I went to a crop Saturday, the one I talked about HERE. Only 4 of us ended up being able to go. I talked more than I cropped, and we stopped to eat twice (lunch/dinner) so I didn’t get much done. I completed 5 pages and started a 6th, and I was there from about 11:30 to 9. One thing I did different this time is that I promised myself I would get the journaling done AT the crop. I can’t tell you how many unfinished layouts are sitting on my desk from past crops, that were done, they “just need the journaling.” Ya’ got any of those on your desk? I mean, they’re, like, 30 minutes of effort away from being in a scrapbook for everyone to enjoy and yet…they’re on my desk. Why is journaling something I put off? I really do like to write, it’s not that. It’s like I lose my mojo to work on that layout once I leave the crop. But anyhow, that’s why I forced myself to journal these layouts and I’m glad I did. They are going straight into the album, baby!
Another new thing I tried was a technique that’s been around awhile but I’m always late to the party. I had a white Bazzill background, and I laid out the title of my layout with letter stickers (a block style of cardstock sticker alpha by American Crafts; $1 from Big Lots, LOL!). Then I went over the title in a circular motion with deep turquoise chalk ink by Martha Stewart (it’s just like the kind by COLORBOX). Then I removed the stickers and, voila! The white Bazzill showed through the turquoise ink and it looks rad. The only problem was some bleeding around about three of the letters, but it’s not that noticeable. At least, that’s what my sweet crop friends told me, LOL! I learned my lesson, though…make sure those suckers are stuck down pretty well before you rub the ink on. I like this technique so much, I used it again when I started that 6th layout. I used a different kind cardstock alpha sticker, made sure the letters were stuck down really good, and it came out great.
The Memory Works “party” part of it didn’t work out because, like me, everyone is broke, LOL! The hostess ordered some things and I’m going to split shipping with her and throw in something with her order. I can’t decide….the new Basic Grey ‘Junebug’ or ‘Lemonade’ (see them HERE and HERE), or Little Yellow Bicycle ‘Traveler’ (which I shared HERE). Tough decision. If you could get something from these lines, what would you get?
I’ve also been eyeing this for a while…THE COTTAGE Theme Set by Scrap Within Reach, which is a company that’s new to me and I have nothing of theirs yet. I’m curious what the quality is like/what it’s like in person. I love the colors and it seems a very versatile set to work with. And the price is good ~ you get six 12×12 sheets of double-sided patterned cardstock paper for $5.75, so less than a dollar a sheet for double-sided cardstock PP…not bad.
I’ve got ’em and it’s not just me. I’ve noticed the following in the last week or so:
– The scrapbook message boards are slow. Like watching pain dry. This pains me.
– The CK Media “reorganization” news is harshing everyone’s mellow.
– Either the new CHA products do not excite, or if they do, no one can afford to buy them. Manufacturers are desperately calling/e-mailing retailers, who can’t afford to buy much.
– Erin Lincoln says she’s not been paid in awhile….where does that leave CKMB?
– 2peas boards have been down all night
For me personally, there’s this kinda stuff:
– I posted a restaurant rant on 2peas, expecting about 90% support, and got much less than that. Didn’t ‘splain myself well enough, for one thing. And beyond that, it’s just cranky time, I guess.
– Landry was overnight at the vet hospital getting his manly bits removed. It was practically unbearable how much I missed him.
– DH and I got our first paychecks today since pay cuts….major ouch. How do you cut hundreds more dollars from a budget that is already bare bones? {Yes, I would get rid of my internet but I need it for work, natch}.
– Lastnight to cheer myself up, I decided to cash in a $15 product credit I’ve had for 6+ months at MEMORY WORKS (it was a consultant referral reward). Got all twitterpated over the Jenni Bowlin “Farmer’s Wife” and die cut calendar cards I had in my cart. Went to cash out and it declined my card. Found out today from the bank… they closed my scrapbook spendy account back in December…due to lack of activity. What in the HAY-ELL is that about??
– Just plain tired and feeling the blues…
As for my scrapping, I’m actually kinda’ re-energized after my crop last weekend, yet there has been no TIME or ENERGY to get to it.
How can we turn this around, ladies?
