No, not my very own … I didn’t succumb to the temptation. But I posted about the Sassafras Mystery Box HERE and thought you might like to see what was inside.
Vanessa from the Delightfully Bright blog has posted the contents of her box HERE.
I’m glad I didn’t go for it because not enough of it is my style. But WOW there is sure a lot of bang for your buck in that box. {Ahhh, alliteration, how I love thee!}.
I was wondering what scrapbook companies WOULD push me over the edge to purchase a mystery box. I was initially going to say BASIC GREY or OCTOBER AFTERNOON. However, I already have so much of their stuff, I would probably just get duplicates, LOL. Hmmm … maybe ECHO PARK or LILY BEE. I like them both but don’t have much of either.
How about you? Are there any scrapbook companies who, if they put out a mystery box, you wouldn’t be able to resist?
*NORMALLY, I would link to this album on the Basic Grey website (give them some free pub, dontcha know …). But their frickin’ frackin’ site wouldn’t let me copy the image of the album for my post. As I’ve griped about before. But actually, for all my general bitchin’, it HAS been a while since I carped about this particular issue … so it’s time again.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know … I’m welcome to use the “media approved” photos provided by these scrapbook companies, but that’s just a big pain in the ass. So I’ll just give the free publicity and link to the wonderful, awesome, and sharing 2 PEAS IN A BUCKET. Which is one of my favorite sites anyway, so I’m glad to share their link. I hope if you ever want to order Basic Grey, you’ll buy it from them ;)
Anyhow, the main point I had INTENDED to make with this post, before you got me all twitterpated, was this: I only paid 8 bucks for an album that retails for $24. For those of you who ~ like me ~ suck at math, that would be a 66% savings. Or roughly.
That’s all I found at my Big Lots. I wish you Happy Hunting. Please report back on your finds.
I mean, you can hog all the good items from your particular Big Lots. If you can sleep at night, you just go ahead. But at least have the decency to tell the rest of us what we need to look for in OUR store. You owe us that much. Besides, it will put your conscience right and you’ll be able to sleep even better.
Per KELLY GOREE‘s blog, there are 2 more sneaks coming Friday morning, with entire line reveals due on Saturday @ 9am Pacific.
ETA 1/28/11: Here are the other 2 new lines …
BASIC GREY “Hello Luscious”
BASIC GREY “Lauderdale”
What do you think so far? I’m loving bothALL FOUR of them!
PS: I saw the entire new BASIC GREY catalog tonight and …
OH
EM
GEE!!!!!
I am SO in love with all of the new lines, and also the extra new things they have. I’ve been asked NOT to share details for now since there hasn’t been an official reveal … and you know I’m a good girl who plays by the rules … so my lips are sealed.
I am NOT even kidding you! I know, you wanna’ Elaine-from-Seinfeld me, right? You wanna’ push me really hard and say, “GET. OUT!” But I am SO serial.
I of course first heard about this from The Peas. I think they were a wee bit excited, since they talked about it HERE, HERE, and HERE. Yeah, no less than THREE threads in a week about “Basic Grey at Big Lots!!!!!!” We Peas have lost our ever lovin’ minds over this.
Okay, do you remember how MY Big Lots pretty much *sux*? The whole Thickers thing really soured me. We got, like, 5 packs total that were alphas (as opposed to the shapes which I have less than zero use for). I tried and tried and tried. Scrappers from all over the US of A were finding them at their Big Lots, I think for $1 or $2 per pack. But noooooo … not me. Not the Biggest Thickuh Luvah Evah. I couldn’t find any for months and when I finally did, they were, well, meh. I mean, I bought them of course because we’re talkin’ THICKERS here, people! But it was anticlimactic at best.
So when I heard the online screams of “Basic Grey at Big Lots!!!” … I was, like, “Yeah, whatevs.” I figured I’d check if I were ever in that area of town for something else but I wasn’t going to make a fool of myself and stalk BL like I did for the Thickers. Okay, well, and the cheap Cricut cartridges. What’s that saying? “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” I’m nobody’s sucker.
So I did burn rubber over to Big Lots in search of BG. It was more like a leisurely stroll. I restrained myself for, oh, a whole day before I manufactured a reason … erm … remembered something I really really really needed in the same mall as Big Lots, and then I finally went.
You’re never going to guess: I hit the jackpot! Not only did my BL have the BG, I got some other cute things, too. I know you’re only here for the eye candy and not my wicked frickin’ wit, so here ya go … PICTURES! I didn’t want to make you wait another day so you have to deal with the bad lighting because I took these pics Tuesday night. For YOU.
My entire Big Lots haul for 42 dollahs, baby!
Basic Grey “Eerie” doilies and “Sugar Rush” alphas
White gift bags which I love for wrapping gifts cuz I get creative with the ribbons and tags; only 30 cents a bag.
Basic Grey rub-ons, painted brads, glazed brads, pops, epoxy, writer’s block, take note, ribbon, and bling it on – various lines.
Happy Pear jelly stickers in “Birthday Words” and “Friends Words.”
Creative Imaginations “Signature Collection” metal brads
That’s a lot of scrap crap for only $42, huh? I was quite happy with my purchase. It’s been a while since I’ve scored like this. I was due. Am I right?
I also have some Michaels photos for next time … the cute new Spring stuff they have on the shelves, and the 2 Cricut cartridges I got for $9.99 each from last week’s big sale.
These were the last 3 sets and I actually liked them all. Yes, the teal ones have come unstuck and are falling off the sheet but that’s okay. I run most of my Thickers through my Xyron “X” anyway. The chipboard and vinyl ones are notoriously un-sticky in the long-term.
On the left are “Paper Crush” by COLORBOK journaling stickers. You get 6 stax with 12 sheets per stack. I thought these would be really cute on school pages.
