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Scrapbook Product Review: Happy Planner by MAMBI

As you saw in my last post, I recently bought the MAMBI Happy Planner at Michaels (reg. $34.99 minus 30% off coupon = $24.49). It’s the 8.5 x 11 version, not the more popular smaller one that you’ve probably been seeing everywhere.

Not only are the binder discs my favorite color but they also have my favorite shape: HEARTS!

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The front and back covers are soft but laminated and very sturdy. The inner pages are about the weight of your average scrapbook paper, not thin like cheap paper but not thick like Bazzill or Carta Bella. This planner goes for 18 months, from July 2016 to December 2017. Guess I have about a month to decide if I’m going to keep her ;)

The first 2 pages are 2016 and 2017 year at a glance, then starts the 18 monthly sections. Here are a few of those intro pages, where you see a variety of designs on the right, from quotes to very designed pages to very open ones like the first one, where you can have a ball decorating or journaling. I really like the “Currently” section for each month, since that’s something I always mean to scrapbook or track but then never do. Here, it’s right in the day planner – can’t forget it.

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After each monthly intro page, there’s a month-at-a-glance page with room for notes; in my current day planner, I used the monthly pages for bill tracking and budgeting and would keep doing that in the Happy Planner.

Then there are 4 or 5 of these week-at-a-glance pages, depending on how long the month is. I like that each day is sectioned into 3 boxes. You could use that for morning, afternoon, and evening. I’m thinking of using it for personal, work, and blogging/e-learning.

My hold-up is that I have large handwriting and this might be too cramped for me. Dang :( I’m not a “planner girl” who does this for fun and creativity. I use my day planner FOR REALS. Like, it gets down and dirty, people. Family events, business deadlines, client launches, sports schedules, and more.

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So anyway, that goes on for 18 months in the same format. There’s nothing extra in this planner except for a blank page at the very back for more notes.

It is quite hefty so I understand why there’s not more included, yet I want to add more pages to make it useful for me. I didn’t see any extra pages at Michaels that I could buy separately. When I got home, I checked online and nada. Lots of extra pages on the MAMBI site HERE but they’re all for the smaller sized Happy Planner.

So I did what any Scrapbook Obsessed girl would do. I Tweeted MAMBI:

@ScrapbookObsess: I just got the 8.5×11 Happy Planner. What can I use with it? Everything seems made for the smaller size. Punch, extra pages?

@mambitweets: All the CLASSIC sized accessories work inside the BIG planner, and NOTE: a bigger punch is coming. :)

@ScrapbookObsess: ETA on the bigger punch? I’d like full size pages so I’ll make my own or look for free printables. Thanks!

@mambitweets: No exact date as of now, but once we know, we’ll be sure to share! <3

So that’s another strike against keeping this planner, at least for now. My plan was to insert pages for notes, keeping track of blog and work goals, exercise and diet, and projects. Yes, it’s already bulky but because of the snazzy binder disc system, I can take out pages I am not currently using or am done with to thin it out.

Overall, I think the 8.5 x 11 Happy Planner by MAMBI is well-made, cute, and functional for the basics of life. It would be my dream planner if:

  • The week-at-a-glance pages had the days laid out horizontally instead of vertically so there was more room for my big handwriting
  • There were extra pages available to supplement what comes with the planner and/or …
  • A punch were available so I could make my own extra pages or utilize free printables

So I’m undecided for now if this is the planner for me. I may end up returning this one, then trying again in January when hopefully the larger punch is available. Thanks for reading!

Michaels: More Color Splash Washi Tubes Are On the Way!

Well, the E-Bay’ers are going to be ticked. You know, the ones who saw the frenzy for these tapes that were sold in such small quantities at Michaels, so they’re selling for 3 to 4 times retail. Yeah, those ones.

Because I heard online that Michaels stores will finally be getting more of these tapes, perhaps due to customer requests!

If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, it’s these (clickable links):

Color Splash Watercolor & Word Washi Tape Tube By Recollections

Color Splash Washi Crafting Tape By Recollections

Color Splash Washi

Shout out to Scrapaddict702 for sharing this photo! (She’s redsonic20 on IG; go check her out). I couldn’t find one online because the images on the Michaels site (see links above) weren’t shareable and all the ones from Etsy and Ebay listings had expired or weren’t good quality. Sorry, I couldn’t find a photo of the ombre ones but you can see them in the 2nd link to Michaels.com above.

These retail for $12.99 and of course with our handy-dandy 40% off coupon, that brings the price down to less than $8.00. While looking for photos to post, I saw them selling on E-Bay for $50!

I’m going to blame the Planner Girls for those wack-a-doodle prices because Scrapbookers simply don’t get “obsessive” enough to pay that much for supplies! I mean, really (eye roll).

(And I’m totally kidding, by the way. I’ve done way stranger things than pay $50 for $13 washi tape in my day. Believe you me).

So keep an eye on your Michaels if you were hoping to buy these Color Splash washi tubes. They’re on their way back soon!

Scrapbooking Organization: Iris 12×12 Cases On Sale at Michaels

Just wanted to make sure you saw this great deal!

I love these 12×12 Iris cases and used them in my recent scrapbook room reorganization. I took things like scrapbook PIPs (projects in progress), sticker alphas, and 12×12 papers out of the open storage bins I had them stored in and put them in these cases.

Now it’s so much easier to find things because they’re see-thru and I was able to label them, which I couldn’t easily do with my cloth bins. Plus being closed storage, they keep the dust off of my beloved scrapbook products.

I always use clear but I love that they have these fun colors too. This is a great price so if you need some scrapbooking storage, this week at Michaels is a great time to get some.

Happy Organizing!

ETA 04-04-16: Here’s a photo of the cases as they were displayed in the Mike’s I went to the other day. Aren’t they purdy?

