Wayyyyy back on THIS POST, I asked for your help with ideas for a scrapbook company name. Boy did y’all come through! I had such a great time reading all the suggestions and then, as I often do, got sidetracked by life and forgot to pick a winner. Thanks for your patience if you’ve been waiting to hear who won the RAK, and I owe it to bluemoon for reminding me yesterday :)
There were 21 entries so I asked one of the kiddos to pick a number between 1 and 21, and they picked……NUMBER 3 !!!! Yeah, Number Three!!! We have a winna’ and it is DANA, from Dana’s Scrap Therapy. Go check out HER BLOG, it’s a good read. Actually, both her blogs cuz she’s doing the Perspective 365: Picture a Day Project and here is her BLOG for that.
Miss Dana, you win a RAK of some scrappin’ goodness. I’m getting a big Memory Works shipment this week, so I’ll go shop it for you and post a pic of your winnings. In the meantime, I’ll e-mail ya’ for your addie. Thanks to everyone for playing!
Now, as if being laid off this July isn’t bad enough, now I might need gallbladder surgery (boo hoo, will you join my pity party?). I was in the E/R most of yesterday with THE most horrible abdomen and back pain since childbirth (yeah, without the epidural). After lots of pain, a blood test, an ultrasound, an IV, and much needle-prodding because I have “bad veins,” the E/R doc says I have gallstones which will probably need surgery. This morning I’ve posted on my fave MB’s (CKMB and AMRMB) for advice because I know right were to go for the good stuff. And of course the ladies have come through. I’m also making calls for surgeon referrals and talking to everyone I know who’s been through this for advice. Basically, they all say “take it out” before it gets worse, and you don’t need the damn thing anyway. I hate hospitals, have never had surgery, so I am very scared (that’s what I do when I’m scared of something, go into total research mode). I called my SIL who is a nurse and she said they called gallbladder disease “The Four F’s: Female, forty, fat, and fair.” Okay, not everybody because my other SIL had her gallbladder out and she’s not fat, nor fair. I might be some of the Four, but I won’t admit which!
Anyway, if you ever don’t see me posting her for a few days, that’s whuzzup. I hear the surgery is usually laprascopic and recovery is about a week, unless you have some reason they need to open you up, then it’s major surgery and the recovery is longer. First, I’m praying for no surgery and a miracle drug! Second, I’m praying for the easy surgery if I have to have one. Believe me, I was praying yesterday for relief from the excruciating pain and He came through.
For the Scrapbook Obsessed, you could say that CHA time is even more anticipated than Christmas, Mother’s Day, and your birthday all smushed together. I mean, am I right?? Well, it’s that time again and the excitement to see all the new products is building. FYI: CHA Winter 2008 is being held in Anaheim, CA on February 10-13. The keynote speaker this year is financial diva, Suze Orman. According to the press release, “Orman will help attendees understand how their relationship to money affects their businesses and lives.”
I’ll keep adding any product previews or news I find to this post, so keep checking back (most recent entries will be on top). Please let us know what ya think, what ya might buy, what ya must have, and what ya won’t buy even with a 40% off coupon at Michaels…
And away we go!!!
DAISY D’s
I usually LOVE their stuff, one of my favorite brands, but…
Sorry, me no likey at all…
AMERICAN CRAFTS
Lots of their usual bright, cheery, easy to use stuff. There’s so much, I can’t post it all here. Just CHECK THIS OUT ~ it’s all laid out very nicely!
QUEEN & CO
This is from Q&Co’s blog; make sure to read the fine print!
“Introducing… the NEW Valentines line….
Queen & Co is excited to announce the arrival of our new Valentine products. Included in this release are new 3/4″ Felt Ribbons, two new Clear Stamps sets plus several fun styles of brads! Products are starting to ship this week. Look out for them in stores soon!
(note that these are not our CHA Winter releases – these are an extra mini release …keep an eye out for CHA releases soon!)”
UNITY STAMP COMPANY (new company!)
See everything on THEIR BLOG
I (try to) pride myself on being on the cutting edge of the scrapbooking industry, and usually have heard of something several times before it makes it’s official debut, but this one really snuck up on me! I opened my e-mail box yesterday to see this little gem of a note from HSN, the Home Shopping Network channel.
So the “first generation” Crop-a-dile has been around for a bit. I’ve had one for months and really enjoy using it. Memory Works carries them and, boy howdy, have I sold ’em to others! Once a scrapper sees the CAD (as CKMB’ers so affectionately call it) in use, they have to have one. Now, the question is, do we “need” a CAD-II?
Here is what I love about my CAD:
~ Punches holes and sets eyelets/snaps like butta’, in 2 sizes.
~ Shhhh….it’s so vewy, vewy kie-wit (quiet) and I can happily create in the middle of night without waking any family members.
~ It comes in cute colors like pink, purple and lime green. There are different configurations it sells with, where you can even get a matching case with tons of eyelets. For instance, Memory Works sells it with the pink tool alone, the pink case alone, or the green tool & case together.
~ The hole punches are cool to use because you can adjust the sliding thingee (that’s a highly technical term) for how far into the paper you want to punch. Then all your holes are uniform looking like, say, one inch in from the edge of the paper.
Only negatives I’ve seen to the CAD:
~ Because of the tool being smaller, there are limitations with how far into an item you can punch. I think it amounts to 1 or 1.5 inches. Personally, it doesn’t bother me because I mostly set eyelets and snaps into flowers, smaller pieces of card or other embellishments. But I know it’s been a concern for others.
~ The thing doesn’t know it’s own strength and, if you’re not careful, you can smoosh (another technical term) your snap or eyelet beyond the point of recognition. Basically, ya just gotta practice with it until you find the amount of force needed to set things.
So, in answer to the “short reach” complaints, WE R MEMORY KEEPERS(manufacturer of the Crop-A-Dile) have provided us with the Crop-A-Dile II Big Bite. Talk about responsive ~ WTG, WRMK! Now the burning question is: Do we need the Big Bite? For now, I think I will hold off. It looks expensive, and crikey, could they find a better color than that gawdawful orange? Actually, WRMK usually has rockin’ color choices in all their items, so I’m sure there will be mo’ better color choices to come.
Here is the discussion on Big Bite so far ON CKMB and ON 2PEAS. What are your thoughts on this new biggie? Will you be purchasing one on HSN tomorrow, or anywhere else?
Edited 1-9-08: Huggy Bear says word on the street is retail will be only $39.99, and some LSS’s are doing pre-sales for $32. Okay, now I’m tempted. I thought that puppy was gonna’ be WAY more than 40 bucks…Wonder how much HSN will have it for???
