All my talk of HOF-gate, commenting on scrap rooms, and what’s new at CHA 08 really seems trivial when you hear that “our of our own” is dealing with a life-threatening illness. A lovely lady from CKMB, Leslie (SoCal Scrapper) has been diagnosed with cancer and is just beginning her fight. She has a wonderful support system ~ devoted spouse, a church family, IRL friends, and online scrapper friends. I truly believe in the power of prayer and have heard countless stories of the miracles PRAYER has accomplished. Please join me in praying for Leslie. Updates on her progress can be found at LESLIE’S FREEDOM FROM CANCER BLOG. There are many CKMB threads about Miss Leslie: HERE,HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. You will see what a beautiful lady she is, inside and out. While I was searching all the posts BY Leslie, I was struck by how generous, sweet, and giving she is. She takes the time to compliment tons of layouts that are posted, wish Happy Birthdays and Get Well Soons, add prayers, be grateful for daily devotionals, and express gratitude for all the kindnesses coming her way.
Will you also please take a few minutes every once in a while to leave her a message of love and healing. She has already expressed how much the support of her MB and scrap friends, with cards, MB posts, PM’s and e-mails ~ have meant to her. Thanks so much!
I wanted to share this awesome scrap room with you. Someone posted it on CKMB, which led me to BENITA’s GALLERY at 2peas, which led me to her BLOG. Having posted pics of my own space several times, can I say this: I wish people who leave comments would take more care in how they say, “Man, you have too much stuff!”. I think how much each scrapper has is dependent on a lot of things, and I’ll use myself as an example:
~ Amount of disposable income
I used to spend, maybe $100-150 per month on scrap supplies when I worked full time. We made a very nice living and we could afford it. Believe me, DH would not have let me go overboard because it IS a luxury, not a necessity. Now that I work part-time, I spend whatever I can make with Memory Works. It creates a lot of extra work for me, but I can spend on scrap supplies guilt-free!
~ Level of interest in scrapbooking vs. other hobbies
Scrapping is it for me. I used to make jewelry, but have gotten rid of most of my tools and beads. I don’t knit, don’t read as much as I used to (scrapping now!), don’t buy a lot of DVD’s or music, etc.
~ How well you shop
I am a DEAL shopper! I use every single 40% and 50% off coupon I can find, wait for sales to buy things, buy from the Target and Mike’s dollar spots, use my LSS punch card for “free” purchases, look for good deals on HSN/QVC, etc. I use 40% coupons to buy Stacks ~ $20 minus $8 = $12, for 180 papers, that’s only 7 cents/sheet, what a steal. I don’t internet shop if I have to pay too much extra for shipping and try to buy during free shipping specials. If I order something for myself from Memory Works, I wait til I can combine it with a customer’s order to share shipping. It takes more time and effort, but now that I work less and make less money, what I’m rich in is time. I’m going to Target weekly anyway, and ~nice~ Mike’s is right next door. No gas money wasted.
~ Accepting free scrap stuff
I love freebies and have never turned away a free scrap product. I happen to have some very generous scrappers in my circle. They have very specific styles or don’t like “repeats” whereas I could care less ~ I love it all! If it’s something I won’t use, I stash it for my kids to make cards or to give to the school. I’ve seen “scraps” thrown away at my crops that are, like, 1/2 sheets of perfectly beautiful Scenic Route cardstock PP. I save that stuff and it does get used. But it makes my stash bigger than yours. I got TONS of free stuff from the CKU’s, bus shopping trips, and cruise I went on (and I say FREE meaning I only paid hundreds or thousands of dollar on the event to get it for free, lol). Again, my mom scraps 8.5×11, so she has handed me several 12×12 albums from events, papers she didn’t care for, and lots of embellies!
~ Being a consultant
Many of us are consultants for scrapbook companies and have to keep things in stock. I have several containers of stuff for sale. But if you looked in my scrap room, you’d assume it was mine.