– Stacey at AMR had the right idea. She started a HAPPY THREAD with a little prize. That cheered me a bit :)
– SASSAFRASS LASS and new BAZZILL cardstock packs at Mike’s!!!!! And a coupon this week!!!!!
– Would a couple Landry photos help? Well, here ya go…Could he BE any cuter?!?!
Are you having the Scrapbooker Blahs? Lie right down on my couch and tell me all about it…..
It’s been a while since I did my shopping rounds down in the Big City, but I had to hit Costco yesterday so there was my excuse, LOL!
First we drove the 45 minutes to my nearest LSS, which I was SO looking forward to. I hadn’t been in months and was going to treat myself to a tiny shopping spree. I also wanted to see what their latest and greatest, most popular items are because ~ other than Cricuts ~ I haven’t been hearing much chatter on the MB’s these days on what the hot item is that everyone wants. However, we were greeted with a note on the door saying they were closed through 12/27 due to a family emergency. Shizzle! Major disappointment. I was so pathetic, I stood there with my nose pressed to the window trying to see the What’s New section right up front, and it looked like mostly the K&Co. Christmas stuff that I had already seen most of at Michaels. The Bazzill racks were so close, I could almost reach out and touch all that yumminess…except for that darn locked door in the way! To get things back in perspective, I took the kids to a park in that town I’d been wanting to check out. The family of an old friend of mine that passed away last year put a beautiful memorial to him there, with a stone bench, a tree, and a plaque that told of his life. He was an amazing man and I’m glad I got to be there, sit on the bench, and say a little prayer to him. The kids had a blast playing and got out some energy to prepare for our long shopping adventures ahead, LOL!
Next, we went to the Big City Michaels which is better than the one I usually go to. Yes, they were packed (did you see this POST about how the craft industry is actually doing better during the recession?). As I had heard on 2peas, they had a ton of their PP on clearance but I didn’t see anything I wanted, but doesn’t “major clearance on patterned paper” = “new patterned paper is coming”?? Yeah! I ended up with a white Staz On ink pad to get with my 50% off coupon (score!), and a paper doll kit for one of my nieces for 25% off. I was disappointed again…I figured this Mike’s would have the BG Sugared and Archaic that my regular Mike’s hasn’t carried, but no luck. I kept grabbing the Bazzill Christmas pack to use my coupon on but then put it back…You know how much I {heart} Bazzill but my 3 vertical paper holders just got full to the brim with Bazzill and Prism, so I really need to use some up before I buy more (did I just say that?). I don’t have a ton of money right now anyway, so it was best to just get the ink pad for less money. I hate being responsible and, as you will see, that was nothing compared to the willpower challenge I would face later. PS: They give you a 50% off coupon with your receipt.
Next, I checked the Dollar Store but they had nada. Back in the Day, they would often have something good ~ remember the fake Thickers, and the fake MME Soft Spokens? Lately, nothing, but I can’t seem to give up checking every so often. Next door to them is Tuesday Morning, which is so hit and miss, sometimes I feel like, “Why bother?” But this time was definitely a hit. They had tons of 12×12 postbound albums; I can’t remember the brand name but they all had themes on the front like a Santa, sports, or whatevs. There were letter sticker packs and metal photo corner packs. Then the light shone down from the heavens and illuminated not just a huge pack of KI Memories 12×12 papers, but a huge-r pack of Heidi Swapp 12×12 papers. The KI Memories pack, similar to the way American Crafts packages their paper packs, had the bottom right corner open so you could flip through and glimpse all of the papers. There was a nice mixture of patterns and even some with rounded corners. But I had to pass on it, because some of the papers I already have from the LAST KI Memories stack I bought. But if you love KI, the price was great so go check it out. Now, resisting the HS stack was much harder because I hardly have any of her papers. Samples of all the papers were shown on the back – there were stripes, solids, plaids, stars, and some of those cool travel/map papers she does. I carried that thing around like a newborn baby for quite a while but, alas, left the store without it. I need more PP like I need a hole in the head. My resolution for 2009, now that I have my scrap area (mostly) organized, is to START SCRAPPING more! Use up some of what I have so I can stop passing up sweet Heidi Swapp paper deals. Anwhizzle, there were also chipboard alpha sets and some cute ribbon, but those weren’t worth standing in the long lines for so I put them back. I’m sorry I don’t remember the exact prices on the KI and HS pack but I want to say $8.99 and $9.99 and it was a ton of paper.
