This is one of my favorite scrapbooking companies so I was looking forward to visiting their booth.
I have the Carpe Diem planner (#TeamAqua) and some of the embellishments so I already knew I liked it. But seeing it in person was great.
I was also excited to see Simple Stories’ new travel line, the one Layle has been teasing us with. Looks great for tropical vacations, hangin’ by the pool layouts, etc.
With great timing for their own 5th birthday, Simple Stories came out with a new birthday line that’s so fun.
Loved this cute sample album to keep track of birthdays of family and friends.
Their existing winter/snow and love lines were even nicer in person.
One of Simple Stories’ brand new lines called “Hope.”
I’d hoped to say hi to Simple Stories’ owners Kevin and Amber who I got to meet at CHA 2 years ago. They also owned Memory Works where I was a scrapbooking consultant for several years. Unfortunately, they weren’t at the booth when I went by the first time {I’d seen them over talking to the My Minds Eye peeps a few minutes earlier}.
When I tried again, I spotted Layle Koncar and gabbed with her for a while – about planners, A5 punches, kit clubs, and other fun stuff. She’s such a neat person to talk to. Then Kevin and Amber came back but Kevin was with a customer and Amber was talking for quite a while to …. Cathy Zielske!
At one point, I kind of whispered to Layle, “That’s Cathy Z right behind you” ‘cuz I’m like freaking out but they’re old friends and have worked together a lot. It looked like Cathy was really digging the Carpe Diem planner items Amber was showing her :)
Then Vicki Boutin walked up and joined our conversation. She’s #TeamPlatinum. Another super nice person, easy to talk to.
So that was my visit to the Simple Stories booth at CHA 2016.
My brain is fried right now. This is what December does to me. In the interest of getting a blog post up, I’m going to share 8 things I’ve learned this month – some are scrappy, some are not.
I learned that putting twinkle lights all around your house makes every gray day and every cold night better.
While doing my scrapbook organization class, I had to go through my Project Life, MAMBI, Simple Stories, etc. 3×4 and 4×6 cards and I have “too many.” I mean, jeez, FOUR shoeboxes. It’s insane, right?
But I learned that I DON’T CARE. I let go of some duplicates where I had 3 or 4 of each card and instead kept 1 or 2. But beyond that, I’m not getting rid of any more. They’re not hurting anyone. I’m not hurting anyone. They bring me joy. The money has already been spent. And I’ll use most – okay, a lot – of them someday. So there.
I learned that I’m a sucker for any online sappy video there is. Apparently, I love to cry because I do it a lot. The one where the people in the British shopping mall run up and give gifts to random people got me today. Sniff.
I’ve learned that looking at other people’s planners and lists (#ListersGottaList) on a constant rotation can make you feel very inadequate and like you’re not good enough to do your own version.
While organizing my stamps, I decided to purge a bunch of them, including ones I used to share at crops during my Memory Works Consultant days. To get my name and phone number off of them, I learned that rubbing alcohol does the trick!
From the terminal cancer of a fellow scrapper and the sudden death by brain aneurysm of a 48-year-old friend, I learned – once again – that life is very short and very precious. I’ve tried to be continually kind to myself when things don’t go as I want them to.
I learned that Michaels has really cute Christmas doilies and snowflakes.
I learned that tickets for Adele’s US tour go on sale this Thursday!
Okay, I’ve calmed down a little bit now and I’m breathing normally again, LOL. Yeah, a tad bit excited yesterday when I posted HERE and a couple other places about my new position. Oh my gosh, you guys, this post ended up being soooooo looooonnnnngggg. You know me, Miss Verbose! But it’s the weekend so I hope you have time to grab a Diet Coke and take a read :)
So my great news is that I’ve joined up as a direct seller under the Youngevity brand as of 03-25-15; my official title is Independent Marketing Director. I want to tell you how it all came about and what it means for me and for this blog. I also want to offer you the opportunity to join me, if you’re so inclined :)
THE HISTORY
As I said HERE, there’s been a lot going on behind the scenes. I’m going to write a post about that this weekend, too. I won’t be giving away any secrets yet but will talk about the “why” of it all.
In the midst of all this – actually ever since Memory Works closed in 2013 – I’ve been missing selling scrapbook supplies, interacting with customers, and making some extra money to fund my scrapbook shopping addiction … erm, habit. However, of the few scrapbook-related direct sales companies remaining that I looked into, none of them blew my dress up, so to speak.
