The SIMPLE STORIES “Life Documented” kit by MEMORY WORKS went on sale Friday, January 15, 2010 at 9am MST … and I ordered mine 1/15/10 at 9:01 MST :) I know, I know, I lagged for a whole minute! Here is what I ordered:
And the kiwi green WRMK 12×12 D-RING ALBUM ($30.00), which comes with (10) regular 12×12 page protectors
I received my package of goodies exactly one week later (the following Friday). Usually I get MW orders within 4-5 days but, understandably, it took longer this time because they were swamped with orders. That weekend, I set about getting started with my Simple Stories kit, which I’m using to complete my PROJECT 365 for 2010.
The kit is so detailed and nice-looking, that you can definitely “keep it simple” and use nothing but what comes in the kit, by cutting the cardstock elements apart, printing out and using the digital elements, etc. and just slipping them right into the page protector slots. Adding your photos and journaling would be the rest of the process, and you’d be DUNZO! Whoo hoo, love the simplicity and quickness of that.
But after seeing Simple Stories page samples from the Memory Works design team and guest designer BRENDA HURD, I decided to go a little more elaborate with mine. I really liked how they added flowers, ribbon, stamping, and other embellishments to dress it up and have a little fun with it.
So I went digging through my stash and began gathering things that I could use. I found lots of matching flowers and ribbons (Why, yes, I DO know that I have a ribbon issue! I’m on Step 7 of 12. I’ve humbly asked God to remove this shortcoming. I’m waiting to hear back) …
I decided to use one of the patterned, double-sided cardstock sheets to open my Project 365 album, with the title page/front page using one side, and then turning the page to an Introduction page on the left. {It has a bunch of personal info on it and with the nasty spammers I get on the blog, I can’t share the whole thing here, sorry … }. Here’s the bottom right of the Intro page, where I used a file tab sticker and alpha letters from the SS kit, and some light green glitter chipboard letters I had (thanks SSS SECRET SANTA!).
I printed out my photos and started popping them into the slots, along with strips, embellishment, and journaling cards from the kit. I also used one of the transparencies here, to give special honor to the photo of receiving my long-awaited Simple Stories shipment!
On the first page, I used the January month card. There’s a card for every month, which I love.
I kept the cover sheet from the kit and slipped it in a page protector, for when I take my Project 365 album {which will be my demo album} to Memory Works parties and crops.
I’m not sure why I took a photo of my WRMK album. I think because I’m in love with it and want to marry it …
I got all my P365 photos printed up to that point, which was the end of Week 3, and got them in the page protectors where I liked them. Some of the photos didn’t fit effortlessly into the slotted pages so rather than fight or force, I decided to make a front and back 12×12 layout using some of the Prism cardstock as a background.
At that point, I had a better feel for the colors and style of the kit, and went shopping in my stash again for things I could use to dress it up. I found chipboard numbers, journaling items, metal frames, and all kinds of bling. Hmmm … I’m getting so much stuff, I need a container of some kind to hold them on my desk. Shouldn’t be a problem, as I’m the Queen of Rubbermaid storage containers, LOL.
So that’s how things went on my first Simple Stories outing. Obviously, now that I’ve got the basic layout of my pages in place, it’s time to USE some of that fine stashness I’ve gathered.
I’ve never done Project 365 and I’ve never scrapbooked this way, with the divided page protectors. This is going to be a fun and growing experience for me and my scrapbooking, and I’m really looking forward to it.
Check out this cute, scrapbook-related COMIC for a good laugh. You gals who’ve been dealing with ice and snow storms will especially appreciate it :)
If you’ve been patiently waiting for a look at the Simple Stories kit I got last week and what I’m making with it, please hang in there and I’ll have something posted this weekend :)
As you probably know by now (LOL!), I’m a consultant for MEMORY WORKS, and SIMPLE STORIESis their hot new product (the very 1st product of their own!). It’s been very popular with scrappers doing PROJECT 365, or those who just want to get some fast scrapping done … while keeping it cute and stylish :) I have an online friend who wants to use this kit to get a quick scrapbook done for her 2009 family album, as she was busy with kids and craziness, and didn’t get many of her photos scrapped.
Anyway, I placed this order ~ which was #1 of 2 ~ the second that Simple Stories products went live on my Memory Works website last Friday (1-15-10). Memory Works said to expect a longer shipping time than usual because this was so popular and they have a small staff. Usually my orders ship to me within 1 business day; they said to allow 4-7 business days for Simple Stories, and that was accurate since it shipped on Day 5 and arrived here on Day 7.
As you can see, I ordered my own stuff and a bunch of extras to sell at my next crop and to friends. (I’m already holding a few things, wink). There’s my gorgeous Kiwi green album by We R Memory Keepers, the Simple Stories kits, coordinating cardstock packs, and 2 kinds of page protector packs.
My 2nd order is due here Monday … more of the same. I decided to get extras with the profits I made from the first round of selling (it sold VERY well!). Like they say, a good businesswoman reinvests her profits in her business :) I heard … and it may just be a rumor … that this could be the only run of this version of “Life Documented” kits. I mean, Memory Works will probably issue future Simple Stories kits along these same lines that coordinate and everything, but I like THIS particular kit so much, I wanted to get lots of extras while I could. You know, once they’re gone, they’re gone, kind of a thang.
I’ll be playing with Simple Stories all weekend, getting my Project 365 all caught up (Weeks 1 through 3). I’ll post close-ups of the kit contents themselves, probably on Monday because I have a very busy weekend.
Did you order Simple Stories? Didja get it yet? What do you think?
I feel like BECKY HIGGINS today! You know how everyone gets so excited over her scrapbook kits, like the school days one, and more recently, PROJECT LIFE??? Well, today is the day that theSIMPLE STORIES “Life Documented” line and accessories went on sale … 1-15-10 at 9am MST, to be exact.
Late lastnight, the CATALOG of Simple Stories items was released to consultants and boy is it purdy. It’s a .PDF file that I can e-mail to customers, and the whole line in is in there, including the much anticipated matching Prism cardstock, along with How To’s and samples. Very well done, I thought.
I was was up super late lastnight (too embarrassed to tell you HOW late….), getting all my ducks in a row with my pre-orders. I tallied down who had pre-ordered what, the amount due, and whether their Paypal payment had been received. I made sure my Memory Works WEBSITE was pulled up, that all my billing and address info was correct, and that I was logged in. Then I went to bed for a few hours (ahem…) and was up by 7am to be ready for the 8am (my time) launch.
Once the Simple Stories items were showing on my MW website, I placed my very own order for an album, kit, a Prism cardstock pack, and some page protector packs. I added extras of everything (except the album; oh, I got that cool Kiwi green color, btw!) so I have some stock to sell at my next crop. I hit Send and sang Hallelujah! Did a little happy dance. Whoo hoo, I GOT ME MINES!
Then I went to my e-mail … and felt like Becky :)
The order invoices starting coming in, right from the beginning! I checked each one to make sure the correct items were ordered that they had requested, then verified payment had been received, and hit “Order Fulfillment” on my MW website. Questions were coming in pretty regularly, and new orders that hadn’t been pre-paid, so I typed up Paypal invoices, sent them right off, received payment SO quickly (these girls are excited!…well, that or they had to leave for work, sheesh). More Order Fulfillments and lots of happy customers!