~ How you choose to spend your disposable income
I don’t get my hair or nails done, don’t spend a lot of money on clothes (luvin Old Navy and Target), don’t need the latest gadget (no iPod here and my cell phone is 3 or 4 years old), don’t download music, don’t take vacations (we’re homebodies), don’t have expensive camera equipment, don’t go to pro sports, don’t belong to a gym (wait, I probably should!), etc. I mean, this is pretty much IT. By choice, because it’s what I love to do. There are months we’re totally broke and I buy nothing.
~ How long you’ve been scrapping
I’ve been scrapbooking for I guess about 5 years now. Of course I’m going to have more than someone who started 2 years ago.
So, there you go, there are lots of reasons why some scrappers have more “stuff” than others. I don’t think it’s fair to say someone’s area looks like “a store! can I come shop there?”, just because they have it well organized. And to question does someone really have time to do all the stuff they say, if they spend so much time in their scrap area. I mean, that would hurt my feelings to be questioned like that. I looked at Benita’s blog, and she seems to live a pretty full life to me.
I look at LOTS of scrap spaces that are posted online, and usually try to read the comments left by others. The comments on Benita’s room are pretty representative of what is usually said. I remember the one awhile back about someone’s gorgeous Scrap Cottage got a lot of doosies! Maybe it’s misguided jealousy, or misunderstanding, or a misguided attempt at a compliment. All of this said, I don’t think people INTEND to be hurtful, I really don’t. But I just wish we would be more considerate of each other when we post comments on each other’s spaces. How about, “I love the way you…” or “Where did you purchase that great …?” or “Excellent job organizing” (and leave off “All that gobs and gobs of stuff you have!”), LOL. Didn’t mean to make an example of Benita, but she is just the latest one I’ve seen where she posted her room to share her creative space with others, and gets comment after comment about “all your stuff”. Please put yourself in the person’s place and imagine how you would feel (um…defensive? hurt?). I think this is just one more area where we can be more supportive of each other instead of (accidentally) tearing each other down. What do you think?
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.
So I’m checking my blog this lazy Saturday morning, reading some nice comments left by my bud Dettao from CKMB, then click over to check my blog stats because, as I’ve said, I like to see which topics get you reading and commenting. When what to my wondering eyes should appear but a huge stat count for today, though it’s only morning here, and tons of clicks on the entry KRISTINA CONTES SPEAKS (MAYBE SHE SHOULDN’T HAVE?). Hmmm….bizarre…wrote that one way back in October ’07…still gets clicks almost every day…but over 300 on a Saturday morning?? Is WordPress messing with me…did my stat counter break…is someone’s enter key stuck and it clicked that article 299 times??
So I go check out CKMB ~ because that’s the best place to find out about ANYTHING that’s going on in scrapping, and I’m talking up-to-the-minute stuff ~ and of course, lovely BRIGHTSY (check out the thread just to see her siggie line; it’s my favorite ever) solved the mystery for me. As explained in this CKMB THREAD, there was an article in LA TIMES dated today, called A SCRAPBOOK CAREER IN SHREDS. OK, mystery solved…looks like it’s actually NOT over, and we’re going to start talking about KRISTINA CONTES…again. And I apologize if you’re one of the many who says, “Jeez, we’re tired of the whole CK Hall of Fame and Kristina Contes issue.” But if 300 scrapbookers on a slow Saturday morning want to know more about Kristina, I’m gonna’ write about it, provide some background, and invite all comments. Because for whatever reason, people wanna talk about it.
For those who might be new to the issue ~ grab a cup of coffee, get on your comfy sweats, and read THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS and THIS. Then come back here and read ~ the LA TIMES ARTICLE. Ok, we’re all caught up now, we’re on the same page, now let’s discuss…
First of all, Big Snaps to Kristina for getting scrapbooking in the LA Times! I’m always mystified about how we’re still this underground thing, this little enclave restricted to 5 magazines, the internet, and the occasional online article. Why are we given just scraps (forgive the expression) of a mention on television, mainstream magazines, etc.? Gadzooks, there’s now a scrapbooker in 1 of every 3 households! Throw us a bone, people!
