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.
It’s pretty funny that this comes on the heels of my POST about how I have so much scrap stuff that I feel defensive of it, LOL!
But I truly was overdue in placing a Memory Works order; I haven’t done one since July 15, when I got that MEGA KIT from My Minds Eye for myself, and filled two customer orders. In the meantime, I’ve gotten several product credits for signing up new consultants (both hobbyists and “premium” consultants….thanks so much ladies!) that have been burning a hole in my virtual shopping cart. I’ve been restraining myself from using them as I watched all the new stuff from CHA Summer come in. But most of it is here now, and if I wait too long, the things I want will be gonzo. {The only thing I’m still waiting for are the new THICKERS}. Today, I received a customer order so the time had come to place an actual order instead of just dreaming about it, lol. Besides, I NEED STOCK!
I thought I’d share what one of my orders looks like. Back when I was going gangbusters with MEMORY WORKS (last year, before the economy tanked), I would make $100+ orders like this about once every month or two. If you figure that as an MW CONSULTANT, I get 20% of the retail amount of each order, you can see I was making some pretty nice bank. I mean, I was never no Lisa “QVC” Bearnson, but I was doing okay :)
However, those were the good ol’ days, and placing an order like this now literally makes my hands shake. I’ve got about half of the cost covered already with product credits and the customer order. But the rest is just cash I’m laying out there, hoping to sell these products to friends and at crops, and recoup my money with a little bit of profit. Or if I can sell 80% of it, then the 20% that I can’t sell – and thus, it enters my own stash for good – can be considered my “profit.” That’s why I only buy products that I love and would use myself….because if I can’t sell them, they become mine. Mines, all mines! Yeah, break my heart, why don’t you? Force me to take all these ugly scrap supplies that no one wants.
Okay, on to the order. This is gonna be pic heavy, so get ready to scroll, especially you Laptoppers like me….
1 BasicGrey: Take Note – Eerie $5.00
****** From here down to We R MK stamps and then the white Thickers, these are items on Fall Clearance so the prices are great; a good time to stock up! ******
1 Scrap Within Reach: Journaling Tags – Paper Boy $1.20
1 Three Bugs: Die-cut Tags – To the Rescue $2.00
Okay, first I have to comment on some of these items…
Basic Grey “Lime Rickey” blue chip stickers – Love! How did I never notice those before?
Jenni Bowlin brown label stickers – Did you notice I ordered two? Mama wants her own set. Not. For. Sale.
We R Memory Keepers clear stamps – Only 80 stinkin’ cents. I mean, that’s a no-brainer, right? I got one to sell, one to keep.
7 Gypsies “Victoria” Theme set – Remember that from HERE? Yeah, I caved and bought it. Those papers are sooooo pretty! But here’s the deal I made with the scrapbook goddesses: I’m going to set that paper free, and offer it for sale to customers. If it flies to someone else, it was never mine to begin with. If it returns to me, it was mine all along…
Pink Paislee “Amber Road” theme set – I drooled over it HERE. I finally ordered some. I’m going to set it free also. And hope that it comes back….
As you can probably tell from the things I ordered, I have customers with boys, public safety customers, and customers who have surfers in their family (we do live by the coast, after all). You can also see that I like to order products based on the seasons on either side of us at any given time, because that’s what people are scrapping now or preparing to scrap for. Right now, that would be 4th of July and 9/11, summer, back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Alphas and journaling items are always big sellers. It’s all a balancing act, placing an order, because I have to stay within my budget, fill customer orders, and choose other items based on what I think customers will like, taking into consideration the seasons, and what hobbies and interests my regular customers have. Also, I try to keep in mind the tastes of my friends. For instance, there were about 5 different Halloween sets I chose from and I went with one that has a more “distress-y” look because, in my experience, in my crowd, that sells over the real bold, bright look.
Now, don’t you wish you were a Memory Works consultant?!? LOL I don’t know if that was interesting at all, but I thought if nothing else, you’d enjoy looking at the pretty pictures. “I do NOT have scrapbooker’s A.D.D. …. Ooooh, look sparklies!!” Yeah, I got your number, sister. Holla!
I placed this order online late Tuesday night, and got an instant order receipt in my e-mail. Then Wednesday morning around 11, I got a UPS shipping notification that 2 boxes were on the way to me ALREADY! That’s one thing I *lurve* about Memory Works; they ship your order within one business day of receiving it. I also signed up a friend to start receiving the monthly kit, called MEMORY WORKS EXPRESS. The September kits had already gone out, so her first kit would normally have been the October. But she asked if she could still get September, so I e-mailed Miss Fabulosity aka Jodi at MW customer service. She said to just let her know when I had registered my friend, and she would manually go in and start her in September. Voila! It was done, just as she said. I got a UPS notice that my friend’s kit has shipped, also.