On the right are 2 sets of Sticky Alphas by Colorbok. These 3 things sold together for $3.99 … great price!
Here’s a Scrapbook Paper Kit by HEIDI SWAPP. The line is called “Street Smarts” and has some really cool-looking papers … think skater dude, sports dude, cool dude … that kind of thing :) The papers are cardstock-thick, double-sided, and you get 20 of them. The retail price was $19.99; got it for $3.99.
The 2 sets of chipboard letters were only $2.99. I was so glad to find these again. I’ve used the black and white set a couple of times and need more! They look really striking on a page. The stack of notepads are going to great use on my desk. The 3-pack of American Crafts Flair was a great deal at $3.99. The Dear Lizzy one is my favorite.
Do you see anything wrong with this picture? Specifically, the price tag? Yes, there is just one epoxy embellishment there, and while the price of $1.99 could seem reasonable, I still thought it was mis-priced. The retail price shows as $8.99. Um, yeah. I showed it to the cashier when I checked out. It took me a few times explaining it before she would believe me, but 1 pack of epoxy stickers, no matter how stinkin’ cute, would not sell for $8.99 retail. Unless they were made of crushed diamonds or something. I think they were meant to be bundled in packs of 2 or 3. I don’t know if they really fixed them but, hey, I did my civic duty, right?
In case anyone is in the market for a Cub Scouts 12×12 album, Tuesday Morning has ’em!
They also had a lot of paper packs by the likes of AMERICAN CRAFTS. However, they were the 25 sheets of the same paper kind so I didn’t get any. But for those of you who do classes, kits, etc., this is a great deal.
Tuesday Morning also had the Making Memories “Hulabulu” packs, and lots of 12×12 postbound albums … I just didn’t get photos.
I got some books at BARNES and NOBLE. The one you might be interested in is on the top … “Tragic Magic” by LAURA CHILDS. She writes a series of scrapbooking murder mysteries set in the Big Easy that I really enjoy. Been waiting to see this one in paperback since I don’t usually “do” hardcovers.
I got these three older issues (April, May, and June 2010) of Scrapbook Trends magazines online recently. They were having a clearance sale for $5 an issue. I think these sell new for $15 each so I was happy to find the sale. It’s true what they say … these are more like idea books that magazines so well worth the dough.
These were from a message board “for sale” section. I love it when people clean out their scrap rooms and sell stuff I want for dirt cheap, LOL! I got collection packs of Basic Grey “Black Tie” for $5, Scenic Route “Background” for $6, and she only charged me $4 shipping. AND threw in some Anna Griffin border stickers for free. Awesome blossom!
These are the bling stickers from Michaels I mentioned in a PAST POST. Purdy, huh? You get 2 layers worth.
I had a 40% off coupon and was going to use it on the Making Memories storage jars (I’m re-doing my ribbon organization), but when I got the check-out, she told me they were on sale for 40% off. So the coupon went to one of the Basic Grey “Jovial” items. Then some Tiny Type alpha stickers that I can’t seem to get enough of. I guess you know what I’m using to scrap Christmas in this year, eh? Love these colors …
Come to find out, I should’ve gotten another set of the jars. After getting my ribbon sorted, I realized I need 3 more and I can’t find them at Michaels anymore. Shukes.
Have you heard of Studio 112? It’s a new line of scrappy stuff I’ve been seeing around. Here are the pretty lasercut papers they had.
Yep, every single thing was only 99 cents.
Bling, flowers, all kinds of embellishments …
Even some borders …
I dunno’, it wasn’t really my style. Some of the lasercut papers were pretty but nothing really blew my dress up. To each their own … maybe you’ll love it. At that price, you should at least check it out! M’kay?
I’ve been talking about the latest line produced by Memory Works as a follow up to their hugely successful Simple Stories “Life Documented” line … the new kit is a quick and easy way to complete school layouts or an entire School Days album and it’s called Simple Stories “ele.ment.ary.”
It was originally slated for release this coming Monday, 8-16-10. I was offline a bit this week and came on tonight (late Thursday) to discover …. they changed the release to tomorrow! ACK!
*** “ele.ment.ary” will be available on my website (https://erika.memory-works.com) as of Friday, 8-13-10 at 8am EST (which is 5am my time aka PST) ***
HERE is a link to the SImple Stories catalog, which shows all the elements and prices for the “Life Documented” and “ele.ment.ary” lines. Take a look at tell me what you think :) There are free “ele.ment.ary” digital downloads and tons of inspiration for using the kit HERE.
I’ll be online processing orders/pre-orders from about 5 to 7am PST tomorrow … erm, today. LOL. If you have any questions or would like to place an order, that would be a wonderful time to do so. Then again, I’m happy to help you at ALL times, my dearies. Just go check out my WEBSITE and/or send me an e-mail … scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
In addition to the excitement over SIMPLE STORIES “ele.ment.ary,” we’re also having a big “clear ’em out for new CHA stuff” sale.
{Well, it’s not officially called that, I just made it up because it was so uber-descriptive …}
Anyway, here are the discounts going on right now … get ’em while they last!
BasicGrey – 20%
Cosmo Cricket – 20%
Bo Bunny – 20%
Crate Paper – 20%
Dear Lizzy – 20%
Girls’ Paperie – 30%
Fancy Pants – 20%
My Mind’s Eye – 20%-30%
Teresa Collins – 30%
GCD Chip Art – 30%
…and so much more!
I know I’ll be doing some shopping … but ain’t I always? LOL Hey, it’s my job! And I excel at my work; what can I say?