As for the LA Times article itself, I’m with Kelli on CKMB…I’m very suspicious about why it’s been written about 3 months after the fact? And why both the Newsweek and LA Times articles are clearly from the Kristina slant, with quotes from Ms. Contes herself? I mean, she’s clearly generating this, right? And even if she’s not seeking them out, she could surely say “no thanks” when they ask to interview her. If I were tired of being scrutinized, tired of being called horrible names from fat, old lady, out of touch, “snowflake stencil”-using scrapbookers, I would just let it lie and go on with my life. Is it just me or she kinda contradicting herself?
And when you say things like: “They’re from the Stepford wife kind of mind-set…You’re doing something different, you must be evil,” you’re going to majorly upset some people, KC. I don’t think I’ve ever once criticized her scrapbooking; in fact, I’ve complimented her talent as have many others. I have always enjoyed her style, visited her blog well before this ‘scandal’ started, and admired her photography and art talents. It’s not my style of scrapbooking, but she has a definite uniqueness that I APPRECIATE, not criticize. Just for the record, my only criticism has ever been that CHEATING IS WRONG. The end. Whether you intended to, were in too much of a hurry to check the rules, or someone else (like a major scrapbook magazine) helped you break the rules, you still broke the rules. You should pack up your Legos and go home. And apologize before you leave. By all means, we forgive you and keep playin Legos with us, but don’t THROW the legos at us (Ouch, Kristina, that hurts! Play nice, like your momma taught you). But it seems to me you don’t have articles written in a national newspaper 3 months after the fact and then complain that no one will leave you alone. Or criticize people and expect them not to lash back.
Okay, I have to go clean the house now before DH gets home. Oh, and I’m going to do some scrapbooking with my “teddy bear stamps,” “foam stickers and glossy glitter glue.” And some Martha Stewart 18×18 paper. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about this article in the future (wink).
So this drama has been going on since October 2007. Why are we so fascinated? Tell us what you think…c’mon, I Effer Dare ya…
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}…
If you’re participating in our SCRAP SPACE ORGANIZATION CHALLENGE (deadline is this Sunday, 1/6/08) , you’ve probably had to confront your ribbon. I found this great ARTICLE I thought I would share, posted on MADCROPPER.COM.
To give you a little tease, how do you like this ribbon storage system by CANDICE PALMER??
HAPPY 2008 TO YOU ALL!! May it be a year of blessed organization and lots of completed pages…
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!
Isn’t this a cool feature?!? I keep telling you scrappers, WordPress rocks! But no one seems to listen and y’all keep startin’ your blogs over on “that other” place. Don’t know why…Wordpress is da bomb! It even snows over here…
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…
Welcome back to blog-world, after that little break we all took for Christmas. I have to admit, the only day I stayed entirely away from the computer was Christmas Day itself. We didn’t go out of town, but stayed close to home attending family events. On Christmas Day, after all the gift opening madness, just our little family went out for a fancy dinner. We spent scads of cash, and ate whatever we wanted for desert without worrying about calories or the future additions to our tushies. I mean, once a year, ya gotta throw caution to the wind, right? I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas as well.
I was lucky to receive some wonderful gifts. My MIL got us a set of those glass photo coasters, telling us how she was up very late the night before going through old photos to put in a set of coasters for each family. It was so touching to look at those photos, and to think of the care she took to pick them out for each of us. I have to selfishly admit, it was so extra nice to be on the receiving end for once of a gift that involved someone taking the time and love to do a project like that, and making something that we will smile at every time we use it. Thanks MIL ~ you rock! And there’s more! Mi madre gave me something handmade and special also. Have you seen those little wire and beaded “wine glass labels”? You know, you’re at someone’s house for a party and everyone is drinking wine, so you put this little cutie around the stem of your glass, then just remember, “Oh, I have the green one.” Well, my mom made me two sets of them and they’re personalized with the names of all our extended family (i.e. the folks we party with). The “girls” set is for we wine drinkers, and has little girly colored beads and grape charms, with our little tiny name tags. Then the boys set has boy colored beads and little beer charms. I figure we can hang them from the tabs of the beer cans, or insist that DH stick to longnecks which will absolutely break his heart (NOT).