Yeah, I felt like about 1% of the stress that Becky Higgins must feel the day her new kits go on sale to the general public. Gah! It’s fun, exhilarating, exciting, and stressful, all rolled into one. I know I’ve gone on and on about this kit/line, and I thank you for your patience if you normally come here just to read sarcastic scrapbook commentary and see what’s in stock at Michaels, LOL! I’ll get back to that good stuff soon, I promise. In fact, I have a VERY good article coming up that you’re going to want to read. It applies to a scrapbook industry controversy, so should be interesting, eh?
Anyway, I’m so happy today is here, excited to keep selling Simple Stories products in the future, and SO appreciative of my lovely customers and understanding SBO readers who have been nothing but wonderful to me :) Hollah!
The best part is going to be seeing what people DO with this kit. I’ve seen (MW owner) Amber’s samples on the simple stories blog, and I know the MW Design Team got the kit a day or two early and are busy creating with it. But I really want to see what the everyday scrapper like me does with it, and hear their feedback. I hope it turns out to be a good solution for Project 365’ers, for busy moms who want to get some photos in an album BEFORE their kids are grown and gone, and for new scrappers who maybe have been intimidated by traditional scrapping and might feel like this is something they can do to get started.
Again, just feelin’ the love today. Thanks to all! Have a WONDERFUL day!
ETA 1-15-10: Holy cow, the Prism Cardstock Pack (it matches with Life Documented kit) has already sold out! I hope they’ll get more soon. You get (7) pieces of pebbled, 12×12 cardstock for $3.75 …
ETA 1-18-10: It’s back! The Prism cardstock that matches Simple Stories “Life Documented” is back in stock :)
For all the details on this kit, please scroll down through my blog and see the past 7 updates. Or you can do a Search on Simple Stories and the entries will come up ~ thanks :)
Since my last update, there have been 2 new posts on the Simple Stories blog:
ALMOST HERE! (01-08-10) ~ More photos of what the kit looks like in action
RELEASE DATE (01-12-10) ~ Release date moved from January 18 to January 15
Just wanted to let you know that the planned release date has been changed from Monday, January 18, 2010 … to this Friday, January 15! For those of you who have placed pre-orders through me, make sure you go to my website ASAP on Friday and order the items you’ve pre-paid for. I don’t want you to miss out … these are going to be VERY popular kits.
The time of release is 9am MST, so figure out what time that means for your time zone if you want to be one of the first, LOL! It’ll be 8am my time (PST) and I’m going to order the kit, album, and page protectors for myself and then some extras to have in stock and sell at crops. I can’t wait to get the goods so I can start scrapping my Project 365!
Okay, I know those of you who could care less about Simple Stories are getting tired of these dang posts, so I’ll keep it short, LOL! Those who ARE interested, please post any questions here in Comments or e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
Just a quick post to say that if you requested to be on my e-mail list for Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit updates, I sent one out yesterday. If I inadvertently missed you, please let me know :)
Also, there is an online crop this weekend at SCRAP SISTERS STUDIO. Please come join us for lots of fun! I think it’s going to be a busy and fun crop, because everyone is back in the mood to scrap after the holidays. Also, lots of the country is snowbound and very cold right now, so staying inside to crop, drink some coffee or hot tea, and chat with friends sounds perfect, don’t you think? I posted my first layout challenge ever and I’m sending a small RAK to everyone who submits a layout, so come check it out. HERE is where the crop is, and HERE is where you register if you’re not a member yet. Hope to see you there!
The excitement over the Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit by MEMORY WORKS continues to build. Since my last update, there have been 2 more posts on the Simple Stories BLOG:
Q&A (1-4-10) ~ Some FAQs are answered More Elements (1-6-10) ~ Digital elements are revealed & see who the special guest designer will be
Speaking of digital elements, that’s what my TEASE was about earlier. The detailed info is in the “More Elements” post I linked to above, but here are the basics:
You print these on your choice of cardstock:
Then punch them out with this:
Fiskars 2″ Round and Round Scallop Punch
Or this:
Fiskars 2″ Round and Round Circle Punch
You print these…
… on sticker labels like this:
Avery 8167
As coincidence would have it, Memory Works currently carries both of the squeeze punches. If you would like to order either/both now, e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com or place your order on my WEBSITE. They’re each $17.50 and I have a feeling once the kit goes on sale, a lot of people will be ordering these so I can’t guarantee how long they’ll stay in stock.
I’m ordering the scalloped one for myself tomorrow and will be scouting out those Avery labels at Staples next time I’m there :)
Man, when I saw those scallop date tags, I literally gasped! I LURVE circle date labels like that and the fact that they were scalloped on top of it just sent me over the moon. They remind me of JILLIBEAN SOUP who makes all those cute and fresh-looking journaling spots.
I think all the free digital downloads are going to be so fun to play with, personalize, and use the heck out of.
In other Simple Stories news …
The latest date given for release of the “Life Documented” kit is January 18, a mere 11 days away! This is also from the Simple Stories blog:
——— The complete Simple Stories product line and Life Documented kit is estimated to arrive by January 18 – it may be a little earlier or a little later – but that’s our shipping estimate as of today. We will continue to keep you updated – and AS SOON as our products are available we will have them available for purchase. So let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope all goes well – that’s only 2 WEEKS away….woo hoo!!
———
One last piece of news I’d like to share is this: According to an e-mail conversation I had with the home office, depending on the interest level (that means buy a kit please so they’ll keep making them, LOL!), Memory Works plans to continue releasing Simple Stories kits. These would be in 3-month intervals and have different themes. I’m so stinkin’ excited. I hope the first kit does really, really well and it encourages them to keep making more.
So, if you’re interested in Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit and the accessories that go with it, please see:
HERE about being on my mailing list HERE for shipping information
and HERE to learn about placing a pre-order
I’ve already received several pre-orders, which means once the kit become available, waiting for payment verification isn’t going to hold these girls up from getting their kit, album, and/or page protectors ordered. Very exciting!
So keep those pre-orders coming…and don’t hesitate to post here or e-mail me with any questions :)
If you’re interested in purchasing the SIMPLE STORIES “Life Documented” kit by MEMORY WORKS, I’m accepting pre-orders as of NOW :)
If you’re not familiar with Simple Stories, please scroll down and see my past entries on it.
Suffice to say, if you’re looking for a cool way to do Project 365 this year, or just want to get some quick scrapping done, Simple Stories may be for you. The response to this new product has been amazing ~ I think because it’s look is what so many of us consider to be “our style” and because it’s such a cool system ~ that I’m halfway afraid it’s going to sell out before I can get it to everyone who wants one.
Hence, PRE-ORDERS :) This way, I will have your payment already in hand by mid-January when the kit become available. Standby your e-mail though, because I’ll notify you when when to place your actual order!
Here is how it will work:
1. You decide which item(s) you want from the list below.
2. Add the appropriate tax for the city/county of the shipping address.
3. Add shipping/handling charges (see end of this post).
4. E-mail your request to me along with how you would like to pay (check, money order, or Paypal).
I’ll collect and process payments until the projected “Life Documented” availability of Mid-January. When the kit and items become available, I’ll e-mail you with instructions on what to do then.
{Which will be to log into my Memory Works website, place the pre-paid for items in your shopping cart, enter your shipping address, and submit your order. I will automatically be notified that your order has been placed and, instead of having to wait for your payment to be received, I’ll be able to approve your order for processing immediately … assuming your payment has been received and processed already}.
{But don’t worry about that part right now, LOL}.
Here are the items that will be available in mid-January
(to the best of my knowledge at this time…disclaimer done…check!):
Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit for $16.99
.
.
.
