I saw this over on my AMR friend KELLI’s BLOG. It’s yet another way to organize your ribbon. There are so many things on the market now, I think we must be a world of ribbon-holics.
CLIP IT UP! RIBBON ORGANIZER BY SIMPLY RENEE
Here are some things I like about this system:
~ Ribbon shelf is hung on the wall so it’s off your workspace yet easily accessible.
~ No dowel needed, you just pop your ribbon rolls in and out & there’s even a sliding spool holder so they don’t fall over.
~ It looks very durable and I love the two scissor slots, one on each end. That’s a pretty cool use of what would be wasted space.
The rumor according to THIS POST on 2Peas is that this ribbon holder won’t be shipping until May. But like one poster said, that gives us time to decide if we really need it!
However, like Kelli, I thought ‘too bad it costs so much.’ I found THIS SITE taking pre-orders for $55 (regular price $66) and that seems to be the average that it sells for. So those of you who are inventive like Kelli, come up with your own like she did!
Isn’t that cool?!? Check out THIS POST for more info. She used pantry door racks from the hardware store, then incorporated the “clip it up” idea for her unspooled ribbon. The clips are badge holders from Michaels. WTG Kelli!
And while I’m poaching from Kelli’s blog, thought I would share this awesome project with you. It’s way to ambitious for me, but you talented card makers and papercrafters will dig it.
KELLI’s CARD PURSE
She gives a wonderful tutorial HERE, and another example of a card purse HERE. Here’s an AMR MB thread about Kelli’s card purses. Such a talented lady! Go say hi and give her some blog love for sharing so many awesome projects, will ya?
In THIS POST the other day, I told you about my 3 scrap-shop-stops @ Michaels, a craft store, and my LSS. Here are pics of my haul…
PATTERNED PAPERS:
On the far left is the MAMBI kit, merely called “Family” from Michaels. It has cool primary colored papers and lots of rub-ons and Soft Spokens related to family togetherness. But what sold me were the three lines of orange, green and blue blingees AND the chipboard sheet with large circles, which I’ve been needing to complete a layout from EASY PATTERNS for ages. Anyway, all their kits were 40% off, whoo hoo. Come to think of it, I should have gotten more (uh, dork!).
Next is 2 sheets of Chatterbox called “Sweetheart Roses,” one side with a modern flower design, the other solid pink. Then I think my fave PP of the day, 2 sheets of “Affection” by Prima. One side is deep color stripes, the other deep red roses. I love the roses so much, I think I’ll use both sheets as roses and just forget the stripes! But isn’t that always the challenge of double-sided paper? You love both sides, like two children you’ve given birth to, how do you CHOOSE!?! Next are a couple of sheets of “Pastel” Doodlebug (polka dots & flowers), then a random stripey one, then 2 more older sheets of “Obviously Orange” Doodlebug with a bright summer theme. And lastly, on the far right, 2 sheets from “Jack+Abby” by Love, Elsie. That ledger style on the last sheet caught my eye, then I found the brown circles paper to go with it. On the very bottom of the pic are 3 sheets of very Spring-y papers from Bo Bunny Press called “Lil Princess.” The photo doesn’t do them justice because the colors are really WOW, very cheery and bright. All 3 are double-sided with pink, yellow and green on the back sides and thick like cardstock.
Now for the BAZZILL:
Is something seriously wrong with me that I get such overwhelming JOY looking at all that Bazzill cardstock?? On the top row are the sheets with either linen or grasscloth texture; ooh, such purdy colors. The bottom row is Bling and then a couple scallop designs. Proud to say I only paid full price for 2 sheets from all that PP and cardstock. Wicked cool.
Okay, well, it’s been decided. I’m not going admit I have a problem, because if I do, that would be the first step in my recovery. And I don’t wanna recover…so there! I ENJOY being addicted to paper. I EMBRACE my obsession with texture and color and design. I’m NOT embarrassed to admit that I love the smell of paper and the weight of it in my hands when it’s all stacked nicely, corners matching up perfectly. So, are ya’ with me??
Thought I’d share pix of these 3 stacks of ribbon I found in the Target Dollar Spot yesterday:
Sorry for the glare ~ didn’t have time to take them out of the package! The brand is called 1-2-3 Made by Me! and there were several other kid-related craft items with this same brand, e.g. glitter glue, markers, etc. This was the only thing scrap-related I saw, but you might have better luck cuz my Target is lame.