PS: Check out that cute little Tweet button down below. How awesome is that? WordPress just added that free feature. Feel free to Tweet my blog entries anytime! I would really appreciate it :)
Okay, before I get all giddy about my awesome purchase, I need to be serious for a moment. Come ON! It’s just a MOMENT. That’s all I ask. You can do it.
Sooooo…..
I hate it when online or brick-and-mortar scrapbook stores close, don’t you? I mean, if the person is happily moving on to something else, that’s great. But if the reason is because business isn’t good, then it makes me sad :(
I’m not sure what the case was here, but a friend mentioned that an online store she had DT’d for in the past was closing … and the ENTIRE STORE was 70% off!! Oh, and that day she mentioned it was the LAST day to order. {Otherwise, I would’ve told you about it, I swear!}
Well, you KNOW I hauled my virtual butt right over there and started shopping! I hate that scrapbook store owners have to let their remaining products go for such a huge discount but I guess we can feel good about “taking it off their hands”, right? If we didn’t shop there, they’d be stuck with the merch when all they probably want to do is move on.
Anyway, as usual, I have digressed. You just want to see what goodies I got, don’t you?!?! You cheeky monkeys!
The store was Serendipity Scrapbooks, which I guess there is no reason to link :( I ended up getting $33 worth of scrapbook supplies for $15 INCLUDING shipping, which was about $6 of that.
Ah, I love scrappy mail, don’t you!?!?! Here is the package, my invoice, and a nice note from owner Kristen.
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(3) 12×12 pages of BASIC GREY letter stickers – Euphoria, Phoebe, and Scarlet’s letter
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One sheet each of some “Cogsmo” (COSMO CRICKET) and “Tiffany’s Collection” (WRMK) paper. Love the Cogsmo vibrant colors and cool design, and the leaves that were cut-outs from the Tiffany’s paper (see where the black is showing through? Cool, huh?)
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2 sheets of “Splendid” paper from FANCY PANTS (these are the front and back sides)
This is SO pretty and classy-looking in person. The colors are rich and gorgeous.
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2 sheets of “Fakie Green” paper from the now-closed SCENIC ROUTE (these are the front and back sides)
SR has always been a favorite company. I love their simple, fresh designs. I’m scrapping our Phoenix trip with mostly Scenic Route that I’ve hoarded over the years, and this will be added to the collection.
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Speaking of Scenic Route, here’s some green twill. It’s thinner/narrower than I thought it was going to be but it’s still nice :) Also, my first-ever purchase of anything CHERRY ARTE – some cute summer rub-ons. I like their style.
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Here was my favorite deal of the day: A ton of chipboard shapes called “All Fall” by Fancy Pants. They retailed for $12.99 which, while totally worth that price, I probably wouldn’t have ever spent. Gah, I’m such a cheapwad that I have a really hard time spending that much on a scrapbooking embellishment. Tool? Yeah, sure, but not on a consumable like chipboard.
But yee-haw! With the 70% discount, I could totally justify spending $3.90!
Isn’t it neat how it comes in this cute window box with the slide-out drawer?
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Now check out ALL the pieces that come with! Yowzers. I have School Days albums for my kids but the pages so far have been pretty basic, made mostly of patterned paper, cardstock, and some basic accents. I’m going to go through the albums and add some of these cute accents to liven up the pages. Can’t wait!
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Isn’t that paperclip cute? Just to put it in perspective, the chipboard totally covers one of my Basic Grey MAGNETIC MATS, which are about 15″x15″. You get a LOT.
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Also love the grad cap, and all the sayings and titles. What a great package. So happy I purchased this :)
So that’s my scrapbook mini-haul! Not bad for $15, huh?
Stay tuned … I just got a box today from MEMORY WORKS with some amazing stuff to show you!
I got this e-mail from MEMORY WORKS today, who I’m a consultant for. We’re always having cool promotions and I don’t want to flood my blog with them, but there are so many great things going on right now, I had to share. Just in case you want to do some shopping to celebrate July {wink} …
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We’re blasting off the Independence Day holiday with 3 firecracker promotions:
1 ~ 10% off select Patriotic Themed Products
2 ~ Free Snorkel Collection with $150 purchase
3 ~ 15% off Simple Stories Life Documented Kit
NOTE: Click on anything shown in bold and it will take you to a photo of the item :)
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PROMOTION #1
Show your patriotic pride…Save 10%
To show our pride for all things patriotic, we’re offering an additional 10% off our best selling patriotic themed collections and embellishments, including Creative Imaginations “Liberty” THEME SET, Pink Paislee’s “Starlight” THEME SETand STICKERS, and Bo Bunny’s complete “Block Party” COLLECTION! Shop now for best selection – sale ends July 5th!
“Freedom” 12×12 Layout by Sue Kendall featuring “Liberty” Theme Set from Creative Imaginations
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PROMOTION #2
When you spend $150 or more you’ll receive a 50-piece Cosmo Cricket Snorkel COLLECTION PACK (a $14.99 value)….absolutely FREE!
We’re continuing our 100 days of summer celebration. Now through July 31st 2010 (while supplies last, so hurry!), we will be offering this fabulous Snorkel papercrafting pack from COSMO CRICKET. Anyone – yes we mean anyone – placing an order of $150.00 or more will recieve this popular, best-selling kit that includes over 50 pieces of summer scrapping goodness. So whether it’s a party order, customer order or even consultant order…if it’s over $150 you qualify for the FREE* kit! But remember this kit will be available only while supplies last so swim on over and get yours today!
*FREE kit includes: 12 double-sided design paper, 18 cardstock stickers, 18 double-sided cut apart element cards, and 18 double-sided cut apart borders. Offer good only while supplies last. One free kit per order. Offer is not retroactive. Offer good on all party, customer or consultant orders of $150 net retail or more (excludes tax and shipping).
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PROMOTION #3
Sale Extended through July 5th!