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Scrapbook Shopping: New “Hot Buy” Paper Pads at Michaels January 2016

I’ve been so busy with the holidays and work, I haven’t gotten over to Michaels in weeks. I don’t feel guilty about that until they start calling me at home. They’re all, “Erika, you have to come shop. Our scrapbook sales have seriously dipped and we’re considering closing down those aisles” and “We haven’t been able to pay our light bill!” Which I think are just high-pressure tactics and I ignore them at first. But then they call back and call back and then I feel horrible :(

Although I haven’t been to Mike’s in a while, my scrappy friend Alison took these photos and is letting me share them – cuz I knew you’d want to know! The details are from Alison too :)

BRAND NEW LINE Crate Paper “Hello Love” and new Craftsmith “Soho Tropical”

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WRMK “Wildflowers” (prettier in person than online) and Dear Lizzie “Documentary”

michaels hot buy pads

New Craftsmith “Melon Patch” and “Seaglass” (am I reading those right from the photos? Halp!)

New Craftsmith “Words to Live By”

They had a ton of new solid cardstock packs. And here’s something different – a pad that’s made to look like paint chips! On some pages, they are small 2×2 squares, others there are 3-4 colors per page.

So what do you think? See any Must Haves? I’m eyeing the “Words to Live By” and “Paint Chip” pads. Maybe if I can find them for $5-6 at some point.

Speaking of which, there are varying reports about the price of these Hot Buy pads. They’re regularly $19.99. The ad apparently says they’re $10 this week or you may have to use the 40% off coupon to bring the cost down, i.e., Word on the Street is jumbled :)

Happy Shopping!

PS: Have you signed up for the Scrapbook Obsession Free Newsletter yet? Doing so gets you access to our Secret Facebook Group. And there’s some fun new stuff coming in 2016 that you don’t want to miss!

Just enter your name and email in the top right sidebar :)

PSS: (Or is it PPS? I’ve been confused about that since grade school). You can also Like the Scrapbook Obsession Facebook Page HERE. It’s a great way to get pinged when I post a new blog entry. I also share links to sales and stuff. Not that you’d be interested in great prices on scrapbook supplies or anything but just in case ;) Tip: The more you interact with the Page, the more it’ll show up in your feed. So please Like, Share, and Comment!

Heidi Swapp “Picturesque” Project Life – Review and Card Sets for Sale

I try to keep up on all the new Project Life things that come out but it’s hard to do these days; there are so many. When I was at Michaels in the big city last week, seeing this kit for the first time was a pleasant surprise: Heidi Swapp “Picturesque”.

Just looking at the front, I wasn’t too sure. It looked maybe too nature-y?

Note: The image of my arms holding an iPhone 6+ does NOT come with the kit.

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But when I turned the box over, I fell in love! Must. Have. This. Now.

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Bloop! Into the cart.

What was that you said? Why no, I don’t usually get a cart at Michaels. But I was looking for WMRK albums that day. So there, smarty pants. It’s like you were trying to imply that I’m a scrapbook shopaholic or something. So are you but what am I??

When I got home, I opened this kit and loved it even more.

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You might want to get your Paypal fired up. Just sayin’ . . .

4×6 double-sided cards; I flipped them so you’re seeing both sides here.

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More 4×6 double-sided cards but these are the ones where you can use the same design either vertically or horizontally. For my fellow English majors, that’s “up and down” or “sideways”.

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Then you have 4×6 double-sided cards meant to be used vertically. I flipped them so you’re seeing both sides.

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Here are all the 3×4 cards – all double-sided, flipped so you can see both sides.

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Phew! So my favorite things about this line are the blue and grey colors, the relaxed vibe, lots of white for journaling and to give my photos room to breathe, etc. I normally don’t like “photo-realistic” scrapbook supplies because, to me, it’s confusing to the eye – which is the real photo and which is just for embellishment? LOL But the photography and coloring on these don’t make it feel that way. The photos are faded so they don’t compete.

I have lots of ideas for these but I think they’ll work especially well with beach photos.  They could even be fun for a non-traditional take on First Day of School.  On that little “Check” card right above here, you could put a checklist of things they wanted to take to school the first day.

For Sale

As much as we love our Project Life Core Kits, I defy a scrapper to use eleventy-jillion cards from the same line. So, once the caffeine kicked in and I could do math, I set about dividing them up into keep vs. sell. That’s where you come in: Want some?

ETA 02-17-16: ALL HAVE BEEN SOLD!

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This set is $7.50 plus shipping and contains:
{42} 4×6 cards
{140} 3×4 cards

ETA 09-14-15: Sorry, this one has been spoken for :)

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This set is $5.00 plus shipping and contains:
{90} 3×4 cards
SOLD

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Smoke-free, pet-free home
Paypal preferred but we can talk :)

If you’d like a partial set of Heidi Swapp “Picturesque” Project Life cards, please leave a comment below or e-mail me: erika(at)scrapbookobsession(dot)com !

Have a great week :)

Scrapbook Shopping: Apparently, I Love Enamel :D

I did a little scrappy shopping over Labor Day Weekend.

My favorite find is the Webster’s Pages “Dream in Color” enamel dots.

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This is one of those times when seeing something in person clinches the sale. If I had seen these on Amazon . . .

websters pages enamel dots dream in color

. . . they wouldn’t really have caught my eye. But in person, they are sooooo cute! Granted, those glittery gold dots will probably end up in the trash; I am SO over gold. I mean, I was never ON it but I’m so OVER it. There’s just no love for silver and I don’t get it.

Anyhow, I got those beauties at Beverly’s Crafts and paid full price. I had already used a coupon in the transaction – to get 3 WRMK 12×12 albums for the price of 2. What, WHUUUUTTT? That made them only $20 each instead of $30 so I was okay paying full price for some dots :) But you KNOW I tried to use another coupon. Foiled again!

The other 2 items were from Michaels and they weren’t on sale but I got a little discount on ’em. The cashier entered the coupon for 20% of my total purchase, so that was awesome.