I was @ Target to get milk, bread, and hand lotion, I swear! Btw, I also got some Johnson’s Soft Lotion 24-hour Moisturizer ~ a 2 pack on clearance for $4 ~ and it smells divine. Ooh, I love me a good smelling lotion! As big a weakness as scrap supplies?? Uh, no. But a close second I’d bet.
You know how right before the new fall season of TV shows comes on, and you’re hearing about all the great new shows, and you can’t wait to watch them, and every show you’ve always loved and been watching seems so dull and boring merely because you have had a taste of the new stuff and you want more??? (Phew, that was surely a run on sentence!).
Well, that’s how I’m feeling about scrap products right now. I went scrap shopping today, with my 40% and 50% coupons in hand, and knowing that my local craft store had 25% off the entire store. I was in the mood for some serious swag, I tell ya’. First, to the LSS and my only really good finds were the new issue of CK, and some cute/cheap papers from their Half Off table. Their shelves weren’t empty, per se, but there was nothing “new” like there is every other time I go, about once every month or two. Then to Michaels to use my 2-day only 50% off coupon. Again, I came up pretty empty and had to struggle to find something to use the coupon on. I got a cute MAMBI page kit (all page kits were already 40% off) then walked around that store for 10 minutes trying to find something I wanted that was Coupon Worthy. I finally decided on the Making Memories medium-sized storage jars, which will fit on my MM Embellishment Shelf.
I have no idea what I’ll put in them, but $5 instead of $10 was a transaction I was obligated to make. Heck, I’ll use them in my pantry to store sugar if I have to. Finally, I went to the craft store. The acrylic stamps I went there for were out of stock:
For a gift, I picked up the K&Co. Wild Saffron paper slab, tag set, and photo mat set. This is one of my favorite lines ever and I already have most of it. My friend keeps admiring it, so guess what she’s getting for her birthday?
Everything was 25% off, which was already a good deal, but then the cashier gave me 40% off the paper pad “because there was a coupon this week” (which I had in my purse, but thought I couldn’t use because of the storewide sale). So, that was a good buy…$16 worth of Wild Saffron for $9.50.
Other than the CK, the only find of the day that made me all perky was noticing that the craft store now sells……BAZZILL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay, is that enough exclamation points to communicate to you how stinkin’ happy I am??? I LUVLUVLUV Bazzill cardstock but my LSS was the only place to get it (other than online, which I don’t usually do b/c I like to buy it by the sheet and match it to papers I have). They sell Bazzill Canvas and Bling for 75 cents/sheet, In Stitch’z for $1/sheet. I buy sheets when I’m there to match whatever patterned paper I buy. However, in my world, one can never have enough Bazzill. So I was crazy-excited to see 5 racks of it at the craft store. They sell Canvas and grasscloth for 59 cents/sheet, Bling for 69 cents/sheet, and With an Edge (scalloped, etc) for $1/sheet. So I got about $10 worth of Bazzill which cost me $7.50 with the sale. The only “newer” stuff they had was all the Valentines stuff, most of which I didn’t like this year, like the Daisy D’s and Wild Asparagus stuff.
I spoke with the cashiers at two of the stores, and yes, they are anxiously awaiting new items from CHA. The LSS said she ordered things from 15 different companies, some of whom they’ve never carried in the store before. So, like the store owners, I will patiently wait for all the new goodies to arrive. Amend that: I will WAIT, but not patiently, because I wanna see the new stuff NOW! Just hope the big reveal of all the new scrapbook products from CHA won’t be as disappointing as the new fall TV shows have been in the past few years, LOL!
PS: Have you noticed that I’m getting dangerously close to hitting the 100,000 blog hits mark? Wow, that just kills me!
SCRAP ETC has done it again! I love that site. Go check out their cool videos from CHA 2008 and see lot of new scrapbook products. I can’t link directly to the post, but it’s called CHA 2008 REVIEW and here are separate links for each video of that’s easier for ya’:
JENNI BOWLIN (She’s the one Stacey/AMR owner said was just so down-to-earth and considered a newbie in the industry, even though she’s a goddess to all of us cuz her products rock so dang hard!).
And a cool video of CHATTIN’ WITH ELIZABETH ~ that would be Elizabeth Kartchner, CK Scrapbooker of the Year. She’s adorable, and very talented!
