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New Scrapbook Product: WRMK Ombre 12×12 Albums

Remember those ombre WRMK leather albums I fell in love with at CHA in January?

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Soooo pretty, right?

I’m probably slow on the uptake but I just noticed they’re available at Scrapbook. com.

The Aqua is my favorite. Swoon!

The ombre albums also come in Slate …

… and Coral.

These albums are on sale at Scrapbook .com for $33.99 (reg. $40.00) through Sunday, 09-11-16 at Midnight PST.

wrmk ombre leather album

As soon as I get some money in my scrappy account, I’m getting that aqua one. It’ll be a perfect place to put all my ocean layouts. Can’t wait!

Scrapbook Industry News: Becky Higgins Raises Awareness with Her Own Cancer Diagnosis

I was absolutely floored yesterday when I read the news on Becky’s Facebook post and thought I must be misunderstanding. She’s been diagnosed with malignant melanoma :(

As I re-read her posts this morning, I noticed her references to sharing her story (sharing OUR stories) and spreading awareness so I want to aid in that by sharing here.

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*Photo courtesy of BeckyHiggins.com

Here are portions of 2 posts she’s made about it; you can click on the link to read them in their entirety and hear more of her story.

From Facebook 07-15-16:

“You have Malignant Melanoma.” These are the words I heard earlier this week. Melanoma? Hmmm. Skin cancer? Ew. Cancer? Oh man. Okay. // We all have stories and I have always encouraged you to record your stories. Not all of our stories are meant to be shared, but I’ll be sharing this one.

From Facebook 07-17-16:

In my state of self-awareness I found it interesting that I was documenting (taking pictures + scrapbooking) when I was clearly stressed. Why was I doing that? I believe I was sub-conscientiously [sic] searching for comfort. I find comfort in documenting our stories. In some way, my mind was more at ease. That is until he opened that door and sat in front of me and said, “It’s Malignant Melanoma”.

I admire Becky’s courage and forthrightness in sharing her story. She’s received hundreds of comments on each post, many declaring they’ll head to the dermatologist for a check-up because of her. So her wish to raise awareness is already being fulfilled.

I don’t know much about malignant melanoma but I’m sure Becky, as she continues to share her story, is going to teach me. I’m wishing her love and sending prayers as this strong and true woman faces her challenge.

{{{Big hugs}}} to you, Miss Becky!

What’s New at My Michaels – May 2016

Are you sitting down? Because what I have to tell you is going to drop you if you’re standing:

I haven’t been to Michaels in over a month.

Say whuuut?! I know. What is this world coming to? Better question: How are they staying in business without me?

I finally made it over there because I’d heard tell that some of the items I wanted from CHA were spotted.

Because it’s been so long, I’ll give you a little tour of my Michaels, how some of the layout has changed, and what new things I saw.

The first endcap to the scrapbook section seems to always have Heidi Swapp stuff and this time was no exception. The Instax cameras have been around for a while, of course, but some of the HS “Insta” stuff was new. I saw those square albums at CHA (see my post HERE). I talked about that cute ocean Instax album HERE.

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Everything was 40% off. Can you guess which item I snagged? Hint: It’s not one of the things I already mentioned.

The 12×12 paper pad section in my Mike’s has always been pretty small, maybe 1/4 of one side of an aisle. (I’ve been in another store where paper pads took up one whole side of an aisle and I was so jealous!). These 4 pads looked new – but none were my taste, so I was safe there. Phew!

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This arrangement is fairly recent. From Left to Right, it used to be Martha Stewart for the first 3 or 4 panels, then the washi tapes. Now the washi has been moved to where Martha was and all this DIY party favor / papercrafting stuff sorted by color for the rest of the space. I have nothing against basics (there’s some cute washi and clothespins in there!) and was never much of an MS fan so this change is fine with me. I say that like Michaels Corporate gives a flock what I think, LOL.

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Some of the famous washi tape sets are here on the bottom – so pretty! But I think I like the row above even better. Got my eye on that green set ;)

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The Project Life section looked mostly the same. I think there are some new smaller sets on the top right since I was last here but none were up my alley. Again, phew!

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Some cute new Studio G stamps on the side of an end cap.  I just got rid of a bunch of “dollar stamps” in my last purge so I had to resist these and the page flags weren’t tempting. Not a color scheme I would use. Dodgin’ bullets, people!IMG_2241

 

So that’s where all the Martha Stewart went? An end cap by Project Life. Looked like it was all on clearance.

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Another new item to my store were these Mambi Makers items, like the ones I saw at CHA. My scrapbooking criminal history contains a long record of buying project kits like these and then never making anything with them. Must. Resist.
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More Instax including the “mini 8” which I hadn’t heard of before. And more Heidi Swapp.IMG_2244

 

This whole section used to be wood-mounted stamps and Tim Holtz, grungy stuff. I NEVER shop from this section so whatever. MORE Heidi Swapp! I wish they’d consolidate all her stuff into one place, for scrapbook sakes! Jeez.IMG_2245

 

Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me!! MOOOOORE Heidi Swapp stuff on another end cap. Can we just change the name from “Michaels” to “Heidi’s” and call it a day? Everyone complains that Recollections is taking over Mike’s but I beg to differ.