Edited 1-10-08: Okay, I watched the HSN presentation on the CAD-II Big Bite (like most of you, yeah?). I have to admit, I’m kind of in love with the thing. I didn’t want to be, but that cute little WRMK guy, and the enthusiasm of that little blondie, Suzanne Runyan…jeez, they won me over big time. The CAD-II can punch even further than 6 inches into an item. They punched into sheets of tin (yeah, I’ll be doing that ALL the time), thick chipboard, even a 5-layer dealie of a metal snap, 3 flowers, and a plastic Chinese takeout box. Gotta’ give ’em props, they knew how to sell me. And the price was around $40 with another $6 or so for shipping. HSN said they were the only ones who had it in stock; the WRMK guy said he doesn’t even have one. So, if you MUST have it now and you don’t mind orange, I say get it from HSN. I will patiently wait for another color, but I WILL have one, oh yes, I will have one…
So I’m over at my “other” 2nd home ~ All Moments Remembered message board ~ and I see THIS THREAD about Stacey’s favorite new company, October Afternoon. I found THEIR WEBSITE(which is new and still in the production stages) and was first off impressed with their design team. There are some names I recognize as very talented and I can’t wait to see what they do with this yummy product. Then I clicked on those PDF’s to see what they got! Yowza, you’re gonna’ love it too (although, unlike HEATHER, I’m not an owl fan, LOL).
PAPERS
DIE CUTS
RUB-ONS(just a sampling, there are lots more)
CLEAR STAMPS (just a sample, there are lots more)
I like the distressed edges on the papers, the warm colors, and how they have the same versions of the rub-ons in both brown and white (or espresso and cream or whatever). Since I have an ongoing Book of Me, these products are just what I need. It’s like they read my mind or something!
Stacey at ALL MOMENTS REMEMBERED online store is in the process of adding this to her site. So when ya want some (and I know you will!), go see Stacey for the best customer service and friendliest help you will find anywhere. And tell her I sent you {tee hee}…
I have the absolutely BEST blog readers in the world, so I thought I would ask for your help. If you’re a regular, you know that I’m a consultant for Memory Works scrapbooking. I just started doing it in early 2007 and have had a lot of fun. However, like any company, they just don’t carry every single item that I’d like to sell or that my customers ask for. Therefore, I’m going to start a little side business to supplement my Memory Works business so I can carry things like Bazzill cardstock, Stickles, Word Name Books, etc. To purchase these items wholesale, my state requires me to apply for a seller’s permit. So I’m filling out the form and one of the boxes asks for my business name. (Smack to head)…DUH! Yeah, I need a business name so I can also apply for a DBA.
Will you please help me think of a cool name? You could win a RAK, so come on! Purdy please (said in my most endearing whiny voice).
The name I had always thought I would use someday is Calla Memories. I came up with that because the calla lily has always been my favorite flower. I had them in my wedding because they look so classic and beautiful. But one reason I don’t like it is because abbreviated it’s CM…yep, just like Creative Memories. Also, I don’t know if it’s “scrapbook-y” enough. Will it communicate what I do or what type of products I carry? Say I eventually want to turn this into an online store – is that a name that can carry me through? I also need a name that I can translate into a website/blog and a yahoo e-mail address, so I don’t want it to be too long.
Okay, is that TMI ?? But, seriously, will you please help me think of another name? I want to apply for my seller’s permit ASAP, so whoever leaves a name suggestion or just any type of idea on this post BY FRIDAY, JANUARY 4 (midnight PST) is eligible for a RAK, which is a free scrapbook-related gift I will send you. {ETA 1/1/08: The RAK winner will be decided by random draw}. Make sure I have some way to contact you, whether a blog link or leaving your e-mail address if your siggie doesn’t link to you somehow.
Ok, after goofing off for Christmas…and, um, perhaps for a few days after…I’m back in organization mode. My “12 Hours in 12 Days” plan got about 4 hours behind, so I tried to catch up today. I worked reorganizing my scrap space for about 2.5 hours, so I’m still behind (gulp). But here is what I accomplished:
~ Took new ribbon off rolls and put into ribbon jars.
~ Decided to use five of the large gingerbread jars to store embellishments by color. These are embellishments with no ‘topic’ per se, so they don’t go in the ScrapRack with all my themed stuff. For example, I have metal flower clips, generic small journaling tags, etc. that don’t really go anywhere else. I sorted them into the same color categories as my ribbon, so hopefully coordinating and grabbing things for future use will be a breeze :)
~ Used a small gingerbread jar for all of my flowers. Took ’em all out of their packages and mixed em up in there ~ it looks so pretty! The only exception is I kept the tiny little Prima flowers in their jars, just stuck the whole jar in there (I only have 2 jars. So far….bwahahahaha).
~ Used a large gingerbread jar for all of my chipboard letters (one pack of felt letters in there too). I didn’t realize I had so many until I saw them all in one place. One thing I learned from this little organizational experience…snack-size Ziplocs are my friend! I took each alpha out of it’s packaging and put it in a snack bag. Viola! Compact, see through, and easy to cram bunches into a big jar. Lovin’ that…
~ Put all my pens into a small GB jar but not sure I’m gonna’ keep it that way. I took them out of 2 Creative Memories pen cases and they don’t fill up the jar enough so that the pens are standing anywhere near upright. Now a Scrapbook Obsessed person would just say…”Must buy more pens!”. And I occasionally do, but mostly I use the ones I’ve had since I started scrapping. Okay, there were the glitter gel pens in Christmas colors from the Target $1 Spot recently, but that’s it, I swear!
You’ll also see a jar I already had done, full of felt flowers. Those are the ones from the Target $1 Spot; that’s only $3 worth ~ what a steal!
And I actually got some scrapping done tonight because I could finally see my desk. That was fun and felt really good. But I have LOTS more work to do. Hope you’re making progress too & if so, please tell us about it!
I was only able to spend a little time over there, as I had two jobs due yesterday and today. But it was sure fun, and I can tell it’s a place I’m going to like. Here’s the gist:
~ Fun and VERY friendly message board that had a lot of participation. Stacey, Heather, all of them are some of the nicest ladies you will meet. And Stacey (the owner) wants it to be a friendly, helpful MB…and she’ll boot ya if you’re a Hater. So please come join in over there. I would say that ~ especially if you’re intimidated by the HUGE boards like CKMB and 2Peas ~ you can jump in now on this smaller board, where everyone is chatty and friendly, and become comfortable. Pretty soon you’ll be an old-timer with a huge post count, see?
~ Lots of great new products and Stacey is constantly adding things. She said she can get basically ANY product you want, just ask. I mean, that’s some pretty great customer service.
~ A new Gallery to post your work in. This isn’t my bag, but I know a lot of you like to have your pages, cards and altered items seen. So become one of the first, get your Gallery entries in NOW before it gets all crowded-like.
For me, it just feels good to support a small company that’s getting off the ground. Stacey is a wife and mom, just like many of us, who started this business to be able to spend more time with her family, while helping us with our scrapbooking needs, and creating a fun community where we can all hang out. So come over to AMR and join us anytime. My bet is you will get a personal “Welcome” from Stacey, Heather, or a Design Team member.
PS: I won two RAK’s!! Totally sweet (in a Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure kind of way). A paper pack and an AMM caddy! I’ll post pics when I receive them. I’m also awaiting my first-ever order from AMR. Will show you pics of that too when it gets here :)
PSS: Heather has asked if I want to host some Happy Hours! Totally kewl. Will let you know if that works out (and you’d BETTER be there or else).
