Wow, I can’t believe my scrappy eyes! Today only, Scrapbook Steals has WMRK Leather 12×12 albums for only $12.99 each!! They’re regularly $29.99.
These are the 4 colors they have – Turquoise Blue, Black, Cherry Red, and Brown.
Here’s a close look at the red.
I have a story about red WRMK albums actually :) I bought a “red” WRMK album in person once way back and was using it for my Disney pages. When that was full, I wanted another and couldn’t find red in any local stores so I purchased one online. However, I failed to notice they had more than 1 shade of red. So what showed up in the mail was a bright cherry red, not the muted dark red I was looking for. Oh well, there’s a happy ending . . . I loved the bright red color so much, I kept it. Now I use dark red albums for one of my kids’ school albums and the cherry red for Disney pages.
Moral of the story: Make sure you’re ordering the right version of the color you want. They also have more than 1 version of brown.
I’m a WRMK album junkie and have … erm … SEVERAL? Okay, that’s a big fat lie. I just did an inventory to see if I needed to order any of these colors and I have . . . coughcoughover30coughcough WRMK albums. I’m sorry. I know that’s excessive. Well, for most scrappers it might be but I do pretty much exclusively pocket pages these days and they gotta’ be housed somewhere, people! Plus I’m using pocket pages to “store” ALL my photos in divided page protectors so we can enjoy them before I have time to scrap them all – which ain’t gonna’ happen until I retire years down the road. When there are sales, I stock up. I don’t think I’ve ever paid the full price for a WRMK album. {Gah, Erika, defensive much??}
I love using WRMK albums because . . .
– they are very good quality from cover to spine label to D-rings
– they come with page protectors
– they come in so many colors and I use different colors for different themes (black for weddings, turquoise for Project Life/year in review, kiwi green for family albums, etc.)
– all my albums look so pretty lined up on my shelf and that makes me happy {eat your heart out, Stacy Julian!}
Anyhow, ScrapbookSteals tends to sell out quickly and, especially with this great of a price, I’m shocked that as of 1pm PST today they still have all 4 colors in stock. But if you want any of these albums, I wouldn’t wait any longer.
Do you use WRMK albums & are you planning to take advantage of this amazing deal?
Hey peeps! Hope you’re having a wonderful Sunday fun day. Around here, it’s catching up on work and housework after a crazy week.
In this post, I talked about setting a goal to reach 100 subscribers to my new Scrapbook Obsession Free Newsletter. As of that post on Wednesday 05-27, we were at 80 subscribers and I asked for your help in getting to my goal by the end of today. Boy, did you come through! As of now (Sunday noon PST), we’re at 88 subscribers – whoo hoo!
Y’all were kind enough to sign up and/or spread the word via social media and it worked. Thank you, thank you! Thanks Donna, Tracey, Teri, Gail, Kat, Machelle, Sherrie, and Kathy for signing up :) Newsletter goodness coming your way soon . . .
Just 12 more . . . can we do it today by midnight? Would creating fake e-mail addresses myself and signing them up count?? Nahhh, that would be cheating. I want real friends not fakies, LOL. And talking to myself would be no fun. I want to reach out and connect with YOU.
So if you haven’t signed up yet, I hope you’ll do so today. And please share this post via social media, too, using those handy share buttons at the bottom. Or hover your cursor over the image above to easily Pin it!
Talk soon!
ETA 05-31-15 1:55pm: Monica and Hollie, thanks for signing up!
ETA 05-31-15 6:45pm: Terri, Kelli, Cathy, and Linda, you rock! Just 6 more to go . . .
ETA 05-31-15 8:00pm: OMG, you guys – we’re at 97!! Thanks so much Ilene, Maria, and Shirley :)
ETA 05-31-15 8:43pm: Yep, we did it!! Reached 100 newsletter subscribers before midnight PST. YAHOO!! Don’t you just love when you set a goal and meet it?!?! Me too! I “literally” could not have done it without you. Wow. I’m so stoked. Thank you, friends ❤️ Now keep your eyes peeled for some newsletter fun :)
TRUE SCRAP 2 is the second in a very successful series of online scrapbooking events held by Lain Ehmann.
Miss Lain says …
This event, from October 2011, includes an incredible lineup of
classes from papercrafting luminaries such as:
-Jennifer McGuire
-Nic Howard
-Shimelle Laine
…and a dozen more!
Over 20 hours of video instruction all at a very special price.
Here’s the scoop:
-True Scrap II classes will no longer be for sale after May 31,
2015.
-They can be purchased in a bundle for only $47.
In addition to all the cool classes, there are virtual make-n-takes with Maggie Holmes & Kelley Purkey – and a fun interview with Cathy Zielske. Love them!
For the scrappy business-minded like me, check this out:
All this for over $100 off the original price. I think I’m going to get this one! You?
Hey, checking in from the front lines of “OH MY GOSH, is school over yet??” Every year, I seem to have blocked out how stinkin’ busy it gets as school winds down. Sheesh. I work from home so summertime can be a mixed blessing (keeping the kiddos busy while I work) but at this point, I’m ready. Stick a fork in me, I’m DUN.
As for scrapbooking, I wish I’d seen this layout from the October Afternoon blog in time to share it for Memorial Day:
It’s a beautifully done page and the journaling breaks your heart :( So many veterans deal with these issues and I love the honesty.
Speaking of OA, if you’re lucky enough to live near them, don’t forget that their warehouse sale goes today through Saturday!
Someday when I’m rich, I’ll charter a private jet just to attend this event, LOL. Hey, a girl can dream . . . If you get to go, have super fun!!
Thought I’d share these fun photos posted today by Lisa of her and her grandbaby in their new “Anthology by Lisa Bearnson” tees.
I love the #TeamLisa hashtags they’re both sporting and how the baby’s says Anthology “by my nana.” Too stinkin’ cute. I scored me one of these tees, too! “Late summer 2015” is getting closer and closer . . .
You know I have all these crazy new plans for this blog, right? Well, step one was getting the Scrapbook Obsession Free Newsletter started and getting sign-ups so I can keep y’all in the loop. Well, I noticed that as of Wednesday there are now 80 subscribers, whoo hoo! I’m kinda’ goal-oriented and I dig round numbers (don’t you?) so I thought I’d ask a favor. I’d love to reach a milestone by getting 100 newsletter sign-ups by 05-31-15, which would be within the first month. Please sign up if you haven’t already, up there in the top right sidebar :) If you’d please share on social media, that would be so sweet! In case it helps, there are share buttons at the bottom of this post. Thank U 🌸
Well, that’s all I got for now. Back to Crazyville for me. Why, yes, I AM the mayor! Who’s askin’?