Simple Stories Kit – 15% Off
If you haven’t treated your self to the goodness of our first Simple Stories release – now’s you’re chance. We’re extending our sale for just a few more days, offering an additional 15% discount off our popular “Life Documented” kit – grab yours before the low price melts away…
Life Documented Kit
Regular Price – $16.99 NOW 15% Off
Customer Sale Price – $14.44
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While you’re shopping, check out our SUMMER SAVINGS SALE with various items at great discounts – Maya mist, Xyron adhesive products, American Crafts including THICKERS, 7 Gypsies, Basic Grey, Bo Bunny, Crate Paper, Fancy Pants, Pink Paislee, and more.
Please let me know if you have ANY questions. You can leave a comment on this post, or e-mail me at scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com. Happy shopping!
Basic Grey recently announced they will have some mid-releases due out in June 2010. As a big BG fan, I was excited to hear this and even more excited when I took a peek and fell in love with these two new lines … let’s start with some pretty good teasers …
And here are links to the entire OLIVER and OLIVIA lines on the Basic Grey website ~ yahoo! {To get a closer look at each item, hover over it with your pointer and the photo will enlarge}.
As you can see, each line has a TON of items in it, including some new kinds of embellishments like Cozy Posies, Decorative Clips, Gummies, and my personal favorites, CANVAS TAGS and PIECES.
I’ll admit I’m not totally crazy about the little animal guys, and would probably only use them on baby pages, but there are so many papers and embellishments that don’t contain them, I’m sure these collections will be joining my own personal collection :)
And as if Oliver and Olivia weren’t enough summer excitement, Basic Grey is also going to add elements to their BASICS line in June 2010! Talk about a hot seller! I notice that Memory Works has already sold out of some of this line (although the owner assures us the stock will be replenished soon). I also noticed on the Basic Grey website that a lot of the current Basics items show “out of stock.” Hmmm … just letting you know so when the new Basics items come out in June, don’t hesitate or you might not be able to get any right away.
To get the whole scoop, read Kelly Goree’s blog HERE. Please go and see the gorgeous layouts she’s already making with “Oliver” and “Olivia.”
Go HERE to see what the Peas have to say, and if you’re a member of Scrapbook Sisters Studio, you can see our chat about it HERE.
On the MEMORY WORKS consultant message board, I posted my excitement over all the new BG goods and the owner confirmed that we WILL be carrying all of these new Basic Grey items. Made my day, it did. So when June rolls around and you decide you need this new Basic Grey, give me a HOLLAH!
What do you think of Oliver, Olivia, and the new Basics items? Is it a “hit” or a “miss” for Basic Grey this time around?
We’ve had GREEN AT HEART and KIOSHI for a while, and I showed you HERE the new line in stock called “BASICS.” Well, we also now have in stock “CAPPELLA” and “MAX & WHISKERS.” Yes! I’ve been waiting for these as I know many of you have. Today I’ll post about Cappella and next time will be about Max & Whiskers.
Without further adieu, let’s take a look at what you can order:
“Cappella” by Basic Grey
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Okay, I’m going to make an embarrassing confession: When this line hit the Memory Works website yesterday, I quickly proceeded to order 2 of the theme sets and 1 of just about every other item in the line (I didn’t get the buttons, the rub-ons, or the card kit). Wanna’ know why I went so crazy? Because I’ve been looking for years ~ YEARS, I tell ya! ~ to find a line that is worthy of scrapbooking my wedding photos with. And I have found it … Basic Grey “Cappella.” I should’ve known it would be Basic Grey {swoon!}.
So I had to search no further for inspiration than the amazing blog of KELLY GOREE. Here is a wedding layout she did using “Cappella” which I just adore.
LAYOUT BY KELLY GOREE for BASIC GREY
Gosh, that’s so dang pretty! I think it’ll be perfect for my wedding photos. A few months ago, I got some of Basic Grey’s old line “BLACK TIE.” I wonder if these two lines will coordinate? Hmmm…
Anyway …. If you’d like to order any of the new Basic Grey lines, my Memory Works website is HERE. Instructions for how to order are HERE. My contact information is HERE if you have ANY questions or would like me to place your order for you.
I take Paypal or check/money order. The shipping is very quick and great customer service. (US residents only)
I have one of the best scrappy friends in the world. She lives in another part of the country and we’ve never met in person, but she always has my back. To that end, when she was at her Michaels today and saw all the new stuff and the new store layout … she KNEW I’d want to see pictures, and she knew I’d want to share them with you.
So, here are photos provided by “mah gurrrll” Abby …
This is new Jolee’s. Can you believe it?!?! Totally different packaging from their usual. I’ve never really been a Jolee’s girl, but there are some really cute things here. I might just become a convert …
Some pretty and unique Jolee’s border strips …
Finally! Some new THICKERS!! Suh-WEET! And those look like some pretty textured papers in nice colors.
Here’s one of the new “themed” sections: Christmas.
A wider view … This looks SO different from how my Michaels is set up. Mine has the really tall racks with shelves on top where they store extra stock. This store has lower racks and pretty little signs.
Here’s a new kit called “The Merry Days of Christmas” by MY MINDS EYE…
… and a new 8.5″ x 8.5″ paper pad called “Sleepy Tree” (I think) by K&COMPANY. I can’t read it perfectly in the photo, and there’s nothing called “Sleepy Tree” K&Co’s website … but that isn’t saying much. Sometimes the stores have things that aren’t on the manufacturer’s website.
Looks like some new kits and stacks, and down in the bottom left corner, did you see? BASIC GREY “Ambrosia” and “Eva” paper stacks! My Michaels has had these as open stock papers but not as a stack.
