Did you see my last post about a recent trip to Michaels? It was the first time I’d shopped there in a while so of course I had to do some damage.
Here’s a photo I took in the store while “in progress” of shopping. I thought it was funny that I had a color theme going :)
I ended up putting the washi tape back for another time because I found the MAMBI Happy Planners on an island in the back of the store. Here’s what I actually came home with (you can’t see it but the teal-colored Iris bin is still under there, lol):
The 12×12 Recollections album was too pretty to pass up. I love sea blue, watercolor, and chevrons. I scrapbook these days using D-ring albums by WRMK so I really didn’t “need” this album … but I wanted it. Ha! Now I need an excuse to do a theme album. Hmmm, beach photos maybe? Only $3.99.
All the Heidi Swapp “Insta” products were 40% off. I got these super cute clear stickers. I love these because you can put them right onto your photos, on the outside of your pocket page protector, or on your layout. When you take them off the sticker sheet, the colored parts are more transparent than you’d think by looking at them (which I like).
The Iris cases were not on sale and I’ve only bought clear ones so far because I like the consistency of look in my scrapbook room. But again – couldn’t pass up that pretty color. My “30% off every regular priced item” coupon was applied.
The MAMBI Happy Planners were not on sale either – bummer. And this large 8.5 x 11 size isn’t cheap: $34.99. At least the 30% off coupon helped. I’ll be looking online to see if I can get some add-on pages. This planner goes from July 2016-December 2017 so I have a little time to “get organized.” Eh? See what I did there?
Changing gears, here’s just a pic of some cute stuff in the dollar bins at Target:
I didn’t get anything but thought you might like to see some of what’s there.
As a total side note, I got these pretty binders recently for my home office. The two multi-colored ones on the left were from Walmart. I can’t remember the price but I think they were under $5 each. The periwinkle blue binder and write-on page dividers were from Staples. My fab photography skeelz cut off the tabs on the right but you can see on the insert sheet that they have a half-pocket and are cute colors like lavendar, yellow, and green.
Let’s end the first week of the blogging challenge with a nice long read for your weekend :) Join me, will you, as I pretend I’m going on my dream scrapbook retreat? This is not, I repeat NOT, a real retreat. This is only a drill.
I Love It When the Weekend Starts Early
I have to work until noon on Thursday but the retreat is only 30 minutes from home. It’s so great to have an early check-in … so I get 4 days of scrapbooking!
Of course, I packed my crop bags perfectly, bringing enough to keep me busy but not too much to haul and unpack, with page kits containing photos and all I’ll need to scrapbook them. {Hey, it’s MY dream! If I want to pretend I’m retreat-organized for once, you can’t stop me}.
I pull up to the retreat location, a huge modern home right on the ocean. Hunky Patrick Dempsey look-alikes … erm, I mean, the nice lady retreat coordinator Lisa greets me and helps me carry my stuff into the house. We chat the entire time like old friends. She’s super nice, caring, and funny – I can tell this is going to be an amazing weekend!
A Table in Paradise
I’m the first to arrive so I get to pick my perfect crop space, my own 8-foot table at the end of the row. I like to talk with my fellow scrappies but I also like the ability to tune out and just scrap, so this is awesome. There will only be 6 of us total so it won’t get too crazy anyway. The huge living room that we’re in has windows on 3 sides. No matter where I look, I can see the beautiful ocean.
And because I’m at the end of the row closest to the front window, I can open it to create the perfect temperature {don’t you hate being too hot or too cold at a retreat?} and hear the waves pounding about 20 feet below us. I always say that the beach is My Happy Place and I can’t believe I get to combine it with scrapbooking!
Right now, the sun is starting to lower over the horizon, the sandpipers are skittering among the waves, and I can’t wait to get onto the deck and take some photos!
And the FOOD! ANd GIFTS!
Lisa has taken my suitcase to my room and, while I unpack my crop bag and start setting up my table, she brings me a cucumber mint iced tea from my favorite coffee place down the street. {She knew that I loved this tea from the guest preference sheet we submitted as part of the retreat}. She tells me the gourmet salad bar is set up in the kitchen whenever I’m hungry.
There’s also a variety of healthy – and not healthy :) – snacks set up on a table in the cropping area, along with a mini fridge full of our favorite drinks. Champagne and a yummy local white wine are chilling in ice buckets. Lisa has made extravagant goodie bags for each of us, full of the latest 12×12 papers and embellishments from the local scrapbook store. She had those preference sheets so she knew exactly what special items each of us would love!
Scrapping, Movie, Magazines, Hot Bath, Bed …
The rest of the day is taken up with completing 2 layouts, eating and drinking, greeting my 4 dear friends who are joining me, and watching “New In Town” on the big screen in the home theater. I’ve seen it several times and it always makes me laugh. Plus buttered popcorn and champagne, my favorite!
