Brown Shorts Man.”
If you’d like a hard copy catalog, I can send you a Paypal for $4 and ship it out when I receive them next week :) Just give me a shout in Comments or E-me: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
In case I don’t post again before then …. Please have a wonderful and amazing Easter, my little bunnies! Remember: If you close your eyes while eating chocolate, it has no calories ;P
So there’s that old saying, “Good things come to those who wait.” It came to mind when I was thinking about the fact that the new Memory Works catalog is now available. But because I can’t do anything the normal or expected way ~ and because I like to make you smile ~ I had to introduce our new catalog with this quote instead:
The things that come to those that wait … may be the things left by those that got there first.
If you watch AMERICAN IDOL religiously like I do, I’ll bet you can give a guess who said that friggin’ doozy. Yep, Mr. STEVEN TYLER! The man is full of these funny comments and sayings that have me wondering if he’s drunk or just plain cray-cray. Which I really don’t care, since his voice absolutely rocks and he’s a doll to all the contestants.
I mean, what’s wrong with a little crazy/drunk on national television, right? Never hurt nobody. Welllll, I take that back. There was the little matter of Chris Brown and the BROKEN WINDOW … but I digress.
STEVEN!
But back to my initial point: THE NEW MEMORY WORKS CATALOG IS AVAILABLE!
You’ll find the entire Memory Works product line inside, which features a sampling of the latest-and-greatest supplies in the industry showcased in this striking, full-color, 48-page catalog! Customers will appreciate it as an invaluable scrapbook resource.
New Simple Stories
New 7 Gypsies
New BasicGrey
New BoBunny
New Cosmo Cricket
New Crate Paper
New Creative Imaginations
New Echo Park
New Fancy Pants
New Jillibean Soup
New K & Company
New Lily Bee Designs
New My Minds Eye
New October Afternoon
New Pink Paislee
New Teresa Collins
New Three Bugs
New Tim Holtz
New Stamp Essentials
New Design Essentials
New Ink & Mist Essentials
New Adhesives
New Crop Tools
New Cardstock
It’s taking all the strength I have not to place my order right now for a pack or two of these catalogs (or as we oh-so-professional consultants like to call them, “catties” :). As much as I love to look at all our new items ONLINE, I’m an old-fashioned girl who likes to hold a paper catalog in my scrappy little hands.
However, I’m restraining myself from placing my catalog order because if I can wait a mere 5 more days (until April 25), I can order THIS at the same time … HOLLAH!
It’s the new SIMPLE STORIES “100 Days of Summer” line that I’ve been waiting for since BACK HERE.
I can see on my MW website that not only will we carry the “100 Days of Summer” Collection Pack, Designer Cardstock Pack, Signature Elements, Flash Cards, Fundamentals Stickers, and Expression Stickers (click on BACK HERE above to see pics/prices for all of these items) …
As always, feel free to leave comments here or e-mail about anything Memory Works – the new catalog, 100 Days of Summer, or any of our other FABU products … scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
I leave you today with another Steven Tyler bon mot:
Well hellfire, save matches, (bleep!) a duck, and see what hatches.
(Oh man, I am SO going to lose customers by posting that, aren’t I? …. )
Just a quick entry to say hi and let you know I’m still alive. So much going on this time of year. I haven’t scrapped lately, have you? I’ve done a bit of scrap-shopping though (somehow, there always seems to be time for that, huh? strange …). I’ll post pics soon.
I wanted to explain the difference between what comes in the Simple Stories 12×12 Collection Kits vs. the other items you can buy separately. I’ll use the upcoming “100 Days of Summer” line to explain.
The 12×12 COLLECTION KIT contains:
{6} sheets of 12×12, double-sided Designer Cardstock paper
{1} 12×12 sheet of Fundamentals cardstock stickers
{1} 12×12 sheet of Expressions cardstock stickers
{30} cut-apart, double-sided Element pieces (sizes 4×6, 6×8, 4×4, 2×12, 4×12, and 6×12)
BONUS: {6} 4×6 transparency photo overlays exclusive to the Collection Kit
In other words, you get EVERYTHING in the kit.
But you can also buy most of the items separately*
* Except for the {6} 4×6 transparency photo overlays because they are exclusive to the Collection Kit
The cover of the Collection Kits show each of the items inside:
The top half shows the cut-apart Element pieces. They come in {6} actual sheets that are double-sided so they’re represented on the cover as 12 items (6 double-sided sheets = 12). Hope that makes sense :)
The top half also shows the Fundamentals and Expressions stickers and the 4×6 transparencies, along the upper right-hand side.