Finally, to Costco where I saw the famous huge paper pack they’ve been talking about at 2peas. It comes in it’s own accordian holder and the papers are thick, good quality. There’s even an instant rebate right now, so you should definitely go check it out if you have a chance. If I remember right, it’s normally $29 with a $10 rebate making it only $19.
They had another one of those huge “no name brand” kits with all kinds of paper, embellies, and an 8×8 album. You could do a cool album project with that with your eyes closed. No choices or shopping, it’s all right there for ya’. They had the 2-pack of 12×12 albums but they were, like, ribbed silk (?) texture which I don’t care for. With my kids, they’d get dirty and ripped. I like the faux leather ones better and hope they come back soon. I also wish my Costco would sell the page protectors that go with these albums (brand is Memory Stor). They’re great quality and I’ve ordered them a couple times but I prefer instant gratification. Besides, if I buy it in a store I can sneak it inside whereas anything that is shipped, I have to explain/justify to DH and who wants to waste time doing that? (TOTALLY kidding, Honey! I show you EVerything I buy…yep, I do). And remember those cute gift tags at Costco that were all the rage last year? (CKMB girls, say heyyyyyyy…) They had a new set; still perfect for embellishing Christmas cards. Again, I left empty handed.
So, an anticlimactic day for me, as the thing I was looking most forward to was the LSS shopping. And even though I couldn’t afford to buy much, I sure enjoy the scrapbook window shopping, don’t you?
Speaking of Mike’s, my Partner in Shopping Crime, Abby, told me this today:
“Mike’s has all the Basic Grey Sugared and Archaic (except the 12×12 Archaic paper) for 40% off on clearance! Oh, and the Falala MM line is on sale, well, most of it is. I got the rubon roller, some BG sugared fibers and some falala canvas letters.” My stupid Mike’s (both of them) don’t have any of this stuff but yours might, so get sum summa’ that clearance goodness now! You have a 50% off coupon you need to use anyway, so go!
First off, I’m so sorry for not writing as often as I used to. I think you all know I went back to work full-time in September, as I’ve bitched and moaned about it quite a lot. Well, on top of that, I’m taking on additional transcription work from home in the evenings. So, I’m here at the computer, still lurking my favorite message boards, posting here and there when I can take a little “me break” but for the most part….working. I will try to find a solution to this annoying problem soon, so I can start paying more attention to my baby, little miss Scrapbook Obsession. I constantly have ideas percolating in my head that I want to write about/tell you about and it’s so frustrating not to have the time to post!
Okay, now, I was just curious what all you Scrappy Ladies were asking Scrap Santa for this year? If you’re like me, your everyday scrap spending has had to take a cut recently so holidays are your new best friends. Bring on Christmas and birthdays, yee haw! So I’ll show you mine if you show me yours…hehe…
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Dear Scrap Santa,
If you bring me any or all of the following items this Christmas, I promise to be nicer to peoplebuy coffee for the person behind me at Starbuckswalk old ladies across the street donate blood oh crap, I’m not gonna’ lie, Santa. I’ll be the same ol’ girl I’ve always been. But I would really like these items anyway.
All my love,
~Erika
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A HOME ACCENTS cartridge for my baby bug (Cricut machine)
Look, Santa, at all the cool shapes it will do. I can make my own cool wallies and not have to pay those exorbitant prices the stores charge.
Huge slab of CORE’DINATIONS CARDSTOCK….it’s got a colored core in a coordinating color. I haven’t gotten to play with any yet, and do you really think that’s fair, Santa? Yeah, me either….
Anything from THIS website, Basic Grey. Seriously, anything. Anything at all. HERE is my favorite collection they ever did; if you can find anymore Motifica on this green earth, I will take it. Oh, and Bazzill sheets to match, please….