I turn in earlier than the others; it’s been a long day and I can’t wait to chill with my new scrapbooking magazines from Barnes and Noble. I’ve been holding off for a week to save them for the retreat and it’s been torture! I have the latest issues of Creating Keepsakes, Simple Scrapbooking, and Ivy Cottage. {Okay, apparently, I’m not only writing a dream story but also entering a time warp – because these magazines don’t exist any more, boo hoo!}.
My room is a master suite upstairs with another big view of the ocean, a huge soft bed with a white down comforter and fluffy pillows, and the bathroom has a sunken whirlpool tub. Ahhhh, the better to soak my tired neck and back after all that scrapping. Champagne again? Oh, well, sure, if you insist, but just 1 more teensy glass! Then it’s off to bed, lulled to sleep by the ocean sounds, and dreaming scrappy dreams.
The Rest of the Weekend
The remainder of the retreat couldn’t be more perfect. I have a blast chatting with my friends, catching up on everyone’s news (mayyyybe a little gossip thrown in for good measure), and getting 15 layouts done and several pocket pages,too. Lisa provides one amazing meal after another, all so rich and delicious but miraculously devoid of any calories or fat grams. When I get home, not only didn’t I gain weight but I LOST 5 pounds!
Throughout the weekend, we listen to all kinds of music depending on the mood we’re in – 80s, hip hop, country, spiritual, Top 40, you name it. We take walks on the beach, do a little shopping in the nearby town, watch movies, scrap late into the night, and sleep in as late as we want. No kids, no chores, nothing pulling our attention away from pure relaxation and fun.
Lisa is always there with an offer of the perfect beverage (like a breve’ latte’ just when we needed some scrapping energy), keeping the house tidy, and being such kind company. You can tell she truly loves her job and having us there is HER favorite thing in the world.
Although nobody wants to leave this amazing place, we all miss our families and are ready to go home. The hunky guys … shoot! I mean WE help each other pack up our cars. Then we thank Lisa for the most amazing scrapbook retreat EVAH!, say our goodbyes, and drive home, with one last glance at the beautiful sea in our rearview mirrors.
The Perfect Scrapbook Retreat
So that crazy tale was all about my dream retreat – if only it could come true! What are a few things your dream scrapbooking retreat would include? Have you ever been to one that was close to perfect? I’d love to hear about it!
PS: Save your crazy, awful, and unbelievable scrapbooking crop and retreat moments for another time. There’ll be a post soon where you can share those stories with us. Oooh, can’t wait!
I love these 12×12 Iris cases and used them in my recent scrapbook room reorganization. I took things like scrapbook PIPs (projects in progress), sticker alphas, and 12×12 papers out of the open storage bins I had them stored in and put them in these cases.
Now it’s so much easier to find things because they’re see-thru and I was able to label them, which I couldn’t easily do with my cloth bins. Plus being closed storage, they keep the dust off of my beloved scrapbook products.
I always use clear but I love that they have these fun colors too. This is a great price so if you need some scrapbooking storage, this week at Michaels is a great time to get some.
Happy Organizing!
ETA 04-04-16: Here’s a photo of the cases as they were displayed in the Mike’s I went to the other day. Aren’t they purdy?
I’m so excited!! My online scrapbooking class starts TODAY!!
Oh, how the ‘obsessive’ in me loves that it starts on a Monday AND on the first of the month. I just feel better and my mind is more organized when timing works out that way. It’s why all my diets start on a Monday, LOL. Don’t laugh. You know you do it, too ;)
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that I’ve fought the Scrapbooking Organization Monster several times. Oh, for instance, HERE and HERE. Each time, I thought I’d conquered him. I felt so smug and beyond reproach. “Yep! I’m now an organized scrapbooker! I got things in order and will never be disorganized again. I’m super duper cool. You all wish you were me.”
Yet each and every time, weeks or months later, I was practically right back where I started. That’s why I’m so glad I found the method that finally worked and want to share it with you SO BADLY that I created a class around it. Yeah, the one I mentioned above that starts today :)
Just so you know that I’m for reals, here are some of my before and after photos:
BEFORE left side of scrap desk
AFTER left side of scrap desk
BEFORE right side of scrap desk
AFTER right side of scrap desk
BEFORE file cabinet
BEFORE area in front of desk
AFTER area in front of desk
You have to join the class to see more and to hear how I accomplished and organized it all. #SorryNotSorry
But seriously, we’re gonna’ go WAY into depth on our scrapbook spaces. I’m talking nitty gritty, people! We’re going to share our Before and Afters to inspire each other and cheer each other on.
There will be written materials you can keep forever and resources galore. Not to mention the fun. ‘Cuz you know I like to laugh, sister!
I still can’t believe I got rid of all these!
Huge stash of 12×12 postbound albums
I’m keeping it a small group but there are a few spaces left, if you’d care to join us. Just do it today so you don’t get behind on the “having fun together” part.
PS: Are you still here? Good, because if you weren’t, you’d miss this great tidbit: First 3 people to sign up get $10 off using code 10OFF!!
ETA 02-01-16: Lovely Lori is my new favorite person! Not only did she just become the 190th newsletter subscriber but she joined the Simplify Your Scrapbook Space class. Thanks Lori!
