My brain is fried right now. This is what December does to me. In the interest of getting a blog post up, I’m going to share 8 things I’ve learned this month – some are scrappy, some are not.
I learned that putting twinkle lights all around your house makes every gray day and every cold night better.
While doing my scrapbook organization class, I had to go through my Project Life, MAMBI, Simple Stories, etc. 3×4 and 4×6 cards and I have “too many.” I mean, jeez, FOUR shoeboxes. It’s insane, right?
But I learned that I DON’T CARE. I let go of some duplicates where I had 3 or 4 of each card and instead kept 1 or 2. But beyond that, I’m not getting rid of any more. They’re not hurting anyone. I’m not hurting anyone. They bring me joy. The money has already been spent. And I’ll use most – okay, a lot – of them someday. So there.
I learned that I’m a sucker for any online sappy video there is. Apparently, I love to cry because I do it a lot. The one where the people in the British shopping mall run up and give gifts to random people got me today. Sniff.
I’ve learned that looking at other people’s planners and lists (#ListersGottaList) on a constant rotation can make you feel very inadequate and like you’re not good enough to do your own version.
While organizing my stamps, I decided to purge a bunch of them, including ones I used to share at crops during my Memory Works Consultant days. To get my name and phone number off of them, I learned that rubbing alcohol does the trick!
From the terminal cancer of a fellow scrapper and the sudden death by brain aneurysm of a 48-year-old friend, I learned – once again – that life is very short and very precious. I’ve tried to be continually kind to myself when things don’t go as I want them to.
I learned that Michaels has really cute Christmas doilies and snowflakes.
I learned that tickets for Adele’s US tour go on sale this Thursday!
Here’s a round-up of some cool scrappy things I saw on the scrappy interwebs and want to share with you!
– Lisa Bearnson and the Anthology crew hit the Pinners Conference in Utah last month. Here is a quick Project Life layout Lisa shared:
– Can you believe they found a copy of the flippin’ Magna Carta IN A SCRAPBOOK?!? It just doesn’t get much cooler than that. Talk about archival, LOL. Or not very, in this case. Too bad they didn’t have scrapbookers on staff back then.
– Stephanie Howell‘s version of the Simple Stories “Carpe Diem” planner made it into a Buzzfeed article. Fun! {Warning: Title and article itself contain foul language}.
– More cute free printables from Simple Stories for November.
– Want to get a jump start on your Valentine’s and springtime wedding cards? Maybe you have some time off during the holidays, don’t want to drag out ALL your supplies, but still want to get your craft on. This is a great project for that. Hey, get the kids involved too! You know how bored they get after several days of Christmas break, LOL.
To order, please go to my Anthology site HERE. Easy peasy, just like ordering online from any other site :) Less than $2.50 per card, which you can barely buy cards for anymore, and these are much nicer anyway.
Technically, I only talk about scrapbooking books or novels here. I mean, it’s called Scrapbook Obsession after all :P
But I broke from tradition not long ago to write this post and now I’m about to do it again. This time I’m talking about “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” by Elizabeth Gilbert. We’re going to take a mainstream non-fiction book and make it scrapbook-related (SBR).
She’s the author who wrote “Eat, Pray, Love” that you may have read; it was quite the bestseller.
She’s been writing for most of her life, has wrestled with creativity, and won. I mean, for one thing, she wrote another book immediately AFTER “Eat, Pray, Love.” Given all the attention, all the praise, all the criticism – about her book and her life – that was a brave feat in itself.
Elizabeth Gilbert has been on a speaking tour promoting her book this year and I was supposed to see her on one of the stops. But my plans fell through and I wasn’t able to travel the 3 hours. I did still get my signed copy of “Big Magic” though:
I first became interested in this book because all my creative entrepreneur contacts were talking about it. These are my clients, potential clients, their friends, etc. I don’t make a living from being “a creative” but I’ve always been a writer, as a hobby and pulling it into my work whenever I can (blogging, copywriting, and editing for clients). So I intended to read the book straight-on, from the perspective of a writer.
As I started reading it, I found that I was able to apply almost every single point to being an entrepreneur as well. The author talks a lot about ideas, how we get them and use them (or don’t); not going into huge debt to learn how to be an artist because there are so may free/cheap ways to do so; no whining when publishers and patrons don’t seek you out; etc. Well, all the same things could be said for starting and nurturing a small business. So I was psyched – this book was applicable to TWO distinct parts of my life! Pretty dang cool.
Um, yeah, make that THREE: How about applying her ideas and wisdom to scrapbooking? It doesn’t get much more creative than this wonderful hobby. Now that I’m about 90% done with the book, I’m feeling the need to read it all again. There’s so much good stuff in here and I’m going to share a few important ideas of Elizabeth’s as they might apply to scrapbookers.
Here’s one of my favorite passages from early in the book (starts on page 88 … ooh, magical number!):
Are you considering becoming a creative person? Too late, you already are one. To even call somebody “a creative person” is almost laughably redundent; creativity is the hallmark of our species. We have the senses for it; we have the curiosity for it; we have the opposable thumbs for it; we have the rhythm for it; we have the language and the excitement and the innate connection to divinity for it.