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This is now one whole side of an aisle of stickers by topic. Rad. It used to have a section of alpha stickers smack in the middle but they’ve been moved to the other side. Having all the embellishment stickers in one place makes me breathe easier. Ahhhh…. Ease and flow, ease and flow. Much better. And, yes, since you’re thinking it anyway, I’ll confirm that all the canned goods in my pantry have the label facing out. :P

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New (to me) tiny washi rolls on the side of an end cap. Washi roll, washi roll, washi roll. Hee hee, that’s fun to say!IMG_2250

 

Here are the aforementioned alpha stickers. I have a lifetime supply of Thickers but even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t buy them from Michaels. Their buyer has a glitter addiction and I don’t do glitter. If I can help it. Sometimes glitter attacks and you have no choice, am I right?IMG_2251

 

Wowser, 12×12 albums on an end cap for only $3.99. I just purged a ton of postbound albums from my stash so it would be crazy to buy any more. Wellll, call me CRAZY! (Hangs head in shame …. mumbles “I’ll tell you about it later.”)

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I don’t usually buy loose 12×12 paper at Michaels either but I took a peek. The white Recollections papers were the only ones that looked new to me.

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So that takes care of the 3 scrapbooking aisles. Now for the “islands” (I think they’re called) in the back of the store. Here are all the items from the Recollections line of planners and supplies. IMG_2255

 

These are way too small for me but I love the varitey of colors and add-ons.

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If I had a dime for every time I said this lately, I’d be on a scrapbook cruise and taking you with me!IMG_2257

 

More washi tubes … the shortage is over FER SHURE!

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Another island had all the pastel watercolor-y stuff called Made By Me by Recollections …

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But the piece de la …. peace della … best flippin’ part were all these Happy Planners and accessories from MAMBI! Yep, I saw all this stuff at CHA and I’m excited it’s finally here to buy. Good timing too because this version is an 18-month planner starting in July – so it’ll carry you through the end of 2017. Yep, I just did math there. Not bad for an English major.

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The smaller version of The Happy Planner above is also too small for me and I don’t like the gold discs.

However: This is the 8.5 x 11 version. I think I’m in love. Um, “Journey” AND a heart and teal blue (my favorite color) discs? SOLD! I don’t know if I even need this but SOLD!

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I’ll show you what I walked out of the store with next time.

What was that you asked? Did I PAY first? Um, yeah. I know shoplifting is a problem at Michaels and that they won’t even chase or report you if you take their stuff but sure, I paid. Like I’d miss a chance to use sales and coupons? Yeah, right.

Scrapbook Product: InstaLife from Heidi Swapp

I came across this video and thought I’d share it with y’all.

HERE is the entire line on the Heidi Swapp website – cute stuff!

On the one hand, the photos seem really tiny so I wonder how much you can capture in that amount of space, photographically speaking.

But I love the idea of having that little printer handy on trips and events, printing right there from my phone, and putting them in an album or hanging them on that cute arrow right over your desk.

My 3 favorites from the “InstaLife” line by Heidi Swapp:

InstaLife Guest Book Travel

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InstaLife Heart Pinboard

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InstaLife Album Ocean

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I still want one of these cool LIGHTBOXES that I saw at CHA, too!

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Was hoping they’d show up at Michaels so I can use coupons to get the lightbox and some accessories.

I haven’t been to Michaels in a few weeks but it says the InstaLife products are carried there. Have you seen InstaLife (or the Lightboxes) there?

HSN Scrapbooking: Becky Higgins Presents New Project Life

becky higgins project life hsnAs Becky talked about HERE, she’s going to be presenting Project Life on HSN for the first time. Lisa Bearnson always presented PL in the past but she’s no longer with HSN.

Per BeckyHiggins.com:

I’ll be showcasing products at 3 different times on May 4. All times are Eastern Time and subject to change. ***We’ll update the schedule via social media if/when we hear of any changes.

12:00 AM – Value Kits and Photo Overlays

11:00 AM – Core Kits

4:00 PM – Value Kits

Set your DVRs so you don’t miss it! And if you’re in the PST like me, note that the first presentation is actually Tuesday night May 3 at 9pm :)

On the website, none of the Project Life sets are doing much for me. But I fully expect Becky to sell me on them in her presentation on HSN :)

There are other HSN Scrapbooking shows too, of course, like Anna Griffin, We R Memory Keepers, etc. You can see all the programs and times on the HSN Program Guide. Enjoy!

ETA 05-03-16: WRMK will be featuring the Craft Armoire!

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Is Scrapbooking Your Gift to the World?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a singer.

Problem is – I can’t sing. Like, at all. I couldn’t “carry a tune in a bucket,” as they say.

In my younger days, I was a decent gymnast but have never been much of a dancer either.

It’s a crying shame, really, because I absolutely adore all kinds music and all kinds of dance – those magical forms of human expression.

The Power of Music

I was thinking about my lack of musical talent the other night as I watched old recorded episodes of X Factor UK which – if you haven’t seen It – is like American Idol. Amateur singers audition to make the show, attend “boot camp”, and are eliminated each week until there’s a winner.

Photo by: Lechon KirbTonight, this is some of what I saw:

– A 5-guy group harmonizing a gospel spin on a a popular song from today, “Hold Back the River”

– A 17-year-old lovely blondie named Charlie singing “A Change is Gonna’ Come” with such conviction that I cried

– A girl group who tapped into their belief through the pain of a “Bridge Over Troubled Water”

When I watch moments like this, it touches my heart so very deeply. It makes me more jealous than ever that I can’t sing a lick. Like when I see those dancers on So You Think You Can Dance interpreting the music with their bodies and movement in ways that make me laugh, weep, feel, think, and physically shiver.

https://youtu.be/xnguqsMQmg4

If You Know Me, You Know I Love Steve Perry

And this is why. He has a voice that’s always been able to reach into my soul and put me in touch with the pain, the sadness, the hope, and the party of life. Even the things and places he sings about hit me in the heart, reminding me of my 70s and 80s California upbringing, of sailing in the San Francisco Bay at sunset, riding horses on country roads, and all “those crazy nights, I do remember from my youth.”

https://youtu.be/944wGt77Br4

Like, WOW. How lucky is Steve Perry that he gets to not only express himself in that physical release of wailing a song but he also gets to make millions of people around the world feel so good? Or sad or contemplative or longing for love?