Now what’s super cool is that this friend, me, and a few others are meeting up to crop this Saturday…and our Memory Works shipments are due to arrive….wait for it….wait for it…..FRIDAY!!! Just in time :) So that will be wicked cool. Sorry I keep bragging on Memory Works…I just can’t say enough good things about ’em. It was really fun to “shop” for that order, even if most of it will be sold to others (hopefully). Hope you enjoyed our shopping trip, too!
I saw this when I was at Michaels the other day, but forgot to take a photo. I borrowed this one from another Pea named BENITA, an inspirational lady with a sister dealing with cancer, who she talks about HERE.
Benita says 50 cents of each purchase goes to breast cancer research. I already have the orange “X” Xyron. It was actually one of my first ever scrapbooking purchases, lo those many years ago. I use it all the time for getting adhesive on the back of those tricky Cricut letters. But even though I don’t “need” a pink one, I’ve decided to get one the next time I’m at Mike’s. It’s for a wonderful cause, right?
I’m hearing good reviews of them, too. I noticed the slot on top is smaller and I thought that would be a bad thing, but apparently not….just listen to what the Peas say HERE and HERE. One poster said that it’s exclusive to Mike’s for one month, then will be available wherever Xyron products are sold. Even though this pink “X” just showed up at my Michaels, it has been seen at other ones since early August (so start looking for it in other stores, too).
I’ve scrapbooked for 8 years, and had a scrapbook space in my home for about 6 or 7 years. In that time, I’ve bought more organizational items and reorganized my stuff more times than I can count. Although my amount of supplies, tools, and completed scrapbooks have increased a bunch during that time, my amount of scrap space has not, and I was feeling really cramped. So, the time has come for a major re-do, not only to my existing scrap space but it’s affecting two other areas of my house as well.
I have to say, I’m somewhat hesitant to start posting about this subject, for a kind of dumb reason. Like many long-time scrappers, I have LOTS of stuff. Lots of scrap stuff. Lots of photos and memorabilia. Lots of other stuff in my scrap area that doesn’t even belong there, but it takes on the identity of scrap stuff because it’s been dumped there and looks like it belongs, LOL. But this is what’s going to happen: People are going to read the entries about my room re-do, see the photos off all my “schtuff” (as NOEL JOY likes to call it), and person after person will say, “Wow, you have a lot of stuff!” or “It’s like a scrapbook store!” or “When can I come shop your stash??” or “Does one person really have that much stuff?!?!”
For some reason ~ and I know it’s irrational because who cares “what people say?” ~ but those comments really bother me. I think mostly because I take them to have an undercurrent (or heck, a blatant, outright message) of “Why in the HAY-ELL do you HAVE so much stuff?” and “It’s ridiculous to have as many supplies as a store would have!” Even if the comments aren’t intended that way, that’s how I tend to read them.
I’ve seen these types of comments on my own blog when I’ve re-orged before. I’ve seen them on the blogs of other ladies who’ve shared their lovingly organized scrap spaces. I’ve heard scrappers trashed on message boards: “She must be in massive debt,” or “She needs to get a life.” {I remember this one poor girl that was bombarded with things like, “How many bottles of Primas does one person need?!?! You are disgusting.” Crap, maybe she was on the DT for Prima and they were all free samples for her to create with, biz-natch!} Anyway, just hurtful, damaging things are sometimes said. There are also funny things and sarcastic things that probably meant very little to the person saying them, but to the person who’s being talked about . . . it can be a big “ouch,” kwim?
When people comment on my amount of scrap stuff, I always feel the need to defend myself, to explain, to justify. Yes, I have legitimate reasons for having such a good stash. But, no, I’m not rich, I don’t spend recklessly, I’m not spoiled, I’m not in huge scrap-debt, and I don’t need to get a life. I have a wonderful life, thankyouverymuch! But I also have feelings and misplaced guilt and sensitivities and, most importantly, JUSTIFICATIONS! :) {Ha ha, I had to throw that in there, didn’t I?}
Another thing that bothers me about those comments is that they are totally missing the point of the person ~ say, me, for instance ~ who has taken the time to not only re-do their space, but to take photos along the way and then write about the experience. The point isn’t to show off the massive amount of supplies we have, or to hear how much we remind the reader of their LSS. The point is to share organizational ideas. When I post about my process, I want people to ask organizational questions, inquire where I got a certain storage unit, or to compliment me on how cleverly I’ve arranged everything {‘cuz I’m needy like that}.
I don’t want to hear about my plethora of supplies. Yeah, I HAVE A LOT. That’s why I’m organizing them. Duh.