If you’re alive, you’re a creative person. You and I and everyone you know are descended from tens of thousands of years of makers. Decorators, tinkerers, storytellers, dancers, explorers, fiddlers, drummers, builders, growers, problem-solvers, and embellishers – these are our common ancestors.
The guardians of high culture [and scrapbooking] will try to convince you that the arts belong only to a chosen few, but they are wrong and they are also annoying. We are all the chosen few. We are all makers by design. Even if you grew up watching cartoons in a sugar stupor from dawn to dusk, creativity still lurks within you. …
All of which is to say: You do not need a permission slip from the principal’s office to live a creative life. Or if you do worry that you need a permission slip — THERE, I just gave it to you. I just wrote it on the back of an old shopping list. Consider yourself fully accredited.
Now go make something.
I want to scream this to all those people who, upon hearing that I love to scrapbook, say, “Oh, I can’t do that. I’m not creative.” Bull puckey! (as my mama said as I was growing up, because she didn’t curse in front of minors). YOU are creative and YOU are creative and YOU are creative. Every single person. It’s in all of us. Granted, some might be shy about letting out their creativity, feel it’s a waste of time, or feel their efforts are lackluster. But no one can say they truly aren’t creative. It’s just IN us.
I also want to share that passage with you scrapbookers who feel your pages are too plain, you don’t do all the techniques, you don’t have $80 per page to spend on supplies, or you’re “just a pocket page scrapper.” I’ve been guilty of thinking and saying these things about myself. So I needed to hear this. No matter what form our scrapbooking takes, we are creating layouts, writing down memories, choosing pleasing colors and themes, and making our own version of art. We are creative, just as creative as those “creative scrapbookers”!
Another passage that spoke to me was this one, starting on page 179:
I firmly beleive that we all need to find something to do in our lives that stops us from eating the couch. Whether we make a profession out of it or not, we all need an activity that is beyond the mundane and that takes us out of our established and limiting roles in society (mother, employee, neighbor, brother, boss, etc.). We all need something that helps us to forget ourselves for a while – to momentarily forget our age, our gender, our socioeconomic background, our duties, our failures, and all that we have lost and screwed up. We need something that takes us so far out of ourselves that we forget to eat, forget to pee, forget to mow the lawn, forget to resent our enemies, forget to brood over our insecurities. …
Perhaps creativity’s greatest mercy is this: By completely absorbing our attention for a short and magical spell, it can relieve us temporarily from the dreadful burden of being who we are. Best of all, at the end of your creative adventure, you have a souvenir – something that you made, something to remind you forever of your brief but transformative encounter with inspiration.
Can I get an AMEN?? For those of us scrapbook obsessed, this is the wonderful, magical, amazing thing that keeps us sane. Scrapbooking allows us that time and space to escape the real world and all its obligations and crushing blows and just be creative. I don’t know about you but I can’t think of a single moment scrapbooking that hasn’t been enjoyable (well, except for editing and printing photos but let’s not count that).
How many times have you been so consumed by paper, photos, embellishments, and adhesive that you forgot to pee? Or eat or drink or pay the light bill? Yeah, that’s a magical escape my friends and aren’t we lucky to have found the key to the portal.
We are all creative and creativity keeps us sane. Those are just two of the scrapbook-y takeaways I got from this book. I’d love to hear your thoughts on these ideas and your scrapbooking creativity in general.
Hey there! I haven’t been posting as much because I’ve been doing a complete purge and organization of my scrapbook space AND giving a class simultaneously called “Simplify Your Scrapbook Space” … you can join us anytime HERE!
While purging for Module 3 (Paper and Cards), I went through my coughfourshoeboxescough of Project Life cards and thinned them out a bit. Also, I still have 2 partial WRMK card sets (see THIS old post which I just bumped because it has images of those cards).
So this is what I currently have for sale:
Project Life Slate (47) 3×4 cards $3 plus shipping
Project Life Coral (48) 3×4 cards $3 plus shipping
Project Life Honey (81) 3×4 cards $5 plus shipping
Project Life/Heidi Swapp Picturesque (90) 3×4 cards $5 plus shipping
Project Life/Heidi Swapp Dreamy (93) 3×4 cards $5 plus shipping
Project Life Kiwi (134) 3×4 cards* $7 plus shipping
*3 each of most Kiwi cards; willing to break up into smaller sets
You can see complete Project Life sets on Becky’s site HERE; keep in mind I’m selling only partial sets.
WRMK Hip Hip Hooray! $4 plus shipping
WRMK Chalkboard $4 plus shipping
each WRMK set contains:
{12} 4×6 cards
{24} 3×4 cards
{12} 3×4 die cut cards
{1} 3×4 craft paper envelopes
Volume discounts :)
Pet-free and smoke-free home. Paypal only, please.