Speaking of Mr. ScrapbookObsession, one of my bestest gifts was a $100 gift card to Starbucks (aka StarCrack) from him and the kids. Now, this was a HUGE thing coming from my Way Better Half, “he who always has a sarcastic comment about my level of latte consumption.” But the little note on the card holder said a thank you for all my late nights working and may this card help me get through those nights. I swear, sometimes he makes me so mad I just ball up my fist and say, “Straight to the moon!” and then he does stuff like the Starbucks gift and I decide to keep him forever :)
There was a thread on CKMB about “What gifts did we buy ourselves?”, so I was glad to see I wasn’t alone. “DH” bought me a cute pair of black shoes, and a huge book about the art of Rome. (Yeah, he was more surprised than I was when I opened them…and he was pretty impressed with ‘his’ gift buying abilities). The plan is also to get me an iPhone, hopefully later this week, AFTER we see how much the washing machine repair is going to cost. Yeah, I might have to take one for the team. As I started opening my gifts this year, I have to admit to a teeny tiny drop of disappointment when nothing was scrappy related. However, when my mom arrived lastnight with gifts from she and from my brother’s family, my faith was restored. My SIL (okay, we know my brother didn’t think of this) got me 3 Perfect Pages scrapbook kits from Colorbok, called Family Ties, Christmas and School Days. I’ve never seen them and was so happy to see something that didn’t come from Michaels or Costco, which is about the only scrapbook shopping I get to do anymore with all the LSS’s gone. To top it off, my mom got me a pack of scrapping stuff that she had hand picked from her LSS – papers, embellishments, large eyelets for my Cropadile, and {GOD BLESS HER} some Bazzill cardstock to match it all. So, my little Scrap Angels did take care of me after all. While we all watched We Are Marshall tonight, I just sat there stroking my new goodies, looking through them over and over. I think all eyes were on the TV, so no one saw my Scrapbook-Obsessive behavior. It’ll just be our little secret, kay?
The best “gift” I was given was so many opportunities to take wonderful pictures for my scrapbooks: warm family dinners; candlelight ceremony at Christmas Eve church; Christmas Day walk on the beach; and ~ the best ~ catching the amazed and happy faces of my kids as they saw each new present. I want to journal the wonderful conversations we had and remember this Christmas always…
What were your best gifts this year? Any scrapbook-y kinds of gifts? C’mon, we all want to hear about them! Anything scrapbook-related you were really hoping for but didn’t get? Tell us how your Christmas went…
Here is some inspiration galore I found over at 2peas. It’s their OFFICIAL SCRAP ROOM GALLERY thread. There is a list of scrap rooms, of the famous scrappers and their “regular” counterparts (LOL). Just thought it might give you some ideas, or at least some eye candy while you take a break from organizing your own space…
I was busy working, etc all day Thursday and Friday. But as of 1900 hrs last night, I’m officially free from my office job (and taking kids back and forth to school) for over 2 weeks!! Yippee Kie Yay and Yee Haw! I slept bunches and am now starting to feel The Urge to Purge and the Need to Organize. Christmas is only 3 days away, so obviously I’ll be busy with those things. But come 12/26, I’m ready to rock!