I also looked into having my own online shop, either adding it onto this site or starting an Etsy shop. Which still may happen in some form, some day in the future.
Then out of the blue, I was contacted by a fellow scrapbooker named Kim who asked some questions about Scrapbook Obsession Blog. We got to chatting and she told me that it was still hush-hush but she’d been chosen to be on Lisa Bearnson’s direct selling team for a new venture Lisa was starting with Youngevity/Heritage Makers. This was because Kim had been very successful with Leaving Prints in the past.
Well, you know me, I’ve been a Lisa Bearnson fan since Day One. I read her Creating Keepsakes magazine cover to cover every single month it was published. I took vacation days from work to watch Lisa and David on QVC Scrapbooking, and now I watch her on HSN Scrapbooking. I even had the pleasure of spending a week with her on a scrapbooking cruise in the Mediterranean years ago. The interactions I, my mom, and my friend had with her that week made me an even more loyal fan and admirer. Not only was she extremely kind and caring but a great teacher and patient organizer.
In 2007, I started my own transcribing and virtual assistant business around the same time I started with Memory Works. Becoming a business owner and a consultant only increased my admiration for women like Lisa Bearnson. There are so many moving parts, lots of missed sleep and deadlines and financial worry. She makes it look so easy – which is what I need in a mentor, right? But above all her business success, I’ve always seen that family and faith are her priorities. They’re what inspire her scrapbooking and it’s just another thing I love about Lisa because those are my life priorities, too.
So, all that to say, once my new friend Kim said that Lisa Bearnson was involved in this venture, I said, “I’m in!” even before I knew if I was ALLOWED in, LOL. And when she invited me to be a part of her team – I thought about it, looked into it, talked to DH about it, prayed on it – and said YES PLEASE!
HOW I DECIDED
As I found out, there are 2 options to join. For $10, you can be a Consultant with discounted purchasing for yourself and the ability to sell to others. I would consider it to be the so-called “hobbyist” option. And for only $10 (lifetime!), I can’t see any reason why we ALL wouldn’t join. I love me a no-brainer :) You could easily save $10 on your first order, I’m sure.
The other option is awesome but MUCH harder to decide on because it costs $500 to join at the CEO level. You get $500 in publishing points to spend on custom Heritage Maker products, traditional scrapbooking products, or other Youngevity products – your choice. (Mineral make-up, K-cups, essential oils … ruh roh, I may be in twuble here …). Or you can hold onto those points until late summer 2015 and use them to buy Lisa Bearnson’s “Anthology” products – which is what I’ll probably do.
So $500 a LOT of money to me and, I’m sure, to most people. I actually had that amount set aside from our tax return for something else. But, like I said, I thought and prayed and talked it over with my husband. I didn’t really need much convincing about the huge opportunity here. In the end, I couldn’t NOT sign up. Lisa Bearnson is not only creating new products that I know I and many others will want to buy; I want those for 30% off and I believe they’ll even be available on an auto-ship. Lisa says, “It will be a collection of fresh, fashion-forward designs founded on the principle that quality scrapbooking and memory keeping does not have to be difficult.”
This is all NEW but my understanding is that Lisa will be referring scrapbookers who express interest on her website down to us CEOs and Consultants. Hello?!? That’s amazing! I was curious just HOW popular her website is so I went to Alexa.com. For an example, Scrapbook Obsession Blog shows 951,266 rank in the US. LisaBearnson.com shows rank 365,074. Her bounce rate is 43% whereas mine is 86%. This means that most people come to my site and leave quickly (“the Pinterest effect”, lol) while at hers they stay and read. In other words, Lisa has an engaged audience and that is SO important! It’s what I strive for.
You may hear from Lisa haters once in a while but there are many, many more scrappers who respect her and are interested in what she offers and sells. So I have ZERO doubt that being a downline from her will lead to success. I have a goal to make back my $500 investment by the end of 2015 and I’m confident I’ll do that. (Although technically, it’s not even an investment since I get business supplies AND $500 to spend on products).
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR SCRAPBOOK OBSESSION BLOG
Now, don’t let all this scare you away. This is an MLM (multi-level marketing) business and Lordy do I know that some people become MLM’ers and become highly annoying – constantly barraging their family, friends, and acquaintances on Facebook and in person with their latest “amazing offer!” and “great deal!” and “you MUST try this!”.