So How Does This Relate to Scrapbooking?

As I watched those singers on TV the other night – and being sad about the abilities they have which I never will – it hit me.

Scrapbooking is my gift to the world.

I know, sounds corny, huh?

But think about it.

– I’m the one who insists on carrying a camera to the beach, on snapping the group photos at holiday dinners (as they all groannn), and I take the time to download, edit, and print those photos.

– I’m the one who tracks the big and little events in my day planner, asks family members about their experiences, and writes them all down to save the memory.

– I’m the one with the desire and creativity to find the perfect color of sea blue cardstock to bring out the blue in those eyes, to place the photos on the page in a way that tells the story, and shares these precious things in my albums.

Photo by: Benjamin CombsSo What If I Can’t Sing and Dance!

Isn’t what I do just as special? Isn’t what I do coming from the same place deep in the heart? Isn’t what I do a talent that most people don’t have, that many people envy? Doesn’t My scrapbooking make others laugh, cry, and FEEL things?

You know I don’t like to brag but – HECK YEAH! I pretty much rock.

And So Do You

You do all these things too. You carry the camera, keep the notes, choose the photos, and relive the memories on paper for your family.

You see the creative possibilities in paper and mist and stamps.

You let people into your heart when you share your layouts.

You preserve moments that are so special, so unique to you and your family, and they would be lost if YOU weren’t a scrapbooker.

Photo by: Mayur GalaSo I don’t care if you can sing or dance. Or play pro baseball or are as pretty as Katie Holmes or run a charity.

Because you SCRAPBOOK and that is your gift to the world.

*All images courtesy of Unsplash.com

CHA 2016, Part 10: We R Memory Keepers (WRMK)

This is part of a series about the scrapbooking booths I visited at CHA 2016. If you’d like to see all the posts in the series, please click HERE.

The WRMK booth is fun to visit because it’s huge and has such a wide variety of products from albums to paper to tools.

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The person I spoke to in the WRMK booth was Chasity. She was very nice, easy to talk to, and answered my plethora of questions :) Hey, inquiring minds!!

Here are some of their new lines:

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Love this silver metallic dot clear paper! It came in gold too but who cares? LOL

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The popular Fuse tool was shown off – pretty cool how you can add fold-out photo pockets to your layouts.

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This hexagon page was done with the Fuse; those are all separate pockets, yo.

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There’s even a way to organize your Fuse pages and accessories.

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Speaking of organization, here are some clear plastic paper trays. And the washi tape holders in cute shapes like a doggie and a rhino.

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I think this was my favorite new product from WRMK: ombre albums!!

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I was telling Chasity how a lot of us scrappers have certain colors designated for certain topics (like I have Kiwi for family albums, aqua for Project Life, black for weddings, etc.). I love how they look all lined up on my shelves – but I may have to “ruin” the look for these ombre albums, especially that teal one. I have a thing for ombre.  Wonder if they’ll come out with more colors?

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I was so tired from running around the CHA floor, it was really tempting to curl up in this teepee and take a lil’ nap :)

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Most popular items:

  1. Ruler Studio

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  2. ABC punch, pretty genius

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Love the little booklet of cardstock the perfect size for these letters = less wasted paper.

DSCN69993. Ruler tool and cello paper so you can make bags

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4. Stapler tool with 3 different sizes of staplers and a magnet just like the 3×4 photo punch, so you can staple anywhere on a page.

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You can learn more about WRMK products on their site HERE.

PS: I talked to Chasity about the shortage of WRMK 12×12 D-ring albums in stores lately. Watch for a future post on what she told me . . .

CHA 2016, Part 7: Project Life

This is part of a series about the scrapbooking booths I visited at CHA 2016. If you’d like to see all the posts in the series, please click HERE.

Here’s the Project Life booth – yes, that’s Becky hidden back there!

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Becky was busy talking the whole time I was visiting so I didn’t bug her. I was lucky enough to speak with her when I was at CHA 2 years ago. She’s as lovely as you think she is.

I did get to talk with Molly who was amazing. She’s worked with Becky for I think less than a year and absolutely loves it. {I told her she has “our” dream job!}.

We joked about how we buy lots of the Project Life kits, then have been so busy with work it’s hard to find the time to use them up. I’ll bet we aren’t alone, are we girls?

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Here’s a closer look at the “Inspire” Theme Kit with the rows of hearts {above, third from left}. Love the stitching!

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I asked if they had any planner products other than the ones I’d bought way back when. She showed me some planner items that I wasn’t aware of, although they weren’t new for CHA.

 

DSCN6939She was most excited about their new Instax line with albums, page protectors, Instax lenses you can pop on, etc. {Look over her right shoulder!} Molly said that when someone asks her about planner supplies, she directs them toward the Instax line because the items can be used for both – little embellishments, washi tape strips, acrylic embellishments, etc.

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I just realized Molly’s outfit totally matched the green with black and white polka dots planner in the photo above. Hmm, coincidence or savvy dressing?? Love it.

They had mostly Project Life core kits in the booth that had already been released except for this one called “Currently.”

