I don’t have a crystal ball, and haven’t consulted JOHN EDWARD on this, but here is my prediction: PINK PAISLEE will be the next BASIC GREY of the scrapbook world. Yep, they are THAT good. I mean, just check out this yummy goodness on their home page:
Um, well, okay. Blogger girl foiled again! This is where I went and right clicked on the cool images on their home page, only to be told “Sorry, right-click is disabled. You are welcome to use our images, but we prefer you to use the right ones; Simply click the link for retailer resource page at the bottom of the page under Retailer Lounge.” Which I did HERE, and found a PDF file to click on for product images. Well, tell ya what, if the .pdf file is done downloading by the time I finish writing this, I’ll include their images. If not, sorry Charlie, your loss! {Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine. Sheesh! I was really liking these Paislee girls until now….}. But a cool thing I did find on that page was a list of coordinating cardstock for their lines. Nice! Nice for the retailer, nice for the shopper.
So! Well, I was going to directly link you to their BLOG and their PRODUCT page and such like I usually do with products I like. But now I’m kind of pissed, so I’ll let you explore on your own if you like. Can you see the tee shirt I’m wearing? It says, “I don’t get mad, I get even.” Yeah, right, I know they don’t care about us bloggers but I’d say we DO send a little bitta biz their way, wouldn’t you? Wish these companies realized that and were a bit more ‘blog friendly.’ Maybe I’ll go write my Congressman….
Well, I still do love their products and think they’ll be taking over the industry. Their new lines are: Vintage Moon, Pop Fashion, Office Lingo, and Spring Fling. Wish I knew how to use THESE cool desktop calendars cuz theirs rock! Stacey at AMR has been teasing us with PP on her blog HERE, HERE and HERE. {While you’re there, check out THIS post about the new Jenni Bowlin…I have a BIG jones for anything Jenni}. HERE’s the store if you want to shop!
PS: That dang PDF product image file is STILL downloading, so no product pictures to share with ya’ here, but click on those links to Stacey’s blog, she has plenty {she must be gads more patient than me, LOL!}
Went by the craft store on the way home from letterboxing the other day, and this is what I got:
Used my 40% off coupon on these awesome stamps, Stampology “Journal” (regularly $7.99, paid $4.49):
With me, Autumn Leaves can do no wrong with their stamps. I pretty much love them all. I haven’t had time to scrap with them yet, but I played around a bit this morning and stamped them out so you can see what they look like. I did the circle one with and without the journaling lines…the possibilities with that stamp and the scallop rectangle seem endless! I gotta say, the swirlie one that I stamped in green isn’t a fave. But, hey, at about one buck a stamp, I won’t cry too much if it never gets used.
I stamped them on white so you could see them best, but I plan to use them on lots of yummy colored paper. The thought of all the color combos I can make with my papers and chalk inks has me feeling all bubbly inside…hee! {Yep, it’s a sickness…}.
Speaking of scrapping diseases, the Fiskars Threading Water Punch malady seems to have hit everyone is scrap world….you know, I must have one or I will DIE! So if you still need one, Stacey at AMR has them in stock HERE.
She also has something I want need very badly…this Maya Road Calendar Turns stamp set. I love how you can spin it and change it, then stamp and circle the date. Kewl! You can pre-order it HERE.
What do you think of these products, or any other new ones you’re seeing around?
I picked up Photo Freedom by Stacy Julian on Thursday with a 40% off coupon at my local craft store, BEVERLY’s.
I’ve been interested in reading both of Stacy’s photo organization books because, as I’ve talked about HERE, I’m in a constant struggle with how to best organize my photos. I wish I could’ve found her first book ~ The Big Picture: Scrapbook Your Life ~ and read it first.
But…que sera, I found Photo Freedom first and wasn’t going to pass it up. I’ve heard so much discussion about these books and her non-traditional approach to photo organization, that I grabbed the book when I saw it, LOL!
I went into reading it knowing I probably wouldn’t agree with much of what she advocates. Yes, I’m a chronological scrapper. Not in the sense that I use strap-hinge albums and MUST scrap in order since pages aren’t moveable, but in the sense that I use post albums with drop in pages but I keep my albums in chronological order. I’ve converted most of my albums to this cool SNAP LOAD system by Pioneer, so I can add and move pages as quickly as can those braggy 3-ring-album girls! {And my 2-page layouts aren’t split in the middle with 3-rings…to quote Stacy herself…”So there!”).
I’ve admitted before to being somewhat….er, um….extremely anal in most aspects of my life. {All those years I worked as a governmental budget and program analyst, I told people ‘I put the ANAL in ANALyst.’}. So, nope, even Miss STACEY JULIAN isn’t going to convince me to scrap out of order or to slap photos from different events onto one page. Maybe once in a while on a tribute page or something, but not as regular practice. But I’ve also always believed that you have to look at all sides of a story, to be willing to research other options, before you give a firm NO. Hence, me seeking out Stacey’s photo organization books.
I’m about halfway through Photo Freedom now and here’s where I stand so far. 1. Nope, I’m staying with chronological scrapping and, therefore, I don’t see myself putting all of her ideas into practice. 2. Her system is intense! But I mean that in a good way. She has really thought it all through, has found the best storage items (and suggested alternates to the reader) for each component of her system, and she obviously walks the walk, i.e. really USES her system. 3. I agree with her that ‘the kids aren’t walking out of here someday with all my albums,’ so she has a School of Life album for each child that they can abscond with someday. It’s a good compromise. 4. I love how, when she set up her system, she ‘pre-flighted’ tabs, boxes and such for upcoming months/years. You think ‘that time’ will never come, but then it’s actually here and you’re not prepared, have nowhere to sort your photos and memorabilia, and so it just stacks up. I’m with Stacy…pre-label your shizzle! 5. I love the way she does her school files for each child and will probably implement that idea (sorry, you have to read the book to see what I’m talking about).
So there’s my review so far. I’ll probably finish the book this weekend and will post more thoughts if I remember to (remember….ooh, look, sparklies….I’m easily distracted).