ETA 92-01-16: Thanks also to Monica for joining us in class. Only 1 coupon code left for $10 off!
I’ve talked over the years about what a great experience this is: Layout a Day – this year known as “LOAD 216” (for February 2016).
I just realized from her e-mail that this will be the last LOAD Lain is leading!! {<- Yes, I just did that}.
More from Lain:
We’re kicking off February 1 (TOMORROW), and we’re scrapbooking a layout every day for the month of February.
Many of our LOADsters say that life is so busy, LOAD is the one time a year they can count on getting their scrap on. So if you’re ready to pick up the tape runner again, join us. You can save $15 if you register by midnight tonight – no coupon needed!
We’ll tackle one part of your scrapbooking area each week so that, by the time Spring comes, you’ll be ready to attack some layouts and projects. Would love to have you join us! I’m capping it at a small group because I really want to provide individualized attention. Spaces are running out and we start tomorrow!
So whether you’re ready to power through some layouts now with LOAD 216 or you need to get your space in order first with Simplify Your Scrapbook Space, you’re good to go.
Happy Sunday!
PS: I’m having an impromptu chat in the Scrapbook Obsession Secret Facebook Group this evening. If you’re not part of the group yet, we’d love to have you! Just sign up for my Free Newsletter in the top right sidebar and I’ll add you to the group pronto. Then we can chat tonight!
I recently went to Tuesday Morning and Michaels in search of scrapbook stuff and wanted to report in :)
Tuesday Morning
This display greeted me when I walked in, which I figured was a good sign since it’s my favorite shades of blue + my first initial.
Here are some things that were new to my Tuesday Morning – by Jillibean Soup, Studio Calico, Cosmo Cricket, and Prima.
Some of those cute straws from American Crafts, enamel dots in 3 color ways from Basic Grey, and Tim Holtz tissue tape.
If you love Echo Park kits, now’s a great time to check out Tuesday Morning! Even in my little store, there were 4 options, each for $5.99.
Also a bunch of paper pads for $6.99 each.
Guess which one of these pretty American Crafts spiral books I bought? I’m going to use it for the listing challenge I’m doing. There are 48 heavy cardstock-weight pages including some pockets and die cut pages.
If you Instagram, maybe you’d like this 4×4 Album Kit by WRMK?
Does that label say “HEID” Swapp? Must’ve rubbed off, huh?
Some cool tools and stamps . . .
Here’s my purchase at the Tuesday Morning counter. It’s a happy coincidence that the enamel dots I chose match the album perfectly.
Michaels
If you love COLOR, now’s a great time to visit Michaels. First, I saw these cute tapes, twines, and clips . . .
. . . then all the crazy-colorful storage and office items I’ve been hearing about! My favorites were the padded patent leather notebooks and the big “to do” list pads.
As I talked about HERE, there were new (to me) Hot Buy paper pads and I timed it just right = 70% off. Woot! Pink Paislee “Memorandum” came home with me. I had mentioned in that post wanting the Craftsmith “Words to Live By” pad but in person, I didn’t care for it.
It was all I could do to resist these pretty dark teal spinner trays. They were $35 but, even with the 40% off coupon on my phone, more than I wanted to spend. I hope they’re around long enough for me to get one later. Michaels had a lot of deco items in this vein – kind of boho crafty.
I looked at TJ Maxx too but didn’t find anything scrappy – although I did find 2 hoodies similar to this one:
Note: To picture me and MY hoodies, please adjust this model for a larger, older version :P
One hoodie is distressed black and the other a deep fuchsia, with different sayings. They’re super soft and comfy. This brand is usually out of my price range but they were each $30 instead of $50-ish. Yahoo for my winter work-at-home uniform, LOL. Now I just need to get Old Navy carrying their awesome sweatpants again and I’m golden. They’re really into the compression pants right now and, well, um, me and compression don’t get along. Bwahahaha!
This is part of a series about the scrapbooking booths I visited at CHA 2016. If you’d like to see all the posts in the series, please click HERE.
I have to admit I haven’t heard of Couture Creations before but they had an impressive booth. I looked them up when I got home and guess what? They’re another company from Australia. Woot!
Love this twist on a “leather” D-ring album.
Amazing displays and projects!
Cool tools . . .
Cute totes. Mine is basic black and not this big so these really caught my eye.
Here’s their 2016 Product catalog if you’d like to see more of their lines! (You have to sit through an annoying 30-second ad to get to it; hope they fix that soon).
This is part of a series about the scrapbooking booths I visited at CHA 2016. If you’d like to see all the posts in the series, please click HERE.
The WRMK booth is fun to visit because it’s huge and has such a wide variety of products from albums to paper to tools.
The person I spoke to in the WRMK booth was Chasity. She was very nice, easy to talk to, and answered my plethora of questions :) Hey, inquiring minds!!
Here are some of their new lines:
Love this silver metallic dot clear paper! It came in gold too but who cares? LOL
The popular Fuse tool was shown off – pretty cool how you can add fold-out photo pockets to your layouts.