New Recollections single papers. I see some really pretty colors and designs there. Does your Mike’s have tall racks sitting out in the middle of the floor like this? Mine doesn’t. Gasp! That almost resembles and LSS!
Here’s the new MARTHA STEWART Scoring Board. Apparently, this is the hot new item to have. I’m plugging my ears and singing “la la la” because I don’t NEED another expensive tool in my life. I don’t, I don’t, I DON’T! {But it does look cool!}
Remember when I posted HERE and HERE about the themed sections that were “coming soon.” Well, they’re finally here, LOL! In THIS discussion at 2peas, there seems to be a general dissatisfaction with the whole “sorted by theme” idea. Some scrappers feel it’s being done to cater only to the beginning scrapbooker who wanders in to solely do a baby, wedding, Christmas, or travel scrapbook. The feeling is that more seasoned scrapbookers (get it? seasoned? Christmas? huh? huh?) like us shop not by theme but by brand name and/or by item type.
Now I know this is a selfish perspective but, wth, this is my blog and my opinion: I want Michaels sorted the way my scrapbook room is organized, which is to say, by brand name for the most popular brands, then by item type and color beyond that. But, no, Michaels Corporate did not ask ME, did they? Boy, they’d better not ever ask me stuff … ‘cuz I will tell them! Huh. They would rue the day, baby.
Okay, say Michaels corporate ever did ask me. Here are the top 5 things I would tell them:
1. Less Jolee’s, more Thickers.
2. Bring back coupons on books and magazines. At least on books, come ON!
3. Do NOT. Under any circumstances. Organize by theme. And keep all the alphas in one place.
4. Make “knowledge of scrapbooking” a condition of hire.
4a. Better yet, hire me. Make me Director of Scrapbook Buying, Merchandising, Publicity, and Employee Training.
I will make you millions and jillions of dollahs.
5. Anything that has been on your racks for more than 6 months … CLEARANCE. Then get new stuff.
I swear to G, they still have things in Michaels that were there when I first discovered it back in two-thousand-ought-two. Hello? Take the loss already and move on, Mike’s.
Okay, this was not meant to turn into a MIke’s Rant Post, so very sorry. This is actually a Happy Mike’s post. Yay! We are so happy they got some new stuff! We are happy we have new things to bust out our coupons on! We are so happy they are getting OCTOBER AFTERNOON! Rah rah, Mike’s!
Okay, now tell me about your Mike’s. Got all this new stuff yet? What have you bought recently? What new items are you most looking forward to if, like me, you still have the same old stuff?
Oh, and tell me your feelings on the whole “sort by theme” debate. Don’t be shy … yea or nay?
Order all Basic Grey “Basics” HERE or e-mail me and I’ll get them ordered for you: scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com!
PS: We also have Basic Grey “Max & Whiskers” and “Capella” that we’ve all been waiting for! I’ll blog about those tomorrow but you can order them as of NOW :)
Squeee! I’m SO excited! The new scrapbook items from CHA Winter 2010 have been rolling in to my Memory Works WEBSITE. I’ve been posting about some of them but not all. Here is what we have so far:
AMERICAN CRAFTS including Dear Lizzy, new Thickers, awesome new adhesives, and our NEW line of AC CARDSTOCK! (see my post HERE for the Dear Lizzy)
BO BUNNY Mamarazzi, Sophie, Flower Child, Paradise, and Roughin It (See my post about Mamarazzi HERE and you KNOW I’m so stinkin’ excited about that one! I already have 2 of each item in my shopping cart … 1 for me, 1 to sell :)
COSMO CRICKET Garden Variety, Material Girl, Joyride, and Tiny Type alphas (I blogged about them HERE)
JENNI BOWLIN Vintage Buttons and Embellished Butterflies
MY LITTLE SHOEBOX Flying High, Away We Go, Just Add Butter, and All Aflutter (What a great company! They’re completely new to Memory Works and I’m loving all the bright, fun colors)
MY MINDS EYE Jack and Jill, Little Boy Blue, and Little Miss Muffet. We also have all the “Lush” lines … Black Lush, Red Lush, Pink Lush, Brown Lush, Blue Lush, and Green Lush.
TERESA COLLINS BeBe Boy, BeBe Girl, Mr. and Mrs., and Welcome Home
THREE BUGS IN A RUG Great Outdoors, Savannah, Little Chick, and Animal Stackers
*If an item says Out of Stock, that just means it hasn’t arrived in the warehouse yet but is on the way. Please try back soon. If you’re waiting on something specific, e-mail me { scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com } and I can notify you when it arrives. Most consultants don’t do that, but I DO because I respect your scrapbook jones like no one else does :)
Okay, all of THAT is exciting enough, right?!?! I mean, MAMARAZZI people! Remember when I hoped so badly that Memory Works would carry it and now they DO! I am SO going to find that class kit and make that adorable mini-album with it.
So today home office also released our new Spring 2010 catalog, like, WAY early! We usually don’t get them until late March/early April. I have .pdf downloads (they broke it up into 4 sections for faster download times) and will post those soon.
Better yet, you can order a REAL paper catalog from me and I’ll mail it to ya. {JINGLE, did those cupcakes catch your eye? They are throughout the cattie, LOL!}
Here’s what I’m gonna’ do … I’m going to order 10 catalogs today. They cost me $3 each, and to mail them out costs about $2-3 depending on how far they’re going. Honestly, it’s always been a big money loser for me because I spend about $5 per sent catalog. I just can’t afford to do that anymore, I’m sorry :( But if you would like a catalog (and believe me, you do ~ they are SO pretty in person!), please e-mail me { scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com } and let me know. I’ll invoice you $4 via Paypal and send it right out. Sound fair? That’s a great price for such a nice piece of eye candy, and way cheaper than those “other” direct sales companies charge, am I right?