Today I’m sitting at the computer trying to ‘organize’ my thoughts and, taking Yvette’s suggestion, I’m writing things down. I’ve started “Mom’s To Do List for Christmas Vacation 2007”. I’m including a box to put little check marks as I accomplish things, so I can see my progress and hopefully that will motivate me to keep going. My list is probably going to end up being unrealistic for the time frame I have, but oh well. At least I’ll get SOME things done. I have 2 at-home work assignments due that will take lots of hours, and general house cleaning. I’m hoping to get those out of the way first, and then concentrate on the organizing and some other projects. The challenge will be staying off the darn internet! I have so much fun with this blog, the CKMB, reading other blogs, e-mailing friends, etc. that I could end up here for hours each day…will have to force myself NOT to do that, or maybe just limit it to my ‘night owl’ hours as a reward for accomplishing great things during the day, LOL.
The other things on my plate are my mom visiting from 12/25 to whenever, and I’m holding a scrapbook crop on Friday 1/4 and Saturday 1/5. That was just decided yesterday, so unfortunately it does affect my ability to accomplish things for this Challenge, since at the end I won’t even be here for 2 days :( So I’d better really bust tail between 12/26 and 1/3, and stack up some extra hours to meet my own 12-hour challenge (see below). The good thing about my mom being here is she will help me & is a very talented organizer herself. Is that wrong to put her to work while she’s here? (j/k, she actually loves it and ASKS for things to do; LOVE her!).
I’m not only working on my scrap space, but the rest of the house as well. Spring Cleaning kinds of things, like washing all the pillows and bedding, purging my kids’ school work, and getting our personal files caught up (they’re already in pretty good shape). It’s kind of become a tradition to rearrange our living room after the Christmas tree comes down, which is good because every little nook and cranny gets wiped down or vacuumed. If I have time, I’d also like to purge and better organize our Christmas stuff when I put it away. I did it a few years ago, but there are the same things that don’t get used each year, so why hold onto them? Honestly, I’m not really into holiday decorating and just do it for the kids, so the stuff we have is already minimal ~ ornaments, stockings, and a few decorations. Although I do now have the new Advent Calendar I put together this year, along with the one I bought from Starbucks (thanks to CKMB Enabling):
So far today, I’ve got couch throw pillows in the washing machine, school work into one pile after gathering it from around the house, and a bunch of housecleaning done. Is it just me, or do you get a lot more done around the house when DH isn’t home? I don’t know why, because he’s not the needy sort. Hmmm… So! The other thing, in addition to my checklist, is that I’m going to commit (from 12/26 through 1/6, the end of The Challenge) to spend at least 1 hour per day on organizing my scrap area. That will be….um….I’m no math major…let’s see…12 HOURS of scrappy organizational time! More time than I’ve probably spent on organization over there this entire year. I think I can get a lot done in 12 hours, don’t you? Are you setting any goals for yourself? What progress have you made so far? I’d love to hear about it :)
Update to this ORIGINAL POST. Sorry, it’s not very well written below…just kind of stream of consciousness of what I’m doing, what questions come up, and what I’m learning along the way.
Here is the progress I have made so far:
~ Gathered all recently ordered customer products. Sticker on each one with customer’s name. Checked items received off order forms and noted if money due. Boxes into car for delivery to customers (wish I could readily find all of their addresses and phone numbers to call and tell them I’m coming by after work).
Result/Learned: Had about 4 large boxes with customer stuff that is now outta’ here! Wow, that already made a big difference. Unfortunately, something came up after work and I wasn’t able to deliver tonight but, hey, the boxes are outta my scrap area!
~ Gathered all Christmas card related items, finished Christmas letter (yeah, I know it’s late!), decided to forego handmade cards for everyone on my list and send them to scrapper’s only, started entering address/phone/e-mail information into Address Book on my Mac laptop while I watched the finale of the Biggest Loser. Filed from stack of 12×12 papers. Put random Mike’s stamps into stamp drawer. Need to inventory stamps so I don’t double-buy. Need to separate stamps that I’m giving for crop prizes from my own stash, and put them into my prize box. Prize box could go in a closet since I only access it on crop days or to drop new prizes into?