If interested, please leave a Comment or e-mail me: erika(at)scrapbookobsession(dot)com.
Hey there! I recently bought 4 sets of WMRK Albums Made Easy card sets. They come with 4 of each card and who needs that many? Not me! So I’d like to sell 1/2 of each set. Images below are from the internet but these are the 4 sets I have (UPDATE: 2 sets are now sold, 2 still available):
HIP HIP HOORAY! is perfect for ALLLLL those birthday photos you know you have to scrap ;)
JET SET is travel-themed with non-traditional but great colors ETA 09-23-15: SOLD!
CHALKBOARD would be great for wedding photos or just everyday, “gosh, I love you” photos
GAME DAY covers all the major sports and many would be great for school pages, too ETA 12-03-14: SOLD!
Each half-set includes:
{12} 4×6 cards
{24} 3×4 cards
{12} 3×4 die cut cards
{1} 3×4 craft paper envelopes
Almost all of the cards are double-sided. Some of the die cut cards are reversible where both sides are useable, then some of them, like one that has the word “FAMILY” cut out, wouldn’t look right from the back side :) But I plan to layer those with another 3×4 card or put some matching cardstock or even a photo behind them.
These sets retail for $8.99 so half of a set would be about $4.50. I’m selling them for $4.00 per half-set or $10 for all 3 remaining half-sets. Shipping is $1 per set in the US; outside the US is actual shipping cost.
They’re from a pet-free and smoke-free home. Paypal only, please.
If interested, please e-mail me: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
The full course title is: “Simplify Your Scrapbook Space: Declutter and Organize So You Can Scrapbook Stress-Free.” Catchy, eh?
The Short Version
If you don’t have time to read this long post, let me cut to the chase for you: The class is on sale NOW. You should sign up NOW because there’s a group of us starting on Monday together (but it can be self-paced too). It’s only $39 for 8 weeks of content, encouragement and accountability in a Facebook secret group and the classroom message board, not to mention a shared Pinterest board, and lots of free bonuses! You can learn more HERE and sign up HERE.
The Long Version
Here’s My History. What’s Yours?
I’ve been scrapbooking since 2001. Since that time, my scrapbook space has become so overrun with supplies and clutter that I often dread spending time in there and I sadly don’t scrapbook at home very much. {I mostly scrapbook at crops and retreats}. Periodically, I spend a day or two putting away purchases, sorting through my piles (yeah, I’m a piler), and rejoicing over seeing my desktop again.
Yet 2 months later, I’m back in the exact same boat. My scrap desk is piled high, I can’t put my hands on that favorite supply I wanted to use, and I end up just walking out of my scrap space without doing much because I don’t want to deal with it yet AGAIN. Can you relate to this at all?
Proof of the Crazy That Was My Scrapbook Space
BEFORE photos of my desk and file cabinet … yuck :(
This class will be different from other scrapbook space organization classes. Instead of focusing on the smartest or coolest ways to organize and store your supplies, we’re going to focus on paring down what you have, mentally and physically clearing away all the scrapbook clutter that is blocking your creativity and causing stress, and only keeping those scrapbooking items that bring you joy. THEN we’ll talk about how to store everything.
A Scary Concept
Now I realize these thoughts are very scary for some. They sure are for me. Pare down? Clear away? Simplify? Does that mean I have to get rid of most of the supplies I love? NOPE. It just means that we’re going to be brutally honest with ourselves about what amount of scrapbook supplies we truly need, which ones “bring us joy” vs. which ones feel kind of heavy or obligatory, and what level of simplifying will allow us maximum creativity.
For example, I’ve been stubbornly holding on to MANY 12×12 postbound albums which take up most of my storage cubes. It’s crazy. I switched over to D-ring albums years ago and the likelihood that any of these albums will ever be used is very small. Why am I holding onto them? I’m letting them take up valuable closed storage space that could be better used for other supplies that are cluttering up my desktop – and making me feel too crowded to scrapbook there? I mean, come ON!
Deep Breaths!
Don’t worry. If you take my class, I’m not going to “make you” do anything you don’t want to do, PROMISE. I’m just going to give you ideas on how to simplify your stash, encouragement if you need it, and let you know that it’s okay to let go of things in your scrapbook space that aren’t bringing you joy and aren’t enhancing your creativity.
In the past, I’ve purged good amounts of stuff (for example, HERE and HERE) but I’ve come to the realization after all these years and all these attempts at organization that I’ve held on too tightly to too much. Not to mention that I keep buying cute new stuff while not purging or using equal amounts of it.
Months or years after a purge and organization attempt (which never seem to be completely finished because I get distracted before I’m truly done), there are items I’m still holding onto that, honestly, will probably never be used.
What if Someday Never Comes?
And you know what? That’s okay. What the Konmari method made me see is that I don’t have to feel guilty about letting go of things “because I spent good money on that” or because “I have a project I want to do with it” SOMEDAY. Yeah, always someday, right?
