I got this a couple weeks ago but wasn’t able to load the photos to my computer until now. I heard these are still at some TUESDAY MORNING stores so I thought I’d show you what a great deal they are.
Here’s what the tote looks like. I chose this blue pattern but there were others, too.
A close up of the price tag, so you can see what a mega deal this is….and a list of what’s in it (hope it’s readable, though blurry…sorry).
And here are all the contents…
Honestly, I bought this for the bag more than anything. I’ve been looking for a large and cute tote to carry all my MEMORY WORKS stuff in, including catalogs and products. This will be perfect because it zips closed so my things won’t get damaged or dusty; it holds the heaviness of the catalogs because it’s sturdy; and it even has lots of cool pockets inside and out to hold my calculator, pens, scissors, blank price tags, etc. The tote alone would sell for about $30.
And I love HEIDI SWAPP embellies, so that’s just icing on the cake.
According to THIS post (copied below) from the SCRAPBOOKS ETC magazine blog, there will be some changes coming to the magazine. If I’m understanding the announcement correctly, I’m not liking it. Why don’t we all read it together and then discuss, shall we?
Note: All of the bolding is mine My notes are in brackets :)
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Scrapbooks etc. News!
Posted by Michelle Rubin @ SBE at 7/20/2009 5:20 PM CDT
We’ve got big things in the works for the coming months. Here’s a press release on all of our exciting news!
Scrapbooks etc. Aims Broader Readership with New Look & Expanded Content
ORLANDO, FL (July 20, 2009)— Advertisers and industry professionals will get a sneak peek at Scrapbooks etc. magazine’s new look, a first-ever mobile scrapbooking application, and enhanced “etc.” content at a special event here on Tuesday, July 28, the first day of Craft & Hobby Association’s 3-day Summer Convention and Trade Show. The magazine’s enhancements, which hit newsstands on September 8, target the passionate scrapbooker as well as a broadening readership in a changing marketplace.
Under the leadership of Editor Michelle Rubin, America’s No. 1 scrapbooking magazine offers readers creative inspiration in a friendly, knowledgeable manner through ample use of visuals, tips and ideas. To do this, the magazine constantly monitors—and responds to—changing reader interests and trends. For example, today virtually all of the magazine’s readers participate in other forms of crafting, including paper crafts (68%), stamping (67%), and home décor (38%). [This does not necessarily add up to “virtually all” readers. Shouldn’t it have said “a majority” to be more accurate? Also, because they do other crafts, does it mean they want them in this magazine?]
“We’re beginning to see true scrapbookers grow their skills and interests in a way that broadens the definition of ‘scrapbooker.’ Therefore, along with exciting new features for traditional scrapbooking, the magazine has been updated to empower scrapbookers to put their passion, skills and tools to new uses—that’s the ‘etcetera’ in Scrapbooks etc. We are a gateway into everything that is scrapbooking, and everything it can be,” Rubin says.
New features include:
Redesigned cover: A new logo, tagline (create*share*remember), hallmark creative page designs from top designers, and prominent display of “etc.” projects are designed to add interest and promote newsstand sales.
Updated features and departments: Distinct department pages call attention to helpful hints, designer tips and other insights; Dynamic feature layouts add energy and simplify navigation throughout the issue.
Enhanced scrapbooking pages: Including rich photography; bigger scrapbooking layouts and more detail shots; larger step-by-step technique photos; top tips and ideas; product shots near corresponding layouts for easy shopping; “How Do I?” call-outs that anticipate and answer reader questions; special icons to help readers save time, money and more. [This sounds awesome….mad props!]
Etc., Etc., Etc.: To take scrapbooking enthusiasts to the next level with their craft and entice other crafters into the Scrapbooks etc. community, the magazine is introducing:
o Inspired new projects for preserving memories, showcasing photos and creating cards and keepsakes
o Projects such as pencil holders, artwork, and much more—all made using scrapbooking skills and supplies
o Step-by-step instructions and visual detail to ensure project success
“We’re all about giving current and prospective scrapbooking enthusiasts everything they need—right down to the finest detail—to help them enjoy and advance their craft,” Rubin says. “The new Scrapbooks etc. has as many scrapbooking ideas as ever, and now include the latest, emerging trends in preserving and sharing memories.”
First-ever mobile scrapbooking application rolls out
Also unveiled today, a sneak peek of the first scrapbooking mobile application for use with Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch devices, ScrapApp, created by Scrapbooks etc. ScrapApp provides consumers the ability to customize their Apple iPhones and iPod Touches with the hottest scrapbooking styles and gives insider scrapbooking inspiration, exclusive coupons and more. Consumers can download wallpapers from the hottest designers as well as make personalized mobile scrapbook pages.
Scrapbooks etc. Scrap App will be available on August 3 from Apple’s iTunes Store. [I’m an iPhonie and this sounds great!]
The July 28 CHA event will be highlighted on Scrapbooks etc.’s “I Scrap, U Scrap” blog on July 29, 2009 (scrapbooksetc.com/iscrap.
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THIS is the 2peas discussion, and HERE it is on AMR. I love to post these issues to my favorite message boards because I want to hear all the differing opinions. As you can see, there do seem to be two camps: Those that welcome the look at new crafts and those that want it to remain a scrapbooking-only magazine. I don’t think you’re surprised at what side I come down on. Hint: The blog is called SCRAPBOOK Obsession, not All Kinds of Papercrafty Obsession or Pencil Holder Obsession.
Needless to say, I am not happy about this and think it’s the beginning of the end for this magazine. I’m not blaming Scrapbooks Etc. (SBE) for making this change, don’t get me wrong. I assume they’re in a position where they have no choice, or feel that they don’t. But just because I’m not blaming SBE doesn’t mean I can whine, complain, and say this whole thing blows, right? Sheesh. It’s my All American right to complain. So here I go….