Then the bottom half shows the {6} sheets of Designer Cardstock paper; again, it’s {6} sheets that are double-sided so you see all 12 sides.
To summarize: In the 12×12 Collection Kit, you get all of the items and you get the 4×6 Transparencies.
If you want only select items from the kit, or if you want to order extras of particular items, we also sell them separately.
This holds true for all three existing Simple Stories lines ~ Life Documented, ele.ment.ary, Destinations ~ and the forthcoming 100 Days of Summer. (I’m taking PRE-ORDERS now).
I hope that explains what exactly is in the Simple Stories 12×12 Collection Kits vs. the items you can buy separately. If you have any questions, please leave a Comment here or e-mail me: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
ETA 4/3/11: This layout is from the Simple Stories blog. I think it was made by Memory Works co-owner, Amber Crowell. (Those look like her gorgeous girlies).
Simple Stories announced their latest line on April 1, 2011. It’s called “100 Days of Summer” and it follows the same concept at their PREVIOUS SIMPLE STORIES LINES, “Life Documented”, “ele.ment.ary”, and “Destinations”.
Since we first introduced our innovative Simple Stories brand to the scrapbook world in January 2011…we have received an incredible response to our product line. We are so excited for the future of Simple Stories and are so grateful to our fans, customers and scrapbookers who have fully embraced our designs, products and the Simple Stories concept! So of course we are beyond thrilled to introduce our first-ever mid-release, 100 Days of Summer. This new release is all about scrapbooking your summer memories and photos in a fun and simple way. There are approximately 100 days of summer…and there’s plenty to keep you busy! So whether you’re soaking up the sun, exploring outdoor adventures, enjoying summer celebrations…or simply resting, relaxing and chill-axing, 100 Days of Summer is the perfect way to capture your fun-filled, carefree lazy days of summer!
$20.99
$3.00
$3.00
* These are included in the Collection Kit and that’s the only way you can get them :)
$5.50
(6) 12×12 sheets, double-sided
$6.00
(6) 12×12 sheets of pre-designed, double-sided cut-apart element pieces
The planned release date for “100 Days of Summer” is APRIL 25, 2011.
I will take pre-orders from now until the release date. The benefit to placing a pre-order with me is that, when the line becomes available, you will have already paid and your order can be processed lickity-split! Anything that gets scrapbook supplies to you faster is a very good thing in my book :)
Here is how the pre-orders will work:
I’ll collect and process payments until the release date. When the “100 Days of Summer” kit and additional items become available, I’ll e-mail you with instructions on what to do then. If you subscribe to my blog, you can follow the progress that way as well.
{Which will be to log into my Memory Works WEBSITE, place the pre-paid for items in your shopping cart, enter your shipping address, and submit your order. I will be automatically notified that your order has been placed and, instead of having to wait for your payment to be received, I’ll be able to approve your order for processing immediately … assuming your payment has been received and processed already}.
To place your pre-order now, e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. Please include:
1. Item(s) requested and cost
2. Shipping address
3. Total due including items, tax*, and shipping/handling**
4. Payment method – check, money order, or Paypal
~ I prefer Paypal, and will e-mail a Paypal invoice to you ASAP
~ If paying by check or money order, I’ll e-mail you back with my address. Please be aware that I can’t approve your order until the check/MO have been received and cleared.
* Sales tax amount is based on the tax rate for the address you’re shipping to. There is a really cool sales tax rate lookup and calculator HERE.
** Please see THIS post for information on Memory Works shipping/handling information and costs.
Let me know if you have any questions :) If you know of anyone who plans to order Simple Stories “100 Days of Summer,” please send them my way!
PS: Please see my SHIPPING page regarding placing non-U.S. orders.
*NORMALLY, I would link to this album on the Basic Grey website (give them some free pub, dontcha know …). But their frickin’ frackin’ site wouldn’t let me copy the image of the album for my post. As I’ve griped about before. But actually, for all my general bitchin’, it HAS been a while since I carped about this particular issue … so it’s time again.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know … I’m welcome to use the “media approved” photos provided by these scrapbook companies, but that’s just a big pain in the ass. So I’ll just give the free publicity and link to the wonderful, awesome, and sharing 2 PEAS IN A BUCKET. Which is one of my favorite sites anyway, so I’m glad to share their link. I hope if you ever want to order Basic Grey, you’ll buy it from them ;)
Anyhow, the main point I had INTENDED to make with this post, before you got me all twitterpated, was this: I only paid 8 bucks for an album that retails for $24. For those of you who ~ like me ~ suck at math, that would be a 66% savings. Or roughly.