.
We R Memory Keepers 12×12 D-Ring leather albums for $30.00
Colors are RED, BLACK, CINNAMON (brown), and KIWI (green)
Note: These albums come with (10) regular (not divided) 12×12 page protectors
.
.
.
.
We R Memory Keepers 12×12 divided page protector packages:
4×6 horizontal pockets only, 25-pack, for $11.50
4×6 vertical pockets only, 10-pack, for $5.50
12×12 regular (no pockets) page protectors, 25-pack, $10.50
Multi-Pack (various pocket configurations as show below), 10-pack, $5.50
Exclusive Simple Stories “Life Documented” page protector bundle ~ includes complete Multi-Pack PLUS (12) 4×6 horizontal pockets only, for $11.50
.
.
.
.
To anticipate some questions you may have about the above products…
Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit by Memory Works:
Exactly what items come in the kit?
~ Please see the graphic above for specifics on the exact items you get in this kit.
What is the quality of the cardstock items?
~ I haven’t personally seen the kit, of course, but the Simple Stories blog states that “you’ll love the quality of this super-thick, heavy-weight cardstock!”
Are the cardstock items pre-cut?
~ No, they will come as a 12×12 sheet and you will cut them apart yourself. They are sized to fit perfectly within the pockets of the WRMK divided page protectors.
Will this kit allow me to scrapbook an entire year’s worth of photos or an entire Project 365?
~ This truly depends on how generously or sparingly your use the elements of the kit, and how many photos you include in your project. For example, if you’re doing a “year in review” type of album, the kit does include (12) Monthly Title Cards with a spot for journaling on the back (which would show on the next page in your album). Everything is double-sided, so it does “double duty” in your album. With all the additional elements and patterned paper provided, I would feel comfortable saying you could complete an entire “Year in Review” album with just this one “Life Documented” kit.
I’m doing Project 365 for 2010 and will be using this kit to complete it. I’m not 100% sure that I’ll be able to complete my entire project using only one of these kits. Again, it really depends on how I lay out my pages, how lightly or heavily I use the elements on each page, etc. From looking at other scrappers Project 365s from 2009, I think I’ll be able to do it with just one kit. The majority of Project 365 is filled with your photos … at least 7 slots per 2-page layout, right? Depending on what type of “pocket” protectors you use on any given layout, the use of the kit elements themselves is going to be pretty sparing.
But that’s just my own judgement … You do what you feel is right for you. If you feel safer ordering 2 kits right from the get-go, I would do that. If you have extras leftover at the end of your project, whatever it may be, you can certainly use these elements on regular scrapbook page layouts.
.
.
We R Memory Keepers 12×12 Leather D-Ring albums:
Are the albums good quality and will they hold up to large projects?
~ I have several of these albums myself, that I use for School Days albums for my family members. These are albums that are very full and are looked at a lot, and I’ve been very pleased with the quality. The albums seem very strong and I haven’t had any problems, nor have I ever heard of scrappers being unhappy with WRMK albums’ quality.
.
.
We R Memory Keepers pocket page protectors:
Are the pockets on the front, back, or both sides of the page protectors?
~ I was really curious about this, too, as I was trying to conceptualize how I was going to lay out my Project 365 album using “Life Documented” and WRMK pocket page protectors. So I bought a pack of the set with 2×12 vertical pocket, and (5) vertical and horizontal 4×6 pockets. The pockets themselves are on the front side of the protector only; the back side of the protector is smooth. Obviously, whatever you put in the pockets, the backside of that will show on the next page of your album (if that makes sense, LOL!). That’s why Simple Stories has everything double-sided, and you get double duty out of all the cardstock elements.
Before you decide what you want to order, THIS is a great post on the Simple Stories blog to look at closely. It has all the elements of the “Life Documented” kit in one place, and I think any other questions you have will be answered in that post.
So, as I said above, if you’d like to place a PRE-ORDER for the Simple Stories “Life Documented” kit, or the We R Memory Keepers albums or Page Protectors, e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. Please include:
1. Item(s) requested and cost
2. Shipping address
3. Total due including items, tax*, and shipping/handling**
4. Payment method – check, money order, or Paypal
~ I strongly prefer Paypal, and will e-mail a Paypal invoice to you ASAP
~ If paying by check or money order, I’ll e-mail you back with my address
* Sales tax amount is based on the tax rate for the address you’re shipping to. There is a really cool sales tax rate lookup and calculator HERE.
** Please see THIS post for information on Memory Works shipping/handling information and costs.
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns :) If you know of anyone who plans to order Simple Stories “Life Documented,” send them my way!
Continental United States - Standard Shipping Rates
Retail Cost $0 to $87.99
Shipping Cost $6.95
Handling Fee* $1.50
Total Shipping and Handling $8.45
Retail Cost $88.00 to $118.99
Shipping Cost $7.95
Handling Fee* $1.50
Total Shipping and Handling $9.45
Retail Cost $119.00 and up
Shipping Cost 8%
Handling Fee* None
Total Shipping and Handling 8%
*3-Day rush orders will be charged an additional $12.00 to expedite the order process.
APO/FPO, Alaska, Hawaii and US Territories - Standard Shipping Rates
Retail Cost $0 to $40.99
Shipping Cost $10.95
Handling Fee* None
Total Shipping and Handling $10.95
Retail Cost $41.00 to $125.99
Shipping Cost $14.95
Handling Fee* None
Total Shipping and Handling $14.95
Retail Cost $126.00 and up
Shipping Cost 12%
Handling Fee* None
Total Shipping and Handling 12%
Memory Works home office is located in Utah, and all items will ship from that location. Orders are usually filled and shipped within 1-2 business days from the time your order has been approved by your Consultant.
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: There is currently no way for you to place an order on my website and have it shipped to you internationally. However, if you would like to place an order, I can do that for you, have it shipped to me in the U.S., then I would ship it to you. ALL shipping charges would be paid by the customer. Or if you have family/friends with a U.S. address, we can have it shipped to them for forwarding to you. Please contact me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com if you're interested in placing an international order.
SALES TAX: It's based on the tax rate for the address you're shipping to. There is a really cool sales tax rate lookup and calculator HERE.
Okay, I percolated on it for a while (like how I can fit a coffee reference in just about anywhere?? lol), and I’ve decided to take pre-orders for the “Life Documented” kit. I’ll post more info later today (Sunday), but as a heads up, I can take check, money order, and Paypal (preferred). I’ll make sure you know all the items available, the prices, and how to submit payment. TTFN…
Okay, ladies, I think this kit officially qualifies as a scrapbook “frenzy” LOL!
Back in the day when I hung out at CKMB a lot*, someone would post a new product and before you knew it, the whole board was in a frenzy to find said item and get it in their possession ASAP. Then they would come post/brag about it, so the rest of us could be jealous :) Some examples of frenzy items: Fiskars “Threading Water” punch, Michaels $1 stamps, Basic Grey magnetic mats, and anything on sale for a fabulous price like the Heidi Swapp and My Minds Eye huge kits at Costco.
*Speaking of CKMB, I’ve been visiting again lately and it seems to have finally stopped logging me out every 5 seconds so I’m back to posting there again. Yay for me! I missed those sweet girls :)
Well, Simple Stories has reached that level, my friends. Every message board I’m on is talking about it, wanting it, and loving it. HERE is where I asked if you want to be on my e-mail list for updates about the kit, and I’ve gotten tons of requests. {Keep the requests coming…please e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com}.