Update 05-28-15 1:42pm: We’re up to 84 now! Thanks Donna, Tracey, Teri, and Gail :)
This was one of the very few (hard copy) scrapbooking or papercrafting magazines left, if not THE last, and was published in the UK. I would buy it sometimes if I could find it at Barnes and Noble but that had become more difficult lately.
It was hard to confirm this rumor online because everything on their website and social media looks like business as usual. But a message board poster from the UK stated on 05-07-15, “I have been on the phone with the publishers this morning and they confirmed that Scrapbook Mag has ceased publication and the current issue on sale (no 89) is the last one!!”
Of course, this leads to the cries of dismay and sadness, followed by the realization that we as scrappers bring this on ourselves. Yes, the internet is an amazing and wonderful source of inspiration. But if you only or mostly consume free content, those who provide paid content can’t make a living from it and have to fold. I think it’s a very interesting discussion to have.
It seems that in turning the reins over to the everyday scrapper we are almost shooting ourselves in the foot (or Tiny Attaching ourselves in the foot? paper piercing ourselves in the foot?). So many of us are now providing scrapbooking content and inspiration for free via blogs, YouTube videos, and even free classes. Which is awesome! But in turn – and over time – all that free content takes away the ability for others (who may be providing superior content, more organized content, magazine content we can hold in our hands, etc) to provide paid content.
It’s something that shifts and moves every day like the sand under your feet at the waves’ edge . . . one of those Catch-22s of life, I suppose.
What do you think? How do you feel about the whole issue? And, no, that wasn’t meant to be a pun but if it makes you smile, I’ll claim it :)
If you’re in a hurry today, please scroll to the bottom . . . PRIZES! If you’re ready to settle in for a long read, get on with your bad self.
Thuh Announcement
As I talked about in THIS post . . . after writing this blog for 8 years, I’ve decided it’s time to take it to the next level. And what better time to make the announcement and share my over-the-top excitement than on interNational Scrapbook Day?!?
So what I’ve been wanting to tell you is:
– Scrapbook Obsession Blog will continue providing scrapbook industry news and gossip, enabling, Deals & Steals, etc. but will be more active, with posts more often!
– A NEW free Scrapbook Obsession Newsletter will be delivered to your inbox with special deals, fun stuff that won’t be on the blog, and all the news that’s fit to print (and maybe some that’s not? heh).
– There will be two NEW Scrapbook Obsession Memberships, both Free and Paid, where (depending on your level) you can enjoy things like exclusive content, a members forum and community, free and paid classes, interviews with people YOU want to hear from, and more! As a Paid Member, you’ll have some pretty special perks that I know you’re going to love.
– And, finally, did you notice the new item in the right sidebar? -> It’s a Pinterest board highlighting a new site I’ve started called “Organized Scrapbooking” where you can be inspired by organized crafting & scrapping spaces, research how to organize specific crafting items, receive special offers, and then some. (Sorry, I didn’t want to say “and more!” again). If nothing else, go visit it today and see the Papermint entry; it will blow. your mind.
How About Some Background?
As I mentioned in the other post, I’ve been wanting to elevate things around here for a long time. I’ve recently been blessed by the most amazing experience: I attended on online business school called “Marie Forleo’s B School.” I was taught how to be a responsible and resourceful online entrepreneur.
I learned that you need to ‘start the right business’ and, as I completed the exercises in that module, I took ownership of the fact that I want to devote my time and resources to this industry and hobby that I love so much: scrapbooking. There’s no reason to start a business from scratch when I already have everything I want and need to get started right here :)
Is it crazy to start a business around the (ahem, declining) scrapbooking industry? Some might say! {Not that I care about the Negative Nellies. Do you?} But I have faith that there are still tons of obsessed scrapbookers out there who want to talk and learn about their beloved hobby, and new scrapbookers who will find their way to us if we provide what they need.
So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m so excited and hope you are, too!
Idea Overload
During the 8-week course of business school, I couldn’t stop the ideas from forming … oh, the things I want to share with you! It’s just massive, peeps. In fact, I had to start using a task manager called Things for Mac to keep track of all the ideas flying out of my head (well, there’s a visual!).
I want to be the first place you visit when you think of scrapbooking. I want to create classes you need but can’t find elsewhere, provide a community where you feel completely at home, and make a difference in the scrapbooking industry. We’re going to have so much fun! One thing that won’t change is my wish to make you laugh. Like, ’til you snork coffee out your nose and your dog looks at you like, “Guuurrrl. What is UP with YOU?”. Ohhh . . . is it only my mine that gives the doggy evil eye? Hmm.
What’s Next?
I’ve found an amazing online platform with which to provide you all this content. It’ll be hosted off-site but with super easy access and links from right here. Everything will originate from that one place – the newsletter, classes, membership site, forum, etc. – so I’m hoping that’ll cut down/eliminate any technical snafus that can happen when you kind of piecemeal all these things together electronically. Speaking of technical snaufus, this site was down for 2 days this week (did ya’ miss me?) because a plug-in I wanted to try wasn’t playing nice with WordPress (the blogging software). That’s the kind of stuff I have ZERO talent or patience for, so I think it’s best to host all the new shizzle off-site.
If you want to play along – in any capacity – your first step would be to sign up for the Free Newsletter. I want to keep Scrapbook Obsession Blog pretty much as it is and not flood it with that content, which is separate and different (in a good way, promise!). The newsletter is how I’ll keep you up-to-date on all the haps and stuff. I would never dream of selling your e-mail address (just so ya’ know!); I appreciate the trust you show when you share it with me too much. Besides, I like the idea of talking directly to you – and I encourage you to write me back. Ooooh, that way we can be SBFF’s and have SECRETS!! LOL
To you lovelies who already get my blog entries via e-mail, the newsletter is something NEW and you’ll need to sign up for it separately, please.
Did somebody say PRIZES?