I already have a set of the blue and green dots but those are colors I scrap a lot with. And the Heidi Swapp“Puffy Stickers” are super cute. I just adore her handwriting. She could write “Parcheesi” or “Batmobile” and I would buy them, even though I will never scrapbook a thing on those topics.

More to come on some Project Life stuff I bought . . . will be selling off some of it, if you’re interested!

Have a great day 🔆

Scrapbook Hauls: Freckled Fawn, Your Scrapbook Supply, Beverly’s, Michaels, and Scrapbook Steals

I haven’t done a “scrapbook haul” post for a while so here we go . . . and it’s a doozy!

FRECKLED FAWN

Back in the fall, they had a big sale and I got all of this for $10 including shipping.

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Puffy stickers and washi! The stars are glitter even though you probably can’t tell that from the photo. The labels tape I didn’t like as much in person as I did on the website. Oh well.

YOUR SCRAPBOOK SUPPLY

This online store is pretty much always having sales and coupon codes so they’re one of the first places I look for a new “must have” line. Sometimes they only have bits and pieces but then other times, I luck out and they have the exact pieces I want. This is Amy Tangerine’s recent line, “Stitched.” I got all this for $24 including shipping.

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Here are all the gorgeous papers from the paper pack, including my favorite paper – the map with hearts. You may know that I have deep love for ombre & watercolor and hearts. I hit the jackpot with this line!

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Bad news: One corner on all of the 12×12 papers was badly bent.

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Good news: I contacted Your Scrapbook Supply and they didn’t have the paper pack in stock anymore and couldn’t order it, so they sent me this as a replacement – the entire paper pad. Granted, the papers are single- not double-sided but I got more of them so it’s all good.

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If you decide to order from Your Scrapbook Supply, please tell them I sent you :)

BEVERLY’S CRAFTS

This is the closest thing I have to an LSS within 2 hours of me so I shop there whenever I can. Gotta’ support them, right?!?! I got “Celebrate” Thickers, My Minds Eye “Sleigh Bells” tiny type letter stickers, and some cute Bella Blvd, Pebbles, and Bo Bunny papers – everything for $24. I used a 40% off coupon for the MME alphas, bringing them from $5 down to $3 . . .

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. . . and what a great deal. Look how many sheets of letters you get!

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Here are the other sides of the papers from above:

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I’m going to use that teal paper from Pebbles to make a perpetual birthday calendar.

MICHAELS

Here’s my haul from Michaels right before Christmas when they had a huge sale. Yep, I took a photo of my whole cart because I cracked myself up! I don’t EVER buy this many things at once and actually felt guilty even though I got great deals.

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I’m in scrapbook space organization mode again and I NEED these things, right? All albums were Buy One, Get One Free. I’ve already put the Project Life chevron albums to good use {holding divided and plain page protectors, as I talked about HERE}. The jar candle, 8.5 x 11 kraft paper, wrapping paper, ombre paper pad, and 12×12 Iris cases were all on sale, too. I wasn’t able to use my coupon because it was all on sale already, LOL. Don’t you hate it when that happens?

SCRAPBOOK STEALS

Man, they are just plain EVIL with the OCTOBER AFTERNOON kits they keep offering up! {This one is called “Girl Talk Collection Kit” and is still available in the Archives; just click the link above}. All of this for only $15, retailing for twice that. How is an OA addict to resist? Well, don’t ask me! I wouldn’t know. APPARENTLY.

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The washi is absolutely beautiful in person and I love the Tin Pins, especially the one that looks like an old rotary phone dial. {For you youngsters: Back in the day before push buttons then touch pads, we had to actually D-I-A-L a phone and it took so stinkin’ long, you just prayed you didn’t have to call anyone with lots of 8s, 9s, or 0s in their phone number}.

Okay, I suppose by now you’re either a). totally disgusted that anyone could spend so much money on scrapbook supplies, b). drowning in drool, or c). feeling kinship because you’ve done a similar amount of shopping this fall and winter. That’s okay, you don’t have to tell me which one. Or two. We’re Scrap Sisters and I understand. Totes.

I have an order from Evalicious and also some Pebbles that Santa left in my stocking but I haven’t taken pics yet so those will have to wait. What have been your favorite purchases lately?

Scrapbook Shopping: Cheap Enamel Dots at Michaels AND Dollar Tree!

I can’t reveal my sources ;) But I’m hearing reports of cheap enamel dots to be had at both Michaels and Dollar Tree!

Here are some pics of the Dollar Tree ones:

The brand is “Do It Yourself” and they’re apparently flatter than average enamel dots {which I find to be a plus}. They can reportedly be found in the stationary section of Dollar Tree.

I also hear there are enamel dots to be found in the Michaels “dollar bins” though they’re $1.50. I can’t find any photos online – have you seen any? Please share a link! I was JUST at Mike’s 2 days ago but didn’t think to check the dollar bins by the checkout as I was on another mission, LOL.

Happy shopping! Please let me know if you find these at your Michaels or Dollar Tree!

ETA 01-04-15: A sweet reader named Kelly found the dots at her Michaels and was kind enough to share a photo!

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She says there were 4 sets total, these 3 plus 1 with purples that she didn’t get. Thanks so much, Kelly!

Blogging: Scrapbook Obsession Blog 2014 Year in Review

I’ve been blogging now for 8 full years! WOW. I’ve done a total of 1,173 posts, with 383,000 total views* and 1,298 comments. It’s cray-cray.

*This is the amount currently showing but several years ago, when I changed this site from wordpress.com to just .com, I lost over 1 million views. I was heartbroken but apparently there’s no way to restore that number. But I’m very proud of the fact that this site has almost 1.4 million views :)

At the end of each December, WordPress (my blog platform) sends a report of my stats for the year and they’re fun to look at. I thought I’d start the new year by sharing some fun facts:

– Scrapbook Obsession Blog had 100,000 visitors in 2014.