1. There are just 2 scrapbooking-only magazines left on the market (Creating Keepsakes and Scrapbooks Etc.). I’ve already endured the huge impact of (don’t shoot!) digital scrapbooking on these formerly paper-scrapbooking-only magazines. I have grinned and I have beared it. But now they want to take me down to, like, 1.5 scrapbooking-only magazines. I’m sorry but I’m gonna’ pout.
2. Remember when Memory Makers and Creating Keepsakes tried magazine makeovers? How’d that work out for ’em?
3. I know what’s done is done and SBE is so far into their makeover scheme that they aren’t gonna listen to the likes of me. But I’m going to let them know my thoughts and I encourage you to do the same. Even if you feel the opposite, and welcome these changes. More power to ya, sister! May the best scrapper win! Wait, may the best paper-only-scrapbooker or papercrafty-altered-cardmaking-scrapbooker win!
I could not find a direct e-mail for Michelle Rubin, so we can go to the BLOG post and leave a comment.
As I get ready to post this, I see that readers are starting to leave both “yes” and “no” feedback, and that Michelle has just left a comment herself that includes this:
Also, thanks for all of your feedback! We are super excited about the refreshed design and want you to know that we are still focused on scrapbook pages and albums. We’re just adding a little more of the “etc.” projects. We have had cards, paper crafting and craft projects in every issue, but now we’re just making sure you don’t miss it!
I appreciate her leaving a comment and staying in touch with the readers. I’m not sure how you only add content without taking scrapbook content away, but okay. Either way, I still prefer a straight scrapbooking magazine. I know I should be all charitable and nicey-nice about this. “Let’s give them a chance. Maybe it will be better!” But I just can’t bring myself to do that anymore. I’ve seen scrap mag after scrap mag disappear and it makes me very grumpy. Okay, whining over….
ETA 7/21/09: Just when you thought my griping was over….They’re going down to 6 ISSUES A YEAR starting in October 2009….grrr…. The paragraph below was added to her blog post after I copied it….sorry I missed it :( And, yet, sorry I see it now:
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About Scrapbooks etc.
Scrapbooks etc. is America’s leading and only ABC-audited scrapbooking magazine. Beginning with the October 2009 issue, Scrapbooks etc. is published six times per year, in February, April, June, August, October and December. Scrapbooks etc. has an ABC-audited paid circulation of 220,000 and is part of the Better Homes and Gardens family of magazines serving American women with a passion for the home and life they create there.
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Sock it to me! What are your thoughts. Don’t sugar coat it. You like the new proposal or did you like SBE just the way it was?
Mr. LANDRY is our 9-month-old puppy. He is an outdoor ranch dog, and too big to bathe in the tub like we did in the early months. So we got brave and gave him a bath on the front lawn the other day. It’s in the 100s here so don’t feel sorry for him about being cold or anything. I’m sure the water felt good, but he does not seem to particularly care for water. Well, he’s pretty ornery in general so I think it’s more that he doesn’t care for 1. being told what to do, 2. being held down, and 3. being laughed at.
What??? Of course, we laughed at him. We couldn’t help it. You understand since you can see the photos below, right? I mean, what else are we gonna’ do??
First, let me illustrate one of the many ways Landry gets so dirty.
Here is a post hole my husband dug, which happens to be in Landry’s pen. It’s muddy from being soaked to soften the ground for more digging.
Here is Landry in the hole. He curls up and sleeps in it during the day. “Ahhh…so cool,” he tells us.
So let’s get some dirt off the kid. Here he is partially hosed off when we were done washing.
Landry walks away. “Uh, we weren’t quite done yet, dude.” Couldn’t care a lick.
Lying on the porch looking pathetic. “I’m so very put upon. Why must you bathe me?”
Partially dried, as much as he would let us. Lookin’ kind of snazzy there, Lands…
See why we call him Rat Boy? LOL
He is a holy terror so don’t you dare feel sorry for him. I keep telling him that it’s a good thing he’s so darn cute….
A while back, ANGIE on the AMR message board asked how we all store our punches, so I took a pic of my awesome, high tech punch storage system {insert eye roll here…}. I also have my handy little Xryon “X” ADHESIVE MACHINE and Pebbles Inc. RIBBON IRON in there, too.
It’s just a nylon tote I picked up ages ago at Michaels, but it’s good quality and has held together well given how packed I have it and how heavy it is. I think it was by Crop, Paper Scissors but the tag and receipt are long gone, so I’m not sure. I can’t find a photo online anywhere either, which is bizarre.
Anyway, here is why I like my punch storage:
1. It has handles and I can easily take it to crops, where I share them with everyone. {Punch love cannot be contained, and should be shared in the interest of world peace}.
2. Because it’s not hard-sided, there is some flexibility on where I can cram…ahem, PUT…punches of different sizes and shapes.
3. It was inexpensive.
The only con:
1. It is full.
Yet I don’t feel like I’m done buying punches. Not sure what to do about this dilemma yet. Yeah, I should probably stop buying punches. Hey, it’s not my fault. They keep coming out with new ones that are soooo cute. And with a coupon or sale, they are way cost effective for the use I get from them.
Last weekend, there was an online crop at ALL MOMENTS REMEMBERED, “the nicest message board on the internet.” I happened to be holding my own crop IRL all day Friday and Saturday, so I took my laptop, used the WiFi at the hotel, and followed along with the AMR crop. I even participated by completing and posting some layouts for the first time in a very long while. {To be honest, the talent over there intimidates me but I’m sure YOU would be fine, LOL}.