But what I think is really going to push it over the top into Frenzyville is THIS! Yep, Simple Stories “Life Documented” by Memory Works is part of a big prize giveaway on ALI EDWARDS blog! Below I’ve copied over the part of Ali’s post that relates to Memory Works:
====================
One person will receive the Life Documented kit from the new Simple Stories collection by MemoryWorks.
Your photos and memories are far too important to keep in a box, store on a computer or bury in a pile. We know life is busy and at times it feels nearly impossible to keep up with all of life’s demands – yet alone find time for the things you enjoy like your scrapbook hobby and preserving your memories.
If you’re overwhelmed with too many photos…
If you’re feeling guilty for not being “caught up”…
If you’re overloaded with creative pressure and unrealistic expectations…
If you’re stressed because you don’t have enough time to scrapbook…
If you don’t know where to start…or worried if you can even keep up…
If you’re frustrated with the process of traditional scrapbooking…
If you’re looking for a better way…
Then you will love our simple and refreshing approach to scrapbooking!
MemoryWorks is beyond thrilled to introduce the new, exclusive Simple Stories scrapbook system. You can view our video here. Our innovative system was designed for scrapbookers of all levels who want to share their life stories and memories in a simple, yet meaningful, way – but without the time, guilt or stress of traditional scrapbooking.
Life Documented, the first collection in our Simple Stories series, is all about documenting a year in your life like never before. Our Life Documented kit allows you to share your story in a whole new way, while getting back to the basics of what scrapbooking is all about…your photos and memories. We’ve done all the work for you with our exclusive Simple Stories system – with beautiful pre-designed elements that you simply trim, add your journaling and then insert into pockets – along with your 4×6 photos – for quick and easy scrapbooking. No cropping. No adhesive. No stress. It’s as easy as that – sharing your photos and memories has never been easier!
In addition to the giveaway here, we’re giving away a FREE Simple Stories Life Documented kit, with coordinating divided page protectors and embellishments, a retail value well over $35. Visit www.mysimplestories.com for more details.
=================
OMG, that is SO exciting! Ali’s blog must be one of the most popular ~ if not THE most popular ~ scrapbook blogs out there. The exposure that blog post will provide is monumental. I’m so happy that even more scrappers will get to see what a great system and kit this is. What are you waiting for!?!?! Go enter the contest, silly! Just be sure to come back here when you’re done, K?
Since my last update, there have been 2 more posts on the SIMPLE STORIES blog and here they are:
REVEAL #5(1-1-10) ~ Alphas, Elements, Transparencies, and Papers
EYE CANDY POST (1-1-10) ~ See the whole line in one place
I think the most often asked question is “When can we get it?” and the answer is Mid-January. If you are anxious like I am and want to be one of the first to place an order, keep checking the Simple Stories blog, my blog, and get on my e-mail list. All three places will have up-to-date information. On the MW consultant message board, some of the consultants are taking pre-orders now and I’m considering doing that. I’m thinking if I had customers money already in hand, I could place the orders the second the kits are available instead of waiting until I receive payment. BECAUSE this is such a hot item, I do have a fear of them running out of kits before I can get them to all of my customers. So let me ruminate on that a bit and if I decide to take pre-orders, I’ll let ya know!
Hope you’re having a wonderful Saturday. I’m off to Costco…wish me luck! But then I get to hit Tuesday Morning and look for those cheap Thickers, and also Michaels to see what they got. My coupon isn’t good until tomorrow tho’….bummer, dude.
The response to this new line and kit by MEMORY WORKS has been overwhelming! Which, as a Memory Works consultant, excites me to no end. It feels good when so many people have such a positive response to a product that the company YOU work for sells.
So I’ve decided to do regular update blog posts here about it. Here is UPDATE #1 and UPDATE #2 in case you missed them. They don’t have “Update” in the title because I didn’t realize when I wrote them that Simple Stories/Life Documented would be such a big honkin’ deal, LOL!
I’m also going to start sending out e-mail updates to anyone who would like to be on my address list. If you would like to be on my list and receive updates about Simple Stories “Life Documented”, please e-mail me: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. {I would prefer you didn’t leave your e-mail address in my blog Comments, as then your personal e-mail is out there for everyone on the web to see and you will be spammed to within an inch of your life. Believe me.}
I’ve been away from the computer for the last several days, so I haven’t been able to share all the Life Documented sneak peeks they’ve been posting on the Simple Stories BLOG, but here are some links so you can get all caught up:
REVEAL #1 (12-28-09) ~ Life Documented Kit, Journal Cards, and Quote Cards REVEAL #2 (12-29-09) ~ We R Memory Keepers Albums, Page Protectors, and prices REVEAL #3 (12-30-09) ~ Title Strips, Border Strips, and Page Elements REVEAL #4 (12-31-09) ~ Journaling Mats, Quote Cards, and how they work with the Page Protectors
For this update, how about a What, Where, How kind of thing?
WHAT is Simple Stories “Life Documented” by Memory Works?
Let me scooch back a little and start at the beginning :) Memory Works is a direct sales scrapbooking company that has been around for 7 years. It is run by Amber and Kevin Crowell (husband and wife) from Utah, USA. Over the years, they have built a wonderful and successful business with consultants from all over the country selling the “latest and greatest” scrapbooking products direct to the customer. Until now, Memory Works has sold products made by other companies, such a My Minds Eye, Basic Grey, Pink Paislee, and Bo Bunny.
Beginning in January 2010, Memory Works will manufacture and sell their OWN product line called Simple Stories. The first release from this line is called “Life Documented” and it consists of paper (not digital*) scrapbooking elements, and it works perfectly with the We R Memory Keepers 12×12 D-ring albums and regular/pocket page protectors that Memory Works already carries. *The kit itself is paper but there will be a free digital element to it also.
WHEN will Simple Stories “Life Documented” items be available to purchase?
The We R Memory Keepers 12×12 D-ring albums and page protector packs are currently for sale through any Memory Works consultant. I notice that as of now, the Celery green color is out of stock, but other colors are available. My assumption is that the Celery color will be in stock when the kits are.
Speaking of which, the Simple Stories “Life Documented” kits are projected to be available for purchase in mid-January. MW does not believe in promising something until they have it in their hands, so they will not take orders until they actually have the product and know they can fulfill the orders. (My VERY OWN OPINION is that Memory Works trying to avoid a fiasco like Becky Higgins/Creating Keepsakes had with their Project 365 kits last year at this time….man, that got ugly!).
So, if you would like to order the albums and page protectors now, you can, or you can wait until the kit comes in and get everything at once. Totally up to you. Either way, I hope you will consider ordering from me (yeah, I have no shame…) and you would do so HERE. Instructions are HERE.
HOW does the Life Documented kit work and would it be a good fit for Project 365, Project 52, and the like?
The concept of Simple Stories is just that: SIMPLE. Take photos, get them in an album, embellish, journal, DONE. Sure, we scrapbookers are creative types, and we love to make more detailed and complicated layouts a lot of the time. But what if you’re super busy like me and find you don’t have the time to scrapbook that you used to? What if you took a big trip with lots of photos and are now daunted by the prospect of getting all those fab photos into one album, and getting it done, like, sometime this century?
Maybe your solution is Simple Stories. Take your 4×6 photos (no cropping necessary), slip them into divided page protectors like THESE from We R Memory Keepers, slip in some embellishment by way of nicely designed accents made from heavy cardstock, jot down some journaling on a predesigned card, and you’re done.