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“Explore” has been out for a bit.

DSCN6945All the products including the Instax page protectors, 6×8 album protectors, planner supplies – everything works in everything except for the tiny Instax album. Everything else is interchangable from album to album. See the tiny little Instax pink and blue albums up top? Stinkin’ cute.

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I told Molly that my Project Life storage Pin is my most popular Pin of over 2,200 of ’em I have and she wanted to see it and to follow my Pinterest. She looked it up while we were talking; made me feel special :). 

I leave you with more pretties from the Project Life booth.

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Here’s the Project Life CHA 2016 catalog if you want to browse away. Lots of goodness in there . . .

 

Scrapbook Organization: A “Mini Raskog” Cart for Your Desktop

One thing you’ll always hear from professional organizers is that vertical storage is the way to go.

One thing you’ll always hear from scrapbookers is that the Ikea Raskog cart (and all it’s cute knock-offs) is the way to go.

One thing you’ll always here from me is OMG thisisSOcute let’s go shoppingggg!!!!

An online scrapbooker named Evi posted this today and I just had to share it with you.

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As you can see from the tags in the photos below, she found it at Marshall’s. It’s made by Cynthia Rowley but there was no other information on the tags. The cost was $12.99.

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Evi says:
“It’s aprox 13 inches tall, 11 inches wide, and 3 inches deep.
It comes in white on white, white with gold, and teal with gold.
I think they just put them out today – they had a dozen along with an entire shelf of matching storage pieces.”

I’m not a gold fan but I might deal with it to get that pretty blue color that I *do* love. Or the white on white would be good, too.

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She’s still deciding how to fill it up but here are some early ideas . . .

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Looks like a great size for holding washi tape. Wonder if I could fit my whole collection in there and make this a Washi Tower??

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Thanks for sharing this fabulous find, Evi!

What do y’all think? Will you be stalking your Marshall’s for this item? What are some ideas for how to use it?

Scrapbooking the Holidays 2015

A Christmas Miracle

I can’t believe it. This is a first.

It’s January 2nd and I’m already starting to scrapbook the holidays. The ones that just passed.

I know, RIGHT?

Today I downloaded all the holiday photos from my digital camera and iPhone, created an album in iPhoto, made some deletions, and edited all the photos I kept.

Now I’m printing them out. It’s positively freaky.

Later tonight, I’m going to put my holiday photos in pocket pages, maybe even get crazy and add the Project Life cards I’m using {from THIS set}.

Or I might go REALLY crazy and make actual layouts with THIS.

By the end of next week, the goal is have my journaling done – while all the memories are still fresh in my mind.

I’m only so amazed at my own progress because I think my last 5 or so Christmas’s haven’t been scrapped yet. They got stuck in the iPhoto album stage :(

Some of My Holiday Photos

Nothing says “fall + winter” like a Pumpkin Spice Latte … yummm!

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The nicest Christmas tree I saw this year . . . at the movie theater! Yes, I was the goober standing there in the lobby taking a photo :P

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Over the mountains and through the snow to grandmother’s house we go!

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Pretty snow pictures . . .

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Christmas dinner with the extended fam.

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Pizza reheated on the campfire grill and a glass of red wine – now that’s what I call Glamping! Erm, I mean CAMPING.

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Hiking in the California Redwoods, praying the train doesn’t come while we’re crossing the tracks across that bridge!

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I felt so Drew Barrymore. I found some hearts in nature.

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You Know What They Say About Best Laid Plans …

Of course something would go wrong! It’s me, after all.

I just ran out of photo paper. Blerg.

Off to order more from Amazon. Oh well, I can still get through the photos I did get printed.

And You?

Have you made any progress toward scrapping your holiday 2015 photos?

8 Things I Learned in December

My brain is fried right now. This is what December does to me. In the interest of getting a blog post up, I’m going to share 8 things I’ve learned this month – some are scrappy, some are not.

I learned that putting twinkle lights all around your house makes every gray day and every cold night better.

While doing my scrapbook organization class, I had to go through my Project Life, MAMBI, Simple Stories, etc. 3×4 and 4×6 cards and I have “too many.” I mean, jeez, FOUR shoeboxes. It’s insane, right?

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But I learned that I DON’T CARE. I let go of some duplicates where I had 3 or 4 of each card and instead kept 1 or 2. But beyond that, I’m not getting rid of any more. They’re not hurting anyone. I’m not hurting anyone. They bring me joy. The money has already been spent. And I’ll use most – okay, a lot – of them someday. So there.

I learned that I’m a sucker for any online sappy video there is. Apparently, I love to cry because I do it a lot. The one where the people in the British shopping mall run up and give gifts to random people got me today. Sniff.

I’ve learned that looking at other people’s planners and lists (#ListersGottaList) on a constant rotation can make you feel very inadequate and like you’re not good enough to do your own version.

While organizing my stamps, I decided to purge a bunch of them, including ones I used to share at crops during my Memory Works Consultant days. To get my name and phone number off of them, I learned that rubbing alcohol does the trick!

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From the terminal cancer of a fellow scrapper and the sudden death by brain aneurysm of a 48-year-old friend, I learned – once again – that life is very short and very precious. I’ve tried to be continually kind to myself when things don’t go as I want them to.

I learned that Michaels has really cute Christmas doilies and snowflakes.

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I learned that tickets for Adele’s US tour go on sale this Thursday!

And how is December treating you?