Just a reminder that the new version of the ALL MOMENTS REMEMBEREDsite went live today. I’ve been over there registering for a shopping account, drooling over their new products, hearing who won a spot on the design team, looking at their new kits and classes, and saying HI to everyone on the new message board. There are RAKs and sales going on today only. Seeing a lot of familiar faces (CKMB’ers), and meeting some new friends. This is gonna be a fun place to hang out! Check it…
In a comment on my LAST POSTabout the progress I’ve made toward Total Scraproom Organization, YVETTE made a very good suggestion about putting my vertical space to better use. Now, I don’t have a bunch, because my space is in the corner of the room with two big windows. But there is one wall spot with a cute house-shaped shelf with little cubbies ~ originally bought to store/display my rubber stamps. It came as naked wood and I painted it dark green to coordinate with the ‘decor’ of the room (and I use that term loosely…very…very…loosely). However, it has turned out that the spaces are not the right size for the most part so, as much as I hate to, I need to junk it (but it’s sooooo cute!) (and I hand painted it!). Good golly gosh, I’m so good at making excuses NOT to get rid of stuff & that needs to change. Like, yesterday.
I think it would take a little sting out of the pain if I replace the cute green house-shaped shelf with this Making Memories Embellishment Center:
I saw one at Michaels the other day and was very intrigued by it’s sassiness and usefulness. However…#1 it was $80, #2 I had nowhere to hang it because my only wall already had a VERY cute little…oh, you know! But now I’m wondering if it will ever be 30% off, or if I can use a 40% or 50% off coupon. That would put it in my price range, ya know? If I remember right, I think there are two versions of this shelf and the other one is bigger with an additional cubby/section per row. Anyone have this item? How ya’ liking it?
I know that Scrapperdays, for one, is rockin’ this Organization Challenge. Go check it out on HER BLOG. Yay for you! Anyone else making progress you want to tell us about? Keep going…you can do it!
This is so embarrassing. After all my bragging about organizing my scrap space earlier this year (it was THIS POST), it’s a mess again. Holy cow! I think it’s even worse. Yeah, I just looked at the Before photos from last time and it is much, much worse now. My excuse is that I started as a scrapbook consultant this year and now, in addition to all my own stuff, I have to ‘keep stock on hand’ of Memory Works products. At any given time, I also have boxes of orders here until I distribute them. But, that being said, the real reason it’s a mess is because I haven’t kept up on it. I didn’t create a solution before I had the problem. And I’ve kept buying new scrapbook supplies while hardly using any. Okay, here is the disgusting evidence:
This is as you walk into my scrapping area, which is the back half of a larger room with the kids’ play area in the front. As you can see, the walkway is closing in on itself and I can barely walk through there without losing body parts. The box of red albums is a Daisy D’s Year in Review and Christmas album. I’m doing a class/party on that the week after Christmas. There’s my little Lexmark standalone photo printer that I got at Target for $25 on Clearance. I tried to use it once, got frustrated when it wouldn’t print anything but green photos, and it has sat collecting dust ever since. Although I did recently buy that Lexmark-specific photo paper (it’s sitting on top of the printer) to try again before I toss the thing out the window. The blue bins I bought last month to try and better display my products at crops, etc. (will be a separate post about those later). Until now, I’ve been using a big clear Rubbermaid container and small, white plastic baskets to display things. The Rubbermaid is just plain ugly and the white baskets are cute enough, but the sides are too low and everything just kind of flops over and won’t stand up for customers to look through it. You can also se my XXL tote and another smaller one (don’t remember what that one is called). I load them up with MW products when I go to crops and it’s nice because they protect everything from dust and getting bent in transit, and the XXL is on rollers so I can really carry lots of stuff. The problem is then I have no room to take my own crop stuff (tool kit, page kits, etc.). Needing a solution to that problem. The cream tote is all my Memory Works catalogs and paperwork. Well, I shouldn’t say “all”…there is another huge white binder of stuff in my home office. The black box is a Creative Memories Power Sort box full of photos and memorabilia from my Europe cruise. That was in 2006 and I’m only about half way through the album (if you don’t count journaling, of which I’ve hardly done any). Everything in the Power Sort is getting dusty because I can’t put the lid on or it will crush my brochures, menus, etc. To the far right is my shelf which has stayed pretty organized, mainly because it’s packed and there is nowhere to put anything else. But it needs work, for sure. The two ziploc bags on the floor are my templates, CM cutting system, Coluzzles, etc. They used to go on that shelf but they got kicked out when I bought some new blank albums.
After you walk in my scrap area and take a left, you’re looking at the window and my desk. That stack of paper with the black and white Jenni Bowlin on the top (love it!) is my December kit from Memory Works Express. I had it out of the box to look through it and never put it away. Under that are some other recent purchases: K&Co. Wild Saffron slab; DCWV cardstock pad with the jagged edges (what’s that called?), and two SIS tool packs that are empty. I had all my acrylic stamping stuff in one of them and it got full, so I bought an identical one when they were on a great sale at Tuesday Morning. Then I found the black tote at Michaels (you’ll see it later in the tour) for 40% off and moved all my stamps into the tote. Not sure if I’m liking it, so while I decide, the empty blue tool packs sit empty. The ribbon jars on the right look fine ~ I’ve managed to keep up with my ribbon this way, just tossing in any new ribbon I get right away. The large white box and another stack under the brown box (that you can’t see here) are picture frames from Costco that I bought about two months ago. Okay, let’s be honest, it’s been more like six months. I HATE the picture frames I have around my house right now and keep saying I will redo them, but there they sit. It just seems so intimidating to figure out which pictures I want to put in which frames, get them enlarged and/or converted to black and white, choose which pictures go where in the house, and hang them. I’m procrastinating big time on that one. The basket on the top right is full {bursting at the seams} with letter stickers. Even though I have a Cricut, I can’t seem to stop buying alpha rub-ons, Thickers, chipboard alphas and sometimes even sticker letters. Although I’m proud to say I don’t buy those much anymore because I know I won’t use them; I have years’ worth to use already. Although most of my letters are at least in one place (that basket), they definitely need to be purged and organized.
This is the top of my legal size filing cabinet. Inside is actually very organized, with all my greeting cards sorted by event; receipts, instruction books, etc in files; and office supplies like printer paper, extra cartridges, etc. Again, ribbon jars look good although they’re dusty on top. I purged magazines and idea books last time I did The Big Cleanup and now the stack is back! New magazines, idea books and other books that need to be purged or put away.