– The busiest day of the year was June 25th with 1,184 views. The most popular post that day was Wow. Just Wow. Trouble at Two Peas in a Bucket!.

– In 2014, I wrote 115 new posts. My best day for posting is Monday with 31 posts or 27%.

Here are the posts that got the most views in 2014, with links to the posts in case you missed them ;)

#1: Project Life: My New Storage System for PL, Snap, MAMBI, and Other Scrapbooking Cards
45 COMMENTS
from August 2013

#2: Wow. Just Wow. Trouble at Two Peas in a Bucket!
14 COMMENTS
from March 2013

#3: Project Life: Review of NEW 6×8 Project Life Albums, Kits, and Pages at Michaels
5 COMMENTS
from January 2014

#4: Scrapbook Store Review: “Scrapbooks Etc.” in Mesa, AZ
15 COMMENTS
from March 2014

#5: “Two Peas in a Bucket” Online Scrapbook Store Closes After 15 Years Amid Much Contro
5 COMMENTS
from June 2014

I owe that #1 post to Pinterest because photos of my Project Life card storage were Pinned a lot.

And I wasn’t surprised to see 2 of the top 5 posts had to do with the closure of long-time scrapbooking institution, Two Peas in a Bucket.

I *was* surprised that a review of a scrapbook store in Arizona was #4! It has me thinking I should post more LSS reviews; what do you think? I don’t have any scrapbook stores locally anymore but do visit them when I travel and always take photos.

Speaking of Pinterest, I also got this in an email from them: “More than 46,773 people saw Pins from Scrapbook Obsession on Pinterest in 2014.” Pretty kewl, huh? Especially considering I just started using Pinterest fairly recently in the scheme of things, in October 2013. I absolutely love playing around on Pinterest and the fact that it brings some more people to my blog {it was the #2 referrer of traffic} is just icing on the cake.

Is this post boring the heck out of you or do you enjoy hearing about blogging, the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff about having a blog, How To’s for blogging, etc.? It’s a topic I’m thinking of incorporating into Scrapbook Obsession Blog in 2015 so let me know what you think.

I need to close with a very important part of my WordPress report / year in review: The Top Commenters!

#1: Debra 20 comments

#2: slyn11 14 comments

#3: Maribeth 9 comments

#4/#5: Teri Pannesi and Nadine 8 comments

Thank you, ladies, from the bottom of my ever-lovin’ scrapbooking heart <3 I really, truly appreciate ALL who comment which is why I installed CommentLuv (which gives a link to a commenters' most recent blog post, if they like) and Top Commenters in the right sidebar, to recognize the top 5 commenters each month. I wish there was more that I could do to show my appreciation. When you spend so many hours writing a blog, you sometimes wonder: "Does anybody really care?" And by taking the time to comment, you make me feel better, like I'm not just talking to myself, hee hee! It's like getting Christmas presents all throughout the year. So thank you :) Okay, kids! That's a wrap on 2014. I know 2015 is going to be awesome with lots of scrappy fun to be had. I'll keep enabling, you'll keep shopping. I'll keep saying stoopid things, you'll try not to nose-spit Diet Coke on your screen. I'll share some new things I've got up my sleeve, and you'll hopefully join in and love it all! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Project Life: New Value Kits including “Hi, Sunshine”, “Odds & Ends”, and “Live Brightly”

ETA 01-22-15: I see that Amazon now has most if not all of the Project Life Value Kits, even some not listed below. You can get them HERE

This is post 3 of 3 about the new Project Life products coming out. If you missed them, see the other 2 posts HERE and HERE.

The new kits are:

Live Brightly
Hi, Sunshine
Boys Rule
Odds & Ends
Peace, Love & Sunshine
DIY Shop

My faves are:

Hi, Sunshine

Odds & Ends

Also, spotted at Hobby Lobby, some recently introduced Project Life Value Kits – “Good Times”, “Enjoy Life”, and “Super Cute:

I like these smalluh kits for smalluh dolluhs.

Thanks again Heather for taking and sharing all your scouting photos with us! I live in a Scrapbook Desert where they must deliver the new stuff on camels. And my only store is Michaels.

Someday, we will live in a world where EVERY scrapper will have a 30-minutes or less driving time to an LSS, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Tuesday Morning. Are ya’ with me!?!?

Until then, I really count on lovely friends like Heather to be my photo supplier :)

Project Life: Heidi Swapp “Dreamy”, “Favorite Things”, and LOTS More!

Okay, guys, I’m trying to keep up with this whirlwind of new PROJECT LIFE product – either out now or coming soon. There has been a lot of chatter about it online. I’ll be doing this post and a couple more to make sure you see it ALL.

A shout out to my bud Heather, who first shared photos she found online of new lines “Lovely” by Shimelle (see THIS entry for more info) and “Favorite Things” by Heidi Swapp.

Heidi has teamed up with Becky for MANY new Project Life items. You can read about them and see photos HERE and HERE on Becky’s blog. And check out this video if you have time. I’m sorry, but they are both just so dang likable!

The Heidi Swapp line is ‘exclusive’ to Michaels and also being carried in Becky’s own shop. My favorite item from the Heidi Swapp line for Project Life is the “Dreamy” Core Kit

It reminds me of “Color Wash” by Pink Paislee . . .

. . . which is one of my all-time favorite scrapbooking lines.

I did hear a rumor that some of the HS cards are not double sided and not horizontal so they’ll be harder to use in the PL pocket pages DESIGN A that I prefer to use. Anyone know if that’s true?

Again, shout out to Heather who took photos at Michaels!

As you can see, there are a lot of OTHER new HS items, too. I’m not sure if they’re technically “Project Life”? I think so because Heidi has them all listed together on her WEBSITE.

I’ll be stalking Michaels to find that Heidi Swapp “Dreamy” core kit and snap it up with my coupon! Usually I just buy partial PL kits from friends online but I need to see this one in person and go through the whole thing before I decide how much of it I want. But I’ll probably sell at least some of it off.