Sign up for the free Scrapbook Obsession Newsletter by Sunday night and I’ll pick 3 lucky scrappers to receive a $10 gift card of their choice! Amazon, Starbucks, Target, Michaels, or any store you like – as long as I can find the card locally and mail it to ya’, or I can purchase it online for you. Even your local scrapbook store if you like! You must sign up for the newsletter by Sunday 05-03-15 at midnight PST. Winners will be announced – in said newsletter, ha! – within 1 week.
“I don’t know . . . I don’t think I want to sign up for a FREE newsletter AND get a chance to win $10 for anything I want.” Said nobody.
I’ll be rolling out the Free and Paid Membership programs soon! Updates will be in the Newsletter ;) Thank you for all the support you’ve given me in this new endeavor. I truly appreciate it!
PS: There’s a Newletter sign up in the top right sidebar too.
PSS: Please tell your friends! Share this blog on Twitter, Facebook, your blog, etc. Help me get the word out – I need you! There are social sharing buttons at the top and bottom of this blog entry. Thank you, friend 😘
I have something special of my own to announce on (Inter)National Scrapbook Day – Saturday, May 2, 2015 – so please stay tuned for that! I hope you’re gonna’ love it ❤️
{There will be chances to win prizes . . . is that enough to make you come back? Hee heeee}
Here’s a list of things going on around the interwebs this week and especially Saturday 05-02-15 in honor of I-NSD 2015:
BeckyHiggins.com
I’m on Becky’s email list and in her email of 04-27-15, she linked to a Youtube video where she tells of all the fun stuff going on at her site on Saturday 5/2. When I tried to share the video here on my blog, I got this message: “This video is unlisted. Be considerate and think twice before sharing.” So apparently I’m not supposed to share the video. Sorry, I’m not a rule breaker. Well, except for on my Junior Prom night but that’s another story*. Heh. Soooo – if you’re on Becky’s mailing list, get the linkee there, Google it up, or perhaps she’s putting it out on Facebook, etc. She did say that THE VIDEO is the ONLY place they’re posting online about WHAT EXACTLY will be happening Saturday. Take my word for it – you want to be there :)
*Oops! Mom? Are you out there? . . . . (crickets) . . . Phew! She doesn’t read my blog normally but I just had to make sure.
Team Lisa Bearnson
This is copied from the Team Lisa Facebook group I’m in (I recently signed on so I can sell her *NEW* “Anthology” scrapbooking products when they come out in late summer 2015!). Lisa is hosting an IRL event in Utah and part of it will be livestreamed if you want to take a peak! There’s a link below if you want to hear first hand from Lisa. Should be fun!
A Message from Lisa Bearnson & Wendy McGee:
We are so excited for our event TOMORROW and can’t wait to see you and meet each of you!!
Come Early and Meet Lisa, create your Make & Take project, meet new friends, have refreshments and mingle!!!
Team Lisa “The Wind Beneath Your Dreams” Event
Saturday, May 2nd
LOCATION: 2929 Thanksgiving Way, Lehi, UT
AMBER ROOM (located inside the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point)
1:30 Doors Open- Registration & Refreshments
2:00 Event Begins – Business Training and more!
We are planning for about a 3 hour event!! We have secured a larger room so please bring potentials CEOS, new team members who didn’t get a chance to register, spouses, etc.!! Have them come and get involved with Lisa and this amazing business opportunity!! *Make & Takes will only be guaranteed to those who registered by Monday, April 25th.
For those who can’t attend in person, please have them join us on the USTREAM Channel!! We will start at 2-2:15 and they can watch the entire event on their computer. Here is the link:
Have an amazing Friday and we can’t wait to see you TOMORROW!!!
Lisa Bearson & Wendy McGee
Basic Grey
It’s all very mysterious …
… but Basic Grey seems to have something up their sleeve.
Freckled Fawn
They’ll be posting challenges on their website – check out the NSD tab at the top for those and their sale items – washi, stickers, and clips.
Also, there’s 50% off extra kit items if you’re a subscriber.
Scrapbook.com
Simple Stories
Make sure to visit Simple Stories this iNSD. They just announced FOUR new collections that are due in April and May 2015! And they’ve got sumpin’ goin’ on for NSD, too :)
Cathy Z
Check out Miss Cathy’s thoughts on this fine {Inter}National Scrapbook Day – and get her super cute free printables.
Kaisercraft
They aren’t billed as being for NSD but I thought you might enjoy these pretty printables that Kaisercreaft just posted. Maybe you can use them in your scrapping this weekend?
Need something to listen to while you scrap the weekend away?
There you go! Did you find anything fun or interesting? Hope so! I may add to this list if I hear of other fun stuff before the weekend is over; I’ll put new items at the top – just keep stoppin’ by if you like :)
Hey, am I missing anything?
I’ll be hanging around here on Scrapbook Obsession all weekend so if you want to chat, I’m around :)
Tell me about all the other amazing deals and fun stuff you’ve seen going on for International Scrapbooking Day . . . purdy please?
What are your plans for this, our finest of holiday weekends?
This weekend only (through 04-26-15), you can get free shipping on anything in the Scrap & Paper shop:
They carry scrapbook magazines, idea books, and supplies – some of which are on sale and clearance, too.
To give you an idea of what they have, here are a couple items I just purchased with the free shipping:
“Scrapbooking Boys & Men” regularly $14.99, now only $3.75
“Practical Solutions for Paper Crafters” regularly $14.99, now $3.74 (digital version $2.49)
I miss scrapbooking magazines SO much and at this price I’m getting idea books for even less than I used to pay for magazines. With FREE shipping. Sounds great to me!
I’ve ordered from Scrap & Paper shop before and I seem to remember they shipped pretty quickly. Can’t wait to get my happy mail!
Please let me know if you order anything; I’d love to hear :)
We all have our favorite scrapbooking companies and although Pebbles Inc. isn’t usually one of mine – though their stuff is always super cute! – their new line called “Fun in the Sun” is definitely going on my Pinterest Wish List <3
Must have those Thickers.
And puffy stickers.
And enamel dots. Oh, those colors!
We have a swimming pool and this line is completely perfect for all those colors – turquoise, orange, yellow, green – that constantly show up my photos from the pool water, swim trunks, pool toys, etc. I can use the beachy and barbecue images, too. As always with Pebbles, the style is fresh and clean.
What do you think – any interest in “Fun in the Sun” by Pebbles Inc.?