Do you have either of these books? What did you think? Have you implemented her system or any of her ideas? Are your photos organized and how? I want to know it all! Feel free to link to a blog post of yours if you’ve outlined your system on your blog already…
As you animal lovers know, having a dog is sometimes pretty close to having a child. Well, I lost my beloved dog, Dallas, this morning. He was killed by 2 dogs that live next door, aggressive ones that we’ve complained about to Animal Control since the family moved in last summer. I’m beyond devastated. We called Dallie “our firstborn” because he was our spoiled rotten baby before we had kids. He was just a love, sweet and smart and fun. Well, I’ll be signing off for a bit, don’t know when I’ll feel like writing again. Here’s a layout I posted before…about Dallas. Please say a prayer for my baby.
Thanks to a post by VERONICA/Miss Onigur at CKMB, I found this cool new storage line that is at or will be coming soon to a Target near you…and it looks perfect for scrapbooking storage. Can I hear a WHOO HOO?!?
It’s called ITSO and here’s a pic of the storage cube, which measures 14.75 x 14.75 x 14.75″ and costs $26 for a set of 2.
Here’s a LINK to what they called Craft Room and there are 5 items there, including these Storage Drawers (2) which cost $50 for both.
It says it’s made of “sturdy plastic” so I’m wondering if this system can hold up to all the heavy papers, punches and other scrap crap we tend to load it up with. Oh darn, guess I’ll have to buy a cube to find out, LOL!
If you want to take a look at the entire ITSO line at Target, HERE is the link. After cruising around their offerings a bit, here are a couple more of my favorite items…not just for scrapbooking storage, but for anywhere in the home.
I really appreciate that she did, as I’m now convinced I DON’T need to spend my money on one. What do you think? Will you or have you? Love to hear some more reviews…
While you’re over at CRAFT CRITIQUE, I hope you’ll look around. It’s a wonderful blog if you need to find a review of a craft product. For instance, I enjoyed reading the review of one of my latest obsessions, STICKLES (which I buy, of course, at ALL MOMENTS REMEMBERED). Also, I found THIS review of the new flocking system by Doodlebug Designs. The company I’m a consultant for, MEMORY WORKS, recently started to carry this product and I can’t wait to get my hands on it! The review at Craft Critique just got me more excited :) So go take a browser over there at CC…good stuff.
Speaking of AMR, Stacey is adding a lot of new products recently. All that overdue CHA stuff must finally be hitting her doorstep, LOL! Check out these cool JOURNALING TICKETS by her boyfriend Timmy (aka TIM HOLTZ). I just love ’em, and lots of other new stuff at AMR so go check out the store! Stacey BLOGS about the new stuff as she adds it, and you just aren’t going to find better or sweeter customer service anywhere. If you order from Stacey, you’re a forever friend and will be treated like gold…
HERE is the latest Mike’s coupon, good for 40% off any item (except Cricut) through June 28, 2008.
And speaking of Michaels, I wandered through there the other day and took some photos with my iPhone. Come on a tour with me, won’t you?
Ladies, it is a momentous day in scrapbooking history. My Mike’s got their first ever sets of acrylic stamps. Well, I mean large sets, not just the little dollar sets. These are pretty rockin’. I’ve heard others talking about them on CKMB and such but never thought I’d see them in my lifetime, but there they were. And $4.99 seems like a good price…
These are on my list…oh, the journaling possibilities!
And these too…wouldn’t they be fun to stamp in any different color, and then use Stickles in the dots??
One of my favorite words ever is in this pack…can you guess what it is?
These epoxy alphas with some bling were new; they come in black or silver. There were other sets that were patterned and brighter colors too. I’d never seen this brand at Mike’s before…wow, they’re living dangerously over there, aren’t they?
Next was a row and a half of new bling. Oh, what to choose, what to choose??
I saw this bottle and immediately thought….”beach layouts”. The colors are so soft and ocean-y. I’ll be back with a coupon for these, oh yeah.
Still not a big Martha Stewart fan, but I thought these gift tags would make cool journaling spots.
My Mike’s still had plenty of Skittles, and on Clearance no less! They were in two different sections of the store so if you’re looking for some in your Mike’s, you might need to make the rounds of the entire store.
I went looking for “uh” foam sheet or three {cuz I’ve heard several places lately ~ including HERE ~ it makes your stamping sharper if you put some under your work}. but didn’t want to shell out 8 bucks when I only needed a few. Hmmmm…maybe I could sell them on E-Bay for a dollar a sheet, LOL. Nah….
Well, about the time I took my second photo of Skittles, store employees started giving me the stink eye. Did they think I was some kind of Skittle Spy? I dunno but the iPhone went back in my purse. I checked the mags and the dollar bins, with nothing new. You probably won’t believe me but I left the store empty-handed. Yes, I really really did! Um, no cash, no coupon, no want hubby to see another Mike’s charge on the debit card. Like any good member of the Scrapbook Obsessed, I took photos and made mental notes, all in preparation for future trips to Michaels.
Our tour is now over. You may return your seats to the upright position and please exit to the left over the wing. Thank you for flying Scrapbook Obsession…
My Best Scrap Pal in the World” Gay sent to them to me for a belated birthday prezzie! I’m SO excited!! I’ve been wanting these MONTH stamps but my stupid Mike’s hasn’t carried them so far. Maybe we’ll get them in 2011 but I don’t want to wait that long, so thanks Gay! You totally rawk, girlie!
Oh, in case you were wonderin’ (yeah, I KNOW you were….), there are 4 more sets in this series: 3 sets of alphas and a random flowery one. Personally, I didn’t want those 4 other sets; don’t think I would use the alphas and I’ve heard they’re so small, they don’t stick to the acrylic block uh-TALL. And I have enough random flowery Studio G stamps already. I mean, if someone were standing on the street corner handing them out with a free Starbucks and a free large fries from McDonalds, I’d TAKE them, but here’s a pic of the complete Series 12 for those who would like to collect them all:
Okay, here’s the rest of my goodies from my Best Scrap Pal Ever…
She gots me sum MAMBI rub-ons and Soft Spoken with a Family/Faith theme, as we have vowed to both work on our Faithbooks. Along that line, Gay shared with me her favorite Bible study author, Beth Moore. Then some yummy brown Stickles, clear skittles, and a beautiful handmade card. I SO don’t have cardmaking talent, so I really appreciate it in those who do. It’s just so, so pretty.
