I did a little scrappy shopping over Labor Day Weekend.
My favorite find is the Webster’s Pages “Dream in Color” enamel dots.
This is one of those times when seeing something in person clinches the sale. If I had seen these on Amazon . . .
. . . they wouldn’t really have caught my eye. But in person, they are sooooo cute! Granted, those glittery gold dots will probably end up in the trash; I am SO over gold. I mean, I was never ON it but I’m so OVER it. There’s just no love for silver and I don’t get it.
Anyhow, I got those beauties at Beverly’s Crafts and paid full price. I had already used a coupon in the transaction – to get 3 WRMK 12×12 albums for the price of 2. What, WHUUUUTTT? That made them only $20 each instead of $30 so I was okay paying full price for some dots :) But you KNOW I tried to use another coupon. Foiled again!
The other 2 items were from Michaels and they weren’t on sale but I got a little discount on ’em. The cashier entered the coupon for 20% of my total purchase, so that was awesome.
I already have a set of the blue and green dots but those are colors I scrap a lot with. And the Heidi Swapp“Puffy Stickers” are super cute. I just adore her handwriting. She could write “Parcheesi” or “Batmobile” and I would buy them, even though I will never scrapbook a thing on those topics.
More to come on some Project Life stuff I bought . . . will be selling off some of it, if you’re interested!
We all have our favorite scrapbooking companies and although Pebbles Inc. isn’t usually one of mine – though their stuff is always super cute! – their new line called “Fun in the Sun” is definitely going on my Pinterest Wish List <3
Must have those Thickers.
And puffy stickers.
And enamel dots. Oh, those colors!
We have a swimming pool and this line is completely perfect for all those colors – turquoise, orange, yellow, green – that constantly show up my photos from the pool water, swim trunks, pool toys, etc. I can use the beachy and barbecue images, too. As always with Pebbles, the style is fresh and clean.
What do you think – any interest in “Fun in the Sun” by Pebbles Inc.?
Yes, I’m the annoying shopper taking photos every time I’m in Michaels and I see something new ;) Problem is, I haven’t come home and shared these pics with you in a while – so here’s some catch-up.
I give you … “New” items I’ve seen at Michaels in March and April 2015:
Heidi Swapp and Recollections embellishments
A little more variety in our Project Life section
A bright and colorful new 12×12 paper pad by DCWV called “Chick Chat”
A bunch of blackboard stuff from Recollections
New 6×6 paper pads by My Minds Eye. These are always on endcaps in my store so you may have to look around to find them.
A cute little plastic shoebox with an “it’s raining” theme – and on clearance! This is the type of box I use for my Project Life card storage.
Kinda’ like the coughcoughBORINGcoughcough new crafts section at Target, Mike’s has some DIY stuff, basics in lots of colors
Cheapie bins of super cute enamel dots . . .
label stickers . . .
twine balls (heh) . . .
and mini doilies
New tags and things by Craft Smith – made of burlap, cork, metal, canvas, and denim
Project-Lifey card and embellishment kits. In my store, these are in the back by framing and there are matching 8.5 x 11 photo albums below them.
Super cute new MAMBI paper pad
WITH HEARTS!! <3
Love this pretty new K&Company postbound album – great colors and design
Some Spring-y new mini paper pads and die cut packs by Recollections
Tabbed index cards by Recollections, great for organizing photos or Project Life cards
Hey, I think someone asked me a long time ago where I got the scrapbook page display thingee in my office. I forgot to answer but when I saw these at Michaels, I remembered that I forgot. So sorry, whoever that was! Yep, I got it at Michaels and they still have ’em.
Over in the home deco section, there was also some cute new stuff –
So that’s what’s what at Michaels these days.
Further down in the same mall, there’s a Bev Mo (do you have these where you live? I call them “college students’ heaven” stores). I’m driving along and got a little bit twitterpated – CRAFT EVENT! – before I realized, “Duh. It’s Bev Mo. Must mean craft beer.” Bummer, dude. Really harshed my mellow.
So I went in, got some Grey Goose, and it was all good.
I can’t reveal my sources ;) But I’m hearing reports of cheap enamel dots to be had at both Michaels and Dollar Tree!
Here are some pics of the Dollar Tree ones:
The brand is “Do It Yourself” and they’re apparently flatter than average enamel dots {which I find to be a plus}. They can reportedly be found in the stationary section of Dollar Tree.
I also hear there are enamel dots to be found in the Michaels “dollar bins” though they’re $1.50. I can’t find any photos online – have you seen any? Please share a link! I was JUST at Mike’s 2 days ago but didn’t think to check the dollar bins by the checkout as I was on another mission, LOL.
Happy shopping! Please let me know if you find these at your Michaels or Dollar Tree!
ETA 01-04-15: A sweet reader named Kelly found the dots at her Michaels and was kind enough to share a photo!
She says there were 4 sets total, these 3 plus 1 with purples that she didn’t get. Thanks so much, Kelly!