I don’t usually get too personal on this blog. It’s not a site about MY scrapbooking. It’s a site about SCRAPBOOKING. That’s how it’s been from the beginning and the way I want it to always stay. I want to be different from all the other scrapbook blogs out there. I want to be a place where we talk – not about my life, my scrapbooking, my photos, my family – but about this obsession called Scrapbooking.
The other component I believe in is being honest and transparent. I tell you my real opinion on scrapbooking topics, products, companies, “celebrities”, etc. And if I don’t have something nice to say, I try to keep my mouth shut, LOL. Unless I can be constructive :)
Even though the title of this post says “things are changing,” I want you to know that the plan is for this site to stay about scrapbooking and stay about honesty. That’s not going to change. What I hope IS going to change is that Scrapbook Obsession is going to become bigger and better and more fun throughout the rest of 2015 … and beyond.
I’ve been wanting to build this site up for SO many years. I’ve had plans in the past for various things that either didn’t work out or I had to abandon due to constraints on my time. I’ve also let fear hold me back: Fear that I’ll disappoint you, fear that because I’m not a fancy scrapper that I have nothing to offer, fear that I’ll drive away people who’ve been so supportive of this blog. But I’ve felt from the beginning that 2015 was going to be an awesome year and it sure is turning out to be.
Over the years, I’ve watched amazing women in this industry build their online, at-home scrapbooking businesses – Becky Higgins, Ali Edwards, Lain Ehmann to name a few – and been SO inspired. But I’ve always thought they had something special I didn’t, that they were doing something I could never do, that they knew some secret I didn’t for making their dreams come true.
While I still don’t think I’ll ever be running a million dollar company like BeckyHiggins.com, I’ve come to realize that I CAN do big things. I can take this love of scrapbooking further – via this site i’ve been building for 8 years – and I can turn this passion into a business I love without “selling out” or letting you down or becoming some fake thing you don’t recognize.
The main thing that’s changed my attitude is that I’ve been attending an online business school. It’s geared toward female entrepreneurs who want to dream big and run online businesses. The education I’m getting has opened my eyes wide and also opened many doors. It’s all very exciting! The other women who attend are extremely encouraging, helpful, and we all cheer each other on. I’m using the teachings to improve and expand my virtual assistant business but I’m also going to apply these wonderful things to Scrapbook Obsession.
Business school has expanded my beliefs about all the things I have to offer, what makes my site unique, what a difference I can make, and has me so stinkin’ jacked up, I can hardly stand it! Finding time is still a challenge but I’m making it happen. Changes will roll out slowly as I can implement them but I have self-imposed deadlines I plan to meet. Wish me luck.
Hint: One of those deadlines is National Scrapbook Day 05-02-15 … yikes, not very far away!
I’m a reader, writer, scrapbooker, creative type. I gotta’ tell ya’, the technical side of all this online biz stuff is challenging! But I’m stubborn and will figure out whatever I need to. In the meantime, it might not be pretty but don’t worry. It’ll all be good in the end :P
And back to the fear thing: One thing I’ve learned in business school is that I can’t make everyone happy. “If you try to make everyone happy, you end up pleasing no one.” We all like different things and different aspects of scrapbooking. We all want different things from the sites we choose to spend time on. But I’ve come to realize that I can’t make “people” happy, I can only make “my people” happy. My people, my tribe, the scrappers who think like I think and like what I like. I do feel badly that I can’t cater to EVERY kind of scrapper but I also feel very blessed to have offerings for MY kind of scrapper. That’s all one person can do, right?
This new venture is going to require me to do something I’m not comfortable with: Asking for help. I’ll need to reach out to members of the scrapbooking industry and ask for things that they may or may not be willing to give. That’s scary! But, like mama always said, “If you don’t ask, you’ll never know!” Time to put on my Big Girl Scrapper Panties and get ready for rejection! And – maybe just maybe – some pleasant surprises, too. I’ll also need to ask some of you to help me behind the scenes so I can make this site super useful for you.
What I ask of each reader is to be open-minded, be excited, and join me on the journey!! It’s gonna’ be fun, I promise ;)
Yikes! Hitting “Publish” … no turning back now!!! YEEHAWWWW
It sounded like a very interesting and different event that I’m sorry I couldn’t attend live. Oh well, the next best thing is to get the classes after the fact. I like when they go on sale “a la carte” and know that you do too. We can handpick the classes we want or, in the case of the sale I’m going to tell you about, get all 7 classes for a great price.
Here are the classes you can choose from – or get them all & reduce the cost per class:
“Hope Notes: Creating and Sharing Messages of Faith” with Stephanie
Ackerman
“Faithbooking: How (and Why) to Share Your Faith in Your Scrapbook”
with Erin Bassett
“Words to Live By: A Handmade Art Journal” with Andrea Chebeleu
“#ARTWORSHIP: Art Journaling Response to Jesus” with Heather
Greenwood
“The Art of Being HUMAN: A Creative Exploration of Our Basic Being
and Purpose” with Liz Hicks
“Illuminated Manuscripts: Illustrating Your Journaling Bible” with
Shanna Noel
“Cross-ology: Art and Heart for the Home” with Donna Salazar
You can see full class descriptions on the “TRUTH SCRAP” site.
So here’s the sale info:
From Monday 04-13 through midnight on Friday 04-24-15, you can get each class individually for $9.95 or all 7 classes for $49 (aka $7/each). To get the $49 price, add all 7 classes to your cart, then use the code TRUTH at checkout through 4/24. The sale price of $9.95 per class is also good through 4/24.
The classes include both the project-only video (around 30 minutes) and the full, “Like You Were There” video (around 60 minutes).
***After 4/24, the price will increase to the regular $14.95 per class.
The 3 classes I’m considering are:
– Erin Bassett – Faithbooking: How (and Why) to Share Your Faith in Your Scrapbook
I keep saying I’m going to incorporate my faith into my scrapbooks but it rarely happens. Maybe this is the inspiration I need.
– Shanna Noel – Illuminated Manuscripts: Illustrating Your Journaling Bible
I heard about journaling your Bible in 2014, I think, and have been intrigued ever since.
– Donna Salazar – Cross-Ology: Art and Heart for the Home
I’ve always loved crosses and wear a small one around my neck 24/7 (it says “Blessed”). In fact, my dad had a crucifix collection which passed down to my brother and I when he died but they’re packed away for safekeeping. I’d love to incorporate some crosses into our home deco and it sounds like this class will share economical and fun ways to do that.