THANK YOU SCRAP PAL!! Luv ya!! Mwuh, mwuh!! Watchie your mail for a lil thank ya…
A HUGE “thank you” to grammy-b/Bren on the AMR MESSAGE BOARD for hosting the FATHER’s DAY CHALLENGE. I was very scared to scrap about my dad, who died almost 15 years ago. Thanks to the challenge, and encouragement I received from my AMR friends {who truly ARE my friends!}, I did it.
WARNING: If extremely personal journaling makes you uncomfortable, don’t read this, LOL!
ETA: I see that when I enlarged the photo, it made it too blurry to read so here’s the journaling:
Daddy,
It’s Father’s Day 2008…almost a full 15 years since you passed away in July 1993. I’ve been scrapbooking for 7 years and yet this is the first time I’ve scrapped anything about you, such a huge part of my life. I finally did it because I was “challenged” to. And because it was time. Tears are streaming down my face as I scan this old photo to use on my layout, and as I write this journaling. This is SO hard! THIS is why I haven’t done this before. I don’t want to feel this pain. I want to go on with my happy life. And all I can think and feel as I remember you is…WHY AREN’T YOU HERE??
This photo of us at my wedding hangs on the hallway wall outside my bedroom door. I see you every single day, in the photo and in my mind. Sometimes, when no one is looking,I place a kiss on my finger, reach up and touch it to your mouth. When you died, I heard from others that “time heals.” I thought this would get easier. I thought, after 15 years without you, it wouldn’t still be so painful, hurt so much. But everyone lied. It does not get easier. In most ways it gets harder.
When I graduated from college after 13 years of part-time school/full-time jobs, you were not in the audience with your quiet smile. When I had my children, you were not there to touch a newborn’s cheek. When I’ve struggled through illnesses and hard times, you weren’t here to hug me, wipe my tears, and tell me I am the best and I’ll be okay. When my kids have done things that made me so proud I wanted to burst, you were not here to burst with me.
After you died, and some other things happened in my life, I became a Christian. That’s helped make sense of some things. That’s helped provide comfort and perspective. My relationship with Jesus Christ has helped me see things in a new light, and I know you are okay. But the fact is, you as a physical being, you as the Daddy that can hug and hold and speak in words that reach my ears…YOU are not here. There is nothing that will ever make that easy or fair or less painful. So, 15 years after you died, I just wanted you to know that I still love you and miss you with all of my heart, all of my soul.
And I wish you were here.
At first, I thought I’d just post it over at AMR because those girls make me feel so secure. I know they won’t take it lightly, won’t criticize or see the imperfections. But then I figured, what the hey, let’s post it to the blog too. Scrappers are nice people and it’s OKAY to share parts of yourself, right? So thanks for looking and maybe I can Pay It Forward by inspiring YOU to scrap about something you’ve been avoiding because it’s too painful…
Sorry I’m just getting to this..it’s Friday, for Gosh Sakes. But I wanted to tell you about my scrappy weekend. Last Saturday, I held a one-day crop at a local hotel. There were 10 ladies and myself and we scrapped from 10am to 10pm. I was ready to go til midnight but everyone started packing up around 9:30. I think with summer here and the kids out of school, all us moms are just exhausted. Cuz I’ve NEVER had everyone leave a crop before the last dying breath of time, LOL.
Anyway, it’s 10pm, almost everyone is gone except one sweet friend and her teenage daughter who came to scrap with her. They are the cutest pair…just scrapping and bickering and laughing and encouraging each other whole time. They seem to think with the same brain, kwim? I kept telling them they sounded more like sisters than mom and daughter. Anyways, they helped me pack up the last of my ‘for sale’ stuff and the food and drinks, and I was going to stay there by myself with just my own crop stuff. I’m figuring, everyone at home is in bed so who cares if I’m home at 10:30 or 1am, yaknow? I had my scrap crap spread out on a big table all to myself, there was no laundry room or kitchen or kids or phone ringing…why not take advantage of the sitchee-ation and SCRAP! Besides, I was so hopped up on Starbucks and Diet Coke, I mean, why waste a good buzz?
I finally convinced my friend and her daughter to go on home, I’d be fine, it was a safe hotel in a safe area and I could pack the rest of my things and be fine getting home. THEN! We start hearing all this commotion in the lobby of the hotel, which is just down the hall from the event room we were in. Turns out a wedding reception had just broken up and all the drunk, er, um…HAPPY people were arriving back at the hotel. Groups of people are lingering in the lobby, walking up and down past the crop room, stumbling, being loud and obnoxious. My friend is then like, “You’re not staying here. Let’s pack up your stuff.” Shizzle! I was so bummed. As we’re packing, this little cutie patootie young guy (he’s about 23 or so) comes in, looks around, says, “Wuz thish?” and my friend tells him, “Scrapbooking,” and he says, “Oh, am I in wrong plashe? Cuz I jush love shcrap-booking.” It was all we could do not to bust out laughing right there! Talk about ROFLMAO! Anyhow, so ended my dream of a few hours of quiet, non-interrupted scrapbooking time…
On Sunday, I slept in, unpacked the car, got my scrap area back to some semblance of organized, and then decided to do what any decent scrapbook consultant would…I went shopping with my profits from the previous day. I mean, duh, isn’t that why I do it? So we can shop without guilt! First went to Tuesday Morning and that was a bust. They had nothing worth standing in line for, LOL. Next was the Dollar Tree and I found these:
One lone pack of Fake Thickers. And some adhesive back-ups. Not bad, only 3 bucks. Then on to Michaels with my 50% off coupon in hand. I found this:
I’m addicted to those Prima flowers with the text printed on them. It’s so nice to find something that’s unique and different at Michaels for once. There went the 50% coupon. All those little bitty sticker packs were $1 each and I’ll use them for crop goody bags. I got duplicates of the ones I wanted for myself, all the flowers :) The AHOY title sticker from Just Jinger was only $2 on Clearance. I’d been eyeing that for awhile for my cruise pages, so I’m glad it was on sale. Brads, eyelets and snaps were on sale @ 3 for $5 so I stocked up on those. What a great price; they’re normally $3 each I think, so that’s $18 worth of brads for 10 bucks {see how good I am at the justifying things? I’m not SPENDING money, I’m SAVING money!}. I mean, we all need brads right? They’re a scrapping staple, like adhesive and cardstock. Whaddya mean, no?