This hexagon page was done with the Fuse; those are all separate pockets, yo.
There’s even a way to organize your Fuse pages and accessories.
Speaking of organization, here are some clear plastic paper trays. And the washi tape holders in cute shapes like a doggie and a rhino.
I think this was my favorite new product from WRMK: ombre albums!!
I was telling Chasity how a lot of us scrappers have certain colors designated for certain topics (like I have Kiwi for family albums, aqua for Project Life, black for weddings, etc.). I love how they look all lined up on my shelves – but I may have to “ruin” the look for these ombre albums, especially that teal one. I have a thing for ombre. Wonder if they’ll come out with more colors?
I was so tired from running around the CHA floor, it was really tempting to curl up in this teepee and take a lil’ nap :)
Most popular items:
Ruler Studio
ABC punch, pretty genius
Love the little booklet of cardstock the perfect size for these letters = less wasted paper.
3. Ruler tool and cello paper so you can make bags
4. Stapler tool with 3 different sizes of staplers and a magnet just like the 3×4 photo punch, so you can staple anywhere on a page.
You can learn more about WRMK products on their site HERE.
PS: I talked to Chasity about the shortage of WRMK 12×12 D-ring albums in stores lately. Watch for a future post on what she told me . . .
I’ve been scrapbooking since 2001. I was a scrapbooking consultant for several years so I have “product.” And I’m a bargain shopper and a coupon queen so I’ve accumulated a LOT of scrapbooking stuff over the years. While shopping is super fun – I ain’t gonna’ lie – the sheer amount of supplies I have can get a little crazy.
It gets to the point where I’m so busy putting things away or moving this pile over there that not much scrapbooking gets done. Or I sit down to scrapbook an event KNOWING that I bought specific supplies for it but not being able to locate them. Blerg :P
I know this is a problem a lot of us have and when I was trying to think of ideas for what classes I could offer you, this was the first thing that came to mind. Not only do we need to ORGANIZE our supplies but we need to (oh my gosh, is she really going to say it!??!) (YES) pare down our supplies a bit.
I’m one of those scrapbookers who hears about others “purging” their supplies and I just cringe. “But I LOVE my supplies! How am I supposed to get rid of anything?” And that’s where I was stuck for years. I’d put things away, clear my desktop again, maybe implement a new organizational system like this one for my washi tape.
Then you know what happened, right? Two months, three shopping hauls, and a busy life later, I was right back where I started: trying to find new places to put things away and new ways to organize my supplies so I’ll actually use them and know where everything is. But it got to feeling kind of futile. Sigh.
Keepin’ It Real
This is how my scrapbook space looked as of November 2015. ‘Nother sigh.
I looked at this and just felt so . . . TIRED. Almost like a rock bottom, since this IS kind of an addiction. {If being a scrapbooking addict is wrong, I don’t wanna’ be right! ha ha}
Admittedly, author Marie Kondo says some wacky stuff in this book. But the overall message surely spoke to me: Only keep those things that SPARK JOY.
For me, this meant:
– Don’t keep things that you bought because they were on sale.
– Don’t keep things just because someone gave them to you.
– Don’t keep things for projects that you might do “someday” (but know you never really will)
– Don’t keep things because they’re worth money but you don’t have time to sell them
The common thread I see in my reasoning: GUILT. And isn’t that a shame? I’m keeping myself surrounded by too much stuff because I feel GUILTY. Is that bringing me joy? Is that allowing me to spend time doing the one activity I love the most, scrapbooking? Nope.
The Solution
So in November 2015, I decided to not only go through my scrapbook space using the KonMari method (the method described in the book above) but I documented my actions and created an online class from it. With the new year and all, it seems like the perfect time to share this with you.
Here’s a page with all the class information – please do yourself a favor and check it out:
Since I “KonMari’d” my scrapbook space, everything has been so much better. I got rid of a lot of things that, as much as I wanted to, I just wasn’t going to use. They were taking up storage space that became freed up for storing things I WILL use and DO use. I was able to remove things from my work desk that, no matter how “organized” I was before, didn’t have a good place.
How Does It Feel?
I can’t tell you what a relief it was to just LET GO. Let go of old supplies, things that were no longer my taste, projects I’d never do (photo cube anyone?), and all that guilt-inducing STUFF that was weighing me down. Now the supplies I have BRING ME JOY. I look forward to going into my scrapbook space instead of dreading it. I can find the exact supply I’m looking for and the guilt is gone.
I want all of this for you, too <3
If you’re tired of fighting against your scrapbook supplies and just want a clear, peaceful place to create, THIS may be just the thing you need. I hope so because I want to be of service to you and I hope this is something we can have fun doing together :)
One thing you’ll always hear from professional organizers is that vertical storage is the way to go.
One thing you’ll always hear from scrapbookers is that the Ikea Raskog cart (and all it’s cute knock-offs) is the way to go.
One thing you’ll always here from me is OMG thisisSOcute let’s go shoppingggg!!!!
An online scrapbooker named Evi posted this today and I just had to share it with you.