Don’t worry, this blog won’t become a constant blast of Youngevity / Heritage Makers / Anthology posts. I expect the number of posts to be about the same amount as I did with Memory Works which I don’t think was too bothersome, was it? I always always always try to start blog post titles with the TOPIC so if it’s not your bag, you can keep on movin’, sister! I’ll continue doing that so you can just ignore the posts if they bug you. I’m also planning to start a mailing list specifically for people on my team who join Youngevity under me and those interested but not sure – to share information – but JUST to those who’ve expressed interest. Sound good?
MORE ABOUT THE NEW ADVENTURE
I signed up as a Youngevity CEO just a few days ago and there’s still much to learn. They’re a HUGE company with lots of arms, just 2 of which are scrapbook-related. Here is the structure, as I’ve figured it out so far:
Here’s the structure of people:
Youngevity – the Wallach family
Co-creator of Heritage Makers and Lisa’s Team Trainer – Wendy McGee
Creator of Anthology and Heritage Makers Brand Ambassador – Lisa Bearnson (eeee! she already has Anthology and Team Lisa links on her site!)
Under Lisa/Wendy, there are 2 downlines and then me :) If you’d like to join in – and I’d absolutely LOVE to have you – you’d be my downline. Just make sure to contact me and to sign up through my website so I get credit and you’re assigned to my team.
Even though I had a little heads up about Lisa Bearnson’s new venture, I had to keep quiet about it online until it was officially announced at the Youngevity conference in California this week. Then it was official and we could jabber about it, as of yesterday! There are 2 private Facebook groups to get up-to-the-minute information, including a new one for Team Lisa Bearnson. If you join up, we’ll get you added to those groups if you’d like.
Here’s the video they showed at the conference along with some photos:
Tip: Have a tissue handy. Sniffle.
That’s Wendy McGee on the left, Lisa Bearnson, and Jana Eubank on the right. Now there’s another name you might recognize from the scrapbooking industry! Check out her amazing resume HERE.
Lisa speaking at the conference
Did you know Rhonda Anderson, co-founder of Creative Memories, is also part of Heritage Makers? Which reminds me – I haven’t even told you much about the products yet! Tons of fun digital stuff that I need to learn about like photo books, business cards, gift items, etc. The current selection of paper scrapbooking products isn’t huge but it has a Creative Memories feel to it including their great albums, page refills, and tools – like my favorite, the Multi-Purpose Tool. I frantically searched for and bought one of these from out of state when CM went out of business because the tip of my original one from 2001 (!) broke – when it was used by someone who shall remain nameless (husband!) to unscrew something. I was afraid to be without one forever. Only $6 with Heritage Makers, whoo hoo!
Logos for Anthology consultants to use; you’ll be seeing these on my blog and social media soon :) They’re so cute. And now the recent redesign of Lisa’s blog makes TOTAL sense! Ohhhhh …..
Well, clearly I should’ve broken this up into about 20 entries because it’s so ding-dang long! Oh well. I want all the information in one place so there ya’ go, ha!
IN SUMMARY (Jeez, finally!)
If you want to join my team (Lisa’s team), the best thing to do is e-mail me. I’ll put you on my mailing list and send you information and links so you can learn more. I want you to feel totally comfortable, whether you’re spending $10 or $500. You can get off the mailing list at any time; just let me know. I’m happy to answer questions 24/7. You can call me, too :) Just leave a voice mail and I’ll call you back.
** Oops! Correction to the signup instructions (03-29-15) **
If you’re ready to sign up, please follow these instructions:
Go to my Youngevity website: https://erikafriday.youngevity.com
Click on “Join” in the upper right-hand corner.
Then click on “Distributor.”
Next, you will see a selection of kits that you can choose from.
To sign up as an Independent Marketing Director (CEO): You may choose from any of the CEO kits. I chose the Heritage Makers CEO kit and received some business materials. I’m saving my points for now.
To sign up as a Preferred Customer: Scroll all the way to the bottom and choose the “New Associate Adventure Pack.” You can upgrade at any time to CEO.
Sorry again for the super duper long post – but you know how I am ;) Hope to hear from you soon!
Check out THIS fun news article, video, and photos from the Standard Examiner highlighting the Simple Stories brand.