Okay, moving on to Beverlys which is like my version of an LSS; it’s a local chain craft store with about 4 aisles of scrap stuff and it’s got some pretty cool stuff. Check out my loot from Bev’s:
Abacus, by Reminisce. For last day of school pages:
My Guy/Wisdom, by KI Memories. To cut up for all the cool phrases and quotes:
Green, by Deja Views. This one’s so stinkin pretty, I won’t be able to use it. I want to just frame it as is, and hang it on the wall. The photo doesn’t do it justice. There are pretty, delicate little butterflies and flowers, the color is gorgeous and the cut out edges are too die for.
Honeycomb and Yellow Circles, by Sandylion. I don’t know what I’ll use these for, they just reached out to me. I got 2 sheets of the more subtle pattern for the background and can cut up the sheet with all the circles. Maybe for a funky boy skateboarding page or something. You like, or is it too weird?
Around the Corner, by Kelly Panacci for Sandylion. Love, love, LOVE! So bright and colorful and happy! Who CARES what I use it on, it’ll be fun!
For Rome photos of The Forum, etc. It’s 7 Gypsies…whooda thought?
Tropical Stripes by Stemma. Again, no idea how I’ll use it, but the colors are my faves ~blue and green~ and it’s got a shiny texture to the darker teal flower part. You just have to see this paper in person to appreciate it.
Sweet! Some WeRMemory Keepers chipboard stickers to go with some of this line I already have. It’s called White Out, and I scrapped some county fair and Rascal Flatts photos with the paper at my crop. I was just needing the finishing touch and found these. Got ’em for 40% off with a coupon.
As for the K&Co. journaling boxes…I am powerless to stop buying these. So pretty, so versatile, so useful. I’m journaling box challenged so these make it easy peasy for me. Beverlys had this entire new line of K&Co, called Sea Glass, and it’s all just gorgeous. So instead of saying something like, “Wow, Erika, you really filled your cart, didn’t you!,” admire my restraint in that all of the Sea Glass line stayed at the store except these cute little guys.
So lots of scrappy goodness there, and most of the paper was 2 for $1 except the 2 fancy sheets; the school paper and the KI were 20 cents on Clearance.
Finally, to finish my spree and general Heavenly day, I went to Barnes and Noble. One of my favorite rituals is this: Skim the New Release hardcovers and pick which books I’ll buy when they hit Costco in paperback (LOL); skim the New Release paperbacks, maybe buy one or two; skim the craft books section and look in vain for something on scrapbooking that I haven’t already read; skim the mystery section for a new Laura Childs scrapbooking mystery; and finally hit the magazine section and then get a Starbucks. As you can see, I hit B&N on the perfect day cuz lookie what I came home with, and you’re gonna be jealous if you’re a scrap mag ho like me…
{Actually, the CTMH cattie came from a friend at my crop but it was easier to take em all in one pic}. Every night, I’ve been curling up with my mags after the house is quiet. I perused them lazily today by the pool with a sun tea while the kids swam. I looked at one while waiting for an appointment the other day. I just lurve my scrap mags. And I have to give some props this time…they were really good. I’ll try to do a review in a future post cuz there’s some good stuff.
Okay, that post took so long to write, the ice melted in my drink! If you’re still here, thanks for reading! Peace out.
Just got my copy in the mail and it’s noticeably “skinny.” Wow, only 90 pages including both covers. I’m sure you’ve noticed how thin CK has been in recent months and Scrapbooks Etc, although thicker than the others if i remember right, is still not as fat as it used to be. I don’t imagine these scrap mags will be in business much longer at this rate. How can they maintain subscribers with that many pages; how can they maintain profits with that few ads? We’ll be sad to see them go, but it will be {at least partly} our own fault, I’m afraid…I know many of us now get our scrap-fill (page ideas, articles, etc.) from the internet, but it just won’t be the same without magazines. You can’t lie on a lounger, the couch or in bed with your computer (well, we laptop-ers can but yuck, uncomfortable and impractical). And the pics in a magazine are much more fun and easy to look at than those on a screen. I for one will truly miss the scrapbook magazines when they’re gone and, at only 90 pages this issue, Memory Makers appears to be sliding on out…
What are your thoughts about this issue, or scrapbooking magazines in general, these days?
These days, if you click on the TLC WEBSITE, this is the message ya get:
+++++++++++++++++++++++
(Quoted directly from the TLC website; just saving you from linking over there..)
“The management and staff of Top Line Creations (“TLC”) wish to thank Consultants worldwide for their support and association during the last four years. It has been determined that inasmuch as (1) TLC has always been a multi-level, direct sales organization; (2) the name TLC and Top Line Creations, LC are associated with the same; and (3) the multi-level, direct sales structure has proven to be unsuccessful in marketing the TLC product line, TLC is no longer a viable enterprise and will be dissolved effective immediately.
Fayette Terlouw and Annette Ward (the “Ettes”) previously employed by TLC, will continue to share their talents as designers for a new organization — Breezy Design, LC (“Breezy”).
Breezy has negotiated with TLC’s secured creditors to acquire all TLC inventory, outstanding orders, equipment, copyrights, etc. Breezy will process and ship all outstanding TLC orders, and will honor the current subscriptions and referral group memberships previously established by TLC. Breezy assumes no liability for any unused TLC Credits or unused TLC Event Vouchers. Breezy will, however, honor all unused Member’s Choice and/or Consultant Choice Coupons.
Breezy welcomes all TLC Members and TLC customers to join them in this new enterprise.