Any PINK PAISLEE goodies would be most appreciated. I have some Vintage Moon pieces that I got in a kit, and I love it. But must. have. more. For instance, me likey this. Me likey a lot….
And subscriptions to all the scrapbooking magazines, since I can no longer use my Mike’s coupon on them: Creating Keepsakes, Memory Makers, and Scrapbooks Etc. Pretty pleeeeeese….
Okay, I will force myself to stop there. Even though I also want some Nestabilities and a Cuttlebug. But it’s your turn. What is on YOUR list for Scrap Santa this year?
I’m notorious for complaining about the lack of “new stuff” at Michaels, right? Yeah, I know, whine and complain, it’s what I do. Mama always told me, “If you’re good at something, stick with it.” But blow me down, I have to actually give Mike some props for all the new shizzle they got goin’ on these days. It was to the point where I wasn’t even !GASP! spending my coupons there every week because there just. wasn’t. anything. But my fine friends over at 2peas started posting about spying new stuff at Mike’s HERE.
So Friday night after work, I went by the Mike’s in my town to see what I could see. I was Stealth Girl for ya again and took some pix with my iPhone {sorry for the poor quality…it was the best I could do}.
In that Designer Scrapbooking section in the front of the scrapbook area, here is what I found….buncha new K&Co. and MAMBI Christmas stuff. This is 2 sides of the carousel; the other end and opposite side had all the Christmas stuff by Martha Stewart. I don’t like her stuff, so I’m not showing you, nanner nanner. If you must, you can see some of it HERE.
Sorry, those hugamic glitter snowflakes do absolutely nothing for me. But the rest of it was pretty dang cool. I restrained myself from buying yet another pack of shaped/die cut papers, tho’ the K&Co. Christmas ones were mighty tempting. I was so very well-behaved…I used my 40% coupon on one of these:
And I got the K&Co. rub-ons with the Christmas tree in the top left of the top photo. Also, the MAMBI green word JOLLY in the third photo.
Yep, that was all. Even though I had just sold my Clip It Up and all my non-Bazzill cardstock on Craigslist, and had a buttload of cash in my pocket. No, don’t be too proud of me. I knew I was doing more shopping on Sunday, so I wanted to save some of it. My friend, ABBY aka ScrapbookFrenzy, told me about some bargains she found at TUESDAY MORNING which just happens to be in The Big City where I do my Costco shopping, and right next door to another Michaels, the one that usually has all the new stuff when my Mike’s has just a taste of it. So today I hit those two mamma jammas. At Tuesday Morning, they had as promised a bunch of Making Memories stuff. All I got were two 12×12 K&Co. albums for $7 each (I get two of any albums I will use for our yearly family album, as I feel the need to scrap every single photo ever taken, and therefore need two albums per year). Again, I didn’t SPEND $14, I SAVED over $25 {stick with me, kid, I’ll show you how it’s done…}. They are really pretty, with embossed covers, subtle colors, the raised frame window on the cover, and a space where you can spell out your family name or whatever you want. If anyone wants to see a photo, leave me a comment and I’ll get one posted. But it’s almost 1am and I have to get up at 6 o’clock. Who invented mornings and jobs anyway?
At The Big City Michaels, here is what I found…
The American Crafts cardstock I’ve been hearing so much about. It comes in the cool cardboard vertical holders, so you don’t even have to unpack it when you get home, just throw on the shelf. But be careful and pick one from the bottom of the pile…I noticed the ones on top had had their corners rifled through so many times, they were looking a bit shabby.
Here is a crappy, blurry picture of the Basic Grey Christmas paper pad (got me summa that) and a gorgeous Christmas pad by My Minds Eye. I already have several of those papers from page kits I bought last year, so I passed. But it was very pretty. If you’re looking for something classy and subtle to make your Christmas cards with, I would recommend the MME stack.
Here are the calendar kits by MAMBI (left) and Basic Grey (right). I so wanted both of them. I literally picked up and put down the BG kit THREE times. It is so freakin’ adorable. Oh, I {heart} Basic Grey! I liked the smaller size too. The MAMBI one was cool because it’s 12×12 spiral bound so it could be kept on your shelf kind of like an album when the year is over. The colors are bright and cheerful, a calendar project I’m sure your kids would enjoy doing with you or making for Gramma and Grampa..