If you don’t have time to read the entire article right now, allow me to highlight this part:
And those interested in Crowell’s products don’t have to walk row by row in a craft store to find them.
They may visit www.simplestories.com or visit the company’s store front where it showcases Simple Stories products as well as products for a few other companies.
Interested consumers may visit the store, located at 640 W. 1100 South, Suite 1 in Business Depot Ogden and easily find the products without having to look through the many selections at larger outlet stores.
Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, the store offers at a quick glance all the creative work Crowell and her now more than a dozen employees do all year long.
Those who want to shop for bargains may attend the company’s warehouse sale next Friday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For information, call the company at 801-737-3242.
Yep, Simple Stories is having a warehouse sale! I don’t recall them having one in the past unless I missed it. Here are the only 2 reasons I won’t be going:
1. I already own most of their lines (eep!).
2. Their warehouse is a 12-hour drive from my house. Why, yes, I *did* Google map it! Just in case, ya’ know ;)
But if you live anywhere near Ogden, Utah, you should totally go!
I’ve met Amber (and her husband, Kevin) and she is TOTALLY as sweet as she looks in that photo! Their whole staff is amazing, too – just the nicest people. I’m so happy for them all.
Congratulations to Simple Stories and here’s to their continued success!
Are you wondering when the new SIMPLE STORIES lines will be out from CHA Winter 2014 earlier this month? Well, never fear! Your courageous Super Scrappy Enabler is here! Yes, I have a cape, gold cuff bracelets, and everything. For reals.
Here are the release dates of the new lines, as per their blog:
{I’ll just put a sample image from each line but you can see a lot more by clicking on the links}.
If you click on any of the links above, they will take you to the specific post on the Simple Stories blog where that line was debuted. You can double-check I got the release dates right, LOL. {Sorry, it’s almost midnight as I write this and it’s been a long day . . . even super heroes aren’t perfect}.
Mid-February and Mid-March is when they are ESTIMATED to ship to retailers. Allow a little time for vendors to receive the items and list them in their stores.
Alas, I won’t be selling my beloved Simple Stories products anymore because Memory Works closed at the end of 2013 :( I still love SS products and, while probably not as often, I will continue to post Simple Stories news when I can.
Top 3 on my wish list are:
1. Homespun
2. Hey Pop!
3. Wedding Sn@p Set
A sweet scrapper named Wendy e-mailed this question to me recently:
I was wondering if you think I could combine SS Smarty Pants with SS Elementary in the same album. I already have Elementary, but have had my eye on Smarty Pants since it was released. Are the colors close enough, or are they way off in real life? I read your Blog so I know you are an expert on SS. THANKS!
I thought I would share the answer publicly just in case someday a scrapper is Googling and has the same question, LOL!
Here are images of both lines from the SIMPLE STORIES blog:
You can see why it would be hard to tell if they go together well, huh? So I took a photo today of both lines . . . I just HAPPENED to have a bit (cough cough I’M NOT A SUPPLY HOARDER! coughcough) of each line on hand :)
The primary colors are basically the same shades in both lines. The main difference is that “Elementary” is pretty grungy with a brown/cream tone throughout whereas “Smarty Pants” is cleaner and has white backgrounds.
That said, I don’t see why you couldn’t mix the 2 lines together. Some people are picky about only using cream with cream and white with white, but that’s not something that bothers me. I think these would be a nice mix, actually. They kind of balance each other out.
Wendy, I hope that was helpful! Readers, what do you think – would you mix these 2 lines together? Please leave a Comment below! Diverse opinions welcomed and I will NOT point and laugh, I promise ;)
If you hadn’t already heard, MEMORY WORKS is closing effective 12-31-13. I wrote about the sad saga HERE. So this month is my last hurrah, so to speak :(
I wanted to let you know that “Daily Grind”, the newest line from SIMPLE STORIES is in stock and you can see it all HERE.
I already have some Daily Grind in hand myself. Wanna’ see? I got a sampling of the loose papers, Elements papers, and the Simple Elements chevron papers. I’m showing you the front and back sides of the papers. I also got the bingo card paper, Sn@p Cards, and Sn@p Cuts.
How about some “Daily Grind” inspiration from the Simple Stories DT?