I did this layout for the “A NEW LAYOUT” challenge hosted by STACY aka CyCy. The only requirement was to post a layout you did during the crop.
The journaling reads: Can you hear little Landry? He is saying, “Will you please let me out?” I think I also heard him say, “But I’m so very cute. How can you keep me all locked up like some kind of criminal?” You’re right, Mr. Landry. You did nothing wrong. ‘Cept maybe chase the bunnies, chew through the drip line, dig up the grass. Misdemeanors? Maybe. I used Cosmo Cricket papers from THIS Memory Works Express Kit (Sept. 08),…
Bazzill cardstock, and the Cricut font “Doodlebug.” The stamped journaling box is from a either THIS or THIS journaling spot swap. There was no writing on the back so I’m not sure who made it unfortunately.
I did this layout for the “THINK BEACH” challenge hosted by JEN aka ScrappyJen. The challenge was to scrap your favorite part of the beach.
Papers are Heidi Swapp and 7 Gypsies, and the title was cut with the Cricut alpha “Opposites Attract.” Usually, the cursive font on that cartridge is long and low but if you put it on “upright” mode, it comes out like this. Cool, huh? The little black alpha is 7 Gypsies and the journaling box is again from one of the swaps I did, artist unknown.
The journaling reads: My favorite part of going to the beach is he feeling of calm that comes over me the second I see the water. The ocean is my favorite place in the world, the place I feel most at home, the place I am most myself, the place I feel most serene. The sound of the waves creates an almost spiritual feeling in my heart. The ocean gives me Serenity.
I did this layout for the “OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME” challenge hosted by NICOLE aka NicoleP. But I pulled a blond moment and it wasn’t actually eligible because I did not use a “summer” photo as instructed, LOL. These photos were taken in February, silly girl! Major duh. I mean, the entire theme of the crop was “Summer.” Oh well, it’s all good. I’ve been wanting to scrap these photos for a long time anyway.
The journaling reads: When it rains, we often get to see these amazing full rainbows off of our back patio. If you’ve ever wondered where the rainbow ends, just come to our house . . . we’ll show you the spot.
I used Bazzill cardstock, DCWV glitter papers from the NANA’s KITCHEN stack, and some plum metallic paper my mom gave me for the letters in RAINBOW; then I used GLOSSY ACCENTS {for the first time} on those letters. In person, this layout looks shiny and pretty although I don’t think you can tell that in the photo. The letters were again done with the Opposites Attract font on my Cricut. I only have 4 Cricut cartridges, can you tell? LOL
One of the highlights of the crop was the Virtual Bingo game run by Michelle aka Shelle’s 2 girls. Ahead of time, you picked 25 words from a long list of summertime words to be on your virtual bingo card (aka a list in Word or whatever). Then at the designated time on Saturday night, she began posting sets of 5 words while we marked any that we had off of our sheet. When people were starting to match up to 18 or 19 words, she slowed it down to 3 words at a time until the winner called “Bingo!” Along the way, it got very competative. Players tried to send other players off to get lucky kisses from their DH’s or to go check on the proverbial crying baby, etc. {“the better for me to win while you’re away from your computer” tactic}. They even tried to tell me a Journey special was on TV so I would leave, LOL! It was HUH-larious. All the feedback was so good, I think there will be virtual bingo at all the future AMR crops.
If you’d like to join us next time ~ or just join the AMR message board for everyday chatting ~ come on over, we’d love to have you. Just drop me a line (see my About Me page) so I can tell board admin DENISE aka denisewalks to expect you (lotsa spammers unfortunately).
Over at my favorite message board home ~ AMR ~ we are just starting a Book of Me challenge. It will be going on in the coming months, with periodic layout challenges by ABBY aka ScrapbookFrenzy.
The first challenge was “Stuff That Brings Me Joy.” Here was a sample layout Abby provided to give us some inspiration:
Here is Abby’s submission for the first layout. She liked the above layout so much, she chose to scraplift it. I love her take on it. It’s going to be so fun to learn more about my online friends through these Book of Me layouts, like this:
The base is Bazzill cardstock (is there any other kind?), and everything else is from the PINK PAISLEE GRAB BOX I just got. I think I’m going to try and do most of my BOM layouts with the PP stuff, so I will actually use it and not hoard it like I usually would cuz it’s SO cool. What could be more special to use it on than a book about moi, LOL!
So, “Stuff That Brings Me Joy” is AMR friends, summer rain, lazy Sundays, hugs & kisses, Bible study with my girlfriends, down time with a good book, vanilla lattes, good wine made by friends, and scrap mags. Wouldn’t this be a fun layout for YOU to do? {Hint, hint}. What stuff brings YOU joy? Don’t you think your family and friends would like to know? I had so much fun doing this layout that I went on to create another layout about my job. {The journaling is not done or I would post it}. The BOM challenge at AMR is very easy going; you can do the challenges presented, skip the ones you don’t like, add ones from other sources, whatever you want to do, in whatever way, size, or style you’d like. I love that, because this is a very personal book so I’m glad I can make it the way I want to and not feel pressured to work on it when I get busy and don’t have time.
I posted my layout at AMR asking for some CC (constructive criticism), asking if I should maybe replace the photos with black and white or sepia versions, because I almost feel like all the color looks too busy. But the consensus SO FAR seems to be that it’s fine the way it is. I love those girls over there….they are so encouraging and made me feel a lot better about it. {Can you tell I lack scrap confidence?}. I can scrap shop like nobody’s business, but when it comes to putting my layouts “out there,” I feel so inferior and talentless after seeing all the beautiful work ~ all the artistry ~ that is out there.