Another thing I’m okay with is just packing some things away for a while and revisiting them later. If there are supplies I’m not sure I’m ready to let go of, there’s no harm in putting them in a box in the attic or a closet and revisiting them in a year or so. Because in the meantime, I cleared some space! I made room for creativity! And that’s an awesome feeling.
I want you to have that feeling too. I want you to feel refreshed, unburdened, and free in your scrapbook space not dreading the chaos that currently exists. Maybe you’re already awesomely simplified and organized; if so, good for you! But if you feel like it’s time to make some changes in your level of supplies or just in how they’re organized, I hope you’ll join me for this class.
More About “Simplify Your Scrapbook Space”
The sales page is HERE and the purchase page is HERE. It’s only $39 for this beta class which will unfold over 8 weeks, no matter when you purchase it. (Only $5 a week?? Whaaaaat?) But if you want to roll along with a group of us doing the class together, please sign up by tonight – we’re starting THIS Monday 11/16/15! {Signing up any time after Monday is totally fine! You’ll receive the initial module right way and the following 7 modules week by week. You’ll have full access to the Facebook group, message board, Pinterest board, etc.}.
I plan to offer an expanded version of the class in January 2016. I know that the current time of year is tough for taking on a project. But if you can swing it, do the class with us now so you’re able to enjoy any holiday down-time or vacation days in your newly organized space :) Also, the price for the January class will be higher so now is the time to get in for less.
Whether you sign up for my class or not, I urge you to take a look around at your scrapbook space and REALLY examine if it’s serving you well. Does it contain only things that bring you joy? Does it allow space for making layouts, sorting photos, and using your die-cutting machine? Do you feel invited to enter your space or do you dread approaching it? If the answers to these questions aren’t positive ones, consider making a change, either now or in the new year so 2016 can be an amazing year of creativity for you!
Heyo scrappy! Remember in THIS post when I alluded that there may be another announcement coming? Well, it’s time. And now there’s a spoiler in the post title but I’m not ready to talk about that yet so you have to keep waiting :P
Facebook Page and Group
First, I wanted to update you on the new Scrapbook Obsession Page and Group that I talked about HERE. They both got off to a somewhat slow start – as things associated with me are wont to do – bwahahaha! I’m thinking me in the morning before cawfee, any form of exercise, that kind of thing.
The Facebook Page was pretty depressing at first, I tell ya’. I’d post something and it would say “1 person reached” or “3 people reached” even though the Page Likes were growing steadily (thanks to you guys, since the only place I mentioned the new page was here on the blog).
But that’s Facebook’s new algorithm; you can Like a page all you want but if you don’t regularly interact with it, the posts won’t show up in your feed. They want people like me who are desperate for approval from strangers to pay for boosting, ads, etc. ;)
Well, the joke’s on Mr. Zuckerberg because a. I’m cheap, and 2. I prefer to beg my online scrappy friends to “LIKE” me (please Like me!) before I’ll stoop to the level of paying for affection.
So I hung in there, begged my friends to give me some love, and the reach of the SBO Facebook Page has improved already! Take that, Marky Mark!! I even have one post that says “145 people reached.” Of course, it’s a post about one of my scrapbooking hauls. Now I know how to get your attention, you little minxes!
As for the Secret Facebook Group – well, it’s a SECRET so I can’t tell you. DUH.
J/K … J/K
Not only has the Scrapbook Obsession Facebook Group grown to 58 lovely members in just a few weeks, it has also caused my Scrapbook Obsession Free Newsletter list to grow from 140 to 164 in that same timeframe. ‘Cuz you have to sign up for the newsletter to get an invitation to the Secret Group. Hmmm, who’s crafty little idea was that??
See, there’s usually a method to my madness. Not always but usually. Sometimes I’m just a hot mess and have no farklin’ idea what I’m doing. Yeah, wow, I’d have to say that’s mostly when I’m cooking. So you’re safe – unless you come over for brunch. { That’s so silly! Why would you come over to my house for brunch??!! Because MIMOSAS! }.
Team Lisa aka “Anthology” by Lisa Bearnson
Since I joined on as a consultant for this line in the Spring, it’s been a good experience. The umbrella company – Youngevity – is wonderful to work with. They gave me my own pretty website to sell Anthology products and they provide great support and training. I’m still trying to figure out how that all fits in with Scrapbook Obsession.
I don’t want to over-post about it but in keeping it pretty “low pro”, I haven’t sold very much. Honestly, I thought people would be more excited to buy the products and find me when seeking information. While I do get blog hits from those searches, they aren’t translating to orders. No one asks questions. No one is begging to be a consultant even though you can get started for only $25. I bought 10 catalog/idea books and have sold 1 :( [ETA 11/15/15: Make that 2! Thanks Shari and Laura].
And that’s okay. I’ve never been a pushy salesperson type and apparently that hasn’t changed. If I choose to be more aggressive about it down the road, I have ways to promote Anthology that won’t negatively impact this blog – because I don’t want to dilute what Scrapbook Obsession is. And what is that, exactly?? LOL
My First Class?!?!