So that’s why I’m hesitant to start this whole process. NOT the process of reorganizing, ‘cuz that’s a done deal. That’s already happening, baby! And I’m thrilled about it. But I’m leery about sharing my “diary” here on the blog, because I’m afraid off those comments I’ll get that I know will hurt my feelings. Sure, I can delete the ones I don’t like….it is MY blog, after all! But I like to leave comments standing for the most part, and don’t censor my blog comments unless they’re spam or really super offensive. I’m a straight-up person with nothing to hide (well, isn’t that ironic?) so if readers do make those comments I so dread, I’ll most likely leave them there for all future readers to see. And I will want to yell at them, “But, but, but wait!” Yet I promise, I will bite my tongue and forge on. Even though I have an entire post practically written in my head called, “In Defense of All My Scrap Crap.” You know, where I get to ‘splain myself before you assume I belong on A&E’s “HOARDERS” or “CLEAN HOUSE,” hanging out with mah gurrrrrl, Niecy Nash, LOL!
But, ya know, I’ve explained myself before and no one wants to hear it, let’s be honest. They just want to tell me how much stuff I have. You know it’s true! Remember this post and, when you see those comments in the future, come back here and say, “Erika, your ESPN was working. You were right.”
The most common way by far that people come upon my blog is from searching for “scrapbook room” or “scrapbook organization.” It’s an immensely popular topic in Scrap World, as we scrappers acquire all these fun goodies and are curious how others have their pretties arranged and their scrap spaces decorated. I ADORE looking at photos of and hearing about others’ scrapbook rooms and storage ideas. So, yes, I will bite the bullet, take those comments as they come, and eat Double Stuff Oreos to dull the pain. Because I do want to share this project, this adventure, with anyone who wants to listen. I hope I can be of help to readers, whether it be to give storage ideas, provide inspiration to re-org your own space, or even just give you something to read while you drink your cuppa Joe in front of the computer in the morning.
Stay tuned, scrappy organizers….the journey is about to begin :)
I’m in the midst of a MAJOR scrapbook room / home office / play room switcheroonie and reorganization and purge. I’m taking pics along the way and will post a series of blog entries coming up….
This may be old news for some of you, but my Michaels just started carrying DISTRESS STICKLES by Tim Holtz. Yeah, finally! I’ve been a huge fan of STICKLES forevah! {Although, as scrappers wanting to finish a project, “waiting for the Stickles to dry” has become our version of watching paint dry…}. Anyhow, have been wanting to try these. I got a 3-pack; I think they were around $6 but I had a 1/2 off coupon. Sweeeeeet….
ETA 9-11-09: Found the LINK to Distress Stickles at Mike’s, and here is the pack that I got. This is the only choice they had, but the website shows a total of 4 combo packs so hopefully my Mike’s will get the other 3 eventually…
Also, the Peas are talking HERE about some Tuesday Morning finds. Let’s just say Making Memories “Whimsey,” Pink Paislee “POP FASHION,” and lots of other stuff.
I finally found the new issue of Scrapbooks Etc…you know, the first issue with the CHANGES I talked about before. I’ve been thumbing through it the last couple nights and I’m taking note of the changes I like and don’t like for a future post. What do you think of the new format?
I was looking at my Blog Stats and noticed that I’m less than 25,000 hits from rolling over HALF A MILLION, baby! That is soooo cool. I’ll have to plan a good contest and prize for the big event, don’t you think?
I also noticed lots of hits on my “Troy the Locator” article below, but no one is leaving comments. Was it that bad? (You know I was kidding about the “being better than you” thing, right?) Was it too long to read through? I was thinking I should’ve broken it up into two entries. Let me know your thoughts so I can learn from my mistakes, please :) :) :)
As I talked about HERE, I was contacted by WeTV to participate in a conference call with none other than Troy Dunn from their fabulous show, “The Locator.” I’d written about the show on my blog in the past HERE and HERE because I love it so very much. I thought it was so cool that not only did Troy come and leave a comment on my blog, but his mom (you see her on the show, too) did as well. One of the coolest things is that they sent me the link to a sneak preview of the new season of The Locator that only a special, select few IN THA WORLD get to see. Well, I don’t know that for a fact, but to make my ego supersized, let’s just assume that’s true. C’mon, play along with me….
They also sent me this picture to use in my article, which is from the new season and has NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE on the face of the earth. Exclusive to ME!! Bwahahaha. Okay, I’m totally lying again. I’m apparently at an insecure mood at this point in time and have a need to feel important and much, much better than you. I promise, I’ll get over it. But cool photo, right?
Did you know that one of Troy’s sons (Treston; LOVE that name!) keeps a family blog? Why don’t you go say “hi” right here to THE DUNN FAMILY.
Anyway, the date and time to speak with him finally arrived, which was September 3rd at 8am my time. That worked out well because, even though that’s a work day for me, I start at 8:30 (and I work from home as a medical transcriber so it’s a short commute). I told the gal who was coordinating everything – Katrina from WeTV – and she allowed me to ask my questions first in case I had to cut out early.