**BY TONYA**
**BY MELISSA STINSON**
**BY EMILY LANHAM**
**BY VICKI BOUTIN**
If I’ve convinced you of its pure beauty and necessity in your life, I’d really appreciate one last order from ya’ :) Just check it out HERE, then e-mail me with your order: scrapbook obsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
I’ll send you a Paypal invoice right away and once that’s cleared, Memory Works will ship “Daily Grind” {or any other scrappy goodness that falls into your cart} straight to you from the home office in Utah within 1-2 business days.
ARCHIVER’S scrapbooking chain sent out this e-mail recently. I’m not on their mailing list so I copied it from a posting online; I apologize for the lovely ‘chopped up’ quality :)
I’m on the West Coast and have never been to an Archiver’s, altough shopping there is on my Scrapbook Bucket List :) I’m rarely even in an LSS anymore – all of mine closed years ago – so the thought of being in a scrapbooking warehouse of sorts is pretty exciting! Alas, I’ll have to cross 2 large states to reach the closest one!
Archiver’s Locations:
But when added to their BANKRUPTCY NEWS from the recent past {where the irony of them shafting some of those small manufacturers they now propose to support has been mentioned} and now this e-mail, it’s starting to feel like another thing I’ll have to remove from the Bucket List as impossible {like seeing The Oprah Show in person, boo hoo}. In other words, I have to wonder: Will Archiver’s even be around by the time I can travel to one?
The message boards are blazing with reaction to the above Archiver’s e-mail. Here’s the gist of some of the comments, both good and bad:
– Archiver’s is clearly NOT a small business and trying to cast themselves as part of Small Business Saturday was tacky and unwarranted. While they ARE a small chain {33 stores} in comparison to big boxes MICHAELS {1000+ stores} and HOBBY LOBBY {800+ stores}, they do not meet the definition of a small business {25 locations or less; they missed it by 7}. Personally, I don’t read that they think they ARE a small biz, just that their continued existence helps to keep ‘small biz’ scrapbooking vendors alive. And that they are similar in many ways to a small business in that their home office and individual store staffs are relatively small. I was surprised to hear that only 30 home office employees run a chain of 33 stores; I had pictured a much bigger ‘corporate headquarters’ type of set-up.
– Archiver’s in the past seemed to be practicing “Goal: World Scrapbooking Domination”, putting stores in close proximity to local scrapbook stores {LSS’s}, which many feel was a targeted and successful attempt to shut the smaller stores down. So isn’t it ironic that they now would like to cast themselves as a ‘small business’ or small business supporter?
– Archiver’s has made other business mistakes – like employees who seem to lack scrapbooking knowledge or interest, installing Memory Labs in their stores which don’t seem overly popular, must’ve been hugely expensive, and take up lots of store space that used to hold product, etc. So to send this e-mail that seems to imply that it’s the customers’ faults that Archiver’s is struggling is like a slap in the face.
– Scrappers who do have Archiver’s stores nearby enjoy shopping there, feel they offer something special, and they try to support them with their dollars. Shoppers realize that if we as customers don’t show our support, i.e., spend our scrappy dollars there, we simply won’t have them as a choice eventually. And no one wants that :(
– The e-mail from Archiver’s didn’t bother some scrapbookers at all. They either found it harmless, just the truth being spoken, a necessary cry for help, etc.
Please remember, I stated these are not MY opinions per se, just a compilation of things I’ve seen expressed on the message boards.
Again, as someone who’s never shopped at Archiver’s, I can’t comment on their business practices, their employees, etc. But I can say that if I DID have an Archiver’s within driving distance, I would be there as much as possible. I do have other loyalties to keep with my scrapbooking dollar {as a MEMORY WORKS consultant since 2007, a lot of my dollars have gone there obviously … but they are closing effective 12-31-13} and other places I like to buy basics {Michaels, etc.}.
But I personally wouldn’t take offense to the Archiver’s e-mail. It would’ve opened my eyes to the dire straits they appear to be in, and would’ve renewed my interest in and commitment to shopping there. Hoping it wouldn’t be too little, too late for “us” to save them …
Are you an Archiver’s customer? What has been your experience with Archiver’s? Did the e-mail bother you or no? Do you think Archivers is on its way to closing down?
Even if you don’t have an Archivers close enough to shop at, I’d love to hear your opinions on this issue. Like THIS post I wrote a while back, scrapbooking stores, manufacturers, and customer support is an issue that’s going to keep coming up as more stores continue to fight to stay in business in these tough times … or give up when it’s no longer possible.