But I decided to take the plunge because I feel like doing a Book of Me is SUCH an important thing to do. For all the scrapping you have done, for all the birthday party and travel and Christmas layouts you’ve completed, what do your scrapbooks say about YOU? How many photos of YOU are in them? If you were to die tomorrow, how much of YOU would be left behind for your family?
When I think about this subject, ALEIDA FRANKLIN always comes to mind. Please think about doing a Book of Me for your family. There is a ton of inspiration online for doing one, and we would love to have you join us at the All Moments Remembered message board. It’s quick/easy to become a member and it’s just one big bunch of friendly and helpful ladies over there.
Have you or will you do a Book of Me scrapbook? If you have linkees, I’d love to see them :)
Isn’t it cool that twice today it was 7-8-9-10-11-12?? In honor of this auspicious occasion, ELIZABETH KARTCHNER had THIS post on her blog…a fun little contest, and I decided to play. I’ve copied the rules below:
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Last night Collin thought of this cool idea to have everyone take a photo at the same time! Are you in? Here’s how to play:
1 Have your camera handy on July 8th-this Wednesday mary’s birthday! :)
2 Take a photo of whatever you are doing when your clock says 10:11 am or pm. (we won’t worry about timezones)
3 Challenge yourself to think outside of the box in how you take the photo or don’t worry about that part and just snap one real quick!
4 Post the photo on your blog or an online gallery. Leave a comment on my blog linked to your photo and be entered into a giveaway.
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HERE is Elizabeth’s post on her 10:11:12 photos. And here is the photo I snapped at 10:11. Now, the stupid clocks on my computers say 10:12 and 10:14, but my iPhone said 10:11, so that’s what we’re going with, LOL!
At 10:11:12 today, I was taking a break from work for a morning snackie. I work from home as a medical transcriptionist. The Macbook you see is my own computer which is usually on a pretty ocean slide show while I work and listen to music (PANDORA.COM) on low all day. But I opened it to show the clock and, what do you know, there is my Twitter page, LOL! My headphones are hangin’ on my laptop and that’s my fruit to the right….kiwi, banana, and watermelon. My Windows work computer screen sits up behind my laptop but I purposely cut off the screen ~ confidential, dontcha know. Sorry it’s such a dark pic. The room I’m in is west-facing so it’s quite dark until about 2pm when the sun crosses over the house.
Well, that was fun. That’s what I was doing on 7.8.09 @ 10:11:12 am….
Well, this is probably anticlimactic, since you’ve already seen The Box contents HERE. But I took photos of what I got and will post them anyway, along with the retail price of each item so you can get an idea of HOW worth it this purchase is. {I have rounded the prices up by 1 cent for ease of use, and did not show prices on my favorites at the bottom if they were already included in a prior photo}.
(7) sets of cardstock letter stickers {retail $2 each}
(7) sets of rub-ons in black and silver {retail $4 each}
(1) spiral sticker book, 191 pieces {retail $4.50}
(1) set of rub-ons {retail $4}
(2) sets of acrylic stamps {retail $14 each}
(1) sheet of paper {retail $.70}
This is my favorite sheet of regular paper. My kids have been eating orange cream popsicles this summer, so this paper was just made for me.
(1) sheet of shaped paper {retail $1}
This is my favorite shaped paper. Love the scallops and the lines for journaling…
My favorite acrylic stamps. These make me very happy :)
My favorite set of letter stickers. I love the bright color and this is one of my favorite letter sticker fonts ever. I just wish it included punctuation (brackets, asterisks, etc.) like some of their other lines do.
My favorite set of rub-ons…so classy looking.
(1) sheet of paper {retail $.70}
This is the only thing in the entire box that I don’t care for. Just not my style although the colors are great.
This is the sneak peek of one of their new lines for CHA, “Twilight.”
This was the only double-sided sheet of the bunch. It has a distressed black polka-dot on the back. I wonder if all their new lines will be double-sided? Not that there’s any doubt which side of THIS paper I’ll be using. Isn’t it cool?
If you’re now a Pink Paislee convert like I am, or have always loved them, HERE is a link to sneak peeks for the CHA-Summer releases later this month. I have to say, this kit totally converted me. Prior to this, all I had of PP was about 3 sheets of paper and some transparencies that I got in a monthly Memory Works kit. My LSS or any store around me has never sold PP, so I had NO idea how rockin’ it was! But seeing how cute it all is and what great quality, they are now in my top 5 favorite scrapbooking companies.
If you’re on the fence about this warehouse sale, I would definitely recommend buying it. I haven’t done the math but there is CLEARLY a huge value here. Just the 2 sets of acrylic stamps alone account for 1/2 the price of the entire box including shipping {$28 of $55}. They shipped very quickly and it was packed very well, nothing damaged. But you’d better hurry….SALE ENDS THIS FRIDAY, JULY 9!!
Yippy skip! My latest MEMORY WORKS order arrived last weekend. They always send things in these 13×13 boxes with lots of padding so nothing gets crushed or bent. That’s one thing I really like. This is a mix of items for myself, and things I’m going to sell.
Here’s a bunch of Cosmo Cricket cardstock stickers, rub-ons, and the free Cosmo Cricket tie I got from Memory Works as a promotional item.
Finally! I got some BO BUNNY “ABBY ROAD.” Ever since I saw THIS layout by Chrispea, I’ve been wanting some. I’m totally going to scraplift that.
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And then there’s BO BUNNY “CALYPSO” for all those fun summer layouts. We have a pool, we go to the lake and the ocean all summer, and we barbeque a lot. This looks like the perfect line for me, don’t you think?
This is the back side and closer look at two of the papers. These especially rock, in my opinion.