If you’re planning to do Project 365 in 2010 (or Project 52, Project 12, etc), you can see this will be perfect for these projects. The page protectors come in many different configurations, with different sized pockets, vertical and horizontal 4×6 photo slots, etc. so you can personalize it exactly how you like. Many of you have already purchased the PROJECT LIFE kit by Becky Higgins and that is awesome. Rock on, Project Life sistas! She gives you a lot of product for the price and her clean, simple style is very appealing. However, if the style of her kit doesn’t appeal to you, or you did her Project 365 last year and maybe want to try something with a different layout and look this year, check out Life Documented :)
WHERE can you order Simple Stories “Life Documented”?
You can order from any Memory Works Consultant. If she has her own website, you can order directly from there. If she doesn’t, you can tell the consultant what you want and she will place the order for you. My website is HERE. I take check and money order, but prefer Paypal as you will get your order quicker (since I don’t have to wait for payment in the mail before I can place your order).
No matter which consultant you order from, and where she and you are located, your order will ship from Memory Works in Utah. So it is NOT necessary to find a “consultant near you”, kwim?
Do you think a lot of your friends might like “Life Documented” or other Memory Works products? Want to earn a 20% commission on everything you sell and/or buy for yourself? Consider becoming a Memory Works CONSULTANT {starts as low as $20 sign-up!}. If you do sign up, I would love the free product credit I get if you put in my consultant number (wink).
WHY should I wait for Life Documented kit, when Project 365 starts tomorrow?
I have asked myself that same question, LOL! I’m going to do Project 365 for the first time in 2010 (HERE is where I agonized over the decision). Of course, I’m anxious to get started and afraid of falling behind. Waiting for 2 weeks into the new year before I can order Life Documented seems counterintuitive, right?
But I figure that once I receive “Life Documented”, it’s so super easy, I can get caught up in one scrapping session. Starting tomorrow on January 1, I’ll begin taking my daily photo and jotting some quick journaling about it in my dayplanner, notebook, or a Word document. {This is a practice I’ll keep up throughout the year}. Then when I get the kit, I’ll print out my 2 or 3 weeks of photos and pop them into the page protectors, copy over my journaling onto the pre-done journaling cards, add a few embellishments and accents, and I’m caught up. Piece a cake, I tell ya. So I’m not worried about it…
I like the “Life Documented” kit so much more than Becky’s that it’ll be worth the wait. Here are some pix so you can see how different they are:
A peek of PROJECT LIFE
A peek of LIFE DOCUMENTED
What I’ve been hearing on the message boards is that one kit or the other is “your style,” so it’s nice that there are 2 options we can all choose from, don’t you think? Yay, OPTIONS! We LOVE options!
ETA: I’ve been getting inquires from outside of the States, so I want to clarify that question. Standard shipping within the Continental US is $8.45 for up to an $87.99 purchase. For higher charges, there is also Rush shipping and shipping to APO/FPO, Alaska, Hawaii and US Territories. As of now, Memory Works does NOT ship outside of the US but, if you’re willing to pay the actual shipping costs, I can have any Memory Works products shipped to me in California, and I will ship them to you :)
So, I hope I’ve answered your questions about Simple Stories “Life Documented” by Memory Works. If I haven’t, please leave me a comment and I’ll answer in my next Update.
If you would like updates by e-mail, please e-mail me as explained above. And one last thing…
HAPPY SCRAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Have a safe, fun, and fabulous night :) Our plan includes pizza, movies, a fire in the woodstove, board games, and staying home where it’s safe and warm. I know, just livin’ The Vida Loca over here, ain’t we? {I do plan to break out the Dirty Martinis at some point, so if you see me on the scrapbook message boards tonight and I’m not making much sense, I’m probably PUI…Posting Under the Influence…ha!}
Okay, yesterdayMEMORY WORKS posted more news about the Simple Stories “Life Documented” line ~ yahoo! I am SO using this for my PROJECT 365! And probably lots of other stuff, too! It is super great looking, the price sounds right, and I love all the features of it.
I’m so stinkin’ excited! I love the celery green album and how the products match with it (although there will be other album colors to choose from, or you can use one you already have or buy elsewhere). Love that the price is only $16.99 for 180 pieces of scrappy goodness. Love that they have married this line with the We R Memory Keepers scrapbook albums and pocket page protectors, with all their various configurations.
{Here is one sneek…there are more over there…}
There are also answers to some of our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)…
So go check out the Simple Stories SITE if you have a chance. You won’t be disappointed. And remember, they’re giving away a free kit every week until the launch if you post Simple Stories / Life Documented links or blinkies on blogs, Facebook, message boards, Twitter, etc. I’m going to enter each week and hope I win one :)
—–
On a different note…but I had to share… THIS Pea said there are Thickers for
69 CENTS
at Tuesday Morning!!! Along with other scrappy stuff, and even more coming after Christmas. See, Scrap Santa is out there and he has your back. Let us know if you find any Thickers or other stuff at your Tuesday AM, k?
Scrapbook product salivating aside, I want to wish you a Very Merry Christmas. Please be safe, happy, and well. Enjoy your families and food and all of life’s blessings.
Okay, okay, okay! You all convinced me to take the plunge and actually commit to doing Project 365 next year. Sheesh. We’ve been talking about it on Scrap Sisters Studio HERE and have quite a little group going of scrappers who’re going to participate.
If you’re already an SSS member and are going to do P365, please come join us. And if you aren’t a member, Good God, why? You’re missing all the fun! So come join SCRAP SISTERS STUDIO and then be part of all the P365 fun over there. There is also a 2009 group that does daily posts on 2peas; I’m sure they’ll do it in 2010 also. Some people are going to do variations on 365, like a “52” weekly layout, or a “12” monthly layout. No matter how you slice it, join in on the message boards and help us all stay motivated with this project, okay?
The new year is only 9 days away, so we need to get moving and make some decisions. What size and type of album are you going to use? Will you do a full layout per day/week/month, or use the pocket page method shown in my last post? Which paper and embellies will you use ~ scraps, lines you already have on hand, Becky Higgins’ Project Life kit, or are you shopping for something? If you’re using the pocket page protectors, figure out which direction the slots go and make sure you’re taking your photos correctly (the correct mix of horizontal vs. vertical), or be aware that you’ll have some editing or cropping to do to your photos.
I’m waiting on the new line from MEMORY WORKS to use for my Project 365 album, which isn’t due out until mid-January, so I can’t concretely answer all of these questions myself. However, I’m paying attention to what other scrappers are doing and am getting some great ideas for my own album. Here is what I do know: I’m going to use the pocket pages method, and do a 2-page spread with 7 photos for each week. Using the sample in my last post, that would leave a slot for a title for the week, 4 slots to hold (7) 4×3 journaling cards and (1) 4×3 miscellaneous card or embellie.
The kit I plan to use is called “Life Documented” and it’s from the new Simple Stories system by Memory Works. I don’t know a ton about it, because they are being quite saucy about revealing sneak peeks little by little. But I’ve read through all the material on THIS site and here is my impression: It’s the perfect line for Project 365! LOL
Let me be more specific … There will be pre-cut journaling cards and embellishments in various sizes (12×6, 4×6, etc.) to slip into pocket page protectors of the same size. It’s a paper product, not digital, although free digital downloads will be available to enhance it. There is mention of a “catalog” so I’m assuming it won’t be one huge kit like Project Life, but separate elements you can purchase according to your own specific needs.