The two other bloggers who were also on the conference call with Troy (yeah, I get to call him that, ‘cuz we TALKED, you know?) were Gina from the THE CLAN McCLEOD blog, and Jill from the OKLA-HOME blog. Go check them out…both are really great blogs.
So, back to the call…Troy came on the line and everyone said good morning and where they’re from. I was able to go first and started off by reminding Troy that I was the one who had blogged that he’s a hottie. Again, like the comment he left on that post, Troy (or, as I sometimes call my new BFF, “T.”) was very modest and we joked about things like that scoring points with his wife.
My first question was: You talked in the comment you left (on my blog) about scrapbooking and the role it plays on your show. Can you please talk about that some more?
He said that scrapbooking is very much a part of The Locator. One thing is that many times, people who participate in the show immediately scrapbook their experience. He says that by what his show does, they allow people to have another 10 or 20 years of their lives to make the memories to fill up more scrapbooks. T. also said that his family has scrapbookers and they give and receive them for gifts. On his coffee table near him while we spoke, was a scrapbook that a fan sent him, all made up to honor the show, The Locator. The person had taken photos from the show, newspaper clippings, and letters from the website. {This reminded me of the album – or is it albumSSS – made by my Scrap Pal, Gay to honor her fascination with….er, lust for….I mean, um, admiration of the acting abilities of Gerard Butler. But that’s a whole ‘nother story I can’t get into right now}. Anyway, so then Troy said, “I have nothing but love and respect for scrapbooks and if I can help people fill the pages of them, fill their lives, then I’m totally jazzed about that.” See, not only handsome, but wicked smaht.
Then he said that he keeps waiting for a scrapbooking company to contact him, that he’d love to do a whole “Locator” scrapbooking line. I joked that maybe I should put some bugs in some ears in this industry about this great idea. As it happens, I’m having lunch later this week with STACY JULIAN, KELLY GOREE, CATHY Z, and LISA BEARNSON, so I’ll probably bring it up then. Nah, you know I don’t really know those ladies. Well, unless you count years upon years of drooling over their work in magazines and stalking….erm, I mean… leaving (perfectly harmless) comments on their blogs as being friends. Because I do. I consider them my friends.
My second question was about photographs, and how important those are in our lives; his thoughts on that, maybe reactions he’d seen from people he reunited when either they were shown photos of themselves they hadn’t known existed, or the opposite, when no photos exist and how that impacts them. (Crikes, didn’t realize what a long-winded question that was til I had to type it out and got a case of carpal tunnel while doing so… Sheesh, Erika, brief much?).
This was one of my favorite parts. Troy said that one of the greatest myths about photographs is that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” He said that a picture is worth a million words. He said photos are so extraordinary because of how close they come to “bringing a real person to somebody.” He said he often gets the same reaction from showing someone a photo of their long lost loved one, as he does from showing them the actual person. I find that amazing and, yet, totally relatable and I’ve seen it many times on the show, the profound reaction people have when seeing a photo of their loved one for the first time. The other amazing thing Troy had to say about photos is they he tries to never go into a reuniting situation without one because they make great transitional objects. We talked about how, for instance, a mom who hasn’t seen her missing son since he was four months old. In her heart and head, she may largely picture her son today as still being that four-month-old little baby. What a shock it could be if she first laid eyes on him again as an adult now. So by exposing her to current photos of him beforehand, she can start transitioning herself mentally into “This is what he looks like now.” He compared it to a situation in his own life, and a daughter (one of his SEVEN children with his wife) who battled cancer. Friends that hadn’t seen her in a while would’ve been quite shocked to then see her bald, so he used photos as a kind of transition so they could wrap their brains around how she looked currently, instead of revealing a shock or a sadness upon actually laying eyes on her. As I told Troy, I’d never thought of photos as that “transitional object,” but how very true and powerful that is, don’t you think?
So, those were my two main questions. Troy next answered questions from Gina and Jill, which were great to listen to. I know Jill has blogged about her experience speaking with Troy on her blog listed above, and I hope Dena will post about her take, also.
Then we got to ask a third question, since there was still time, and I asked him a question that had been posed by one of my kids when they found out I would be talking to Troy. {The Locator is a wonderful family show and I watch it often with my kids, so they’re Troy Fans also}. The question was about all the travel he does for the show, does he like it or not? Troy’s answer was what you’d expect from the true family man that he is….that while he’d gotten to go places he’d never have gone otherwise, that nothing was better than being home with his family. Shoot, with a wife and seven kids, imagine how many events you could miss in just a few days, LOL!. He talked about the toll that reality shows seem to be taking on the families who participate in them lately, and how family must remain the priority above all else. We also learned some “show secrets” such as the getaway car, and Troy’s favorite getaway meal. You know, things Troy only tells his “good friends,” of which I am clearly one. {Ahem}.