There was a Bazzill cardstock pack in Christmas colors that I also had in my hot little hands, but when I compared the price to the AC cardstock, it was much more expensive (if I’m remembering right, it was the same price but you got half as much??). The quality of the AC seemed comparable, so I got it instead. If you’ve tried both AC and Bazzill cardstock, let me know how you think they compare, okay? I used my 50% off newspaper coupon and my 50% receipt coupon, so I didn’t spend $20, I SAVED $20. That’s what I told DH anyways…
And of course, while in The Big City, I went to Barnes and Noble…got my December CK and a cool mag about making scrapbook photo albums. I skimmed through it tonight while watching Kung Fu Panda with the fam, and I really liked it. Read more about it HERE {psst…but don’t order it from CK; their customer service *sux*…}.
So those were my shopping adventures. If you’ve been avoiding Mike’s lately like I have, you should go check it out…you’ll be pleasantly surprised :)
I was lucky enough to have the day off due to a State holiday…Columbus Day. Since I now work M-F 8 to 5, it was nice to have a weekday for errands. Went to get some labs done, met with our financial guy, met with the school principal, etc. Of course, I needed some retail therapy after all that! Got my 2 new scrap mags at Barnes & Noble…
I heard the November issue of Scrapbooks Etc is out but I haven’t been able to find it yet. Anyway, I’ve skimmed through the CK so far and it looks REALLY good! I’m so happy to see that BRENDA ARNALL is back with some EASY PATTERNS. This time, she incorporates some of those fun journaling stamps…of which I have more than plenty, and other great journaling ideas. HERE are the free downloads from the article (as of 10-13-08, they aren’t working but it says to keep trying back). LIZZY K talks about where you can turn your blog into a book, which is something I’d already planned to do, so I was happy to find a $10 discount code for CK readers! My girl NOEL is featured in an article on kids Thanksgiving projects. And there’s a fun scrap space featured that is geared towards having your friends in to scrap with you. I’m such a sucker for those Scrap Space features. I could read an entire book with nothing but ‘real people’ scrap spaces, couldn’t you?
After B&N was the craft store I sometimes call my LSS…cuz they are pretty cool and get some recent stuff, unlike Mike’s. I got a few sheets of Bazzill, and this paper from Little Yellow Bicycle’s ‘Frightful’ collection. It’s meant to be Halloween paper, but I’m just going to use it on some boy pages. I think it’ll look great with a bright shade of blue or teal.
I only have around 25 sets of acrylic stamps and obviously need more, so I also got these (They were $25, but only $15 with my coupon):
Won’t they be fun to color in with marker or colored pencil?? I swear, half of the appeal of scrapbooking is that I can play and doodle and be artsy-craftsy like when I was a kid. So please don’t pee in my Wheaties and tell me I didn’t need these stamps, k? They are part of my regression therapy, part of my ‘live like there’s no tomorrow’, part of my ‘recapturing my youth.’ You support that, don’t you?
Lastly, I went to Mike’s and used a 50% off coupon to get another Jetmax 3-drawer cube (remember, I’m STOCKING UP). I threw in 2 sheets of Bazzill ‘cuz I’ve heard at some stores they’re including Bazzill in the 4 for $1 sale (which applies to 59 cent sheets and Bazzill is 69 cents, but some are doing it anyway). Well, the butthuggers at the Mike’s I went to charged me full price for them so I’m glad I only grabbed two.
Okay, fess up, what scrappy goods have you bought lately? And whatya think of the latest CK?
So, I went to Michaels lastnight…just HAD to see if they had the BASIC GREY paper pads yet. The answer is a big fat NO. But they did have all paper pads on sale for 25% off, and an endcap full of other cool new paper pads. There was the glitter Christmas stack by Die Cuts with a View and matching mat stacks. Then a mess of new sets by Me and My Big Ideas (MAMBI). Only one of those tempted me, but I was able to restrain myself. All punches were 40% off so I did get THIS ribbon slot punch by Fiskars that I’ve been eyeing for a month or so.