Which Truth Scrap classes most appeal to you?
Just to recap re: “TRUTH SCRAP”
-Individual classes are on sale 4/13 through 4/24 for $9.95.
-Special offer: Get all 7 class offerings for only $49 with code “TRUTH” from 4/13 through 4/24.
If you end up purchasing any classes, I’d love to hear what you chose and also to hear any reviews after you watch them!
Yes, I’m the annoying shopper taking photos every time I’m in Michaels and I see something new ;) Problem is, I haven’t come home and shared these pics with you in a while – so here’s some catch-up.
I give you … “New” items I’ve seen at Michaels in March and April 2015:
Heidi Swapp and Recollections embellishments
A little more variety in our Project Life section
A bright and colorful new 12×12 paper pad by DCWV called “Chick Chat”
A bunch of blackboard stuff from Recollections
New 6×6 paper pads by My Minds Eye. These are always on endcaps in my store so you may have to look around to find them.
A cute little plastic shoebox with an “it’s raining” theme – and on clearance! This is the type of box I use for my Project Life card storage.
Kinda’ like the coughcoughBORINGcoughcough new crafts section at Target, Mike’s has some DIY stuff, basics in lots of colors
Cheapie bins of super cute enamel dots . . .
label stickers . . .
twine balls (heh) . . .
and mini doilies
New tags and things by Craft Smith – made of burlap, cork, metal, canvas, and denim
Project-Lifey card and embellishment kits. In my store, these are in the back by framing and there are matching 8.5 x 11 photo albums below them.
Super cute new MAMBI paper pad
WITH HEARTS!! <3
Love this pretty new K&Company postbound album – great colors and design
Some Spring-y new mini paper pads and die cut packs by Recollections
Tabbed index cards by Recollections, great for organizing photos or Project Life cards
Hey, I think someone asked me a long time ago where I got the scrapbook page display thingee in my office. I forgot to answer but when I saw these at Michaels, I remembered that I forgot. So sorry, whoever that was! Yep, I got it at Michaels and they still have ’em.
Over in the home deco section, there was also some cute new stuff –
So that’s what’s what at Michaels these days.
Further down in the same mall, there’s a Bev Mo (do you have these where you live? I call them “college students’ heaven” stores). I’m driving along and got a little bit twitterpated – CRAFT EVENT! – before I realized, “Duh. It’s Bev Mo. Must mean craft beer.” Bummer, dude. Really harshed my mellow.
So I went in, got some Grey Goose, and it was all good.
I don’t think any of us DEPEND on Target for scrapbook supplies but mine carries enough to keep me interested. I check the scrapbooking section each time I’m there. About every 10 Target trips, I get lucky – there’s something new and cute and the price is good.
I do depend on Target for filling in my stash of WRMK 12×12 D-ring albums. They carry the 2 main colors I use: kiwi green and turquoise. And at $20 per album, Target has them for about $10 cheaper than everyone else.
Or should I used the past tense: “carried” and “had”?
The first sign of twubble was noticing over the last several months that the WRMK albums weren’t being replenished. Then seeing them on the clearance endcaps for $6.
My first thought was: SCORE!
My second thought was: Ruh Roh.
Between my 2 local Targets, I managed to buy 2 kiwi, 2 turquoise, and 2 pink WRMK albums for $6 each. But I had a feeling that was going to be a bittersweet deal :(
A week later, I went to check the Target scrapbook section (which had shrunk to a pretty small section, in my main store) and found this:
In an adjacent aisle was this – what looks like a new “DIY craft” section:
There are new wooden letters, paints, flowers, yarn, ribbons, paintbrushes, alpha stamps, etc.
This is now what I suppose you would call The Scrapbook Aisle – generic paper pads and some straggler scrapbook paper pads:
So, Target, what’s going on with your scrapbook supplies? Are they being discontinued or what? This in the same month that I hear another California LSS is closing down: Scrapbook Territory in Berkeley.
Sigh.
I guess there are no more scrappers, just DIY crafters who want super basic supplies to create painted wood letters and painted milk bottles and painted stencils.
On a bright note, I was in today (the day after Easter) and noticed all this cute Easter washi tape being taken off display, I presume headed for the clearance section?
In the larger Target here, I did notice a great selection of art …
… and a more department store look in the housewares section.
And they had a tote that only an Old School Scrapper could appreciate for its true value:
Hey, I gotta’ take small bits of happy where I can find it, okay?
Goodbye Target scrapbooking section! It was fun all these years while it lasted. Sniffle.
Has this change happened at your Target, too? What are your thoughts?
Wow, what an intense week it’s been! I’m so glad it’s almost Friday – and a very GOOD one it will be at that! (Heh. See what I did there?)
I don’t want to be all “Team Lisa this, Team Lisa that” so I wasn’t going to post about tonight’s conference call with Wendy, the team trainer. The call is geared specifically toward anyone who wants to know more about Team Lisa and the possiblity of buying/selling Lisa Bearnson’s “Anthology” products that come out in late summer 2015.
But I just heard that Lisa Bearnson herself is going to be on the live call – and thought maybe you’d want the opportunity to hear from her yourself. So here are the details in case you’d like to listen:
TONIGHT (Thursday, 04-02-15) Lisa Bearnson will be on a LIVE TEAM LISA Business Opportunity call at 8 pm MT [make sure to adjust for your time zone].
If you’re interested in hearing about her new product line, Anthology, coming late Summer 2015 and how you can be apart of the success with Youngevity, join the call! There are so many people interested and many more to reach so we are trying to get the information out as fast as we can.
Here’s the information about tonight’s call which you can listen to live at 8 pm MT or call in anytime after and listen to it recorded:
TEAM LISA Business Opportunity Call, Thursday, April 2nd 8 pm MT
Call in: 1-712-775-7035 Pin: 370616#
24 Hour Recorded Call (will work after Thursday call)
Call in: 1-712-775-7039 Pin: 370616#
If you’re kinda’ shy like me and don’t want to be LIVE yourself or put on the spot in any way, don’t worry. They talk, we listen. You just dial the first number above, enter the Pin on your keypad, and you’ll be able to hear Wendy and Lisa talking. That’s it. If you’re busy at the time of the call or don’t want to burn your long distance, you can either call the 2nd number later or listen to it online. (I can provide a link if you need it).