This is the cover sheet thingee from the CRATE PAPER “BLUE HILL” theme set {oops, no linkee, it’s already sold out! you gotta’ move quick around here, LOL}. I just luuuurve this color combination. Have you ever seen Crate Paper in person? It is THE best quality patterned paper. It’s cardstock thick and has a slight texture to it. It feels so luxurious…ROWR…
You get two of each paper and I alternated both sides so you can see them both. For instance, from the left, there are two sheets of that paper with the teal/peach pattern on one side and the solid teal on the other.
Here is the rest of the stuff I got in this special “retreat” pack, i.e. leftover class kits or things sold at the Memory Works retreat in June 2009. This was a great deal…all this Crate Paper stuff in one pack for $17.50.
This was also a special from the MW retreat…a birthday card set from the BASIC GREY “CUPCAKE” line. I’m going to offer them as make-n-takes at my crop. {No linkee here either, already sold out. Sheesh, glad I ordered when I did!}
And now my whining about not having any COSMO CRICKET “EARLY BIRD” will cease because it now holds it’s rightful place in my stash. Sweeeeeet!
This the front side of the papers in the theme set….
…and this is the back side of those same papers.
This is the Early Bird ELEMENTS and STICKERS. I got 2 of everything ~ 1 for me, 1 to sell. Again, loving the color combo, and those cherries are so stinkin’ cute. I’ve seen lotsa inspiration on various blogs for how to use this line and I can’t wait to get started.
It’s like Christmas in July, I tell ya’. What’s funny is I get the same amount of joy from receiving the items I’m going to keep and those I’m going to sell to customers. I don’t mind selling products that I have in stock and may really love … but I get to touch them first ;-)
I first heard talk of this line in THIS post at 2peas. So, I popped over HERE to check it out. I was quite confused because so much of it looks to me EXACTLY like something JENNI BOWLIN already has or something she would design. I assumed Jenni partnered with MAKING MEMORIES to design this line, but I searched around their website and blog and could find no mention of such. So, yeah, kinda’ weird to me that MM would be allowed to make a line that looks SO similar to another designer/company but that’s just me, I guess. No one else on the thread commented on it being a concern to them (but one Pea told me that Jenni does not work for MM, which I knew).
Anyhoo, the rumor is {this has not been confirmed, as far as I know} that MICHAELS has an exclusive deal with MM to sell Vintage Findings now (June 2009), then the line will be released to the LSSs in the fall. Which, if I were an LSS, would tick me off and make me not order it because by the time the LSSs receive it, it will be “old news” to scrapbook shoppers. That’s probably all by design and I know companies like Making Memories are doing whatever they can to survive in this economy but it still makes you feel kinda’ icky, doesn’t it?
This issue came up before when BASIC GREY did exclusives with Michaels and the paper stacks for lines like Urban Prairie (one of my favorite BG lines evah!). You can read about it HERE. I know that many LSS owners, and LSS supporters like myself, were pretty upset by the BG development because “How dare they dis the LSS like that ?!?!?” I guess I finally came to peace with it for these reasons: 1. Those of us without LSS’s anymore can still easily buy it, and 2. If it comes down to it, I believe in whatever measures it takes to keep the SB companies in business. But I know it ain’t pretty, folks. One positive I can point out is that, to my knowledge, this kind of thing doesn’t happen all that often. I can only think of these 2 instances in the past year or so. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong.
Anyway, here are a couple quick photos of the items they had at my Mike’s. They were taken with a stealth iPhone, so as usual, please forgive the quality. At least at you get the idea, right?
See those little crystal-topped stick pins in the top photo ?? {HERE’s a link….stupid MM website won’t let me copy the photo}. Those reminded me of an online AMR friend, so I bought them and she’ll be receiving them in the mail soon. I love scrap friends!
Okay, all that said and please don’t shoot! But I’m not a fan of this line. Some of the papers are cute ~ I like the map ones ~ but I guess I’m not a true vintage girl because I can’t see myself using these things on my pages to a large enough degree that I’d buy a whole pack of the findings. A few of them were cute – the labels and stick pins come to mind – but overall, my review is … Eh. I thought things like tickets and simple labels were overpriced (you could make them or buy them on Etsy or at an office supply store for a lot less). But I know there are a lot of you true Vintage Girls out there who will really like it. There were many on that 2peas thread who were totally in love and buying it up like crazy. That’s the beauty part…to each their own in scrapbooking. There’s something for everyone.
What do you think of the Vintage Findings line by Making Memories? And what do you make of the Michaels exclusive on it?
Finally! Some THICKERS showed up at my Big Lots. Not that I was stalking it….because I wasn’t….I mean, not that you can prove….
Here are the ones I bought. I wasn’t thrilled with the selection, especially compared to what I’ve seen others post from their BL. But, hey, 2 bucks for something that normally goes for $4-5? I’ll take it, mama!
Did you know that Big Lots also has a bunch of MARTHA STEWART wedding stuff right now? There are packages of tiny bling and pearls, cake topper frames, garlands, etc. As one would imagine, Martha’s items are very tasteful and of good quality. I was tempted by some MS 12×12 postbound albums that were marketed as a Wedding Guest Book. I don’t need one of those, but I figured for 2 bucks a piece, I could pull out the guest book pages and insert a bunch of page protectors. Alas, I decided against buying any. Here is what I DID get. These MS heart tins I got the last time I was there. Only $2 for 24 pretty little tins. I’m going to put candies in them and give them away at my crop in July.
The daisy coasters are stinkin’ adorable. Think I will keep a couple for me, then give the rest out at the crop, too. Don’t you think they make a great embellishment for a Spring layout? The scalloped ones are so much cuter (and less orange) in real life. I flipped one over so you can see that you could just use the white side for a journaling box. In really faint print, it has a tiny logo in the middle but you can easily write over it.