Okay, so all this just totally made my day. Let me know if you’d like a catalog or for me to “scrap watch” any items for you. Also, you can order HERE any of the above fabulous new items, not to mention all the existing products we have :)
I know a lot of you have been looking for the new CHA RELEASES from BASIC GREY. Well, we now have 2 of the new lines in stock: “Green at Heart” and “Kioshi.” (^^^ Click on the Basic Grey link to buy some).
Here is a tease of the Green at Heart; these are just 3 of the products we carry:
THEME SET
STITCHED BRADS
PIECES
Here are 3 layouts of amazing inspiration from the crazy-talented KELLY GOREE (for Basic Grey).
I’m thinking this line is going to be great for all those Spring photos we have coming up. Seeing the warm orange, grassy green, and pretty pink makes me wish all this rain would go away (or snow for a lot of you, right?). I’m ready for some sunshine and flowers and the smell of fresh cut grass … ah, Spring!
Here is summa that Kioshi (this is just a portion of what we carry):
THEME SET
CANVAS TAGS
POISIES DOILIES
Kioshi makes me think of winter to spring, calm, zen, relax, and unwind. It’s got that Asian vibe, but not so much so that you can’t use it for just about anything. I love the soft color combo on this one. Ultra pretty … Here’s 3 more amazing layouts by Kelly Goree (for Basic Grey) …
Oh my. Kelly is SO scary talented, it amazes me. Year after year, she creates layouts that make you just want to gobble up that BASIC GREY. They are very lucky to have her. Thanks for all the inspiration, Kelly!
Again, if you’d like to purchase some Green at Heart or Kioshi, click HERE to link to my Memory Works website and order away! If you have any questions, e-mail me @ scrapbookobsession(at)gmail(dot)com.
During our holiday travels, I was lucky enough to visit a local scrapbook store, Green Tangerines, in Rocklin, California (about 30 minutes outside Sacramento).
All the LSSs where I live are now gone, so I haven’t even been inside an LSS in about 5 months, since the last one near me closed. Yeah, color me sad. So I was very excited to visit an LSS at all. Imagine my immense happiness when I found out that this particular store bills themselves as “the largest scrapbook store in California” at 15,000 square feet. Wowzers!
As much as I probably owe him some kind of revenge for something he’s done lately, I didn’t subject my DH to shopping with me. He and the kids went to a nearby IHOP and ate loads of pancakes while I shopped at Green Tangerines, so I had a relaxing hour to browse around without hubbo pacing, checking his non-existent watch, while sighing heavily and asking, “How much are you going to spend anyway?” And being kid-free while I shopped, I also didn’t have to 1. Find the bathroom, 2. Ask if there was a Kid’s Area in the store, 3. Say “no” 439 times when they asked for sticker pack after sticker pack, or 4. Clean up any knocked over magazines or Prima bottles. In a word: Bliss.
I took some photos as I wandered around but I apologize for their quality, as they are from my iPhone. I swear, they looked fine as I was taking them, but now that I see them on my computer, they look blurry and weirdly colored. But you’ll get the idea.
I entered the store and there was a large, round counter in front with 2 or 3 salesgirls who gave me a friendly welcome and asked if I was looking for anything. I said no, just browsing, and they left me alone the rest of the time (which is how I prefer to shop). I was quite amazed at the size of the place; the only bigger store I had ever been in was YOUNGPLAY MEMORIES in Tracy, California. That store was 20,000 square feet, but sadly, they are now closed.
I really liked how they had the store set up. There were sections in the front like this, organized by theme and holiday. Here are some Christmas and Winter-themed racks…
… and Halloween.
There were 2 aisles worth of stamping, altered, ephemera, and vintage stuff. My Scrap Sister ANGIE would’ve thought she died and went to Heaven!
Me want. Don’t need. Want.
There were several aisles organized by color. So awesome. Here are oranges and yellows to give you an idea. I think a lot of scrappers now organize their stashes by color, especially for non-themed elements like these, so this is a very smart idea. I’ve never seen a store do it this way. Like their motto says, “Scrapbooking Made Fresh.”
This orange … erm, TANGERINE … wall went down one whole side of the store and you can see that there’s a Studio and Workshop here. The Studio looked more like an office, with neat projects displayed and stacks of Green Tangerines KIT CLUB boxes and display boards around. I’ve always heard GT has a great kit club so I peeked into one of the “pizza boxes” and was very impressed. Cute kit for sure.
The Workshop was a huge cropping room with large tables and comfy chairs. Croppers were scrapping away in there; while I shopped the crowd grew from about 2 to 10. I was so jealous and wanted to join them!
There was a whole section of the store where they sold (or consigned, I guess) various handmade items from clothes to jewelry to paper goods to knitted scarves. It was like walking through a brick-and-mortar ETSY shop, I tell ya. So fun to see all the little goodies and wishing I could buy it all…
In the back of the store, there was a large area with BAZZILL CARDSTOCK and AMERICAN CRAFTS THICKERS organized by color. Yeah, now it’s me who has died and gone to Heaven. I wanted to spin around and throw my hat in the air like Mary Tyler Moore … ‘cept I wasn’t wearing a hat. Or I would’ve spun and thrown, believe you me.
I mean, if that don’t make you happy, nothing in life will. Right?
In this section, there was also other brands of cardstock like CORE’DINATIONS, and embellies and ribbon sorted by color, too.
So, I’m sure you can tell by now that I loved this store and have only good things to say about it. If you’re ever near Sacramento, I really encourage you to check out this store. It’s worth the drive, no doubt about it.