You can also contact me if you’re interested in more information. Just leave a Comment below or email me: scrapbookobsession at gmail dot com.
Okay, I’ve calmed down a little bit now and I’m breathing normally again, LOL. Yeah, a tad bit excited yesterday when I posted HERE and a couple other places about my new position. Oh my gosh, you guys, this post ended up being soooooo looooonnnnngggg. You know me, Miss Verbose! But it’s the weekend so I hope you have time to grab a Diet Coke and take a read :)
So my great news is that I’ve joined up as a direct seller under the Youngevity brand as of 03-25-15; my official title is Independent Marketing Director. I want to tell you how it all came about and what it means for me and for this blog. I also want to offer you the opportunity to join me, if you’re so inclined :)
THE HISTORY
As I said HERE, there’s been a lot going on behind the scenes. I’m going to write a post about that this weekend, too. I won’t be giving away any secrets yet but will talk about the “why” of it all.
In the midst of all this – actually ever since Memory Works closed in 2013 – I’ve been missing selling scrapbook supplies, interacting with customers, and making some extra money to fund my scrapbook shopping addiction … erm, habit. However, of the few scrapbook-related direct sales companies remaining that I looked into, none of them blew my dress up, so to speak.
I also looked into having my own online shop, either adding it onto this site or starting an Etsy shop. Which still may happen in some form, some day in the future.
Then out of the blue, I was contacted by a fellow scrapbooker named Kim who asked some questions about Scrapbook Obsession Blog. We got to chatting and she told me that it was still hush-hush but she’d been chosen to be on Lisa Bearnson’s direct selling team for a new venture Lisa was starting with Youngevity/Heritage Makers. This was because Kim had been very successful with Leaving Prints in the past.
Well, you know me, I’ve been a Lisa Bearnson fan since Day One. I read her Creating Keepsakes magazine cover to cover every single month it was published. I took vacation days from work to watch Lisa and David on QVC Scrapbooking, and now I watch her on HSN Scrapbooking. I even had the pleasure of spending a week with her on a scrapbooking cruise in the Mediterranean years ago. The interactions I, my mom, and my friend had with her that week made me an even more loyal fan and admirer. Not only was she extremely kind and caring but a great teacher and patient organizer.
In 2007, I started my own transcribing and virtual assistant business around the same time I started with Memory Works. Becoming a business owner and a consultant only increased my admiration for women like Lisa Bearnson. There are so many moving parts, lots of missed sleep and deadlines and financial worry. She makes it look so easy – which is what I need in a mentor, right? But above all her business success, I’ve always seen that family and faith are her priorities. They’re what inspire her scrapbooking and it’s just another thing I love about Lisa because those are my life priorities, too.
So, all that to say, once my new friend Kim said that Lisa Bearnson was involved in this venture, I said, “I’m in!” even before I knew if I was ALLOWED in, LOL. And when she invited me to be a part of her team – I thought about it, looked into it, talked to DH about it, prayed on it – and said YES PLEASE!
HOW I DECIDED
As I found out, there are 2 options to join. For $10, you can be a Consultant with discounted purchasing for yourself and the ability to sell to others. I would consider it to be the so-called “hobbyist” option. And for only $10 (lifetime!), I can’t see any reason why we ALL wouldn’t join. I love me a no-brainer :) You could easily save $10 on your first order, I’m sure.
The other option is awesome but MUCH harder to decide on because it costs $500 to join at the CEO level. You get $500 in publishing points to spend on custom Heritage Maker products, traditional scrapbooking products, or other Youngevity products – your choice. (Mineral make-up, K-cups, essential oils … ruh roh, I may be in twuble here …). Or you can hold onto those points until late summer 2015 and use them to buy Lisa Bearnson’s “Anthology” products – which is what I’ll probably do.
So $500 a LOT of money to me and, I’m sure, to most people. I actually had that amount set aside from our tax return for something else. But, like I said, I thought and prayed and talked it over with my husband. I didn’t really need much convincing about the huge opportunity here. In the end, I couldn’t NOT sign up. Lisa Bearnson is not only creating new products that I know I and many others will want to buy; I want those for 30% off and I believe they’ll even be available on an auto-ship. Lisa says, “It will be a collection of fresh, fashion-forward designs founded on the principle that quality scrapbooking and memory keeping does not have to be difficult.”
This is all NEW but my understanding is that Lisa will be referring scrapbookers who express interest on her website down to us CEOs and Consultants. Hello?!? That’s amazing! I was curious just HOW popular her website is so I went to Alexa.com. For an example, Scrapbook Obsession Blog shows 951,266 rank in the US. LisaBearnson.com shows rank 365,074. Her bounce rate is 43% whereas mine is 86%. This means that most people come to my site and leave quickly (“the Pinterest effect”, lol) while at hers they stay and read. In other words, Lisa has an engaged audience and that is SO important! It’s what I strive for.
You may hear from Lisa haters once in a while but there are many, many more scrappers who respect her and are interested in what she offers and sells. So I have ZERO doubt that being a downline from her will lead to success. I have a goal to make back my $500 investment by the end of 2015 and I’m confident I’ll do that. (Although technically, it’s not even an investment since I get business supplies AND $500 to spend on products).
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR SCRAPBOOK OBSESSION BLOG
Now, don’t let all this scare you away. This is an MLM (multi-level marketing) business and Lordy do I know that some people become MLM’ers and become highly annoying – constantly barraging their family, friends, and acquaintances on Facebook and in person with their latest “amazing offer!” and “great deal!” and “you MUST try this!”.
Don’t worry, this blog won’t become a constant blast of Youngevity / Heritage Makers / Anthology posts. I expect the number of posts to be about the same amount as I did with Memory Works which I don’t think was too bothersome, was it? I always always always try to start blog post titles with the TOPIC so if it’s not your bag, you can keep on movin’, sister! I’ll continue doing that so you can just ignore the posts if they bug you. I’m also planning to start a mailing list specifically for people on my team who join Youngevity under me and those interested but not sure – to share information – but JUST to those who’ve expressed interest. Sound good?
MORE ABOUT THE NEW ADVENTURE
I signed up as a Youngevity CEO just a few days ago and there’s still much to learn. They’re a HUGE company with lots of arms, just 2 of which are scrapbook-related. Here is the structure, as I’ve figured it out so far:
Here’s the structure of people:
Youngevity – the Wallach family
Co-creator of Heritage Makers and Lisa’s Team Trainer – Wendy McGee
Creator of Anthology and Heritage Makers Brand Ambassador – Lisa Bearnson (eeee! she already has Anthology and Team Lisa links on her site!)