I’m not really familiar with the TLC situation, except that they were a multi-level seller of scrapbook supplies, with many consultants who are now pretty disappointed and, if I were them, angry? I don’t know how much warning they got about all of this, although I have heard people referencing it online for some time. Maybe a TLC-er can leave a Comment here and educate us all (PLEEZ!).
I guess it’s good that they have somewhere to transfer their business energies to (aka Breezy Design), assuming these two ladies, “The Ettes,” are people they feel confident in dealing with. I’m not making any judgments here, as again, I know NOTHING of this company of the situation. I just came across the TLC website and thought I’d pass along this industry news. I also take personal interest because I’m a consultant for a scrapbook company, Memory Works, which is NOT multi-level and I think that’s one of the reasons MW is so successful. I’m sure the bad economy is hurting Memory Works somewhat right now, but I don’t see any signs of them failing. To the contrary, they seem to be gearing things up slowly (which is wise) and I’ve heard they/we are taking on many former TLC consultants. Memory Works is very different than TLC but I hope, in spite of (or because of) that, they have wild success!
Now, you computer types, I need your help. When you click on BreezyDesign.com, on the bottom right of the home page is a free Desktop Layout download. Please walk this computer dork through saving that to my Mac desktop and putting photos in it.
I love SCRAPSCENE, I love SCRAPSCENE! (Yeppers, two links for the price of one). I get their daily e-mail, and they always point me to the best scrap happenings. Today I found the most coolest LSS via ScrapScene…By Design Scrapbook Boutique. Mind you, it’s in Houston so it’s not like I can visit in person. But it’s a beautiful store just to look at, and I can see why it’s such a success.HERE is the write-up and review of the store posted on ScrapScene. I love the image of the shoppers with their noses up against the glass. HERE is the owner Tracy’s blog.
Here are some photos of the store, so you can see what I’m drooling over…
I love the name and the whole concept of the store, combining a fabulous looking designer showroom with scrapbooking. Because, as you know, design and scrapbooking overlap in so many ways. The pink, black and white color scheme is brilliant and yummy.
I wish I could click together the heels of my ruby slippers (um, yes, I DO wear them around the house, as a matter of fact!) and end up inside this fabulous store in Houston, Texas. C’mon readers, wherever YOU are, let’s all click our heels and meet up there!
Our tax return arrived so it was my duty to stimulate the poor economy by shopping, right? First stop was Staples on my way to work. I have SO been wanting/needing an external hard drive so I can get my plethora of photos off my laptop. They take up so much space. I found the one with the largest memory — 1 TB! — and was happy to see the price. An older buried price tag showed $329, the newer tag said $289, then with a sale and rebate it was $229 (online right now it’s showing $253; yeah, I got a deal!). So I got it for $100 off! Sweet. I verified on the box that it will work with a Mac but if it doesn’t, they said I have some time to return it even if it’s opened. Isn’t it pretty?
Not SBR, but I also had to get a fax machine for home, which I’d been putting off because I thought they cost a lot, and I already have a printer/scan/copier so I was wondering where in the HAY-ELL I was going to fit another machine on my desk. Well, I really needed one because the online faxing I’ve been using hasn’t been reliable and I need to get faxes for work so I bit the bullet. And found one at Staples, a tiny little cheap-o Brother fax machine for $60 … with a $40 rebate. So just a $20 expenditure..I can live with that.
After work, I went by Dollar Tree cuz it’s the time of year we need to buy new pool noodles. I also got 4 Garage Sale signs to advertise my Scrapbook Garage Sale on May 2/3. They had nothing new in the scrappy aisle except for some 12×12 papers that weren’t my taste. I check there once in a while because that’s where I got my whole stack of fake Thickers. Silly me, I gave more than half of my stack away as crop door prizes and now I find that I use them all the time myself, so I wish I had more! But, no, no Fake Thickers at DT this time :(
Next was Michaels even though I didn’t (GASP!) have a coupon this week. Did I miss the ad on Sunday, or was there no coupon issued? Bah! Anyway, I wanted to see if they had any of the most recent studio g acrylic stamps aka Mikes stamps. Don’t ask me what number this set is, because I’ve lost complete track, there are so many. But here’s a pic of the ones I found:
Sorry about the shadow (that’s me!) but my camera just died and I couldn’t retake like I wanted (oopsie)…
I also have no idea if I got the whole set. I need to find a listing of them again with photos of all the stamps. The stamps say www.hamptonart.com on the back so I’m going to try the website. If not, I’m sure someone has posted them to CKMB or 2peas.
ETA 4/19/08: I knew my CKMB ladies would come through! Thanks to KPax331/~Katie~, I see that I’m missing 4 of the stamps and they are from Series 11. HERE is the post she directed me to.
Not SBR again, but I found some very cool “How to Draw” books for kids that show step by step how to draw animals and monsters. A very cool gift for a very cool kid I know. And now when DH sees the Mike’s receipt, I can just say, “Oh, I went there for a birthday gift.” Mmm-hmmm…don’t try and pretend you don’t pull that one too!