Do we as scrapbookers “owe” anything to these retailers? And if we don’t monetarily support them, are you okay if they close?
I just wanted to say: “Welcome back, Fancy Pants. Welcome back.”
I used to love FP back in the day. When I first started with MEMORY WORKS in 2007 and for a year or two thereafter, I used to lub me some Fancy Pants. They were one of my biggest selling brands.
Then I don’t know what happened but they fell off my radar. First off, I didn’t hear about them much anymore. Secondly, when I did come across a Fancy Pants line, I didn’t care for it. Too busy, too doodle-y, too much. Weird color combos, some kind of jarring. Just not my style anymore.
And my FP love was restored. Like magic. Rich colors, simpler designs, no doodles, and a fresh look that I haven’t seen in any other Christmas line from 2013.
I didn’t link the images because they were so small when I tried. But do go look at the link above and see what I’ve fallen in love with. They also have a new line called “BELOVED” shipping December 2013 which doesn’t do much for me, but then I’m never much into Valentine’s lines. You?
What do you think? Had you lost the love for Fancy Pants only to discover it again? Or have you always like their lines?
Okay, this is going on my list for Scrapbook Santa!
As I posted here yesterday, the scrapbook company I’ve been a consultant for since 2007 is closing their doors effective 12-31-13. They also own Simple Stories and want to focus on that part of their business.
What that means is a HUGE CLOSEOUT SALE – hey, at least something good comes of it, right?
Effective November 2, 2013 all products will be clearance priced at an additional 30% discount. There will be no further reduction in price. As products sell out they will not be reordered or replaced.
Please take a look and if there’s anything you’d like to order for 30% OFF (even Clearance!), e-mail your order to me at: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com
I will send you a Paypal invoice ASAP. Once payment is received, your order will be sent from the MW warehouse in Utah straight to you! They normally ship within 1-2 business days of order completion – although I’d allow a bit of extra time as they are flooded with orders.
I’ve been checking the MW site and don’t see the discount but please know that EVERYTHING* is 30% off. When I put things into my cart as a consultant, the discount is definitely showing. I’m off to order some goodies myself!
*NOTE: The Sn@p! albums and pages are not showing the discount and it being Saturday, there’s no one in home office for me to ask. If you want Sn@p! albums for 30% off, please send me an e-mail and I’ll find out Monday ~ thanks!
ETA 11-04-13: Apparently, the Sn@p! albums and page protectors are NOT part of this sale – sorry! But all of the Simple Stories lines and Sn@p! lines ARE part of the 30% off sale.
First come, first served and once it’s gone, it’s gone! MW carries all the major brands; here is just a sample of what we have:
SIMPLE STORIES “Everyday” Sn@p! Cards
BELLA BLVD “Daily Chevies”
GLITZ DESIGNS “Hello December”
MY MINDS EYE “Chalk Studio”
This is my last hurrah as a Memory Works Consultant. I would really appreciate your order :)
As a Memory Works Consultant since 2007, I’m very saddened by this news :( Here is the press release I received in the last hour:
PRESS RELEASE:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MemoryWorks 640 West 1100 South, Suite 100 Ogden, UT 84404 801-782-5901
November 1, 2013
MemoryWorks, a direct-sales scrapbook company, announces today it plans to cease operations, effective December 31st, 2013. The company will continue to operate a retail location at 640 West 1000 South, Suite 100 in Ogden, Utah for the immediate future. Employees of MemoryWorks will be absorbed into Simple Stories, a sister company.
MemoryWorks was started in 2002 by Kevin and Amber Crowell. The company experienced strong growth throughout its 12 years of operation. In 2009, MemoryWorks released an exclusive scrapbook collection, Life Documented, to its consultants. As a result of the success of the collection, Simple Stories was created in 2010, a wholesale scrapbook business. Since that time, Simple Stories has experienced phenomenal growth in its short, 3 year tenure.
Kevin Crowell, President, commented, “We are very grateful for the devoted MemoryWorks consultants that we have worked with over the years. While the decision to cease operations has been difficult, it enables us to focus our resources fully on the continued growth and expansion of Simple Stories”.
Contact:
For questions related to media:
Layle Koncar Marketing Director Simple Stories layle@simplestories.com 801-560-3733
For questions related to consultants:
MemoryWorks Customer Service support@memory-works.com 801-782-5901
Even though I assumed something had to change in the near future, I had hoped/expected it would be a renewed interest in the Consultant side of the business. I was brimming with ideas of how to make things better for Memory Works Consultants.