Here are some peeks of what it will look like:
I’m loving the colors and this is so totally my style. Hello!?!? Scallops, graph paper, and brackets? Hollah! I think the look is very versatile, and will go with pretty much any photo. I like the binder looking paper, the flourish swirls, all of it. No, I’m not just saying that because I’m a Memory Works consultant and it’s a Memory Works product. How dare! I think you know by now that I call it like I see it. If I think an MW product is fugly or stupid, I don’t mention it at all. That’s just how I roll.
Like any scrapbook company with a new product these days, Memory Works is hoping to use the power of the internet and social networking to get the word out about this new product. To that end, they are giving away ONE FREE KIT per week between 12/17/09 and 01/18/10 and you enter by spreading the word. Details are HERE. So if you’d like a chance at winning, or you just want to be nice and help me publicize this new kit (Seriously? Yeah, I was very cheeky there, wasn’t I?), please check it out and participate. If you like what you see, and think you could sell this and/or other MW products to your friends, talk to me about becoming a consultant. It’s basically a no-lose situation. (Ha ha, “situation.” Do you watch Jersey Shore on MTV? When Mike says, “Cuz that’s The Situation. If you’re a hater, I got a full-time job for you.” Oh, love it!)
They even have 4 cool blinkies for your blog or siggie line on message boards. Here is but one rockin’ blinkie:
Okay, MW commercial is over. I mainly wanted to share that I have in fact committed to doing Project 365 in 2010! Uh, why did I just break out in a cold sweat? I’m really counting on you guys to keep me on top of this thing. Don’t let me slide. Like people have said, you don’t HAVE to take a photo every day. You can fill in those slots with journaling, with a receipt from your trip to the grocery store or other ephemera of your life, or you can fill in with undated photos that you (if truth be told) took on a different day (Gasp! Wouldn’t that be like lying to myself and future generations?? Ha ha, just kidding. Crap, even I’m not THAT anal).
Hearing things like that takes the pressure off a bit. And that’s a good thing because I have enough pressure in my life without adding this on top of it. Do I take the Mercedes or the Escalade to Pilates today? Do we go to the opera or a Broadway show on Friday night? Should we send little Johnny to astronaut camp or Olympic skiing camp this summer? I mean, really, do I DESERVE any more pressure in my life? I think not.
Once January 1 arrives, I’ll start taking my daily photos and writing some quick journaling on my computer or in a journal. Then when I do have more information about Life Documented, and do have the actual “stuff” in my hands, I’ll start putting it all together. Ideally, it would be great to get the whole album kind of “pre-flighted” (is that just a military and law enforcement term?) with all the pocket pages, title cards, and journaling cards actually in place in the album. Then you just add the photos in as you print them, and write the journaling then too. I’ve heard this as a helpful hint from those who did P365 in 2009 and it sounds brilliant to me!
So, I hope you have decided to join me in Project 365 next year, but if you haven’t, I totally understand, girlfriend. Uh huh, yes I do….
Just some random scrappy things to end your week with …
~*~ You know that “First” magazine you see in the supermarket checkout aisle? Well, buy THIS one … there is a scrapbooking article in it!
~*~ Word on the street is that Big Lots has older Cricut cartridges for 30 snaps. Okay, “the street” = “The PEAS,” you caught me! I’ll be checking my BL this weekend, but this is the store that got one lame shipment of Thickers when everyone else had tons of them, so I’m not holding out much hope. I guess for all the bad that comes from this seriously sucky economy, we will be seeing cooler items trickling down to the discount stores because of it. Mixed blessing, I guess…
~*~ Do you like scrapbooking novels? Well, did you know that JOANNA CAMPBELL SLAN has two scrapbooking mysteries out, and another one on the way for May 2010? I’ve read “Paper, Scissors, Death” and really enjoyed it. Now I need to get “Cut, Crop & Die” which has been out since summer. (Yeah, I’m totally lagging, cuz I DO want to read it!). Well, to tide us over until the next book comes out {details are HERE}, she shares a free scrapbooking short story HERE. She must’ve JUST finished writing it because there are some mentions in there about Twilight and the Tiger Woods situation. Timely, Miss Joanna, very timely… Anyway, it’s a fun story to devour with your next cup of coffee or tea. Enjoy!
~*~ What do you think of the January issue of CREATING KEEPSAKES? The Peas are talking about it HERE and, let me tell ya’, reviews are really mixed. I just got my copy and hope to pour through it this weekend, but have had a quick browse through and like what I see so far. It is definitely weird with all the usual suspects like Ali and Becky gone.
I’m putting off reading Lisa Bearnson’s last column ‘cuz I know I’m gonna cry. I had the pleasure of going on a week-long Mediterranean cruise with Lisa/CK in 2006, and she is THE nicest most caring lady you’d ever want to meet. It always kills me to hear her ripped apart by Mean Girls because I don’t think you can spend a week with someone and not see some mysterious evil side come out at some point, if it really does exist (which it obviously doesn’t). Yep, big Lisa fan here. Remind me to tell you about her on that cruise some time, k?
Oh gee, I seem to have gone off on a tangent. That NEVER happens, LOL! But back to the CK January issue … Your thoughts?
~*~ I am SO frick-frackin’ excited about a new product that MEMORY WORKS has coming out in January!! They have always sold all the latest and greatest products by other manufacturers {like Basic Grey, Fancy Pants, etc.}, but MW is coming out with their OWN line. I’ve seen some sneak peeks and it’s rockin’. Stay tuned…
~*~ Isn’t this an adorable layout from KELLY GOREE with Basic Grey “Sugar Rush”?
I love love LOVE the letters used in “reward” so I’m going to ask her how she did them. The SSS girls are thinking Silhouette and a sweet Sista named Lisa has offered to cut me something if I can find out which font it is.
ETA: Color me bummed. Kelly said “reward” is from the handwriting of a Basic Grey staff designer, and Kelly hand cut it. Alas, there is no way to replicate it. Even IF I could pretend to approach that gorgeous writing, there’s no way I’d have the skill or patience to hand cut it, LOL!
~*~ I shall leave you with the news that SCRAP SISTERS STUDIO (my home-away-from-home message board) is having an online crop this weekend. If you’re not already a member, join up and join in! Lots of fun chatting and doing challenges, sharing our work and ideas.
So what if it’s Sunday Night when I’m finally getting around to publishing my Friday Night Randoms? Who wants to be on schedule? Not me. That is so cliche and expected….and I’m anything but cliche and expected. For shizzle.
~~ Speaking of shizzle….if you ever need a translator for when I speak Snoop Dog, HERE YA GO. Bladizzle.
~~ A bunch of (22!) First Day of School scrapbook page ideas are HERE, provided by Scrapbooks Etc. I think this one is my fave, but I loved them all…
~~ There is a wonderful discussion of why the Peas think the scrapbook industry has tanked HERE. And a related ARTICLE on SCRAPBOOK UPDATE called “Is Scrapbooking Fading….Or not?,” is asking for your thoughts so go chime in, why don’t ya? I think many “industry folks” read that website so let them hear from you. I scored the first Comment ~ yeah! Guess sometimes it pays to be up blogging in the middle of the night, lol. Anyway, if you’d like to read my ever so humble opinion on the whole thing, click on over to the Scrapbook Update article … I wrote a novel … or at least a chapter ;)
~~ Remember when I said that my Michaels wasn’t going to be putting ads in Sunday paper flyers anymore? {It was HERE}. The cashier had given me a flyer and everything, saying that Sunday flyers would be no more, and that I could get my flyers and coupons online from now on. But here it is 6 weeks later….and I’m still getting Michaels ads in my paper on Sunday. What up with that? I dunno’, you got me. Guess they changed their minds…
~~ According to the GOLLYG at 2peas, ROSS has some scrapbooking stuff again: “Enabling Alert! I stopped by Ross today and they have tons of new scrapbook stuff. They had Making Memories paper kits for $2.99, American Crafts paper pads $5.99, K&Company Stuff, and lots more!” Also, rumors of Disney scrapbooks….read the thread HERE. I used to find 12×12 postbound albums there all the time, but nothing scrappy in ages. But what do you know, there is a Ross store smack dab between my Target and my Michaels. I happen to be headed to Target for prescriptions tomorrow, so I’ll check out Ross and let you know if I find anything.