Result/Learned: Not having all of my customer and personal addresses computerized really costs me lots of time, aka time that I could spend on keeping my space organized. Mac Address Book will be wonderful once it’s up and running. I can separate contacts into groups like scrapbookers, crop invitees, customers, friends, family, business, sort them by birthday month for prizes and greeting card lists, etc. For easy Christmas card addressing, Address Book even makes Avery labels! Ain’t technology great? It seems like I “never have time” to get things up and running, but when I do make the time, it’s SO worth it. And doing a boring organizing task is easier if it’s one you can take in front of the TV, LOL. I also learned that it’s okay to let go of self-imposed obligations (like 50 handmade Christmas cards) if it helps me keep my sanity. Do you beat yourself up sometimes like I do over these self-created issues? I mean, the people on my card list didn’t ASK for or expect a handmade card, did they?
~ Got picture frames out of boxes and put into hall closet with other frames. Plan to complete all re-framing AFTER the holidays.
Result/Learned: Things like photo frames shouldn’t come into my scrap area in the first place, and I gained a good chunk of floor space by moving them. I need to change my mindset that, “If I don’t see it, it won’t get done.” Even if I DID forget that re-framing is a project I need to do, I’ll still see the frames whenever I open the linen closet (duh!).
I’m so glad y’all are joining me, giving me tips, and/or just following our progress and cheering us on. There are more from CKMB (some of you posted both places ~ thanks!). Here is THAT THREAD if you want to take a peek. Scrapper-organizers are already making progress ~ wahoo! I’m jealous of Scrapperdays and her new Lisa and Becky Rail System. This isn’t Julie’s actual system, but a picture of one that she posted on HER BLOG.
You can see the Rail System HERE on the Cropper Hopper website (www.lisabecky.com). Here is another picture:
So, if you haven’t joined our Organization Challenge, please do! Just post below to make it official. Take Before photos so you can see how far you’ve come. If you’re shy, you don’t need to post here ~ but do ORGANIZE! It feels so good and will let you start the new year in a fresh, clean, and productive space…
The big news for “little” Cricut owners is this: Cricut Design Studio has come out. This is an older announcement, copied from the Cricut Chirp December 2007 NEWSLETTER (Volume 80, December 3, 2007):
“Christmas Cheer
Every week I have something to be thrilled about. This is one of the reasons why I’m grinning today. Remember that little USB port on the back of your Cricut? Remember how we kept telling you there were plans to make the Cricut machine compatible with a computer and take advantage of its strengths. Remember, how we informed you, the details of how, when, and what this would be weren’t known quite yet but we would inform you when that time comes. You waited patiently for further information…well patients has a reward! The time has come! The Cricut Design Studio is here!
“Cricut DesignStudio software, is an exciting new way to connect your original Cricut or Cricut Expression machine to your computer! Using an on-screen cutting mat, this program allows you to explore, design, and cut the complete Cricut Cartridge Library. What You See Is What You Cut! With a user-friendly interface and the ability to save your innovative creations, you’ll discover that the Cricut DesignStudio is a must-have addition to your Cricut cutting system!”
Check out the links to our new releases in the announcements below. You’ll be grinning too.
Happy Cricuting,
Lonna Joy Smoot- Editor, Cricut CHIRP!”
Okay, I thought it was just for the little Cricut like I have…
But according to the above article, it’s also for the Cricut Expression…
Here is an article from the Cricut ChirpNEWSLETTER I received today that tells more about it:
“CARTRIDGE EXPLORATION –
This week I finally get to write about the new Cricut Design Studio software that came out last week. I love this software and am so happy to finally be able to share this great new program with all of you. You will definitely want to add this to your Christmas list because this program will be something that you will use with your Cricut cartridges for the rest of your life.