As you can see from the tags in the photos below, she found it at Marshall’s. It’s made by Cynthia Rowley but there was no other information on the tags. The cost was $12.99.
Evi says:
“It’s aprox 13 inches tall, 11 inches wide, and 3 inches deep.
It comes in white on white, white with gold, and teal with gold.
I think they just put them out today – they had a dozen along with an entire shelf of matching storage pieces.”
I’m not a gold fan but I might deal with it to get that pretty blue color that I *do* love. Or the white on white would be good, too.
She’s still deciding how to fill it up but here are some early ideas . . .
Looks like a great size for holding washi tape. Wonder if I could fit my whole collection in there and make this a Washi Tower??
Thanks for sharing this fabulous find, Evi!
What do y’all think? Will you be stalking your Marshall’s for this item? What are some ideas for how to use it?
Yahoo!! I finished my scrapbook space organization today!
Of course, I’ll be telling and showing you lots more about it but for now, here’s a quick preview of just one big improvement = my desk top.
Before
After
Not only is there space to scrapbook again but there’s a little more elbow room overall.
I’m so excited to tell you more about this big project!
Have a great weekend :)
PS: If you’re fittin’ to do a major transformation of your scrapbook space like I just did, stay tuned. I’m offering a 10-week organization class starting on Monday 01-18-16. More details to follow . . .
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!
Hey there! I haven’t been posting as much because I’ve been doing a complete purge and organization of my scrapbook space AND giving a class simultaneously called “Simplify Your Scrapbook Space” … you can join us anytime HERE!
While purging for Module 3 (Paper and Cards), I went through my coughfourshoeboxescough of Project Life cards and thinned them out a bit. Also, I still have 2 partial WRMK card sets (see THIS old post which I just bumped because it has images of those cards).
So this is what I currently have for sale:
Project Life Slate (47) 3×4 cards $3 plus shipping
Project Life Coral (48) 3×4 cards $3 plus shipping
Project Life Honey (81) 3×4 cards $5 plus shipping
Project Life/Heidi Swapp Picturesque (90) 3×4 cards $5 plus shipping
Project Life/Heidi Swapp Dreamy (93) 3×4 cards $5 plus shipping
Project Life Kiwi (134) 3×4 cards* $7 plus shipping
*3 each of most Kiwi cards; willing to break up into smaller sets
You can see complete Project Life sets on Becky’s site HERE; keep in mind I’m selling only partial sets.
WRMK Hip Hip Hooray! $4 plus shipping
WRMK Chalkboard $4 plus shipping
each WRMK set contains:
{12} 4×6 cards
{24} 3×4 cards
{12} 3×4 die cut cards
{1} 3×4 craft paper envelopes
Volume discounts :)
Pet-free and smoke-free home. Paypal only, please.
If interested, please leave a Comment or e-mail me: erika(at)scrapbookobsession(dot)com.
The full course title is: “Simplify Your Scrapbook Space: Declutter and Organize So You Can Scrapbook Stress-Free.” Catchy, eh?
The Short Version
If you don’t have time to read this long post, let me cut to the chase for you: The class is on sale NOW. You should sign up NOW because there’s a group of us starting on Monday together (but it can be self-paced too). It’s only $39 for 8 weeks of content, encouragement and accountability in a Facebook secret group and the classroom message board, not to mention a shared Pinterest board, and lots of free bonuses! You can learn more HERE and sign up HERE.
The Long Version
Here’s My History. What’s Yours?
I’ve been scrapbooking since 2001. Since that time, my scrapbook space has become so overrun with supplies and clutter that I often dread spending time in there and I sadly don’t scrapbook at home very much. {I mostly scrapbook at crops and retreats}. Periodically, I spend a day or two putting away purchases, sorting through my piles (yeah, I’m a piler), and rejoicing over seeing my desktop again.
Yet 2 months later, I’m back in the exact same boat. My scrap desk is piled high, I can’t put my hands on that favorite supply I wanted to use, and I end up just walking out of my scrap space without doing much because I don’t want to deal with it yet AGAIN. Can you relate to this at all?
Proof of the Crazy That Was My Scrapbook Space
BEFORE photos of my desk and file cabinet … yuck :(
This class will be different from other scrapbook space organization classes. Instead of focusing on the smartest or coolest ways to organize and store your supplies, we’re going to focus on paring down what you have, mentally and physically clearing away all the scrapbook clutter that is blocking your creativity and causing stress, and only keeping those scrapbooking items that bring you joy. THEN we’ll talk about how to store everything.
A Scary Concept
Now I realize these thoughts are very scary for some. They sure are for me. Pare down? Clear away? Simplify? Does that mean I have to get rid of most of the supplies I love? NOPE. It just means that we’re going to be brutally honest with ourselves about what amount of scrapbook supplies we truly need, which ones “bring us joy” vs. which ones feel kind of heavy or obligatory, and what level of simplifying will allow us maximum creativity.