I’ve been having a really rough week so that was a nice little surprise. I got a screamin’ deal on my favorite shampoo at Big Lots, too. Me likey that store….
I had the opportunity to do some shopping in The Big City, as I had a fun Girls Weekend at the beach and, what do you know, I had to drive through civilization to get there. Here’s my shopping report:
On Clearance at Mike’s: Prima flower milk jars($6.99 down to $2.99), and Making Memories 8×8 paper pad, Travel. See those cream colored flowers in the bottom left of the photo? I had those in my hand. They went on a quite a walk around the store with me. I had layout ideas in my head on which I would use them.
But I put them back on the shelf when I found this. Ah, paper punches on Clearance! Wow, that worked out nicely….with the photos stacked on top of each other, I almost matched them up, didn’t I? These were on an end cap, where our Mike’s now has a lot of scrap clearance these days.
Here is the punch I bought: Regularly $14.99, marked down to $7.99, and with my 40% coupon, it cost me just over $5. Did I get a great deal or what? Sounds like 66% off to me! Isn’t it cute, how it does the zigzag edge, which reminds me of Bazzill’s specialty cardstock…now I can make it myself. This punch not only punches the zigzag shape, it also embosses a dotted line, adding the perfect detail. I’m so happy I got it!
My other purchase from Michaels, a bling title that says “Beach.” This is perfect for the title of my Girls Weekend layout. I’m going to title it “Beach Girls”.
Remember, I told you HERE that my last LSS (still, it’s 45 minutes away) sent out an e-mail that they need help through the summer and, hopefully, they would not have to close in the fall. So I paid a little visit, didn’t I?
ETA: Chris commented about Sass Lass and MME being at Michaels so I’m going to clarify here….everything below here was from my LSS, except the clipboards which are from Wallie World ~ I wrote this post at 1am so I wasn’t very clear :)
Here is a predone layout I bought. Number one, I love it…the Love title, the white puff paint dots around the scallops, and the Basic Grey line that was used, which I happen to have plenty of, I’m going to make a companion page to go with this. From the 50% off table, so I paid about $3 for it.
Here are some bee-you-tiful papers I got from My Minds Eye. Love, love, LOVE scalloped edges.
Here is a sheet of Flair Designs paper. I like how you can cut it apart for use on your pages.
Here’s some more goodies. The back of one of the MME (My Mind’s Eye) sheets, Basic Grey “Offbeat” chipboard stickers, some journal and title spots from MME, and a great deal on a ribbon pack (50% off).
Finally, may I share a whole lotta’ Sass Lass love? Yep, these were also on the clearance table, and only cost me $2.49…wait, no! Half off of $2.49 would be about $1.25 each, or $5 for all four.
Oh, not “finally!” I forgot to show you the clipboards I got from Walmart. I’m going to alter them, and use them in my home office. They cost under $1 each…
“Thank you for watching. This has been Scrapbook Obsession reporting from inside Scrapbook World.”
I talked about the journal spot swap I was hosting HERE. Well, it’s done and, boy howdy, was it fun! Everyone came through, sent them in, and did a wonderful job. Some ladies sent more than one set to share….PATTI set the record by sending five sets! Patti also sent a whole book of stamps which helped cover any gaps in postage and I was so grateful (‘cuz you know DH’s first words when I told him I was hosting a swap were, “How much is that going to cost us? LOL). Anyway, all of the journaling spots were rockin’ and it was such a pleasure to host. Here is a semi-sneak of what they all looked like, while in the sorting process and then my own pile when I was done.
Aren’t you jealous you didn’t join up? LOL! To thank everyone for participating, I sent them each a Mike’s stamp and then some scallop squares I punched with my new favorite punch. And here is a pic of all the cards and little gifties I was sent as the swap hostess…..jeepers, if I knew you got all sorts of pressies for hosting, I would’ve done it ages ago! {Hee, just kidding…}
Look at what Patti sent! Tons and tons of stamped images from her much-envied stamp collection. These will be so fun to color in and use on scrapbook pages and cards…
So, I just wanted to share my experience at hosting my first scrapbooking swap. It was totally wonderful the entire way and I highly recommend it to anyone. The AMR Girlz are already posting layouts they’re making with the journaling spots received in this swap. Here is one….lovely, huh?
LAYOUT BY LISA aka LBOREGON, journaling spot by KAY aka kaydrenth
If there are more, I will post them here. To quote my friend RACHEL….Toodles!
Well, THIS post has been going for a week at 2PEAS, about all the lucky ladies finding THICKERS letter stickers at Big Lots for only $2 a pack (they are usually $4-5). I finally made it to my new Big Lots (I wrote about when it first came to town HERE) and….remember the Soup Naz! on Seinfeld?….”No Thickers for you!” Nope, my Big Lots had none.
Rats. Double triple rats.
As one who likes to take lemons and make scrapbook lemonade, I found a few other things and did not leave Big Lots empty-handed. Here is what I found:
Some AC foam shapes, an 8.5×11 cardstock pack in pretty, muted colors, All Dressed Up adhesive ribbons by DCWV, and 2 packs of tropical colored mini brads. Also, 2 black/1 purple DCWV alphas. I got a pack of the black alphas on my last trip and have since used them on 2 projects so I got me so mo’….
Here’s what comes in the American Crafts foam shapes:
Not bad for a grand total of $14, eh? That includes a binder (not shown) that I needed for work.
But I’m still bummed about the Thickers….Hey, have you been a lucky Big Lots shopper? Tell us which Thicker packs (or anything else) you got!