Here is the heart of the space, where i actually scrap, my L-shaped desk. With the missing front trim that never got put on because we didn’t follow the instructions properly when we put it together from the box. Once the desk was together, waaayyyy too much trouble to pull it apart again just to add some silly little trim. Anyway, you can see my black tool pack which holds many of my essentials – various adhesives, stylus, stapler, etc. The papers on top are envelopes from Christmas cards we’ve received so I can update my address list. I mean, really, that doesn’t even belong in here and that’s what happens a lot. If I want to straighten another area of the house, I just put things in here. Voila! We have a mess! On the right side are sticky notes and mailing supplies; my new ToteAlly Cool totes (larger for punches, Stickles, etc and smaller one for Cropadile, pens and scissors); the ever present Diet Coke. In the back are recently developed photos that have nowhere to go so I keep stuffing them back there. To the left is my ScrapRack which is very organized but too full so, see, the little K&Co. tags are falling out of the Christmas section. And my glorious new Basic Grey Magnetic Mats and faithful Cutterpede paper trimmer.
Here is my little corner with my stereo (new Pebbles Inc. Ribbon Iron on top cooling off because I just used it); high dollar printer and scanner that I never use; random Mike’s and Target stamps for long-overdue RAK’s; baby wipes to clean acrylic stamps; and my labeler which surprisingly gets a lot of use in my space. I’m very organized about being disorganized! The desk drawers have computer equipment, font and software CD’s, etc and are very organized but I don’t seem to go in there very much, so maybe that stuff could go elsewhere and open up some space for scrap-related things? The cupboard side contains my Cricut, mats, and cartridges on top, a bin with electrical cords, phone cords, power strip, etc on bottom. Again, why is that stuff in here? I do have an old laptop on my desk that I just use for journaling but I hardly ever use the accessories anymore so they could go in a closet or something. See, progress already!
Here is the rest of my desk. There is the black Michael’s tote I told you about. All my acrylic stamps, ink pads, alcohol inks, stamp cleaners, etc are in there. Behind the tote are: a bucket of Prima flowers I’m borrowing from a friend, my ink pens in Creative Memories Pen Holders, and random new products that need to be put away. The Colorbok paper pads under the black tote will be for sale, but I need to log them in my computer first. The pile on the left is mostly the stuff from my Secret Santa (thanks again!) and the right side pile is memorabilia to file and a new notebook for scrap ideas, to do lists, etc. (First entry should be: TO DO ~ Clean up your damn space!).
Wow, okay… Seeing your mess in a big full color photo is even MORE eye-opening, even MORE embarrassing and shocking. Deep breath. Count to 10. Breathe out through the nose. Yoga breaths, yoga breaths. Okay. I’m back. This is the table to the left of my desk (the far side of it is near the walkway we already saw). I brought this table in the last time I organized, thinking it would be extra space to work on big projects, sort my photos, or have a friend over to crop. Yeah, right. It’s become a primo dumping ground for the stuff I guess I just used to leave on the floor. On the table you can see more gingerbread jars which I’ve been dumping various embellies in that either need to be put away, or are prizes for crops. The 12×12 stack back there is mainly paper to file or put a price tag on. The white baskets I was using to display my products ~ one is empty, the other has in it two Memory Works Express Kits from May 2007. One is mine, one is for sale. There are papers and embellishments in a super large Ziploc, including a box of glitter chipboard letters from K&Co. which I need to keep bagged together to sale and/or act as a sample of the kit. The problem is that each of these kits comes with an alterable project and this one was a small paint can. I mean, jeez, how to you even store that?? I guess my lame answer is, “In a white plastic basket.” Down below the table are my very organized page kits in a white plastic crate, another jar, and a Target bag with a flattened postal box and some acrylic stamps to sell once I get them in the computer and price tags put on. At the bottom middle of the photo are two cardboard file boxes on the floor. Hiding under the bag of Figgy Pudding Card Kit stuff (with cards in progress) is one project box (album, papers, embellishments, photos and souveniers from a big trip we took in, yes, 2005). The other is a project box for my 2006 cruise album. Neither has even been touched in months, except to add or take papers from. What you can’t see is that the entire space under my desk is filled with bins of my old photo storage system (remember THIS POST about how I was going to re-do that?), altered projects to make (photo cubes, shadow boxes, etc.), and Christmas presents. I’ve been shoving gifts under there all year because it’s the perfect hiding place. Everyone is scared to come over here! Seriously, my DH sends the kids in to grab the wastepaper basket once in a while or he just yells over to me, “Hey, how’s your trash? Bring it here if it needs emptied, please.” Smart man. Very, very smart man.
This is just a close up of the jars on the table, and you can see the blue basket in the background where I’ve put some of the paper packs I have for sale. They are elsewhere in the house, but I have a total of two large blue bins (like the one on the table), two medium sized green ones, and two small blue ones. They are all filled with MW products for sale. The baskets themselves are organized, but I have nowhere in my scrap space to put them.
So, I have survived the ultimate in humiliation by showing you my ‘crap’ area. I mean, SERIOUSLY?? SERIOUSLY?? And why am I subjecting myself to this, you ask? Because that’s what it takes for me to get to work and get this place cleaned up again. Last time, I entered an Organization Challenge on the CK Message Board. This time, I’m sharing it here on my blog. Now I’m accountable (I mean, if you guys out there really care??) and I WILL get organized again. I’ve come to this conclusion: Now that I’m a scrapbook consultant and have to keep a lot of extra products and paperwork around, this space just isn’t big enough anymore.
Part One of My Plan: My wheels have been turning about how I can re-work this space, maybe somehow utilizing our guest bedroom/office also. I already got DH’s approval to get rid of the old king sized bed in there that takes up half of the room, yet only gets used about four times per year when my mom visits. (No worries, Mom, we’ll findya another place to sleep!).
Part Two of My Plan: I have two weeks off from work for the holidays. Granted, I could get busy with my ‘from home’ jobs, I have at least one scrapbooking event, and we may go out of town for a few days. But I think this is a great opportunity to spend some time getting my scrap area organized…once and for all…um, yeah, right! Do I have your support? You got any suggestions for the dilemmas I’ve shared? I challenge YOU to organize your scrapbooking area over the Christmas break, so post in Comments if you will join me. I would love it if you sent me some photos I could post of your before/after or link us to your blog showing same. DEADLINE IS SUNDAY, JANUARY 6, 2008 (‘cuz ya gotta have a deadline or else you won’t do it!)…
Just read some exciting news about Chatterbox and you can too ~ HERE ~
I’ve always loved this brand of scrapbooking supplies for their timeless look, subtle colors, and overall classiness. I used to frequent an LSS on my lunch hour that had a nice selection of Chatterbox (the LSS has since closed, of course). But it would always make my day every time CB had introduced a new “room.” I would slowly buy all that goodness, piece by piece. Then of course, there was the ‘situation’ with CB and Melody and it made me so sad. I discovered MELODY’S BLOG, and often lurk over there, reading her insights and enjoying her spirit. She is on my Top 10 List of inspirational women, with the likes of Oprah and Hilary Clinton (okay, I’m kidding about the Hilary Clinton part, but Oprah’s really on the list!).