For example, I’ve been stubbornly holding on to MANY 12×12 postbound albums which take up most of my storage cubes. It’s crazy. I switched over to D-ring albums years ago and the likelihood that any of these albums will ever be used is very small. Why am I holding onto them? I’m letting them take up valuable closed storage space that could be better used for other supplies that are cluttering up my desktop – and making me feel too crowded to scrapbook there? I mean, come ON!
Deep Breaths!
Don’t worry. If you take my class, I’m not going to “make you” do anything you don’t want to do, PROMISE. I’m just going to give you ideas on how to simplify your stash, encouragement if you need it, and let you know that it’s okay to let go of things in your scrapbook space that aren’t bringing you joy and aren’t enhancing your creativity.
In the past, I’ve purged good amounts of stuff (for example, HERE and HERE) but I’ve come to the realization after all these years and all these attempts at organization that I’ve held on too tightly to too much. Not to mention that I keep buying cute new stuff while not purging or using equal amounts of it.
Months or years after a purge and organization attempt (which never seem to be completely finished because I get distracted before I’m truly done), there are items I’m still holding onto that, honestly, will probably never be used.
What if Someday Never Comes?
And you know what? That’s okay. What the Konmari method made me see is that I don’t have to feel guilty about letting go of things “because I spent good money on that” or because “I have a project I want to do with it” SOMEDAY. Yeah, always someday, right?
Another thing I’m okay with is just packing some things away for a while and revisiting them later. If there are supplies I’m not sure I’m ready to let go of, there’s no harm in putting them in a box in the attic or a closet and revisiting them in a year or so. Because in the meantime, I cleared some space! I made room for creativity! And that’s an awesome feeling.
I want you to have that feeling too. I want you to feel refreshed, unburdened, and free in your scrapbook space not dreading the chaos that currently exists. Maybe you’re already awesomely simplified and organized; if so, good for you! But if you feel like it’s time to make some changes in your level of supplies or just in how they’re organized, I hope you’ll join me for this class.
More About “Simplify Your Scrapbook Space”
The sales page is HERE and the purchase page is HERE. It’s only $39 for this beta class which will unfold over 8 weeks, no matter when you purchase it. (Only $5 a week?? Whaaaaat?) But if you want to roll along with a group of us doing the class together, please sign up by tonight – we’re starting THIS Monday 11/16/15! {Signing up any time after Monday is totally fine! You’ll receive the initial module right way and the following 7 modules week by week. You’ll have full access to the Facebook group, message board, Pinterest board, etc.}.
I plan to offer an expanded version of the class in January 2016. I know that the current time of year is tough for taking on a project. But if you can swing it, do the class with us now so you’re able to enjoy any holiday down-time or vacation days in your newly organized space :) Also, the price for the January class will be higher so now is the time to get in for less.
Whether you sign up for my class or not, I urge you to take a look around at your scrapbook space and REALLY examine if it’s serving you well. Does it contain only things that bring you joy? Does it allow space for making layouts, sorting photos, and using your die-cutting machine? Do you feel invited to enter your space or do you dread approaching it? If the answers to these questions aren’t positive ones, consider making a change, either now or in the new year so 2016 can be an amazing year of creativity for you!
Heyo scrappy! Remember in THIS post when I alluded that there may be another announcement coming? Well, it’s time. And now there’s a spoiler in the post title but I’m not ready to talk about that yet so you have to keep waiting :P
Facebook Page and Group
First, I wanted to update you on the new Scrapbook Obsession Page and Group that I talked about HERE. They both got off to a somewhat slow start – as things associated with me are wont to do – bwahahaha! I’m thinking me in the morning before cawfee, any form of exercise, that kind of thing.
The Facebook Page was pretty depressing at first, I tell ya’. I’d post something and it would say “1 person reached” or “3 people reached” even though the Page Likes were growing steadily (thanks to you guys, since the only place I mentioned the new page was here on the blog).
But that’s Facebook’s new algorithm; you can Like a page all you want but if you don’t regularly interact with it, the posts won’t show up in your feed. They want people like me who are desperate for approval from strangers to pay for boosting, ads, etc. ;)
Well, the joke’s on Mr. Zuckerberg because a. I’m cheap, and 2. I prefer to beg my online scrappy friends to “LIKE” me (please Like me!) before I’ll stoop to the level of paying for affection.
So I hung in there, begged my friends to give me some love, and the reach of the SBO Facebook Page has improved already! Take that, Marky Mark!! I even have one post that says “145 people reached.” Of course, it’s a post about one of my scrapbooking hauls. Now I know how to get your attention, you little minxes!
As for the Secret Facebook Group – well, it’s a SECRET so I can’t tell you. DUH.
J/K … J/K
Not only has the Scrapbook Obsession Facebook Group grown to 58 lovely members in just a few weeks, it has also caused my Scrapbook Obsession Free Newsletter list to grow from 140 to 164 in that same timeframe. ‘Cuz you have to sign up for the newsletter to get an invitation to the Secret Group. Hmmm, who’s crafty little idea was that??