Thanks to ScrappySam from AMR MESSAGE BOARD for the link! Tell me what you think of the videos, your favorite products, etc. :)
I’ve been eyeing this puppy since Thanksgiving but didn’t want to pay $20. Even when all the Christmas stuff at Target went on 50% off, then 75% off, then 90% off, this item remained full price. Patience, dearies, patience… I found it on an endcap at Target yesterday for $14. Hey, that’ll work! Although I’m hearing from my friends on the CKMB that I should take my receipt back and {nicely} demand the 90% off, because that discount should have been applied to this item. Yeah, that refund could be worth a trip to Target! Oh, who am I kidding, it wouldn’t take a special trip; I’m there once a week as it is…
MAKING MEMORIES HOLIDAY FOAM STAMP AND PAINT KIT:
I wasn’t looking for these, but they jumped in my cart when I was there. They were also on a clearance end cap. Originally $5, marked down to $2.50. Pretty good price for glittery and/or 3-D embellishments and a bling word. Not sure if I’ll keep them all for me, because they would make great little prizes for crop goodie bags. I think everybody needs a little bling in their life!
MAMBI EMBELLISHMENT KIT VALUE PACK:
So head over to Target and report back with any kick-ass deals YOU find!
The Pull-Ez ribbon holder is still a fairly new product and I had only seen it in black. Well, now they have it in a cute lime green color (as requested by customers). Also now in red, baby blue and lilac:
By the way, if you’re looking for a way to store your ribbon but you want to keep it on spools, the BLOG for Your Pictured Memories (maker of Pull Ez) says they are coming out with a new product for that.
From the BB website:
“The new BoBunny Retractable Knife is perfect for many paper crafting needs. For example use the knife along with the new Self Healing Cutting Mat to trim excess paper off the My Word books. BoBunny’s new cutting mat is professional quality for all types of craft, hobby and art projects. These mats are self-healing, 3mm thick and extra durable . Reversible, non-slip, non-glare surface with imprinted ruled guide for easy placement on one side and solid pink on the other. Use with BoBunny’s new Retractable Knife.”
THIS blog has great pictures of the fun way companies display things!
Over at the AMR message board, we’re also getting firsthand reports from the owner, Stacey, via phone. She was going to try and post pics by borrowing her roomie’s laptop but I don’t think she’s been able to do so yet. Although a wonderful MB’er named Cemetary Artist, who lives in Southern Cal, actually met up with Stacey. She picked her up from the airport and got her settled in town, so she (Rita) posted a few pics of them having fun. I think it’s so cool that friends are finding each other through these great scrapbook message boards!
Thanks to ali_bl (ALINA) and THIS POST from the CK Message Board, I found another Must Have tool. It’s a punch so we can make our own scalloped/eyelet edge papers instead of paying an extra $1 per sheet just because the company did it, LOL. This is one of my favorite looks in scrapbooking these days, so I’m very excited that someone came up with this tool. I hope Fiskars or someone else also makes one that punches the scallop without the eyelet holes, as sometimes you just need that little bit of a different look, kwim?
FISKAR’s SCALLOP / EYELET PUNCH
THE EMBI by Provo Craft
Sounds like a very well-rounded tool but, so far, it’s not on my shopping list. Maybe when I see it in use. I’m not much of an embosser-girl, and I already have the Making Memories Tag Maker gathering dust in my scrap room. But it does seem like one cool tool!
Embi™Universal Embellishment Press
A clever new tool that offers you several convenient functions in one!
Embi comes with interchangeable heads to:
Make framed tags
Attach rhinestones & studs
Set eyelets
Punch
Emboss
This all-in-one embellishment solutions lets you add accents to your creations without the hassle of using different tools, saving you precious space and money. This versatile tool is perfect for all sorts of creative projects, from scrapbooking and card making, to home décor and fashion art. Embi can embellish in a variety of materials, creating lasting accents you’re sure to love. Interchangeable heads are easy to change and fun to use. Each Embi head comes packaged with designer embellishments to get you started with your creative projects. Embi is also portable and simple to use. Its six-inch reach allows you to work anywhere on a 12″ x 12″ scrapbook page or project.
Well, I won’t call this a Must Have for me, because I think the price tag is over $100. As much as I’d love to have The Slice, it will probably have to wait for a birthday or Christmas “please-honey-I’ve-been-really-good-and-nice-this-year-and-I-made-you-dinner-306-times-don’t-I-deserve-a-new-scrapbooking-toy?” gift.