Scrapbooking in the Media: “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” . . . We’re Makin’ This SBR

Technically, I only talk about scrapbooking books or novels here. I mean, it’s called Scrapbook Obsession after all :P

But I broke from tradition not long ago to write this post and now I’m about to do it again. This time I’m talking about “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” by Elizabeth Gilbert. We’re going to take a mainstream non-fiction book and make it scrapbook-related (SBR).

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She’s the author who wrote “Eat, Pray, Love” that you may have read; it was quite the bestseller.

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She’s been writing for most of her life, has wrestled with creativity, and won. I mean, for one thing, she wrote another book immediately AFTER “Eat, Pray, Love.” Given all the attention, all the praise, all the criticism – about her book and her life – that was a brave feat in itself.

Elizabeth Gilbert has been on a speaking tour promoting her book this year and I was supposed to see her on one of the stops. But my plans fell through and I wasn’t able to travel the 3 hours. I did still get my signed copy of “Big Magic” though:

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I first became interested in this book because all my creative entrepreneur contacts were talking about it. These are my clients, potential clients, their friends, etc. I don’t make a living from being “a creative” but I’ve always been a writer, as a hobby and pulling it into my work whenever I can (blogging, copywriting, and editing for clients). So I intended to read the book straight-on, from the perspective of a writer.

As I started reading it, I found that I was able to apply almost every single point to being an entrepreneur as well. The author talks a lot about ideas, how we get them and use them (or don’t); not going into huge debt to learn how to be an artist because there are so may free/cheap ways to do so; no whining when publishers and patrons don’t seek you out; etc. Well, all the same things could be said for starting and nurturing a small business. So I was psyched – this book was applicable to TWO distinct parts of my life! Pretty dang cool.

Um, yeah, make that THREE: How about applying her ideas and wisdom to scrapbooking? It doesn’t get much more creative than this wonderful hobby. Now that I’m about 90% done with the book, I’m feeling the need to read it all again. There’s so much good stuff in here and I’m going to share a few important ideas of Elizabeth’s as they might apply to scrapbookers.

Here’s one of my favorite passages from early in the book (starts on page 88 … ooh, magical number!):

Are you considering becoming a creative person? Too late, you already are one. To even call somebody “a creative person” is almost laughably redundent; creativity is the hallmark of our species. We have the senses for it; we have the curiosity for it; we have the opposable thumbs for it; we have the rhythm for it; we have the language and the excitement and the innate connection to divinity for it.

If you’re alive, you’re a creative person. You and I and everyone you know are descended from tens of thousands of years of makers. Decorators, tinkerers, storytellers, dancers, explorers, fiddlers, drummers, builders, growers, problem-solvers, and embellishers – these are our common ancestors.

The guardians of high culture [and scrapbooking] will try to convince you that the arts belong only to a chosen few, but they are wrong and they are also annoying. We are all the chosen few. We are all makers by design. Even if you grew up watching cartoons in a sugar stupor from dawn to dusk, creativity still lurks within you. …

All of which is to say: You do not need a permission slip from the principal’s office to live a creative life. Or if you do worry that you need a permission slip — THERE, I just gave it to you. I just wrote it on the back of an old shopping list. Consider yourself fully accredited.

Now go make something.

I want to scream this to all those people who, upon hearing that I love to scrapbook, say, “Oh, I can’t do that. I’m not creative.” Bull puckey! (as my mama said as I was growing up, because she didn’t curse in front of minors). YOU are creative and YOU are creative and YOU are creative. Every single person. It’s in all of us. Granted, some might be shy about letting out their creativity, feel it’s a waste of time, or feel their efforts are lackluster. But no one can say they truly aren’t creative. It’s just IN us.

I also want to share that passage with you scrapbookers who feel your pages are too plain, you don’t do all the techniques, you don’t have $80 per page to spend on supplies, or you’re “just a pocket page scrapper.” I’ve been guilty of thinking and saying these things about myself. So I needed to hear this. No matter what form our scrapbooking takes, we are creating layouts, writing down memories, choosing pleasing colors and themes, and making our own version of art. We are creative, just as creative as those “creative scrapbookers”!

elizabeth gilbert big magic
~Quote graphic courtesy of Penguin Books

Another passage that spoke to me was this one, starting on page 179:

I firmly beleive that we all need to find something to do in our lives that stops us from eating the couch. Whether we make a profession out of it or not, we all need an activity that is beyond the mundane and that takes us out of our established and limiting roles in society (mother, employee, neighbor, brother, boss, etc.). We all need something that helps us to forget ourselves for a while – to momentarily forget our age, our gender, our socioeconomic background, our duties, our failures, and all that we have lost and screwed up. We need something that takes us so far out of ourselves that we forget to eat, forget to pee, forget to mow the lawn, forget to resent our enemies, forget to brood over our insecurities. …

Perhaps creativity’s greatest mercy is this: By completely absorbing our attention for a short and magical spell, it can relieve us temporarily from the dreadful burden of being who we are. Best of all, at the end of your creative adventure, you have a souvenir – something that you made, something to remind you forever of your brief but transformative encounter with inspiration.

Can I get an AMEN?? For those of us scrapbook obsessed, this is the wonderful, magical, amazing thing that keeps us sane. Scrapbooking allows us that time and space to escape the real world and all its obligations and crushing blows and just be creative. I don’t know about you but I can’t think of a single moment scrapbooking that hasn’t been enjoyable (well, except for editing and printing photos but let’s not count that).

How many times have you been so consumed by paper, photos, embellishments, and adhesive that you forgot to pee? Or eat or drink or pay the light bill? Yeah, that’s a magical escape my friends and aren’t we lucky to have found the key to the portal.