See, there’s usually a method to my madness. Not always but usually. Sometimes I’m just a hot mess and have no farklin’ idea what I’m doing. Yeah, wow, I’d have to say that’s mostly when I’m cooking. So you’re safe – unless you come over for brunch. { That’s so silly! Why would you come over to my house for brunch??!! Because MIMOSAS! }.
Team Lisa aka “Anthology” by Lisa Bearnson
Since I joined on as a consultant for this line in the Spring, it’s been a good experience. The umbrella company – Youngevity – is wonderful to work with. They gave me my own pretty website to sell Anthology products and they provide great support and training. I’m still trying to figure out how that all fits in with Scrapbook Obsession.
I don’t want to over-post about it but in keeping it pretty “low pro”, I haven’t sold very much. Honestly, I thought people would be more excited to buy the products and find me when seeking information. While I do get blog hits from those searches, they aren’t translating to orders. No one asks questions. No one is begging to be a consultant even though you can get started for only $25. I bought 10 catalog/idea books and have sold 1 :( [ETA 11/15/15: Make that 2! Thanks Shari and Laura].
And that’s okay. I’ve never been a pushy salesperson type and apparently that hasn’t changed. If I choose to be more aggressive about it down the road, I have ways to promote Anthology that won’t negatively impact this blog – because I don’t want to dilute what Scrapbook Obsession is. And what is that, exactly?? LOL
My First Class?!?!
Yes, I totally just copied that heading from the post title because it’s midnight and I’m plumb tired. Brain no workee. Too long since above-mentioned coffee consumption.
So anyhoooo … if you’re in the Secret Facebook Group (ahem!), you know that I’ve been contemplating when to do my first online class – about organizing and simplifying your scrapbook space. Here’s where that stands: At this point, I’m thinking of doing an 8-week beta class starting next Monday. Yes, NEXT Monday 11-16-15. Even if it’s just a few of us, I think we can have a blast getting our space all tidied up for some winter-break, staying-warm-inside scrapbooking this winter!
Then I’d start a longer and more thorough version of the same class on or around 01-18-16. I know the holidays are too busy for many people to contemplate attacking their scrapbook space. The new year is a great time for that. With both classes, I’ll be running them live starting on those dates but you can purchase them at any time and jump in. The content will be released weekly and you’ll have access to our chats, photos, forum, Facebook group, etc.
What your scrapbook space will look like after you take my class:
(It actually belongs to Papermint Crafting Studio. I’m being “aspirational” like Martha Stewart. Heh.)
So I’m getting input on all this from the group members and from some scrappy friends. I need to decide, like, PRONTO. Are you in the mood to get started organizing on Monday? If not, how does January sound? I hope you’ll join me . . . more information to follow!
As for Scrapbook Obsession Overall . . .
If you read THIS post, you know that I went to online business school this year and, after blogging since 2007, I’m ready to take Scrapbook Obsession to the next level. Having the newsletter is a big part of that because of how it makes others in the scrapbooking industry view my relationship to YOU (in other words, it’s a great thing, so thank you for signing up!). My blog feed, Bloglovin’ followers, and social media followers are steadily growing.
I’m being contacted by more product sponsors and affiliates which is a nice vote of confidence. It’s challenging to find ones that are a good fit for a scrapbooking blog which is a pretty defined niche. But that’s okay; it’s not really a big part of my plans for Scrapbook Obsession anyway. I still have more awesome ideas than I have time. And I’m still waiting to make enough moolah from this venture to cut back on my day job. Someday, someday . . .
The best part has been the support from my online scrapbook friends like you and I couldn’t be more appreciative. Let’s keep this thing rolling strong and see what 2016 brings. I think it’s gonna’ be an awesome new year!
– I wanted to make sure you saw all the new Project Life products HERE.
EXPLORE EDITION
Love that pattern on the lower left with the triangles. It looks like a very cool line but I’m resisting until I use some more of the travel stuff I already have.
DOODLE CORE KIT
I’m not much for doodled scrapbook supplies for some reason. Pretty colors though.
CARD CABINET ORGANIZER
It looks similar to the one by WRMK – wonder which one is better?
– Did you hear scrapbooking mentioned on Grey’s Anatomy recently?
I can’t find the quote online but Maggie was talking about how, when she was a girl, she and her mom use to scrapbook together. And they had glitter pens!! It was cute.
It’s happened at least once before. Hmm, I wonder if they have a scrapbooker in their band of writers?
– There are reports of Christmas scrapbooking supplies at TJ MAXX!! Just like with the Halloween stuff, check all around the store to find them – craft/cards, holiday goodies, checkout lane, etc. I’d love to hear what you find!
– Shout out to Pamela for being the 150th subscriber to the Scrapbook Obsession Free Newsletter! Thanks to all of you who have signed up and to Pamela for helping us hit a milestone. ONE-FIFTY, WHOO HOO!!
Why don’t you sign up too? There’s a box in the top right sidebar. I don’t bombard you with emails, I promise, and you get to be in our private Facebook group. Would love to have you :)
In case you aren’t on their list, I wanted to make sure you know about a huge WMRK sale going on at Scrapbook.com.