So that was my wonderful experience talking to Troy. He said if I contacted his staff, he would send a photo to my kids and I’m still working on arranging that. Sorry this is so long, but I had to capture all the details while they were fresh in my mind ‘cuz you know I’ll be making this blog entry into the journaling for my scrapbook layout, of course. Now, if only I could find some Locator-themed scrapbooking elements to jazz up my page, I’d be in business. Lisa??? Kelly???
PS: A reminder that the new season of THE LOCATOR starts soon! Put it on your calendar or set your DVR now...This Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 9pm PST (check listings for your own time zone).
If anyone was waiting on the article I said I would post today about my phone conversation with Troy Dunn of The Locator TV show, I apologize it will NOT be posted today. Me and one of the kiddos ended up with the stomach flu so my weekend didn’t go as planned. My apologies, and I’ll get it posted as soon as possible. I still can’t believe I was blessed with speaking to him! To hold you over, I’ll post a photo. Trust me, it will help your day immensely… :)
Except I forgot to write this up Friday night, so it’s actually “The Wee Hours of Sunday Morning Scrapbook Randoms,” LOL. {It’s 4am to be exact}. The benefit of me being so tardy is that I can share THIS with you. Pair it up with that 50-percenter I already gave you, and you’re good to go.
Word on the street is that you can get a BIG BITE at Walmart for $5. HERE is the orange one on Walmart.com, which normally retails for almost $40.
I’m sure it won’t be 5 bucks at MY Walmart, because they never have whatever it is all you scrappers are bragging about until a month or two later, if at all. But, hey, go check it out. Maybe you’ll get lucky and then come back here and rub my nose in it… (Kidding! You know I took Sarcasm 101 and got an A+, right? Like, SEVERAL times. In fact, I’m teaching the class next semester…).
There’s a new blog by a Pea I wanted to share with you. Her message board name always catches my eye, cuz it’s SCRAPPIN PSYCHO. See, I figure I may be Obsessed but SHE is psycho. And her scrap room is called The Asylum. I keep trying to tell you people that I’m not the only scrapbook crazy out there, but now I have proof!
Hey, did you know the monthly crop at AMR Is next weekend? Yep, I’m totally not kidding. Here are the details, as shared by crop queen diva, MARILYN aka Melonscraps:
Start getting ready for the September Crop!! It will be Friday, September 11-Sunday, September 13!
What to expect…
The theme will be FALL.
There will be a BINGO game, but not by Michelle.
I will be posting another fun game, at least one.
There are sure to be lots of challenges, if you plan on doing one, pm me!
There will also be another ATC swap!
There will be lots of chatting and someone please bring the Margaritas!!
Feel free to join in the fun with challenges, games, etc.
Come one, come all, and have fun!!
The crop post is HERE for any updates or more info. Hope to see you there!
I will close with THIS, “Warning Signs That You Might Be a Scrapbooker.” I can definitely identify with lots of those. And, no, NOT number 22. Sheesh, give me a little bit of credit….
You can see Basic Grey ~ Indian Summer, Eerie, Eskimo Kisses, and Nook and Pantry HERE. {As of this writing, the Nook & Pantry still shows out of stock, but I’m sure we’ll have it soon}. I’ll give a taste of each by showing you the Theme Sets of paper, but we have a bunch of stuff from each line.
And here is Fancy Pants ~ Rough and Tough, Dancing Girl, Little Sprout, Trick or Treat, and Christmas Magic HERE.
Instructions on how to order are HERE. Would love to hear from you :)
O. EM. GEE! Have you seen this batty lace doily by Basic Grey?!?!?! Must. Have.
Okay, now I can’t wait to shop. I’ve been holding on to some Product Credits for a while now, waiting for all the CHA stuff to roll in. We’re still waiting on the new Doodlebug, Sassafrass, and We R Memory Keepers, but I can’t wait any longer. Now that the BG and Fancy Pants are here, I’m going to order before it’s gone. I also want this “Take Note” from the BG Eerie line, among other things:
HERE is the September Newsletter from Basic Grey, if you’d like to see some great layout ideas with these new lines and some past ones. What new CHA Summer stuff are you excited about or going to order?
This is the first week without coupons via newspaper ads (I talked about it HERE). So HERE is a link to the coupons I got via e-mail ~ they’re good ones! Hopefully they will work for you, and there’s not a limit on the number you can print. Let me know if it doesn’t work.
ETA 9-4-09: Thank you, Heidi, for leaving this comment:
Did you see the notice on the 2nd link: “We’re sorry. This coupon is no longer available because the viewing limit has been exceeded.
If you have been forwarded this coupon and would like to receive offers like this directly from Michaels, please register at Michaels.com. ” What ‘limit’???
That’s what I was afraid of. They’ve done this before, limited your ability to open and print the coupon to only once. Darn. Sorry guys. If I can find another version of the coupon to link to, I’ll post it. Or if you find one, let me know please!