I’ve been following The Slice since way back, before they even had a distributor. Here is my POST from August 2007. And here is what it used to look like:
Here is what it looks like now:
I think the best way to show this baby is a couple of YouTube video demos of the product at CHA.
HERE’swhere Queen of CKMB, Miss Leslie, asks others for their thoughts on The Slice. And check out what the AMR GIRLS and 2PEAS LADIES have to say about it. We crafters are in serious decision-making mode about which of all these fab new tools we want/need to spend our money on!
Will you be getting one, two, or all three of these scrap-fabulous new tools??
With CHA-Winter coming up this weekend, everyone is talking about and trying to predict what the new trends in scrapbooking will be for this year. HERE is our discussion on the All Moments Remembered message board. Over on the SCRAP SCENE blog, they are doing a series of articles about Scrapbooking Trends for 2008. Here is PART ONE and PART TWO; will add PART THREE when it’s published.
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Here are my predictions and musings, as I said over at AMR:
Scallops and pretty edges
Journaling items
Acrylic stamps by every company, not just stamp companies
Distressed or shabby chic look
Glitter and bling
Pre-sewn items and papers, for those of us who don’t sew!
I’m really trying to think what the hot new material will be for letters and such. We’ve already done chipboard, felt, foam, grungeboard…what could be left? Hmmmm….
I saw some new thinner glass/mosaic type squares the other day…I wonder if that material will catch on?
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One thing I left out was: scrapbooking organizational items. I think all the companies have finally caught on that we have loads and loads of STUFF! And we need cute, functional ways to store it all. Personally, I’m tired of all the little org. pieces here and there, or ones sold to store just one type of item. We need more systems on a broader scale, something you could do your entire scrapbook area in that would cover all your bases and give everything a cohesive look. I’m truly surprised that Cropper Hopper hasn’t taken the lead on this. They would make a fortune if they did! At least, that’s my prediction…
What do you predict will be the hot trends for 2008?
I was doing a pretty lame job anyway, so I’m just going to turn over the HUGE task of giving CHA-W previews to this girl Monica @ SCRAP ETC. She is just rocking the previews and there are too many for me to keep up.
I was happy to see some Basic Grey previews over there, as BG is the one I always most anticipate:
BASIC GREY “ARCHAIC”
BASIC GREY “SUGARED”
BASIC GREY “BOXER”
I need to see more of each to say for sure, but so far “Boxer” is the only one I’ll be shopping for. I’m no scrapbooking designer, and I know it must be terribly difficult to keep coming up with fresh designs, but I miss “the old days” of Basic Grey. Not loving their stuff like I used to. I mean, there are elements of each collection that I like but I no longer just drool over the entire collection and have “can’t wait to use it” dance parties around my scrap room (no, there is NO footage of these events so don’t even try searching “Scrapbook Obsession’s solo dance parties” over at YouTube”). Do you think they got new designers along the way, or they’re just trying a little too hard to mix it up? The colors have gotten too muted for one thing. And you know how I feel about that weird flower they keep using. The dinosaurs in “Archaic” look cute, but they’re too specific, i.e. how many dino layouts can one girl do? I was scrapping a birthday party this weekend and really, really tried to use some of my Basic Grey “Sublime,” but it was just too…out there. The colors were off just a shade from matching anything (and you KNOW how many colors there are to choose from in birthday party pix), and the graphics were so weird that I couldn’t relate them to anything. You have to know, I HATE to be saying all this about “my” Basic Grey because they have always been my staple. Ask me any time since I’ve been scrapping what can I not do without, and the answer has always been “Basic Grey and Bazzill.” So I just really, really hope they do not disappoint again at CHA {picture me with fingers crossed}.
Tonight at CKMB during Happy Hour, ERIN LINCOLN (CK Message Board Hostess) posted THIS question re: CHA previews.
So, what are your thoughts? Am I alone on the Basic Grey thing? What are you most anticipating from CHA?
I was at the crop all weekend, then slept on and off today (still recovering from surgery and SO shouldn’t have done that crop…oh yes, regrets, I’ve had a few). Anyway, I’ve only watched a few of the QVC presentations that I tivo’d. So far, the only thing I’ve ordered is the 7 Gypsies Acylic STAMPS.