So glad to see the collab between Heidi and Becky. As you saw in the video, they’ve been friends for a long time and bring totally different things to our scrapbooking world, both of which I love. Congrats ladies!

SMASH Warning, New Smash Stuff at Michaels, and Project Life on Clearance

I recently noticed that the SMASH book
I had stored in a basket by a sunny window in my office had been damaged. As you can see, not only did the black and white rubber band get discolored and degraded, the sun also left a mark on the chipboard part of the SMASH book cover :(

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From the same basket, I pulled out the package of light blue bands to replace the ruined one with. Lo and behold, the bands inside the package were discolored, too. So, just a warning if you have SMASH products like this: Keep them away from the sun! Lesson learned.

Speaking of SMASH book products, my Michaels has a new section of them.

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Looks like they’re really going after the teen market, which is supah smart and I feel like the ‘ideal customer’ for SMASH books. They have a “My Life: School Edition” and “My Life: After School Edition” which are both really cute. And check out the cloth tapes in the middle of the second pic. The pink chevron was adorable.

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Since I’m talking about Michaels, I should let you know that the last time I was there, their Project Life stuff was on clearance.

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I had the 6×8 rainbow chevron album in my hands for $8 and had a coupon, too – I think it was for 20% off entire purchase including sale items. But the line was super long and I wasn’t in the mood so I left without it.

Have you had any fading problems with SMASH products?

Do the Scrapbookers Who Have a GOOD Michaels Realize How Stinkin’ LUCKY They Are???

Because I went to a GOOD Michaels a few weeks ago while traveling and it was a-MAYZE-ing! They had all the stuff I hear other scrappers talking about online and wish-wish-WISHING! that mine did.

This cute project greeted me at the front table.

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My store doesn’t even have this whole section called “Craft It” by Recollections. Some really cute stuff to DIY party favors, cards, scrapbooking, etc.

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Look at those cute colored clothespins and straws!

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I snagged two of these washi tapes!

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Four new paper pads by Jolee’s – I’ve never seen paper by them, only embellishments. GO Jolee’s!

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Even their Clearance stuff was better than at my Mike’s :P

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I was tempted by this watercolor paper pad by Recollections but I still have tons of “COLOR WASH” by Heidi Swapp that needs to be used.

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The “Sweet Tangerine” paper pad by DCWV was hard to pass up. I love all the orange.

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I swear, “Hey Kid” by Pink Paislee has been on my wish list since I first saw it. But twice now I’ve seen it in person and failed to pull the trigger. I think I need to get just a few sheets and some embellishments, not the whole line. I just don’t love ALL of the papers.

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And, oh yeah, all paper pads were 50% off so I expect you to really admire my strength in not buying any, LOL!

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My Mike’s doesn’t have any of these cute burlap embellishments!

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I had those mason jars and the letters in my hands . . . but they didn’t make the final cut :( I’m hoping my Mike’s will get them eventually and I can use coupons to get them later.

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THIS Mike’s has almost a full aisle of paper pads! Does yours? Mine has about 1/3 of an aisle.

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Look how high their paper racks go! Mine stop at about eyeball-level with about 1/3 as many racks. Hmph!

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They even have a SCRAPBOOKING sign! Not at my store :(

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This looks about the same as the Project Life section at my Mike’s.

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My store has a section like this of random MAMBI, card sentiments, older K&Co, etc. but it’s not as filled in, has maybe about 1/2 as much product.

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Found these cute new letter stickers in 3 colors.

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Here’s a close-up so you can see . . . they’re made of a textured fabric and are slightly distressed on the edges.

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And here is where I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven! MAMBI MAMBI MAMBI!! Man, their stuff is so bright, cheery, and uplifting. They can turn anyone’s frown upside-down, ha!

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I knew I had to get some of these MAMBI Sticks but at $8 a package, I had to make a choice . . . or maybe two ;) So I looked at the backs to see what was in each package. I just love the sayings they use, the pretty fonts, and the great colors.

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Love these letters – kraft with polka dots!

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Uh-oh, found another set of MAMBI Sticks I like. This is getting ever harder to choose!

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They had all the MAMBI Pocket Pages stuff which I’ve bought out . . . ahem, has mostly been phased out at my Michaels.

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My store now has the Instax Mini 8 camera, mini albums, and supplies – a better selection actually – but this Mike’s had them 2-3 weeks earlier.

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NOTE: These cameras are only about $60-70 on Amazon with free shipping (depending on the color you choose) at my link above. At Michaels, they retail (if I remember right) for $119. Even with a coupon, Amazon is cheaper. And some Michaels stores are not accepting coupons for them. Just a shopping tip!

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Here are the 8.5 x 11 “Hot Buy” paper pads I heard about online but couldn’t find at my Mike’s.

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This Amy Tangerine one with all the cameras was super tempting!

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And, finally, some new embellishments from AMERICAN CRAFTS, aka the Monopoly winners at the game of Scrapbooking (did you get that? huh?). Something in this photo came home with me.

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Those plastic letters on the bottom look like some I bought from Crate Paper “The Pier”
line a while back and I know I paid a lot more than $3.99 for them! I wonder if the quality and amount are similar?

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If you want to see what I bought, stay tuned . . . you’ll see in my next post!

I hope those of you with a GOOD Mike’s nearby realize how lucky you are. You’re probably the same ones with a Hobby Lobby and a great Joann nearby too, aren’t ya’?? Jeez, I’m really jealous of you. I don’t even have those stores, no LSS, just a (BAD) Michaels. Waaahh!

So, which camp do you fall in? Do you have a GOOD Mike’s like this one that gets all the good, new stuff early on and has hoards of scrapbooking supplies? Or are you like me with a BAD Mike’s that gets new products much later, if at all, and in smaller quantities?