ETA 9-4-09 again: Try THIS. It’s a different coupon but better! I got it from another site and it printed, no problem.
I spoke with Troy Dunn from The Locator (WeTV) on a conference call this morning with some other bloggers! LOOOOONNNNNGGGG blog post coming up, probably tonight. We dished scrapbooking and photos, and he has a proposal for scrapbooking companies. Yes, I’m a tease! You’ll have to come back and read all about it….
ETA: Well, change of plans. I ended up at a last-minute 4-H meeting tonight which took 3 hours. And this is a busy weekend, so I’ll work on the article (it’ll be a long one) and post it Tuesday after Labor Day. Hopefully, you’ll be in the mood to grab a cuppa Joe and snuggle in for a good long read.
PS: My scrap buddy JULIE from the AMR board sent me some scrap goodies for winning her challenge at our last online crop. One of the items was a desktop weekly calendar that has this saying on it (although its a retro chick instead of a retro dude):
I adore this! Truer words were never spoken. I mean, decaffeinated coffee??? What’s the point?
If you’ve been waiting for the Amber Road line from PINK PAISLEE to become available, I’ve got great news for you….I can get you summa’ that! I’m a consultant for MEMORY WORKS scrapbooking and we now carry this line. And here ’tis….
PINK PAISLEE Amber Road Theme Set $5.50
4 sheets of double-sided patterned paper
1 sheet of shaped paper
1 sheet of double-sided postcards
{This is all the papers in the line; you won’t be missing any…}
PINK PAISLEE Amber Road
Patches $3.50
(3) lightweight canvas tags
Each patch measures approximately 3.5″ x 5.5.” Patches can be applied using brads, eyelets, stitching, or any adhesive.
I can’t believe the clear stamps are only 5 bucks! And look at all the alphas you get for only $2. That “pear” looks like a very versatile color, too. My faves from this line: The shaped paper, the gorgeous brads, the clear border stickers, and all those die cut shapes. But it’s all so pretty. I like that it’s a non-traditional look at Fall and Thanksgiving scrapbooking…not your typical oranges, yellows, and browns but instead subtle reds, greens, and creams. You could even use much of this line for Christmas…the pieces that aren’t theme-specific. Cool! I LOVE double-duty! And that old-fashioned look is so appealing and different.
This is my favorite part of this line…the paper and embellies featuring this cool apple blossom tree…
So, if you’d like to place an order, click on one of the above links, which take you straight to the item on my own Memory Works WEBSITE. More instructions are HERE.
If you have any questions about placing a Memory Works order with me, please don’t hesitate to ask. We carry lots of other great products ~ not just Pink Paislee :) All the products rolling in from CHA are amazing. So far, we’ve got (click on each name to shop or browse):
BO BUNNY – Delilah, Kitchen Spice, Flutter Butter, Boo Crew, Tis the Season, and St. Nick (I blogged about all of it HERE)
COSMO CRICKET – Earth Love, The Boyfriend, and Jolly by Golly
DREAM STREET – Nature’s Poetry, Sam, and Urban Ink
JENNI BOWLIN – Town Square, Front Porch, Calendar Cards, Bingo Cards, Mini Bingo Cards, Chipboard Buttons, and Memo Books
MY MINDS EYE – Abby Road, Boo to You, Colorful Christmas
PEBBLES, INC. – Lil Buddy, Lil Miss, Skipping Along, So Tweet, Chips glittered chipboard, ribbon sets, Ribbon Iron, and Candy Dots
SCRAP WITHIN REACH – Paper Boy, Carnival Ride, Industrial Park, and Afternoon Tea
THREE BUGS in a RUG – To the Rescue, Spread Your Wings, Simple Pleasures, and Let It Snow.
If you’d like to place an order, here is my own Memory Works WEBSITE. Click on “New Customer? Start here” and register as a customer, put your item(s) in your shopping cart, and submit your order. I’ll get an e-mail right way that your order is pending, and I’ll contact you regarding your payment preference. If it’s Paypal, I’ll e-mail ya an invoice and as soon as you pay it, your order is submitted for processing. If you prefer to pay by check, once it’s received and cleared on my end, your order is submitted for processing. From there, Memory Works fills your order and mails it within 1 business day (yes, 1!). It’s shipped directly to you lickety split!
If you have questions about becoming a Memory Works Consultant, please click on I’M A MEMORY WORKS CONSULTANT here or above right, and I’ll get you whatever kinda 411 you need. You can do anything from buying things for yourself at discount to selling only to your friends to become a Mega Rock Star Consultant, hosting parties and crops to your hearts content. Me, I’m kinda between options 2 and 3, LOL!. I sell to myself, I sell to friends, and I host a crop once in a while. I earn a little extra money so I can spend on scrappy stuff without feeling guilty for impacting the family budget. And I can’t believe I’m earning money selling something I love so much….scrap stuff! It’s a win-win, baby! So, yeah, give me a shout at the e-mail listed and I’ll tell you anything you need to know.