We are all creative and creativity keeps us sane. Those are just two of the scrapbook-y takeaways I got from this book. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these ideas and your scrapbooking creativity in general.

For Sale: Project Life & WRMK Misc Card Sets

Hey there! I haven’t been posting as much because I’ve been doing a complete purge and organization of my scrapbook space AND giving a class simultaneously called “Simplify Your Scrapbook Space” … you can join us anytime HERE!

While purging for Module 3 (Paper and Cards), I went through my coughfourshoeboxescough of Project Life cards and thinned them out a bit. Also, I still have 2 partial WRMK card sets (see THIS old post which I just bumped because it has images of those cards).

So this is what I currently have for sale:

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Project Life Slate (47) 3×4 cards $3 plus shipping

Project Life Coral (48) 3×4 cards $3 plus shipping

Project Life Honey (81) 3×4 cards $5 plus shipping

Project Life/Heidi Swapp Picturesque (90) 3×4 cards $5 plus shipping

Project Life/Heidi Swapp Dreamy (93) 3×4 cards $5 plus shipping

Project Life Kiwi (134) 3×4 cards* $7 plus shipping
*3 each of most Kiwi cards; willing to break up into smaller sets

You can see complete Project Life sets on Becky’s site HERE; keep in mind I’m selling only partial sets.

WRMK Hip Hip Hooray! $4 plus shipping
WRMK Chalkboard $4 plus shipping
each WRMK set contains:
{12} 4×6 cards
{24} 3×4 cards
{12} 3×4 die cut cards
{1} 3×4 craft paper envelopes

Volume discounts :)

Pet-free and smoke-free home. Paypal only, please.

If interested, please leave a Comment or e-mail me: erika(at)scrapbookobsession(dot)com.

For Sale: WRMK “Albums Made Easy” 4×6 and 3×4 Card Sets

Hey there! I recently bought 4 sets of WMRK Albums Made Easy card sets. They come with 4 of each card and who needs that many? Not me! So I’d like to sell 1/2 of each set. Images below are from the internet but these are the 4 sets I have (UPDATE: 2 sets are now sold, 2 still available):

HIP HIP HOORAY! is perfect for ALLLLL those birthday photos you know you have to scrap ;)

JET SET is travel-themed with non-traditional but great colors
ETA 09-23-15: SOLD!



CHALKBOARD would be great for wedding photos or just everyday, “gosh, I love you” photos



GAME DAY covers all the major sports and many would be great for school pages, too
ETA 12-03-14: SOLD!



Each half-set includes:
{12} 4×6 cards
{24} 3×4 cards
{12} 3×4 die cut cards
{1} 3×4 craft paper envelopes

Almost all of the cards are double-sided. Some of the die cut cards are reversible where both sides are useable, then some of them, like one that has the word “FAMILY” cut out, wouldn’t look right from the back side :) But I plan to layer those with another 3×4 card or put some matching cardstock or even a photo behind them.

These sets retail for $8.99 so half of a set would be about $4.50. I’m selling them for $4.00 per half-set or $10 for all 3 remaining half-sets. Shipping is $1 per set in the US; outside the US is actual shipping cost.

They’re from a pet-free and smoke-free home. Paypal only, please.

If interested, please e-mail me: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.

(Originally posted 12/2014)

Scrapbook Randoms: New Project Life, Glitter on Grey’s, and a Scrapbook Obsession Milestone

Just a few random things to share:

– I wanted to make sure you saw all the new Project Life products HERE.

EXPLORE EDITION

Love that pattern on the lower left with the triangles. It looks like a very cool line but I’m resisting until I use some more of the travel stuff I already have.

DOODLE CORE KIT

doodle core kit project life

I’m not much for doodled scrapbook supplies for some reason. Pretty colors though.

CARD CABINET ORGANIZER

card organizer project life

It looks similar to the one by WRMK – wonder which one is better?



– Did you hear scrapbooking mentioned on Grey’s Anatomy recently?

I can’t find the quote online but Maggie was talking about how, when she was a girl, she and her mom use to scrapbook together. And they had glitter pens!! It was cute.
It’s happened at least once before. Hmm, I wonder if they have a scrapbooker in their band of writers?

– There are reports of Christmas scrapbooking supplies at TJ MAXX!! Just like with the Halloween stuff, check all around the store to find them – craft/cards, holiday goodies, checkout lane, etc. I’d love to hear what you find!

– Shout out to Pamela for being the 150th subscriber to the Scrapbook Obsession Free Newsletter! Thanks to all of you who have signed up and to Pamela for helping us hit a milestone. ONE-FIFTY, WHOO HOO!!

Why don’t you sign up too? There’s a box in the top right sidebar. I don’t bombard you with emails, I promise, and you get to be in our private Facebook group. Would love to have you :)

Have a wonderful rest of your week, friends!

Scrapbook Deals & Steals: All We R Memory Keepers on Sale!

In case you aren’t on their list, I wanted to make sure you know about a huge WMRK sale going on at Scrapbook.com.

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Their site says:

All We R Memory Keepers products on sale, ALL THE TIME!. Sale includes Crop-A-Diles, The Cinch, Punch Boards, Sew Easy products, page protectors, punches, albums and all other We R Memory Keepers products. We R has a reputation for making high-quality albums, innovative tools, and beautiful papers. Shop Scrapbook.com and get the lowest prices and largest selection of We R products available.