Because I want to weave ribbon through it on cards and layouts. You can also weave paper through it…a very cool look. I couldn’t find any layout samples to show you…if anyone has used their Leave It To Weaver punch on a layout or card, please give me a linkee!
ETA 9-8-08: I put the call out to AMR girlz for photos of their projects using this punch and two of them came through! Here are some cards from mystery woman ~Q~:
And Jessica aka jessicamae shared this layout:
{Okay, back to the original post….}
I’ve never been a big ‘punch’ girl, but all these new border punches are sucking me into Punch Land. What else did I get? OH! Finally found the BAZZILL at my Mike’s and I felt kinda stupid because it could’ve been there for a while and I never noticed it. It was just in the regular cardstock paper rack area where they’ve had the Paper Outlet stuff forevah! But it finally dawned on to me to check there and, sho nuff, Bazzill!! I wasn’t crazy about the 79 cents per sheet price tag, but when I saw that Bazzill Bling was the same price as the regular I got mostly Bling, as my LSS sells it for $1/sheet.
At checkout, I noticed the employees were wearing their stunning new UNIFORMS. I said to the checker, “I see you’re wearing the new uniforms.” {Dead silence}. So I added in my best sarcastic tone, “You must be thrilled” and she said, “Yeah.” Again with the crickets. And that was that. I did notice that everyone was wearing their own version of black top, khaki-colored pants (or beige or brown or olive, whatever they were in the mood for that day apparently) but not the required official black polo and khakis that I’d heard it would be. Reminded me of Target, where yes, the employees wear a red top and beige pants…but they personalize it with a blue mohawk, a pierced cheek, and a raging right arm sleeve (tattoo). Which to me defeats the purpose of the whole ‘corporate unity’ look they were even going for…but that’s just me. Oh, how I long for the days when I could shop without having to stare at holes in people’s faces, discs in their stretched out earlobes, and other things that make me hurt just to look at. I know, I know…I’m old fashioned and need to get a grip, right? Bah!
So maybe all my griping about what a crap selection of papers they carry has finally gotten through to Michaels (insert eye roll here). Because what to my wondering eyes did appear…while at Michaels today?? Was it…could it be….Nah, that would mean they’d joined the 1990’s. But, yes, I really truly did see at Michaels today…BAZZILL CARDSTOCK. I swear to you, I was so excited, I let out an “eek!” and almost peed my ever lovin’ pants right there in Aisle 4. It was in one of those “Do not look at this, do not touch this, don’t even think about it” baskets, you know, the ones they tease you with, of scrapbooking items they HAVE but just won’t SELL to you yet because of some lame technicality about, “We haven’t unpacked it and put a price sticker on the rack yet.” I mean, blah blah blah, you know? I’m a scrapper, I see it, I want it. Don’t tease me, don’t make me beg, just hand it over and no one gets hurt. Throw in a Butterfinger and it’s all good. But don’t put it there right in the middle of aisle and ask me to pretend I don’t see it.
Because Bazzill is the goddess of all cardstocks. Okay, let me tell you about Bazzill. When I first started scrapbooking (like, 80 something years ago), I bought the Creative Memories 10×12 cardstock. Now whoever’s bright idea 10×12 cardstock was, they should be fired. Makes NO sense for a 12×12 album, just absoludicrous. So then I ventured into Michaels and started buying those no-name packs of smooth cardstock in pastels, black and white, brights, neons, you name it. All was fine, I was content, I was a happy scrapper. But that’s because I was naive. I was ignorant. I was clueless. At some point, probably at a CKU or Scrapbook Expo, I was introduced to…everyone say it with me now…Bazzill Basics linen-textured cardstock. We scrappers just call it “Bazzill” like a code word that only we know. But we know, don’t we? Oh yes, we know! We know that there is no other brand of cardstock with such a wonderful thickness, a rockin texture, a wicked array of colors to choose from, and a high price tag that is Oh So Worth It. Since then, I’ve tried Prism cardstock and, I have to say, it runs a close second to Bazzill. But I’m a Bazzill girl through and through. And that’s why I’m so slappin’ happy that Michaels is now carrying it.