Anyway, it sounds like Melody will still be involved and I’m SO happy to hear that. Here is a link to the Melody Ross Designer Paper ~ soooo cute! I wish the ‘new’ Chatterbox all the best and look forward to seeing what they come out with! If you feel the same, give the CHATTERBLOG some love so they know we all support them :)
It’s been awhile…not since last May with the Cropadile…since I’ve fallen so madly in love with a new scrapbooking tool. But after first playing with my new Basic Grey Magnetic Mat a couple weeks ago, my heart is still going pitter-patter ever time I relive the experience. Maybe it’s that I’m still in that “I-just-met-you-and-you-can-do-no-wrong” stage with my BG baby, but I hope to stay perpetually infatuated. I know that many of you have the Basic Grey Magnetic Mat on your Christmas list, so here is my review:
This thing RAWKS! Here is a picture:
The retail cost is $24.99 and the mat is 15”x15”. The premise is this: The mat itself has a sheet of metal in between the black self-healing layers. Then the ruler and the little “tacks” are magnetized. So you use them to hold things in place while you cut with a craft knife, say, a curvy flourish or some letters. Or you use the tacks to hold down your pages in progress, which has two benefits: One, you can move things around while you’re deciding how to place your photos, journaling, and embellishments. Two, the magnets hold everything down and let you walk away from your project without worrying about all the pieces blowing away, falling on the floor, being tipped by a toddler, or batted by a cat. I even carried a partially done layout to a crop in my bag and it arrived completely intact. Those little babies are strong. For another $5.50 retail, you can get 10 additional magnetic tacks (the mat comes with 8). It hasn’t happened to me yet, but I’ve heard on the message boards that the silver paint on some people’s tacks begins to peel off. What a pain, but I heard you can paint them with clear nail polish to stop or prevent that from happening. I also heard that the customer service has been good with getting BG to replace them, yet who wants more tacks that are just going to peel. Someone else suggested getting little magnets elsewhere like the Container Store or wherever, so that’s an option (see why I love MB’s?? everyone is so helpful with sharing problems and solutions!).
I got my BG mat, of course, through Memory Works. When we first started carrying them, I wanted one but hesitated to buy a BG mat because I wasn’t sure if I should spend that much money on something I wasn’t sure I would use or like. I mean, for $25 I could get a lot of PP, ya’ know? Also, I didn’t exactly have $25 laying around so… But as time went by, I kept hearing people raving about their BG mats so, when I made a little money from a crop I held, I decided to buy it. Well, then they were out of stock for the longest time (How does that saying go? “She who hesitates is lost…”). FINALLY! They were in stock again and I ordered that baby right away. Actually, I ordered 4 because I had another crop coming up by then ~ 2 to sell, and 2 for me. Yes, TWO for me. I had also heard that if you get one, you may as well get two especially if you do mostly 2-page layouts (which I do). The thinking is that if you have 1 BG mat and get everything laid out, aren’t you going to want another one right next to it? See, scrappers are very logical girls J Well, I sold one of the remaining mats as soon as my mom saw it and I showed her how it works. She scraps 8.5 x 11, so one mat for her is fine I think. Then she used hers at the crop and I demo’d it for everyone, and sold a few more. Also sold FIVE of them at my Holiday Open House. It’s crazy…if you see this tool in action, you will want one!
In preparation for the Open House, I needed to put together a double layout called “Thankful” by My Minds Eye. Here is a photo of the finished product:
Anyway, perfect opportunity to try my BG mat, although I didn’t anticipate using it much because there weren’t any fancy craft knife cuts and the layout didn’t look very complicated. But was I wrong! I only broke out one mat for this project (can I confess…that was because my desk was so overtaken with ‘stuff’ that there was only room for one mat??). Anyway, I used the heck out of the BG mat. I made all the cuts to the papers on my Cutterpede according to the measurements on the Class Kit instructions. I cut out the exact phrases I would use on the layout, from the die cut sheets and the rub-on sheets. Then I placed everything for one layout arranged on the mat, using the magnets to hold everything down. I don’t know about you, but when I’m scraplifting a layout or putting together something from a class, I’m so nervous to tack anything down. I’ve had to do a LOT of unsticking in the past when I thought I had put this or that element where it should go, only to find when I got to the last step….urrrghh! No room left or something didn’t line up where it should. Well, here I was doubly nervous because this was a class project that others would be copying from, not a layout I could just shove in my album and hope no one noticed ‘my lil boo boos.’ It had to look just like the picture, y’know? So I was really loving those magnets in a big way. It was so cool to lay out the elements, tack them, notice something wasn’t going to fit later, and be able to easily move things around til it was perfect.
The other thing I loved was the ruler. First of all, BG was very smart to make it longer than 12” long. It’s a full 18” long, which allows plenty of room on either end of the ruler hanging off past the edge of your layout. I had the background paper down on the mat with the ruler either horizontally or vertically across the paper. Making sure both the paper and the ruler were lined up with the markings on the mat, I was able to easily make sure my photo mats and other elements were perfectly straight. Now, this is something I’ve needed help with for a while. In a way, I’m a perfectionist with straight lines and really prefer the look when everything is straight (if it’s meant to be so). But I hate trying to make it that way, with my old 12” long plastic ruler and the Creative Memories 10”x12” cutting mat I had been using (yes, I was long overdue for a larger mat). Anyway, I really enjoyed being able to easily have straight lines…I think, for me, that is one of the most addicting things about the BG Magnetic Mat.
So if the Basic Grey Magnetic Mat is on your Christmas list, I hope you’ve been “nice” this year, and Santa puts one under your tree. If you already have one, give us YOUR review in Comments or link us to your blog!
Perhaps just in time to be #1 (and #2 and #3) on your Christmas list, here are some new organizational items from Making Memories.MAKING MEMORIES DESKTOP CAROUSEL:
I have yet to see it in person, but word is that it’s showing up at Michael’s stores around the country as we speak. Therefore, I assumed it was “NEW!”. However, when I found THIS PRESS RELEASE about the Carousel on the MAKING MEMORIES WEBSITE, I noticed a press release date of July 20, 2007. Jeez, sometimes I’m really behind the power curve, aren’t I? Anyhow, assuming it’s not such “old news” that you might still be interested, here are the deets:
“The Desktop Carousel is a hexagonal shaped, multi-level storage unit that offers top-loading cubbies as well as slide-out drawers in a 12″ x 14″ footprint. Each upper compartment is accented with a metal label holder for easy product identification, while the lower drawers are outfitted with curved handles and magnetic closures.”
It retails for $39.99 so grab that next Mike’s 40% or 50% coupon and get this baby for roughly $20 to $24. I found one art supply website selling it for friggin’ $55.95. WTF?!?!
Per the press release, “In addition to working as a desk organizer, the Carousel can double as a makeup organizer, school supply caddy, and even kitchen accessory…(It) is constructed from sturdy MDF, and currently is available in a white glossy finish. The company also has released coordinated Desktop Storage units (MSRP: $19.99), constructed from chipboard, to hold 12″ x 12″ papers, as well as sticker sheets and other embellishments.”