Onward to Target so check out the scrapbook sec….er, um…for more birthday shopping. I did get some great deals on toys but that’s not what you want to hear about, I know! My Tarjay is notoriously behind the curve on getting new things so I wasn’t feeling hopeful. But they did finally put out some of the new Making Memories Noteworthy, 5th Avenue and Animal Crackers that everyone has been talking about. They had almost the entire 5th Avenue line this time, but I only got the Clear Tags and Shapes. I already have most of the line from ALL MOMENTS REMEMBERED online store; it was part of their monthly kit which you can sign up for HERE. Target also had some Disney Jolee’s I hadn’t seen before, so I got the castle one. I was happy to find a pack of MM Noteworthy. I already have many of their papers but I hadn’t seen the felt flowers, die cut shapes or flower stickers. It was $8…not a screamin good price but doable considering you get 2 of the shaped papers, and some embellies along with the regular 12×12 paper. One thing I noticed at my Target is the majority of kits they had that were newer lines were in 8×8. Wazzup with that noise? I know its cool to have once in a while, but don’t most of us still scrap the majority of the time in 12×12? I was bummed to see that. Finally, they had some of the POP CULTURE line from KI MEMORIES. I already have some random papers and the alpha, so I just got the Gel Candy epoxy stickers. They had a Pop Culture theme set but I added up the cost of each of the pieces (isn’t it sad that I know how much everything costs individually??), and it wasn’t a good deal. If I remember right, the pack cost $9.99 and the items individually would’ve been $9-10 anyway. There were a few papers I wouldn’t use so it wouldn’t be a bargain for me. Besides, I’m always disappointed when a big box like Target can’t offer a price that AT LEAST beats what I’d pay at the LSS for separate items. I mean, c’mon! I thought you guys had “buying power” and “bought in bulk” and would “save us money.” I thought that in exchange for you guys putting all of our LSS’s out of business and taking away our buying freedom, you were supposed to give us great prices on the FEW new items you do actually carry. Pony up, dudes…
Speaking of good deals, I did find some cute things in the Dollar Spot…a paper pack with soft pretty colors called Wedding. It includes printed, foiled and embossed papers, $1 for 8 sheets of 12×12 so not bad. And a line of embellies called Vacation that were really cute and bright and versatile, so I got the epoxy letters, epoxy stickers, and glitter tags.
Anyway, here’s a pic of my haul for the day…
Oh! What was that?!?! You’re asking if that’s a FISKARS THREADING WATER PUNCH in my swag photo?? Why, yes, that does seem to be what it is. I am apparently one of the lucky few to find one of these sizzlin hots at Target. The rumor is that each store gets one at a time, so when one sells, they order and wait for another. I was happy to take their “one” off their hands, as I have a friend who’s been craving one ever since she saw mine (I posted about it HERE). So I’m sorry, I know you want my punch, but please don’t send me chocolate or scrap supplies trying to bribe me into sending it your way…well, second thought…send the chocolate. I’ll think about it and get back to you…
Yep, for all the ups and downs and critiques of Creating Keepsakes magazine, it’s still my favorite and the one I most look forward to each month. This month held a special treat…upon opening to the first page, you’ll see an add for Marcella by K at Target. The ad shows off MbyK’s new line called “Lemon Drop.”
{I’m leaving a space here for a picture of the Lemon Drop line, which I can’t find online quite yet. If anyone sees this line anywhere, please direct me towards it. The pic in the ad makes it look very cool!}
And the best part is a Target coupon for $2 off a “Marcella by K scrapbook album.” It’s good through 7-10-08 but hop to shoppin’ now while you’re thinking about it! Besides, raise your hand if you think any of these cute Lemon Drop albums will even be left on the shelves by 7-10-08…yeah, I don’t think so either.
ETA 4/19/08: Went by my Tarjay lastnight and no sign of any Lemon Drop goodness. I will persist!
Since we’re talking coupons, also check out CK May 2008, page 31 for this from ADDICTED TO SCRAPBOOKING.COM: “Order now and receive a FREE GIFT of your choice, with any purchase of $25 or more. Enter promo code: SBAMPCK. Offer good through 5/20/08. Search ‘free gifts’ to choose yours!”
Check out page 34 for some free downloads for recipe card templates. Okay, well that’s as far as I got in my new issue of CK lastnight before falling asleep. If I find more goodies, I’ll be sure to share them with y’alls…Have a great super day!
In my last POST, I told you about the ATC Swap I’m participating in as a member of the AMR MESSAGE BOARD. I promised to show you my first attempt at EVER making an ATC, so here goes…these are the ATC’s I created and will be mailing to Jingle tomorrow:
I’m showing the front and back sides, and also that I made four or five variations of color combos. On the front they say “Journey” and then there is a “journey” definition stamp. The reason this represents ME is that, on every message board I’m on, even my e-mail address, my handle is always “journeyfan.” It has a triple meaning, but the easy one is that I’m a HUGE fan of the 70s/80s band Journey, and have been since junior high. Anyway, my ATC’s probably don’t look like much, but they really were a lot of work for some reason! Here are the steps I used to make them:
1. Cut all the kraft cardstock and patterned paper into 2.5″ x 3.5″ “cards” and used the scraps of PP to cut the little slivers that show behind the scallop punchout (the color in there is different than whatever color is on the back of the card).
2. Used my awesome new FISKARS THREADING WATER PUNCH to cut a scallop within each card (as opposed to scalloping an entire edge).
3. With acrylic stamps and chalk ink, stamped the word “journey” on the kraft cards. First I did the j-u-n-y letters, spaced apart, in one color (steel blue). Then I did the o,r and e separately in different colors (dark grey, green and purple).
4. Used an acrylic stamp and black chalk ink for the “journey” definition. It was part of a larger stamp, so I masked it with, what else?, masking tape! Wow, my first ever masking! I impressed myself! (Note: I’m barely a decent scrapbooker, and I’m NOT a stamper by any means).
5. Used acrylic stamps and silver ink to stamp a bird, then a journaling circle with black ink on the patterned paper cards.
6. Added the plastic flowers and either a glitter star brad or a “bling” to the center of each flower.
7. Adhered the little PP strips to the back side of the scallop punchout.
8. Adhered both sided of the card together, trying a variety of adhesive methods until I found one that worked, LOL.
9. Used a sanding block to sand the edges of the cards and make them blend together better, and to give a lightly distressed look.
10. Cut the ribbon into 2 inch pieces, punched the middle hole with the Cropadile to make it larger, threaded the ribbon through and stapled it.
11. Used white or black pens to write on the back: AMR “ATC Swap”, Erika, ‘journeyfan,’ Calif. USA, April 2008
12. Laid all the ATC’s out across my desk and “Stickled” them, to the best of my ability (which, seeing them after they dried, was not much ability…).
Materials Used: Bazzill kraft cardstock, My Minds Eye ‘Everyday Tango’ patterned paper, Color Box Cat’s Eye chalk inks in Night Sky queue (that I got from AMR Store), Autumn Leaves acrylic stamps ‘Hand Drawn Alphabet by Katie Pertiet’ and journaling circle ($1 stamp set from Target), 7 Gypsies clear stamp set from QVC, American Crafts plastic flowers, Making Memories glitter star brads, MAMBI bling from Michaels, ‘Frosted Lace’ Stickles from AMR Store, and random black/white gingham ribbon.