That’s all I found at my Big Lots. I wish you Happy Hunting. Please report back on your finds.
I mean, you can hog all the good items from your particular Big Lots. If you can sleep at night, you just go ahead. But at least have the decency to tell the rest of us what we need to look for in OUR store. You owe us that much. Besides, it will put your conscience right and you’ll be able to sleep even better.
Two weekends ago, I had the bright idea to “once and for all” (yeah right!) organize all of my photos. And we’re talking years and years worth here, people! My ancestors, DH’s ancestors, my childhood/young adult photos, his childhood/young adult photos, our dating/engagement/wedding photos, our kids’ baby/toddler/childhood photos, vacation photos, … Okay, you totally get the idea, right? LOTS of photos!
NOT having them organized has been such a hindrance to my scrapbooking over the years, I really, really, REALLY want to get this done!
I’m Half LUDDITE … and it took me longer than most to convert from a point and shoot film camera to (gasp!) “going digital” several years ago. So I have more printed photos than the average bear. Plus, I’m probably older than you :P (I remember 45 records, rotary dial phones, and typewriters). (If you don’t understand these terms, e-mail me *wink*).
Here is the plan and progress so far:
1. Gather photos from all the nooks and crannies I have stashed them in over the years.
2. Add both leaves to the dining room table and put all photos in one place to work on.
3. Take Creative Memories Power Sort Boxes* out of packaging and assemble.
4. Put all negatives, CDs, index prints, and (now obsolete) Advantix cartridges in one box.
5. Sort photos into CM boxes by decade/year.
* I’ll take a photo of mine and post it later. Apparently, they no longer make the big ones like I have so I can’t find a photo online anywhere :(
I’m on Step 5 now. It’s taking a lot of time to get through all the photos and get them remotely in the right place. I know the biggest problem is that I love my photos so much, I feel the need to look at almost every single one. Which is a silly way to make any kind of progress, but I can’t help it. I *LOVE* my photos! The memories, the laughs, the tears, my beloved family and friends, good times, celebrations, sadness, missing my dad, seeing how my kids have changed and grown … ah, I love it all!
Now it’s about two weeks after I started this project, and I at least have my photos into their major categories. Now the plan is to go through each Power Sort Box and get those photos in the best order I can. Some of them are in pretty good shape already; I’ve made attempts at photo organization many, many times before … and made some actual progress each time. I just never seem to get the entire job done. Or something happens like my mom brings me a stack of old photos when she visits, or I find another box or album of pics somewhere.
When I took 35mm, I almost always got Twin Pix for, like, a dollar extra. I’m debating what to do with all my duplicate photos. Should I scrap one set and keep the other filed? Should I pass the duplicates on to other family (or trash them if they’re not wanted?). Should I pack them away and save them for my kids? I’m just not sure. What do you think?
I have a lot of work to do with my pre-marriage photos. There are SO many … all shapes and sizes … from those tiny wallet school pics that I exchanged with friends to 4×6 prints to portraits, etc. There’s my dad’s side of the family and my mom’s. Friends, school, sports … oh my! They’re going to be the biggest challenge because of the variety of sizes and also because they’re the hardest to place dates on and in get in some kind of chronological order.
I’m hoping that the next time my mom visits, we can go through the photos together and she can help me with times, places, and people … also any memories she has of the events. I figure I’ll put sticky notes on the back of the photos. Then someday when Martians land on earth and I actually get around to scrapping these photos, I’ll have some of the journaling ready to go.
So that’s what I’ve been up to! And you know what the absolute best part is??? As soon as I’m done getting my photos organized … I’m going to start on all my memorabilia ~ Yippee Skip! Decades of letters, awards, ticket stubs, programs, school papers, art, and all that other fun stuff. I’m sure that all of the fun memories will get me through that task, too :)
I can’t even contemplate the topic of COMPUTER photo organization. I’ve had a Mac for about 5 years and regularly download the photos from my iPhone and camera card to iPhoto. That program does a great job of organizing them by date and I’ve started tagging the ones I’ve scrapped but that’s about it. The thought of scanning old photos and negatives, assigning dates to them, keeping everything updated on my external hard drive, etc. is just too, too much. By then, I will have seen all the photos already so it will just be the sheer agonizing task of if all.