** If you do end up signing up as a consultant, PLEEEEEZ enter another consultant’s ID number when you do. That consultant receives a $10 to 15 product credit for referring you, allowing them to invest in products for their business. I’m not saying it has to be MY consultant number…although I’d love it if it was…but seriously, enter the number of a friends or whoever helped you decide to do Memory Works. It’s a shame to let such a substantial product credit go to waste, don’t you think?
Just wanted to share this amazing layout I saw on 2peas by FlowerFlora from Athens, Greece.
I’m just stunned by this layout. The intricacy, the historical fact, the sheer artistry. Anyone who thinks it’s “just scrapbooking” should look at this piece. Personally, I think it belongs in a museum….
This amazing artist’s 2peas gallery is HERE. You can see close-ups of everything, and read all the journaling. HERE is her blog…it’s all written in Greek, which is fun to look at in itself, not to mention her body of work! Like her “Life is a Tree,” for example…
Just wanted to tell you about the crop I went to on Saturday. It was a lot of fun and I got 9 pages done in about 11 hours. That might be a record, LOL. Granted, I need to add the journaling on most of the layouts so they’re not complete quite yet. The crop was from 9 to 9 and I said I was going to get there right at 9, to take full advantage of my crop fee….cuz I’m stingy like that. However, I didn’t end up leaving the house until 9, then went to Michaels and Starbucks on the way (which were both right down the street from the crop).
At Michaels, I learned two things from the employees while I was there. 1. The beading area (at least at our store) is expanding, and 2. No more Michaels coupons via Sunday paper flyers. Yes, I’m bolding that…it’s big news!
So I was cruising the scrapbooking area, looking for something worthy of my 40% coupon, and coming up dry at that point. I went to look in the center aisle sections, desperately trying to find the load of new Sassafrass product “mah people” told me was at Mike’s these days (no luck). The next aisle from scrapbooking is beading and there were two employees resetting the aisle. I said, “Hi” and one of them asked if they could help me find anything. I meant to ask about the Sassafrass but my eyes were blinded by the dizzying array of new beads they were hanging. Like, row upon row upon row of beads! My jaw dropped and she goes, “Yeah, we’re expanding to three aisles.” I said, “I used to make beaded jewelry but stopped for scrapbooking. Maybe I’ll have to get into it again!” and we laughed. Then I said, “You know, I’d better just not look,” and she said, “Yeah, bead shopping is pretty addicting.” She paused and said, “And I hear scrapbook shopping can be pretty addicting, too. Is that right?” I said, “Oh, you don’t know the half of it!!” And we all laughed. I complimented them on all the new scrapbook stuff they’ve been getting and told them to keep it coming. {I realize they’re employees, not buyers, but it never hurts to put in a good word, right?}.
I ended up grabbing a paper pad from We R Memory Keepers with sport stuff, called “MVP,” for $12 instead of $20. I would link you the whole line on the WRMK site, but I couldn’t find it there. Gotta’ say, I’m not a big fan of their website, the way it’s organized and the lack of information. But I copied this from an online retailer.
When I was checking out, the cashier told me that Michaels would no longer have ads in the Sunday paper, and that coupons would be strictly from the mailing list/website. She gave me a cute flyer explaining how to get on the mailing list, and I told her I was already on it, so I’m good to go. I asked her why did she think they were doing that, and she assumed it was due to cost, but had not been told that. So, more things changing due to the economy, I guess. I enjoy looking through the Michaels ad on Sunday mornings, along with Target and a few others, while I drink my coffee. Then I go right to the cupboard for my scissors, cut the coupon out, and stick it in my purse. So now my routine will change and I’ll have to remember to print the coupon out from the computer, but whatevs. I’m cool with it. Can’t blame them for having to stop the ads; they must be really expensive when you imagine ALL the newspapers they’re in. Some Canadian Peas said they’re doing the same thing up there. I do wonder if it’s a good business move though, don’t you? Do you think having the ad right there in your paper entices crafters and non-crafters alike to buy when they normally wouldn’t? I mean, you and I who are computer savvy (and on this dang thing all the time) have no problem just getting on their e-mail list and checking the ad online. But what about Nancy Sue in Kalamazoo who browses her Sunday ads, sees silk trees or Christmas decor on sale at Michaels, and thinks, “Oh, that’s a good price. I should go check that place out.” KWIM? Without the ad, I could see Michaels losing a lot of business. Anyway, us Mike’s freaks can view the weekly ad and sign up to receive printable coupons via e-mail HERE.