Yes, I totally just copied that heading from the post title because it’s midnight and I’m plumb tired. Brain no workee. Too long since above-mentioned coffee consumption.
So anyhoooo … if you’re in the Secret Facebook Group (ahem!), you know that I’ve been contemplating when to do my first online class – about organizing and simplifying your scrapbook space. Here’s where that stands: At this point, I’m thinking of doing an 8-week beta class starting next Monday. Yes, NEXT Monday 11-16-15. Even if it’s just a few of us, I think we can have a blast getting our space all tidied up for some winter-break, staying-warm-inside scrapbooking this winter!
Then I’d start a longer and more thorough version of the same class on or around 01-18-16. I know the holidays are too busy for many people to contemplate attacking their scrapbook space. The new year is a great time for that. With both classes, I’ll be running them live starting on those dates but you can purchase them at any time and jump in. The content will be released weekly and you’ll have access to our chats, photos, forum, Facebook group, etc.
What your scrapbook space will look like after you take my class:
(It actually belongs to Papermint Crafting Studio. I’m being “aspirational” like Martha Stewart. Heh.)
So I’m getting input on all this from the group members and from some scrappy friends. I need to decide, like, PRONTO. Are you in the mood to get started organizing on Monday? If not, how does January sound? I hope you’ll join me . . . more information to follow!
As for Scrapbook Obsession Overall . . .
If you read THIS post, you know that I went to online business school this year and, after blogging since 2007, I’m ready to take Scrapbook Obsession to the next level. Having the newsletter is a big part of that because of how it makes others in the scrapbooking industry view my relationship to YOU (in other words, it’s a great thing, so thank you for signing up!). My blog feed, Bloglovin’ followers, and social media followers are steadily growing.
I’m being contacted by more product sponsors and affiliates which is a nice vote of confidence. It’s challenging to find ones that are a good fit for a scrapbooking blog which is a pretty defined niche. But that’s okay; it’s not really a big part of my plans for Scrapbook Obsession anyway. I still have more awesome ideas than I have time. And I’m still waiting to make enough moolah from this venture to cut back on my day job. Someday, someday . . .
The best part has been the support from my online scrapbook friends like you and I couldn’t be more appreciative. Let’s keep this thing rolling strong and see what 2016 brings. I think it’s gonna’ be an awesome new year!
I came across this video in my online business circles, not my scrapbooking circles, and it was a nice surprise! I love hearing behind-the-scenes of creative businesses since that’s my niche as a virtual assistant. Also because CRAFTING!
I thought you’d also enjoy the video below with Cori, The Reset Girl, and her husband “Mr. Crafty” talking about how Silhouette products have enabled them to have such a wicked awesome thriving business. {Okay, they didn’t say ‘wicked awesome’ … I did. I’m a scrapbooker. I EMBELLISH}.
If you’re not familiar with The Reset Girl, it’s a site with very active social media focused on Planner Girls, i.e. all those cute planners I said I’m not able to use HERE, lol. {Though Cori is going to win me over eventually}. And she also runs the #ListersGottaList challenge that I wrote about HERE and sells the most cutest planner supplies HERE, also great for scrappers like us.
Anyway, enjoy the video now that I’m done blabbering about it :)
Here’s a look at some things Michaels is carrying these days along with photos of my recent hauls from Michaels and Tuesday Morning :)
MICHAELS
My Michaels had some new album and planner kits. The only one that caught my eye was the kit on the left. I opened it up and, to be honest, wasn’t impressed with the quality. Oh well, made it easy not to spend money.
I noticed some new washi styles – in the top 2 rows of this pic.
I got MORE Heidi Swapp stickers. These clear ones are so useable and so cute. I also got the cork “washi” which is rad. I think it’ll be fun to layer with. All HS was 50% off and I used a 50% off coupon for the cork tape. Score!
TUESDAY MORNING
I had a better trip this time to Tuesday Morning than I’ve had in a while. While shopping, I was texting with my scrap bestie, asking if she wanted this or that.
And then laying out everything I was going to buy and pretty much bragging about all my finds via texted photo :P I’m not all bad; I bought the Maggie Holmes bows and triangle tack thingees for her <3
Yes, you’re reading that right: a $50 OttLite for only $20. ‘Nother score!
Couldn’t resist taking more photos of my haul when I got home. I’m quite proud apparently.
A video is worth a thousand words (right?) so I’ll just start with this:
Okay, is that amazing or what? This cool project is brought to us by Anna Kossakovskaya {she goes by umichka on Instagram} and you can see all the photos and a how-to video on her blog HERE.
This reminds me of way back in the day when I discovered explosion boxes for the first time. So unique yet so do-able.
In looking for more examples of endless scrapbook albums, all I could find was this video from 2012 with an endless card.
What do you think? Is this a project you can see taking on?
Starting this morning {11-03-15}, check out the free broadcast of a new Creative Live class called “Creative Paper Crafts with My Mind’s Eye” taught by Candice Stringham. Candice is the marketing director at MME.