Cheap, Easy, and Practical Washi Tape Storage

As I talked about HERE, it was time for me to get some new storage for my expanding collection of washi tape. Just like with my PROJECT LIFE CARD STORAGE, I need cheap, easy and practical. Requirements for my washi tape storage are:

– Not expensive; no more than $20 total

– Easy to use; no pulling tape rolls off dowels, walking across the room to access them, etc.

– Practical; keeps the dust out and easy to see what I have

I looked all over Target for a new storage solution but had no luck. My next stop was MICHAELS craft store. Armed with my 40% off coupon, I was pretty confident I’d find something I loved.

And I was right! Scroll to the very bottom of this post if you can’t wait to see my final washi tape storage solution :)

But let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Here is what I started out with:

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Like I said in my last post, I originally had my washi in an open tray on my desk along with my Project Life cards and embellishments. Due to dust and (ahem) outgrowing that storage, I moved the PL embellishments – icon stickers, twine, stamps, and chalk ink pads – to one of these super handy “Bag in Bag” purse organizers.

As I packed for my RETREAT in January, I threw all my washi into this extra plastic shoebox from Mike’s that I had standing by for more Project Life / MAMBI / Sn@p! card storage. Or whatever. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to keep obsessively buying more cards and need a place to store them. ‘Cuz that would be crazy when I already have so many. Um, yeah.

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The washi tape rolls were easy enough to access in the shoebox above ^ while I scrapped but I wanted a better storage solution. They didn’t stay very neat and there was a lot of wasted space in there.

Let’s try something new:

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At Michaels, I picked up this storage piece first. It’s an Iris Scrapbook Project Case meant for storing 12×12 pages in progress, I suppose.

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Liked: It was shallow enough to mostly spread out my tapes into a single level so they’d be easy to see and access, yet the case is tall enough to close over the thicker tapes like the red and green one on the bottom right above. There’s even room to stack 2 thinner tapes.

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Didn’t like: Took up too much desk space and couldn’t see washi tape color/pattern as well when they’re lying flat versus on their sides.

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My other purchase from Michaels were these 2 smaller cases, and this is the solution I ended up going with. I put cool colors in one and warm in the other.

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At Michaels, the 6″ x 6″ Iris Mini Project Case was $4.99 minus $2.00 with all scrapbook storage 40% off = $2.99 {didn’t even need to use my coupon!}. So there’s the “cheap” requirement fulfilled; only $6 total. You can’t beat that with a stick.

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Oh my! That is one pretty washi collection, if I do say so myself. All that color and design and possibility makes me so HAPPY!

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As you can see, the lids closed easily over all sizes of washi tape. My “easy to use” requirement was met – no dowels, no pulling them off of hangers or spools, etc. Just reach in, grab the roll(s) you need, and put ’em back when you’re done.

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I kept the label on so you could see what exactly the item is called, in case you’d like to replicate this washi storage :) It’s so funny because looking back, I mentioned way back HERE that I loved this little case and wanted to find a use for it.

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Voila! Mission accomplished!

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Here are my cute little washi cases stacked together on my desk, just to the left of me as I scrap. My pretty tape is secure and protected. So my “practical” requirement is fulfilled.

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To the right is the Bag in Bag I mentioned above. On top of the washi cases is a small plastic ‘shoebox’ from Mike’s with enamel dots and some smaller embellishments that didn’t fit in the Bag in Bag. That’s another cheap, easy, and practical storage solution I love <3 Hope you find this helpful! How do you store your washi tape?

In Search of New Washi Tape Storage @ Target

I used to keep my washi tape collection {which is, ahem, extensive} in an open tray on my desk with all my Project Life stuff. But it gets very dry and dusty here so I had to give up the open tray idea. I found other storage for my PROJECT LIFE CARDS and EMBELLISHMENTS. Everything has a new home except for washi tape.

When I went to a SCRAPBOOK RETREAT in January, I put all my tapes in a plastic shoebox – you can kinda’ see them on the far right in this photo from the retreat:

But I wasn’t happy with it for the long-term. So I was in TARGET one day and decided to look around for possibilities for storing washi tape. Here is what I found:

These fridge and freezer storage containers could work. They’re a little pricey but I like that they’re clear. You can see what you have and the pretty colors from all that gorgeous tape are visible.

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I was excited to find these short tension rods because I’d seen an idea using them on PINTEREST. I had them in my cart, then ended up putting them back. It occurred to me that I’d end up being annoyed at having to pull a bunch of rolls off the rods to get to the color I wanted – or in needing to keep them on the rod and tear the tape off while it stayed on the rod. Either way, I wouldn’t like it.

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These “Bento” containers by Rubbermaid are super cute. I love how the compartments pop out and you can really personalize it. The containers come in multiple sizes. I ended up veto’ing this too because 1. I don’t do well at keeping cloth things clean, and 2. It seemed too deep.

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Are these little chipboard suitcases the kee-YOU-test?!?! Could totally see these for my washi tape storage. Great price, too. Only downside is they’re not see-through and I’m a “see it or forget to use it” kinda’ girl.

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Now these trays, I really thought about for a while. The color is bland but that’s okay – washi tape is not, LOL! I could picture my pretty rows of colorful tape all lined up in ROYGBIV order in one of these babies. They’d be in a single layer, easy to see, and easy to access. The downsides were the larger footprint {I don’t have much desk real estate left} and being open to dust. Oh well, neat idea.

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Thinking about closed storage, I checked out all these jars in the kitchen section. I didn’t pull the trigger on anything but there were some cute and affordable options there.

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Oh well, back to the drawing board! I’ll check out Michaels next and I’m sure I’ll find some cool washi tape storage there :)

Project Life: Planner Pages Set from Michaels

As I mentioned HERE back in early January 2014, some Michaels received new Project Life items including 6×8 albums, page protectors, and kits to use in them for Planner, Agenda, and Recipe.