From what I could see from digging through the basket ~ and you guys owe me big time, ‘cuz the Wilton Cake Lady was mad doggin’ me the entire time ~ there were some nice colors, nothing too bright (remember the famous QVC pack? ack!), mostly the Grasscloth texture but some linen and some Smoothies, but best of all…BLING! Yep, I saw blue Bling and green Bling. I’m curious to see what price they will sell for. What, like it really matters, right? Who am I kidding? There is no mention at Michaels.com that they even carry Bazzill. I know, shocking…Btw, HERE’s a link to Bazzill’s new stuff for summer 2008. Hmmm, Michaels should get ahold this stuff in, oh, about 2014…
So, whazzup with Bazzill at your Michaels? Am I the last one to get it?
ETA: Went by again yesterday because I had to exchange something at Target in the same mall. No sign of the Bazzill anywhere. They’re just playing games with me now…
Here was the challenge from Joscie:
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My challenge is pretty simple:
I find that using a monochromatic color scheme can have a strong impact, so I challenge you to create a layout, card or project in a monochromatic color scheme. You may choose any color in all its values (tints and shades) plus white, black or kraft.
here is the layout i created in shades of brown…. it’s called those eyes.
“THOSE EYES” layout by Joscie Cutchens
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I’ve always wanted to do a single-color layout but probably wouldn’t have done it without this challenge. Here’s mine:
Materials: Bazzill cardstock; thickers-type letters from Dollar Tree/Miss Elizabeth; unknown ribbon; everything else from Heidi Grace kit I got at Tuesday Morning ($25 retail for $10).
I never do 2-photo layouts either, but these were 2 random photos I had taken in our front yard last summer & now they are scrapped!
Looks like another must-have tool by Basic Grey. It gets a big “thumbs up” from Noel Culbertson, a CK Scrapbooker of the Year Top 10. She said on the CKMB that it makes rub-ons go on “like a dream,” and that she got it HERE at embellish IT! where they sell it for $7. Here is the description on their website:
AMAZING TOOL!
Roller ball rub-on stylus
Rolling ball tip glides smoothly for a controlled application
Flat nylon paddle for setting the rub-on
High-quality design
I mean, Noel had me at Hello, but when she said this new tool does not leave smush marks on her Bazzill, it was like chocolate icing on a chocolate cake. You know, already great but just that much better. Okay, I’m off to see if ALL MOMENTS REMEMBERED or MEMORY WORKS plan to carry it, because Lord knows Michaels won’t have it in this decade and that’s about the only place left to shop around here. Will this be on your shopping list?
Edited to add 1/23/08: Deb from CKMB just posted a review on her blog. HERE YA GO…
Welcome back to blog-world, after that little break we all took for Christmas. I have to admit, the only day I stayed entirely away from the computer was Christmas Day itself. We didn’t go out of town, but stayed close to home attending family events. On Christmas Day, after all the gift opening madness, just our little family went out for a fancy dinner. We spent scads of cash, and ate whatever we wanted for desert without worrying about calories or the future additions to our tushies. I mean, once a year, ya gotta throw caution to the wind, right? I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas as well.
I was lucky to receive some wonderful gifts. My MIL got us a set of those glass photo coasters, telling us how she was up very late the night before going through old photos to put in a set of coasters for each family. It was so touching to look at those photos, and to think of the care she took to pick them out for each of us. I have to selfishly admit, it was so extra nice to be on the receiving end for once of a gift that involved someone taking the time and love to do a project like that, and making something that we will smile at every time we use it. Thanks MIL ~ you rock! And there’s more! Mi madre gave me something handmade and special also. Have you seen those little wire and beaded “wine glass labels”? You know, you’re at someone’s house for a party and everyone is drinking wine, so you put this little cutie around the stem of your glass, then just remember, “Oh, I have the green one.” Well, my mom made me two sets of them and they’re personalized with the names of all our extended family (i.e. the folks we party with). The “girls” set is for we wine drinkers, and has little girly colored beads and grape charms, with our little tiny name tags. Then the boys set has boy colored beads and little beer charms. I figure we can hang them from the tabs of the beer cans, or insist that DH stick to longnecks which will absolutely break his heart (NOT).
