ETA 01-22-15: I see that Amazon now has most if not all of the Project Life Value Kits, even some not listed below. You can get them HERE
This is post 3 of 3 about the new Project Life products coming out. If you missed them, see the other 2 posts HERE and HERE.
The new kits are:
Live Brightly
Hi, Sunshine
Boys Rule
Odds & Ends
Peace, Love & Sunshine
DIY Shop
My faves are:
Hi, Sunshine
Odds & Ends
Also, spotted at Hobby Lobby, some recently introduced Project Life Value Kits – “Good Times”, “Enjoy Life”, and “Super Cute:
I like these smalluh kits for smalluh dolluhs.
Thanks again Heather for taking and sharing all your scouting photos with us! I live in a Scrapbook Desert where they must deliver the new stuff on camels. And my only store is Michaels.
Someday, we will live in a world where EVERY scrapper will have a 30-minutes or less driving time to an LSS, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and Tuesday Morning. Are ya’ with me!?!?
Until then, I really count on lovely friends like Heather to be my photo supplier :)
Because I went to a GOOD Michaels a few weeks ago while traveling and it was a-MAYZE-ing! They had all the stuff I hear other scrappers talking about online and wish-wish-WISHING! that mine did.
This cute project greeted me at the front table.
My store doesn’t even have this whole section called “Craft It” by Recollections. Some really cute stuff to DIY party favors, cards, scrapbooking, etc.
Look at those cute colored clothespins and straws!
I snagged two of these washi tapes!
Four new paper pads by Jolee’s – I’ve never seen paper by them, only embellishments. GO Jolee’s!
Even their Clearance stuff was better than at my Mike’s :P
I was tempted by this watercolor paper pad by Recollections but I still have tons of “COLOR WASH” by Heidi Swapp that needs to be used.
The “Sweet Tangerine” paper pad by DCWV was hard to pass up. I love all the orange.
I swear, “Hey Kid” by Pink Paislee has been on my wish list since I first saw it. But twice now I’ve seen it in person and failed to pull the trigger. I think I need to get just a few sheets and some embellishments, not the whole line. I just don’t love ALL of the papers.
And, oh yeah, all paper pads were 50% off so I expect you to really admire my strength in not buying any, LOL!
My Mike’s doesn’t have any of these cute burlap embellishments!
I had those mason jars and the letters in my hands . . . but they didn’t make the final cut :( I’m hoping my Mike’s will get them eventually and I can use coupons to get them later.
THIS Mike’s has almost a full aisle of paper pads! Does yours? Mine has about 1/3 of an aisle.
Look how high their paper racks go! Mine stop at about eyeball-level with about 1/3 as many racks. Hmph!
They even have a SCRAPBOOKING sign! Not at my store :(
This looks about the same as the Project Life section at my Mike’s.
My store has a section like this of random MAMBI, card sentiments, older K&Co, etc. but it’s not as filled in, has maybe about 1/2 as much product.
Found these cute new letter stickers in 3 colors.
Here’s a close-up so you can see . . . they’re made of a textured fabric and are slightly distressed on the edges.
And here is where I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven! MAMBI MAMBI MAMBI!! Man, their stuff is so bright, cheery, and uplifting. They can turn anyone’s frown upside-down, ha!
I knew I had to get some of these MAMBI Sticks but at $8 a package, I had to make a choice . . . or maybe two ;) So I looked at the backs to see what was in each package. I just love the sayings they use, the pretty fonts, and the great colors.
Love these letters – kraft with polka dots!
Uh-oh, found another set of MAMBI Sticks I like. This is getting ever harder to choose!
They had all the MAMBI Pocket Pages stuff which I’ve bought out . . . ahem, has mostly been phased out at my Michaels.
My store now has the Instax Mini 8 camera, mini albums, and supplies – a better selection actually – but this Mike’s had them 2-3 weeks earlier.
NOTE: These cameras are only about $60-70 on Amazon with free shipping (depending on the color you choose) at my link above. At Michaels, they retail (if I remember right) for $119. Even with a coupon, Amazon is cheaper. And some Michaels stores are not accepting coupons for them. Just a shopping tip!
Here are the 8.5 x 11 “Hot Buy” paper pads I heard about online but couldn’t find at my Mike’s.
This Amy Tangerine one with all the cameras was super tempting!
And, finally, some new embellishments from AMERICAN CRAFTS, aka the Monopoly winners at the game of Scrapbooking (did you get that? huh?). Something in this photo came home with me.
Those plastic letters on the bottom look like some I bought from Crate Paper “The Pier”
line a while back and I know I paid a lot more than $3.99 for them! I wonder if the quality and amount are similar?
If you want to see what I bought, stay tuned . . . you’ll see in my next post!