Here is one of Lisa’s sample layouts made with the Family journaling stamp. That’s the one that sold me!
They are so cool, can’t wait to get them! They remind me of their 97% Complete Tags which I just got and have been using a lot for journaling. One of the ‘episodes’ I watched was with Lisa Bearnson and David Venable, who I usually love watching because they crack me up. But they were off their mark this time, I thought, and seemed so frantic or something. Wonder what was going on there? Anyway, I was so proud of my restraint, but then I see threads like THIS on CKMB and now I’m clamoring to get back to the television.
What did you buy? Go ahead and confess here, I won’t tell your hubby, I promise…
I can’t keep up! It’s too crazy and I want it ALL. Just go HERE and check it all out. Lovin’ Heidi Swapp, Fancy Pants, and Cosmo Cricket. Not too sure about Crate Paper. I hear one of Basic Grey’s new lines is called Archaic and has a dino theme, but can’t find pics anywhere.
Yeah, yeah, we know it’s Superbowl weekend! Only thing I like about it is it keeps DH busy so I can crop and shop. Here’s some things I’ll be checking out…
Home Shopping Network (HSN) has several scrapbooking shows coming up. Check HERE for HSN program listings and make sure to adjust for your time zone.
QVC also has a bunch of shows coming up, and the big TSV (Today’s Special Value) will knock your socks off. It’s a 9,000+ piece (yes, I said NINE THOUSAND), papercrafting extravaganza by one of our favorite companies, COSMO CRICKET. HERE is one link shared by CKMB’er and expert QVC shopper, Gladys/Oreosmom. Lisa Bearnson talks about upcoming show items HERE and HERE. And the program guide is HERE. Sorry, I’ve been out of the loop on this huge CC thing on QVC but go to any of the message boards and they’re talking about it if you need the scoop. Looks like it has multiple shipments…
My favorite scrapbooking shop-site, ALL MOMENTS REMEMBERED, is having 2 big events this weekend. Today is the big reveal of their first monthly kit (February 2008), which sold out in record time, and sight-unseen no less! Stacey, Heather, and the AMR ladies promise lots of MESSAGE BOARD fun, RAK’s, challenges, etc.
And in a sure case of “the inmates taking over the asylum,” AMR Message Boarders themselves will be hosting a Superbowl Crop on the message board this Sunday. Check out both events ~ I promise you’ll have a great time!
As for me, I’m a total nutcase and have chosen to hold my Superbowl Widows Crop this weekend even though I had (minor) surgery last Tuesday night. Yeah, I’m certifiable alright. So my Tivo will be working overtime this weekend, and I’ll be checking in at AMR with every spare moment.
Have a SUPER scrappin’ weekend, everyone! Let us know what your plans are, what you’re gonna buy or, afterwards, what didja’ get??? Please do tell…inquiring minds want to know.
I was at Michaels yesterday and was so happy to finally see something NEW there. I had a 40% off and a 50% off coupon burning a hole in my wallet, so I was doubly, no make that tripley happy. I actually found 3 paper packs that were Must Haves, so I begrudgingly paid full price for one of them.
First, and my favorite of the three, Coastal Culture by Me and My Big Ideas (MAMBI).
Second, Modern Milan by MAMBI.
Third, Chelsea’s Place by Making Memories.
Now, I’m totally confused because I went to search online for pics of these lines so I could share my rockin’ finds with YOU. As for the MAMBI, on THEIR BLOG it says these are new products to be released at CHA in February 2008 and they have only given sneak peeks HERE and HERE. WTF? Why does Michaels have it if it hasn’t been released yet? Gawd, usually a product has to be at least 20 years old for MICHAELS to have it!!! Did I crash land into another universe when I wasn’t looking??