Under Lisa/Wendy, there are 2 downlines and then me :) If you’d like to join in – and I’d absolutely LOVE to have you – you’d be my downline. Just make sure to contact me and to sign up through my website so I get credit and you’re assigned to my team.
Even though I had a little heads up about Lisa Bearnson’s new venture, I had to keep quiet about it online until it was officially announced at the Youngevity conference in California this week. Then it was official and we could jabber about it, as of yesterday! There are 2 private Facebook groups to get up-to-the-minute information, including a new one for Team Lisa Bearnson. If you join up, we’ll get you added to those groups if you’d like.
Here’s the video they showed at the conference along with some photos:
Tip: Have a tissue handy. Sniffle.
That’s Wendy McGee on the left, Lisa Bearnson, and Jana Eubank on the right. Now there’s another name you might recognize from the scrapbooking industry! Check out her amazing resume HERE.
Lisa speaking at the conference
Did you know Rhonda Anderson, co-founder of Creative Memories, is also part of Heritage Makers? Which reminds me – I haven’t even told you much about the products yet! Tons of fun digital stuff that I need to learn about like photo books, business cards, gift items, etc. The current selection of paper scrapbooking products isn’t huge but it has a Creative Memories feel to it including their great albums, page refills, and tools – like my favorite, the Multi-Purpose Tool. I frantically searched for and bought one of these from out of state when CM went out of business because the tip of my original one from 2001 (!) broke – when it was used by someone who shall remain nameless (husband!) to unscrew something. I was afraid to be without one forever. Only $6 with Heritage Makers, whoo hoo!
Logos for Anthology consultants to use; you’ll be seeing these on my blog and social media soon :) They’re so cute. And now the recent redesign of Lisa’s blog makes TOTAL sense! Ohhhhh …..
Well, clearly I should’ve broken this up into about 20 entries because it’s so ding-dang long! Oh well. I want all the information in one place so there ya’ go, ha!
IN SUMMARY (Jeez, finally!)
If you want to join my team (Lisa’s team), the best thing to do is e-mail me. I’ll put you on my mailing list and send you information and links so you can learn more. I want you to feel totally comfortable, whether you’re spending $10 or $500. You can get off the mailing list at any time; just let me know. I’m happy to answer questions 24/7. You can call me, too :) Just leave a voice mail and I’ll call you back.
** Oops! Correction to the signup instructions (03-29-15) **
If you’re ready to sign up, please follow these instructions:
Go to my Youngevity website: https://erikafriday.youngevity.com
Click on “Join” in the upper right-hand corner.
Then click on “Distributor.”
Next, you will see a selection of kits that you can choose from.
To sign up as an Independent Marketing Director (CEO): You may choose from any of the CEO kits. I chose the Heritage Makers CEO kit and received some business materials. I’m saving my points for now.
To sign up as a Preferred Customer: Scroll all the way to the bottom and choose the “New Associate Adventure Pack.” You can upgrade at any time to CEO.
Sorry again for the super duper long post – but you know how I am ;) Hope to hear from you soon!
So this is one of the exciting things I’ve been dying to tell you about!!
Go read Lisa’s announcement HERE and come back quick!
I joined Lisa Bearnson’s team and will be privileged to sell her new line of scrapbooking products!
I’ll post more information soon; this is coming to you from my iPhone in the bank parking lot, LOL! I had to tell my peeps who would understand how excited I am!
If YOU have interest in being on Team Lisa, please email or call me ASAP! The sooner you get in, the better ;)
Scrapbookobsessionblog at gmail dot com (ETA: OOPS! There is no ‘blog’ in my email address, just scrapbookobsession at gmail dot com – sorry!)
** If you’ve emailed me, will you please try again? My apologies :)
805-400-3261
Have you ever known me to be anything but verbose!?!?
J/K J/K
I really can’t say too much yet. But I did want to apologize for not being around much these days. Have you missed me? I’ve missed you. Mucho babes.
There’s a lot going on behind the scenes, some new things coming over Spring and Summer 2015, and an exciting announcement SOON. Well, exciting to me, anyways. You’re sweet; be excited for me too, yeah?
Don’t get the wrong idea. These new things aren’t “Ali Edwards exciting” or “Shimelle exciting” or “Big Picture Classes exciting”. Just Scrapbook Obsession exciting :P
There’ll be some changes to the look and functionality of Scrapbook Obsession Blog in the next month or two. If you come here and it looks different, you’re not lost :)
It’s just time for a change. Or changes. Lots of fun changes that I think you’re going to love.
In early February 2015, I attended a very fun scrapbooking event called “Play All Day” put on by Shelby at Embellish IT! Inc. I wanted to give you a review and share my day :)
BACKGROUND
I’ve shopped at Embellish It over the years for scrapbook supplies. They carry a lot of products from 2 of my favorite brands: Basic Grey and Simple Stories, and lots of others, too. But the best thing they have are packs of Bazzill cardstock with colors selected to match specific scrapbook product lines. It’s pretty dang cool, especially for Bazzill snob like myself :P
. . . coordinates with THIS line, Carta Bella “Hello Again”
So, I’m on the mailing list for Embellish It and have heard about their “Play All Day” events for years – always wanted to go. I decided to finally pull the trigger when I saw an event that was only 3 hours from me (yes, I live in the boonies; NOTHING is held close by) and it was close to my mom’s birthday. She’s also a scrapbooker so I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate.
Wait! Was this one of those “Oh, look what I got you (for me)!” type of gifts? Hmmm… Anyhoo, we signed up with an Early Bird coupon code that saved us $9 off the $79 price, made our hotel reservation with a special rate at the event hotel ($99 at a Sheraton), . . . and had to wait for several months, LOL. But, yes, the day finally did arrive!
THE PLAN
A few days prior to the event, we got an e-mail detailing the day:
*9am – midnight*
This will be a FUN day of scrapbooking & we will keep things low key.