Well, what should I spy at my Mike’s almost 2 months later but this!?!?:

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Yeppers, some of the page protectors and 1 of the 3 kits. I have a zillion 6×8 Sn@p! pages so I don’t need more of those for now but I did snatch up the “Planner” Project Life kit. It was $4.99 minus $2.00 with my 40% off coupon. So only $2.99 for 40 cards – pretty cost effective.

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And it’s really cute! I love the theme, colors, and style. I think I’ll get a lot of use from these cards. Here are some photos in case you’d like a closer look:

4×6 cards

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3×4 cards

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It’s very everyday, happy, and fresh. It looks great with one of my other favorite Project Life kits, HONEY. {I talk about why it’s one of my faves HERE}.

Not to enable or anything – ‘cuz you know I hate to do that – but “Honey” and “Olive” are only $23 and “Turquoise” is only $18 at the moment HERE on Amazon. These kits are usually $30 so that’s a great deal ;)

Anyway, just wanted to let you know not to give up hope on finding the “new” Project Life items at your Michaels. They may still show up!

New at Michaels: Heidi Swapp Alpha, Mini Iris Case, and Recollections Enamel Dots

A few cute finds at Michaels this week that I wanted to share with you . . .

I’m addicted to the large Iris cases (see 2nd photo) to hold my 12×12 “projects in progress”. I grab 1 or 2 whenever they’re on sale which they were this week ($4 versus about $7-8 regular price). For the first time, I noticed this adorable little mini version of the same case!

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If I recall correctly, they were $5. I think they’re like THESE but I’m not sure. I couldn’t think of a use for it so I left it at the store. But if you can help me justify purchasing one, please let me know :) I need some enabling!

What I did buy:

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The large Iris case plus some Recollections enamel dots in Valentines colors ($2.39 on sale) and a pack of the new HEIDI SWAPP sea green plastic letters ($2.69 using 40% off coupon). The letters are nice and thin so I figure I can use my TINY ATTACHER to attach them to pages. Love the color and font!

Out the door for less than a tenner. That’s my kinda’ shopping trip. What have you found at Mike’s lately?

PS: In honor of Mr. Perry’s 65th (YES 65th!) birthday today, I bring you some STEVE AWESOMENESS. Don’t be afraid to click. It’s a Youtube of Journey singing “Don’t Stop Believin'” . . . a cappella. It will melt you. I’ve already listened 4 times ;)

Have a wonderful day!

Scrapbook Products: “Vintage Charm” by DCWV @ Michaels

Just thought I’d share a new product I saw at Michaels that’s really cute. I’ve been stalking my Mike’s for the NEW PROJECT LIFE stuff but nothing yet. This was on an endcap at the front of the scrapbooking section: “Vintage Charm” by Die Cuts with a View (DCWV).

The 3 card sets on the left are cool. The one with the heart is layered.

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I got a pack of those heart stickers (top row, third from left)

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On the bottom left is a postbound album with a 3-D frame on it – so pretty!

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I used my 40% off coupon on the heart washi!

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The cameras are TOTES ADORBS (I said that just to be annoying – but they are adorable). And the typewriter!

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I’m not usually a DCWV fan but this line I love. What do you think?

PS: I haven’t forgotten about CHA posts. All the photos are edited and I have some of the writing done but work was super busy this week. I’m so sorry for the delay. Look for more CHA posts next week! Have a happy, scrappy weekend :)

Project Life: Review of NEW 6×8 Project Life Albums, Kits, and Pages at Michaels

As I posted HERE, some Michaels stores are now carrying several Becky Higgins’ new Project Life products – already! According to HER BLOG, these albums are being introduced at CHA-Anaheim next week . . . but they’re already showing up at some Mike’s! Sounds good to me :)

And I can’t find mention on her site of the 6×8 agenda, calendar, and recipe kits nor any new Core Kits by Maggie Holmes and Dear Lizzy {which I’m now hearing may the HSN “exclusive” core kits?}. So I don’t know if these items are Michaels exclusives or what? I’ve asked for clarification on the message boards from scrappers who’ve seen these displays in person but no one seems to know. Hmmmm . . .

And as it goes . . . none of these new Project Life goodies have arrived at MY Micheales and I won’t be surprised if they never do. Remember when MOST Mike’s got the 12×12 WRMK albums, like, ages ago??? My Mike’s got them about 1 month ago. Finally.

That’s one reason I get so much of my PROJECT LIFE stuff on Amazon.com. They may not have 40% off coupons but they do put things on sale fairly often and with PRIME, I get them in the mail sometimes sooner than I could’ve even run to Michaels (1-2 days, yippee! A girl needs her instant gratification, ya know?)

So, given that I have little hope of seeing these in person before I turn 82 (hey! I know I sound old and curmudgeonly but I’m nowhere close, I promise you) . . . I asked my message board friend Jen (aka Redscountrygirljen) if I could share the review SHE posted. I’m so thrilled she said yes! Below is JEN’s review and the wonderful photos she provided:

So, with our Blizzard approaching what was DH, my toddler and I to do today? Go to Michaels a half hour away, of course!

And what to my wondering eyes did appear?

New BH Project Life! And with it 40% off (like others have said, it’s not marked on sale) I got a 6×8 leather binder, the planner kit, planner theme set, and a pack of Design 2 and a pack of Design 3 page protectors.

Above: The leather album. It’s fairly nice quality, not as nice as WRMK. There is a noticeable seam on the inside where you can tell the leather inside was glued down. The album also has a slight smell, but it isn’t obnoxious. Long story short, I will probably by at least a few more of these. I like them better than her larger paper binders and I like them better than even the Sn@p chipboard albums. I have yet to see a Sn@p leather album so I can’t provide a comparison to that.

Above: Menards Teddy Bear aside, this is the inside of the album and also a peek at the Weekly Planner inserts. They are reg. priced 14.99 but I got it on sale for 8.99. I was a sucker for the planner because I love the tabbed monthly inserts.