The other option in my mind was this: Memory Works closing. Yet I’m still in shock. I’ll write more later . . . just wanted to get the news out.
To all the other Memory Works Consultants out there {{{BIG HUGS}}}.
Well, I teased you about it HERE . . . but now as of 8am MST on Monday 10-28-13, I can share the images finally! Phew, it was a long 3 days, LOL :D
Without further adieu, here is the new line from Simple Stories called “Daily Grind”. Have fun scrolling . . . and here’s a tissue for your drooling.
Note: All images including layout provided by Simple Stories.
My 5 favorite things about Simple Stories “Daily Grind”:
1. Bright primary colors combined with the warmth of dark wood is a great look. It somewhat reminds me of another favorite line, Glitz Design – Color Me Happy Collection
2. Versatile, daily use designs like calendar/dates, Instagram, phone, clock, house, hearts, and stars. And COFFEE!
3. The Simple Basics kit full of colorful chevrons and polka dots just makes me happy!
4. A new line of Sn@p! cards . . . can’t get enough of them.
5. That modern cursive font is one of my favorites.
Another similarity this line triggered for me was the translucent speech bubble images that reminds me of this:
I just got a sneak peek of this new line {which I’m not allowed to share yet, or you KNOW I would!} and it’s uh-MAY-zing!
It’s another clean, colorful, daily-use line similar to their Sn@p! lines – as opposed to the usually more distressed Simple Stories looks. Just to give you a little hint ;)
Vendors are placing orders now and the full reveal is planned for next Monday, 10/28/13. Of course, I will carry it here through MEMORY WORKS and would love if you placed an order through me :)
I think many of us have been asking ourselves this question, given that these albums have been showing up on clearance at Michaels, in kits, etc. When a product is discounted, it makes you wonder (fear!) that it’s end-of-the-line time for that product.
When this question was recently posted at Two Peas, I decided to contact LAYLE KONCAR, the marketing director for Simple Stories, and get an answer directly from her. Here was her answer: “We’re not phasing them out.”
YAYYY!!!! I know a lot of scrappers will be happy to hear that. While the new ‘leather’ 6×8 Sn@p! albums are lusciously wonderful (!) . . . {EEEE! Can you say “December Daily”??}
. . . the older version is special. The chipboard covers and cloth spines can be altered and customized to your heart’s content. Besides, I just love kraft <3
I’m the Marketing Director for Simple Stories. I assure you, we are NOT phasing out our SN@P! Binders; they continue to be one of our best selling products. You will continue to see us release products that coordinate the SN@P! Binders as well as our faux leather 6×8 and 12×12 albums. We have some SUPER fun things coming out at CHA related to the SN@P! Binders – stay tuned
Not only is Simple Stories NOT phasing out the Sn@p! binders, they are ADDING things related to them. Couldn’t be better news than that!
I’m a Memory Works Consultant (owned by the same family who owns Simple Stories), and we have the Sn@p! binders in stock RIGHT HERE . . . in case you can’t find the color you need elsewhere :) Please e-mail me with your order: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. I’ll send you a Paypal invoice lickety split and once paid, your Sn@p! binders {and maybe some other lovely products we carry like the new Sn@p! sets??} will be shipped directly to you within 1-2 business days.
Simple Stories Sn@p! “Everyday” ~ my FAVE of the new Sn@p! sets
I’ll be posting photos and a review soon so stay tuned …
PS: I’m going to compare these albums to the ‘old’ 6×8 Sn@p binders and to the 12×12 leather albums by WRMK. If you have any other questions you’d like answered about them, please post in Comments below. Thanks!
This is one of my favorite times of year: CHA Sneak Peek season! Right now in July 2013, we’re getting sneak peeks of all the new lines to be debuted at CHA-Summer 2013. It’s called “Create and Connect” and will be held in Las Vegas from July 22-25, 2013. The excitement builds, LOL!
I have a Page here on Scrapbook Obsession Blog that you may not have noticed before so I wanted to invite you to check it out: CHA SNEAK PEEKS {you can find it in the bar under the blog header}.