And ~~TAH DAH!~~ Here are the aforementioned Desktop Storage Units:
“Your workspace will always be dressed for success, thanks to our desktop organizer. Neatly store 12″ x 12″ paper and tools while stowing away stickers, embellishments and more in convenient removable drawers with label holders. Get organized!Ideal storage for 12″ x 12″ paper, embellishments and more. Made of sturdy paper-covered chipboard”
MAKING MEMORIES DESKTOP ORGANIZER – EMBELLISHMENT BOX
While you’re over at the Making Memories website oogling all their cool stuff ~ like the FABulous Noteworthy paper that WILL be mine (oh yes, it will be mine…)…
and the Shimmer Brads….
…make sure and check out their very scrumptious MAKING MEMORIES BLOG, where there is tons of MM news, yummy recipes, and wonderful page ideas.
Okay, enough sounding like a Making Memories commercial because, NO, they don’t sponsor this blog like they should, so I’m going to tell you what I really think about their products.#1: The Carousel is awesome looking but I won’t be getting it. First of all, I bought a similar one from Target several months ago. It was cheaper but not nearly as cute. It’s a square shape, white, with drawers and metal label holders. Secondly, the footprint on the MM Carousel is huge, so I probably wouldn’t get it even if I didn’t already have one. What I find is that carousels just don’t work great with my set up because the only space for it is kind of at the back of my desk. Then it bangs into things every time I rotate it, including the window blinds, my Leaning Tower of Memorabilia-to-File, and my Diet Coke. I recommend a carousel if you have a project table where it could sit in the middle of the table. Also, I ‘travel scrap’ a lot and it’s not like I can take this heavy wooden thing with me to a crop or event. So I end up putting less-used items in there like flowers, smaller punches, etc.
What has been the better item for my needs is the Tote-ally Cool Totes I got at Costco recently, which even come with a rotating metal stand that fits in a pocket of the tote when you’re not using it. I wrote about them HERE.
#2: The Desktop Organizer and Embellishment Box. If you’re going to order it online, just please note that the material they are made of is “sturdy, paper-covered chipboard.” My experience with that material on a heavily used item is not good. The item scratches easily, the drawers stick, and the paper starts to come up at the corners. They’ve had an older version of the MM Embellishment Box sitting dusty on a shelf at my Mike’s for, what, a couple of years? It’s tan with a black lid, and the price is decent for the box and all the embellishments inside, but the thing is totally scratched up. That’s the same reason I never give in to all the adorable “cloth covered” or “linen covered” storage boxes at Tuesday Morning. They are so cute, but oh-so-scratchable. Anyway, the MM website says it’s “new and improved,” so maybe they brought down the scratchability quotient.
All that said, I like the looks of both items. I like how the Organizer holds 12×12 stuff and could sit back on my desk out of the way…Hey, a girl’s gotta’ have her creative space! It would be a perfect place to store my new stuff AFTER I sneak it past DH into my scrap area (oops, did I say that in my “out loud” voice?), but BEFORE I find time to put it away in it’s proper place in my properly organized scrapbook area, which is always 100% clean and organized just like Martha Stewart’s.
I would still pass on the embellie box, only because I love the system I already have for storing all that tiny stuff. I have these and each little snaplock compartment is filled to the brim. Must…not…buy….more…brads…til…4,000 I have…are used!
When I’m berating myself for having too many embellies, I remind myself that my mom has this…
Mom can always make me feel better. Here is the link to the CKMB THREAD on the Carousel if you want to see what others are saying. If I find a thread on 2PEAS, I will add it later.
So, what do YOU think of these Making Memories storage products?? Do tell us in Comments.
PS: At least on my screen, the formatting is still all screwy with photo captions next to the photo instead of above them. And none of the line breaks or spacing I entered are showing. Which is SO annoying to me as an English major because it looks like one big run on sentence to me! Is my computer broken, or do you see what I see?
NOTE: Sorry my formatting is all askew (hey, who ask-ew?). I don’t know wha’ happa’?? I’ve tried everything to fix it, even changing back to my old blog display format but nothing has worked. I’ve never had it do that with images before and, even though I’m typing it with paragraph breaks, they disappear when I publish it. Wordpress tech support is closed for the weekend, but I will try Karen/Karooch over at Scraps of Mind. She’s the blog diva and very smart with this computer contraption. Maybe she can help…
~ The Wonderful Weekend (!) is here again, and again I don’t see any scrapping happening. Work, work and more work. But Santa tells me “Thank you very much for working so hard because all those presents don’t grow on trees!”
~ Had a Holiday Open House (scrapbooking) Thursday night. It went very well and I had a blast. Will tell you more about it later, lovies…
~ I {Heart} Rascal Flatts!! They are SUCH a favorite of mine. I think they are, like, Number 1.5 on my list (with Journey being Number 1 of course). I got RF’s latest CD the day it came out last September and I’m wearing it out. Also saw them in concert this summer and they rocked the HAY-ELL out of the Hizzy! I hear they were on Oprah today – thank googily gosh I Tivo that chick every day…can’t wait to watch it. I’m listenin’ to some Country radio whilst I type and they just played RF’s “Winner at a Losing Game”. I adore that song. It really shows off Gary’s wonderful voice.
Here are some of the lyrics: “Have you ever had to love someone that just don’t feel the same? Tryin’ to make somebody care for you, the way I do, Is like trying to catch the rain. And if love is really forever, I’m a winner at a losing game. I know that baby you’re tryin’ to find me somewhere inside of you, But you know you can’t lie, girl you can’t hide the truth. Oh no, sometimes two hearts just can’t dance to the same beat, So I’ll pack up my things and I’ll take what remains of me.”
Ooh! Now they’re playing Jason Aldean. He opened for Rascal Flatts this summer and, can I say, what a hottie! My BSF (Best Scrapping Friend) is convinced she’s his girlfriend (her husband humors her…). But she’s right, he’s hellza cute. “Yeah, Momma…” cuz Baby we ain’t never comin’ back…
~ Since Black Friday (when I bought the stuff), I have SWORN to myself that I would get my Secret Santa gift sent off to my mystery friend on the CKMB. Hmmm, perhaps I will actually accomplish it this weekend. We won’t even TALK about the stamps I’ve had on my desk for LATRICE and LIZ for months. God, I’m such a loser sometimes… (aka Best of Intentions, Worst at Follow Through…)
~ Three items on my Christmas list:
The Expedit shelf from Ikea (can you say “tons of scrappy storage??”)
The awesome iPhone
and the Epson PictureMate Snap PM 240 Photo Printer
I think DH is getting me the iPhone – sweeeeet…Will just keep the other items in mind for tax return time in February or my birthday in the spring (wink, wink)…
~ For a future blog entry, I have started writing a review of my new fave product, the Basic Grey Magnetic Mat. Stay tuned & talk to ya’ soon!