~~ “I’m so far behind!” Have you ever said that about your scrapbooking? Well, read my blog friend Susan’s great article HERE and you’ll feel better soon :)
~~MEMORY WORKS now has Basic Grey “Nook and Pantry” in stock. Here’s a peek…
Please let me know if I can get some for you. Order it HERE, or contact me HERE.
For a limited time, MEMORY WORKS (who I’m a consultant for) has in stock:
“Moravia” by SEI…. How about a tease? This is what the Theme Set looks like ($6.00)…
There are matching “Moravia” rub-ons, stickers, and chipboard. I love the rich colors and textures of this line, don’t you?
We also have some new stuff by Jillibean Soup ~ the Alphabet Soup theme set ($6.75)…
…”Bean Stalks” ribbon ($6.00)
…”Journaling Sprouts” ($3.50) in a bunch of colors (here’s one)…
…”Corrugated Kraft Alpha” ($5.00)….super cute and so textural!
…and this stinkin’ adorable “Calendar” stamp ($7.00); you can make your own Journaling Sprouts!
What exactly is the limit on the number of acrylic stamps one could own before you would consider them, say, mentally ill? Because I really need these Calendar stamps…but I’m probably pretty close to that theoretical acrylic stamp limit where you’d say, “Biz-natch, you need to STOP with the stamps already!” Just sayin’…
The Jillibean Soup BLOG has a ton of GREAT layout and project ideas for the above items. I was pleasantly surprised to see that SHANNON ZICKEL is designing for them. I’ve seen her layouts in magazines so many times, I’d recognize her son if I passed him on the street, lol! And hey, whaddya know, Laura Vegas is also on the Jillibean Design Team; I just linked to her scraproom makeover in my last POST. It’s a small scrap world after all…
You can see all the SEI and Jillybean Soup HERE, and also place an order. Please contact me at the e-mail shown HERE if I can help with an order or any questions :) . These items are our Trend Essentials for October…only here while supplies last, or until October 31, 2009. Hurry before they’re gonzo!
I’m slowly making progress on the big overhaul of my scrapbook room. If you’re not caught up, you can read the PROLOGUE and PART ONE, if you like :) But the Prologue is important reading; it’s where I tell you what happens if you make a smart ass comment about how much crap….erm, STUFF I have. Yes, I have a lot of paper. No, you can’t shop here. Yes, I have a life. Blah blah blah….
So, I’ve done lots of furniture moving. This is going to take awhile, so get comfy…
1. Unloaded everything from the desk – underneath, off the top, and in the drawers – and moved it about 2 feet closer to the sliding glass door. I didn’t repack the office supply and computer-related stuff I had in the desk cupboards; need to find a new home for all that. It’s in a pile here somewhere…
2. Unloaded all the DVDs, videos, and board games from the oak cabinet and moved them into a cabinet in the guest room/new play room. Moved a bunch of toys that were along the wall into the new play room. Moved the oak cabinet to the wall where the toys had been. Moved the Scrap Rack to the oak cabinet (temporarily, I think…). Moved office supplies, and office machines (fax machine, transcription machine, etc.) from guest room to bottom of oak cabinet (where movies and games had been). This cabinet is going to be Office Stuff Central…unless I change my mind.
3. Emptied out the legal filing cabinet, moved it from a back wall to align with one edge of the L-shaped desk, and refilled it with the same stuff I had in there before, which are greeting cards, school supplies, and more home office stuff. I gathered scrap magazines and idea books from various places around the house and piled ’em up.
As you can see, it’s time to purge these again. I usually do this about once a year but, yeah, it’s been awhile. A friend that I scrap with recently finished her project of pulling pages and ideas from her magazines and organizing them into page protectors in a binder. I’m so jealous….it was great! So I’m deciding now if I have the time, patience, and devotion to do the same thing. Purge or make “the perfect idea binder,” THAT is the question.
As for all those idea books….I don’t think I’ve EVER gotten rid of an idea book. Something about throwing away a book that I paid $15 to $40 for is much harder than a $5 magazine. But I should look through all my idea books and maybe toss some older ones. I’ll bet I don’t even “scrap like that anymore” for some of them, huh?
4. Moved the table that I’d been using for scrappy stuff (okay, to dump things on…) over to the area by the storage cubes. This will be the famous Homework Table.
5. Moved the couch and coffee table from in front of the desk to behind the desk by the back window. The original plan was to put it flush against the wall and lined up directly under the window (I’m all about symmetry, baby!). But once I got it there, the couch seemed kind of squished over into the corner and the coffee table was somewhat blocking the walkway to the back part of the room. So I tried the couch at an angle, and I liked it. Bonus: It creates a hidey space behind it for ugly stuff, lol. And I felt so “HGTV” about it, too.
6. Unloaded just about everything from 10 Store in Style cubes (see couch pic above), moved the cubes to the opposite end of the room, and reloaded them pretty much the same way. The SIS cubes are now on the wall that the oak TV cabinet used to be on. This is the area I talked about where I have to keep a walkway to get to the slider, so the cubes are a good thing to put here. They fit nicely and I can stack more on top someday if need be (God forbid!).
I first thought about configuring them like this, with a kind of “turn the corner” at one end….
…but decided not to. The positives were that it would be a little different-looking, and it would create a handy little empty space back there in the corner to store crop totes or something. But the negatives were that it made the walking path a bit too slim, and put the cubes right next to the cord for the blinds. And when I put embellishment jars on top of the one by the door, they would block the light switch. No super big deal, but I just decided to go with putting them all flush against the wall, like this…
All this furniture moving happened way back on 9/10 (it’s now 9/27!), so when I say “making slow progress,” I’m not exaggerating. It took me awhile to remember and write all this down, the order I did things in. It was quite the feat of engineering to move things AROUND the room while still having everything IN the room. I apologize for any dark photos but most of my madness occurs late at night after everyone has gone to bed. Man, you should’ve seen the wide eyes of my husband and kids when they came out the morning after all this! They were like, “You moved ALL that by yourself!?!? The couch???” and I’m all, like, “Desperate organizers take desperate measures.” (Like, totally…I did all that “like” stuff just to annoy you). Then the daytime photos are overly bright because of the sun coming in all the windows, so I can’t win, lol.
Once the furniture was in place, I’ve just been slowly putting things away, whether within this room or the other parts of the house where they belong, and below is what the room looks like as of today.
Down there is the new back half of the room, with my cool slanty couch, and my corner of chaos. The couch was my dad’s before he passed away so it’s sentimental. Luckily, it’s also functional so I have an excuse to keep it always and forever. That big tub is all the paperwork from my two scrapbook businesses, MEMORY WORKS and Calla Memories. I can get rid of most of it. I just need to go through it and save some paperwork for tax records and such.