I just checked out the links to make sure they all work. I had to delete one – The Scrap Review – because they don’t seem to be a very active site anymore :(
ETA 07-09-13: Woot woot! The Scrap Review is back in the game! I’ve added them back to my CHA Sneak Peeks page. Thanks so much to Susan for the news!
I’ve also added some more links where you can find CHA sneak peek goodness. So please check out my CHA SNEAK PEEKS page!
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Okay, now that you’ve checked out all the peeks, what lines are you loving? Not feeling? Not sure about yet?
I’m sorry for the late notice. I got this on Friday but failed to post it. The deadline for them to include your card and/or donation is this Friday 05-31-13. So there’s still a little time left to do a quick card and get it in the mail to Bo Bunny.
I hope you’re able to participate. I think “small” gifts like this will make a big impact <3
This is my absolute all-time favorite Simple Stories collection! I probably have said that before but it’s all their fault! Simple Stories keeps putting out new things that keep topping the last. What’s an obsessed scrapper to do?
It’s now in stock on my Memory Works website and I’m SO stoked! I was lucky enough to get a box of this pre-release so I can tell you first hand – it is aMAYzingly gorgeous and fun. You are going to love it. Or should I say {heart} it?
Just click right HERE to see the whole line and place an order.
PS: Please don’t be skerred to order from me just ‘cuz I’m a ‘consultant’. I won’t add you to an annoying mailing list or bug you for future orders. I’m more like an online store – just fill your cart, check out, and I’ll send you a Paypal invoice right away. Once payment is received, I approve the order and it’s shipped straight to you from our home office in Utah within 1-2 business days. {Monday is a holiday so I would order today for maximum speed, lol}.
So you heard the EXCITING NEWS that Simple Stories new “I {Heart} Summer” line is coming out 05-20-13, right?
Well, if you can’t wait until then to see this SS goodness in person, check THIS out! Free printables from the “I {Heart} Summer” line! Yep, just click on the link, open up the .pdf file, and print ’em out on white cardstock for use in your layouts and Project Life albums.
Here are some of them – sorry they’re HUGE:
It don’t get much better than that.
Word.
PS: You can find a bunch of other Simple Stories free printables HERE.
Have you heard about the latest line by SIMPLE STORIES!?!? It’s called “I {Heart} Summer” and it’s a new favorite! You can see the entire line HERE on the Simple Stories blog.
Here’s a layout **from the Simple Stories blog** to tease you:
Isn’t it lovely?
And did you know that Simple Stories has a new marketing director? It’s a name you may recognize from the scrapbooking industry: LAYLE KONCAR. {Pronounced like “Gail” with an “L”}
And she is ~ to quote the name of another SS line ~ AWESOME! I’ve seen her doing great outreach around the scrapbooking interwebs and I’m sure she’s doing more amazing things behind the scenes as well. For instance, check out THIS THREAD on the Two Peas message board. Isn’t that cool?
Speaking of how cool Layle is, look at what she sent me ~ a pre-release box of the new line, “I {Heart} Summer” !!!
THANKS LAYLE and SIMPLE STORIES!!! You rawk. Srsly.
Isn’t that amazing!?!? I was so excited to see this line in person. Believe you me, I unwrapped and fondled every stinkin’ piece, LOL. Let’s just say there was a lot of paper sniffing goin’ on in the hizzy ;)
Recently, I was fittin’ to scrapbook some photos from a weekend we spent at the beach. I wanted to get the photos and journaling in an album while the amazing weekend was still fresh in my mind.
But once I heard this pretty box was on it’s way to me, I put that project on hold sista’! I didn’t think on the surface that this line would be perfect for beach photos. It brought to mind more summer, picnic, BBQ, fishing, and swimming pool pages like these:
***LAYOUTS COURTESY OF SIMPLE STORIES BLOG***
But when I took a closer look at it, I realized how perfect it is for my beach weekend photos. There are images of surfboards, beach umbrella, “Beach” sign, sailboat, anchor, flip flops, clouds, fishies, and lots of distressed, beachy-looking wood. I can’t wait to start scrapping!
So do you {heart} this new Simple Stories line as much as I do? What are your favorite pieces? Do you have any photos in mind to use it with? I would love to hear your project ideas :)
PS: This line ships to vendors the week of 05-20-13. Of course, I would be really honored if you’d order through my MEMORY WORKS SITE. Once it’s in stock, you can find it HERE. Thank *U*
lines will be out from 