Above: The back of a month page and the front of another. So colorful! I can also see myself using the journaling prompts on the back of the dividers.

Above: Samples of the weekly planner pages. I don’t see myself using these each and every week. The main reason being that after putting in all the pages of the kit, there isn’t a lot of room for clear page divided pages. I will certainly use some throughout, but unless I want to have two 6×8 albums for 2014, I will just keep some for another project (or for 2015? eek!)

Above: Page protectors! I got style 2 (2-3×4, 1-4×6) and style 3 (2-4×6). Style 1 is 4-3×4. The most important thing I’ll throw out here is that the first thing I did when I got home was try my Sn@p pages – they fit perfectly in these albums too! This means other Sn@p products will work too like their own dividers and page protectors.

Above: For only 2.99, I also got the accompanying planner cards. They’re nice and colorful and will look really nice. I’ll be adding some of the Honey cards in as well I think :)

So, that is my review of the new Michaels-exclusive BH Project Life merchandise! I went for the recipe album, but I was disappointed in the colors. I made my mom a recipe book using some pages from Simple Stories Handmade Holiday and I think we can add to it using the new SS Homespun Collection. They also had new 12×12 BH Project Life albums and two new larger kits – Maggie Holmes was one of them and Dear Lizzy was the other.

All of it was on sale! I got the 6×8 binder, the planner kit, the planner card mini set, a pack of Design 2 and a pack of Design 3 protectors for 28.00 :) My M’s had some of the patterned 6×8 albums left, one leather bright pink one, two of the turquoise, and a black leather album in. Since I just bought a black leather 8×8 WRMK album and a red 12×12 BH leather album, I thought the turquoise would be nice. :) I’m actually pleased with the quality of the album and after taking out even 10 of the divider pages, I have more room. I think I’m going to keep most of the planner pages, add two clear plastic pages for each month for a total of 24 and see what happens :)

Just an update – October Afternoon’s Flash pages are not compatible with either the BH 6×8 or Snap binders. Neither are SC Handbooks pages.

Here are two pictures showing BH’s stuff in a Snap binder. As you can see, when closed, nothing pokes over the edge. Perfect fit!

Wasn’t that an awesome review!?!? Thanks so much for letting me share it, Jen! I owe ya’, girl!

Jen is working on her own blog and when she has it up, I’ll link to it so you can follow her :)

I’m so excited about these new products!! I hope I get to see them in person soon {translation: BUY them, LOL!}. I’m thinking about doing a smaller format, Project-Life style album this year. Instead of doing a daily photo like I did in 2013, I want to have a place to keep everyday one-off photos and quick journaling, without the commitment of “photo a day” and filling the 12×12 pocket page protectors like I did last year. This PL 6×8 album with the Agenda and/or Planner sets are big contenders.

Have these shown up at your Michaels yet? What do you think?

Scrapbooking Products: New Project Life & Valentine’s Day Stuff at Michaels

China Doll/Tran posted this on the Two Peas message board:

Went to Ms today and found some new goodies! Maggie Holmes and Dear Lizzy full kit, those mini albums, 3 – kits that goes with (journal, agenda, recipe), page protectors and some of those small card kits.

She was kind enough to take photos, not just one trip but two! Some of them are on her blog above but I also wanted to share them here in a larger size . . . gotta’ see the detail, right!?!?! LOL

I’m a bit confused as to what exactly is being sold at Michaels. She mentions MH and DL full kits (referring to the 2 Core Kit boxes on the bottom, I assume?). I knew there were new MH and DL (and Amy Tan) *mini* kits coming out but not Core Kits. Besides, this would be rather early as Becky says RIGHT HERE that they’ll be introduced at CHA in mid-January.

Although I also see the BRAND NEW Project Life 6×8 albums and pages Becky showed on her blog HERE and those are supposed to be intro’d at CHA as well. So the Core Kits must be new ones I missed hearing about? Hmmm . . .

I also think I spy a bunch of Project Life Themed Cards. I think I’ve already grabbed all of those that I want, but I’m still excited to see them at Michaels as mine hasn’t carried those yet.

So off I went to Mike’s today with my 50% off coupon in search of this Motherlode of PL Goodness. Do you think I found any?

Of COURSE not!

Supposedly, they’re on an end cap in the scrapbooking section. For once, I did have some time to stroll around the whole store but couldn’t find them anywhere, not even a bare end cap possibly waiting for them.

Color me sad :(

Oh well, I hope they show up at my Mike’s eventually or that I can find an excuse . . . ahem, that I can check the “good” Mike’s some time soon because I “need” to go to Costco ;)

What I did find at Michaels was an island full of Valentine’s Day stuff. It’s not usually a holiday I buy many scrap supplies for but there were some REALLY cute things!

Disclaimer: Very busy store + everyone watching me = rushed blurry photos. Sorry!

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See those cute enamel heart stickers ^^^^ in the top middle of the photo? Got me summa’ them. Hearts are a staple – any time of year.

On the “Valentine Island” there was also some new MAMBI stuff that looked geared toward card making but I can see it for scrapbooking too!

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I also got the MAMBI Sticks arrows and the Soft Spoken Hi, Hello stickers. Sooooo cute!

And just in time for all those New Years resolutions to get organized, all of Mike’s storage is 50% off – this is just one of many aisles of organizational goodness.

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I do need more Iris 12×12 containers but didn’t get any today. With my 50% off coupon, I got the 3 sticker sets for less than $8. What a nice pick-me-up indulgence after the madness of Christmas and doing so much cooking, cleaning, and “stuff” for others. That and a Starbucks vanilla skinny latte’ and I feel *almost* redeemed. Hope you’ve been able to give yourself a little reward, too :)

Please report any new Project Life sightings at YOUR Michaels! And if you can clear up my confusion about what Core Kits those are Photo #5 above, I’d really appreciate it!

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