You can get things at a huge discount, like this:

WRMK Evolution Advanced Die Cutting Tool $95.99 reg. $120

I’m kind of confused about when and what the sale is because on the Evolution page, it says it’s part of a 4-day sale. I clicked the link that said this:

Save 15% to 55% on all We R Memory Keepers products! We R Memory Keepers, a leader in the paper crafting industry, makes high quality tools, beautiful paper collections and much more. All sale prices are visible on the individual product pages. No coupon code is required. Act fast, this 4-day sale ends on Sunday, October 11th at midnight PST.

So everything WMRK is always on sale and certain WRMK items are on special sale through 10-11-15? That’s how I’m taking it.

All I know is, the prices are great! Here’s some more fun stuff I saw (the headings and photos are links to the products):

WRMK Instagram Album Kits $6.89 reg. $23

I don’t Instagram (yet) but know many of you do and what an amazing deal + quick way to get some of those photos off your phone and into an album to share :)

I already have a good organizational system for my Project Life and WRMK page protectors. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting this guy:

WRMK Sleeve Shelves $33.99 reg. $40

I love how those tab thingees stick out and show you which type of page protector it is. I might need 2 of these units. Gulp. But, hey, it’s not that I’d be SPENDING $68. It’s that I’d be SAVING $12. Heh.

So that’s just a few things I saw but go check it out. Tons more stuff.

I’ve heard that WMRK is re-branding or re-packaging their 12×12 albums – which is probably why I can’t find the colors I need anywhere. And that’s fine because I’ll probably start buying my albums from my Anthology site anyway – I like the bookplate better.

But we don’t have the Kiwi color – hope that’s coming soon. Otherwise, I’ll be looking to WRMK’s new model to fulfill that need. I use it for all my yearly family albums.

Okay, happy shopping!

Team Lisa Bearnson: October “Anthology” Scrapbook Products Now Available!

Lisa’s goal was to release new kits on the first of every month and she did it! The October kits are all plugged into my online store and available to you immediately.

The type of kits available each month will vary. There will always be a stamp kit and then the other 2 slots will rotate between a layout kit, a pocket page kit, and paper collection kit. In October 2015, it’s the latter two. Ready to see?

October 2015 Kits – Anthology by Lisa Bearnson

 

Anthology October 2015 “Better Together” Pocket Kit $49.00

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Oh my gosh, “I love you more than bacon, Sundays, and green lights.” ROFL  Honestly, when I saw the preview and first photo of this kit, I wasn’t sold. But now with the close-ups and layouts, it’s a must-have! Seeing how photos bring out the colors so well is the clincher for me. Yep, I’ll be getting this one.

As always, I love the little “book” that keeps all the elements together. I often spread out on my bed to do my pocket page scrapping while I watch TV and I also get a lot of pocket page scrapbooking done at my yearly retreat. It’ll be so easy to just grab these little books with everything self-contained. Love it lots.

To see the full listing for the “Better Together” pocket page kit including exact components, please click HERE.

Anthology October 2015 “Christmas Wishes” Paper Collection Kit $42

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Did you see the twine bows on the 3-D “J-O-Y” stickers – oh fer cute! This is such a pretty and playful Christmas scrapbook kit. I like when Christmas lines have more than just red and green; the teal/turquoise and pink make it special. I’m not sure yet if I’m going to order it. I truly have enough Christmas scrapbooking stuff for layouts. I’m thinking about getting it to make Christmas cards and/or December Daily though. Hmm . . .

To see the full listing for the “Christmas Wishes” paper collection kit including components, please click HERE.

Anthology “October 2015 Stamp Sets” Kit $24

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One sheet of stamps is fall / Halloween / Thanksgiving and the other is winter / Christmas. Love the images, especially the chipmunk and that mint candy looks like it’d fun to color in, huh? I just realized you can make a jack-o-lantern with these, LOL! There are 2 pumpkins along with 2 sets of triangle eyes and 2 mouths.

To see the full listing for the “October 2015 Stamp Sets” kit including components, please click HERE.

How to Order “Anthology” Products

You can order these kits (or tons of other scrappy things) from my My Anthology site right HERE.

Did you know that you can put any of Lisa’s “Anthology” items on Auto-Ship? For instance, if you love what you’ve seen so far and know that you’ll want all 3 kits each month, you can save yourself the trouble of ordering them every time and just put them on Auto Ship. Or maybe you run through cardstock, ink, albums, and page protectors like crazy. Put ’em on Auto-Ship and you’ll get them automatically every month.

You can change your Auto Ship items at any time. That’s what I do. Last month, the 3 August kits were in my Auto Ship, then for September I got one of Lisa’s kits, the Anthology cutting mat, and some Tangy Tangerine supplements. In October, I know I’ll need some more weight loss drops and at least 2, maybe 3 of these kits. So I’ll just update my Auto-Ship now and I know what day I’ll be charged and when to expect the items (my date is the 25th).

If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask. I can be reached here: erika@scrapbookobsession.com or 805-400-3261.

I’m so excited to share these new products with you and hope you love them!

Online Scrapbook Classes: Free Bonus October Scrapinar with Layle Koncar AND True Scrap 7 Discount Expires 9/30

Dang, I keep forgetting to tell you about Lain’s events lately! Already missed True Scrap Planner Love on 09-19-15. If interested, you can buy the replay HERE.

Now it’s time for a free bonus scrapinar in October 2015 called “Pick a Card, Any Card” by Layle Koncar.

true scrap 7 layle koncar free class

The Pick a Card project is a replay from True Scrap 5, which normally sells for $13, but you’ll get it for free on September 30! Plus you’ll get to hear some details and get a feel for what True Scrap 7 is all about.