So, I left Mike’s, grabbed my sugar-free latte from StarCrack’s….erm, I mean…Starbucks, and got to the crop by about 10. There ended up being nine of us there. The hostess gave me a goodie bag with 3 sheets of Scenic Route 12×12 paper, all of which I ended up using on a “Back to Skool” 2-pager. The hostess had some things for sale (I bought 2 packs of Thickers….finally found one pack I’d been looking for….some Daisy D rub-ons, and a few other things).
There was a Creative Memories rep there taking catalog orders and I spoke to her about getting the new crop bags that are coming out….have you seen them? OMG! So so so cute! The whole set is black and white with a subtle daisy design and the interior of all the bags are pink polka dots. I love having a light-colored interior as it’s easier to find things. I can’t find a photo online or I would show you. I’ll go on and on about these bags in another post when I can find a photo of them. But I told the CMC that I was going to ask for the large bag (like an XXL) and a couple others for Christmas from my mom and DH. The bags I have were purchased piece meal. They’re old and they don’t match…some black, some navy, some blue. I got her card and will contact her when the time comes.
There was also a crop friend there selling Memory Works. She is a really sweet lady I’d met before through the crop hostess. We got to commiserate about being Memory Works Consultants and compare notes, so it was great. She had some Scrapbook Trends magazines (well, they’re like books really) for sale for $8; I think they’re usually $15. I don’t ever buy ST because it’s so dang expensive plus ~ I guess I’m a weirdo ~ but I like the ads so an “ad free” magazine isn’t a good thing to me, LOL! But I bought this issue called, “TrendSetters” which showcases 15 top scrapbookers; it’s from 2006. I love reading profiles of scrappers and seeing their work.
I couldn’t find this issue on the SCRAPBOOK TRENDS website but an online retailer sells it for about $14 (discounted), so I did get a good deal.
So, shopping and cropping all day. Couldn’t have had a better day if I tried. Hope you got some scrappy time this weekend as well. What do you think about the disappearance of Michaels ads in the Sunday paper?
I always seem to be feeling pretty “random” by Friday night. I’ve usually seen little things throughout the week that I want to share with you, but don’t have time to do a whole post about them or whatever. So I’m going to start posting “Friday Night Scrapbook Randoms”, okay? It’ll be a big ol’ mosh pit of scrap stuff. It might be slightly dangerous and somewhat crazy, but I want you to just dive in and don’t expect perfection, yeah? Cool.
I found some cool things on SARA’s blog; she’s a Pea! I totally love the name of her blog: “Yeah, Like I Have TIme for This.” She had me at hello.
So first, check out her cool and fast solution for doing her vacation albums HERE. I’ve been meaning to do an album like that, with the 4×6 photo pages embellished with mats and things, but still haven’t gotten around to it. Her projects are wonderful inspiration, don’t you think?
Also, I stole this fun little survey from Sara HERE, and completed it for myself. Would love it if you took the survey on your blog, and shared a link with us!
FOR TODAY August 28th, 2009
Outside my window…it’s dark, hot, and still.
I am thinking…about how I should get to bed…have to get up early tomorrow..
I am thankful for…a wonderful dinner tonight, then the company of our great friends and a nice glass of wine.
From the kitchen…beer butt chicken, grilled bread, and salad.
I am wearing…my ‘jamas.
I am creating…nothing lately…but tomorrow’s another story.
I am going…to print some photos and place a Memory Works order.
I am reading…”Becoming Chloe” by Catherine Ryan Hyde.
I am hoping…that I wake up on time tomorrow.
I am hearing…all the fans running in the house. It’s 11:15 and still hot.
Around the house…there is folded laundry that needs to be put away. Where is that darn maid!?! Oh, wait, that would be me…
One of my favorite things…quiet “me time” after everyone has gone to bed. {<- Love this answer, so I just copied Sara}.
A few plans for the rest of the week…working overtime, having kids' friends over to swim Sunday, cleaning house.
“Think about it … no blisters from the constant cropping of photos, no writers cramps from all those bubble letters…”
…I thought it was pretty good. Sorry, chickie, we don’t “constantly” crop photos or handwrite our bubble letters anymore. Well, I mean, you scrappers can if you WANT. Not that there’s anything WRONG with that. But most of us use Thickers and such, LOL. Also, she wrote it as “scrap booking,” making it into two words. But she had a good point, that the blogs of today can be seen as the scrapbooks of yesterday. A way to capture all those little, day-to-day details of our lives that might otherwise be forgotten.
ETA 8-29-09: The author of the article left a comment below….Thanks for stopping by, Kristy!
Alrighty then…I’m going to an all day crop tomorrow. Whoo to the hoo and all that shizzle! It’s the first time in 2 years (that I can remember anyway) that I’ve gone to a crop that I wasn’t either hosting or selling at. From 9am to 9pm, I’m just plain cropping, baby! Speaking of crops, HERE is my post about crops from 2peas today, and HERE is another one asking what do you do at a long crop?
So, was that all random enough for ya? What are your weekend scrappy plans?