* The event will officially end at 9pm BUT we have the room reserved until
midnight. Those who wish to continue scrapping are welcome to do so at *no
additional cost*
*The schedule for the day will be:*
*9am- Doors open *(i always try to open the door a little early but it is
all dependent on the hotel)
*11-1: Class #1 Layouts* – 2 double-page layouts
*1pm: Italian Buffet Lunch*
*3-5pm: Class #2 Cards* – 8 cards w/embellishments
I was excited about the layout class since scrappin’ is what I do (as opposed to project classes like banners, home dec, etc. that I’m not as interested in). I’m not a cardmaker so that was ‘meh’ but I figured I could make my mom’s birthday card, LOL!
THE BIG DAY
On the day of the event, I woke up at 4:45am (so excited! couldn’t sleep!), left the house at 6:30 in pouring rain, got there around 9:30am, got unloaded and unpacked, changed into dry clothes, and met my mom in the event room by 10:30. So I was bummed to miss out on that 1 1/2 to 2 hours of scrapping time before the first class but oh well. My mom had already met and been chatting with the nice ladies at our table for 4 and the ones at the next table, who were all friends.
Okay, I’m going to confess right now that I don’t have any photos to share of the day. I did have my phone aka my BFF. I guess I just felt awkward taking pics in that close of an environment with a roomful of people I didn’t know. Sorry! I’ll do such a good job of providing vivid descriptions with my words that you won’t miss the photos, LOL.
Back to the event . . .
CROP SPACE
It was basically a ballroom or huge conference room and it was pretty full. Regarding the tables, I don’t know the measurements but there was plenty of room to scrap for the day, complete the class layouts, etc. If I were at a retreat, I’d probably want a little more room but it was fine for Play All Day.
SHOPPING AT THE EVENT
At the front of the event room, there were tables with lots of collection kits, Bazzill packs (!), page kits, mini album kits, card kits, etc. I didn’t have time to shop before the first class began at 11:00 but was able to later. That was actually by design because I didn’t bring any paper to scrap with, knowing that Shelby would have plenty of paper for sale. I bought 2 collection kits and a Bazzill kit.
WHAT I PACKED
This was the lightest I’d traveled to a scrapbooking event in quite a while! Only 2 bags and here is what I brought:
– Tool kit in flat pack with adhesives, photo cleaning cloth, erasers, Undu, etc.
– Tool tote with pens, scissors, stapler, and other tools
– Photos, about 15 from 3 events. I had just printed them the morning of the event, of course, ha!
– Paper trimmer, my trusty old Cutterpede that I’ve had for years (that’s why she’s not that pretty but I love her!).
Things I always keep in my crop bag:
– Ott lite & extension cord
– Extra blade and cutting pad for Cutterpede
THE FOOD
The Italian buffet lunch was delish. Iced tea and coffee were provided throughout the event (although the hot coffee ran out and wasn’t replaced in the evening, when I really needed it, lol). We just ate snacks the rest of the time. I was there to scrap, baby!
SHOPPING NOT AT THE EVENT
I wrote a post about my little shopping adventure HERE.
CLASSES & PRODUCT
Remember how I said I was kinda’ ‘meh’ about doing the card class? Well, I lucked out. Majorly. It turned out that Shelby had just received new kits to do a Simple Stories “Life Documented” mini album or planner. So she offered us the option to do that instead of the card kit and most of us took her up on that. Duh. The value was crazy. The entire event cost $70 and that Simple Stories kit had probably $50 worth of product in it.
There was also the layout class and I enjoyed both of them. Shelby walked around the room, gave instructions and encouragement, but it was pretty relaxed. There were great instructions you could follow at your own pace, too. I’ve been to some classes that are so stressful that they’re not even fun but this wasn’t like that.
THE HOSTESS
Shelby is a dynamo. She had the loud voice needed to keep us rowdy scrappers in line (ha), was very upbeat and fun over the course of a long day, was organized, and what I loved most – very open and flexible. She asked several times what WE wanted to do (when to eat, the room temp, okay to substitute the planner project for the cards, etc.). I also chatted with her one-on-one and found her lovely. We had some “mom talk” and it was nice. Speaking of which, she had the cutest helper EVER, her little blondie cutie pie son. What a great sport he was!
SUMMARY
I’d give it 10/10 stars. I can’t think of anything that went wrong or that I didn’t like. I mean it was over a month ago and I’m old so there’s a possibility I forgot something but, no, I don’t think so. I’m not THAT old! If you get the chance to attend a Play All Day event, I recommend it!
ETA 04-12-15: Miss Shelby stopped by to say hi. Check out the Comments!
One of my favorite sources of online learning – CREATIVE LIVE – has scrapbooking-related classes from their Craft & Maker series on sale RIGHT HERE to celebrate National Craft Month.
Up to 40% off from March 16 – 22, 2015!
Several of them are digital scrapbooking-related which isn’t my groove but maybe it’s yours, or you want to learn more about it. I will say that one of the digi instructors, Traci Reed, is a great teacher. I’ve taken classes from her during TRUE SCRAP events, like her class for TRUE SCRAP: POCKET PAGES
If you’re more of a traditional (aka paper) scrapbooker like me, you might want to check out these sale classes:
Becky Higgins – Scrapbooking with Project Life
Lain Ehmann – Scrapbook Your Story
Nicole Samuels – Scrapbooking Your Baby’s First Year
Megan Hoeppner – From App to Archive: Social Media Scrapbooking
I’ve taken all of these online classes when they were in free preview mode and LOVED each one! Creative Live does a high-class job and the instructors are at the top of their game, sharing loads of information, giving real life examples from themselves and live audience members, and the classes are nice and long – totally worth the cost, especially with the discount pricing right now.
I think my favorite of the 4 classes above was Becky’s. Yes, I’m biased right now toward Project Life style/pocket page scrapbooking but that wasn’t it; it was how open Becky was about her history in the scrapbooking industry, the behind-the-scenes stories about the business end of PL, how lines are created, how she uses PL in her real life, and how emotional and honest she got – even to the point of tears at times. I can’t say I learned a TON of new things about Project Life but I learned more about Becky and scrapbooking in general that made me love both of them even more (is that frickin’ possible??!?! LOL).
Because these classes are nice and long, any of them would be great to be like your Scrapbooking TV, playing during your scrap sessions :) They don’t run sales that often so I’m happy to see this. Hope you find something you like!
PS: While you’re at CREATIVE LIVE, check out THIS cool blog post about 5 inspiring scrapbookers and enter THIS contest on Instagram for the chance at an amazing prize!