Yes, you CAN use those 3×4 and 4×6 pocket cards in your 12×12 layouts! Pocket Pages are all the rage but that doesn’t mean you have to pass up all those cute cards and Pocket Page accessories if you prefer the larger, more traditional layouts. Layle will showcase how to use these items in your larger layouts and has nine different ideas and project examples to help you bridge the gap between 12×12 layouts and Pocket Page scrapbooking.

Wanna’ join in? You can sign up HERE.

And we’re almost to the deadline to get an early bird discount on “True Scrap 7” – yikes! Yep, it expires tomorrow {Wed. 09-30-15}.

“True Scrap 7 is the universe’s premier live, virtual paper crafting event, bringing together the most talented instructors with the smartest and most incredible students! Now in its 5th year, True Scrap events have produced hundreds of hours of content and educated thousands of students. True Scrap 7, on October 23 and 24, promises to continue the tradition with instructors including:

Becki Adams – Scrapbooking “On the Go”
Julie Fei-Fan Balzer – Patterned Papers by YOU
Lisa Bearnson – Embellish Your Story: Tips for Stepping Up Your Work and Your Words
Kelli Crowe – For the Love of (Scrap)Books
Noell Hyman – Scrapbookers, Unite! Using Harmony and Contrast to Create Unity
Layle Koncar – More IS Better: Tips, Tricks & Techniques for Adding More Photos to Your Layouts
Maggie Massey – Organize, Document, Display: A Celebration Album
Kathy Cano-Murillo – From Paper to Petals: Mixed Media Paper Flowers

If you’d like more info or to register, just click HERE.

Early bird price is $99 until Wednesday 09-30-15; then it goes to full price of $199. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya’!

If you register by 9/30, that breaks down to $12 per class. Given the caliber of these instructors, I think that’s more than worth it.

If you’re able to make the events live – like the Friday night PJ party and the classes – they’re even more awesome. People from all over the world are online together, chatting about the classes, joking around, and sharing ideas. You can ask questions directly to the instructors, get their supply lists, and see them complete the project firsthand.

I’ve had a great experience any time I’ve attended one of the True Scrap events. I’m super excited about seeing Lisa Bearnson there for the first time. Kelli Crowe and Layle Koncar are always a hoot (you’ll see what I mean about Layle if you listen to the FREE SCRAPINAR with her on 09-30-15). I’m not familiar with Maggie Massey; will have to go look her up.

Remember, with all of Lain’s events, you get a replay when it’s over. But you have to sign-up first, even for the free scrapinars. Over 100 people have already signed up for “True Scrap 7”; it’s gonna’ be fun!

Last chance to sign up:

“Pick a Card, Any Card” with Layle Koncar – free bonus scrapinar 09-30-15

“True Scrap 7” event 10/23-24, 2015, saving $100 with the early bird price

Have a great rest of your week!

Team Lisa Bearnson: It’s Goin’ Down For Real

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Yep, I’m like a little girl I don’t know about to open her birthday presents! Hee heeee . . .

One of the many great ways that Lisa Bearnson is supporting her team (#TeamLisaBearnson) is by providing us with our own “My Anthology” websites. She knows that the experience for YOU, the customer, will be so much better this way. Instead of going to the huge Youngevity website or the Heritage Makers scrapbooking website, you can now go straight to the source to look at Lisa’s “Anthology” scrapbooking products.

Like most direct sales companies, there is a monthly charge to have our own consultant website. But the cool thing is – because I’m at CEO level and I meet the required amount of monthly auto-ship – I get my site for free. Double woot!

So . . . may I take you on a tour?

HERE is MY “My Anthology” website! (www.myanthology.com/shop/efriday)

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In the sage green bar near the top, you can see the KITS, BASIC SUPPLIES, and TOOLS.

You can also see ANTHOLOGY DIGITAL. Yes, people, we have cut files to use with your Silhouette and other digital cutters!

anthology digital cut files lisa bearnson

If you’re curious about the other cool products I sell via Youngevity, there’s a link for that, too! In my Youngevity shop (https://erikafriday.youngevity.com/), I have awesome things you might need like mineral make-up, ground coffee and K-cups, weight loss drops (which I’m using daily now; will report back!), pet supplies, all kinds of stuff.

youngevity coffee k cups

essential oils youngevity

youngevity chocolate

Youngevity is known as “the Amazon of direct sales.” It’s a lot of stuff we all buy anyway so why not become a distributor (only $25), buy your “normals”, and make a little dough on the side?

From my new site, you can also see the cool stuff Heritage Makers has going on because it links to THEIR BLOG. HM is the digital scrapbooking, photo books, and photo gifts arm of Youngevity. You’ve heard me say a million times that I’ll never be a digital scrapper. But making a tote bag with all my kids’ sports photos on it doesn’t count, does it? I’m also thinking: Christmas gifts . . . from the heart . . . from someone (me) who doesn’t have time to make 10 mini albums ;) (Cheater, cheater, LOL).

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There’s a link on my new “My Anthology” website to learn more about Lisa Bearnson and why she started Anthology.

Lastly but not leastly, if you’re thinking about becoming a distributor for Anthology, Heritage Makers, and/or Our Memories for Life, there’s a link for that too. I’d LOVE to have you on my team :)

CEO kit lisa bearnson anthology

So there’s my “My Anthology” site! I’m so stoked! Now I can easily show off our products, take orders, and sign up customers and consultants.

I’m tellin’ you, now it’s goin’ down for real.

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 :)

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