Okay, part 2 of getting organized with the Cropper Hopper goodies I recently bought at Tuesday Morning. Here is what I started with…a bunch of Michael’s $1 acrylic stamps in baggies, kinda sorted by Series, in a 12×12 Iris drawer. NOT a good arrangement. Again, every time I opened the drawer, it got jammed up. As anal as I was about keeping the sets together when I first started “collecting” them, now I don’t care and would rather have them sorted by topic.
And how easy was that? I cut index cards down a bit to act as dividers. Nothing fancy, just wrote ’em in by hand. I cut the tops off of each stamp package to allow for easy use. I had originally planned to take them out of the package altogether but when I tried that, the stamps alone were so little, it seemed like they sunk way far down in the drawer. Man, I was SO ready to throw more packaging away, LOL!
Here’s what it looks like with the drawer closed. Nice. Compact. Dust free. Love it. I’m hoping I’ll use them more now that they are so nicely organized.
That drawer is pretty packed though, so now the question is, “Do I buy more storage drawers…or quit buying Mike’s stamps?”
If you know anything about me, you know the answer to that question…{wink}
In THIS post, I showed you the new Cropper Hopper storage I got. I decided to use the binder storage to get my cardmaking supplies in one place and out of the Iris drawers I had them in. The problem with the drawers was mainly that the blank envelopes and cards would get jammed when I opened and closed the drawers. Also, nothing stacked in there very nicely and it shifted around, not staying very organized. So here is a photo of what I started with – 2 Iris drawers of cards, envelopes, rub-on books, stamped images, etc.
Actually, I realized when I was all done (or thought I was!), that there was another Iris drawer so it's not pictured here but the finished product has THREE drawers worth of stuff, yay!
Here is how one side ended up, with most of the blank cards and envelopes in the 4 pockets. I like how they have closing tabs so they don't get all yucky or dusty.
Here is how the entire opened binder looked when I was done.
Here is just the right side, with larger cards/envelopes, card sentiment stickers, etc. To make it work for my stuff, I had to cut out some of the dividers. The top section started out with 12 small sections and I cut out 6 of them to create a space large enough for my items. In the bottom section, I cut out the 2 vertical dividers (it originally had 3 sections) to accommodate my larger cards and envies. I just snipped them out with scissors right along the crease, careful to not make holes.
Here's the trash pile when I was done, from taking everything out of it's cellophane packages, ribbon off spools, etc. To me, that is room SAVED, baby!
I hope you enjoyed my card making stash makeover. Have you done something similar?
And stayed tuned...tomorrow will be my Mike's stamps storage revamp!
Oh NO she di-int!!! I received a package yesterday from my girl Leea aka luvzenkm2. You will not believe what she sent me! OMG. I’m totally floored.
First, some background: I’ve (online) known Leea for, what, a few years now? We met on CKMB and she also posts on AMR Message Board (though not often enough…hint, hint, Leea…). We read each other’s blogs but have never met in real life. Come to think of it, I haven’t met any MB’ers in real life (wutuppp???). She joined the same Journaling Spot Swap that I blogged about HERE. Anyway, so Leea has always been such a total sweetheart to me and I love her kindness and humor. For example, her tag line on her AMR siggie is “Illinios, where our governors make our license plates themselves.” You must check out her BLOG. She has a huge love for animals and nature, and is a talented digi-scrapper (check out her layouts in THIS post, for one!). Here is another favorite of mine:
So, anyway, on THIS post the other day about my love for Fancy Pants “Summer Soiree” and how I got 2 parts of the line but couldn’t afford my favorite thing, the Notebook Journal…
…she left this comment:
4 | Leea
Isn’t someones Birthday coming maybe that person will get it for their birthday ;-)
First of all, out of all the people she knows online, I thought it was so sweet she remembered I have a birthday this month {or took the time to look it up at AMR}. I laughed at the comment, thinking she meant that maybe my DH would see my post and get it for me or something. {Ahem, DH is not ALLOWED to read my blog, just for the record. “He let’s me buy all the scrapbook supplies I can hide,” remember? LOL}
A few days later, I got a PM from Leea at AMR saying that I should watch UPS tracking number such-and-such very closely. A called her a little minx and she would tell me no more. But I had a sneaking suspicion she was sending me a little birthday giftie. I knew it wouldn’t be the FP Notebook Journal because that baby costs $9 plus whatever shipping…WAY too generous! Well, you want to hear GENEROUS???
Here are photos of what I received from Miss Leea….
I was totally floored! Here is a list of all the goodies from the CHERRY ON TOP invoice (btw, they’re having a big sale this weekend but I don’t like to enable people so….). Look at her message at the bottom (sorry, it’s a bit blurry but I think you can read it:
I still can NOT believe all the cute stuff she sent! And all my favorite things like the MM wedding stuff that I wrote about HERE, Thickers that I wrote about HERE, and the journaling spots which she knows I can’t resist! And Bazzill swatches? I’ve always wanted some, yeah!
I think that is the truest, sweetest kind of friend who takes the time to find out what you love and they know will make you happy. Speaking of which, I absolutely will be sending Leea a return gift (I’m overdue in this respect anyway). But what do you send to a digi-girl? I will have to research that or maybe you guys can leave me some suggestions? Hmmm….Well, all I have left to say is….
Part 2 of my Big City Shopping day, and now we proceed to Michaels. It must’ve been ANNA GRIFFIN day, because just like TUESDAY MORNING, Mike’s had some new Anna stuff. The line is called “Darcey” and the colors are bright and look better in person than they do in my blurry iPhone photo.
I love this scalloped acrylic album! It has 5 pages and 2 binder rings. I didn’t get one because, as you can see from the signage in the first photo, all the “Designer Corner” stuff was on sale for 25% off. I’ll wait for a 50% coupon and get this album for 10 buckeroonies.