CreativeLive class description:
make your parties pretty.
Add panache to to your next paper craft project with unique ideas and expert tips from My Mind’s Eye!
CreativeLive partnered with the incredible designers over at My Mind’s Eye to bring you, a collection of paper craft how-tos that are guaranteed to inspire. You’ll learn about supplies and techniques for making:
Pretty Paper Garlands and Banners
Creative Gift Wrap and Charming Toppers
A Stylish Soiree
Simple Instagram Albums
Perfect Little Paper Mache Villages
Delightful Dioramas
Franklin #PlannerLove
My Mind’s Eye has been developing stylish paper products for over 15 years. In Creative Paper Crafts, you’ll learn how to create a variety of customizable party decorations that will lend all of your events a lovely, handmade touch.
If you want to create beautiful decorations and decor and throw lavish, Pinterest-ready events, join My Mind’s Eye and CreativeLive for Creative Paper Crafts!
So here’s what you do: On Tuesday and Wednesday this week at 9am PST, go HERE. At the top, click On Air, find the class, and click play.
For the best experience with ANY CreativeLive class {yes, I’m quite the expert, lol}, also log in, RSVP for the class so you can download any free handouts, and then join the Chat – which is loads of fun!
If you can’t catch the class live, you can watch it afterward – still for free – as it runs on a loop through the evening and overnight. Or you purchase the class and watch it any ol’ time you want :)
I’m not much of a party supply maker but the preview did show a mini album, too. Okay, who am I kidding? I’m mainly tuning in to drool over all the pretty paper. {See all of My Mind’s Eye’s luscious current collections HERE}.
Just a belated update to THIS POST – my Joann.com sale order:
I don’t remember what date I received this but it arrived quickly and was packaged nicely. As always, everything is much nicer looking in person that it was online.
All of the turquoise in the border stickers is foiled and it’s SO pretty! The other MAMBI set has a lot of inlaid glitter (is that what you would call it?) where it’s like part of the sticker itself so it won’t flake off and make a mess of your projects. Love the font too. The colors in the Jillibean Soup papers are darker than I thought they’d be but still very nice.
– I wanted to make sure you saw all the new Project Life products HERE.
EXPLORE EDITION
Love that pattern on the lower left with the triangles. It looks like a very cool line but I’m resisting until I use some more of the travel stuff I already have.
DOODLE CORE KIT
I’m not much for doodled scrapbook supplies for some reason. Pretty colors though.
CARD CABINET ORGANIZER
It looks similar to the one by WRMK – wonder which one is better?
– Did you hear scrapbooking mentioned on Grey’s Anatomy recently?
I can’t find the quote online but Maggie was talking about how, when she was a girl, she and her mom use to scrapbook together. And they had glitter pens!! It was cute.
It’s happened at least once before. Hmm, I wonder if they have a scrapbooker in their band of writers?
– There are reports of Christmas scrapbooking supplies at TJ MAXX!! Just like with the Halloween stuff, check all around the store to find them – craft/cards, holiday goodies, checkout lane, etc. I’d love to hear what you find!
– Shout out to Pamela for being the 150th subscriber to the Scrapbook Obsession Free Newsletter! Thanks to all of you who have signed up and to Pamela for helping us hit a milestone. ONE-FIFTY, WHOO HOO!!
Why don’t you sign up too? There’s a box in the top right sidebar. I don’t bombard you with emails, I promise, and you get to be in our private Facebook group. Would love to have you :)
It’s pretty fun working for Youngevity. They do giveaways almost daily on their Facebook page and lots of times all you have to do is Like or Share something.
I Love Free Stuff!
Last week, Michelle Wallach (the founder’s wife) offered up the brand new “Memory Keeping Idea Book Fall/Winter 2015” just for leaving a comment. Luckily, I got in under the wire and this is how I received it!
Not only was it in the pretty gossamer bag but it smelled delicious! I don’t know how she did that, LOL. And there was a cute card that said, “Thanks for your love & support for Youngevity!”
I wish I could post photos of this entire yummy catalog and idea book for you! It has all the fall and winter lines not only for Lisa Bearnson’s new “Anthology” line, but also for Youngevity’s existing scrapbooking lines called “Our Memories for Life” (paper) and “Heritage Makers” (digital).
Youngevity Memory Keeping Idea Book – Fall/Winter 2015
I couldn’t resist showing you all the sneaks into the November “Anthology” kits. I’m just a SQUEEEEE bit excited to see them!
*Note: This was a misprint. It’s actually the NOVEMBER Nifty Gifty kit :)
Aren’t all those layouts cute! I especially love the “HOME” one 2nd from the bottom. In fact, I like what I see so much that I canceled the October kits I had in my auto-ship (going out 10/25) and decided to replenish my Tangy Tangerine multi-vitamins and ASAP weight loss drops THIS month, so I could spend all my auto-ship budget on these November kits NEXT month. October = health, November = SCRAP!!