Speaking of Mr. ScrapbookObsession, one of my bestest gifts was a $100 gift card to Starbucks (aka StarCrack) from him and the kids. Now, this was a HUGE thing coming from my Way Better Half, “he who always has a sarcastic comment about my level of latte consumption.” But the little note on the card holder said a thank you for all my late nights working and may this card help me get through those nights. I swear, sometimes he makes me so mad I just ball up my fist and say, “Straight to the moon!” and then he does stuff like the Starbucks gift and I decide to keep him forever :)
There was a thread on CKMB about “What gifts did we buy ourselves?”, so I was glad to see I wasn’t alone. “DH” bought me a cute pair of black shoes, and a huge book about the art of Rome. (Yeah, he was more surprised than I was when I opened them…and he was pretty impressed with ‘his’ gift buying abilities). The plan is also to get me an iPhone, hopefully later this week, AFTER we see how much the washing machine repair is going to cost. Yeah, I might have to take one for the team. As I started opening my gifts this year, I have to admit to a teeny tiny drop of disappointment when nothing was scrappy related. However, when my mom arrived lastnight with gifts from she and from my brother’s family, my faith was restored. My SIL (okay, we know my brother didn’t think of this) got me 3 Perfect Pages scrapbook kits from Colorbok, called Family Ties, Christmas and School Days. I’ve never seen them and was so happy to see something that didn’t come from Michaels or Costco, which is about the only scrapbook shopping I get to do anymore with all the LSS’s gone. To top it off, my mom got me a pack of scrapping stuff that she had hand picked from her LSS – papers, embellishments, large eyelets for my Cropadile, and {GOD BLESS HER} some Bazzill cardstock to match it all. So, my little Scrap Angels did take care of me after all. While we all watched We Are Marshall tonight, I just sat there stroking my new goodies, looking through them over and over. I think all eyes were on the TV, so no one saw my Scrapbook-Obsessive behavior. It’ll just be our little secret, kay?
The best “gift” I was given was so many opportunities to take wonderful pictures for my scrapbooks: warm family dinners; candlelight ceremony at Christmas Eve church; Christmas Day walk on the beach; and ~ the best ~ catching the amazed and happy faces of my kids as they saw each new present. I want to journal the wonderful conversations we had and remember this Christmas always…
What were your best gifts this year? Any scrapbook-y kinds of gifts? C’mon, we all want to hear about them! Anything scrapbook-related you were really hoping for but didn’t get? Tell us how your Christmas went…
Well, I missed out on it last year because I joined the CK Message Board right before Christmas. So this year I made sure to say “sign me up!” at the first mention of a Secret Santa gift exchange. These are the goodies I got.
Patterned paper (unk. co.) w/kraft background (5 sheets)
KI Memories Pop Culture paper (6 sheets)
Quick Quotes Instant Journaling rub ons about Family
Studio G/Mikes stamps, Christmas series (7 sets)
and a Mount St. Helen’s postcard from “Lisa. The return address was WA state. So, I posted on the CKMB a big fat “THANK YOU” and calling my Secret Santa out of hiding.
ETA 12/13/07: Yippee, I know who my Secret Santa is! She left me a Comment here (thank goodness, because I missed her post on CKMB). I pasted it here:
Hi Erika!
I left you a message on the MB, but I’m not sure if you saw it, so I thought I’d post here as well. I am your SS and I’m glad you like your goodies! I was a bit worried.
I’m really enjoying your blog. That is how I found out about the new BG line (which I now love) and the Pop Culture line is perfect for my daughter. I like reading your reviews too. I’ve been wondering about the MM Magnetic Mat system as well. That is on my Christmas list.
Anyway, enjoy your stash!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Lisa
THANK YOU LISA!!! What a generous gift. I {heart} every single thing. I can’t even get those Mike’s stamps around here, and my LSS doesn’t have Pop Culture yet so you are DA BOMB. And YOU RAWK! As a mommy who doesn’t get much under the tree, you can’t imagine how much this gift made my Christmas :) I was good all year, I promise…
PS: As you know, I’ve been having “issues” with my blog formatting. I’m now trying to edit it from my work computer…let’s see if this holds…pretty please, pretty please, pretty please….