These chipboard letters are cute, too. I use a lot of bright colors AND black, so these may be a future purchase (with coupon, of course…).
This is a new line by PRIMA. It’s a departure from their usual pretty-pretty stuff. The skulls and guitars – I don’t know if you can tell from the photo – are made from tiny bling. Very cute! I think this line is very cool but I don’t have anything I would use it on.
Here is the Making Memories “Black Tie” line that I talked about HERE.
And this was my favorite of the new stuff: The “Vacation” line by Me and My Big Ideas (aka MAMBI). I’m a sucker for bright, tropical colors for all those upcoming summer layouts. We have a swimming pool so I end up doing lots of layouts with turquoise being the main color. This line will be a perfect fit.
This was interesting…a new line by K&Co…darnit, I can’t remember the name of the designer, maybe someone can help me out or I’ll try to find it online. Anyway, the focus seems to be “green” with those tote bags and recycled packaging, similar to the K&CO/Amy Butler “Lotus” line they recently carried. Not my style, but cute.
ETA 5/21/09: Thanks to a comment left by ALESK…..it’s Carolyn Gavin. Thank you! Love my girls who comment! *U Rawk*
Closer look at MAMBI travel and summer stuff…
Cute new EK SUCCESS punches! Flowers and fruit…so summery.
Here are some photos from after I got home. On top are the MAMBI journal spots and “Vacation” title I got…yum! (Both for 25% off). The Making Memories “Well Worn Tags” were sold as a pack at Tuesday Morning. Normally, they would’ve cost about $12 ($4 each), but I got all three for $4. That’s, like, 66% off, am I right? What a steal…
This is the coupon (20% off entire purchase from 9 to 1 on Memorial Day), and June coupon book they put in my bag at checkout. Kewl.
Just an example – the discounts from the first page. Good stuff, yeah?
My favorite purchase of the day, a scallop square Giga Punch. I used my 50% off coupon and got it for around $9. Schwing!
So that’s the haps at Michaels these days, and my fun purchases. At Mike’s, what have you gotten lately or what are you planning to buy?
Made my monthly trip to The Big City and here is what I found at Tuesday Morning…
There were a lot of ANNA GRIFFIN packs – huge ones with 12×12 paper and tons of embellies to mini album kits.
Here were some fun EK SUCCESS punches that were very tempting (but I resisted…can you?). These ones are a pacifier, arrow, and speech bubble. There were a few other shapes, too.
For me, this is where I hit the motherlode….CROPPER HOPPER STORAGE !!! I had always wanting these when they first came out because I love vertical bookshelf storage for my scrappy stuff. I own stock in CH VERTICAL PAPER HOLDERS, ya know. But these items were out of my budget (because I am super cheap, yeah).
But I picked up the 2-drawer/4-pocket binder ($8.99) which I plan to use to organize my card-making supplies. I don’t have a ton but right now they’re in some Iris drawers and not very well organized. The 3×3 embellishment drawer ($2.99) will be the perfect way to organize my Mike’s stamps finally! I’m really excited about that one. They’ve also been stacked in an Iris drawer…til now, LOL!
Here you can see the retail prices, and what a great deal Tuesday Morning has on them…
Here is what the inside of the pocket binder looks like.
When I get some schtuff inside my new storage, I’ll post pics and see what you think. Have you found any good deals at TM lately?
PS: Stay tuned for the next episode of Shopaholic Obsession….er, I mean….Scrapbook Obsession….when I’ll show you what’s new at Mike’s and what I picked up there….
Well, seeing as how it was Mother’s Day today – and I am a mother – silly me, I assumed that I’d be able to do something I wanted to do and get my scrap on at some point. I mean, wouldn’t you think?
Here is what happened instead:
– DH had to work. Shizzle. Bad sign.
– I told the kids the night before that they could serve me cereal in bed; I ended up making them French toast. I opened cool gifts from them and got in a really good Mommy Love session of hugs and kisses. I saved the gift from DH to open later when he’s home.
– After breakfast, I went back to lounge in bed and fell asleep reading the new Creating Keepsakes I bought lastnight at Target.
– Upon waking, I was informed that “we” were going to play Clue.
– After an exhausting game in which Colonel Mustard was found to be the culprit, the players were famished so I played short order cook and made multiple lunches, then washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.
– Wouldn’t you know? After lunch, it was so hot, I was recruited to watch the kids swim. The water was too cold for me (kids are freaks, aren’t they?), so I hosed off all the patio furniture for the beginning of swimming season and got everything arranged and Windexed to within an inch of it’s life. I also babysat the puppy the entire time, who was quite disturbed that “his people” were jumping in this huge blue tub of water. He wasn’t clear on the whole concept and alternated between yelping, barking, licking wet people, and attacking defenseless towels.
– After sending everyone off to the showers, throwing beach towels in the dryer, feeding and watering the pup, and hanging up swimsuits to dry, I finally got in some Mother’s Day Relaxation….by doing 5 loads of laundry and cleaning the house.
– I then made tacos, cleaned the kitchen once again, and made sandwiches for school tomorrow. Washed out and refilled sports bottles, called my mom, and put a slipcover on hubby’s recliner to surprise him when he gets home.
– Before I knew it, it was reading and tuck in time. I watched Desperate Housewives and a recorded episode of THE MILLIONAIRE MATCHMAKER, e-mailed CATHY ZIELSKE (I know!), caught up on my message board reading and posting, wrote an entry for my transcription blog, tweeted a bit on TWITTER, and wrote out this blog entry.
Oh yeah, I was gonna’ scrap today, wasn’t I? Gah!
Hope you had better luck than me, and enjoyed some scrappy time this weekend. Tell me about your Mother’s Day, whether you’re a mom or not…
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