As I have written in the past HERE and HERE, I *heart* anything by ALLISON DAVIS, SKETCH SUPPORT, and SCRAPBOOK GENERATION. In one of my past entries, I mentioned the DVD they were working on and gave a link where you could pre-order it.
The DVD was something I was going to get “someday” … the same someday I ever got around to ordering Volumes 6 and 7 of the “SKETCHES FOR SCRAPBOOKING” books and Volume 2 of “Sketches for Cardmaking.” Yeah, like, SOON.
But I guess the DVD will have to wait awhile … I read THIS THREAD today on 2peas :( Here is what Allison Davis posted:
Sadly, the DVD turned into a big mess. We (the SG gals) and the producer could never come to an agreement on the way the DVD should look. To make a long story short, we just didn’t feel that the end result was “us”. We were promised a certain look and quality and what we got was not up to our standards, not even close. There was no way that we were going to release an okay product and expect people to pay for it. We want each product we present to be the best that we can make it. Needless to say it’s been very frustrating and exhausting to deal with. We finally came to the conclusion that moving forward with the DVD and the producer was not an option.
I am so sorry that we haven’t let anyone know of this situation until now. Speaking for myself, it has been a very embarrassing. However, I feel that releasing the DVD would be even more embarrassing. We have been trying to come up with a way to use the material we have for the DVD (25 sketches and 75 layouts that we love!) minus the instructional segments. We are currently looking into turning it into a CD to view on your computer and then you can print the sketches and layouts as you please. We are hoping that this is something we can do in the near future.
If anyone has any questions about it, don’t hesitate to ask!
And this is what I posted on the thread in response:
I’m so sorry that happened to you guys, Allison. Thank you for letting us know. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You did the right thing, not putting out an inferior product that doesn’t represent SG the way you want it to.
I look forward to whatever you choose to do with the sketches and layouts. Your whole family and what you share with us has been a huge blessing to me also. I’m a busy working mom and you have me turning out amazing layouts so quickly!
I went over to the DVD PAGE at Scrapbook Generation and it still shows the DVD but no release date and no way to order. I do hope they find a solution they’re happy with very soon!
By the by, I think Volume 8 of “Sketches for Scrapbooking” comes out on July 1, 2011.
Anyhow, just wanted to give you an update on the DVD in case you were looking for it! Oh, and if you’d like to give your input to Allison/Scrapbook Generation on whether you like the idea of the CD instead of the DVD, please let them know! You can add to that thread I linked earlier; the SG girls are wicked smart and they stayed tuned to what the Peas have to say, LOL. Or you can contact them HERE.
New THREE BUGS IN A RUG “April Showers”, “Dawson”, “Chloe”, and “Lazy Summer”.
New CRATE PAPER “Emma’s Shoppe”, “Toy Box”, “Portrait”, and “Neighborhood”.
We also have most of the We R Memory Keepers (WRMK) DIVIDED PAGE PROTECTORS back in stock. Apparently, these are quite hard to find these days so I’m glad we have them for our customers. I know that we were without them for a while because they were on back order. I scrap with these all of the time now and will be buying some for myself. My favorite set is the MULTI PACK because you get a variety of configurations.
Please let me know if you have any questions or I can be of any assistance. You can place an order directly from my WEBSITE if you like :) HERE is information on placing an order & payment. My e-mail is scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
If you’ve been waiting for the new Simple Stories lines ~ Life Documented, ele.ment.ary, and Destinations ~ you know that I’ve been saying they were predicted to be available in late February or March. Well, late February kinda slipped right by me … but then March slapped me in the face and woke me up, LOL! I got to wonderin’ about Simple Stories …
… So I posted on the MW consultant board asking for an update on the release date. One of the owners, Amber, posted right away to say that they’ve been very busy at the MW offices.
She said the consultants can expect an e-mail on Friday (tomorrow, 3-4-11) with all of the details on the new Simple Stories!! But “basically the new collections will be available for consultants to purchase from the website sometime on Friday and we will begin shipping next week!”
So if all goes as planned, it sounds like those of you who have placed PRE-ORDERS with me should be able to go on MY WEBSITE and place your actual order TOMORROW!!!! {Geesh, can you tell I’m a might excited?} And you are pre-PAID, baby! As soon as I see your order, I hit “approve” and off we go.