Overall, I guess I’m happy with them. You know how it is, there are such talented ladies on the board, that I hope I don’t embarrass myself! But they were fun to do, I tried some things I wouldn’t normally do (like masking a stamp), and it got me to break out the myriad of acrylic stamps I’ve collected and not used enough. Do you think they’re okay for a swap?
Oh! And if you are going to enter ATC World anytime soon, I thought I’d show you these items I saw in the AMR STORE that seem to be very popular among the Message Board Girlz:
The best part is going to be seeing all the cards from the other girls when they come in the mail. I can’t wait! Thanks for reading about my “journey” into ATC’s (man, I’m so funny, I crack myself up!).
From the Simple Scrapbooks BLOG today (? … I guess…it’s not dated…)
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Oh the Places You’ll Go! Well, we can’t keep Stacy to ourselves anymore! She’s got so many exciting new opportunities coming her way (on top of a schedule only Superwoman herself could manage) that she’s decided she needs to lighten her load here at Simple Scrapbooks magazine. Stacy is a true entrepreneur, a big-picture thinker (pun intended!), a creative machine, and a scrapbook ambassador. And it’s only going to get bigger and better from here. We are so happy for Stacy–she’s following her heart, and we have no doubt that great things will come out of this move. We can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
While Stacy will be less involved in the day-to-day runnings of the magazine, we will insist on publishing her projects whenever possible. And her original vision will continue to guide this magazine, as it has from day one. Stacy will always love Simple, and Simple will always love Stacy. We’re certainly going to be keeping tabs on her, and looking for opportunities to grow and evolve the scrapbook industry together!
You can look forward to your regular dose of Stacy in the next FOUR upcoming issues: May/June, July/August, September/October, and our Mini Albums in an Evening special issue, on sale in July. In the meantime, please join us in celebrating Stacy as we kick off the first-ever Stacy Julian Appreciation Week! Want to join in the festivities? Here’s what you do:
1. Call. We’ve set up a special toll-free number that you can call for the next 30 days and leave Stacy a voicemail! How cool is that? Call 1-888-HUG-STACY to share your thoughts. (note: that cool vanity number won’t be live until Monday AFTERNOON. In them meantime, you can leave your message at 877-809-8041.)
2. Comment. Leave a comment on THIS blog to let Stacy know how much her work has meant to you. We’ll pick one random commenter EVERY DAY this week to win a copy of Stacy’s new book, Photo Freedom. {NOTE: Leave a comment on the SIMPLE SCRAPBOOKS blog, NOT Scrapbook Obsession. I’m sure Stacey does not read my blog, nor will I be handing out books for free, LOL!}
3. Browse. Check out what Stacy has to say on her blog, and please leave her some happy mail there as well. Then visit Wendy’s blog and Cathy’s blog for more Stacy tributes (one done in video form!).
4. Check Back. We’ve got guest bloggers showing up all week long, so check back every day for news and updates. (Our Editor in Chief Jennafer Martin is on deck for tomorrow.)
A Note from Angie to Stacy:
Stacy, this is my favorite picture of you. It reminds me what a cheerleader you’ve always been to me personally and to the readers we all care so much about. I really mean this: I scrapbook today because your philosophy rescued me. I was overwhelmed by my pictures. I felt behind. I had given up. But your Simple Scrapbooks vision got me back in the game. And for that I will always be grateful. Thank you for the inspiration, the motivation, and the SmartCookies you brought to our meeting last week. Also, thank you for publicly admitting that you are a nose picker, which inspired me to come out of the closet with my nose picking ways. Booger Busters unite! (Not sure if you wanted it to be THIS public, but there it is.) [Um, yes Angie, that was way TMI!]
p.s. We’re also sending Stacy a different present every day this week. Once I know she has received today’s present, I’ll let you know what it was!
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The post above says to keep checking blogs from Stacey, Wendy and Cathy so here are the links if you’re interested.
Nothing on Stacy Julian’s BLOG yet but I’ll keep checking.
CONGRATS to Stacy Julian! It sounds like we’ll still be seeing her in the scrapbook world, just extending beyond SIMPLE SCRAPBOOKS magazine. I’m assuming the BIG PICTURE SCRAPBOOKING andBOOK WRITING PROJECTS are going so well, that’s where we’ll find her. But with Stacey, you never know. I hear she has boundless amounts of energy so perhaps we’ll see her in other places as well. I look forward to seeing what Stacy has in store for us.
I hope you enjoy participating in the contest on the SS blog, and that you leave a note of appreciation for Stacey somewhere. I think she deserves to know how much she means to all us scrappers.
My last post was about all the new GOODIES at Target. That post prompted a well-written response in Comments, which I loved. So I asked the writer, June, if I could make her comment a standalone post {I want to make sure everyone sees it}, and she graciously agreed. So here ’tis:
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(From June…)
Ah, yes. Another reason to visit – as if I needed one! LOL! But please, please, PLEASE remember the LSS’s in your area. Yes, it is certainly CONVENIENT to be able to browse and purchase SB supplies at the same time you’re stocking up on shampoo and dog food, I have to say how sad it makes me that the “Independents” struggle to survive amidst the Big Box stores. Many people don’t even realize that some of the most WONDERFUL goodies stocked at your local LSS aren’t even made available to chain stores (a wonderful way suppliers are trying to help the LSS’s to compete). And further more, people make the GRAVE mistake that they’ll save a lot of money by buying from the Big Guys rather than their LSS’s – not exactly true. If you’re up for the challenge, make note of the price of patterned paper, brads, adhesives, etc. next time you’re in a “Big” store, then treat yourself to a fun little jaunt to your local LSS and compare… Is that dollar you’re saving at the “Big” store really worth the price we all pay by not having an LSS to “escape” to on a quiet afternoon or to be able to attend crops and classes at with friends? I bet you’ll find the gal stocking the shelves of your local LSS MUCH more personable and knowledgeable about the best adhesive to use on that project you’re desperately trying to finish than the young, college-aged fella wearing the backwards baseball cap who’s stocking the scrapbooking aisle at the “Big Box” store. Besides, I always get in trouble in those stores; always intending to pick up one or two items and coming out of the store 20+ items and $100+ over budget. At least the LSS receipts are easier to “hide” than the ones with scrapbook items AND the toaster Hubby wants to take back because it didn’t work out of the box. I’d rather hand him a receipt with a toaster and toilet paper itemized on it instead of one with a toaster, toilet paper, and $50 worth of scrapbook goodies on it!