WOOT!! I just ordered this from ScrapbookSteals.com:
OCTOBER AFTERNOON has long been one of my top 5 favorite scrapbooking companies (maddening release delays, notwithstanding). I’ve wanted the “Apple Cider” line since I first saw it but was waiting for a great deal like this.
I still wasn’t 100% sure I’d pull the trigger – the main things I wanted were the papers, puffy stickers, and pop drops.
So I clicked on the product description to see exactly what was included in the steal:
apple cider collection kit
Featuring iconic autumn images from acorns and pumpkins to squirrels and leaves, this collection is perfect for your autumn paper-crafting projects.
1 apple cider double take stickers
1 apple cider flash blurbs
1 apple cider memory cards
2 apple cider paper bake sale
2 apple cider paper bonfire
2 apple cider paper corn maze
2 apple cider paper harvest
2 apple cider paper hayride
2 apple cider paper pumpkin picking
1 apple cider pillow puff stickers
1 apple cider pop drops
1 apple cider snap caps
1 apple cider tin pins
1 apple cider washi tape
Lo and behold, all 3 things I reeeeeally wanted were included in this kit, which I could hardly believe because it was only $18! Even with shipping included, that’s about 40% off retail. With October Afternoon, I prefer to get the entire kit so I was pumped, baby!
To make things even better, I forgot I was earning “Steals points” but I got this message after I placed my order:
You earned 36 Steals Points!
Earn up to 8 points a day just by viewing our Steals (must be logged in).
Earn 2 points for each dollar spent on merchandise.
Redeem points at Checkout for an instant discount (100 points = $1).
history
9/20/14 Order #4302416 +36
9/20/14 Viewed ScrapbookSteals.com +1
9/7/14 Viewed ScrapbookSteals.com +1
9/6/14 Viewed SheSteals.com +1
9/6/14 Order #4293469 +23
So it’s only 62 points (62 cents) but, like I always, say, “It’s better than a sharp stick in the eye!” Now that I was reminded about the Steals points, I’ll try to click on over to the Steals pages each day. I get their emails, one that shows just the ScrapbookSteals deal for the day, and another that shows ALL the Steals.com deals of the day (they also have sites for She, Baby, and Kid) with some really cute stuff for great prices.
My goal is to save a few dollars on my next order, maybe even cover shipping. Then I’ll feel like a real Scrappy Shopping Ninja, ha!!
One tip I will give about ordering from ScrapbookSteals.com: If you’re in a hurry for your order, well . . . don’t be, LOL. I also ordered the Echo Park “Creative Agenda” collection kit from them on 09/02 and I just received it on 09/20. Granted, I chose the cheapest shipping option; you can pay more if you *need* your items quicker.
Yayyyy!!! So happy about getting OA Apple Cider. I just love the paper designs and puffy stickers and hearts so much <3 The "steal" changes everyday but you can check out their archives (past items like the 2 I talked about) HERE. ‘Course, I had to click over there right now to make sure that the OA and EP deals are still there (they are), and I had to see this:
The HEARTS! Oh, the HEARTS! I swear, the bullets I take for you people. You’d better appreciate it. Gah.
The online shop THE SCRAPBOOKING STUDIO has a big CLEARANCE SALE going on right now. I have no affiliation with this store but they also have an LSS, so I wanted to support them by helping to get the word out.
The MME Cut & Paste line and some others are on sale, too. These MME Adorbs brads are only $2.40 (retail $6).
These cute embellishments by Farmhouse are only $1.75 (retail $7).
I don’t know what the shipping is like because – believe it or don’t – I didn’t place an order :) But with savings like that, you’re getting a good deal either way.
As I talked about HERE, it was time for me to get some new storage for my expanding collection of washi tape. Just like with my PROJECT LIFE CARD STORAGE, I need cheap, easy and practical. Requirements for my washi tape storage are:
– Not expensive; no more than $20 total
– Easy to use; no pulling tape rolls off dowels, walking across the room to access them, etc.
– Practical; keeps the dust out and easy to see what I have
I looked all over Target for a new storage solution but had no luck. My next stop was MICHAELS craft store. Armed with my 40% off coupon, I was pretty confident I’d find something I loved.
And I was right! Scroll to the very bottom of this post if you can’t wait to see my final washi tape storage solution :)
But let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Here is what I started out with:
Like I said in my last post, I originally had my washi in an open tray on my desk along with my Project Life cards and embellishments. Due to dust and (ahem) outgrowing that storage, I moved the PL embellishments – icon stickers, twine, stamps, and chalk ink pads – to one of these super handy “Bag in Bag” purse organizers.
As I packed for my RETREAT in January, I threw all my washi into this extra plastic shoebox from Mike’s that I had standing by for more Project Life / MAMBI / Sn@p! card storage. Or whatever. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to keep obsessively buying more cards and need a place to store them. ‘Cuz that would be crazy when I already have so many. Um, yeah.