I hope those of you with a GOOD Mike’s nearby realize how lucky you are. You’re probably the same ones with a Hobby Lobby and a great Joann nearby too, aren’t ya’?? Jeez, I’m really jealous of you. I don’t even have those stores, no LSS, just a (BAD) Michaels. Waaahh!
So, which camp do you fall in? Do you have a GOOD Mike’s like this one that gets all the good, new stuff early on and has hoards of scrapbooking supplies? Or are you like me with a BAD Mike’s that gets new products much later, if at all, and in smaller quantities?
ARCHIVER’S scrapbooking chain sent out this e-mail recently. I’m not on their mailing list so I copied it from a posting online; I apologize for the lovely ‘chopped up’ quality :)
I’m on the West Coast and have never been to an Archiver’s, altough shopping there is on my Scrapbook Bucket List :) I’m rarely even in an LSS anymore – all of mine closed years ago – so the thought of being in a scrapbooking warehouse of sorts is pretty exciting! Alas, I’ll have to cross 2 large states to reach the closest one!
Archiver’s Locations:
But when added to their BANKRUPTCY NEWS from the recent past {where the irony of them shafting some of those small manufacturers they now propose to support has been mentioned} and now this e-mail, it’s starting to feel like another thing I’ll have to remove from the Bucket List as impossible {like seeing The Oprah Show in person, boo hoo}. In other words, I have to wonder: Will Archiver’s even be around by the time I can travel to one?
The message boards are blazing with reaction to the above Archiver’s e-mail. Here’s the gist of some of the comments, both good and bad:
– Archiver’s is clearly NOT a small business and trying to cast themselves as part of Small Business Saturday was tacky and unwarranted. While they ARE a small chain {33 stores} in comparison to big boxes MICHAELS {1000+ stores} and HOBBY LOBBY {800+ stores}, they do not meet the definition of a small business {25 locations or less; they missed it by 7}. Personally, I don’t read that they think they ARE a small biz, just that their continued existence helps to keep ‘small biz’ scrapbooking vendors alive. And that they are similar in many ways to a small business in that their home office and individual store staffs are relatively small. I was surprised to hear that only 30 home office employees run a chain of 33 stores; I had pictured a much bigger ‘corporate headquarters’ type of set-up.
– Archiver’s in the past seemed to be practicing “Goal: World Scrapbooking Domination”, putting stores in close proximity to local scrapbook stores {LSS’s}, which many feel was a targeted and successful attempt to shut the smaller stores down. So isn’t it ironic that they now would like to cast themselves as a ‘small business’ or small business supporter?
– Archiver’s has made other business mistakes – like employees who seem to lack scrapbooking knowledge or interest, installing Memory Labs in their stores which don’t seem overly popular, must’ve been hugely expensive, and take up lots of store space that used to hold product, etc. So to send this e-mail that seems to imply that it’s the customers’ faults that Archiver’s is struggling is like a slap in the face.
– Scrappers who do have Archiver’s stores nearby enjoy shopping there, feel they offer something special, and they try to support them with their dollars. Shoppers realize that if we as customers don’t show our support, i.e., spend our scrappy dollars there, we simply won’t have them as a choice eventually. And no one wants that :(
– The e-mail from Archiver’s didn’t bother some scrapbookers at all. They either found it harmless, just the truth being spoken, a necessary cry for help, etc.
Please remember, I stated these are not MY opinions per se, just a compilation of things I’ve seen expressed on the message boards.
Again, as someone who’s never shopped at Archiver’s, I can’t comment on their business practices, their employees, etc. But I can say that if I DID have an Archiver’s within driving distance, I would be there as much as possible. I do have other loyalties to keep with my scrapbooking dollar {as a MEMORY WORKS consultant since 2007, a lot of my dollars have gone there obviously … but they are closing effective 12-31-13} and other places I like to buy basics {Michaels, etc.}.
But I personally wouldn’t take offense to the Archiver’s e-mail. It would’ve opened my eyes to the dire straits they appear to be in, and would’ve renewed my interest in and commitment to shopping there. Hoping it wouldn’t be too little, too late for “us” to save them …
Are you an Archiver’s customer? What has been your experience with Archiver’s? Did the e-mail bother you or no? Do you think Archivers is on its way to closing down?
Even if you don’t have an Archivers close enough to shop at, I’d love to hear your opinions on this issue. Like THIS post I wrote a while back, scrapbooking stores, manufacturers, and customer support is an issue that’s going to keep coming up as more stores continue to fight to stay in business in these tough times … or give up when it’s no longer possible.
Do we as scrapbookers “owe” anything to these retailers? And if we don’t monetarily support them, are you okay if they close?
has been on my wish list since I first saw it. But twice now I’ve seen it in person and failed to pull the trigger. I think I need to get just a few sheets and some embellishments, not the whole line. I just don’t love ALL of the papers.
, mini albums, and supplies – a better selection actually – but this Mike’s had them 2-3 weeks earlier. 