Anyhow, for now, this is the best I can do, layout samples from MAMBI blogs…
Then I link over to Suzy Plantamura’s blog and in THIS ENTRY dated 1-23-08, she says the same thing about Modern Milan, Coastal Culture, and another line called Renee being released at CHA?? Well, whatever, just glad I got me some already!! Here are some layouts from Suzy and check out that entry above to see more…
By Suzy, using Coastal Culture:
By Suzy, using Modern Milan:
Oh, and here’s Jamie Harper’s BLOG with a mention and some layout/card samples of all 3 lines including Renee. Jamie links to Suzy and also to Angelia Wiggington’s blog with THIS entry. Check it! I swear, sometimes you have to be a friggin’ internet detective to find new scrapbook stuff. Oh well, guess that’s what you guys pay me for…
What I love about both lines are the fresh color combinations, and the different textures with foiling and flocking (wow, sounds kinky, huh?). Seriously, whoever designed these lines should be very proud. Can’t wait to see Renee by MAMBI now too. I do a lot of ocean and coastal layouts, with the usual colors of blue, turquoise and green, but Coastal Culture shakes that up with colors you wouldn’t normally think of as “coastal,” yet they totally evoke that easy, laid back, coastal feeling. I can’t wait to play with it!
As for Chelsea’s Place by Making Memories, I was glad my search for it took me HERE to Christine Middlecamp’s blog because if you haven’t already “met” her, you should. She’s an awesome lady who just went through a horrific loss with an amazing grace you don’t often see. She movingly blogged about her journey and she just amazes me. Please make her a regular read if you can. That said, Miss Christine seemed to share my confusion over Mike’s actually having something NEW and COOL. So click on over there, leave her some blog love, and check out some Chelsea’s Place.
I stole this from a post by TexasPaperArtist on 2peas:
“Yes, Chelsea’s Place is new & it is coming shortly.(your store is probably just a little early getting it). It is exclusive to Michaels, along with 5 other collections by various companies. I know Michaels will have something about it on their website next week.”
The paper pack I got has a bunch of those cool shaped papers, like a circle with scalloped edges, etc.
Unless it’s super dooper special like that RENDEZVOUS RELEASE, I’m adding new CHA-W 2008 sneak peeks to THIS POST. Just added My Minds Eye, American Crafts (both get a thumbs up) and Daisy D’s (thumbs down).
I’ve been listing all the previews I find HERE, but this one was so special it deserved it’s own post. Check out the CHA preview by RENDEZVOUS, and make sure your speakers are on…but not too loud :)
I’ve been tagged by Janine/dahulagirl on HER BLOG. Think I’ve done this one a few times so I’ll try to think of 7 original random things, LOL…
Here are the rules which must be posted on your blog if you are tagged:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.
Here’s 7 facts about me:
1. My childhood nickname was Rickie (get it, for Erika?). My BFF in 5th grade thought of it, and she still calls me that.
2. One of my favorite snacks is Wheat Thins with cream cheese and salsa. But you have to use Philadelphia cream cheese and Southwestern medium salsa from Albertson’s.
3. I am VERY calm in emergencies. Scary calm.
4. One time when I was a dispatcher, I took a 911 call from a guy who said he was on the side of the freeway watching a man get run over by speeding cars….and over…and over…and over. He was yelling, “OH!” and gorily describing each hit to me as we rushed officers to his (supposed) location. He turned out to be 5150, and there was no road pizza. I will never forget that call.
5. I’ve always wanted to own a horse. Maybe I will someday.
6. My favorite color ever since I was little has been green.
7. I love Double Stuff Oreos dipped in ice cold nonfat milk.
Looks like another must-have tool by Basic Grey. It gets a big “thumbs up” from Noel Culbertson, a CK Scrapbooker of the Year Top 10. She said on the CKMB that it makes rub-ons go on “like a dream,” and that she got it HERE at embellish IT! where they sell it for $7. Here is the description on their website:
AMAZING TOOL!
Roller ball rub-on stylus
Rolling ball tip glides smoothly for a controlled application
Flat nylon paddle for setting the rub-on
High-quality design
I mean, Noel had me at Hello, but when she said this new tool does not leave smush marks on her Bazzill, it was like chocolate icing on a chocolate cake. You know, already great but just that much better. Okay, I’m off to see if ALL MOMENTS REMEMBERED or MEMORY WORKS plan to carry it, because Lord knows Michaels won’t have it in this decade and that’s about the only place left to shop around here. Will this be on your shopping list?
Edited to add 1/23/08: Deb from CKMB just posted a review on her blog. HERE YA GO…
I wanted to share this awesome scrap room with you. Someone posted it on CKMB, which led me to BENITA’s GALLERY at 2peas, which led me to her BLOG. Having posted pics of my own space several times, can I say this: I wish people who leave comments would take more care in how they say, “Man, you have too much stuff!”. I think how much each scrapper has is dependent on a lot of things, and I’ll use myself as an example:
~ Amount of disposable income
I used to spend, maybe $100-150 per month on scrap supplies when I worked full time. We made a very nice living and we could afford it. Believe me, DH would not have let me go overboard because it IS a luxury, not a necessity. Now that I work part-time, I spend whatever I can make with Memory Works. It creates a lot of extra work for me, but I can spend on scrap supplies guilt-free!