We’re supposed to be camping for the long weekend with DH’s extended family & my mom/stepdad. We were supposed to leave early this morning. However, DH got called to work last night and is still there, so I thought I would head to the computer and check something off my very super extremely long To Do List: Order some Prism cardstock Prismatics packs to fill two customer orders. See, Prismatics is what Memory Works carries and it’s awesome cardstock. You get a trio of colors (light/medium/dark), 12 sheets for $6.50. Here is a sample of a Prismatics pack and the link to our CARDSTOCK PAGE:
Well, thinking I was all cool and stuff, I purchased the Prism swatch book from Memory Works as a selling tool and took it to my last crop without really looking at it first. Well, I just flipped through it long enough to admire all the gorgeous colors (don’t pretty colors just make you happy?!?). Anyway, it WAS a hit and there were 2 ladies who each had a list of Prismatics Packs they wanted. Turns out…Memory Works doesn’t carry the complete line (duh), and I could only fill about half of each order. I told the ladies that, because I had basically advertised the cardstock, that I would find a way to fill their order. I figured I would come home, pop online, order the packs at the best price I could find, hopefully not pay too much in shipping, and maybe at least break even if not lose a little bit o’money. Even if I lost a little some money, I would hopefully gain my customers’ respect and confidence, learn my lesson about the swatchbook, and move on.
So, after spending HOURS online, here is my conclusion: Prismatics are hard to find!! Cheese and Rice! To purchase from Prism wholesale, you not only have to have a business license, etc. but you have to be a brick and mortar store. There are sites that sell it by single color packs of 50. There are sites that sell it by the sheet. There are sites that have most of the packs I need listed on their site, but when you click it into your shopping cart, it says Unavailable. There are many sites showing the colors I need Out of Stock. There are sites with every color EXCEPT the ones I need. There are overseas sites that don’t ship to the US or, if they do, the shipping is super high. Next, I went on the Memory Works message board with my plight, and asked the other consultants what they do in this situation and if anyone had a good source for Prismatics. Long story short: Uhhhh, no. Finally, I asked my lovely friend Stacey over at www.AllMomentsRemembered.com if she could help me out, since she is so connected in wholesale scrap world now (wink, wink). Such a doll, she looked into it right away and, alas, could only do the 50 sheet/single color deal.
So I thanked her for trying anyway, and that leads me to today. I’m here on Thanksgiving morning, waiting to hear from DH to see if maybe we can leave here by noon today. And searching once again for the elusive Prismatics packs and….same luck as last time. Grrrr…. I feel so bad about letting my customers down. I shouldn’t have made a commitment before I looked into it. So, after the holiday, I’ll try one more time and, if not successful, I will confess my mistake to the lovely ladies and hope they forgive me.
PS: On a lighter note, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! I am so grateful that I started this blog. It has given me an outlet to release all my crazy, scrapbook-obsessive thoughts so I can sleep at night. Now, I only occasionally dream of cardstock and patterned paper and sketches ~ no more scrap nightmares where all my friends leave for the retreat without me or running around Big Lots, not able to find any of the scrap bargains mentioned on CKMB! (Now, that really would be a dream because I don’t even have a Big Lots). Anyway, it has been wonderful to share and exchange ideas with you, to finally feel that I’m not alone, and to have all your positive feedback. I am blessed and thankful…
You know, I need to find out what’s behind the name of the company, Basic Grey. Because when I see their scrapbooking lines, Basic and Grey are two of the LAST things on my mind! Here is their new line called Two Scoops…
Here are some threads on 2PEAS and CKMB where this new line is being discussed. The 2peas thread has links to all the samples I’m showing below. Here is what Ms. Kelly Goree from Basic Grey says in her 2peas post:
“Hi, everyone! I just wanted to take a minute to introduce you all to BasicGrey’s newest line, Two Scoops! It’s yummy, sherbet-inspired color palette really lends itself to all types of layouts from birthday to Valentines to Wedding or anything in between. For me, though, it’s the adorable embellishment stickers that come with the collection pack that really makes the line. And just you wait – it gets better….this line will also have some gorgeous stamps, a rub-on book with such super-cute phrases, and much more! This line will be shipping soon to a store near you, so be watching. I bet you can’t stop at just Two Scoops!”
Kelly’s link: “Such a Flirt” using TWO SCOOPS:
Kelly’s link: “Mr & Mrs” using TWO SCOOPS:
Judi Vanvalkinburgh-Garber’s link: Two Scoops Cards (beautifully modeled by Charlotte):
Judi Vanvalkinburgh-Garber’s link: Two Scoops Love mini book
According to Kelly Goree, “There will be four stamp sets released with this set,” and the BasicGrey website says the stamps are “Made of high-quality, durable material, BasicGrey clear stamps come on 4×6 sheets. Use with inkpads, paint, or scrapbook-safe markers to add playful accents in any color.” Here they are:
Basic Grey: Two Scoops – Monogram Stickers
80# heavyweight paper • Coordinating die-cut stickers • Overlays perfectly on our Elbow Chipboard Mini Monograms.
Basic Grey: Two Scoops – Mini Monogram Stickers
0# heavyweight paper • Coordinating die-cut stickers • Overlays perfectly on our Middleset Chipboard Mini Monograms
The website shows 18 individual papers; here are a few of my faves…
I love about 80% of this line. If they would please stop using that weird flower on everything, I would be 100% happy! (See the Flower Swash Stamps?? That big flower in the top middle…). That same flower was in the Infuse line too, which was the only thing I didn’t like about that line. Time for a new iconic flower, Basic Grey! (Oh, lordy, please hear my plea so I can be totally infatuated with BG again). Do YOU like the goofy flower they use now?
Other than that, I LUH-HUH-HUV this new line by Basic Grey. Even the names are cute and oh-so-sherbet-y. My favorite items are all of the rub ons, the Sweet Sentiments Stamps, the Glazed Brads and the Chipsticker Alpha. Let’s hear your reviews – give us the scoop (sorry, it had to be said…).
Don’ t have time to write much now, but I wanted to check in and say “hey”. So, HEY!
~ I hosted crops this past Friday and Saturday, from 8am to 12 midnight both days. Phew! Lots of work but SO worth it. I had such a blast and sold a lot of scrapbook supplies, so it’s all good. Will tell you more about it later.
~ Went scrapbook shopping today while my mom is in town. Got a lot of cute stuff, and finally found the book I’ve been wanting: The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker. I’ll give a review when I’ve gone through it.
~ Okay, what’s up with my last post re: the latest HOF scandal with Bernadette and the two new HOF’ers? There have been lots of looks at it, but no one is commenting (there are 2 comments on that entry, but about other issues). Are y’all just burned out on the HOF issue? Did I say something wrong? You’re just too busy these days? C’mon, you’re hurtin’ my feelings…WTF??
~ My blog is about to roll 40,000 views – wahoo! Since I started the blog about 10 months ago, that’s an average of 4,000 hits a month, and 133 hits per day. I feel so lucky and grateful ~ THANKS! Please keep reading and commenting :)
As you know, I love Oprah and sometimes she says the funniest things. When she’s talking about how she’s scared to do something, she says, “I’m skird.” Pronounced like “scared”, but shorter and much funnier. So now she has me doing it, and I’m here to tell ya that I’m SKIRD to do one of these so-called Acrylic Albums.