Sorry. I’m rambling. Maybe it’s because I just went to work for Just Let Me Scrapbook! in Barnesville, GA – the last LSS in my area (if you can call 25+ miles away from home “in my area”). I had just discovered the darling, exquisitely stocked little shoppe when I found out the owner, Mary Beth Burrell, was considering CLOSING the doors and going home to run her business exclusively online from her home (because overhead is SO darned expensive). That would have made FOUR brick-and-mortar LSS’s in two years in my area that closed their doors! Each of them were wonderful little gems in their own right. Each of them fell victim to “Big Box” and Chain retailers with far more buying and advertising power than these smaller coutnerparts. It has always made me SO UPSET that we, as scrapbookers, undervalue the BEAUTY of the LSS. The POWER we have as women, as consumers, as trend-setters in the fastest growing craft/hobby in not only the U.S., but in much of the world. The classes, crops, advice, and stellar industry knowledge that can be found in these quaint shops all over America is INVALUABLE!!! When you shop at your LSS, you’re doing more than just “adding to your stash”. You’re helping women entrepreneurs feed their families, pay their mortgages, fulfill their dreams, and helping them serve as FANTASTIC role models encouraging younger girls and women who may also have that entrepreneurial “spark” within them. In my store, we have hired a young lady who’s working after school as part of her high school curriculum; learning invaluable lessons about retail economics as well as how to stay positive even when things look bleak financially. She now has a good understanding of what it looks and feels like to run a small business and can compare her experiences with us with what working for “someone else” might offer. Her horizons have broadened. She’s been exposed to the inner-workings of a small business from the ground up. They don’t teach you that at University. I wish they had.
More than the mushy-gushy, touchy-feely “support your local female entrepreneur” schpiel here, I just want to emphasize how VERY appreciated your hard-earned dollars spent in your local LSS are. We know you could have spent your money anywhere you chose to, but you chose to spend them with US; purchasing paper and supplies to document some of the most IMPORTANT people and events in your lives. The part-time gal at the counter may not express it at the time of check-out (though I hope she would), but that LSS store owner who reconciles the cash register (and sometimes online sales) at the end of the day sure does. She’s the gal that doesn’t get to scrap much herself, but MAN! does she enjoy helping you make your pages SHINE!
At least that’s how we feel at Just Let Me Scrapbook! in Barnesville, GA. If you can, stop by and see us sometime on your way to Target. I’ll bet you’ll find something in OUR store you’d NEVER see at the Big Box.
Be Blessed! (and thanks for reading all this! Don’t know WHAT got into me!)
Oh yes, this girl is passionate and she can write! If you’ve read my blog for awhile, you know how I LUUUUURRRVVVE the LSS. How I am so saddened to see all but one of the stores in my county close. How I have always held the dream to own my own store “someday” and am crushed to see that dream die. How I support local business owners in general, because they are our neighbors, our friends, our fellow church goers, our Little League coaches, our local economy-drivers. So, yes, I am conflicted about shopping at Target et al. I think there is a place for those stores, I just hate to see them take over every single community to the point that the Mom and Pops are killed by them. I spread my money around to the big and small, the big for necessity-sake, the small because they are ALWAYS better at what they do.
Anyway, I just thought June did a beautiful job of saying what I’m always trying to say. I hope you enjoyed reading her post as much as I did. If you too believe in the LSS, go visit the online part of the LSS she works at and help to keep them afloat. Or just visit their blog and say “hi,” or since they’re in Georgia, that would be “hey, y’all”, right? If nothing else, go read the store owners’ About Us page…what a cool story.
Here is a picture of Just Let Me Scrapbook! from their website. SO wish I was close to Georgia. What an adorable place…
As if they haven’t already taken enough of my money, now Target has gone and re-stocked their scrapbook aisle. I mean, I knew it was coming because we’ve all watched our Tar-jay scrapbook aisles get emptier and emptier. For a while, a great fear spread across Scrapbook Land that Target was closing the scrapbook department altogether. I mean, it was real Prozac time for a while there, people! But no, then some sort of Target Rumor Control / Perez Hilton wannabe but for the Target set put all our fears to rest, informing us that they were just clearing things out in prep for new things from CHA-Winter. I’ve been checking the aisle (mine just has one aisle…grrr…) every time I’m in Target, and no new stuff. In fact, I was there today and nada, zip, zilch. Well, the ship is on the horizon! According to the 2PEAS CHICKS & CKMB GIRLZ, there have been sightings of some fun new stuff:
~ KI MEMORIES “Pop Culture”, and felt albums
~ MAKING MEMORIES “5th Avenue,” “Noteworthy,” and “Animal Crackers”
~ ALL MY MEMORIES totes
~ MARCELLA BY K (Targets brand for K&Co.)
~ CLOUD 9
~ EK SUCCESS
~ AUTUMN LEAVES
~ HEIDI SWAPP
~ K&CO “Ancestor” line
And shhhhhh….don’t tell anyone, but they have acrylic stamps in the Dollar Spot, and tons of the older stuff on amazing clearance….
Tell me, tell me…will you be shopping at the Big Red Bullseye soon? If you’ve already gotten, what’d ya get???
Here is the punch used on a white piece of 12×12 cardstock. Is that stinkin’ cute or what?
Stacey at ALL MOMENTS REMEMBERED is shipping them now! Go get one before they sell out! And do me a favor…tell Stacey that Erika at Scrapbook Obsession sent you to her, okay? When you check out, you can put a mention in the Comments section. THANKS :)