Other features of this idea book:
– Glossy color photos throughout. It’ll remind you of the good ol’ days of flipping through a scrapbook magazine
– Great ideas for layouts, home decor projects, gift ideas (Christmas is getting close!),etc.
– Clear explanations of how to create Heritage Makers projects, how to place orders, and how to be a consultant*, if that interests you :)
*Make sure to sign up under me (Erika Friday / 101433514) so I receive credit for referring you and you get to be on Team Lisa Bearnson!
WOULD YOU LIKE A COPY OF THE ONLINE or PAPER IDEA BOOK?
If you’d like a paper copy of the idea book, I’m selling them.
They cost me $40 for 10 – or $4 each. Postage within the US will be $2-3, so $6-7 per copy. I wish I could afford to send you one for free but I just can’t, at least until my “Anthology” business is selling more.
Would you like one? Just $5 including postage (within continental US). If you then place an order through me (Erika Friday / 101433514) and let me know, I’ll refund your $5 via Paypal. (you have 60 days after your idea book purchase). Sound like a plan?
My Paypal is: erika(at)scrapbookobsession.com
Whether digital or paper, I hope you enjoy the “Youngevity Memory Keeping Idea Book”!
There’s that saying, “She’ll be late to her own funeral!”. Well, that would be me, LOL. I’m notoriously like 1 minute late to almost everywhere I go. I guess I just don’t see the point of getting somewhere early and having to sit around waiting when I could be DOING something. Hey, I’m a flawed human, what can I say? {All you punctual people hate me right now}.
I’m wayyyy more than a minute late to incorporating Facebook into the Scrapbook Obsession world. But now that we’re there, I hope you’ll join us!
Scrapbook Obsession Facebook Page
The new Facebook Page is HERE (https://www.facebook.com/ScrapbookObsession)
The Scrapbook Obsession FB page will be a fun place to share updates, blog posts, industry news and links, sales, and all kinds of fun!
Did you know that, even if you “Like” a Page, you’ll only see in your feed about 1-5% of what is posted on the page? Yeah, it’s kind of frustrating but there is a solution. The more YOU engage with the page – Like, Comment, and Share – the more you’ll see it in your feed.
Are you pickin’ up what I’m laying down?
Please come on by and not only Like the Scrapbook Obsession Facebook Page but also join in, please! The more you do, the more you’ll see in your feed, the more you’ll engage – it’s like a wonderful ol’ ball of scrapbooks and sunshine :)
Scrapbook Obsession Facebook Group
Shhhh, the new Facebook Group is a secret!! No, really, I’m not kidding. It’s a Secret group. That means it’s not visible to the zillions of people on Facebook. After surveying newsletter subscribers, it was agreed that a private group would encourage sharing and keep it a manageable size, so we can really get to know each other.
To join the Secret group, all you have to do is get on my free newsletter list here:
If you’re reading this via e-mail and can’t see the sign-up form, just click on through to my blog. There’s a place to join in the top right sidebar.
Hope to see you over there. We’re going to have so much fun!
PS: Did you notice that I said “Announcement #1” ??? Hmmm, I wonder what else I could be brewing up?
Even if you don’t know anything about Teresa other than her products, you’ll be interested by her life story. She’s certainly been through a lot including a stroke and the loss of her husband. It seems she’s found a way to keep a great attitude and keep smiling.
If you happen to be in Utah, you should check out her book signing tonight:
Book Launch – “Live Life in All Caps – The Teresa Collins Story”
Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.
American Fork City Public Library – 64 S. 100 E., American Fork, UT 84003
If not, you can get her book on Amazon HERE. If you read her book, I’d love to hear your review :)
In case you aren’t on their list, I wanted to make sure you know about a huge WMRK sale going on at Scrapbook.com.
Their site says:
All We R Memory Keepers products on sale, ALL THE TIME!. Sale includes Crop-A-Diles, The Cinch, Punch Boards, Sew Easy products, page protectors, punches, albums and all other We R Memory Keepers products. We R has a reputation for making high-quality albums, innovative tools, and beautiful papers. Shop Scrapbook.com and get the lowest prices and largest selection of We R products available.
I’m kind of confused about when and what the sale is because on the Evolution page, it says it’s part of a 4-day sale. I clicked the link that said this:
Save 15% to 55% on all We R Memory Keepers products! We R Memory Keepers, a leader in the paper crafting industry, makes high quality tools, beautiful paper collections and much more. All sale prices are visible on the individual product pages. No coupon code is required. Act fast, this 4-day sale ends on Sunday, October 11th at midnight PST.
So everything WMRK is always on sale and certain WRMK items are on special sale through 10-11-15? That’s how I’m taking it.
All I know is, the prices are great! Here’s some more fun stuff I saw (the headings and photos are links to the products):
I don’t Instagram (yet) but know many of you do and what an amazing deal + quick way to get some of those photos off your phone and into an album to share :)
I love how those tab thingees stick out and show you which type of page protector it is. I might need 2 of these units. Gulp. But, hey, it’s not that I’d be SPENDING $68. It’s that I’d be SAVING $12. Heh.