The white shelving unit has all my mini album stuff – supplies and some completed albums – but I want to get rid of that shelf and find another way to store my mini album kingdom. That’s actually a shoe shelf so I’m hoping to then move it into my closet and use for, oh, I don’t know…..SHOES???
The basket on top of the white shelves contains letter stickers, which were all nicely sorted by color at one time, and easy to thumb through when I scrapped. Then….I discovered THICKERS. Dun dun dun dunnnnnnnn! I use Thickers lots and I buy Thickers lots. I have a Thicker addiction and I hope there ain’t no cure! But, yeah, I need to go through that basket and purge some old alphas I’ll never use. Like the first major set I bought oh so many years ago, of punch out alphas (I think they were by COLORBOK) in every color and pattern known to man (including plaid and leopard!), in a bubble font, a lollipop font, etc. Eek. Perfect for the kids to use on school projects but NOT for my scrapbooks).
The black boxes are POWER SORT BOXES from CREATIVE MEMORIES and that’s where most of my printed photos are. But photo and memorabilia organization is an ever-changing and never-ending project/battle for me. I’m not even gonna’ GO there right now. The white cubes they’re in are ITSO brand from TARGET. As you can see, I had more photo boxes than Itso cubes, so I bought another Itso from Target when they were on sale recently. (If I remember right, I paid $12 instead of $20). You can see it on my desk in the next photo.
Below is my mess of a desk, and my flooded floor (flooded with scrap crap, that is). There’s the new Itso cube, and one of my new 3-drawerJET MAX cubes. Actually, “new” is relative since I’ve collected 3 of these units over time from MICHAELS using 50% off coupons. I’ve just never put them together, knowing I had this big re-org project coming up. Recently I assembled one and, man, are they a pain in the asset! Don’t get me started. If you’ve put these together, you know what I mean. (I feel sorry for THIS poor scrapper!) I’m dreading the assembly of the remaining 2 but I shall do it, I shall.
I’ve done a little more work on the Wall of Cubes and this is how they look as of now…
The cubes themselves were already pretty organized before I started this crazy project, as they contain the staples of my scrapbook world: Bazzill cardstock sorted by color, die cut/shaped papers, extra page protectors, scrapbook projects, etc. Most of the vertical files by CROPPER HOPPER are sorted by manufacturer and include patterned paper and all embellishments from that company. They could use some tidying but for the most part, the vertical files are good as they are. The gingerbread jars on top, however, are another story. When I first got them way back when on Craigslist (read about it HERE), I had them organized pretty well, but over time I lost control and just started throwing new things in with no rhyme or reason. I’m going to do a post soon about using 2 of the jars for my chipboard letters. There’s one full of flowers, and the rest I plan to use for random embellishments by color. I also put my ribbon jars back on my cubes…ribbons are sorted by color. I love my cubes and jars…they’re my favorite part of my scrapbook room. Can’t wait til I get this part totally done! My pretties, LOL…
So, that’s where I’m at for now. Thanks for sticking with me. I promise I’ll get done eventually, but real life has to come first, so it’ll continue to be slow progress. But progress is progress, right?
Okay, so I’m doing a BOOK OF ME, thanks to my friends at AMR. I only have a few pages done but this is definitely a project I’m going to continue with throughout my life. I’ve been putting my completed pages in a 12×12 postbound album I had already, an older one by Chatterbox. But … and I’m peeved … the album cover is warped even though it’s been stored properly since I bought it. So I need something else to use.
ETA 9-27-09: Okay, I finally took some pictures….
It’s hard to see in a photo but look at the top 1/3 of the album. It’s all wavy. Here’s a little better view.
Let me just say it looks much WORSE in person.
I’ve been thinking about going D-ring for this album, even though I’m pretty firm on sticking to Snapload for my everyday family albums. I hate the D-ring “interruption” in the middle of 2-page layouts, which is what I mostly do in my family albums. But so far, these BOM layouts have been 1-pagers and most will probably continue to be. So why not get a D-ring, right?
Well, the other day I was placing a MEMORY WORKS order for a friend from the crop I went to last Saturday. Tangent: She is getting these, from the Fancy Pants “Christmas Magic” line……sooooo pretty:
Anyway, I thought what a shame to pay $8.45 for shipping for just 2 little things, and have all that empty space in the box, right? I mean, it’s a travesty of some sort, yeah? So I’ll just search around the sale items at Memory Works and see if I can find something to add. You know, something I NEED not just want. I opened the SHOP OUR PRODUCTS section and noticed there was a new section called “Limited Time Only,” which are products they now have a limited quantity of and won’t be able to get more from the manufacturer (I tell ya, girls, it is SUPER hard to stock a scrapbook store or reselling company these days, with the limited and unpredictable quantities being released by manufacturers…not their fault, “it’s the economy,” right?).
So what do I see but this! The perfect color. The perfect design. THE PERFECT D-RING ALBUM!
It’s the Making Memories 12×12 embossed leather D-Ring ALBUM for only $20!! Yep, 20 bucks and with my consultant discount it’s only $16. It’s hard to see in this pic, but it has a pretty embossed design on it. They have several colors….light blue, mocha brown, red, pink, black, and yellow {you can see them all HERE} and it was hard to choose. But I went with pink since it’s one of my favorite colors, and it’s girly and “all about me.” LOL I also got some extra pages ($6 for 10 minus my discount).
If I can order one (or several) for you, please let me know. Just click HERE for info, or up in the top right where it says “I’m a Memory Works Consultant.”
Anyway, I’m so very happy…only $16 (plus $4 to split the shipping with my friend’s order) for a leather, embossed, D-ring album…I’m still in shock, but happy. And pretty in pink! Have a great day…
ETA 9-27-09: My new album is here!! So pretty….. and not warped, LOL!
It’s the Friday night before a Saturday of cropping, yahoo! Yeppers, I’m going to crop with some friends tomorrow, from about noon to 9pm. I’m working now, and I haven’t even packed yet so it’ll be the usual, me scrambling to pack my crop bags late the night before, hoping I’m remember everything and putting together some semblance of things I can use to make actual layouts with, lol! I am the WORST about packing ahead for crops. The magic package I talked about HERE did indeed arrive today, and I’m so excited to look through it all. Since I’m busy anyway, I’m saving it to look through with the girls tomorrow. If I can resist…
One of the new things I got was the “AMBER ROAD” theme set from PINK PAISLEE. I saw something today that made me love it even more…CHECK IT OUT! AndTHIS TOO. Isn’t she amazing and ever-so-talented? Love what she did with Amber Road…
Saw this over on 2peas and wanted to share it with you. I had bookmarked this link a long time ago but forgot all about it, so I’m glad it was posted again….Free printable graph paper, ledger paper, binder paper etc. for your scrapbooks ~ you can make some super cool journaling spots, for one! LOOKIE HERE
This useful computer tool was also posted by a Pea: SCRAP BY COLOR color matching tool It takes the colors from your photos and gives you color swatch matches to use in your scrapbooking. Love it. Thank you, ROSALYNN!
I will leave you with THIS. Talk about a scrapbooker’s dream trip! Ali, Karen, and Jenni plus that amazing place. Wow. Wish I could go…
Before my crop tomorrow, I’m going to the beach ~ it’s a family tradition, Coastal Cleanup day ~ so it’s my two favorite things in one day. No, not litter and cigarette butts, silly! The ocean and scrapbooking. Hope you have a great weekend and get some time to scrapbook to your heart’s content.