As I was checking out, the sweet salesgirl told me that they were soon going to start selling merchandise online. Here’s their WEBSITE; I hope you’ll consider supporting them. I’m sure any business they do online will only help them keep the B&M doors open, and that’s what we want :) Oh, and read their About Us page … it’s a cute one. {Oh snap!}.
Now, to share with you what I ended up buying from this lovely store:
Label stickers by Luxe and Scenic Route, journal cards by Pebbles Inc. “Share and Tell,” and pens by American Crafts…
Super cute American Crafts “Everyday” paper with speech bubbles. I thought this would be a cute way to scrap the funny things my kids have said. I got 2 sheets of the same paper; the green is on the reverse side.
Two sheets of “Backyard” paper by American Crafts, just because I loved the fruit and scalloped edge patterns, and the colors are so cheerful…
“Joyride” paper and journaling cuts by Collage Press because I have a journaling spot fetish, and some recent snow photos to scrap…
“Silly Season” chipboard by Green Tangerines (I guess it’s their own line?) because it’s a cute and fun take on Christmas…
3 sheets of ledger paper in gorgeous colors by Creative Imaginations…
Basic Grey “Lemonade” monogram letters; they are the most gorgeous color in person … I’m sorry, that is the only reason I can justify buying them…
“Storytellers” cursive letter stickers by Webster’s Pages … Again, all I can say is they are pretty and I had no choice…
From “Enchanted Autumn” by Reminisce, because I have several people in my family with a serious candy jones and I want to embarrass them by scrapping their addiction…
More journaling spots by Collage Press (see “journal spot addiction” above for more details)…
My first 2 sheets of Core-dinations cardstock ever ever EVER! Dark teal with a light teal core, and chocolate with a periwinkle core…
Photo sleeve pages by We R Memory Keepers so I can get a feel for how I’m going to do my PROJECT 365 with Simple Stories “LIFE DOCUMENTED“…
I ended up spending about $50 and I’m okay with that, because I’ve provided full justification above for each item. There is no reason to feel guilt. If you could see me through the computer, you would see that I am confident. I am not blinking. I will not look away in shame. {See, that is how you do it, my friends. If you ever need confidence-building after a scrap shopping spree, just come to me and I’ll hook you right up}.
There was much, much more that I wanted to buy but I tried to get things and brands that I don’t have access to elsewhere, like Luxe and Collage Press, which I have never even seen in person before. I know, I’m such a Deprived Scrapper Country Girl, ain’t I?
I hope you enjoyed my store review. Do you like my purchases? What do you think about Green Tangerines? I mean, other than the fact that you could leave your family and move in there for the rest of your life and be perfectly happy…?
Get yours HERE. I just added it to my siggie at SCRAP SISTERS STUDIO, my favorite message board.
And keep checking back HERE. Basic Grey was supposed to launch their new website yesterday ~ with lots of cool new stuff like fabric and computer skins! ~ but are having site issues. Can’t wait to see their new site and I feel so bad for them. I’m sure KELLY GOREE will keep us up-to-date via her blog…
Sometimes the temptation is just too hard to resist….
Today, I received an e-mail from EMBELLISH IT!, an online scrapbooking company known for carrying everything Basic Grey. Not only that, they carry the matching Bazzill cardstock for every line put out by Basic Grey. Yep, two of my favorite things in life: Basic Grey and Bazzill. Anyway, this e-mail was titled, “Basic Grey Vintage Packs” and it said the following:
—–
BasicGrey has RE-released some of their first lines – these are only available in collection packs.This is a one-time offer as when they are gone – they will be gone forever.
Warning: Shop Early if interested.
They are on Sale for $12 collection
Sale Price is good until Dec 31, 2009
—–
Holy Grail of scrapbooking! Did someone say VINTAGE Basic Grey?!?! I’m there. I am SO there!
So I click over to their website and see all the gloriousness that is Old School BG. Let me just show you what I’m talkin’ ’bout…
“BLACK TIE”
“PHRESH & FUNKY”
“SUBLIME”
Well, crap, I can’t find a good photo online anywhere, but you remember how cool it was, right??
Anyway, you can see the BG paper packs HERE. Most of them are only $12.
I have a friend who has been looking for Sublime, so I called her today and told her about the sale. I thought she might want me to order it for her, then we could share the shipping costs; I was right, LOL!
I got some Black Tie and Phresh & Funky for myself, and the Sublime for her. I found a coupon code online for $3 off, and entered it at checkout, but I don’t know if it worked. The goodies don’t ship until (anticipated) December 18, so I’ll have to find some patience somewhere. Can’t wait til my BG gets here.
I’m trying to remember the first BG collection I ever saw. I know it was love at first sight, that much is certain. I think it was Motifica, which is still my favorite Basic Grey line of all time. {Shhhhh, don’t tell anyone! I am hoarding a substantial amount of Motifica….}.
They come out with new collections so consistently, I’ve never been able to keep up with buying them as fast as they make them. Black Tie and Phresh & Funky are 2 collections that I don’t have any of, so I was obligated to get some, right?
So, if you’re also a fan of Basic Grey in their vintage hey day, go over to Embellish It! and order some, so I’m not sitting her feeling guilty alone, K?
It’s pretty funny that this comes on the heels of my POST about how I have so much scrap stuff that I feel defensive of it, LOL!
But I truly was overdue in placing a Memory Works order; I haven’t done one since July 15, when I got that MEGA KIT from My Minds Eye for myself, and filled two customer orders. In the meantime, I’ve gotten several product credits for signing up new consultants (both hobbyists and “premium” consultants….thanks so much ladies!) that have been burning a hole in my virtual shopping cart. I’ve been restraining myself from using them as I watched all the new stuff from CHA Summer come in. But most of it is here now, and if I wait too long, the things I want will be gonzo. {The only thing I’m still waiting for are the new THICKERS}. Today, I received a customer order so the time had come to place an actual order instead of just dreaming about it, lol. Besides, I NEED STOCK!