So that’s just a few things I saw but go check it out. Tons more stuff.
I’ve heard that WMRK is re-branding or re-packaging their 12×12 albums – which is probably why I can’t find the colors I need anywhere. And that’s fine because I’ll probably start buying my albums from my Anthology site anyway – I like the bookplate better.
But we don’t have the Kiwi color – hope that’s coming soon. Otherwise, I’ll be looking to WRMK’s new model to fulfill that need. I use it for all my yearly family albums.
Believe it or not, this planner is actually stepping out on the wild side for me. I’ve used the smaller version of this At-a-Glance planner (about 7 x 9″ vs 8 1/2 x 11″) for literally 10 years. I save them every year and use them to look up stuff – medical info, dates and journaling for scrapbooking, etc. – or to win an argument with my husband (oops, did I say that in my “out loud” voice?).
I just pull the old refill out and put in the new one; they’re slim and file away very nicely. Changing to a different size?!? Gasp! It’s like those of you who MUST have a row of matching albums on your shelf. It causes a bit of anxiety to change it up, am I right?
I have reasons for going practical over pretty. As much as I’d love to dress up a cute day planner with stickers and washi and pretty handwriting, it’s just not happening. I keep track of too much stuff in my planner:
– Travel and holiday plans
– Hub’s work schedule
– Dates for school stuff, sports, and community events
– Medical, dental, and other appointments for all of us
– All of my clients’ events and due dates (yes, I calendar 5-6 other people, LOL)
– Bloggy stuff
– Free business and scrappy webinars (I’m a junkie)
Not only do I need all that space I have in my current 7 x 9″ boring planner, for 2016 I’ve decided to “go bigger” because I need even more room! See the longer horizontal space for each day? I draw 2 vertical lines to make 3 boxes so I can visually separate personal, business, and webinars/e-learning. It’s getting pretty cluttered and I run out of room on some days. On the month-at-a-glance pages, I track our bills and budget. On the blank lines on the top right, I usually journal about something from that week (to scrapbook later).
You can see why those pretty scrapbook planners with all the fun extras wouldn’t work for me, huh? I did look at a lot of options before choosing this (boring) planner. Even if you don’t go scrapbook-y, there are some pretty awesome, cute, helpful planners out there now. I looked at many, including Elise Blaha Cripe’s Get to Work Book, the Passion Planner (tried out their free printables), the popular Erin Condren planner {did you know they carry these now at Staples?!}, and a bunch of other nice options on Amazon. I even bought and tried the Uncalendar. None of them had enough writing space :(
Lest you think I’m TOO super boring, I am going to bust out in a big way with my day planning in 2016.
Yeah, they’re erasable. So what? You got a problem with that? I’m a bit picky and just can’t do scratch-outs. Gotta’ be able to fully erase mistakes or changes and I hear these pens totally rock.
I don’t know if I’ll actually try to color code everything or just use, say, pink one week and blue the next. We shall see. Baby steps, people. Baby steps.
Tonight I had a 50% off 1 item coupon at Michaels; only thing I could find to buy were some clickable highlighters – pink, yellow, and orange. Hope to use those in my planner as well.
Thanks to Mr. Amazon Prime, my planner and pens got here in 3 days. I’m inordinately excited to play with them. Hmm, what shall I do first? Go through and add birthdays in lime OR bill due dates in turquoise?! Eeeee! (Goober).
I thought I was ordering a black planner but they sent me SILVER which I actually love! I may not use a cute scrappy planner but I’m proud of myself for stepping out of my box a teensy bit.
How about you? Do you use a fancy planner? A white board on the fridge? What’s up with you? I’d love to hear about it.
Here’s a round-up of some cool scrappy things I saw this week and want to share with you!
– As a scrapbooker AND a huge fan of Major League Baseball AND Red Sox fan, I absolutely loved THIS article about sports scrapbooking. This was my favorite line:
Among the hidden truths of a scrapbook . . . is what it reveals about its maker. It not only tells the story at hand but also one about the hand who crafts it.
Pretty profound for a non-scrapper :) Isn’t that exactly how you feel? The things you leave out can be almost as important as the things you include.
– Are you looking to sell or donate craft supplies? Check out CreativeResale.com. I didn’t see much in the way of scrapbooking supplies so you’d corner that market if you have anything to list :)
– I find October Afternoon’s blog so inspiring. Their latest is a post by Mou Saha – look at this gorgeous page:
As much as I love OA products, I have to say it’s the amazing, colorful, diverse photos that make this layout for me. I love how she anchors them with the patterned paper and the tree but then gives the layout movement with the falling leaves and splatters. Great job, Mou!
– I have a partial Project Life kit available. It’s a bunch of 3×4 cards from Heidi Swapp’s “Picturesque” line. You can see more info HERE. Much cheaper than buying the whole kit and you don’t need 10,000 cards anyway :)
by Teresa Collins. 
with free Prime shipping.