Have you ever wished that you could create your own word and hook all the letters together? Well this new program lets you weld words, letters, and images together. Just think of the fun things you can write and be able to connect them to make your own titles or sidebars for a scrapbook page. Other fun possibilities that you can do with your letters, words, and images are: shearing (make the image go diagonal), Compressing (expand or shrink the image), Kerning (move the letters or words closer together, you use this when you are welding letters together), Stretching, Flipping, and Rotating. Now you have a lot of different ways to create your own project or scrapbook page. There are two ways to weld letters into words. One way is by using the feature called “kerning”; when you use this feature all the letters must be in the same box. When using the kerning feature, start with the farthest right letter and move the letter closer to the letter on its left. You must make sure that you click on each line of each letter; you will see the letter turn into little dots then you know that you can click on the kerning arrows to move the letters. You would follow this process with all the letters making sure that all the letters are overlapping a little and the welding box is checked. The second way to weld letters into a word is by placing each letter in its own box. This way you will need to make sure that each box has the welding box checked and then you will use the top little circle on each box to move the letters to overlap each other. With this way of welding you can turn the letters on different angles to give your word a more creative look.
I decided to experiment with a saying to place on my wall. I can use the vinyl to place directly on the wall or use a frame, either way the experiment turned out really cute (see pic). In my experiment I used the cartridge Alphalicious and typed in the phrase “Family makes a House a Home”. With this software you can use letters from different font cartridges or images; you can mix them all up on the screen mat. I used the kerning for the words to move them together and the word “Home” I welded the letters after placing them in their own box. If receive your own cut file, just click here!
This program will work with both Cricuts and all the cartridges in the Cricut family just make sure that you own the cartridges that you are using in your project or you will have to run out and buy the cartridge you need. You must own the cartridges to get your project to cut what you have created on the screen mat, even though this great software will let you play around and design with all the wonderful cartridges. This is a great way to preview all the cartridges and help you decide which ones to purchase next. Have fun welding words and creating phrases and check out next week as I continue to give tips on the new software and explore one of the new cartridges.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
Crafty Kimber”
HERE is where they’re talking about it over on the Cricut Message Board. HERE is where the CKMB gals have discussed it recently. From what I hear, the free trial is not compatible with Macs, so I will wait here patiently to be able to check it out. Will you buy the Cricut Design Studio Software?
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 :)
Well, I missed out on it last year because I joined the CK Message Board right before Christmas. So this year I made sure to say “sign me up!” at the first mention of a Secret Santa gift exchange. These are the goodies I got.
Patterned paper (unk. co.) w/kraft background (5 sheets)
KI Memories Pop Culture paper (6 sheets)
Quick Quotes Instant Journaling rub ons about Family
Studio G/Mikes stamps, Christmas series (7 sets)
and a Mount St. Helen’s postcard from “Lisa. The return address was WA state. So, I posted on the CKMB a big fat “THANK YOU” and calling my Secret Santa out of hiding.
ETA 12/13/07: Yippee, I know who my Secret Santa is! She left me a Comment here (thank goodness, because I missed her post on CKMB). I pasted it here:
Hi Erika!
I left you a message on the MB, but I’m not sure if you saw it, so I thought I’d post here as well. I am your SS and I’m glad you like your goodies! I was a bit worried.
I’m really enjoying your blog. That is how I found out about the new BG line (which I now love) and the Pop Culture line is perfect for my daughter. I like reading your reviews too. I’ve been wondering about the MM Magnetic Mat system as well. That is on my Christmas list.
Anyway, enjoy your stash!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Lisa
THANK YOU LISA!!! What a generous gift. I {heart} every single thing. I can’t even get those Mike’s stamps around here, and my LSS doesn’t have Pop Culture yet so you are DA BOMB. And YOU RAWK! As a mommy who doesn’t get much under the tree, you can’t imagine how much this gift made my Christmas :) I was good all year, I promise…
PS: As you know, I’ve been having “issues” with my blog formatting. I’m now trying to edit it from my work computer…let’s see if this holds…pretty please, pretty please, pretty please….