I keep seeing them everywhere I go (online). I glance, I look, I turn my eyes away in fear and embarrasment. There is no WAY my teeny weeny creative bone could complete an acrylic album without well and truly screwing it up. Because here’s the deal – and I know it will shock you – it shocked me too ——- the thing is SEE THRU!! I mean, how ya gonna hide the Herma tabs and the backs of staples and keep the image on one page from showing through to the other or do you even want to and, oh my God, my mind is just spinning! I look at the samples that are so FREAKIN beautiful and I just say, “Wha???” and “How did she..???” and “Well, I could never…”.
So call me crazy, but I went ahead and ordered one anyway. (Everybody now! “Hiiii, Crazzyyy!!). We happen to have them right now at Memory Works on the page that carries the more seasonal stuff, i.e. once it’s gone, it’s gone and not necessarily restocked. I keep hearing about acrylic albums lately; they seem to be the latest craze. So while I might be too scared to actually DO anything with it, I figured I’d better order one before I regretted NOT doing it. KWIM?
BY PAGEFRAME DESIGNS, CLEAR 6X6 ALBUM carried by Memory Works
To inspire me, and hopefully you too, here are some examples of acrylic albums that have been done:
BY CKMB CECILYSMOM in the CK Gallery
BY BARBARA OROS on her Scrapbook Crazy blog
BY BJC in Scrapbooks.com Gallery
BY JESSICA at zutterzisters.com
BY PAMELA at pamelaposch.blogspot.com
There is even a YOU TUBE VIDEO showing a very cool acrylic album by Tamarz from www.scrapbook-crazy.com – check it!
So, have you taken the Acrylic Album plunge or will ya? If you have a pic of one you have completed, please link to it in comments and I’ll add it to my post.
Thanks to my new best friend zacmag on CKMB, I learned that Target has their Halloween scrapbooking stuff 50% off. Never one to pass up a good deal, of course I went by after work today. Um, yeah, I had prescriptions to pick up too, uh huh, yeah. (Which, by the way, was very frustrating. I just switched several scrips there and they keep screwing them up). So, at my lame Target, there were only a few Halloween items left, mostly the Making Memories deco items which I wasn’t crazy about. I found one lone pack of MM Halloween ribbon. It has 4 trims, only one of “witch” I didn’t like (the orange fringe-y stuff). My favorite is the super cute sheer orange ribbon with little black bats. That will make a great border fo’ sho’. The picture doesn’t do them justice. They are much more colorful in person and the top one looks greyish here, but it’s really solid black. The bats have silver glitter sprinkled on them, and the bottom silver one is very thick and sparkly. Think I’m going to save that for a Christmas tree page…
There were no little Sale or Clearance stickers on the rack, and the tag showed it as regular price ($4.99) but I ran it under one of those red scanners and it came up 1/2 off! I started thinking it a bit odd that hardly any of the Halloween stuff was left, because I was just in there last weekend and they had tons of paper packs, stickers, and chipboard. So I went back to search a little harder for Halloween items and tucked UNDER the rack (hidden on purpose, perhaps??), were some MM black glitter chipboard letters ($6.99). When I got to the check out, the letters also rang up 1/2 off. Score! You can’t tell in the picture but they are glittery sparkly (ooh…sparklies!). The chipboard is pretty thin, and they are about 3″ tall.
Those Autumn Leaves stamps I showed you HERE were also on sale (for $1.38, originally $1.99). I already have them all but I didn’t have the inks they package to sell with them. They each come with one small and one bigger inkpad; I got the green/silver and red/gold combos. Can you say Christmas Cards?!?
NOT on sale, I also got the cutest 8×8 album by MM!! Oh, I’m in love! It’s brown leather with scalloped edges and is spiral inside. Also has a ribbon closure. It’s adorable. I was originally thinking to use it for my Memory Works demo album, but then – duh – because it’s spiral, you can’t add pages so I’ll have to think of a special theme album to use it for. So, it’s this album but in chocolate brown…
I also found the Dec. Scrapbooks Etc. Add that to the Dec. CK I just bought, and we are in for a night of scrap mag heaven!
In the $1 Spot, they had tons of little metal buckets for organizing. Grey (metal), white, black, hot pink and red were the colors at my store. I passed on those (I had to pass on SOMETHING, didn’t I?). Did you get anything at the Target After Halloween Sale??
Okay, first let me tell you about the bags. Here they are from the All My Memories WEBSITE:
Tote-ally Cool! Tote 2 – Black Pinstripe
Features: • Lazy Susan carousel attaches magnetically to the bottom • 21 pouches and pockets to accommodate all kinds of crafting tools and materials • Reinforced hidden drawer with zippered flap for security • Cell phone pouch with clever faux-buckle magnetic snap • Breakaway O-ring allows handle to unlatch • Handy mesh beverage pouch
Fabric: Heavy-duty canvas
Size: 8.5”L x 10”W x 18.5”H
Weight: 2.9 lbs. Price: $29.99
Then, there’s the cute little one, the Tote-ally Cool! Mini Tote 2 – Black Pinstripe.
Features: • Zippered front pouch • Easy-carry handle • 4 elasticized tool loops • Total of 15 open pouches to accommodate all kinds of crafting tools and materials• Covered pouch with secure Velcro flap • Hidden pull-out drawer with zippered flap for security
Fabric: Heavy-duty canvas
Size: 4” x 4” x 10`”
Weight: 7.2 ozs. Price: $11.99
So, add those together and you get a total price of about $42. You wanna’ know how much COSTCO sells BOTH of these together for???? ONLY $24 !!! Sweet deal, eh? I got this version, the black pinstripe, and my Costco also had them in pink. I’m super scrap happy, because I’d been eyeing these totes for a long time but didn’t want to pay that much. Yahoo! I got both for less than the retail price for just one. By the way, I have the link above to Costco.com, but I couldn’t find the totes on their website. Maybe they are in-store only?
Okay, then there’s the tags. Thanks to Gladys/Oreosmom over on CKMB, I also got these wicked Christmas tags at Costco today. It’s a huge pack of 60 gift tags and 4 gift card holders. They are very nicely embellished and super cute. One has a pair of ice skates, and the blades are made out of paperclips (clever!)…I mean, we obviously have the talent, but who has the time??
Here are the tags on a website, but the picture is small:
Here are my photos – don’t know about the lighting:
She claims to have started another CKMB Frenzy and I have to agree.
“Frenzy”, def. Noun. When someone finds a cool product that we all must have, and then a shopping frenzy starts. We credit the popularity of Mike’s stamps to our CKMB frenzy. Other Frenzy examples: Prisma pencils, Cricut die cutting machine, Tim Holtz Grunge Board, Costco MME stack, Target stamps…just too many to mention.
Anyway, here are some links to CKMB about the Frenzy, and showing you the cards Gladys has made using these fabu Christmas tags. You’ll be able to see the tags much better than in my lame photos. I’ll post (good) pics of my cards if I actually get them done before Christmas!