I thought I’d share what one of my orders looks like. Back when I was going gangbusters with MEMORY WORKS (last year, before the economy tanked), I would make $100+ orders like this about once every month or two. If you figure that as an MW CONSULTANT, I get 20% of the retail amount of each order, you can see I was making some pretty nice bank. I mean, I was never no Lisa “QVC” Bearnson, but I was doing okay :)
However, those were the good ol’ days, and placing an order like this now literally makes my hands shake. I’ve got about half of the cost covered already with product credits and the customer order. But the rest is just cash I’m laying out there, hoping to sell these products to friends and at crops, and recoup my money with a little bit of profit. Or if I can sell 80% of it, then the 20% that I can’t sell – and thus, it enters my own stash for good – can be considered my “profit.” That’s why I only buy products that I love and would use myself….because if I can’t sell them, they become mine. Mines, all mines! Yeah, break my heart, why don’t you? Force me to take all these ugly scrap supplies that no one wants.
Okay, on to the order. This is gonna be pic heavy, so get ready to scroll, especially you Laptoppers like me….
1 BasicGrey: Take Note – Eerie $5.00
****** From here down to We R MK stamps and then the white Thickers, these are items on Fall Clearance so the prices are great; a good time to stock up! ******
1 Scrap Within Reach: Journaling Tags – Paper Boy $1.20
1 Three Bugs: Die-cut Tags – To the Rescue $2.00
Okay, first I have to comment on some of these items…
Basic Grey “Lime Rickey” blue chip stickers – Love! How did I never notice those before?
Jenni Bowlin brown label stickers – Did you notice I ordered two? Mama wants her own set. Not. For. Sale.
We R Memory Keepers clear stamps – Only 80 stinkin’ cents. I mean, that’s a no-brainer, right? I got one to sell, one to keep.
7 Gypsies “Victoria” Theme set – Remember that from HERE? Yeah, I caved and bought it. Those papers are sooooo pretty! But here’s the deal I made with the scrapbook goddesses: I’m going to set that paper free, and offer it for sale to customers. If it flies to someone else, it was never mine to begin with. If it returns to me, it was mine all along…
Pink Paislee “Amber Road” theme set – I drooled over it HERE. I finally ordered some. I’m going to set it free also. And hope that it comes back….
As you can probably tell from the things I ordered, I have customers with boys, public safety customers, and customers who have surfers in their family (we do live by the coast, after all). You can also see that I like to order products based on the seasons on either side of us at any given time, because that’s what people are scrapping now or preparing to scrap for. Right now, that would be 4th of July and 9/11, summer, back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Alphas and journaling items are always big sellers. It’s all a balancing act, placing an order, because I have to stay within my budget, fill customer orders, and choose other items based on what I think customers will like, taking into consideration the seasons, and what hobbies and interests my regular customers have. Also, I try to keep in mind the tastes of my friends. For instance, there were about 5 different Halloween sets I chose from and I went with one that has a more “distress-y” look because, in my experience, in my crowd, that sells over the real bold, bright look.
Now, don’t you wish you were a Memory Works consultant?!? LOL I don’t know if that was interesting at all, but I thought if nothing else, you’d enjoy looking at the pretty pictures. “I do NOT have scrapbooker’s A.D.D. …. Ooooh, look sparklies!!” Yeah, I got your number, sister. Holla!
I placed this order online late Tuesday night, and got an instant order receipt in my e-mail. Then Wednesday morning around 11, I got a UPS shipping notification that 2 boxes were on the way to me ALREADY! That’s one thing I *lurve* about Memory Works; they ship your order within one business day of receiving it. I also signed up a friend to start receiving the monthly kit, called MEMORY WORKS EXPRESS. The September kits had already gone out, so her first kit would normally have been the October. But she asked if she could still get September, so I e-mailed Miss Fabulosity aka Jodi at MW customer service. She said to just let her know when I had registered my friend, and she would manually go in and start her in September. Voila! It was done, just as she said. I got a UPS notice that my friend’s kit has shipped, also.
Now what’s super cool is that this friend, me, and a few others are meeting up to crop this Saturday…and our Memory Works shipments are due to arrive….wait for it….wait for it…..FRIDAY!!! Just in time :) So that will be wicked cool. Sorry I keep bragging on Memory Works…I just can’t say enough good things about ’em. It was really fun to “shop” for that order, even if most of it will be sold to others (hopefully). Hope you enjoyed our shopping trip, too!
You can see Basic Grey ~ Indian Summer, Eerie, Eskimo Kisses, and Nook and Pantry HERE. {As of this writing, the Nook & Pantry still shows out of stock, but I’m sure we’ll have it soon}. I’ll give a taste of each by showing you the Theme Sets of paper, but we have a bunch of stuff from each line.
And here is Fancy Pants ~ Rough and Tough, Dancing Girl, Little Sprout, Trick or Treat, and Christmas Magic HERE.
Instructions on how to order are HERE. Would love to hear from you :)
O. EM. GEE! Have you seen this batty lace doily by Basic Grey?!?!?! Must. Have.
Okay, now I can’t wait to shop. I’ve been holding on to some Product Credits for a while now, waiting for all the CHA stuff to roll in. We’re still waiting on the new Doodlebug, Sassafrass, and We R Memory Keepers, but I can’t wait any longer. Now that the BG and Fancy Pants are here, I’m going to order before it’s gone. I also want this “Take Note” from the BG Eerie line, among other things:
HERE is the September Newsletter from Basic Grey, if you’d like to see some great layout ideas with these new lines and some past ones. What new CHA Summer stuff are you excited about or going to order?
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