Note: Pre-orders are now closed. As of Friday, March 4, you can order Simple Stories items straight from my website with no need for a pre-order :)
I have a busy weekend … ironically, I’m leaving Friday for a weekend scrapbook retreat ~ HOLLAH! But I’m taking my laptop with me and will keep you updated, m-kay?
I’m not just excited for YOU ~ although I AM very excited for you ~ but I’m excited for me because I’m ordering at least one set of each new Simple Stories kit and accessories for myself. I have the “first edition” kits of Life Documented and ele.ment.ary … and LURVE them … but they have been re-issued per se with more elements this time.
And one thing I’ve found to be true about Simple Stories: You can never have too much. All of the papers are double-sided so the options are endless, not to mention the style that’s so versatile and colors that look good with pretty much any photo you put near them. With the divided page protector method, I love using these kits to get lots of scrappin’ done in a shorter amount of time.
And if that’s not enough … Destinations is completely new so I’ve never even seen it in person before. I know I’m going to love it, because it retains the Simple Stories style I already adore … and it adds the fun new topic of travel, along with some black accents that are going to look rockin’ with my plethora of Disney photos and other travel photos.
“My name is Erika, and I’m an October Afternoon addict.”
“Hi Erika!”
The first step is admitting you have a problem. There are 12 steps all together. For this addiction, I am currently on Step 1. I’m attempting to admit that I am powerless over this addiction and my life has become unmanageable. ATTEMPTING, people!
Okay, I guess what I’m really saying is that I’m on Step ZERO: Not willing to acknowledge that I have an October Afternoon problem because then I would have to quit buying up the new lines every time they come out.
{P.S. Do NOT leave me some silly comment about how dare I make fun of the 12-Step Program when there are people out there suffering with serious problems and I shouldn’t be making fun of them, blobbity blobbity blah. It’s a JOKE. Unclench already. Sheesh}.
Okay, so back to my addiction issues and the Step Program. For cawfee, I am currently on Step Zero. For Diet Coke, I have scratched and clawed my way to Step 12. I won’t be so bold as to say that I’m cured because that would be tempting fate and that is one bee-yotch I don’t want to tangle with. So I’m just taking ‘er one day at a time, my friends. One day at a time. (Nah, nah, nah, nah … One Day at a Time!) (If you’re old enough to get that TV show reference, you are damn old like me).
{Note: My one-year anniversary of Diet Coke Sobriety is coming up on 02/15/11 and I am damn proud of myself. I had a 4-can-a-day habit for YEARS and I just decided one day to quit cold turkey. However, I’ve recently begun drinking Sugar Free Rockstar to stay awake at work and, my fellow Diet Crack addicts, I fear ’tis a slippery slope. I call on you – and my HP of course – for strength at this difficult time. “Let go and Let God”, “Attitude of Gratitude”, “Semper Fi”, and all that. Thank you.}.
I’m on, like, Step 18.5 with my former acrylic stamp addiction. Totally cured. Recovered stampaholic. One day about a year ago, I said “no more!” and haven’t bought another set since. I know, I know … you wish you had my strength, don’t you? Yeah, I get that often.
All that said, HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW EFFIN OCTOBER AFTERNOON COLLECTIONS!?!?!? No? Well, here you go …
See the collection on October Afternoon’s site HERE.
Here is a teaser … the 8×8 Paper Pad:
Okay, is it just me or at first glance, did this one make you think of Jack Daniels?
NO? It IS just me? Crappity crap! Maybe I have another 12 steps issue to start on …
Of course, I love both of them … although not equally. {Shhh … don’t tell Rocket Age but I love 5&Dime just a wee bit more}.
It seems they’ve added some new components to their lines, like the Chip n Stick, Miscellany, Tin Pins, and Rubber Charms. Yes, there’s another new type of item that I left out but only because I can’t type that word. I have a ______ phobia. They skirr me. I have nightmares. No, I’m not kidding. Hey, for some people it’s clowns, for others it’s spiders, for me it’s _________. Oh, just seeing them and thinking about them, I’m all “Ick!”
Are there 12-Step programs to deal with phobias? Never mind. If hating ________ is wrong, I don’t wanna’ be right.
So, back to my point … and I did have a point … OA has two new lines!! What do you think ~ love or hate? Hot or cold? Addicted or couldn’t care less?
For my fellow OA Addicts … see you at the meetings! I’ll be the one with the jitters, standing by the coffee urn :)