Their site says:
All We R Memory Keepers products on sale, ALL THE TIME!. Sale includes Crop-A-Diles, The Cinch, Punch Boards, Sew Easy products, page protectors, punches, albums and all other We R Memory Keepers products. We R has a reputation for making high-quality albums, innovative tools, and beautiful papers. Shop Scrapbook.com and get the lowest prices and largest selection of We R products available.
I’m kind of confused about when and what the sale is because on the Evolution page, it says it’s part of a 4-day sale. I clicked the link that said this:
Save 15% to 55% on all We R Memory Keepers products! We R Memory Keepers, a leader in the paper crafting industry, makes high quality tools, beautiful paper collections and much more. All sale prices are visible on the individual product pages. No coupon code is required. Act fast, this 4-day sale ends on Sunday, October 11th at midnight PST.
So everything WMRK is always on sale and certain WRMK items are on special sale through 10-11-15? That’s how I’m taking it.
All I know is, the prices are great! Here’s some more fun stuff I saw (the headings and photos are links to the products):
I don’t Instagram (yet) but know many of you do and what an amazing deal + quick way to get some of those photos off your phone and into an album to share :)
I love how those tab thingees stick out and show you which type of page protector it is. I might need 2 of these units. Gulp. But, hey, it’s not that I’d be SPENDING $68. It’s that I’d be SAVING $12. Heh.
So that’s just a few things I saw but go check it out. Tons more stuff.
I’ve heard that WMRK is re-branding or re-packaging their 12×12 albums – which is probably why I can’t find the colors I need anywhere. And that’s fine because I’ll probably start buying my albums from my Anthology site anyway – I like the bookplate better.
But we don’t have the Kiwi color – hope that’s coming soon. Otherwise, I’ll be looking to WRMK’s new model to fulfill that need. I use it for all my yearly family albums.
Believe it or not, this planner is actually stepping out on the wild side for me. I’ve used the smaller version of this At-a-Glance planner (about 7 x 9″ vs 8 1/2 x 11″) for literally 10 years. I save them every year and use them to look up stuff – medical info, dates and journaling for scrapbooking, etc. – or to win an argument with my husband (oops, did I say that in my “out loud” voice?).
I just pull the old refill out and put in the new one; they’re slim and file away very nicely. Changing to a different size?!? Gasp! It’s like those of you who MUST have a row of matching albums on your shelf. It causes a bit of anxiety to change it up, am I right?
I have reasons for going practical over pretty. As much as I’d love to dress up a cute day planner with stickers and washi and pretty handwriting, it’s just not happening. I keep track of too much stuff in my planner:
– Travel and holiday plans
– Hub’s work schedule
– Dates for school stuff, sports, and community events
– Medical, dental, and other appointments for all of us
– All of my clients’ events and due dates (yes, I calendar 5-6 other people, LOL)
– Bloggy stuff
– Free business and scrappy webinars (I’m a junkie)
Not only do I need all that space I have in my current 7 x 9″ boring planner, for 2016 I’ve decided to “go bigger” because I need even more room! See the longer horizontal space for each day? I draw 2 vertical lines to make 3 boxes so I can visually separate personal, business, and webinars/e-learning. It’s getting pretty cluttered and I run out of room on some days. On the month-at-a-glance pages, I track our bills and budget. On the blank lines on the top right, I usually journal about something from that week (to scrapbook later).
You can see why those pretty scrapbook planners with all the fun extras wouldn’t work for me, huh? I did look at a lot of options before choosing this (boring) planner. Even if you don’t go scrapbook-y, there are some pretty awesome, cute, helpful planners out there now. I looked at many, including Elise Blaha Cripe’s Get to Work Book, the Passion Planner (tried out their free printables), the popular Erin Condren planner {did you know they carry these now at Staples?!}, and a bunch of other nice options on Amazon. I even bought and tried the Uncalendar. None of them had enough writing space :(
Lest you think I’m TOO super boring, I am going to bust out in a big way with my day planning in 2016.
Yeah, they’re erasable. So what? You got a problem with that? I’m a bit picky and just can’t do scratch-outs. Gotta’ be able to fully erase mistakes or changes and I hear these pens totally rock.
I don’t know if I’ll actually try to color code everything or just use, say, pink one week and blue the next. We shall see. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.
Tonight I had a 50% off 1 item coupon at Michaels; only thing I could find to buy were some clickable highlighters – pink, yellow, and orange. Hope to use those in my planner as well.
Thanks to Mr. Amazon Prime, my planner and pens got here in 3 days. I’m inordinately excited to play with them. Hmm, what shall I do first? Go through and add birthdays in lime OR bill due dates in turquoise?! Eeeee! (Goober).
I thought I was ordering a black planner but they sent me SILVER which I actually love! I may not use a cute scrappy planner but I’m proud of myself for stepping out of my box a teensy bit.
How about you? Do you use a fancy planner? A white board on the fridge? What’s up with you? I’d love to hear about it.
3. Ruler tool and cello paper so you can make bags