~ Level of interest in scrapbooking vs. other hobbies
Scrapping is it for me. I used to make jewelry, but have gotten rid of most of my tools and beads. I don’t knit, don’t read as much as I used to (scrapping now!), don’t buy a lot of DVD’s or music, etc.
~ How well you shop
I am a DEAL shopper! I use every single 40% and 50% off coupon I can find, wait for sales to buy things, buy from the Target and Mike’s dollar spots, use my LSS punch card for “free” purchases, look for good deals on HSN/QVC, etc. I use 40% coupons to buy Stacks ~ $20 minus $8 = $12, for 180 papers, that’s only 7 cents/sheet, what a steal. I don’t internet shop if I have to pay too much extra for shipping and try to buy during free shipping specials. If I order something for myself from Memory Works, I wait til I can combine it with a customer’s order to share shipping. It takes more time and effort, but now that I work less and make less money, what I’m rich in is time. I’m going to Target weekly anyway, and ~nice~ Mike’s is right next door. No gas money wasted.
~ Accepting free scrap stuff
I love freebies and have never turned away a free scrap product. I happen to have some very generous scrappers in my circle. They have very specific styles or don’t like “repeats” whereas I could care less ~ I love it all! If it’s something I won’t use, I stash it for my kids to make cards or to give to the school. I’ve seen “scraps” thrown away at my crops that are, like, 1/2 sheets of perfectly beautiful Scenic Route cardstock PP. I save that stuff and it does get used. But it makes my stash bigger than yours. I got TONS of free stuff from the CKU’s, bus shopping trips, and cruise I went on (and I say FREE meaning I only paid hundreds or thousands of dollar on the event to get it for free, lol). Again, my mom scraps 8.5×11, so she has handed me several 12×12 albums from events, papers she didn’t care for, and lots of embellies!
~ Being a consultant
Many of us are consultants for scrapbook companies and have to keep things in stock. I have several containers of stuff for sale. But if you looked in my scrap room, you’d assume it was mine.
~ How you choose to spend your disposable income
I don’t get my hair or nails done, don’t spend a lot of money on clothes (luvin Old Navy and Target), don’t need the latest gadget (no iPod here and my cell phone is 3 or 4 years old), don’t download music, don’t take vacations (we’re homebodies), don’t have expensive camera equipment, don’t go to pro sports, don’t belong to a gym (wait, I probably should!), etc. I mean, this is pretty much IT. By choice, because it’s what I love to do. There are months we’re totally broke and I buy nothing.
~ How long you’ve been scrapping
I’ve been scrapbooking for I guess about 5 years now. Of course I’m going to have more than someone who started 2 years ago.
So, there you go, there are lots of reasons why some scrappers have more “stuff” than others. I don’t think it’s fair to say someone’s area looks like “a store! can I come shop there?”, just because they have it well organized. And to question does someone really have time to do all the stuff they say, if they spend so much time in their scrap area. I mean, that would hurt my feelings to be questioned like that. I looked at Benita’s blog, and she seems to live a pretty full life to me.
I look at LOTS of scrap spaces that are posted online, and usually try to read the comments left by others. The comments on Benita’s room are pretty representative of what is usually said. I remember the one awhile back about someone’s gorgeous Scrap Cottage got a lot of doosies! Maybe it’s misguided jealousy, or misunderstanding, or a misguided attempt at a compliment. All of this said, I don’t think people INTEND to be hurtful, I really don’t. But I just wish we would be more considerate of each other when we post comments on each other’s spaces. How about, “I love the way you…” or “Where did you purchase that great …?” or “Excellent job organizing” (and leave off “All that gobs and gobs of stuff you have!”), LOL. Didn’t mean to make an example of Benita, but she is just the latest one I’ve seen where she posted her room to share her creative space with others, and gets comment after comment about “all your stuff”. Please put yourself in the person’s place and imagine how you would feel (um…defensive? hurt?). I think this is just one more area where we can be more supportive of each other instead of (accidentally) tearing each other down. What do you think?