The washi tape rolls were easy enough to access in the shoebox above ^ while I scrapped but I wanted a better storage solution. They didn’t stay very neat and there was a lot of wasted space in there.
Let’s try something new:
At Michaels, I picked up this storage piece first. It’s an Iris Scrapbook Project Case meant for storing 12×12 pages in progress, I suppose.
Liked: It was shallow enough to mostly spread out my tapes into a single level so they’d be easy to see and access, yet the case is tall enough to close over the thicker tapes like the red and green one on the bottom right above. There’s even room to stack 2 thinner tapes.
Didn’t like: Took up too much desk space and couldn’t see washi tape color/pattern as well when they’re lying flat versus on their sides.
My other purchase from Michaels were these 2 smaller cases, and this is the solution I ended up going with. I put cool colors in one and warm in the other.
At Michaels, the 6″ x 6″ Iris Mini Project Case was $4.99 minus $2.00 with all scrapbook storage 40% off = $2.99 {didn’t even need to use my coupon!}. So there’s the “cheap” requirement fulfilled; only $6 total. You can’t beat that with a stick.
Oh my! That is one pretty washi collection, if I do say so myself. All that color and design and possibility makes me so HAPPY!
As you can see, the lids closed easily over all sizes of washi tape. My “easy to use” requirement was met – no dowels, no pulling them off of hangers or spools, etc. Just reach in, grab the roll(s) you need, and put ’em back when you’re done.
I kept the label on so you could see what exactly the item is called, in case you’d like to replicate this washi storage :) It’s so funny because looking back, I mentioned way back HERE that I loved this little case and wanted to find a use for it.
Voila! Mission accomplished!
Here are my cute little washi cases stacked together on my desk, just to the left of me as I scrap. My pretty tape is secure and protected. So my “practical” requirement is fulfilled.
To the right is the Bag in Bag I mentioned above. On top of the washi cases is a small plastic ‘shoebox’ from Mike’s with enamel dots and some smaller embellishments that didn’t fit in the Bag in Bag. That’s another cheap, easy, and practical storage solution I love <3
Hope you find this helpful! How do you store your washi tape?
A few cute finds at Michaels this week that I wanted to share with you . . .
I’m addicted to the large Iris cases (see 2nd photo) to hold my 12×12 “projects in progress”. I grab 1 or 2 whenever they’re on sale which they were this week ($4 versus about $7-8 regular price). For the first time, I noticed this adorable little mini version of the same case!
If I recall correctly, they were $5. I think they’re like THESE but I’m not sure. I couldn’t think of a use for it so I left it at the store. But if you can help me justify purchasing one, please let me know :) I need some enabling!
What I did buy:
The large Iris case plus some Recollections enamel dots in Valentines colors ($2.39 on sale) and a pack of the new HEIDI SWAPP sea green plastic letters ($2.69 using 40% off coupon). The letters are nice and thin so I figure I can use my TINY ATTACHER to attach them to pages. Love the color and font!
Out the door for less than a tenner. That’s my kinda’ shopping trip. What have you found at Mike’s lately?
PS: In honor of Mr. Perry’s 65th (YES 65th!) birthday today, I bring you some STEVE AWESOMENESS. Don’t be afraid to click. It’s a Youtube of Journey singing “Don’t Stop Believin'” . . . a cappella. It will melt you. I’ve already listened 4 times ;)
One of the hot new items in the scrapbooking world is enamel dots. I love them because they add a little pop of color wherever you need it. They’re less work than a brad – you don’t even have to punch a hole. Just stick ’em down and be on your way :)
They aren’t overly expensive (about $2-5 per pack), come in a huge variety of colors, and usually in 3 sizes per pack.
Here’s my current collection:
Enamel dots by Recollections, My Minds Eye, and Freckled Fawn
The only pack I paid full price for was the awesome teal one from Freckled Fawn. I just had to have those because those shades of teal blue are among my favorite colors.
The Recollections packs and the Halloween/MME I got from Michaels, using a coupon on each pack. ‘Cuz you know that’s how I roll. The rest of the MME ones are from a daily deal site. I think it was around $2/pack that way.
As I bought them, they were kind of getting tucked away all over my scrap room and not being used. So now I’ve gathered them all, put them with my Project Life stuff, and will start gettin’ bizzy with some dots.
I did try to use some of the gray ones on a layout I did this past weekend but they were the wrong shade. So that means I need to buy more, right?
Confession time: How many packs of enamel dots do you own? Do you use them a lot or still in the hoarding stage like I am? LOL Would love to hear from you! Just leave a Comment below.
purse organizers.
meant for storing 12×12 pages in progress, I suppose. 
was $4.99 minus $2.00 with all scrapbook storage 40% off = $2.99 {didn’t even need to use my coupon!}. So there’s the “cheap” requirement fulfilled; only $6 total. You can’t beat that with a stick.
but I’m not sure. I couldn’t think of a use for it so I left it at the store. But if you can help me justify purchasing one, please let me know :) I need some enabling!
to attach them to pages. Love the color and font! 
